Any have any tips for getting started on reading a paper? It’s like reading something in a different language.
Only read the introduction.
The first reading is to inventory the words, where they are used, and how important they are. Don't try to understand except in the most vague of ways.
The second time you can start to make some sense out of it because hopefully you think you might understand 1/3- 1/2 of the words.
Now look up some definitions. Google might help, otherwise the difficult word(s) might be cited, in which case you need to read the abstract of the relevant paper (only enough to get a definition of what the word might mean).
The third time you read it, you should know 1/2 to 2/3rds of the words and be able to make good connections between them, you start to see the ideas take shape.
The fourth read you fill in the gaps from the outline you made in the third read.
If the paper is well written, the introduction lays out the relevant current thought on the topic, and suggests a way by which some conflict in this thought can be resolved.
The discussion presents that resolution.
If you find there is just too much unfamiliar technical language, it’s a good idea to pause and look up a definition. You might need to follow that chain several steps, but that will help you get to an understanding of new terms.
Murat Demirbas a prof at SUNY Buffalo has described his method - http://muratbuffalo.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-i-read-research...