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In the name of Allah
the compassionate, the merciful
Scientific & Technical
Presentation
S. Kasaei
Sharif University of Technology
E-Mail: [email protected]
Home Page: http://ipl.ce.sharif.edu
http://sharif.edu/~skasaei
Course Syllabus
Course Syllabus
Lecture:
Mondays, 10:30-12:30.
Website:
http://ce.sharif.edu/courses/85-86/2/ce221b
Check this site often for important announcements.
Course Description:
40-221 provides an introduction to scientific & technical
presentation.
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Course Syllabus
Topics include:
Guidelines on good technical writing, elimination sporadic noise in
writing, writing common technical documents, writing a technical
report documents (with emphasis on content & style of the title, table
of contents, executive summary, graphics, tables, &
documentations), accessing technical information, engineering a
presentation, & writing to get an engineering job .
Prerequisites:
Computer Engineering English (40-211).
Text Book:
Scientific & Technical Presentation, by S.M.T. Rouhani Ranlouhi, 2nd
edition, Jelveh Publisher, 1380.
(Additional topics will be included.)
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Course Syllabus
Reference Books:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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A Guide to Writing as an Engineer, by D. Beer & D. McMurrey, John
Wiley & Sons Inc., 1997.
The Student Skills Guide, by S. Drew and R. Bingham, Sampad
Publisher, 1997.
The Craft of Scientific Writing, by Michael Alley, 3rd edition, SpringleVerlag, 1996.
From Research to Printout: Creating Effective Technical Documents, by
J.H. White, ASME Press, 1997.
Writing is the Technical Fields: A Step-by-Step Guide for Engineers,
Scientists, and Technicians, by M.H. Markel, IEEE Press, 1994.
Dictionary of Problem Words and Expresions, by H. Shaw, McGraw-Hill,
1987.
Handbook of Technical Writing, by C.T. Brusaw, G.J. Alred, & W.E. Oliu,
6th edition, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 117.
The non-desiner’s Design Book, by R. Williams, Peachpit Press, Berkley,
CA, 1994.
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Course Syllabus
Written & Computer Assignments:
Written & computer exercises will be assigned over the course.
Name your presentation & report files as:
Tech_Pres_6_group#_1.ppt,Tech_Pres_6_group#_2.ppt, &
Tech_Pres_6_r_type_group#.doc, respectively.
1.
2.
3.
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Course Projects:
There will be some course projects.
Student groups are supposed to present the assigned subjects &
prepare some technical reports.
All groups should also use other references, specially [1, 2], to
enrich the content of their presentations.
Presented materials (projects, reports, …) should be different from
the thesis, other course projects, & also other students’
presentations/publications.
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Course Syllabus
Grading Policy:
Final exam: 4 pts. (Hold at: Tuesday 1386.4.5 , 14:30)
Quiz: 1.5 pts. (Hold at: Monday 1386.1.27)
Oral presentation: 5 pts. (second presentation topic assignment due:
Monday 1386.1.27)
Final 4-page two-column paper: 2.5 pts. (Submission due: Monday
1386.3.7)
Professional organization memo (Persian & English): 0.5 pts.
Project proposal: 1.5 pts.
Project report: 2 pts.
Technical manual: 1 pts.
Participation: 2 pts.
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Course Syllabus
Absence:
A substantial portion of this class revolves around in-class
collaborative work. As emergencies do arise, you will be allowed
one unexcused absence, but you will still be responsible for getting
in contact with your peer group and/or completing the work for that
day. Each absence after that can bring your grade down 0.25 level.
Excused absences are allowed in cases of serious problems. In
order to receive an excused absence for an illness, you must notify
me before class time or bring official notification.
Completing Work:
In order to receive a passing grade in this course, you must
complete all of the work assigned during the semester. Late work
will not be accepted.
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Course Syllabus
Instructor Office Hour:
Wednesdays, 15:00-16:00, Room CE307.
Course E-Mail:
[email protected]
Presentation Topics:
Group 1: pp. 3~18 (Ch. 1), Group 2: pp. 21~46 (Ch. 2)
Group 3: pp. 47~69 (Ch. 2), Group 4: pp. 73~96 (Ch. 3)
Group 5: pp. 97~126 (Ch. 3), Group 6: pp. 129~144 (Ch. 4)
Group 7: pp. 155~178 (Accessing Eng. Information[1])
Group 8: pp. 205~226 (Writing to Get an Eng. Job[1])
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Introduction to
Scientific & Technical
Presentation
Acknowledgement
Some of the slides used in this course
have been provided by Michael Alley
(Virginia Tech), based on the book:
The Craft of Scientific Writing
3rd edition (New York: Springer-Verlag,
1996), 282 pages.
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Books by Michael Alley
Alley, Michael, The Craft of Scientific Writing, 3rd edition (New
York: Springer-Verlag, 1996), 282 pages.
Alley, Michael, The Craft of Scientific Presentations, (New York:
Springer-Verlag, November 2002), 240 pages.
Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students, ed. by
M. Alley, L. Crowley, J. Donnell, and C. Moore (Blacksburg, VA:
Virginia Tech, 2002).
Writing Exercises for Engineers and Scientists, ed. by M. Alley,
L. Crowley, J. Donnell, and C. Moore (Blacksburg, VA: Virginia
Tech, 2002).
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Introduction
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Introduction
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Introduction
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Introduction
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Introduction
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Introduction
Style is the way you communicate
the content to the audience
[Peterson, 1987]
Illustration
Structure
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style
words
wordswords
wordswordswords
wordswordswordswords
wordswordswords
wordswordswords
wordswordswords
wordswordswords
Language
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Introduction
The Craft
of Editing
Editing isn’t a cosmetic process. It’s
a thinking process.
Richard Rhodes, author
Making of the Atomic Bomb
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Basics of Presentation
Although editing is a large subject, we will focus
on the editing that occurs in the sign-off process
Editing documents:
Reviewing
Line editing
Online editing
Proofreading
Reducing friction:
Actions by authors
Actions by editors
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Basics of Presentation
Before editing someone’s document,
you should first consider your constraints
Audience
of Document
Format of
Document
Process to
Publish
Document
Formality of
Document
Other Editors
of Document
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Politics and
Ethics
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Basics of Presentation
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Basics of Presentation
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Basics of Presentation
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Basics of Presentation
A well-done edit has three characteristics:
clarity, consistency, and hierarchy
clarity
deletee
consistency
effect
effect
effect
affect e
hierarchy
most
important
next most
important
least
important
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Basics of Presentation
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Hints on Writing
Technical Papers
&
Making Presentations
General Points
Make attention on how to communicate effectively.
Engineers write a lot (over 40% of the work).
A successful engineer career requires strong writing
skills.
Consider good writers & good speakers in research
community.
“No one can be a good writer – only a good rewriter”.
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General Points
Be clear & concise.
Eliminate noise during communication (it’s, fuzzy).
Focus on why you are writing.
Focus on your readers/audience.
Get to the point.
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General Points
Provide accurate information.
Present your material logically.
Convey ideas & results in the least possible time &
space.
Present yourself clearly (engineering is considered as a
precise discipline).
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General Points
Highlight your contributions.
Keep reader’s attention on the main problem.
Organize the article into sections & subsections properly
to help its readability.
Spell abbreviation out in full when first used & include
(parenthetically) the abbreviation [i.e., image processing
(IP)].
Be consistent with notations & format.
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General Points
The number of figures & tables does not come inside
brackets [i.e., Figure 1, Table 5].
Figure caption appears on its below & ends with a point.
Table caption appears on its above & ends with a point.
Do not put space between a word & its subsequent
comma, semi-colon, point, etc.
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General Points
Avoid using apostrophe in formal writing [i.e., don’t].
Avoid writing short paragraphs.
Avoid writing lengthy sentences.
Avoid writing English or French words using Persian
alphabets.
First time that the Persian translation of a professional
word is used, state the English word using footnote.
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Formatting Scientific
Documents
Formatting Scientific Documents
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Formatting Scientific Documents
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Formatting Scientific Documents
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Formatting Scientific Documents
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Formatting Scientific Documents
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Formatting Scientific Documents
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Formatting Scientific Documents
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Formatting Scientific Documents
Avoid large blocks of capital letters
TYPE IS TO READ
Type is to read
WORDS SET IN ALL CAPS USE
MORE SPACE THAN TEXT SET IN
LOWERCASE.
Words set in all caps use more
space than words set in lowercase.
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Formatting Scientific Documents
Morton-Thiokol’s presentation to NASA suffered
because of all capital letters on the slides
PRIMARY CONCERNS FIELD JOINT - HIGHEST CONCERN
• EROSION PENETRATION OF PRIMARY SEAL REQUIRES RELIABLE SECONDARY SEAL
FOR PRESSURE INTEGRITY
• IGNITION TRANSIENT - (0-600 MS)
• (0-170 MS) HIGH PROBABILITY OF RELIABLE SECONDARY SEAL
• (170-330 MS) REDUCED PROBABILITY OF RELIABLE SECONDARY SEAL
• (330-600 MS) HIGH PROBABILITY OF NO SECONDARY SEAL CAPABILITY
• STEADY STATE - (600 MS - 2 MINUTES)
• IF EROSION PENETRATES PRIMARY O-RING SEAL - HIGH PROBABILITY OF
NO SECONDARY SEAL CAPABILITY
• BENCH TESTING SHOWED O-RING NOT CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING CONTACT
WITH METAL PARTS GAP OPERATING TO MEOP
• BENCH TESTING SHOWED CAPABILITY TO MAINTAIN O-RING CONTACT DURING
INITIAL PHASE (0 - 170 MS) OF TRANSIENT
Morton-Thiokol Presentation to NASA
January 27, 1986
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Formatting Scientific Documents
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Structure
of a Scientific Document
Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
Several names for summaries exist
Summary
Abstract
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Technical
Abstract
Descriptive
Abstract
Informative
Abstract
Executive
Summary
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
Common strategies exist
for the middles of scientific reports
Parallel
Parts
Corel Corporation
Flow
[Sandia, 1985]
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
Section headings should be descriptive and parallel
Non-Parallel
Non-Descriptive
Introduction
Introduction
Background
Background
Marx
MarxGenerators
Generators
Line
LinePulse
Pulse
Beam
BeamGeneration
Generation
Transporting
TransportingBeam
Beam
Pellets
Pellets
Results
Results
Conclusions
Conclusions
Parallel
Descriptive
Introduction
Introduction
Past
PastDesigns
Designsfor
forParticle
ParticleBeam
BeamFusion
Fusion
New
NewDesign
Designfor
forParticle
ParticleBeam
BeamFusion
Fusion
Charging
Marx
Generators
Charging Marx Generators
Forming
FormingLine
LinePulse
Pulse
Generating
Particle
Generating ParticleBeam
Beam
Transporting
TransportingParticle
ParticleBeam
Beam
Irradiating
Deuterium-Tritium
Irradiating Deuterium-TritiumPellets
Pellets
Results
Resultsof
ofNew
NewDesign
Design
Conclusions
Conclusionsand
andRecommendations
Recommendations
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Structure of a Scientific Documents
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Illustrations
Illustrations
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Illustrations
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Illustrations
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Illustrations
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Illustrations
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Illustrations
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Illustrations
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Illustrations
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Illustrations
Graphs come in many forms
Average dose: 160 mrem
85 mrem
Natural
Sources
70 mrem
Medical
Sources
{
Fallout: < 3mrem
Occupational: < 1mrem
Nuclear power: < 1mrem
Figure 6. Estimated annual dose of radiation in the United
States [GPU Nuclear, 1985].
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Illustrations
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Illustrations
The main advantage of photographs is realism
60 seconds
59.5 seconds
59 seconds
Figure 2. Space Shuttle Challenger, from about 59 seconds to 60
seconds into launch (January 28, 1986). On the right rocket, flame
first becomes visible and then impinges on tank.
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Illustrations
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Illustrations
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Illustrations
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Illustrations
The precision of the illustrations
should reflect the precision of the text
The thermal storage system, shown in Figure 6, stores
heat in a huge, steel-walled tank. Steam from the solar
receiver heats a thermal oil, which is pumped into the tank.
The tank then provides energy to run a steam generator to
produce electricity.
650°F
580°F
Thermal
Tank
Heat
Exchanger
solar
receiver
435°F
575°F
425°F
530°F
Heat
Exchanger
425°F
steam
generator
250°F
Figure 6. Schematic of thermal storage system for the solar
power plant.
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Illustrations
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Illustrations
Inconsistencies between text and
images disrupt fluidity
The testing hardware of the
rocket shown in Figure 8 has
five main components: camera,
digitizer, computer, I/O interface,
and mechanical interface.
Commands are generated by the
computer, then passed through
the I/O interface to the
mechanized interface where the
keyboard of the ICU is operated.
The display of the ICU is read
with a television camera and
then digitized. This information
is then manipulated by the
computer to direct the next
command.
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CONTROL
TERMINAL
PRINTER
CAMERA
DIGITIZER
ROCKET
COMPUTER
ELECTROMECHANICAL
INTERFACE
Figure 8. Testing hardware.
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Illustrations
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Points on Writing a
Scientific Manuscript
Points on Writing a Scientific Manuscript
Technical papers usually consist of the following
components:
1.
Title – should be concise & to the point, contain main
keywords, denote the specialty of the work, all in less
than about 10 words (or 3 lines).
Usually in uppercase & boldface.
2.
Abstract – summary of the paper (not more that
150~200 words) including a brief description of the
problem, its importance, related existing work, main
proposed solution, & conclusions.
No cited references or displayed equations.
Written in one paragraph.
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Points on Writing a Scientific Manuscript
3.
Keywords – selected for computerized search.
Contains about 4~6 words (in the order of importance).
4.
Introduction – defines the scope & limitations of the work.
It contains the definition, scientific importance, historical
background, & relevance to other areas.
Properly describe & reference the related work.
Give your description about other algorithms.
Briefly describe the proposed solution, how it is different
from & superior to other existing solutions.
Clearly state the conclusion.
Last paragraph is a summary of the paper structure.
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Points on Writing a Scientific Manuscript
5.
Proposed Algorithm – describes the proposed solution.
Highlight your contributions.
State the model assumptions clearly.
Use flowcharts & figures to illustrate the solution.
6.
Experimental Results – give a complete performance
analysis (not Simulation Results).
State resource characteristics (size, resolution, etc.).
Use figures, tables & charts to interpret results.
Chosen parameter values should make sense.
Show the average values & confidence intervals.
Describe simulation time, computer type, & the used
language.
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Points on Writing a Scientific Manuscript
7.
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Figures – place immediately after where they are
referred to, at the top of the next page, or at the end of
the paper.
Some space should be left above & below each figure.
Should be readable without relying on the
accompanying description in the text.
All symbols should be explained in the legend.
Caption appears in below & ends with a point.
Previously published material must be accompanied
by written permission from the author & publisher.
Figures should be numbered sequentially in Arabic
numerals.
Figure numbers should not appear inside parenthesis.
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Points on Writing a Scientific Manuscript
8.
Tables – insert in the text as close to the point of
reference as possible.
Should be readable without relying on the
accompanying description in the text.
Some space should be left above & below the table.
Tables should be numbered sequentially in Arabic
numerals.
Numbers should not appear inside parenthesis.
Captions are to be centralized above them.
All used symbols should be described.
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Points on Writing a Scientific Manuscript
9.
Equations – number consequently in each section,
with the number set flush right & enclosed in
parentheses.
Refer to equations using parenthesis (e.g., Eq. (4.1)).
10.
Conclusions – summarizes what you have done, the
difficulties, & concludes based on results.
Include the future research direction.
Preferably, written in one paragraph.
11.
Acknowledgement – comes before the appendix if any.
Should be unnumbered.
Funding information may also be included.
1.
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Points on Writing a Scientific Manuscript
12.
Appendix – contains materials deemed inessential to
understanding but included for completeness, &
detailed mathematical proofs.
Comes before the References.
With more that one appendix, numbered alphabetically.
Number displayed equations in the way, e.g. (A.1).
13.
References – use more readily available papers.
Follow the determined standard bibliography format
precisely.
All should be cited in the text.
Should be unnumbered.
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Submitting a Scientific Manuscript
Originality – paper should not be either published or
considered for publication in another journal or
conference.
Submission – submit, most, papers electronically in
.ps, .dvi, or .pdf formats as attachments to an email
message to the Editor-in-Chief.
Indicate author in contact’s email, postal address, & the
fax number.
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Submitting a Scientific Manuscript
Acknowledgement & Refereeing – the Editor-in-Chief
will acknowledge receipt of the submitted paper. If the
Editor-in-Chief considers the paper to be appropriate, it
will be refereed.
Copyright – for accepted papers for publications, the
authors are assumed to have the copyright transferred
to the publisher.
Submission of Final Version – the final version (the
camera ready version) should exactly follow the style
file provided by the publisher.
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SUT Thesis Guide
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SUT Thesis Guide
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SUT Thesis Guide
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SUT Thesis Guide
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Presentations
Presentation Points
1.
Visit the venue beforehand to get familiar with room’s
layout & the equipment.
2.
Establish rapport with audience by speaking to them
for a couple of minutes (summarize the result, how this
talk relates to other talks in the session, how it relates
to the keynote of the conference, how you got
interested in this topic).
Get the audience to focus on the topic rather than on
the speaker or the screen.
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Presentation Points
3.
Project your voice relative to the room & audience
size.
3.
Aim for a normal conversation speed.
4.
Vary your pace & pitch.
5.
Avoid blocking anyone’s view continuously.
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Presentation Points
7.
Stand far enough to the side to prevent screen
blocking.
8.
Avoid reading from slides.
9.
Repeat key points – “tell your listeners what you are
going to tell them, & finally tell them what you have told
them”.
10.
Use a pointer to focus your audience’s attention on
your graphics.
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Presentation Points
11.
Accept your nervousness.
Take some deep breaths before entering the room.
Note that you have worked hard on your talk & have
practiced delivering it.
Try to concentrate on your topic rather than yourself.
Try to have a few friends or colleagues in the
audience.
Look at friendly faces. ☺
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Presentation Points
12.
Have an “Outline” slide.
13.
Organize the slides as precise & as logical as possible.
14.
Presentation should not follow the paper exactly.
15.
You usually have 20 min. for presentation & 5 min. for
questions & answers.
Explain the goal, importance of the work, key ideas of
the solution, how it is different (& hopefully) better than
existing solutions.
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Presentation Points
16.
Presentation should not deviate too much from paper
either.
17.
Maintain eye contact.
Talk to the audience not to the viewgraph.
Address different parts of the room.
18.
When preparing slides:
Make sure that the visual aids are readable.
Use a bit of color to highlight important points.
Use figures, block diagrams, flow charts, images, etc.
Bring transparencies, other diskettes, … as backups.
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Presentation Points
19.
Do not put too many ideas on the same slide.
19.
Everything on the slide should be explained.
20.
Do not put too much mathematics on the slides.
Just enough mathematics should be presented to bring
the key point across.
The focus should be on the results.
Use figures (plots) to bring the points across.
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Presentation Points
22.
Have at least one “Contributions” slide.
23.
Have a “Conclusion & Future Work” slide.
24.
Have a “List of Publication” slide.
25.
Have some extra slides containing some details of the
work, to use in case some questions arose.
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Presentation Points
26.
Be ready for difficult or unexpected questions.
If there is any difficulty with a particular question do not
be overly defensive.
A difficult question can be turned into an idea for future
research.
Repeat the question.
Simply say “I don’t know”.
Offer to talk with the questioner after your talk.
Do not say things that you are not absolutely sure of.
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Presentation
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Thesis Defense
Thesis Defense Points
During the defense the committee looks for:
1.
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Whether the candidate has a very good understanding
of the problem.
The candidate should be conversant with the relevant
literature, should explain how the proposed approach
is different, how practical the work is.
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Thesis Defense Points
2.
How is the contribution to the research community
(stated in abstract & conclusion).
At least one “Contributions” slide.
3.
Whether the candidate has taken the time to digest the
results generated (using figures, plots, tables).
Explain what is being accomplished with the
simulation.
Explain not smoothness in the curve or sudden jumps
in the table values.
4.
Suggest future work.
List a few possible directions.
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Language
Language
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Language
Generalities that are not anchored
with specifics are soon forgotten
After recognizing
some problems with
the solar mirrors, we
took subsequent
corrective
measures.
After finding that high
winds (and not hail) had
cracked the ten solar
mirrors, we began
stowing all mirrors in a
horizontal position
during thunderstorms.
Trash
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Language
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Language
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Language
Complex wording buries ideas
This study will consider why current solar energy
systems, such as Solar One, have not reached the
commercial stage and will find out what steps
we can take to make these systems commercial.
R.I.P.
The goal of this study is to develop a commercialization strategy for solar energy systems by analyzing
factors impeding early commercial projects (i.e.,
SOLAR ONE) and by identifying the potential actions
that can facilitate the viability of the projects.
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Language
Stacking adjectives before nouns swallows the ideas
Solar One is a 10 megawatt solar
thermal electric central receiver
Barstow power pilot plant.
Solar One is a solar-powered pilot
plant located near Barstow, California. Solar One
produces 10 megawatts of electricity by capturing
solar energy in a central receiver design.
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Language
Complex sentences misdirect readers
The goal of the work was to
confirm the nature of electrical
breakdown of nitrogen in uniform
fields at high pressures and
electrode gaps which approach
those obtained in engineering
practice, prior to the determination of the processes which
set the criterion for breakdown
in the above-mentioned gas in
uniform and non-uniform fields
of engineering significance.
Kasaei
At high pressures (760 torr)
and typical electrode gap
distances (1 mm), the
electrical breakdown of
nitrogen was studied in
uniform fields.
158
Language
The more muddled the original, the more
revisions are needed to streamline it
At high pressures (760 torr)
and typical electrode gap
distances (1 mm), the
electrical breakdown of
nitrogen was studied in
uniform fields.
Kasaei
In our study, we examined
the electrical breakdown of
nitrogen in uniform fields.
For these experiments, the
electrode gap distances
were typical (1 mm), while
the pressures were
relatively high (760 torr).
159
Language
One measure for the complexity of the writing
is the Gunning Fog Index
In the index, the complexity
of the writing depends on
(1) the lengths of sentences
(2) the lengths of words
Desired index values for
scientific writing are 10-12:
New York Times (11)
Scientific American (12)
Fi = 0.4 ((Nw / Ns )+ Plw )
Nw = number of words in a typical paragraph
Ns = number of sentences in the paragraph
Plw = percentage of long words in the paragraph
Kasaei
160
Language
Ambiguities occur for many reasons
The proposed schedule is
discussed below for the next
four years.
?????????
As light hydrocarbons evaporate the oil
vapor pressure falls.
Although engineers realized the design
flaws in the Titanic soon after its sinking
in 1912, the reasons for the severe
damage inflicted by the iceberg remained
a mystery until its discovery in 1985.
Kasaei
???????
????
161
Language
Pretentious diction often causes
problems with tone
Kasaei
approximately
about
facilitate
cause; bring about
implement
carry out
individualized
individual
operationability
can operate
utilization
use
162
Language
Weak verbs hide the energy of your work
A new process for eliminating nitrogen
oxides from diesel exhaust engines is
presented. Flow tube experiments to
test this process are discussed. The
percentage decrease in nitrogen oxide
emissions is revealed.
This paper presents a new process for
eliminating nitrogen oxides from the
exhaust of diesel engines. To test this
process, we performed experiments in
flow tubes. These experiments
revealed a 99 percent decrease in
nitrogen oxide emissions.
Kasaei
163
Language
A formal definition has a specific form
noun
term
noun naming class
to which noun term
belongs
+
information to separate
noun term from other
terms in class
noun term
noun term
noun term
noun term
noun term
noun term noun term
Bremsstrahlung: the radiation emitted by a charged
particle that is accelerated in the
Coulomb force field of a nucleus.
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164
Language
Examples anchor abstract generalities
By the late Middle Ages, cities throughout
Europe were building Gothic cathedrals. The
only way, however, that architects could test a
new design was to build the cathedral, a
process that took more than forty years.
Unfortunately, many cathedrals caved in during
or after construction. What took forty years to
test in the Middle Ages could have been done in
minutes on a supercomputer.
William Wilson
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165
Language
When sentence openers do not vary, the
sentences do not seem to connect
Z
Z
Z
Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. A cloud of hot rock
and gas surged northward from its collapsing slope. The cloud
devastated more than 500 square kilometers of forests and
lakes. The effects of Mount St. Helens were well documented
with geophysical instruments. The origin of the eruption is not
well understood. Volcanic explosions are driven by a rapid
expansion of steam. Some scientists believe the steam comes
from groundwater heated by the magma. Other scientists
believe the steam comes from water originally dissolved in the
magma. We need to understand the source of steam in
volcanic eruptions. We need to determine how much water the
magma contains.
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166
Language
Varying sentence openers allows for more kinds
of transitions between sentences
Sentence #1
Topic of Sentence
Time of action
Location of action
Manner of action
Subordinate action
Reason for action
Kasaei
Sentence #2
Sentence #3
Subject
Prepositional Phrase
Prepositional Phrase
Adverb
Dependent Clause
Infinitive Phrase
167
Language
Vary sentence openers to vary rhythm
Kasaei
 subject-verb
Mount St. Helens erupted
on May…
 prepositional phrase
In minutes, the mountain
emitted…
 adverb
Recently, debate has arisen...
 dependent clause
Although the exact time of the
eruption surprised scientists,
evidence had been collected...
 infinitive phrase
To understand the
eruption, we have to...
168
Language
Varying sentence openers enlivens the
writing and allows connections
Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. Its slope
collapsing, the mountain emitted a cloud of hot rock and gas.
In minutes, the cloud devastated more than 500 square
kilometers of forests and lakes. Although the effects of the
eruption were well documented, the origin is not well
understood. Volcanic explosions are driven by a rapid
expansion of steam. Recently, debate has arisen over the
source for the steam. Is it groundwater heated by magma or
water originally dissolved in the magma itself? To understand
the source of steam in volcanic eruptions, we need to
determine how much water the magma contains.
Kasaei
169
Common Errors
Common Errors
Avoiding Common Errors
of Grammar
One of the most important skills a writer can
have is the ability to compose clear, complete
sentences. The sentence is the basic unit of
communication in all forms of English.
Funk, McMahan, and Day
Elements of Grammar
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171
Common Errors
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172
Common Errors
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173
Common Errors
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174
Common Errors
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175
Common Errors
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176
Common Errors
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177
Common Errors
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178
Common Errors
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179
Common Errors
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180
Common Errors
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181
Common Errors
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182
Common Errors
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183
Common Errors
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184
Common Errors
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185
Common Errors
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186
Common Errors
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187
Common Errors
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188
Common Errors
Not all usage errors bother readers
in the same way
Errors that
disturb
Errors that
distract
Errors that few
even notice
Kasaei
affect/effect
its/it’s
verb disagreement
verb tense
comprise/compose
possessive
different from/than
compare with/to
189
Common Errors
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190
Common Errors
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191
Common Errors
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192
Common Errors
Use numerals when referring to measurements
When to use numerals
Specific measurements
3 volts, 2 seconds, 1 m/s
Percentages
15 percent
Monetary figures
$3000
Large numerals
5 million
When to write out numbers
Kasaei
Counting (one or two words)
twenty-three gages
Informal measurements
two hours
First word of sentence
Thirty-three...
193
Common Errors
Kasaei
194
Common Errors
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195
Common Errors
Non-words and nonsensical groupings
of words also cause problems
Whichever design you choose is (alright / all right) with
me.
all right
(Irregardless / Regardless) of the shipping delay, the
work will stop because of the strike.
Regardless
Applying that set of constraints is a (most unique /
unique / very unique) way to approach the problem.
unique
The serum had (alot / a lot) of side effects.
Kasaei
a lot
196
Common Errors
1.
Kasaei
Hyphenated Words – If the first word is used as an
adjective, no hyphen is necessary (e.g., first
generated).
If the first word is a noun, you need to hyphenate
(e.g., range-limited).
If the second word is a gerund do not hyphenate
(e.g., cell splitting).
197
Common Errors
2.
Numbers:
2.1.
Use numerals for technical quantities, especially if a
unit of measurement is included:
3 feet
12 grams
43.2 square miles
2.2.
Kasaei
Use numerals for non-technical quantities of 10 or more:
300 persons
12 wheals
35% increase
198
Common Errors
2.3.
Use words for non-technical quantities of fewer than 10:
Three persons
Six wheals
2.4.
Use both words & numerals for:
Back-to-back numbers (e.g., seven 3-inch screws)
Addresses (e.g., 3801 Fifteen Street)
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199
Common Errors
Special Cases:
2.5.
Use words to begin a sentence (e.g., Thirty-seven acres
was …)
Write out fractions, except if they are linked to technical
unites (e.g., two-thirds of the members, but 1/2 hp)
Fractional numbers are considered plurals (e.g., 0.5
meters).
Write out approximations (e.g., about two million trees)
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200
Common Errors
Use numerals for titles of figures, tables, & page
numbers (e.g., Figure 1, Table 2, page 3)
Use numerals for decimals (e.g., 0.7)
Use numerals for time if A.M. or P.M. is used (e.g.,
6:10 A.M., but six o’clock)
3.
Kasaei
When abbreviating (initialisms/initialization not
acronyms), if the word starts with a vowel (namely a, e,
i, o, u) use the article “an” (e.g., an LCD, an MRI, a
radar).
201
Common Errors
4.
First time a symbol is used, explain what it refers to
(e.g., Wavelet Transform (WT)).
Avoid repeating the refer.
4.
Avoid negative words like “not”, “un”, “non” as well as
double negative like “not uninteresting” as much as
possible.
Use “invalid” instead of “not valid” & “violating” instead
of “not satisfying”.
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202
Common Errors
6.
Phrase “a lot of” is used for uncountable objects (e.g.,
a lot of money).
For countable objects use the word “many” (e.g., many
users).
The same goes for the word “a large amount”.
7.
Say “greatly improves” rather than “highly improves” of
“largely improves”.
8.
Say “contrary to” rather than “in contrary to”.
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203
Common Errors
9.
Words “work” & “research” are already in plural.
10.
Do not use abbreviation/informal forms like “don’t”.
11.
Avoid using multiple superlatives (e.g., very best).
12.
Do not start a sentence with “also”.
Use “Besides”, “Moreover”, “In addition” instead.
Kasaei
204
Common Errors
13.
Say “comprises” or “consists of” rather than “comprises
of”.
14.
Words “figure”, “table”, “theorem”, “lemma”, “chapter”,
& “section” may be used as proper or common nouns.
Proper nouns must be capitalized
(e.g., Figure 1 illustrates … ; but, in this figure …).
Spell in full if they are the first word of the sentence.
15.
Semi-colons are used to break up groups of objects
(e.g., Set A …; Set B …; Set C …).
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205
Common Errors
16.
Avoid repeated usage (e.g., than that in, the former,
the latter).
17.
Most abbreviations do not take plurals (e.g., 3 lb)
18.
Be consistent with English & American spelling.
19.
Avoid writing French words with Persian alphabets.
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206
Commonly Misused
Words & Phrases
Misused Words & Phrases
amount, number
amount is used for non-counting items.
number refers to counting items.
affect, effect
affect is a verb.
effect is mostly commonly a noun.
criteria, criterion
criteria, meaning standards against which something is
measured, is plural.
criterion is singular.
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Misused Words & Phrases
fewer, less
fewer is used for counting items.
less is used for non-counting items.
i.e., e.g., et al.
i.e. is Latin for id est, meaning “that is”.
e.g. is Latin for exempli gratia, meaning “for example”.
et al. is Latin for et allii, meaning “and others”.
lay, lie
lay (lay, laid, laid, laying) is a transitive verb meaning “to
place”.
Lie (lie, lay, lain, lying) is an intransitive verb meaning “to
recline”.
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209
Misused Words & Phrases
among, between
among is used for relationships of more than two items.
between is used for only two items.
site, cite
site is a place.
cite is a verb meaning to document a reference.
phenomena, phenomenon
phenomena is plural.
phenomenon is singular.
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210
Research Procedure
Research Procedure
A rough outline of a research program is:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Kasaei
Ideation
Background Research
Topic Selection
Initial Research & Proposal Development
Proposal Defence
Research Completion (often validating a concept
developed in the proposal)
Thesis Defence
Publication
212
Research Procedure
This process is not necessarily linear.
Topic can be pre-selected because of the interests of the
student and/or the supervisor.
Publications & conference presentations often come
directly out of the background research process.
Publications often lead to innovative ways of describing
issues that will eventually lead to field or laboratory
studies to validate the proposal.
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213
Research Procedure
Learning & Accumulating Knowledge
is the fundamental activity, & relates to most of the
process steps in the research program.
This section reviews some of the most relevant aspects
of this activity.
Literature Review
Key Authors, Papers, & Journals
In every field there are key authors & papers that you will
see as your review process proceeds.
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214
Research Procedure
Finding good review articles is like finding gold nuggets
during your literature review.
These are often published by Ph.D. students, who have
gone through a great deal of effort to describe previous
research in the field in which they are working.
Recently there has been & continues to be a huge
transformation in the availability of journals, as well as
many electronic books, online.
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215
Research Procedure
How does one make use of this great abundance of
research?
1.
2.
3.
Kasaei
Be selective in your choice.
Do not print all the articles on hard copy.
Download & store the papers you choose on your
computer & read them there if possible.
Papers that are very important to your research
probably should be printed out because most of us are
better able to handle detailed study of hard copy than
material on computer screens.
216
Research Procedure
Keep Track of all These Articles
From the very beginning set up a database of references
(that you can select from at will & can reference from the
text of your thesis & other publications).
Associations & Conferences
An excellent way to keep your knowledge updated is to
belong to an association of researchers active in your
field, networking with them, & attending conferences
where you can be exposed to the latest advances, trade
ideas & experiences with your peers.
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217
Research Procedure
What do researchers get out of the conferences?
1.
2.
3.
Kasaei
Exposure to the latest research on current issues.
Opportunity to meet with other researchers with similar
interests.
Availability of job market for both new & established
researchers.
218
Research Procedure
Publishing
Publication is the end result of the work that goes into
research.
This is not the only end result of the research, teaching
is also greatly enhanced by knowledge gained in
research activities that not only push the envelope of
existing knowledge, but also forces researchers to keep
up-to-date on the latest works.
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219
Research Procedure
“publish or perish” syndrome
That is, if you are hired after graduation into a tenure
track faculty position, you will be required to turn out an
acceptable amount of research over a limited time, in
order to keep your job.
If you have a couple of good articles published or
accepted, by the time you complete your studies, this
greatly enhances the likelihood of finding a good
position.
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220
Research Procedure
If you plan to submit to a journal, be sure to check the
journal’s “instructions to authors” for acceptable topics,
length, formatting, how to handle diagrams, references,
etc.
Also check a sample of articles that have appeared in
the journal, & these may tell you more.
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221
The End