Adam Ruben's wry column about the common challenges and annoyances of reading a scientific paper was widely read by readers of Science Careers. We've asked a dozen scientists from a wide range of fields and at various stages of their careers to share their methods with us because many of you have contacted us asking for additional (and more serious) guidance on how to understand the scientific literature. The stumbling blocks are real, and it is up to each scientist to identify and implement the strategies that work best for them