Great Research, Great Publications – What’s the secret?
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Transcript of Great Research, Great Publications – What’s the secret?
Great Research, Great Publications – What’s the secret?
Graham H. PykeSchool of the Environment
University of Technology Sydney
Initial Questions
• Why be a researcher?
• Great research?
• Great publications?
Initial Questions
• Why be a researcher?
• Great research?
• Great publications?
• Fun• Curiosity• Inform
Being a Researcher is about …
… discovering/ learning cool stuff and telling the world about it
& having fun in the process
Research has stages
• Preparationincl planning
• Implementation
• Informing the world
Informing the world
• Demonstration• Presentation
Orale.g., lecture, talk at conf
Written (i.e., publication)e.g., journal article, book
chapter, book, report
Publication process
• Prepare ms• Submit ms• Review• Acceptance & publication
End of story?
Post-publication
• Readers= Audience
• Applications= Consequences
• Citations= Influence
Publication goals
• Article (or other kind of presentation) that presents your research results in such a way that the audience, consequences and influence are all reasonably large
How do you do it? Answer => SIP
Approach/ Mindset:“SIP”
• SIGNIFICANCE
• INFLUENCE
• PRESENTATION
SIGNIFICANCE re issue or question
Choose an issue or question (planning) or set your work within a context (informing) of high significance (i.e., importance, relevance, usefulness)
… the higher the better
… but need to credible
Significance - Example
Question:
Why do animals (& other organisms) forage (or feed) the way they do?
Significance - Example
Significant because …All organisms ‘forage’;Foraging is important to individual organisms;Foraging often a major activity re time & energy;Including foraging is necessary for understanding
other phenomena & patterns (e.g., other aspects of behaviour, population dynamics, inter-species interactions, structure of communities, patterns of co-evolution).
INFLUENCE of publication or presentation
Seek to have as much influence as possible, through changing how people think, what they say, and what they do.
(Planning or Informing)
Influence - Example• Question:
Why do animals (& other organisms) forage the way they do?
• Approach advocated:
Optimal Foraging Theory
• Influence sought:
Adopt the approach
PRESENTATIONS
(Informing stage)
Publications (& other presentations) that are captivating, compelling & memorable.
Presentation - Example
This lecture?
Implementing the principles
• SIP …Significance maxInfluence max Presentation is captivating, compelling &
memorable
• Really …Approach or Mindset
• What else ….ToolsFeedback
Tools: Significance
• Identify questions &/or issues
• Hierarchy
• EvaluateFundamental significanceRelevance
Hierarchy of questions - Example
• Why do animals forage the way they do?• Do animals forage in ways that are consistent
with Optimal Foraging Theory (OFT)?• Do bumblebees forage in ways that maximise
Net Rate of Energy Intake?• Is the foraging behaviour of bumblebee
species X, while taking nectar from flowers of plant sp Y, in location Z, consistent with this hypothesis?
Tools: Influence
• Audience size
• Influence level
• Context
Tools: Presentation• Standard approach …
KISSConciseLogicalClear
• Plus extras …CaptivatingCompellingMemorable
Writing:My Approach
• Logical order of simple points• These are lead sentences of separate
paragraphs• One point per paragraphÞApplies to articles, reviews, grant
proposals, reports etcÞTest & Consequences
Writing: Test
Combine lead sentences of each paragraph into single body of text.
Convey ‘story’ simply & completely
Understandable to almost anyone
=> Feedback
Writing: ConsequencesBasis for abstract or summary(Emphasise introduction, discussion & conclusion)
Basis for being captivating, compelling & memorable
Writing: Captivating
• Focus on reader (or other audience)
Attention
Read on
• Progression
Title
Abstract/ Summary
Introduction
Writing: Compelling & Memorable
Feedback
Great Research? Great publications?
Research of (relatively) high significance & influence
Publication (or other presentation) that is captivating, compelling and memorable, while being simple, concise, logical and clear.