It might be useful for new researchers to know how a journal editor screens submissions (obviously this is my approach and so it might differ for others).
I tend to start with a cold read of the abstract. By this I mean I try to do little more than glance at the title, as titles sometimes oversell or, at least, don't help my understanding of what the paper is about.
This is also why I read the cover letter second, so I have an outline of the paper before I'm subjected to the "pitch".
