The process of ideation for iGEM naturally requires students to do an extensive literature review and read several research papers. This can be quite a daunting task, and many papers can often seem like an unapproachable wall of text. Also, it becomes difficult to gauge which papers are relevant, useful and reliable for your work.
And that's why, before our team passed on the baton, we wanted to ease the future iGEMers into this process, and help them get comfortable with reading research papers. Even for those not planning on participating in iGEM, reading a research paper is an essential skill that one needs at all stages of research!
Anurag Sarkar, a core member of the IISc iGEM team, conducted a session on 'How (Not) to Read a Research Paper' on 23 August 2024. He introduced the structure and types of articles found in a journal, where and how to search for papers, and how to deal with bad science due to AI and other malicious intent. He encouraged the junior batch to 'be informed, but not be influenced.'
The talk was received very well by the students, and they were excited to use this newfound advice to start exploring the world of science, and start their own iGEM cycle soon.
