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.
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.