How to read a scientific article (that you think is too complicated)

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1. Read the Abstract123No problem – look ‘em up!Graphene oxide paper – “…a composite material fabricated from graphene oxide… The material has exceptionalstiffness and strength, due to the intrinsic strength of the two-dimensional graphene backbone and to its interwovenlayer structure which distributes loads… graphene oxide paper is an electrical insulator; however, it may be possible totune this property, making the paper a conductor or semiconductor, without sacrificing its mechanical properties.” (fromWikipedia)Gallery spacing – Refers to the spacing between layers of graphene. Figured this out by doing a quick search for“spacing” in the paper and deducing the meaning by context.Alkylamine – this is an amine (ammonia derivative) with an alkyl group attached. Figured this out by looking in thedictionary! A quick search for “alkylamine” in the paper shows that the authors have previous information suggestingthat alylamines will be useful for this type of work (see the first paragraph of Results and Discussion)Moduli – refers to the “stiffness” of the material. Figured this out by doing a quick search for “moduli” in the paper andfound that the authors are referring to Young’s Modulus, which I then looked up in Wikipedia.
1. Read the AbstractSo what does this all mean? Lets re-read the Abstract and see if we cantranslate:Graphene oxide paper was modified using alkylamines. The length of the alkylchain (in the alkylamine) is correlated with changes in the structure of theresultant graphene paper – specifically, longer alkyl chains resulted in moredistance between graphene sheets and decrease in tensile strength. However,the flexibility of the graphene paper was not affected.WOW! Now we know the basics of the paper. Lets dig a little deeper…123
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Page 3 and 4: Fear Not! We can figure this out(mo
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Page 7: 1. Read the Abstract123No problem -
Page 11 and 12: 2. Read the beginning and end of th
Page 13 and 14: 3. Look over the figures and tables
Page 15 and 16: 3. Look over the figures and tables
Page 17 and 18: 4. Read the ConclusionsWe’ve got
Page 19: FAQQ: Will this method work for eve

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