How to Read a Scientific Paper
         What is a scientific paper? ………………………..…….. 2 
         Scientific papers are peer‐reviewed....……….....… 3
         Anatomy of a scientific paper ……………………….... 4
         How to read a scientific paper ………………………… 5
         Ethics in research and publishing………………….... 6
         Understanding numerical data ……….…………….… 7
         What does “statistical significance” mean? ....... 8
         Case study: Buy My Oranges……………..……………..9
         Appendix: Numerical analysis .....……………….... 12
         Additional resources and credits  ………………… 13
                              What is a scientific paper? 
                   Scientific papers go straight to the        use in new ways to address different 
                   source                                      questions.  
                   If someone asks you about a new              
                   movie you haven’t seen yet, what do         The authors of scientific papers also 
                   you say? Maybe, “I haven’t seen it, but     provide an interpretation of what they 
                   I’ve heard it’s good.” We generally try to  think their new information means and 
                   distinguish first-hand from second-hand     how it contributes to our understanding 
                                                               of how the natural world works. By 
                                                               presenting the data itself as well as the 
                                                               analysis, other authors can evaluate 
                                                               these interpretations for themselves. 
                                                               Because our understanding is always 
                                                               changing, sometimes the 
                                                               interpretations of the data can be re-
                                                               evaluated in light of new ideas and new 
                                                               data.  
                                                                
                                                               Society needs scientific literature 
                                                               Much scientific research is publicly 
                   information. Like the children’s game of    funded, and the knowledge and 
                   “telephone,” information can change as      technologies that emerge from 
                   it is passed along. To get the real story,  research have social impacts. 
                   whether a film review or the results of a   Traditionally, the output from scientific 
                   new research study, go to the source.       research has been published in 
                                                               journals that are not widely available 
                   Scientific papers present data and          outside of university libraries, but in the 
                   interpretations                             past decade there has been a trend 
                   Scientists report the results of their      toward increasing openness in science 
                   research by writing and publishing          and a desire to make research articles 
                   scientific papers, which are written in a   more broadly available. However, it is 
                   very formal style. One of the objectives    not sufficient to make these resources 
                   of a scientific paper is to make            available, as in many cases they are 
                   available the data from a set of studies    written for experts and practicing 
                   so that others can learn from them and      scientists and therefore not readily 
                   build on them to address new                comprehensible to those who haven’t 
                   questions. By publishing and sharing        been trained in the discipline. We’ve 
                   data, scientists work together to           written this article as a guide to help 
                   advance our understanding. Some             people learn to read the scientific 
                   articles include results from a few         literature, with the goal of increasing 
                   targeted studies, and others present        access to science and communication 
                   large datasets that other scientists can    about science.       
                    
                                 Copyright 2013 American Society of Plant Biologists. www.aspb.org 
                 
                        Sccientiific ppaperrs aree peeer-revviewwed 
                        
                   Peer revieew is a traddition in sccholarly                ee performeed or that the analysis of the 
                                                                           b
                   publication. Prior to publicationn, an article          reesults be reevised.  
                   is evaluated by otheer experts, usually                  
                   anonymouusly, and these evaluuations aree               MMost of the articles of the “masss media” 
                   used to immprove thee paper. Thhe reviewers             (nnewspaperrs, magazinnes, and bblogs) are 
                   may recommmend thaat additional data be                 noot subject tto peer revview. Althoough they 
                                                                                                                cientific 
                   collected and analyzzed or thatt claims noot            caan be effecctive at intrroducing s
                   well suppoorted by thhe data be removed.                toopics to a bbroader audience, theey are not 
                                                                           allways sufficiently cauutious in thheir 
                   In the stanndard 
                   process, sshown 
                   to the righht, the 
                   authors suubmit 
                   their papeer to a 
                   journal edditor, 
                   who evaluuates 
                   whether thhe topic 
                   is a good match 
                   for the jo
                             uurnal. If 
                   so, the paaper is 
                   sent to twwo or 
                   more expeerts, 
                   who read it and 
                   provide thheir 
                   frank evalluations,                                     annalysis of tthe results of the studdy and 
                   including wwhether thhe conclusiions are                soometimes overstate tthe conclussions. For 
                   supportedd by the evvidence andd whether                exxample, the mass meedia often states 
                   the study is novel, immportant, aand                    thhat high fruuctose cornn syrup cauuses 
                   interestingg. The edittor forwardds the                 obbesity, althhough theree is little coonvincing 
                   commentss to the authors, alonng with a                 daata to suppport this claaim.  Similarly, a 
                   decision to accept thhe paper,  to requestt             reesearch repport might show that under 
                   revision, oor to rejectt it.                            laaboratory cconditions, a new druug slows 
                                                                           thhe rate of ggrowth of ccultured cancer cells, 
                   The role oof the revieewer is to eevaluate thhe         buut the meddia may describe it ass a new 
                   experimenntal designn and the ddata                     cuure for canncer.  
                   presentedd, as well aas the interrpretation oof          
                   the resultss. Sometimmes, the reeviewer will            If you want tto know more about a news 
                   find that thhe experimmental desiign was noot           reeport on a scientific bbreakthrouggh, find 
                   rigorous eenough to ssupport thee                       thhe original, peer-revieewed articlle and 
                   interpretations madee by the auuthors, in               reead what thhe researcchers actuaally 
                   which ca
                             sse the revieewer mightt                      diiscovered.  
                   recommend that addditional expperiments 
                                                       Anatomy of a scientific paper 
                                    
                                                                                 TITLE 
                                                                                 AUTHOR INFORMATION
                              
                                                                                 ABSTRACT: A summary of the study and findings, 
                                                                                 written by the author. 
                                                    
                                                                                 INTRODUCTION: A statement of what is currently 
                                                                                 known about the study subject that articulates the 
                                                                                 questions being investigated. It cites other 
                                                                                 scholarly works, lays the foundations for the study, 
                                                                                 and sometimes states a hypothesis to be tested.  
                                                                                 RESULTS: A description of the 
                                                                                 research conducted and the results 
                                                                                 obtained.                                                                                                         
                                                                                   
                                                                                 Results are presented as tables, 
                                                                                 large datasets, and figures, which 
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                  Figure legend
                                                                                 can include graphs, videos, 
                                                                                 diagrams, and photographs. 
                                                                                  
                                                                                 Some papers include additional                                                                                   
                                                                                 supporting data as a supplement.  
                                                                                 DISCUSSION: An analysis and interpretation of the 
                                                    
                                                                                 data presented that integrates the new information 
                                                                                 with prior findings, states the implications of the 
                                                                                 work, and sometimes generates new hypotheses 
                                                                                 tobe tested. 
                                                                                 METHODS: A description of how the studies were 
                                                                                conducted, with sufficient detail so that others can 
                                                                                 repeat them exactly. 
                                                                                 REFERENCES: The list of the articles cited in 
                                                                                 the paper that provide information on the research 
                                                                                 topic and the methods used.