You'll most likely need to get acquainted with a significant chunk of the literature in that domain. For the most part, papers are self-contained, but they buil

You'll most likely need to get acquainted with a significant chunk of the literature in that domain. For the most part, papers are self-contained, but they build on top of past work. The best way is to work your way through the references cited. Often you'll find a few that come up again and again. Read them, and you'll have gained a bit more understanding on the topic. Rinse and repeat until you do understand the problem and how it is commonly treated in the literature.