[abetusk]

I think papers make good references. I think of it more like the equivalent of a "datasheet" for an electronic part, say. Once you understand the intricacies, it's a valuable reference but more often than not, it's not very good and conveying motivation or intuition.

[IshKebab]

They're usually not very good as a reference either - they miss out key steps due to oversight or lack of time.

[federiconafria]

Great way to see it, papers should not be your first point of contact.