Are you feeling overwhelmed by the thought of reading the articles you've found? Are you struggling to understand what you read? Having a strategy will help:

Understand the anatomy of a scientific paper

Scientific papers have a specific structure and are not meant to be read from start to finish. This guide by Indiana University explains the parts of a paper.

Try predatory reading

You don't need to read every word! This strategy will help you read to find the information you need and save time.

Take notes

Taking notes is a crucial part of the research process.

Take notes in your own words. If quoting, always use quotation marks and write down the page number. This practice will help you avoid accidental plagiarism.

Background reading

The sources in the Exploring / Choosing a Topic section are easier to understand and will help ease you into challenging topics.

Also look up any words you don't understand!

Get help

Ask your professor for help understanding concepts; ask a librarian for help with your reading and note-taking strategy, or for help finding more appropriate sources to read.

• email me
• make an appointment to meet virtually or in-person
• contact the library with email or live chat