The three-pass approach

This approach acts as a filtering system. It is an iterative and incremental way of reading a paper.

This deductive method goes from a general overview to the specific details while each step takes more time than the previous one and gives you deeper insights in each iteration.

The first pass: The bird’s-eye view

The first pass is a quick scan of the paper and it should not take longer than 10 minutes. While you just glance over the structure you should read the following sections completely -Abstract, title, introduction, conclusions.

At the end the first pass you should be able to answer the “five C’s”:

Category: The type of the paper. 
Context: It puts the paper into perspective to other papers. 
Correctness: A validity measurement. Are the assumptions valid? 
Contributions: Most papers have a list of their contributions right in the introduction section. Are these meaningful? 
Clarity: Do you think that the paper is well written? 

The second pass: Grasp the content

The second pass can last up to 1 hour and here you should read the complete paper. Take some notes and write down the key points. 

Look at any type of illustration in the paper like tables and figures for any discrepancies. Build your semantic tree and see which papers are important and which ones unimportant.

At the end of the second pass it can happen that you still don’t understand anything. Do not feel discouraged because this happens all the time. 

The third pass: Virtually re-implement the paper

This pass requires great attention to detail. You should identify and challenge every assumption in every statement.
If you are a beginner then this pass probably takes 4 to 5 hours. 

Read the paper in its entirety and question every detail. Make the same assumptions as the authors and re-create the work from scratch. Re-implement the steps in your head or use any tool. 

At the end of this pass you should be an expert and know the paper’s strong and weak points. 

Optional extensions

Here are 3 optional steps that might add some time to the three-pass approach. 

Little boxes - Surrounded math equations, figures and tables with boxes to quantify how many details in terms of math equations you can expect later on.

Highlighters - During the second-pass you can take notes at the margins, draw little diagrams for better understanding and use highlighters in combination.

Mindmaps - If you are more visual and want to get a better overview of the paper, mind maps may be a suitable fit. 

Pomodoro sessions

This is a great tool if you are lacking motivation. 

Get a timer and set it to 25 minutes. Eliminate any distractions and follow the three-pass approach until the 25 minutes are up.

You may not finish the whole three-pass approach but at the end of the 25 minutes you will likely be surprised what you achieved. 

The Feynman technique

This is a great tool to spot gaps in your understanding:

• Choose a concept you want to learn and write its name at the top of a piece of paper.
• Pretend you are teaching the concept to someone who has no prior knowledge about it. 
• Review your explanation. Identify weak points in your explanation and write it on the piece of paper. 
• Simplify your explanation if you used lots of technical terms or complex language in areas of your explanation.