Reading research papers for a class
Read a research paper in three passes: abstract and figures first, then methods, then critique notes. Includes a time budget and note template.
In short
Your professor assigns a research paper for Thursday. You open it, start at the first sentence, and ten pages later you cannot say what it found. Papers are written to be checked and cited, not to be read like a story, and reading them in order is the slowest way to understand one.
A better way is to read the same paper three times, quickly, with a different question each time.
In short
- Do not read a paper from the first line to the last. Make three passes, each with a different job.
- Pass one: abstract and figures. Pass two: methods. Pass three: your critique notes.
- Write notes as questions and judgments, not as a copy of the paper.
Who this is for
This is for college students reading journal articles or conference papers for a seminar or a science, social science or engineering class. It also helps if you are reading papers for a first research project.
The plan at a glance
- Pass one: abstract and figures. Work out what the paper claims.
- Pass two: methods. Work out how they know.
- Pass three: critique notes. Work out whether you believe it, and what you would ask.
Step by step
1. Set a purpose before you start
Ask what the class wants from this paper: the main idea, the method, or a comparison with another reading. Write it at the top of your notes.
2. First pass: read the abstract, headings, figures and conclusion
Skip the dense middle. Look at every figure and its caption and write one sentence on what each shows. After this pass, you should be able to state the claim in a sentence.
3. Second pass: read the methods slowly
Ask what was measured, in what sample or setting, and how it was compared. Write down anything you do not understand and look up the terms.
4. Check results against the claim
Go back to the figures with your methods knowledge. Does the evidence support the claim as strongly as the abstract says?
5. Third pass: write critique notes
Write what is convincing, what is unclear, what limits there are, and questions for class. Mark where the authors state their own limits.
6. Summarise in three sentences
What they did, what they found, what you think. If it takes more than three, you are retelling, not summarising.
Worked example: reading one paper in three passes
Take a hypothetical paper called "Sleep timing and recall in teenagers", of eleven pages, assigned for a Thursday seminar. The details here are made up to show the process, not real findings.
Pass | Time | What you do | What you write |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10 min | Read abstract, section headings, two figures, conclusion | One-sentence claim; a line per figure |
2 | 40 min | Read methods: who took part, what was measured, how groups were compared | A list of terms to look up; how the study was set up |
3 | 30 min | Return to results and discussion with a critical eye | Three strengths, three doubts, two questions for class |
Total: 10 + 40 + 30 = 80 minutes, instead of reading eleven pages twice. In pass one, you might write: "They claim that going to bed later is linked with lower recall scores. Figure 1 shows scores by bedtime group." In pass two, you note how many students were in each group and how recall was measured. In pass three, you ask: "Is this a link or a cause? Were other factors, such as stress, considered?"
That last distinction, between association and cause, is one of the most common critique points in any class. If the paper only compares groups and did not assign people to conditions, you should be careful with words like "causes".
What to look for in each pass
In the first pass, you are looking for the shape of the paper: the question, the claim and the evidence they point to. You should not be stuck on any single sentence. If a term blocks you, skip it and note it.
In the second pass, you are looking at how the evidence was produced. Ask who or what was studied, what was compared with what, and what was measured. In the third, you are looking at the distance between the evidence and the claim. A careful paper usually states its own limits, so find them and see whether you agree.
If something goes wrong
- The methods section is full of unfamiliar terms. Look up only the terms that you need to follow the logic. Leave the rest for a second reading.
- You lose the thread in the results. Return to the figures and tie each paragraph to one of them.
- You are not sure what to criticise. Use a short checklist: sample, measures, comparison, what else could explain it, and what is not claimed.
- You are out of time. Do passes one and three. Even with a rough methods read, you can still make a useful comment.
Keep it going
Keep a one-page note per paper with the claim, the method, and your doubts. By the end of the course, these pages become a quick revision set. If you can, read the reference list of a paper you like, since that is where the next good paper is.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to understand all the maths or statistics?
- No. Aim to follow what was compared and what the result was. Ask your instructor about the parts that matter to the course.
- Is it okay to read the conclusion first?
- Yes. Knowing where the paper ends makes the rest much easier to follow.
