How One Read A Query Paper
I can't order you lot how you lot should read a enquiry paper. Probably a unlike in addition to customized vogue would function best for you. But I tin give notice order you lot how I read a enquiry paper. And if you lot think only about of the things below brand sense, you lot tin give notice endeavor them for yourself in addition to run across if they function for you lot every bit well.
So, how do I read a paper? The start answer that pops to my hear is "I combat amongst it". I strive to completely understand in addition to "Grok" the newspaper past times arguing amongst it. I resist to believe the claims inwards the newspaper at human face upward value, I endeavor to poke holes at it. I believe that the newspaper has to earn my trust, in addition to I only ask hold the parts that I am obliged to accept.
1. Ask questions in addition to combat amongst the paper
2. Write a review
3. Fight amongst the paper
4. Sleep on it in addition to come upward dorsum to it
I acquire rattling detail-oriented when reading the paper. I highlight, I underline, I cross over sentences. I grade of import paragraphs amongst stars. I purpose the margins to convey notes well-nigh my arguments in addition to well-nigh only about connections that occur to me. Obviously, at that topographic point volition move several places I won't understand inwards my start reading. I grade these amongst WDYM (what do you lot mean). I hypothesize (make upward guesses) well-nigh things I don't understand, in addition to revise my hypothesis every bit I read farther inwards to the paper.
I am a fleck ashamed of this, but I oftentimes write provocative things on the margin, similar "This claim is stupid", "This is only bullshit". It is silly, but I do this to hold myself engaged amongst the newspaper in addition to move emotionally involved every bit well. This way, I never autumn asleep reading a paper.
I write a curt review of the newspaper to examination how much I understand of it. Since I already grade plenty text from the newspaper in addition to write plenty notes inwards the margins piece reading the newspaper critically, it becomes slowly to start writing my personalized review of the newspaper using these.
I am oftentimes surprised past times how niggling I understood the newspaper inwards my start reading. When writing the review, since I endeavor to explicate things myself inwards my ain way, I oftentimes realize that I didn't actually understand the paper.
To elaborate this point, I volition borrow from my advice to undergraduate students:
There are unlike levels of knowing/understanding. The start grade is "knowing past times word". With passive learning (like passively reading), you lot acquire the most express course of written report of understanding/knowing. It is ephemeral, in addition to you lot are non able to reconstruct that on your own. The 2d grade is "knowing past times start paw experience". At this level, you lot are able to understand/witness in addition to if necessary rediscover the cognition on your own. Finally, the tertiary grade is "knowing past times heart". At this level, you lot internalized the cognition thus that it becomes business office of your nature. You grok it.
I discovery that this practice also has benefits for my ain writing/research. Trying to poke holes inwards others' papers helps me drib dead a meliorate author in addition to write stronger/better-defended papers. (If you lot are a graduate student, this volition assistance you lot write a well-defended rigid thesis, in addition to you lot tin give notice acquire past times fighting a pocket-sized ophidian in the ophidian combat portion of your thesis defense.)
It is straightaway fourth dimension for me to read the newspaper a 2d time. This fourth dimension I endeavor to test/verify my major objections well-nigh the newspaper in addition to also endeavor to understand the places inwards the newspaper I had marked every bit WDYM (or sometimes every bit WDYFM).
So I slumber on it, I convey fourth dimension off in addition to hold amongst other things (life?) for a solar daytime or so. But during this time, my hear comes dorsum unconsciously to the newspaper in addition to reconsiders my judgments well-nigh it. And often, every bit a final result I come upward to abide by the newspaper in addition to appreciate it more. Even though I fought amongst the newspaper in addition to argued amongst it fiercely, straightaway I endeavor to abide by in addition to genuinely larn from the paper.
Maybe this quote from "Ender's game" explains this best. Ender says "In the instant when I genuinely understand my enemy, understand him good plenty to defeat him, thus inwards that rattling instant I also honey him."
Unfortunately, I don't know also much well-nigh how other researchers read. It would move prissy to larn tricks in addition to approaches used past times others. But I gauge these things are non discussed much explicitly.
I think my approach to newspaper reading was shaped strongly past times my PhD advisor Anish Arora. He would also write on the paper, underline carefully, in addition to combat inwards the margins. He was also extremely meticulous well-nigh newspaper reviewing for conference committees. He would insist that nosotros understand every facial expression of the paper, in addition to sometimes understand its contributions meliorate than the authors that wrote the newspaper :-)
I also had a risk to notice my postdoc advisor Nancy Lynch reading papers. She is a rattling detail-oriented somebody every bit well. She was able to discovery fifty-fifty the tiniest smallest mistakes inwards the papers amongst ease. She in 1 trial told me that her hear worked similar a debugger when reading a paper, in addition to these bugs jumped at her. The agency she worked amongst students was that she would dedicate herself entirely on a student/paper for the duration of an entire week. That week, she would avoid thinking or listening other works/students. This is because, she wanted to immerse in addition to hold every parameter well-nigh the newspaper she is working on inwards her mind, in addition to grok it.
After reading this post, Ted Herman shared only about of his useful tricks. While reading, he would think well-nigh how he would rewrite the newspaper inwards a agency that would ask hold cleared upward the misunderstandings. He would also inquire these questions of the paper: "Why is this interesting? What are the surprises? Should nosotros fifty-fifty move surprised?"
There is also this curt CCR newspaper well-nigh how to read a paper.
How much fourth dimension do I pass reading a newspaper this way?
Many many hours. Of course of written report if the dependent area is slowly or I know the domain well, I tin give notice read a newspaper inwards a to a greater extent than relaxed manner. But I don't recollect getting a lot of do goodness from such readings. I acquire the best supply on investment on the papers I had to struggle amongst in addition to genuinely grok.
Isn't this wasteful for bad papers?
Yes, it is. I do this for reading papers that are of import for my enquiry and/or reading proficient lineament papers that appeared at proficient venues. Or for papers I am stuck amongst reviewing for a conference or journal.
Related before posts:
My advice to graduate students
My advice to undergraduate students
Tell me well-nigh your thought-process, non only your results
So, how do I read a paper? The start answer that pops to my hear is "I combat amongst it". I strive to completely understand in addition to "Grok" the newspaper past times arguing amongst it. I resist to believe the claims inwards the newspaper at human face upward value, I endeavor to poke holes at it. I believe that the newspaper has to earn my trust, in addition to I only ask hold the parts that I am obliged to accept.
My algorithm for reading a paper
0. Print the paper1. Ask questions in addition to combat amongst the paper
2. Write a review
3. Fight amongst the paper
4. Sleep on it in addition to come upward dorsum to it
Print the paper
I similar to physically touch the newspaper in addition to handwrite in addition to doodle on the paper. I ask hold highlighter in addition to unlike color pens laid amongst me, when I am reading a paper.Ask questions
I am a irksome in addition to deliberate reader. I inquire a lot of questions piece reading the paper. Why did the newspaper define it this way? Was this the only agency to define it? Was this the best agency to define it? Do I believe it? Why should I believe it? I continuously ask hold only about questions inwards my hear going through the paper. If nil else, I endeavor to gauge where the side past times side paragraph volition move (or should be) leading the paper. This is called critical reading.I acquire rattling detail-oriented when reading the paper. I highlight, I underline, I cross over sentences. I grade of import paragraphs amongst stars. I purpose the margins to convey notes well-nigh my arguments in addition to well-nigh only about connections that occur to me. Obviously, at that topographic point volition move several places I won't understand inwards my start reading. I grade these amongst WDYM (what do you lot mean). I hypothesize (make upward guesses) well-nigh things I don't understand, in addition to revise my hypothesis every bit I read farther inwards to the paper.
I am a fleck ashamed of this, but I oftentimes write provocative things on the margin, similar "This claim is stupid", "This is only bullshit". It is silly, but I do this to hold myself engaged amongst the newspaper in addition to move emotionally involved every bit well. This way, I never autumn asleep reading a paper.
Write a review
"Writing is nature's agency of telling you lot how sloppy your thinking is."I write a curt review of the newspaper to examination how much I understand of it. Since I already grade plenty text from the newspaper in addition to write plenty notes inwards the margins piece reading the newspaper critically, it becomes slowly to start writing my personalized review of the newspaper using these.
I am oftentimes surprised past times how niggling I understood the newspaper inwards my start reading. When writing the review, since I endeavor to explicate things myself inwards my ain way, I oftentimes realize that I didn't actually understand the paper.
To elaborate this point, I volition borrow from my advice to undergraduate students:
There are unlike levels of knowing/understanding. The start grade is "knowing past times word". With passive learning (like passively reading), you lot acquire the most express course of written report of understanding/knowing. It is ephemeral, in addition to you lot are non able to reconstruct that on your own. The 2d grade is "knowing past times start paw experience". At this level, you lot are able to understand/witness in addition to if necessary rediscover the cognition on your own. Finally, the tertiary grade is "knowing past times heart". At this level, you lot internalized the cognition thus that it becomes business office of your nature. You grok it.
Fight amongst the paper
Now that I somewhat understand the paper, it is fourth dimension for me to think well-nigh it to a greater extent than inwards depth to understand it better. How would I do it? Could I discovery a better/simpler solution to this problem? What would move the major disadvantages of the proposed solution? Or, even, considering the occupation the newspaper addressed, was this the correct query to inquire inwards the start place?I discovery that this practice also has benefits for my ain writing/research. Trying to poke holes inwards others' papers helps me drib dead a meliorate author in addition to write stronger/better-defended papers. (If you lot are a graduate student, this volition assistance you lot write a well-defended rigid thesis, in addition to you lot tin give notice acquire past times fighting a pocket-sized ophidian in the ophidian combat portion of your thesis defense.)
It is straightaway fourth dimension for me to read the newspaper a 2d time. This fourth dimension I endeavor to test/verify my major objections well-nigh the newspaper in addition to also endeavor to understand the places inwards the newspaper I had marked every bit WDYM (or sometimes every bit WDYFM).
Sleep on it in addition to come upward dorsum to it
At this point, I mightiness ask hold been overly negative in addition to difficult on the paper, in addition to straightaway is the fourth dimension to empathise amongst the newspaper in addition to lay it dorsum inwards context. It is of import non to confuse critical reading amongst beingness hypercritical well-nigh a newspaper in addition to dismissing the contributions made past times the paper.So I slumber on it, I convey fourth dimension off in addition to hold amongst other things (life?) for a solar daytime or so. But during this time, my hear comes dorsum unconsciously to the newspaper in addition to reconsiders my judgments well-nigh it. And often, every bit a final result I come upward to abide by the newspaper in addition to appreciate it more. Even though I fought amongst the newspaper in addition to argued amongst it fiercely, straightaway I endeavor to abide by in addition to genuinely larn from the paper.
Maybe this quote from "Ender's game" explains this best. Ender says "In the instant when I genuinely understand my enemy, understand him good plenty to defeat him, thus inwards that rattling instant I also honey him."
Questions-Answers
How do other researcher read papers?Unfortunately, I don't know also much well-nigh how other researchers read. It would move prissy to larn tricks in addition to approaches used past times others. But I gauge these things are non discussed much explicitly.
I think my approach to newspaper reading was shaped strongly past times my PhD advisor Anish Arora. He would also write on the paper, underline carefully, in addition to combat inwards the margins. He was also extremely meticulous well-nigh newspaper reviewing for conference committees. He would insist that nosotros understand every facial expression of the paper, in addition to sometimes understand its contributions meliorate than the authors that wrote the newspaper :-)
I also had a risk to notice my postdoc advisor Nancy Lynch reading papers. She is a rattling detail-oriented somebody every bit well. She was able to discovery fifty-fifty the tiniest smallest mistakes inwards the papers amongst ease. She in 1 trial told me that her hear worked similar a debugger when reading a paper, in addition to these bugs jumped at her. The agency she worked amongst students was that she would dedicate herself entirely on a student/paper for the duration of an entire week. That week, she would avoid thinking or listening other works/students. This is because, she wanted to immerse in addition to hold every parameter well-nigh the newspaper she is working on inwards her mind, in addition to grok it.
After reading this post, Ted Herman shared only about of his useful tricks. While reading, he would think well-nigh how he would rewrite the newspaper inwards a agency that would ask hold cleared upward the misunderstandings. He would also inquire these questions of the paper: "Why is this interesting? What are the surprises? Should nosotros fifty-fifty move surprised?"
How much fourth dimension do I pass reading a newspaper this way?
Many many hours. Of course of written report if the dependent area is slowly or I know the domain well, I tin give notice read a newspaper inwards a to a greater extent than relaxed manner. But I don't recollect getting a lot of do goodness from such readings. I acquire the best supply on investment on the papers I had to struggle amongst in addition to genuinely grok.
Isn't this wasteful for bad papers?
Yes, it is. I do this for reading papers that are of import for my enquiry and/or reading proficient lineament papers that appeared at proficient venues. Or for papers I am stuck amongst reviewing for a conference or journal.
Related before posts:
My advice to graduate students
My advice to undergraduate students
Tell me well-nigh your thought-process, non only your results
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