By Priyanka Joshi, Student, Banasthali Vidyapith
Introduction
Reading a Research paper is like assembling a bed frame when the instructions are in an obscure Asian language even Google Translate gives up on. You stare, you curse the gods of furniture, and then you seriously consider throwing the whole thing out the window.
Let me be the guardian angel you find after three hours of doom scrolling and a minor existential crisis. You bring the paper, I’ll bring the caffeine.
Before You Even Open the Damn PDF
The very first thing you need to do for this process to work is look deep within your overly caffeinated self and understand the WHY.
Why are you willingly subjecting yourself to this excruciating process?
Are you broadening your intellectual horizons? Were you assigned to read the paper? Or are you reviewing it for something serious—like a proposal, or a presentation.
Know your why. It decides how you read, what you focus on, and how much of your sanity you get to keep.
A research paper is not your emotional support novel. You don’t need to read every line. Skimming isn’t just allowed. It’s advised.
The Skimming Strategy (The Fast Way In)
Now personally, I don’t have the mental sanity (or masochistic desire) to read every research paper top to bottom. It’s not a textbook—it’s more like walking into a bookstore. You don’t sit cross-legged and read an entire novel before deciding if it’s worth buying. You glance at the title, skim the blurb, flip a few pages, and trust your gut.
Use the same logic with research papers. Title, abstract, intro, conclusion, done. Now, This method works perfectly if you’re reading to acquire knowledge or just trying to figure out whether the paper’s for you. But if you’re reading to review the paper or completely dissect it, you’ll need to read it critically—and most likely, more than once.
This is what I look for when I initially go through a paper.
- Title – What’s the study really about? Is it even relevant? Is it something that serves your purpose? If it’s not aligned with your field or question, close the tab. Save yourself.
- Abstract – This is the blurb of your research paper. What they studied, how they did it, and what they found. You’ll know in under a minute if it’s worth your time.
Now, some abstracts are sneakily vague. If it’s all buzzwords and no substance, proceed with caution.
We aren’t in the Mystery section of the store. You’re here for answers, not plot twists.
- Introduction –This is where they give you background and context before diving into the actual research problem.
Skim the first and last paragraphs. That’s where the good stuff hides. It’ll tell you what’s going on and what the researchers are trying to accomplish
- Conclusion/Discussion – The authors’ takeaways. What did they find? Why does it matter? Skim for phrases like “we found that…” or “this suggests…”. It’ll save you hours of blank stares and existential spirals.
- Figures + Tables – Visual summaries of data. Graphs and tables are your best friends. They sum up entire pages of results in a single image. Read the captions, look at the trends.
Deep Reading Strategy (For When It Counts)
At this point, you already know what’s coming. We need to deep dive into the research paper.
And I’ll say this because I’ve been exactly where you are: don’t lie to yourself. You’ll be tempted to breeze through this section, whispering, “I’m different. I’ll get the gist. I’m built different.”
Spoiler alert: You’re not. None of us are.
This is the part where most people lose the plot. They skip the heavy stuff and wonder why nothing makes sense later. Don’t be that person.
- Methods – This is the backbone of any research. How they did what they did. Focus on what the research design was, the tools, techniques, sample size, and procedures they used.
You collect as much information as you can. Read Critically. You should not assume that the authors are always correct. Instead, be suspicious.
- Results – This section is usually number-heavy. If you’re anything like me: welcome to hell. This is where the authors dump what they found—but not necessarily what it means. Try to understand the patterns and whether the results actually connect to the research question.
And if the whole section sounds like gibberish? Do what I do: ask someone who does speak data.
- Discussions – This is where the authors finally unleash their opinions. Expect a mix of interpretations, explanations, and—occasionally—delusions of grandeur. Stay critical. Cut through the jargon and ask: Do their claims actually match the data?
- Limitations – Newbies skip this. Don’t. It’s a goldmine. Here’s where the study’s cracks show: what failed, what wasn’t captured, and where future research should go. Sometimes their “limitations” section will hand you the exact gap you can build your own research on.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
I’ve heard the feel-good mantra: ‘There’s no wrong way to do something.’ Hard disagree. Sure, there are a hundred ways to skin a cat—but if you’re using a spoon instead of a knife, you’re not ‘exploring creativity,’ you’re just wasting time.
There’s always a better way. A faster way. A way that doesn’t leave you covered in metaphorical (or literal) cat hair. Efficiency isn’t about rigidity—it’s about working smarter so you can actually get shit done.
Here are the mistakes that’ll make you wish you’d just burned the paper instead:
- Reading line by line like a novel – Research papers aren’t Dickens—you don’t get bonus points for suffering through every word. Skim strategically (title → abstract → figures → conclusions) before deep diving. Otherwise, you’ll burn out by page two and start questioning your life choices.
- Ignoring the Methods Section – “I’ll just trust they did it right.” Famous last words. If you don’t understand how they got their results, you can’t judge if their conclusions are legit. No, the abstract won’t save you here.
- Highlight Everything – If your paper looks like a neon rainbow exploded on it, you’ve failed. If everything’s important, nothing is. Pro tip: Annotate margins with “???” or “BULLSHIT” for catharsis.
Conclusion
Let’s be real: no amount of advice will make reading research papers ‘pain-free.’ You’ll still hit passages that feel like hieroglyphics translated by a drunk oracle. You’ll still fantasize about printing a paper just to yeet it into the sun (fun fact: this does help, scientifically).
But with a stubborn streak, a cold brew (or Diet Coke, you do you), and actually using the strategies above? You’ll at least suffer efficiently.
Now go forth and conquer. Or at least survive. Happy researching, you’ve signed up for this hell,after all.