Everything in war is very simple. But the simplest thing is difficult Carl von Clausewitz -- Prussian General

1. Three-pass method of reading papers
2. First pass:
   • Gives you a general idea about the paper
   • Takes about 5-10 minutes
   • Steps:
     1. Read the title abstract and introduction
     2. Read the section and subsection headings
     3. Glance at maths to determine any underlying theoretical foundations
     4. Read the conclusions
     5. Glance over any references (ticking off any that you have already read)
   • Questions to answer at the end of reading:
     1. Category: What type of paper is this?
        • Measurement paper
        • Analysis of an existing system
        • Description of a research prototype
     2. Context: Which other papers is it related to?
     3. Correctness: Do the assumptions appear to be valid?
     4. Contributions: What are the papers main contributions?
     5. Clarity: Is the paper well-written?
   • Using the answers, one can make a decision whether to read further or not
3. Second pass:
   • Lets you grasp the papers content but not the nuances
   • Takes about an hour (to 1:30) to complete
   • Ignore details such as proofs
   • Time to make notes, add possible questions to the author to notes
   • Mark relevant unread references for further reading
   • Should be able to summarise the main thrust of the paper with supporting evidence
4. Third pass:
   • Helps you understand the paper in depth with all the details it provides
   • Can take up to several hours
   • Key to the third pass is to virtually re-implement the paper
   • Jot down ideas for future work in the ares where paper falls short or omits entirely
   • By the end of it one should be intimately familiar with the subject and able to reconstruct the paper from memory
   • Amending and completing the notes with meaty details
5. All done