Explain How to Read Academic Papers Without Getting Lost in the Method

The paper is behind a paywall and you have got the abstract and the conclusion and you are not sure you understand either. This explains the non-linear way to read academic papers: which sections to hit first, where the abstract oversells, how to extract the finding without understanding the statistics, and whether the conclusion is supported by the data.

Explain how a non-academic reader can extract useful insight from a peer-reviewed research paper without getting stuck in the methodology section.

Cover:
1. Which sections to read in which order (it is not start-to-finish)
2. What the abstract is actually telling you and where it typically oversells the findings
3. How to read the results section without needing to understand the statistical methods in detail
4. The three questions to ask about any research finding before deciding whether it applies to your situation
5. How to tell whether a paper's conclusion is supported by its data or is the author's wishful thinking

No assumed academic background. Under 300 words.