How to Read and Academic Paper

Author

Rick Gilmore & Yiming Qian

Published

September 24, 2019

Three Points for Reading a Paper

Why does this paper matter?

  • Read carefully of just skim
  • The goal of this research
  • Why is it interesting for us to think/talk about?

What does it talk about?

  • Research Question?
  • Hypotheses?
  • Findingis?

What are the methods it used?

  • Population (age, gender, …), time, locations, etc.
  • What are DVs and IVs?
  • How are thy measuresed? Why to use it rather than the other?

My Reading Sequence

  1. Abstract
  • Very, very important
  • It can answer most of the above questions
  • If you find terminiology you are not familiar with, what do you do?

  1. Methods + Analysis

  2. Result part

  • Plots
  1. Reflections
  • Was the research question answered in this paper?
  • Did the methods measure what the researchers want to measure?
  • Were the finidings consistent with the hypotheses? Do they suprise you?
  1. Find some explanations in the introductions and discussion part

Lets Do It!

Abramov, I., Gordon, J., Feldman, O., & Chavarga, A. (2012). Sex & vision I: Spatio-temporal resolution. Biology of Sex Differences, 3(1), 20.

Example Abstract

Methods

  • Participant 36 females [16-38] Mean = 23.5 16 males [16-37] Mean = 24.3
  • Measures
    • Visual Acuity
    • Color Vision
    • Binocular Depth perception (stereopsis)
    • Contrast sensitivity task
  • Stimuli

What are DVs and IVs?

Relate Plot with Main Findings

Ratio

Mean +- Standard Error

Discussion

  • Any questions about this paper?
  • Was the research question answered in this paper?
  • Did the methods measure what the researchers want to measure?
  • Do the findings surprise you?
  • What is the implication of these findings?
  • Any critique? What can be improved in this study?