Understanding Research Papers
Understanding Research Papers
THEY WRITE THEY MEAN
It has long been known that... I haven't bothered to look up the reference
...of great theoretical and ...interesting to me
practical importance
While it has not been possible The experiments didn't work out,
to provide definite answers to but I figured I could at least get
these questions... a publication out of it...
The W-Pb system was chosen as The fellow in the next lab had some
especially suitable to show already made up
the predicted behavior...
High purity... Composition unknown except for
Very high purity... exaggerated claims of the supplier
Extremely high purity...
Super-purity...
Spectroscopically pure...
A fiducial reference line... A scratch
Three of the samples were The results of the others didn't make
chosen for detailed study... sense and were ignored...
...handled with extreme care ...not dropped on the floor
during the experiments
Typical results are shown... The best results are shown...
Although some detail has been It is impossible to tell from the
lost in reproduction, it is micrograph
clear from the original
micrograph
Presumably at longer times... I didn't take the time to find out
The agreement with the predicted
curve is:
excellent fair
good poor
satisfactory doubtful
fair imaginary
...as good as could be expected non-existent
These results will be reported I might get around to this sometime
at a later date
The most reliable values are He was a student of mine
those of Jones
It is suggested that...
It is believed that... I think...
It may be that...
It is generally believed that... I have such a good objection to this
answer that I shall now raise it.
It is clear that much additional I don't understand it
work will be required before a
complete understanding...
Unfortunately, a quantitative Neither does anybody else
theory to account for these
effects has not been formulated
Correct within an order of Wrong
magnitude
It is hoped that this work This paper isn't very good but
will stimulate further work neither are any of the others on
in the field this miserable subject
Thanks are due to Joe Glotz Glotz did the work and Doe
for assistance with the explained what it meant
experiments and to John Doe
for valuable discussions