Reading a paper
What each part of a paper is for, the four kinds of document we publish, and what the review line under the title does and does not claim.
The parts of a paper
- Title and status line. What the document is and what review it has had, the date it was published and revised, and the catalogue data it was computed on.
- Authors. Each named author with their affiliation, and the DOI when the paper has been deposited.
- Abstract. The question, the data, the method and the answer in one paragraph. Read this to decide whether the rest is for you.
- Key findings. The results, numbered, each short enough to quote.
- Body. The argument in full, with its tables and charts. Charts are drawn from the catalogue, with the data under each one for a reader who cannot see the marks.
- Methods. A link to each Methods page the figures are computed by.
- Reproduce these figures. Every API request behind the figures, in full, with a link to its reference.
- Cite this paper. A reference and a BibTeX entry, ready to copy.
Kinds of document
Each paper is one of four kinds, stated at the start of its status line.
| Kind | What it is |
|---|---|
| Technical report | A full account of one question: data, method, results and limits. |
| Technical note | A short report on one result, a correction or a method applied to a narrow case. |
| Preprint | A paper written for a journal or conference, published here before or while it is reviewed there. |
| White paper | A position or design argued from the data, rather than a single measured result. |
Review status
The line under every title says what review the paper has had, in words. It never suggests more than happened.
| Status | What the page says | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Not reviewed | Not peer reviewed. | Written and checked by GunSpec, not reviewed by anyone outside it. Most papers are this. |
| Submitted | Submitted to the named venue. | Sent to a journal or conference, which has not yet decided. |
| Under review | Under review at the named venue. | The venue has it with reviewers. |
| Peer reviewed | Peer reviewed, and the venue. | A venue has reviewed and accepted it. Set only when that has happened. |
A venue is named only when it is known. A paper that has not been reviewed reads "Not peer reviewed" even when it names a venue.