PSA On Access and Comprehension of Scientific Literature

TLDR: wanna read a paper without the dumb publication house paywalls? Check out Sci-Hub. Don't know how to properly read scientific literature? Boom

This is mostly a PSA for the uninitiated, but you might find this useful. If nothing else I hope this is an enjoyable read to accompany you on the bus, at home, on the toilet, etc.

One of the biggest hurdles in science is access to quality literature. Unfortunately, there are many roadblocks in place that prevent people from immediate entry to this material. Some journals frequently release free copies of their publications, but for the most part you need to be connected either through the academic field or by directly paying publishing companies. Paying is bullshit. This money does not go to the authors, and honestly, many of them will gladly give you copies of their published material if you ask. But if reaching out to random authors proves troublesome, you can always utilize Sci-Hub.

You'll notice that the link redirects to the wiki about Sci-Hub and the founder, Alexandra Elbakyan. The site domain changes often (which is why I didn't bother with a link) but with a little sleuthing you can find the most active and current iteration. This lovely site unlocks pay-walled scientific literature and provides you with a full text document that you can read in browser or save for later. One caveat is that it will be less reliable for current or new publications, they paused uploading new documents due to legal issues and it's unclear if they'll ever resume.

Alright, next topic! ReaDINg ComPReHenSIon

Still here? Oh, goodie! This isn't as boring as it sounds, but it also sorta is. Reading science papers is A LOT of work, like, a lot. But not for the reasons you might think. Yes, the material can be dense and seem completely undecipherable, but the biggest issues are sifting through the BULLSHIT. As you delve through the literature as a whole it's pretty clear that some papers are of a much higher quality than others. Why? Well, many reasons. Funding for the research, limitations in the researchers abilities to record quality data, and on and on. When I say BULLSHIT I don't mean that people are deliberately trying to put out false information, but poor data is a thing and it's out there. But I digress. Lets walk before we run.

Here is a lovely paper about how to read papers. You'll notice that it's pay-walled (womp womp) but lucky for you there's a way to get around that! I know, I'm making you work for it. If you don't want to test out Sci-Hub I did leave a direct link in the TLDR for ya. Anyway, this paper has a very simple and approachable method on how to digest lots of information. It does get a bit more intense near the end with most of the information targeted for individuals participating in research so don't despair on that front.

I'll hop off my box for now. If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Looking forward to really getting into that good good niche research with y'all someday soon.