Crafting a Research PaperTalk - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Title: Crafting a Research PaperTalk


1
Crafting a Research Paper/Talk

• Prasun Dewan
• FB 150, Sitterson, 11-1215
• 962 1823
• dewan_at_unc.edu

2
Definitions
pptPlex Section Divider
The slides after this divider will be grouped
into a section and given the label you type
above. Feel free to move this slide to any
position in the deck.
3
Which is Research?
IPHONE
VISTA SIDEBAR
4
What is Research?
5
Research (in Computer Science)

• Novel concrete or abstract CS-related artifact?
• Argument made why significant and interesting
• Paper
• Talk
• It is the argument that must be new, not
  necessarily the artifact
• New artifact does help increase significance
• Research done in the process of arguing it!
• Most things we learn should apply to any
  engineering field
• Maybe not science

6
iPhone as Research

• Research implies a an analysis of previous work
  (survey/related work discussion)
• Will focus on surveys
• Hardest part of paper/talk

7
Paper/Talk

• Paper document created
• Talk
• Slides and/or Delivery
• Some talks do not have slides!
• Talk Recording

8
Crafting

• In the small
• Grammar, PPT Animations
• Style, PPT Color Choices
• Analogous to defining an object
• In the large
• Composition of prose and slide items
• Analogous to design principles and patterns
• Assume proficiency in design in the small

The passive voice should not be used!
Use light text on dark background !
Have an abstract, introduction, body ,
conclusions and future work
Have a title, outline, body, conclusions , and
future work
9
Software Design Pattern

• Arguably good composition techniques
• Situational
• Examples!
• Practice

Design pattern found in many applications
10
State of the art in Software engineering

• Arguably good composition techniques
• Situational
• Examples!
• Practice

Design pattern found in many applications
11
State of the art in Papers/Talks

• Arguably good composition techniques
• Situational
• Examples!
• Practice

12
State of the art in Papers/Talks

• Arguably good composition techniques
• Situational
• Examples!
• Practice

No one seems to have addressed !
13
Such Principles/Patterns Exist

• Each student seems to make the same kinds of
  mistakes!
• Have compiled mistakes made by students of last
  class

14
Even if you disagree with class
patterns/principles

• Practice
• Practice
• Practice
• Most of talk practice done offline using
  recordings
• Office 2007
• LiveMeeting
• Good also for audience
• Viewing a good talk can inspire and teach
• Easier to see others mistakes

15
Paper vs. Talk
pptPlex Section Divider
The slides after this divider will be grouped
into a section and given the label you type
above. Feel free to move this slide to any
position in the deck.
16
Why Integration of Talk/Paper

• Research done in the process of arguing it!
• At an abstract level, argument in talk and paper
  not that different
• Abstract argument is most important
• Concrete recommendations may also be very similar

Have an abstract, introduction, body,
conclusions and future work
Have a title, outline, body, conclusions , and
future work
17
Difference?

• Paper usually has more details
• More true for journal paper
• Which details to omit an important issue in
  giving talks
• Talk an advertisement for paper
• Talk is less formal
• Can afford to make grammar mistakes
• Easy to lose concentration in a talk
• Can re-read paper
• Papers usually do not have as good a flow
• In this course, paper is almost a talk transcript

18
Which comes first Paper?

• Usually conference paper before talk
• Get the details before abstracting (bottom-up
  approach)
• Can answer detailed questions in talk

19
Which comes first Talk?

• Interview talk before thesis written
• Get the abstraction/outline first
• Top-down approach
• Paper is an expanded version of the talk
• Easier to get reviewer of talk than paper
• Quality of main argument better evaluated
• When integrating papers, details already there,
  so no advantage in going to paper first
• Can use figures of talk in paper
• Maybe easier to go from informal (conversational)
  to formal.
• Often people end up reading paper in talk.

20
Which is harder Paper?

• More details
• More things to go wrong
• Wrong proofs common in papers

21
Which is harder Talk?

• Abstraction is harder
• I am sorry I did not have time for a shorter
  letter
• Length is used to compensate for lack of depth
• Once talk is made, paper is easy
• Will spend much more time on talks
• More of an in-class activity

22
Assignments
pptPlex Section Divider
The slides after this divider will be grouped
into a section and given the label you type
above. Feel free to move this slide to any
position in the deck.
23
Series of Talk-Paper Pairs

• First give a talk on some topic.
• Then write a paper that has the same content and
  flow (it may even be a transcript of the talk)

24
Research Interest
3 minute talk on research interest
Paper on research interest
25
Talk principles
10 minute talk on talk principles
Paper on talk principles
26
Seminal Paper
20 minute summary of seminal paper
Summary of seminal paper
27
Survey
Lots of work!
28
Student Level
pptPlex Section Divider
The slides after this divider will be grouped
into a section and given the label you type
above. Feel free to move this slide to any
position in the deck.
29
Student Level

• 2nd year student
• Ph.D. qualifying talk and paper
• 1st year RA
• Allows you to abstract out and understand what
  you are doing
• 1st year TA
• Allows you to explore an area
• Student writing thesis/proposal
• Hardest part of your career
• Masters student
• Integrative comprehensive paper

30
Previous Skills Matter?

• No matter how good you are, much scope for
  improvement
• How many talks do you listen to with rapt
  attention and understand?
• How many papers have you enjoyed reading?
• Students expected to start with varying skills
  and background
• Graded mostly on how much improvement you show

31
(No Transcript)