01 · Build your judgement
I still recommend reading many papers.
Reading gives me examples of what works.
It also gives me examples of what feels difficult.
Over time, I develop a sense of clarity, pace, and useful detail.
This judgement helps me write. It also helps me evaluate suggestions from AI.
02 · Notice the construction
I ask how the paper is guiding me.
- When does the research question become clear?
- Where does the evidence appear?
- How much context is enough?
- Which paragraph changes the direction?
- Where do I become lost?
- Which references carry the argument?
I am not only reading the result. I am watching the writing decisions.
03 · Make a small map
I sometimes describe the job of each paragraph.
One paragraph creates the problem.
One narrows the scope.
One explains the method.
One shows the evidence.
This small map gives me a wider view. I can borrow the logic without copying the language.
04 · Direct the tool
I want the wider view before I ask AI for help.
If I know what good writing is doing, I can give better instructions.
I can ask for a clearer transition. I can ask for less detail. I can ask whether the main point arrives too late.
I do not need to accept the first structure the tool gives me.
I still need to write. Reading and writing build the judgement together.