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From: duncan@ctt.bellcore.com (Scott Duncan)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: How to read the literature
Message-ID: <1991May14.122528.5597@bellcore.bellcore.com>
Date: 14 May 91 12:25:28 GMT
References: <6113@eastapps.East.Sun.COM>
Sender: usenet@bellcore.bellcore.com (Poster of News)
Reply-To: duncan@ctt.bellcore.com (Scott Duncan)
Organization: Computer Technology Transfer, Bellcore
Lines: 54

In article <6113@eastapps.East.Sun.COM> jparker@east.sun.com (Jeff Parker - Sun BOS Software) writes:
>
>	I'm preparing to teach a course in which I will ask students
>to read journal articles.  I've drawn up a short list of questions.
>
>	What is the problem?
>		What is the author trying to do?
>		Why is this worth doing?
>		What is the author's environment?
>	What is the prior art?
>		How did people do this before?
>		Why isn't that sufficient?
>	What is the contribution?
>		What did the author do?
>		What is new?
>		What has been borrowed?
>		Is this a good solution?
>		What remains to be done?

I assume they will have some background which will allow them to make some of
the judgements required of them, e.g., knowledge of "prior art," relative
"newness" of the contribution.

>I'd be interested in any additions from the net.

You might also wish to ask:

	If the solution were successfully applied in environments with
	  which you are familiar, what difference would it make?

	[Perhaps a long-winded version of "Why is this worth doing?"
	from the perspective of some.  However, the research might be
	worth doing from one perspective, but the application of the
	findings/prototype/whatever might have a different impact.]

	What risks seem to be inherent in doing/not doing what the
	  author suggests?

	[Perhaps related to the "prior art" questions as well as the
	"good solution" one.  But again, distinguishing between the
	research versus the application of the research is likely to
	produce different answers.]

>Jeff Parker						jparker@east.sun.com
>Sun Microsystems					      (508) 671-0588

Regardless of the questions, per se, this sounds like a mighty worthwhile way
to have students introduced to the literature, i.e., asking them to evaluate
what they read according to some "standard" set of considerations.

Speaking only for myself, of course, I am...
Scott P. Duncan (duncan@ctt.bellcore.com OR ...!bellcore!ctt!duncan)
                (Bellcore, 444 Hoes Lane  RRC 1H-210, Piscataway, NJ  08854)
                (908-699-3910 (w)   609-737-2945 (h))