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