how to interpret scientific papers?

[perles]

hey y'all!
i'm a high school student currently doing a project for my physiology class about ascorbic acid in cardiovascular tissue. however, when i try to research the topic, (i use google scholar) i have problems deciphering the abstracts into everyday language.

could someone give me tips on how to quickly learn "science lingo"?

[Vannak]

perles

hey y'all!
i'm a high school student currently doing a project for my physiology class about ascorbic acid in cardiovascular tissue. however, when i try to research the topic, (i use google scholar) i have problems deciphering the abstracts into everyday language.

could someone give me tips on how to quickly learn "science lingo"?

Some of it is general science vocabulary, but the deeper you delve into a field the more words you'll find that don't quite mean what you think. Generally looking through the scientific literature is a feat reserved for those doing actual research and experimentation. The published research is not designed or meant to serve those doing school work reports. Texts books are what you want to use, then. Text books aim to bridge the gap between those with a lot of knowledge and those just starting, or who need a reference. Research papers are how experts talk to each other.

[SylverStar]

Most research papers are divided into parts and the abstract is the summary of those parts. Generally the abstract has the hypothesis, a little bit of the methods and results/conclusion.

If you've done a lab report they are a little like that.

Most of the research may be hard to interpret into everyday lingo because things like methods are usually specialized for the field. Each field has it's own lingo so their is usually a bit of a learning curve trying to figure out terms and abbreviations.

Generally I use the abstract to see if the paper is relevant to my topic if not I pass it. If it is then I generally skim most of it and read the conclusions. Also the references can be a good source for other papers on your particular subject once you find one that fits.

Is there any thing in particular that you are having a hard time understanding?

[deadguy]

Don't bother. Unless you're just an idiot, there's a good chance anything you don't understand, you don't need to understand for the level of paper you're writing.

[Peaceful Supernova]

Abstracts normally have four parts: Intro, Methods, Results, Discussion. The intro gives a background statement to why the research is significant and also provides the hypothesis tested (if it's a good article). The methods section provides what is being measured (exposures and outcomes), what is the sample, and how was the data is analyzed. The results is... the results. If I were you, and already have trouble understanding research articles, I would skip this section and go straight to the discussion. The discussion puts the results in 'normal terms'. Go here to find the most significant information.

Here's a source that is pretty easy to read [X].

[Because you]

You just gotta be new smart

[Great Bersy]

Instead of exploring original work directly, I think it would more useful to look in popular science magazines for articles that are based on original papers (i.e. that cite original papers as sources). Such articles tend to explain paper content, findings, and significance using simpler words.