How to Read a Science Paper/Article
Hey, it’s our 1-1/2 year anniversary today - thanks for reading our blog!
When you have a condition like IBM, reading articles and studies about treatments and disease progression is interesting and useful. In this previous post, I discussed how to locate articles from trusted sources, and today, I’ll share some tips on how to read science articles.
There will doubtlessly be words you don’t know the definition of when you read these articles, so use this or another online medical dictionary to check terms, or just web search them as you run across them.
The Authors
It’s always wise to check the author affiliations and any conflict of interest they list. You may not want to trust an article on aspirin's benefits if the authors work for Bayer. You can also see if they work for an institution that might inspire you to look more deeply into other resources or studies they’ve undertaken. Another thing to watch for is their specialty. If a psychologist writes a paper on heart surgery, that raises a red flag.
The Abstract
Often, you won’t read beyond the abstract. This is where the authors pose the question their research addressed, briefly discuss the method they used to explore it, and summarize their results. If what you read here piques your interest, you can continue further into the article. Sometimes, you can learn all you need to know through the abstract; sometimes, you’ll want to grab something from it and do a different term search; and sometimes, you’ll realize that the article's title wasn’t entirely representative of what you were hoping for.
The Discussion
This is a bit out of order, as the discussion will appear at the end of the paper. Yet, the discussion succinctly shares, in a more fleshed-out way than the abstract, the study's findings. Here is where you will find out that 8 out of 10 people experienced improvement by doing jumping jacks, for example, and what the next steps are in the study process. If the discussion lights your fire and you want to look at the body, it’s a great idea and a fun exercise.
The Body
This is where the rubber hits the road, and all the study details are shared. This will typically include an introduction, methods, and results. There is a lot to gain from reading this section if you feel up to it, but this is not written for a lay audience, so it may be full of specialized terminology and methodology that feels out of reach. Remember, even if you want to read the body of the paper, I suggest starting with the Discussion.
Here’s a place to learn more about reading science papers, and here’s a place to learn about how to spot shady statistics.
Happy researching!
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
This blog post is based on personal experiences and is not meant to provide medical advice.
Always consult your healthcare professional for personalized guidance on your health journey.
