How to read research papers effectively

Stop reading every paper cover-to-cover. You'll burn out before lunch. Use a three-pass method: skim for the claim, scan for the evidence, then read deeply only the papers that earn it.

The three passes#

1. Pass 1 — abstract, intro, conclusion. 5 minutes. Decide if this is your paper.
2. Pass 2 — figures, methods, key results. 15 minutes. Understand what they did.
3. Pass 3 — full read with notes. 60+ minutes. Reserved for the small minority that earned it.