How to read a scientific paper

Here are some very handy instructions on how to read a scientific paper, which I give to all of my undergrads and first-year students:

http://www.biochem.arizona.edu/classes/bioc568/papers.htm

Technically, it's written for biology students, but it works equally well for astronomy/physics students. The topics covered include:

1. How are papers organized?

2. How do I prepare to read a paper, particularly in an area not so familiar to me?

3. What difficulties can I expect?

4. How do I understand and evaluate the contents of the paper?

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Mahalo.ne.Trash

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