Lec int STP - Sharif University of...

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In the name of Allahthe compassionate, the merciful

Scientific & Technical Scientific & Technical PresentationPresentation

S. KasaeiS. Kasaei

Sharif University of TechnologyE-Mail: [email protected]

Home Page: http://sharif.edu/~ceinfohttp://mehr.sharif.edu/~iplhttp://sharif.edu/~skasaei

Course SyllabusCourse Syllabus

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Lecture: Saturdays, 13:00-15:00, room Kh. 7.

Website:http://ce.sharif.edu/~ce221/http://mehr.sharif.edu/~ipl/courses/ce40221/index.htmlCheck this site often for important announcements.

Course Description: 40-221 provides an introduction to scientific & technical presentation.

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Topics include: Guidelines on good technical writing, elimination sporadic noise in writing, writing common technical documents, writing a technicalreport 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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Reference Books:1. A Guide to Writing as an Engineer, by D. Beer & D. McMurrey, John

Wiley & Sons Inc., 1997.2. The Student Skills Guide, by S. Drew and R. Bingham, Sampad

Publisher, 1997.3. The Craft of Scientific Writing, by Michael Alley, 3rd edition, Springle-

Verlag, 1996.4. From Research to Printout: Creating Effective Technical Documents, by

J.H. White, ASME Press, 1997.5. Writing is the Technical Fields: A Step-by-Step Guide for Engineers,

Scientists, and Technicians, by M.H. Markel, IEEE Press, 1994.6. Dictionary of Problem Words and Expresions, by H. Shaw, McGraw-Hill,

1987.7. Handbook of Technical Writing, by C.T. Brusaw, G.J. Alred, & W.E. Oliu,

6th edition, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 117.8. The non-desiner’s Design Book, by R. Williams, Peachpit Press, Berkley,

CA, 1994.

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Written & Computer Assignments:Written & computer exercises will be assigned over the course.Name your presentation & report files as: Tech_Pres_5_group#_1.ppt,Tech_Pres_5_group#_2.ppt, & Tech_Pres_5_r_type_group#.doc, respectively.

Course Projects:There will be some course projects.

1. Student groups are supposed to present the assigned subjects & prepare some technical reports.

2. All groups should also use other references, specially [1, 2], to enrich the content of their presentations.

3. Presented materials (projects, reports, …) should be different from the thesis, other course projects, & also other students’presentations/publications.

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Exams:There will be a final term exam.

Grading Policy:Final exam: 4 pts. (hold at: 1383.11.1, 9 AM)Oral presentation: 6 pts. (2nd pres. topic assignment due: 1383.10.1)Final 4-page paper: 2.5 pts. (submission due: 1383.11.6)Quiz: 1 pt.Professional organization memo: 0.5 pts.Project proposal: 1.5 pt.Project report: 1.5 pt.Technical manual: 1 pt.Participation: 2 pts.

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Absence:A substantial portion of this class revolves around in-classcollaborative 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 mustcomplete all of the work assigned during the semester. Late work will not be accepted.

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Instructor Office Hour:Tuesdays, 17:00-17:30, room 315.

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])

Introduction to Introduction to

Scientific & Technical Scientific & Technical

PresentationPresentation

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AcknowledgementAcknowledgement

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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IntroductionIntroduction

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Style is the way you communicate the content to the audience

Structure

wordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswordswords

wordswordswords

wordswordswordswordswordswordswords

Languagestyle

Illustration[Peterson, 1987]

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The Craft of Editing

Editing isn’t a cosmetic process. It’s a thinking process.

Richard Rhodes, authorMaking of the Atomic Bomb

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Basics of PresentationBasics of PresentationAlthough editing is a large subject, we will focus on the editing that occurs in the sign-off process

Editing documents:ReviewingLine editingOnline editingProofreading

Reducing friction:Actions by authors Actions by editors

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Basics of PresentationBasics of Presentation

Before editing someone’s document,you should first consider your constraints

Other Editorsof Document

Audienceof Document

Format ofDocument

Formality of Document

Process toPublish Document

Politics andEthics

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A well-done edit has three characteristics:clarity, consistency, and hierarchy

hierarchy

mostimportant

next mostimportant

leastimportant

consistency

effecteffecteffectaffect e

clarity

deletee

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Hints on Writing

Technical Papers &

Making Presentations

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General PointsGeneral 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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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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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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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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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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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.

Formatting Scientific Formatting Scientific DocumentsDocuments

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Formatting Scientific DocumentsFormatting Scientific Documents

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Avoid large blocks of capital letters

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.

TYPE IS TO READ

Type is to read

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Morton-Thiokol’s presentation to NASA suffered because of all capital letters on the slides

Morton-Thiokol Presentation to NASAJanuary 27, 1986

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

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Structure Structure of a Scientific Documentof a Scientific Document

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Structure of a Scientific DocumentsStructure of a Scientific Documents

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Several names for summaries exist

Summary

Abstract

TechnicalAbstract

ExecutiveSummary

DescriptiveAbstract

InformativeAbstract

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Common strategies exist for the middles of scientific reports

Parallel Parts

Corel Corporation

Flow

[Sandia, 1985]

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Section headings should be descriptive and parallel

Non-ParallelNon-Descriptive

IntroductionBackgroundMarx GeneratorsLine PulseBeam GenerationTransporting BeamPelletsResultsConclusions

IntroductionBackgroundMarx GeneratorsLine PulseBeam GenerationTransporting BeamPelletsResultsConclusions

ParallelDescriptive

Introduction

Past Designs for Particle Beam Fusion

New Design for Particle Beam FusionCharging Marx GeneratorsForming Line PulseGenerating Particle BeamTransporting Particle BeamIrradiating Deuterium-Tritium Pellets

Results of New Design

Conclusions and Recommendations

Introduction

Past Designs for Particle Beam Fusion

New Design for Particle Beam FusionCharging Marx GeneratorsForming Line PulseGenerating Particle BeamTransporting Particle BeamIrradiating Deuterium-Tritium Pellets

Results of New Design

Conclusions and Recommendations

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IllustrationsIllustrations

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Figure 6. Estimated annual dose of radiation in the United States [GPU Nuclear, 1985].

Average dose: 160 mrem

NaturalSources

MedicalSources

85 mrem

70 mrem

{Fallout: < 3mremOccupational: < 1mremNuclear power: < 1mrem

Graphs come in many forms

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IllustrationsIllustrationsThe main advantage of photographs is realism

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.

59 seconds

59.5 seconds

60 seconds

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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.

Figure 6. Schematic of thermal storage system for the solar power plant.

steamgenerator

650°F 580°F

425°F435°F

solarreceiver

575°F

425°F

530°F

250°F

ThermalTank

HeatExchanger

HeatExchanger

The precision of the illustrationsshould reflect the precision of the text

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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.

PRINTERCONTROLTERMINAL

COMPUTERDIGITIZER

CAMERA

ELECTRO-MECHANICALINTERFACE

ROCKET

Figure 8. Testing hardware.

Inconsistencies between text andimages disrupt fluidity

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Points on Writing a Points on Writing a Scientific ManuscriptScientific Manuscript

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Points on Writing a Scientific ManuscriptPoints 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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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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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. 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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7. 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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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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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.

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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 ManuscriptSubmitting 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 ManuscriptSubmitting 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.

PresentationsPresentations

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Presentation PointsPresentation 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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3. Project your voice relative to the room & audience size.

4. Aim for a normal conversation speed.

5. Vary your pace & pitch.

6. Avoid blocking anyone’s view continuously.

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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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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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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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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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19. Do not put too many ideas on the same slide.

20. Everything on the slide should be explained.

21. 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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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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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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Thesis DefenseThesis Defense

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Thesis Defense PointsThesis Defense Points

During the defense the committee looks for:

1. Whether the candidate has a very good understandingof 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 PointsThesis 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.

LanguageLanguage

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LanguageLanguage

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LanguageLanguageGeneralities that are not anchored with specifics are soon forgotten

After recognizing some problems with the solar mirrors, we took subsequent corrective measures.

Trash

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.

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LanguageLanguage

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LanguageLanguage

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LanguageLanguage

R.I.P.

Complex wording buries ideas

This study will consider why current solar energysystems, such as Solar One, have not reached thecommercial stage and will find out what steps we can take to make these systems commercial.

The goal of this study is to develop a commerciali-zation strategy for solar energy systems by analyzingfactors impeding early commercial projects (i.e., SOLAR ONE) and by identifying the potential actionsthat can facilitate the viability of the projects.

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LanguageLanguage

Stacking adjectives before nouns swallows the ideas

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.

Solar One is a 10 megawatt solar thermal electric central receiver Barstow power pilot plant.

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LanguageLanguage

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 deter-mination of the processes which set the criterion for breakdown in the above-mentioned gas in uniform and non-uniform fields of engineering significance.

At high pressures (760 torr) and typical electrode gapdistances (1 mm), the electrical breakdown of nitrogen was studied inuniform fields.

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LanguageLanguage

The more muddled the original, the more revisions are needed to streamline it

At high pressures (760 torr) and typical electrode gapdistances (1 mm), the electrical breakdown of nitrogen was studied inuniform fields.

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).

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LanguageLanguage

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 forscientific writing are 10-12:New York Times (11)Scientific American (12)

Fi = 0.4 ((Nw / Ns )+ Plw )Nw = number of words in a typical paragraphNs = number of sentences in the paragraphPlw = percentage of long words in the paragraph

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LanguageLanguage

Ambiguities occur for many reasons

?????????

???????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.

????

The proposed schedule is discussed below for the next four years.

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LanguageLanguage

about

cause; bring about

carry out

individual

can operate

use

Pretentious diction often causesproblems with tone

approximately

facilitate

implement

individualized

operationability

utilization

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LanguageLanguage

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.

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LanguageLanguage

A formal definition has a specific form

Bremsstrahlung: the radiation emitted by a charged particle that is accelerated in the Coulomb force field of a nucleus.

nounterm +

noun naming class to which noun term belongs

information to separate noun term from other terms in class

noun term

noun term

noun termnoun term noun term

noun term

noun term

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LanguageLanguage

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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LanguageLanguage

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 notwell 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.

When sentence openers do not vary, the sentences do not seem to connect Z

ZZ

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LanguageLanguage

Varying sentence openers allows for more kinds of transitions between sentences

Sentence #1 Sentence #2 Sentence #3

Topic of Sentence SubjectTime of action Prepositional PhraseLocation of action Prepositional PhraseManner of action AdverbSubordinate action Dependent ClauseReason for action Infinitive Phrase

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LanguageLanguage

Vary sentence openers to vary rhythm

Mount St. Helens eruptedon May…

subject-verb

In minutes, the mountain emitted…

prepositional phrase

Recently, debate has arisen...adverb

Although the exact time of the eruption surprised scientists,evidence had been collected...

dependent clause

To understand the eruption, we have to...

infinitive phrase

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LanguageLanguage

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.

Common ErrorsCommon Errors

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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 DayElements of Grammar

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Not all usage errors bother readers in the same way

Errors thatdisturb

Errors thatdistract

Errors that few even notice

affect/effectits/it’s

verb disagreementverb tensecomprise/composepossessive

different from/thancompare with/to

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Common ErrorsCommon ErrorsUse numerals when referring to measurements

When to write out numbers

Counting (one or two words) twenty-three gages

Informal measurements two hours

First word of sentence Thirty-three...

When to use numerals

Specific measurements 3 volts, 2 seconds, 1 m/s

Percentages 15 percent

Monetary figures $3000

Large numerals 5 million

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Non-words and nonsensical groupingsof words also cause problems

Whichever design you choose is (alright / all right) with me.

(Irregardless / Regardless) of the shipping delay, the work will stop because of the strike.

Applying that set of constraints is a (most unique / unique / very unique) way to approach the problem.

The serum had (alot / a lot) of side effects.

all right

Regardless

unique

a lot

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1. 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).

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2. Numbers:

2.1. Use numerals for technical quantities, especially if a unit of measurement is included:3 feet12 grams43.2 square miles

2.2. Use numerals for non-technical quantities of 10 or more:300 persons12 wheals35% increase

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2.3. Use words for non-technical quantities of fewer than 10:Three personsSix 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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2.5. Special Cases:

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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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. 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).

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4. First time a symbol is used, explain what it refers to (e.g., Wavelet Transform (WT)).

5. 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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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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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.

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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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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.

Commonly Misused Commonly Misused

Words & PhrasesWords & Phrases

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Misused Words & PhrasesMisused Words & Phrases

amount, numberamount is used for non-counting items.number refers to counting items.

affect, effectaffect is a verb. effect is mostly commonly a noun.

criteria, criterioncriteria, meaning standards against which something is measured, is plural.criterion is singular.

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fewer, lessfewer 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, lielay (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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among, betweenamong is used for relationships of more than two items.between is used for only two items.

site, citesite is a place. cite is a verb meaning to document a reference.

phenomena, phenomenonphenomena is plural. phenomenon is singular.

Research ProcedureResearch Procedure

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A rough outline of a research program is:

1. Ideation2. Background Research3. Topic Selection4. Initial Research & Proposal Development5. Proposal Defence6. Research Completion (often validating a concept

developed in the proposal)7. Thesis Defence8. Publication

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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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Learning & Accumulating Knowledgeis 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 ReviewKey Authors, Papers, & JournalsIn every field there are key authors & papers that you will see as your review process proceeds.

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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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How does one make use of this great abundance of research?

1. Be selective in your choice.2. Do not print all the articles on hard copy.3. 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.

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Keep Track of all These ArticlesFrom 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 & ConferencesAn excellent way to keep your knowledge updated is to belong to an association of researchers active in your field, networking with them, & attending conferenceswhere you can be exposed to the latest advances, trade ideas & experiences with your peers.

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What do researchers get out of the conferences?

1. Exposure to the latest research on current issues.2. Opportunity to meet with other researchers with similar

interests.3. Availability of job market for both new & established

researchers.

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PublishingPublication 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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“publish or perish” syndromeThat 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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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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