HowTo: Read a scientific paper

Reading a scientific paper is an art; and, like all arts, you learn it by observing how the masters do it, trying to imitate them, and by practicing till you get it perfect (and then practicing a bit more).

Personally, I learnt reading scientific literature from my thesis adviser–I remember the first time I read a paper, thought that I understood the paper perfectly well,  and went for a discussion with him–with a couple of questions he disabused me of that notion (and, taught me the first lesson, namely that unlike a text book, not everything that is written in a paper is to be accepted at face value).

Coturnix at A blog around the clock, points to the recent series of epic posts of Revere at Effect Measure (about which I wrote here), and a post of PZ at Pharyngula as example posts from which to learn how to read scientific papers. I would add John Hawks to the list, since his blogposts, more often than not, to paraphrase Coturnix, are “serious science posts”

… that go into detail of an area or a single paper and explain it (and perhaps criticizes it) in plain language.

Have fun!