CMPUT 603 Fall 2005 Topic 1 Common Abbreviations

CMPUT 603 - Fall 2005 Topic 1: Common Abbreviations + Writing Pet Peeves José Nelson Amaral et al. http: //www. cs. ualberta. ca/~c 603 CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 1

Common Abbreviations in Academic Writing Abbreviation Latin English Follow the abbreviation with: i. e. id est that is an alternative way of saying the same thing e. g. exempli gratia for example an example, not an explanation viz. videlicet namely the specifics CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 2

Common Abbreviations in Academic Writing Abbreviation Latin English etc. et cetera and so forth et alii and others et sequentes and the following q. v. quod vide (for) which see v. vide see q. e. d. quod erat demonstrandum which was to be demonstrated cf. confer compare vs. versus against CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 3

Writing References The Elements of Style By William Strunk Jr. , E. B. White, and Roger Angell, Fourth Edition, Longman, 2000 CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 4

Writing References Writing for Computer Science By Justin Zobel, Springer, 2004. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 5

Writing References Handbook of Writing for The Mathematical Sciences By Nicholas J. Higham, Siam, 1993. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 6

Document Preparation References LATEX A Document Preparation System User’s Guide and Reference Manual, By Leslie Lamport, Addison Wesley, 1994. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 7

Document Preparation References The LATEX Companion, By Michel Goossens, Frank Mittelbach and Alexander Samarin, Addison Wesley, 1994, (second edition: 2004). CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 8

Robert Holte’s Issues with Poor Writing z. Bad organization z. Rambling z. Lack of argument development z. Lack of motivation or explanation about why something is being said. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 9

Use of “This” Avoid using “This” to refer to the meaning of the previous sentence: Poor Usage: The data is written into the outer cylinders of the hard disk. This reduces the access time. Better Usage: The data is written into the outer cylinders of the hard disk. This data distribution reduces the access time. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 10

Another “This” Example (From Strunk and White) Visiting dignitaries watched yesterday as ground was broken for the new high-energy physics laboratory with a blowout safety wall. This is the first visible evidence of the university’s plans for modernization and expansion. Visiting dignitaries watched yesterday as ground was broken for the new high-energy physics laboratory with a blowout safety wall. The ceremony afforded the first visible evidence of the university’s plans for modernization and expansion. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 11

“which” instead of “that” (After Strunk and White) that: defining or restrictive. which: nondefining or nonrestrictive. “The i. Pod that is broken is on my desk. ” Let us know that we are talking about the i. Pod that is broken, and not about the other one. “The i. Pod, which is broken, is on my desk. ” We only have one i. Pod, “which” adds the fact that it is broken. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 12

“which” instead of “that” (From Strunk and White) “The careful writer, watchful for small conveniences, goes whichhunting, removes the defining whiches, and by so doing improves his work. ” CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 13

Proper use of hyphen run time run-time runtime ? The run time of an application is reported by the run-time system through instrumentation that is collected at runtime. The run-time measurement, taken at runtime, reveals that the run time of the program is 3 seconds. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 14

Proper use of hyphen What is the difference between: External-memory run and External memory run ? External-memory run: A run that is stored in external memory. External memory run: A memory run that is external. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 15

Proper use of hyphen (another example) What is the difference between: Single-address register and Single address register ? Single-address register: A register that has only one address. Single address register: Indicates that there is only one address register. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 16

Excessive, gratuitous, use of “We” and “our”. Poor usage: We designed an experimental framework. The results of our experiments demonstrated speed improvements of 18. 2 on 16 processing nodes. Better usage: Experimental results demonstrate speed improvements of 18. 2 on 16 processing nodes. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 17

Use of past or future tense Poor usage: The algorithm will read a file from external memory. Better usage: The algorithm reads a file from external memory. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 18

Use of past or future tense Poor usage: Feldmeier demonstrated that a routing-table cache could reduce the lookup time in network gateways by 65%~cite{feldmeier. INFOCOM 88}. Better usage: Feldmeier demonstrates that a routing-table cache may reduce the lookup time in network gateways by 65%~cite{feldmeier. INFOCOM 88}. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 19

Place citation at the end of the sentence. Poor usage: Feldmeier~cite{feldmeier. INFOCOM 88} demonstrates that a routing-table cache may reduce the lookup time in network gateways by 65%. Better usage: Feldmeier demonstrates that a routing-table cache may reduce the lookup time in network gateways by 65%~cite{feldmeier. INFOCOM 88}. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 20

Correct use of et al. Poor usage: Chiueh et al. designs a CPU-style IP caching scheme and demonstrates that general-purpose processors can serve as a powerful platform for highperformance IP routing~cite{chiueh 1999}. Better usage: Chiueh et al. design a CPU-style IP caching scheme and demonstrates that general-purpose processors can serve as a powerful platform for highperformance IP routing~cite{chiueh 1999}. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 21

I think…, It is my opinion…, I believe. . . , etc Poor usage: I believe that optimizing compilers can reorder data accesses to improve locality. Better usage: Optimizing compilers can reorder data accesses to improve locality. Unless there is a citation at the end of the sentence, or you explicitly stated otherwise, everything that you write is your opinion, your belief, and your thought. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 22

Don’t, doesn’t, isn’t Poor usage: This framework doesn’t address dynamic compilation. Better usage: This framework does not address dynamic compilation. Avoid contractions in technical writing. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 23

Avoid negation Poor usage: This framework does not address dynamic compilation. Better usage: This framework applies to static compilation. Make your sentences affirmative. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 24

So Poor usage: Cache memories are built with expensive technology, so they are small. Better usage: Cache memories are built with expensive technology, therefore they are small. Avoid all colloquialisms in technical writing. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 25

Wasted words The following expressions (and many others that you would use where these appear) often do not add anything to your writing. They waste valuable space in your paper and annoy some of your readers. As a matter of fact Generally It is common knowledge that As we mentioned in Section 3. 2* As we stated before It is very important to note that Observe that In order to Note “just”, “very” * Use cross-section references sparingly. When CMPUT 603 - Teaching andpossible, replace them with references to specific definitions, theorems, Research Methodsequations, graphs, etc. 26

Salavatipour’s State-Your. Intuition Advice z. Before a formal proof or a series of equations, give your intuitive reasoning, and an outline of your proof or derivation, in plain English. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 27

Sutton’s Plausible Opposite Test Look at your sentence. In your mind, construct its negative. Is that opposite sentence also plausible? If it is, you should probably say something different. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 28

Sutton’s Writing Advice z Do not use “since” when you mean “because”. z Avoid convoluted, indirect sentences. z No double negatives please. z Be direct, honest, and plain. You will get rid of lots of words. Your ideas will be more clearly exposed. z Expect to rewrite and edit extensively! CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods 29