“I should block some time to read research papers.”
Haven’t you made this mental note several times? As a researcher, you’re aware of the importance of literature reading: the more you read research papers, the more you become aware of the new findings in your field, delve deep into the subject area of your interest, and identify novel research topics. For this, you need to ensure you are reading all research-related literature that could be relevant to your work.
However, it’s important to note that merely reading research papers is not enough; understanding and critically analyzing research papers is crucial. This can make literature reading intimidating especially for budding researchers. So, for those who are wondering how to keep up with scientific literature, we’ve put together three key tips to ensure your research-related reading is relevant and more productive.
- Establish the research paper’s relevance
Imagine reading a paper and realizing halfway that it’s not relevant! To avoid this, we suggest smart literature reading. Before you invest your time in reading the entire paper, look at its title, main keywords, and abstract to assess the paper’s relevance to your project or subject area. This will ensure that you’re investing time only in reading research papers with high impact. If you still feel doubtful, skim through the paper’s introduction section, and tables and graphs, if available.
There is an easier way to fine-tune your research-related reading and assess a paper’s relevance. The R Discovery app has a one-of-a-kind feature where each article comes with a ‘key highlight’ section that lists the main points covered in the article, so that the time and effort you spend reading research papers doesn’t go to waste.
What sets apart the AI-powered R Discovery literature reading app is that it filters the most relevant articles for you from a vast database based on your preferences. All you need to do is indicate your subject areas of interest. In short, it does the search and you read smartly!
- Analyze the research paper effectively
Literature reading is not like any other form of reading. When you choose a research paper to read, it’s important to comprehend and analyze it well. Here’s a set of critical questions to keep in mind to improve your understanding when reading research papers:
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- What is the problem that the author is trying to solve?
- Is the problem stated clearly and appropriately? Does it bridge the gaps identified by the author in the existing literature?
- What were the methods used by the author? Are there any other methods you think would have been more appropriate?
- What are the key results? Are they in line with the gaps that the author is trying to fill?
- Is the conclusion stated clearly?
- Are the statistical tests, conducted to reach the conclusion, appropriate and robust?
- Is the conclusion based on the data and the result?
- What are the shortcomings of the study?
- Make notes and summarize the paper for yourself
While critically analyzing or reading research papers, it’s a good idea to make notes for yourself. Try to list down all your questions or any concepts/terms that you didn’t fully comprehend during your analysis so that you can look them up later.
You may also include questions that the research paper didn’t answer but should have. Jot down new concepts or ideas that you came across while reading research papers.
Additionally, try to summarize the paper for yourself in a way that works for you – words, diagrams, or graphs. You may also refer to the ‘key highlights’ section of articles on the R Discovery literature reading app to create your list of important concepts covered in the article.
Researchers should work on making literature reading a daily habit. These tips can ensure you are reading research papers more efficiently by reducing the time and effort it takes to stay updated on your research-related literature.
Let us know if this post made your literature reading a tad bit easier and if you have any more tips on how to keep up with scientific literature, be sure to add it as a comment below.
