[nnadams]

My usual first steps are to read the title, the abstract, and the figures/tables, in that order. Pause there and mentally summarize what I just read. If there are terms I didn't know or I'm not familiar with the topic, then I go through the introduction parts of the paper. After that I read the discussion sections and conclusions. I usually skip the methods sections and read those last only if needed.

All during that I try to keep track of questions I have or claims the authors are making. Once I've gone through a lot of the paper, I go back and look for answers to my questions. Interrogate the paper until you are convinced.

I remember being younger and getting stressed about reading papers. So I want to add that not all paper are well written. Don't worry if you're struggling. It's not easy in the beginning and the papers themselves aren't perfect. Keep working at it because it does get easier!