How to read a physics scientific paper

[sir_manning]

Hey

I'm curious what sort of strategies people use to efficiently read and understand physics papers. I've never really thought much about it until now, but I'm sure some ways are more effective than others. A simple google search yields some excellent tips, but most are geared towards less math-intensive sciences. What works well for you?

 

[micromass]

Hi Sir Manning!

The easiest way to read a paper is to have something you're looking for. In that case, I usually first skim the paper and see if there's anything useful in there. If there is, I work my way to the beginning of the paper and then I work my way forward again. I usually get everything useful that way...