Contents:
- Research papers use complex language and unclear terms. Are they more difficult to read than classical literature, like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky?
- What are the main parts of a scientific paper?
- If I want to stay on top of industry trends, where should I look for information? Can I use public domain sources?
- With so many papers out there, how do I know right away what is worth reading and what is not?
- Going into detail
- Quick summary
- How to make your writing simpler and clearer
Research papers use complex language and unclear terms. Are they more difficult to read than classical literature, like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky?
We can’t really say that articles on quantum physics are easier or more difficult to understand than novels, as each format has its own set of characteristics and features. Sure, novels use much less complex words, but they also don't adhere to a strict structure like scientific papers do. Since literary works are also conceived as a single continuous volume, they can’t be broken into parts. That means that in order to understand the text, you have to read it from start to finish and what you will get from reading is your overall impression. Impressions are hard to formalize since people can interpret texts differently. Whereas scientific literature aims to educate and form an objective understanding of the subject. Hence, all papers are structured similarly, making it possible for readers to quickly grasp the idea of the text, save their time, and focus only on what’s valuable for them.
What are the main parts of a scientific paper?
First and foremost, all scientific articles have a title that summarizes the main idea of the study, as well as a list of authors and their affiliations. The scientific world is quite small and reputation plays a key role in it. So, even just the list of people involved can tell you a lot about the quality of this study, while key words will not only help you understand the main point of the article but also let you find similar works on the topic. Journal articles include several major sections: abstract (summary), introduction, body, conclusion, and, oftentimes, supplemental materials (e.g., illustrations).
If I want to stay on top of industry trends, where should I look for information? Can I use public domain sources?
Yes, you can find scientific information using Google Scholar, for example. This is a freely accessible database of scholarly literature. Just like with Google, all you need is to enter keywords into a search box to get a list of all similar items. Its database includes articles in English, Russian, and other languages, too. If you’re more interested in mathematics, physics, IT, and other related fields, you can try Russian platforms like Math-Net.Ru.
With so many papers out there, how do I know right away what is worth reading and what is not?
The first thing you need to pay attention to is the date of publication; thus, you can filter out all the outdated content if you want the latest news. After that, you should thoroughly read all the titles and leave only those articles that seem relevant. You can now go through all the papers you have left, focusing mainly on their content. Reading abstracts first will make it clear whether it’s something you’re looking for or not. If it is, you can then study the body and find familiar formulas and illustrations. By following these steps, you will be able to rule out all the papers that you don’t need at the moment.
Going into detail
During the first stage, you narrowed down your choices to a certain number of papers. Now, you have to pick which articles are a definite yes and will need to be read thoroughly. To do so, you have to start backwards, as odd as this may sound, and read the conclusions to become familiar with the results of these studies. And if that’s something of your interest, then you can turn to the body and learn more about research techniques and procedures. Here, formulas and illustrations are great helpers, too.
Quick summary
First, you look at the publication date, the title, the list of authors and their affiliations so that you can get rid of the articles that don’t meet your needs. After that, you should focus on reading the abstracts and thus rid your list of the articles that don’t go in line with your area of interest. If the text seems relevant, you can turn to its conclusion to find out all the results of the study. If you know for sure that this article is useful, you can study its body and introduction – all the way to the research tasks. In introductions, you can find handy references to other articles and authors. These, among other things, will help you collect material for a review paper. Besides, this information can also come in handy when you’ll continue your research.
How to make your writing simpler and clearer
The least you can do is to follow a traditional structure in your article. It’ll be useful to divide your text into sections and use clear and intriguing headlines, as well as supplement your study with high-quality and informative illustrations. Yet you shouldn’t overload your text – all additional information and illustrations should be kept for the appendices.
