A paper-first reading field guide
Separate a Study Sample From the Claimed Population
Use three linked fields: sample, claimed group, and scope gap. Keep each field brief and attach the page or chapter landmark that supports it.
Check whether a research claim reaches beyond the people or cases that were actually studied. A compact three-anchor trail keeps the note useful when you return later or discuss it with someone using another edition.
Step 1
Anchor the location
Record the page or chapter before interpreting the moment. Add the current reading boundary when later knowledge could change the note.
Step 2
Sample
Record who or what the study directly observed.
Step 3
Claimed group
Write the larger population named in the conclusion.
Step 4
Scope gap
Mark the assumption required to move from the sample to that group.