A Simple Guide to Reading Research Papers Efficiently

A visual summary of a timeless guide that makes academic reading less intimidating.

If you are new to reading research papers, the experience can be… a lot. Where do you begin? Do you read every paper you come across? It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the dense language, complex structure and sheer length of academic writing.

A real turning point for me was discovering a short guide called “Efficient Reading of Papers in Science and Technology” by Michael J. Hanson and Dylan McNamee. It is a fantastic starting point for students, designers, or any researcher who wants to make their work stronger without getting lost in the weeds.

What makes their approach so helpful is how it breaks down the whole process into manageable steps. figuring out what is worth reading, skimming for core messages, and then doing a deeper, more critical reading. This guide offers practical tips on note-taking, so you can actually remember and apply what you have read later on.

So, if you have ever opened a research paper only to feel lost in a sea of jargon, think of this guide as a friendly hand to walk you through it. It is a great reminder that reading academic work is a skill, not an innate talent, that gets easier the more you practice.

My sketchnote summary of “Efficient Reading of Papers in Science and Technology” by Michael J. Hanson & Dylan J. McNamee.

For a detailed view of the sketchnote click here.

This guide was originally prepared at Oregon Graduate Institute and shared during a course (HCI 200) at UC Santa Cruz. All the great ideas belong to the original authors. I created this sketchnote as a way to learn and share their wisdom.