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Communicating scientific discoveries is a foundational part of being a scientist. By publishing our work we contribute to the overall body of knowledge in the scientific community. To do this effectively, we must stay up to date with discoveries in our field to understand what efforts we are building upon and how our work fits into the broader picture. Thus, reading scientific literature is an important skill to develop and maintain. However, keeping up with the literature can be a daunting task, especially for multidisciplinary scientists that need to keep their sights on a large volume of literature. Below are some resources to help you stay motivated.
The following article provides some helpful hints to keep up with the literature and help you focus your time.
Keeping up with the literature
Helpful tools mentioned in the article:
Updates on Google Scholar
Pubcrawler (biomedical literature)
Other ideas to consider:
Email papers to colleagues
Start or join a journal club to share and discuss with peers
Are you still overwhelmed with reading options?
Think sensitivity vs. specificity-you may not be able to find every relevant paper but you can save time by prioritizing papers that best align with questions or methods involved in your own research.
How to seriously read a scientific paper
This article includes advice from a dozen scientists at different career stages.
Rules for responsible referencing
Include relevant citations
Read the publications you cite
Cite in accordance with content
Cite transparently, not neutrally
Cite yourself when required
Prioritize which citations to include
Evaluate citations as choices
Evaluate citations in a rhetorical context
Citations as framed communications
Appreciate citation cultures
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