EFS 698C - STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Writing and Presenting Research

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EFS 698C: Week 2 Notes
 

I. Review of last week: the value of informal presentation. When do you need this?

II. Describing your research informally: 1 minute presentation--present your research to the class.

III. Describing your research informally: elevator pitch and other examples:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq0tan49rmc; What are your objectives?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbz25q0M9hU; Balance unprepared and too-polished

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6O98o2FRHw; Public, semi-formal, persuasive--notice the gestures

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_Dgsf4iiZg; use of simile (like Match.com) and evidence of success

IV. Describing your research informally: writing

• Discussion: when do you have to write about your research informally (i.e., not for publication)?

V. Describing your research informally: 5 minute presentation--present your research to the class

More videos: 3 minute thesis competition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf9FkgjqtTs;

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYOwGWJve2Y; 

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9_RmUuBwmU

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMyeTcT-g20;

VI. Questions?

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Homework:

1. Write a two-page (double-spaced) description of your research in one of the following contexts (your choice). be sure to indicate clearly which one you choose.

• Academic job application

• Industry job application

• Grant proposal

• Other?

At the beginning, write a sentence describing who you believe your audience might be and then try to think of what the audience would want to see. Remember that the audience will not be "pure" specialists, so limit your use of undefined technical language.

The paper is due by 8:00 pm Monday 10/6. Please email it to me (efs@stanford.edu) so that I can read it prior to the next class. Note that I will be asking you to read one another's papers in class as well.

  2. Meet with me individually to review the video of your five-minute talk from this week; you may also submit writing (other than the preceding assignment), and we can look at it after we finish reviewing the videos.

For each video, come prepared to discuss the following:

• Do you think the audience understood you clearly? Why or why not?

• Within the time limit provided (5 minutes), did you have to leave out critical information? If so, what other information could you condense or eliminate to make room for it?

• Assuming this was meant to be an informal (or semi-formal) talk, do you think your presentation style and language were appropriate? If not, why not?

• Other? We can also talk about anything else you notice.

3. Prepare a 3-minute version of your talk from Week 2 following the model of the 3-minute thesis competition. You will be presenting this one standing up (semi-formal) and may use PowerPoint or other visuals if you wish. Be sure to build on what you learned from making the 1 and 5-minute presentations and  practice it so that you can deliver it in a smooth, persuasive style.