Research Writing and Presentation Hany H Ammar Professor

ﺑﺴﻢ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ ﺍﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ ﻭﺍﻟﺼﻼﺓ ﻭﺍﻟﺴﻼﻡ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺭﺳﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ، ﺍﻟﺤﻤﺪ ﻟﻠﻪ ﻭﺃﻨﺖ ﺗﺠﻌﻞ ﺍﻟ ﺇﺫﺍ ﺷﺌﺖ ﺳﻬﻼ ، ﺃﻠﻠﻬﻢ ﻻ ﺳﻬﻞ ﺇﻻ ﻣﺎ ﺟﻌﻠﺘﻪ Research Writing and Presentation Hany H. Ammar, Professor, LANE Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA, and Visiting Professor Faculty of Computers and Information, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 1

Research Writing and Presentation Some Tips Part I: How to write theses and papers? Some Tips Part II Making Research Presentations Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 2

OUTLINE of Part I: How to write theses and papers? • Introduction – Motivation of this talk • Structure of The Paper/thesis – – – The Title of your work The Abstract The Introduction Related Work, Existing solutions Describing your work Conclusions and Future Work • Conclusions of Part I Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 3

Introduction • Motivation of this talk – Good research can be presented in such a way that research results are obscured by poor presentation. – It is not possible to understand quickly, either the essence of the contribution, or the most important research details. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 4

Introduction • The main key to the successful presentation is to repeat your ‘story’ four times: in the title, abstract, introduction (or chapter 1) and in the text. • That is, make readable and as complete as possible versions of your work using the order of 10, 1000 and 10. 000 words • Why? Because you have four different types of readers. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 5

Introduction • Among those who will ever notice your work, expect that 80% will see only the title, 15% will read the abstract and, 4% will read also the introduction and conclusions, and the surviving 1% will read the whole paper. • If you do not believe this, just make your own statistics on things you read, and time you have (or time you want to spend) for reading other people’s work. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 6

OUTLINE of Part I: How to write theses and papers? • Introduction – Motivation of this talk • Structure of The Paper/thesis – – – The Title of your work The Abstract The Introduction Related Work, Existing solutions Describing your work Conclusions and Future Work Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 7

Structure of The Paper • Title • Abstract • Introduction, – Problem statement, Research Objectives, Contributions • Related Work, Existing solutions and their criticism, • Proposed Methodology or Solution and why it is expected to be better • Comparison between the proposed methodology and the existing solutions (e. g. performance, complexity) • Conclusions and Future Work • References Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 8

The Title of your work • Choose a title that enables the expert to figure out the essence of the basic idea (s) and the main contribution (s) even without reading the paper. • If you are solving problem X using method Y, you have probably searched Internet for both X and Y. Others do the same, so let your work be observed easily. • Poor titles are vague (e. g. Some Issues in …) • Look at good papers and learn how titles are written Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 9

The Paper Abstract Five Main Points • State clearly what problem has been studied and/or what is the goal of thesis/paper. • Give a brief statement on existing solutions and their drawbacks. • The essence of the proposed solution, • List major contributions and state briefly assumptions and limitations. • State what type of analysis was done to show that the proposed solution is really better (e. g. performance, complexity) and result of analysis done. the major numerical highlights of the analysis Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 10

The Paper Abstract • If a 50 -word abstract is required, then each part above should be about one sentence long; • If a 500 -word abstract is required, then each part above should be about 10 sentences long, • The language should be simple and concise, with declarative sentence structure, written primarily in the present tense. (e. g. , We present, investigate, analyze, show, . . ) Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 11

OUTLINE of Part I: How to write theses and papers? • Introduction – Motivation of this talk • Structure of The Paper/thesis – – – The Title of your work The Abstract The Introduction Related Work, Existing solutions Describing your work Conclusions and Future Work Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 12

The Paper Introduction • This section should give a summary of the article and how it is organized. It should contain the following items: i) Introduction (basic facts needed to tune the reader to thesis or paper); ii) Problem statement (precise definition and importance); avoid very technical definitions and statements (present them in later text) and instead give good intuition for your involved definitions or facts. iii) Existing solutions and their criticism (limit only to those directly relevant to the contribution of thesis; give a motivation for doing research on the topic); Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 13

The Paper Introduction iv) Contributions (proposed solutions; why they are expected to be better; essence of the idea (s) used in proposed solutions); v) Conditions, assumptions and limitations of the research done; vi) Analysis (theoretical, experimental, simulations, implementations, …) done in thesis; under what conditions and scenarios is your solution best? vii) Organization of the paper: describe briefly the following sections Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 14

OUTLINE of Part I: How to write theses and papers? • Introduction – Motivation of this talk • Structure of The Paper/thesis – – – The Title of your work The Abstract The Introduction Related Work, Existing solutions Describing your work Conclusions and Future Work Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 15

Related Work, Existing solutions • Most of the Research we do is evolutionary and not revolutionary • Should give a full literature review. • This section should collect all known results relevant to the problem stated, whether or not they are used in your proposed contributions. • Missing important recent work can be a major setback • Discuss advantages and drawbacks of known solutions that are relevant to your problem, • Discuss the relevance of each reviewed item to your topic and your solutions. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 16

Related Work, Existing solutions • For every discussed reference, it is very important to relate them to your problem and contribution in one of several ways: – it does not exactly solve the same problem, – it solves the same problem but makes different assumptions about the system, – it has some limitations that you do not have, – it makes the same assumptions but does not work well under certain conditions and scenarios for which you have better solutions, – if none of these is true, you are considering it as a valid competitor, and will compare it with your work in the analytical or experimental comparisons (in terms performance, complexity, etc. ). Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 17

OUTLINE of Part I: How to write theses and papers? • Introduction – Motivation of this talk • Structure of The Paper/thesis – – – The Title of your work The Abstract The Introduction Related Work, Existing solutions Describing your work Conclusions and Future Work Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 18

Describing your work • Present your contributions (including conditions, assumptions, and limitations, where appropriate), and their analysis. • Draw a figure if appropriate, clearly state what is the input and what is the expected output • Then go into details of your solution, step by step. • A figure is worth thousands words. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 19

Describing your work • One of the most frequent mistakes made by authors is to ignore the limitations, assumptions made (compared to assumptions made in other relevant papers), and scenarios for which their solution is clear winner or loser. • You shall not be overly optimistic about your solution (s) and make unfounded claims. • It is much better that you criticize yourself than to leave such ‘pleasure’ to others Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 20

OUTLINE of Part I: How to write theses and papers? • Introduction – Motivation of this talk • Structure of The Paper/thesis – – – The Title of your work The Abstract The Introduction Related Work, Existing solutions Describing your work Conclusions and Future Work Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 21

Paper Conclusions and Future Work • What did you achieve with this research? • What are the drawbacks of your solution(s)? • Do you have some ideas that you intend to study further? • Finish on a positive note, with a clear winner statement about the value of your contribution. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 22

OUTLINE of Part I: How to write theses and papers? • Introduction – Motivation of this talk • Structure of The Paper/thesis – – – The Title of your work The Abstract The Introduction Related Work, Existing solutions Describing your work Conclusions and Future Work • Conclusions of Part I Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 23

Conclusions of Part I: How to write theses and papers? Some Tips • Make Sure you have a good title: Most People read it • The Abstract is extremely important: It could turn away readers and give a bad impression on your work • The Introduction is also important, it sets the structure or organization of your paper for • The related work is a key part of your paper. It is the part where reviewers can have major attacks based on missing important work or work that need to be compared to your work. • Illustrate your work using simple examples • Conclusions and future work also form a key part of your paper. Finish on a positive note and discuss the opened problems and your future research Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 24

Research Writing and Presentation Part I: How to write theses and papers? Part II Making Research Presentations Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 25

OUTLINE of Part II: Making presentations • Introduction – Making presentations, Put your audience first! – Speaking style, Time keeping – Using notes, Composure – Practical issues, pitfalls to avoid • Preparing the content – Tell `em, and Tell `em – Visual aids • What makes a good presentation? - Some guidelines • Conclusions • References Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 26

Introduction: Making presentations • The aim is good, clear communication. • Most people are afraid of public speaking. • There is no substitute for preparation. • Collect and order relevant material. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 27

Introduction: Put your audience first! • Prepare the opening sentences carefully. • Use a non-technical opening…… but only if it’s relevant. • Avoid openings like “Thank you Mr Chairman for those kind words. It is a great pleasure to be here again in this great ……” • Throw your audience straight into the story “Is it possible to improve on the reliability of Airbus software? ” Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 28

Introduction: Speaking style. • • • An informal, conversational style is best. Avoid long, complicated sentences. Vary tone of voice to give expression. Vary the speed of delivery to provide emphasis. But don’t speak too quickly: fast deliveries are difficult to understand. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 29

Introduction: Time keeping. • Don’t speak for too long. • People remember up to 40% of a 15 minute talk, but only 20% after 45 minutes. • Assume a presentation rate of 100 words per minute. • Keep to time! Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 30

Introduction: Using notes. • • • NEVER read a script. Write out the text. List the key words to form your notes. Produce notes on cards rather than paper. Keep notes in order with a treasury tag. Practise… in front of a mirror! Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 31

Introduction: Composure. • Hold your notes in one hand; let the other hang by your side. • Look at the audience - but not at one person! • Start slowly, having learned the first sentence. • Be aware of mannerisms and repeated gestures. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 32

Introduction: Practical issues • Explore the layout of the lecture room BEFOREHAND. • Understand how to control the projectors, microphones, lights, video…. . • Do not speak while turning away from the microphone to look at a slide. • Overhead projectors should project upwards • Do not obscure the slide projection. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 33

Introduction: pitfalls to avoid • NEVER apologies for being an inexperienced speaker. • Never say “You will have seen all this before” “You will know more about this than I do” • Audiences will be embarrassed - they are on your side. • Nervousness leads to uncertainty about your material. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 34

Introduction: pitfalls to avoid. • Never try to be a stand up comic. • Be humorous, but humour is often at someone’s expense - make it your own. • It is easy to offend people - and lose their sympathy. • Humour depends on timing. • A joke that falls flat is embarrassing. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 35

OUTLINE • Introduction – Making presentations, Put your audience first! – Speaking style, Time keeping – Using notes, Composure – Practical issues, pitfalls to avoid • Preparing the content – Tell `em, and Tell `em – Visual aids • What makes a good presentation? - Some guidelines • Conclusions • References Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 36

Preparing the content: Tell `em, and Tell `em • The old salesman’s adage contains a good deal of truth: Tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em; Tell ‘em what you’ve just told ‘em. • Don’t pack too much information into a talk. • Start with a brain map - and then order the material into a sequence. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 37

Preparing the content: Visual aids • Slides should not be cluttered with information. • Use colour to emphasise a point and not for its own sake. • The minimum size font on an OHP should be 18 point. • Laser pointers need practice and can be dangerous. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 38

OUTLINE • • • Introduction – Making presentations, Put your audience first! – Speaking style, Time keeping – Using notes, Composure – Practical issues, pitfalls to avoid Preparing the content – Tell `em, and Tell `em – Visual aids What makes a good presentation? - Some guidelines Conclusions References Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 39

What makes a good presentation? - Some guidelines Tell ’em 1 • • • • Guideline 1 - Consider whom the presentation is designed for. Think about the audience. Do they know much about the subject? Are you using jargon or symbols that they are unfamiliar with? If you are talking to a small number of people, then they should be able to see the computer screen without any problems. If there a large number of people, then you will need to use a projector of some sort. Guideline 2 - Keep the charts simple and uncluttered. Don’t put in any more or any less than is required Guideline 3 - Make sure that the charts are legible, even from the back of the room. Guideline 4 - Highlight key information Make it easy for the audience to pick out the most important details. Guideline 5 - Focus attention on one concept at a time Make sure that you are not giving the audience too much to think about at any one time. Guideline 6 - Reinforce your conclusion Finish the presentation with a summary of the main points that you want to make sure that the audience has understood. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 40

Good presentation guidelines: Tell ‘m 2 • Guideline 1 - Consider whom the presentation is designed for – The audience – Terminology, Jargon or symbols – Number of people Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 41

Good presentation guidelines • Guideline 2 - Keep the charts simple and uncluttered. – Don’t put in any more or any less than is required • Guideline 3 - Make sure that the charts are legible, even from the back of the room – If you are making a presentation using a projector, then the characters need to be a minimum of 0. 5 cm high for members of the audience who are 100 metres away. For more mature people, the minimum height needs to be 1 cm. Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 42

Good presentation guidelines • Guideline 4 - Highlight key information easy – Make it for the audience to pick out the most important details Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 43

Good presentation guidelines • Guideline 5 - Focus attention on one concept at a time – Make sure that you are not giving the audience too much to think about at any one time • Guideline 6 - Reinforce your conclusion – Finish the presentation with a summary of the main points that you want to make sure that the audience has understood Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 44

Presentation Guidelines: Tell ‘m 3 In summary, we have Six Guidelines • Who the presentation is designed for • Keep charts simple • Charts must be legible • Highlight key information • One concept at a time • Reinforce your conclusion Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 45

OUTLINE • • • Introduction – Making presentations, Put your audience first! – Speaking style, Time keeping – Using notes, Composure – Practical issues, pitfalls to avoid Preparing the content – Tell `em, and Tell `em – Visual aids What makes a good presentation? - Some guidelines Conclusions References Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 46

Conclusions • The aim is good, clear communication, there is no substitute for preparation. • In Preparing the content remember to – Tell `em, and Tell `em – Use good Visual aids • Follow good presentation guidelines – Who the presentation is designed for – Keep charts simple – Charts must be legible – Highlight key information – One concept at a time – Reinforce your conclusion Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 47

References • Campbell, J. , (1990), Speak for yourself, BBC Books, London, ISBN 0563215119 • Boothe, V. , (1984), Communicating in science: writing and speaking, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 052127771 X • Tufte, E. , (1983), The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Graphics Press Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 48

Good luck: better still, prepare thoroughly! And Practice Research Writing and Presentation Seminar July 5, 2009, Cairo U 49