Reading a publication: organise your questions

You have found a link to a publication. The first step does not have to be drawing a conclusion: it can be preparing reading notes. We suggest a simple worksheet with space for answers and for details that are not yet clear.

A resource for orientation

The NCCIH Know the Science module offers navigation through parts of a publication, including methods, results, discussion and references. We link to it as an orientation tool.

Our worksheet

Before writing a summary, we complete these sections:

• The question we want to understand
• The reference and access to the document
• Passages relevant to that question
• Terms or methodological choices to clarify
• Limitations to retain in our text

These sections support our editorial work. They are not a scientific score for the document.

Keep precise notes

When we make a note, we try to identify the section it refers to. A reader can then return to the relevant passage. A sentence we have paraphrased should remain distinct from a quotation.

Write after locating

We prepare the question and reference passages before the summary. If the full document is unavailable, we state what we actually consulted. We avoid filling that gap with a more confident formulation.

Two next steps

The Atlas entry provides a short version of our worksheet. The Research guide opens the NCCIH module. Follow the path in order or return directly to the pointer you need.