Some general notes on reading primary literature:

            For some of you, reading the primary research literature will be a new thing. It is challenging at the outset. These papers will include technical terminology, statistical and lab techniques, and other things that are unfamiliar. Part of your task is to a) assess whether you need to know these things to understand the arguments of the paper, and b) to try to figure out those that are essential. Here are some additional pointers:

            - DON’T plan on getting it all on one reading: Do a first reading, focusing on getting the general argument – the main questions (ALWAYS the first thing to look for), the main conclusions (usually, these should be in the introduction and discussion sections). Then read again, more closely, to fill in the argument, make the pieces together more fully. Read it as many times as necessary.

            - YOU MUST take notes for your own benefit and because I'll ask you questions in class, and you'll need the notes. As you read, make notes of terms or ideas or background things that aren’t clear to you that look like they’re important. I will ask, at the beginning of each discussion, for ‘questions of fact’. Raise these issues then. ALSO make notes of more general or substantive questions, of ideas or further questions that the research generates, of implications that this work might have with respect to other things we’ve discussed or read. BRING THESE NOTES TO CLASS; you may think you’ll remember everything, but you won’t. I will expect to see you having and looking at notes as we discuss, and I WILL ASK YOU QUESTIONS.

            - ALWAYS pay close attention to GRAPHS.  Understanding what they show is often a big part of following researchers' arguments (and they may be clearer way of summarizing findings than text).


            - Regarding STATISTICS: It isn’t at all critical that you know about specific statistical tests or tools. What IS important is that you know what is meant by ‘significance’ of a statistical test, and what the probability statement (something in format like “p < .001") means. We will talk about this in class in context of our first paper discussion, so don’t panic before then.

            - ALWAYS think about where you, as a researcher, might go from here: What are unanswered questions? Implications or suggestions or new hypotheses to pursue? Additional tests that might be done?

           - Recognize that these people are not necessarily smarter than you. They may be more experienced, but that doesn’t mean they can think any more clearly (and it certainly doesn’t always mean that they can write well). You can understand what they’re doing, and why, and you may even see questions or problems that they missed.

            - Finally, remember that this is NOT the same kind of reading you do with a text. This is not given wisdom; it is active and contingent research. You will not grasp every detail (as you might wish and be expected to do with a text). These researchers are writing, in part, for their closest expert colleagues, so are giving a lot of stuff that not all readers need or care about.