We twiddled the knobs until it worked: What grad student science papers really mean

Grad students in every field develop a linguistic armor against uncomfortable scrutiny. Fortunately, where lab-bound research monkeys are concerned, PhD Comics' Jorge Cham is here to translate, explaining when grad students left work to grab a couple beers and when they just don't want you protesting their lab.

Cham's comic chronicles the trials and tribulations of grad students — their neglectful professors, their procrastination habits, their frustration with how the media portrays their research. Here he pokes a little fun at the methodology sections of research papers, breaking them down for our convenience.

Methodology Section Translator [PhD Comics]