Reading Scientific Literature*

1. Reading Scientific Literature* *taken from Chapter 3 – A Short Guide to Writing About Biology

2. What do scientists read? • Primary Literature – presents original observations and experiments and includes detailed information about how those observations or experiments were made or conducted. • Articles published in the primary literature are subjected to rigorous peer review. They are then usually published in research journals.

3. What do scientists read? • Secondary literature – is based on summaries of the primary literature. Textbooks, magazine articles, encyclopedias and review articles are all examples of secondary literature.

4. List of Biological Journals Available in SMC Library • American Midland Naturalist • American Naturalist • Animal Behavior • Animal Learning and Behavior • Biological Bulletin • Botany • Cell • Conservation Biology (available via JSTOR) • Ecological Applications • Ecological Monographs • Ecological Restoration • Ecology • EMBO Journal • Evolution • Genetical Research • Genetics • International Journal of Plant Science • Invertebrate Biology • Journal of Experimental Zoology • Journal of Mammalogy • Journal of the American Medical Association • Journal of Wildlife Management • Microbiology • Molecular and Cellular Biology • Nature • PhysiologiaPlantarum • Physiology and Behavior • Planta • Quarterly Review of Biology • Science • Wildlife Monographs

5. Guide to Effective Reading • What specific questions were asked? • How was the study designed and how does the design of the study address the questions asked? • What are the controls for each experiment? • What are the specific results of the study? How convincing are the results? Are any results surprising? • What assumptions were made? Do they seem reasonable? • What contribution does the study make toward answering the original question? • What aspects of the original question remain unanswered?

6. Reading the Data • Data are displayed in either figures or tables – both must be examined critically • Your goal is to make your own interpretation of the data so that you can better understand or evaluate the author’s interpretation • Therefore, you must study the data and ask yourself questions about how the study was done, why it was done and what the major findings are

7. Reading the Data • As you look at the figures and tables, summarize the data as you go. This will help you digest the material and generate your own ideas about the data. • Go through summarizing the material figure by figure, table by table until you reach the end of the data. • Now you can see why it is important for each figure or table to be self-contained

8. Reading the Text • As before – summarize the material as you go • Take notes by summarizing the material in your own words – do not take notes or write while you are looking at the source • Your notes and summaries should be in outline or bullet point form – they do not need to be in complete sentences

9. Final Note • Effective, critical reading of the primary literature takes time – I find I must usually read each article at least twice to fully digest it • I typically read it over once quickly to get a general feel for the article, and then re-read it slowly, carefully examining the data and taking notes • You may use a different method, but do not underestimate how long it takes to properly read the primary literature or how hard you must work to understand it

10. Peer Review