Written Presentations of Technical Subject

Writing Guide vs. Term paperWriting style: specifics

EditingRefereeing

Writing guide vs. term paper Make your term paper your

personal writing guide of MS project proposal and report

Area, topic, style project writing references Your starting point of MS project

report

Titles and headings Concise and informative Specific and accurate description Title – not too long, not too general, not

too short, no need to be complete sentence

Section heading – reflect the logic structure, 1-3 words

What is the title of your proposed project?

The opening Abstract – a summary that set reader’s

the attitude, should be written especially well, without an unnecessary word, opening sentence should be straightforward, first paragraphs should be understandable to any likely reader (focus on what not how)

Introduction – an opening that convince the reader that the article is likely to be interesting (describe the context clearly)

Paragraphing A paragraph: discussion on a single

topic or issue First sentence (opening argument) Every sentence in a paragraph

should related to the opening If a long paragraph can be broken,

break it. Link paragraphs

List The use of formatted lists as an

occasional alternative to paragraph Lists are useful for:

Highlight each main point Easy to refer (check list) Individual point remains context free

Reserve the use of lists for material that is both important and in need of enumeration

Sentence Simple structure No more than a line or two Avoid excessive use indirect

statements (passive voice) Use of “we” is valuable when trying

to distinguish between the contribution made and existing results in a field

Words The first time a key word is used,

consider placing it in italics Use short, direct words rather than

long, vague words (begin vs. initiate) The “don’t repeat words” rule not to

technical terms that must be clear No slang words (cannot vs. can’t)

Redundancy and Abbreviations Use the minimum number of

words, of minimum length, in your writing (completely unique vs. unique)

It is almost always desirable to expand abbreviations (e.g. vs. for example)

Editing Begin with a rough draft based on notes

or sketches Filling out: explaining concepts, adding

background info, arranging logic, polishing by correcting mistakes

Style should be considered in every revision

Editing is the process of getting ready for publication

Proofreading There no excuse for a report that

contains spelling errors – displaying not only your inability to spell, but also your casual attitude to your work.

Identify and look for your own errors. Always get someone else to read your

work before you submit – proofreader’s comments should never be ignored.

Checking for consistency Titles and headings Terms Definition Spelling Tables References formatting

Refereeing Criticism and analysis of papers

written b other scientists A central part of the scientific

process Main mechanism for identifying

good research ad eliminating bad What is your main criterion for

judging a paper?