Perceptions of scientific research literature and strategies for reading papers depend on academic career stage.

ABSTRACT: Reading primary research literature is an essential skill for all scientists and students on science degree programmes, however little is known about how researchers at different career stages interact with and interpret scientific papers. To explore this, we conducted a survey of 260 undergraduate students and researchers in Biological Sciences at a research intensive UK university. Responses to Likert scale questions demonstrated increases in confidence and skill with reading the literature between individuals at each career stage, including between postdoctoral researchers and faculty academics. The survey indicated that individuals at different career stages valued different sections of scientific papers, and skill in reading the results section develops slowly over the course of an ac

SUBMITTER: Hubbard KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5746228 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature