How to read a paper

Posted on Edited on In

The problem

Many times I cannot finish reading a doc, or taking too long to read a doc. And by the end of the day I don’t understand the doc and I need to read it again. Find a solution to this problem.

How to do better next time

  1. Allocate enough time to finish the paper in one iteration
  2. Create a doc to record
    1. The notes
    2. The deep dive items for later
  3. Keep progressing, don’t get blocked
    1. Read the doc out and loud

The three pass approach

  1. The first pass gives you a general idea about the paper.

    • The title, abstract and introduction
    • Section and sub-section headings
    • Conclusion

  2. The second pass lets you grasp the paper’s content, but not its details.

    • You can ignore the details like proof in this pass
    • Pay special care at the figures, diagrams

  3. The third pass helps you understand the paper in depth.

    • Try to understand the details