VII. WRITING AND PRESENTING A PAPER AND POSTER - ČLÁNEK A JEHO PREZENTACE; POSTER

Writing a paper

1. Introductory remarks

Once the project research has come to an end, the author/authors will make the results available to the peers by publishing them , which is usually the condition for the financial support and a matter of the researcher´s interest for his/her future assessment. “Publish or perish“, possibly in a highly prestigious journal with a high impact rating. A research report (výzkumná zpráva) is a full-length, technically original document that reports results of significant value. Therefore, it is important that any technical, scientific and mathematical information should be checked, if not double-checked. Once submitted for publication, it becomes a research paper/article and undergoes a peer review (oponentůra) by reviewers (zde:oponenti) in the review process (oponentní řízení). Each journal adopts it own policy (publikační zásady, pravidla) as to the length of the paper and its layout. The details are usually made available by the journal on the Internet. Most journals require that submittal of the paper should be accompanied by a statement that it has been neither published nor submitted for publication elsewhere. Such are the ethical obligations in research. The author/authors must declare that the manuscript is original. The most usual elements, or sections, for science papers are as follows:

- title- author names and affiliation- abstract and key words (A)- body of the paper, including figures and tables, i.e., Introduction /Background (I)

Materials and Methods/Method of Approach (M&M]Results (R)Discussion (D)Conclusions (C)

- acknowledgements (Ack)- references (Ref)-Please note: A word of warning. In the paper, whether authored by one person or co-authored, try to avoid overusing “we“. Here and there in the text, it is now usual. In mathematical and medical writing “we” is not avoided and is usual. In some fields using “we” now indicates that the author/authors assumes/assume responsibility for the new findings/results/data, and statements.

Parts of the paper:The title should be short, all main words being capitalised.The affiliation should consist of university/company/department/laboratory/institution

postal address telephone

e-mail The Abstract should clearly indicate the objective, scope, and results, in other words it is a short description of the work. It is a self-contained short version of the paper As most information is now obtained from on-line databases, its main purpose

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is to be a preview of what is to come and make the potential reader interested in the results and, possibly, a copy of the paper. A well written abstract “sells” the work. The key words classify and catalogue the paper in databases and help retrieve it. The abstract, unless requested by conference organisers in advance for inclusion into proceedings, is the last item of a paper to be written. Often it may consist of 3 to 4 summarising sentences following the paper´s main sections. The advance abstract is usually much longer, even a page or so. Often, however, the sections may either be merged or expanded. A typical abstract in experimental research papers can be organized as follows:

Introduction/background/purpose/topic area (the tenses used: present, pre- present)

- stating the problem and explaining why it is important and giving the scope of the work (the tense: usually present)- - giving the motivation of the work, “what and why” Materials and Methods/ , i.e, approach , informing how the issue was solved, what progress – if any - was made , how extensive the work was, “how” (the tense used: past)

Results, obtaining good/better/reliable/innovative results (the tense used: past, pre-present), “the answer” Conclusions, giving general results or specific to the issue, “implications” (the tense used: present, pre-present)

Of course, this is not the only structure of an abstract. The Discussion section is not included.In review-type articles, e.g., in which there is often no single finding or main point, the abstract describes only the general content rather than findings.

Please note: An abstract word limit is usually 150 to 200 words (including the articles). Keep it, otherwise your abstract may be rejected. To avoid grammar difficulties, do not start the abstract saying “In this paper/ article/contribution ……“, but write “ This paper ….“. However, even this beginning is superfluous. Avoid using “we“, be impersonal – i.e., use passive constructions, if necessary. Lack of certainty or expressing caution should be admitted by using “hedging”, i.e., expressions like “could/may/might/, etc”. Using”we” in stating results and findings means the author accepts full responsibility for the statements. Key words help retrieve the paper, so use such that easily assign the topic to a given category and use them also in the abstract.

Introduction (= what did you start to write about and why?) Introduction is very difficult to write. The reader expects here to obtain introduction into the problem through: problem statement/establishing the field

literature review/summary of previous research methods of investigation/preparation for the research.

The tenses mainly used here are the present and pre-present.

Materials and Methods (= what did you do and how?) It is a critical part of the paper because it demonstrates what was done and whether it is true and valid. So, it identifies the used criteria and materials, the conditions and

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methods of the research, and even sometimes justifies why the criteria were applied, and materials, methods, and conditions used. Naturally, the prevailing tense used here is the past tense.

Results (= what did you find?, the answers) This section presents the generalisations the author makes and the data supporting them to convince the peers of their strength. The tenses used here are the past and pre-present.

Discussion (= what do the results mean?, implications) This part explains the possible implications of the results and why they are important for the field. As such, this section in not summarised in the Abstract. The section may also draw conclusions from the results, and then the concluding remarks will appear in the Abstract. This is, in fact, your message.

Acknowledgements These should express thanks to those who offered any kind of substantial assistance to the author(s) during research.

References They are also referred to as List of References/ Bibliography. In the US, various academic disciplines format their documents as well as citations of the sources in various editorial styles (the MLA style, the APA style and the Chicago style). These citation styles differ mainly in where to cite the sources and how, i.e., in the text of the paper, in the footnotes, or at the end of the paper (endnotes). Citing literature in Czech journals is subject to Czech citation standards. The following notes are based on simplified British practice. . Some notes on references and bibliography: References should be cited in numerical order, as they appear. References at the end of the paper are arranged alphabetically( unless following the numerical order in the text). If there are more references by the same author, they are arranged chronologically; if there are two references published in the same year, they are labelled in sequence by letters (a, b,..)following the year. Pay attention to punctuation. Note also the differences in the sequence of information: References to books: Author´s surname, initials, date (sometimes in brackets), title(in italics, or sometimes underlined), place of publication, publisher Jordan, R.R. 1990. Academic Writing Course. London: Collins ELT

References to articles in journals: Author´s name, initials, date (sometimes in brackets), title of article, name of journal (in italics or sometimes underlined), volume number, issue, sometimes month, sometimes page numbers Example of a British reference: Sparrow, E.M. 1980a. Fluid-to-Fluid Conjugate Heat Transfer for a Vertical Pipe – Internal Forced Convection and External Natural Convection. ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol.102: pp.402-407 The same in a US journal: Sparrow, E.M., 1980a, “Fluid-to-Fluid Conjugate Heat Transfer for a Vertical Pipe- Internal Forced Convection and External Natural Convection,“ ASME Journal of Heat

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Transfer, Vol.102, pp.402-407 2. Examples of references The rules for referencing may differ in the US and the United Kingdom – see the following examples, and compare them for differences, Also, the following should not be taken as the only way of setting out references, but they are complete, consistent, clear, and correct. What follows is taken over from British materials. Do you happen to know the Czech standards? 3. Exercises

1)/1 Arrange the following items to get step-by-step guidelines for writing a paper. Number the steps. ………. Send the paper off to the journal chosen. ………. Revise for errors in grammar and style.

………. Choose the journal for your paper.………. Write the first draft of the sections Introduction, Materials and Methods,

Results, and Discussion in whichever order suits you.………. Check if you included all references.………. Write the Abstract.

………. Develop a working outline.………. Draft tables, figures, and schematics.………. Draft captions and lettering (legends).………. Print the first draft and ask colleagues for comments.………. Check all numerical material.………. Consider all the suggestions and write a second draft.………. Discuss all the suggestions.………. Print and check the final version.Do you follow all these steps when writing a paper? Which steps do you neglect?Do these steps apply for preparing a Master´s /Doctoral thesis? Which do not?

2)/2 Choose a journal you most often read and check and compare how the organisation of articles agrees with the above one:

Journal:Organisation and headings of sections:

3)/3 Choose two articles (written by native speakers) in this journal and check the tenses used in the sections of the paper. (See also section II GRAMMAR – Past tense versuspre-present tense).

What have you found?Article No.one/ two : Title:

Introduction - tensesMaterials and Methods - tensesResults - tensesDiscussion - tenses

4)/4 Use the Abstract of your Master Thesis and , following the above suggestions, write it again, using about 180 to 200 words. Hand in both the old and new versions.

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5)/5 Having studied the articles in your field, try to say in which section(s) of the paper would the following phrases fit best (A, I, M&M, R, D, Ack). They may be useful for your own article as well.

………. X has an influence on …..………. interesting hypotheses are presented …………. the aim/goal/purpose/objective of this work is …………. in the course of this study many experiments have been realized …………. the paper suumarises our knowledge about/on/of…………. a method has been proposed and experimental results discussed…………. X is in very good agreement with …………. measurements have been carried out …………. X has been investigated and ….………. X has been computed with finite difference formulas …………. the comparison of numerical results with …. confirms that …………. the thermal properties of …at low temepratures are still not completely understood…………. some progress has been made towards understanding the …………. the mechanical parameters of … showed no statistically significant correlation with …………. we conclude that ….is a useful therapy for ….………. nevertheless, more experimental data are required …………. this paper presents …………. the paper deals with/is concerned with …………. a comparison has been made between X and Y …………. temporal approximations have been computed …………. the results show clearly that …………. the authors gratefully acknowledge the generous financial support of…………. the technique applied to … has confirmed that…………. the computation results are compared with …………. the author also appreciates the efforts and assistance of… regarding…………. although a few unresolved issues remain, the outcome of …………. 3D methods are widely used, however, …………. the issues related to … are briefly addressed …………. fruitful discussions, in the early stages of experiments, with Professor X and the late Professor Y are gratefully acknowledged…………. another result is that it opens new possibilities for a more detailed interpretation of …………. the authors would like to thank ….. for his/her/their support in implementing the project …………. thanks are also due to Dr X, Head of Department of …, for kindly granting permission to use …………. it was also found that …………. thanks are also extended to Mr X ….for his support and help in completing this paper…………. financial support of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic is gratefully acknowledged…

6)/6 Write a paper on the results of your research or on a chosen technical topic if

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your field is not concerned with theoretical or experimental research. First of all, discuss the topic and the issues with your supervisor. Make use of all the facts you have learned. The paper will be standard 6 pages long, i.e. each standard page includes 30 lines , each line 60 letters. Longer papers will not be accepted and returned for rewriting.

Preparing and making a presentation

1. Introductory remarks

A paper is usually written to be published in a hard-copy or electronic journal or conference proceedings, and it must comply with the publisher´s or conference organiser´s publication policy. Based on the paper, the scientist can also prepare a version to be presented at a conference. The time-limit and format are usually given. In some disciplines the structure of the paper may be slightly different. In such case, follow the structure usual in your field.It is important to know that the style of an oral presentation differs from the style of the written paper. The ideas are formulated in a different way, being expressed in shorter sentences and by even less formal vocabulary, i.e., in a conversational way. Also the structure of a presentation is different. Please note that the quality of the paper and your performance will represent not only you as the presenter, but also your supervisor, your university/institute/the institution you are affiliated with, and even your country.

2. How to prepare a paper for presentation

To prepare a good presentation on slides based on your paper:- take into account the time allotted – 1 slide with about 4 – 5 points (not full sentences) takes roughly 1 minute to explain, depending on how well you are prepared and how quickly you speak- the recommended font size to be used is cca 30 pt, sans serif points, dark text against light background; all pages should be numbered, repeating the author´s name, possible contact, and title of presentation- if mathematics is important, use as few equations as possible- if figures are part of the talk, number them and describe or explain in the text, give brief captions ( check if all are in English) and pay attention to their font size- avoid complex tables, mark the headers and units, align numbers to the right- prepare the first slide giving: the title , author(s), affiliation, where and when presented- prepare the presentation structure: 1. introduction (I)– with a general description of the issue, briefly define the problem explain its importance

2. outline (O) 3. background (B)– with the problem statement, related work and methods … 4. results (R) 5. summary/conclusion (S) (no more than 3 – 4 key points) 6. acknowledgements (A) (if appropriate)- check all slides for misprints, grammar mistakes, decimal points- rehearse the presentation (standing before a mirror) to check for the time, flow of speech, and gestures

3. How to present the paper

- check if the technology to be used is in working order and compatible with yours

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- address the chair and the audience, as appropriate- introduce yourself if the audience does not know you - start with a joke or a few interesting words to attract the listeners´ attention- use a laser pointer to point to the items you are speaking about- keep and do not lose the eye-contact with the audience- control and check your body gestures- speak clearly, not very quickly, using short sentences- explain new or difficult concepts- use clear signals to help the audience follow the structure of the presentation (at first, then..)- thank the audience for listening to you, and offer to answer questions

4. How to assess a presentation

- Was it well structured ? YES NO GENERALLY

- Was it easy to follow the structure? YES NO GENERALLY

- Did the first slide include all the necessary facts? Which not? YES NO ......................................................

- Was some part of the presentation missing? Which one? YES NO …………………………….

- Did the speaker keep the time limit ? YES NO

- Was the voice loud and clear? YES NO SOMETIMES

- Was the speed appropriate? YES NO GENERALLY

- Did the speaker indicate moving to a new section/point? ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER

- Did the speaker keep eye contact with the listeners? ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER RARELY

- Did the speaker address you? YES NO

- Did the speaker conclude with thanks? YES NO

- Could you spot some grammar mistakes? What mistakes, slide No.? YES NO ……………………………………………………..

- Could you spot some misprints? What misprints, slide No?_

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YES NO ………………………………………………………..

- Did the slides include all the recommended items? What was missing? YES NO ………………………………………………………….

- Any comments on mathematics, figures, and tables?…………………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………….- How would you assess the presentation? EXCELLENT VERY GOOD GOOD SATISFACTORY

- What advice would you give the speaker to follow in future presentations?

5. Exercises

1)/7 Here is a list of various phrases that can be used for a presentation. Indicate by a letter for which step in the presentation they can be used (see above under Presentation structure). Some are suitable for more steps, indicate which : - a) to address the chair or the audience

- b) to open the presentation- c) to greet the audience and introduce oneself- d) to introduce the topic- e) to outline the facts- f) to conclude/summarise the presentation- g) to handle questions during/at the end of presentation- h) to thank for attention- i) to answer questions- j) to refer to visuals

……. Mr. Chairman/Madam Chairman, ladies and gentlemen (very, very formal)……. If there are any questions ….……. Excuse me, I´d like to ask about/a question ………. Okay then, lets´s begin ………. I´m going to talk to you about ………. First, I would like to/will want to/I am going to present/talk about/discuss………. I´ll be happy/glad to answer questions at the end of the presentation………. Good morning/afternoon, everyone/ladies and gentlemen/dear colleagues………. My name is ………. I come from (country, city, university/institute)………. My aim/objective/purpose today is to ………. Let´s have a closer look at this table/equation/graph/diagram/flow chart/pie chart……. Finally I´d like to go over the main points of my presentation………. Finally I´d like to summarise/review the main issues………. I am a PhD student at the ………. Secondly/at second, thirdly/at third/then/after that/next/finally I would like to look at/

discuss/analyse/examine/explain/consider………. I´d like to draw attention to the figures for pressure/temperature………. In conclusion I´d like to ………. I ´d like to finish/conclude by saying that …

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……. If you have any questions, I´l be happy/I ´ll do my very best to answer them………. Thank you for your attention.……. There will be time for questions at the end … ……. First, I talked about/discussed/pointed out/anaylsed/showed you/looked at………. Then I /suggested/explained/recommended/illustrated/examined………. Can I answer /return/come back to that later………. Thank you, Mr. Chairman for introducing the paper ………. Moreover, in the end, I want to stress that …........ If there are any questions, I will be pleased to answer them.

2)/8 Making use of the instructions on writing and presenting a paper, prepare a presentation of the paper you wrote (see above) , not exceeding 10 minutes. If youfeel you need some supervision in English, do not hesitate to address the teacher.

3/9) Give a presentation based on what you have prepared under 2).

Preparing a poster for a poster presentation

1. Introductory remarks

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2. Exercises: 1)/10 Prepare a poster based on your article

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