Triage papers by ear
Listen to the abstract, introduction and conclusion on the way in. Decide on the way back which papers earn a close read with a pen. The pile moves, and your eyes get a rest from two-column type.
Built for paper PDFs
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Section headings become chapters: skip straight to the discussion.
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Running headers, journal footers and page numbers are dropped. Paragraphs split across columns and pages are joined back together.
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The PDF view lights up each word on the page as it is spoken, so you can glance at a figure without losing your place.
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Preprints exported from LaTeX narrate especially well.
A morning routine
1.
Drop the paper over breakfast. It is ready in seconds.
2.
Listen to the abstract, introduction and conclusion on the way in, at up to 2x.
3.
Bookmark the passage worth a second look and pick it up at your desk. Your place follows you.
Questions people ask
How are equations, tables and references read?
Equations and tables are read as the text the PDF holds, so look at the page for those. Chapter markers let you skip the reference list.
Is my unpublished work private?
Yes. The paper stays in your private library, is used only to narrate it for you, and is gone when you delete it.
What about scanned papers?
They need a text layer, which many scanners add. An image-only scan has no words to read.
Which narrator suits technical text?
A measured, clear voice. Play a few samples on the Voices page and pick the one you could listen to for an hour.