How to Interpret Research

Scientific research has never been more accessible than it is today. Reading academic articles can be daunting, but there are strategies that you can follow so that you can engage with research directly from the source. 

Here we summarize two resources: 

Ten Simple Rules for Reading a Scientific Paper
By Maureen A Carey, Kevin L Steiner, and William A Petri Jr, in the PLoS Computational Biology Journal

This editorial gives the mindset and questions: clarify your goal vs. author’s goal, classify article types, the six-question framework, figure-first reading, and the insistence on critical scrutiny and bias-checking.

How to Read a Research Paper 
Academic Success Centre, Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University

This tip sheet adds the workflow and study-skills layer: where to find the most important details fast, permission to read non-linearly, concrete time-economy advice, and nuts-and-bolts practices like note-taking with page numbers and using citation managers.

Before you open the scientific article, decide why you’re reading this research. Are you looking to build your knowledge around a topic? Is there a method you are looking to use/see examples of? Are you preparing a critique? Or are you simply mining references? 

Your goal should shape what you read closely vs. skim. 

Clock your time budget and plan to triage. You don’t need to read everything cover-to-cover.

Scan title/abstract to confirm fit; check article type (research, review, method, commentary) so you know what “evidence” to expect. Skim intro + conclusion/discussion for the big question, key claims, and stated limitations/future work. If it’s off-target, stop here.

Read actively, keeping these six guiding questions in mind. Ask yourself: 

1. What do the authors want to know (motivation)?
2. What did they do (methods/approach)?
3. Why this way (context/alternatives)?
4. What do the results show (data)?
5. How do the authors interpret them (discussion)?
6. What should be done next (in your view and theirs)?

Read selectively and efficiently. It’s fine to bounce around the article: You may go from abstract to discussion to figures to methods to the rest as needed. Prioritize the sections that serve your purpose. You don’t always need a linear, end-to-end read. 

For literature sweeps, scan many abstracts first. Only deep-read the best-fit papers.

Go data-first, then methods-enough. Unpack figures/tables in detail (axes, groups, statistics, sample sizes, caveats), then read the matching Results text. This is where the true evidence lives. 

You can use the 6 questions listed in the Reading section above and apply them to each table or figure. 

Use Methods to understand how data were generated and whether claims are supported; this section is crucial if you’re evaluating rigour or hoping to reuse the method.

Be systematically critical. Treat publications (even in top journals) as claims, not facts. Look for alternative explanations, biases, confounders, and limits to generalizability. Check whether conclusions match the data. Compare the claims with related work to see whether the paper fills a real gap.

If you plan on reading a lot of research, it is best practice to take structured notes and stay organized. Take notes as you read; capture quotes (remember to include page numbers for easy citation later!), figure numbers, and your answers to the six reading questions. This prevents accidental plagiarism and speeds writing later. 

Consider how this paper alters your understanding or project plan. Then, you can strategize actionable next steps, such as ideas to try, analyses to replicate, holes to investigate. 

Carey, M. A., Steiner, K. L., & Petri, W. A., Jr. (2020). Ten simple rules for reading a scientific paper. PLOS Computational Biology, 16(7), e1008032. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008032

Ted Rogers School of Management, Academic Success Centre. (2022). How to read a research paper (Tip Sheet). Toronto Metropolitan University. Retrieved from https://www.torontomu.ca/content/dam/tedrogersschool/success/documents/tip-sheets-updated-2022/TRSMPASS_TipSheet_How-to-Read-a-Research-Paper.docx.pdf.