EFS 698C - STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Writing and Presenting Research

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EFS 698C: Week 6 Notes
 

I. 10 common qualities handout (will send by email)

II. Present your example speaker

    A. Describe your choice       

           A - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QclmWlgCGG0

          D - https://www.ted.com/talks/manu_prakash_a_50_cent_microscope_that_folds_like_origami

          G - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj2fpM57Z7A

    B. Show your model

    C. Demonstrate

III. Introductions in presentations. The opening 2-3 minutes of your talk are the most critical.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Tm0hDJdoE 

• http://www.stanford.edu/dept/lc/efs/2010/summer/FHSLecture3

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w82a1FT5o88

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl_FJAOcFgQ

IV. Formal writing for publication: some key concepts from EFS 698B--what parts are most important to you? (discussion)

• Style and correctness; convention (from Williams & Colomb Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace)

• Clarity:           verbal over nominal style

                        main character as subject

                        control of passives

• Cohesion: flow of one idea to the next; given/new structure

• Coherence: logical development of the text, sequence of topics

• Emphasis: important information last

• Concision: eliminate unnecessary elements

• Controlling long sentences--dealing with interruptions; modifiers

OTHER

• Genres: structure of academic papers; conventions of your individual fields (see assignment 2 below)

• Discourse functions

• Abstracts

• Introductions

• Dissertation writing

• Conclusio

V. Other areas (not in 698B)

• Discussion sections

• Figures, tables, appendices

• Titles

• Writing in posters and PowerPoints

        • Other?

VI. Notes on proposal writing: What are the reviewers looking for?

• http://orsp.umich.edu/proposals/pwg/pwgcontents.HTML (proposal writer's guide)

• http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/current_students/scholarly_pursuits.php Harvard professional development guide

• Some useful writing links discussed in class:

  •  Evolving style (from Nature): http://www.nature.com/authors/author_resources/how_write.html
  •  Phrasebank: http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/

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Homework: 

1) In the Williams book, read Lesson 6 on concision and skim Lessons 10 & 11. Look for examples of writing (your own or others) with problems in coherence or cohesion.

2) Work on a current piece of writing of your choice for our weekly meeting and/or review your short videos from this week

3) Over the next few weeks you will be working toward a longer academic presentation (up to 15 minutes). This week's assignment is to prepare an effective introduction, with slides or other visual aids as desired, of no more than 3 minutes. Your goal is to engage and orient the audience.