digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: Read scientific papers in three passes, the "triple pass method," matched to your specific purpose rather than reading every paper line by line. The first pass is a "bird's-eye view" (title, abstract, skim) to decide relevance, the second is the "swoop" (about 3 to 5 minutes capturing the debate, research questions, methods, findings, and conclusions), and the third is the "street view" (a deep, line-by-line dive only when you need detailed information).
Key Points
- Start by defining your "why" (for example, background knowledge, backing up a claim, a systematic review, a critique, or finding references), since that determines how you read.
- Experts read for the gist and core concept rather than verbatim details like equations, dates, and figures, which are easier to retain this way.
- Most papers only need the swoop pass; the speaker says it answers about 97% of the questions you need for an article, and he rarely reads papers cover to cover.
- Poorly written papers are common, so avoid self-blame, but notice well-written papers as models for your own writing.
- If you struggle, form a journal club, ask mentors, practice regularly, or set aside a difficult paper and return to it later.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Before reading, state your purpose in one sentence and decide which pass you need.
- Pass 1 (bird's-eye view): read the title, scan the abstract, and skim to judge whether the paper fits your purpose and field.
- Pass 2 (swoop, the default for most papers, about 3 to 5 minutes): identify the debate, main research questions, methods used, what was found, and where conclusions are drawn.
- Pass 3 (street view, only when needed, for example in peer review): read the methods and results first to reconstruct what the authors did, then read the conclusions and introduction for context and detailed feedback.
- Do not read line by line from introduction to conclusion as a default; the speaker calls this a recipe for lost time and confusion.
- If you need to annotate, print the paper or get a physical copy, but use highlighting sparingly.
- Take breaks when reading dense material and come back with fresh eyes.
- Use a rubber-duck approach: explain the paper's argument aloud in simple terms to check your understanding, and use the same clarity standard in your own writing.
- The speaker says that by using this method he has avoided about 90% of torturous papers that were not directly relevant to his field.
- He notes that reading is a skill that improves with practice, and that it shifts habits for those who previously read start to finish.
- He attributes the "obscurantism" concept to his professor at Yale, who used it to describe authors in sociology who make writing more complex than necessary to appear deep.
Bottom Line
Matching your reading depth to your purpose, starting with a quick swoop, saves substantial time and reduces frustration, and the same clarity you value when reading should guide your own writing.
