Reading literature and not understanding it.

[TeamRocketGrunt]

Hi guys. I am currently set to work with a mentor on a project in materials science, but I have to write a research proposal first. As such, I have been reading literature relevant to the field I'm working in, but there's a lot of jargon I cannot understand. Is there any way to get past this? If I go to competition, will it look like I don't know what I"m talking about?

[raytrent]

This is a very general question. Is there some specific jargon that you would like help understanding?

[Quqliofolo]

It is not easy to understand. But I will try.

[tdaly]

Hi quqliofolo,

Scientific literature can definitely be hard to wade through, particularly if you aren't familiar withthe jargon. You may find it helpful to make a list of the words you aren't familiar with, and then check Wikipedia to get some additional background on those concepts. If you are working with a mentor, you can always ask him or her for clarification. If you go to your mentor and say, "I didn't understand this term, so I looked it up on Wikipedia, but I still have a question about x...", I suspect your mentor would be happy to help you. Showing that you've put some effort in yourself is a major plus.