The abstract which is a summary of the paper can be read once you have got to grips with the rest of the paper.

Begin by reading the Introduction rather than the abstract. Start reading here.

What do you notice about the position of the method section in the paper? Is this the same as in the Report Writing Guidelines?

The guidelines for report writing state:

The introduction should give a short account of the background or theory behind the experiments. It should give an outline of the scientific purpose(s) or objectives of the experiment and place the work in context, with supporting references where appropriate.

Q. Identify whether the Introduction to this paper provides a brief account of the background to the experiment......