class: center, middle, inverse, title-slide .title[ # DSA 557 1.0 Scientific Writing and Communication ] .author[ ### Dr Thiyanga S. Talagala ] --- <style type="text/css"> .remark-slide-content { font-size: 30px; padding: 1em 4em 1em 4em; } </style> # What is Scientific Writing and Communication? Scientific writing and communication refer to the skills and practices involved in effectively conveying scientific information to various audiences. --- # Importance of scientific writing 1. Sharing your research 2. Reproducibility 3. Funding and career advancement 3. Public engagement --- # Types of Scientific Documents ## Where do we find scientific writing? --- # Practical tips and tools? - Use simple, straight forward language - Use clear headings and subheadings - Always revise your work and seek feedback - Use a plagiarism checker --- # Selecting a research problem ## How would you define a research problem in your own word? --- # Types of problems - Specific issue - Difficulty - Contradiction - Gap in knowledge --- ### Key Principles 1. Clarity: Using clear and precise language to ensure the message is easily understood. 2. Conciseness: Being brief and to the point, avoiding unnecessary details. 3. Accuracy: Presenting information truthfully and ensuring that all data is correctly reported. 4. Structure: Organizing information logically with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. 5. Audience Awareness: Tailoring the communication style and content to the audience's level of expertise and interest. --- ## Scientific writing with overleaf Sign up at https://www.overleaf.com/ In-class demo --- ## Thesis Writing [Slides](https://thiyanga-scientificwriting.netlify.app/slides/1_thesiswriting/main#1) --- ## August 25, 2024 See Google Classroom resources --- ## September 8, 2024 --- class: middle, center # Research presentation --- <!--https://www.prezent.ai/zenpedia/research-presentation-guide--> ## Objectives of a research presentation - Dissemination of information: Sharing insights for collective knowledge advancement. - Feedback and discussion: Welcoming questions, feedback, and discussions to refine research. - Peer review: Part of the peer-review process, where experts evaluate your work. - To obtain grants or funding for research. - Opportunity to connect with peers, professionals, and stakeholders. - Public awareness: Raising awareness about significant societal issues or findings. --- ## What are the different types of research presentations? - In-class discussion and teaching --- ## What should a research presentation include? ## How to structure an effective research presentation? - In-class discussion and teaching --- ## Do's of a Research Presentation - Know your audience: Tailor your presentation to the knowledge level and interests of your audience. - Stay organized: Use a clear structure with an introduction, main points, and conclusion. - Practice: Rehearse your presentation multiple times to ensure smooth delivery. - Engage the audience: Use eye contact, questions, and visual aids to maintain interest. - Be concise: Stick to key points and avoid unnecessary details. --- - Prepare for questions: Anticipate and be ready to answer questions after your presentation. - Use visuals effectively: Incorporate charts, graphs, and images that enhance understanding. - Speak clearly: Use a confident tone, appropriate volume, and clear pronunciation. --- ## Don'ts of a Research Presentation - Overload with text: Avoid filling slides with too much text; keep them simple and readable. - Read from slides: Don’t read directly from your slides; instead, expand on the points verbally. - Rush through: Don’t speak too quickly or rush through your presentation. - Ignore time limits: Stick to the allotted time; avoid going over or finishing too quickly. --- - Use complex jargon: Avoid using too much technical jargon unless your audience is highly specialized. - Be unprepared for technology issues: Always check that your equipment is working before starting. - Distract with unnecessary animations: Use animations sparingly so they don't distract from the content. - Show nervous habits: Avoid fidgeting, pacing, or displaying nervous gestures that can distract the audience. --- ## How can I create a research presentation that stands out? --- ## Clarity and Simplicity - Start with a compelling introduction: Begin with a brief, clear statement of the research problem and why it matters. - Logical flow: Ensure that your presentation follows a well-organized structure (e.g., Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion). - Keep it concise: Only include essential information. Avoid overwhelming your audience with too much data or complex details. Storytelling: Craft your presentation like a story that has a clear beginning, middle, and end, with transitions that maintain audience engagement. --- ## Visual Design - Minimalist slides: Avoid clutter by using clean layouts, minimal text, and consistent fonts. One key idea per slide works best. - Data visualizations: Use well-designed charts, graphs, and infographics to convey data efficiently. Focus on clarity by avoiding over-complicated or crowded visuals. - Consistency: Use consistent color schemes and design elements. Make sure the visuals match the tone and message of your research. - Highlight key points: Use contrasting colors to draw attention to the most critical data points. --- ## Engaging Delivery - Practice your delivery: Know your material well enough that you can speak confidently without reading from notes. - Interact with the audience: Encourage questions, feedback, or short interactive segments to keep them involved. - Non-verbal cues: Use eye contact, gestures, and facial expressions to engage your audience and convey enthusiasm. - Pacing: Speak slowly, emphasize important points, and allow pauses for key ideas to resonate. --- ## Innovative Content - Present novel insights: Emphasize the unique aspects of your research. What new perspectives, methods, or findings have you contributed? - Tailor to the audience: Adjust the technical depth based on the audience’s expertise. Make complex concepts digestible for non-experts if necessary. - Call to action: End with clear takeaways or suggestions for future research, real-world applications, or policy changes. --- ## Multimedia and Interactivity - Multimedia integration: Incorporate videos, animations, or sound clips if they add value to the presentation (e.g., demo of a model or key findings in action). - Interactive tools: Tools like live polls or quizzes during the presentation can make the audience feel more involved. --- ## Memorable Conclusion - Reinforce your key message: Summarize the most important points and what you want your audience to remember. - End with impact: Conclude with a strong closing statement, perhaps linking back to your opening, or posing a provocative question that leaves the audience thinking. --- # Creating a standout poster presentation --- ## Clear Structure and Layout - Title: Make your title clear, concise, and catchy. It should reflect the essence of your research and grab attention. - Organized flow: Structure the poster with distinct sections like Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. Use headers and sub-headers to guide the reader. - Logical sequence: Ensure the poster can be read top-to-bottom or left-to-right. Numbering the sections can also help guide the reader’s eye. - White space: Leave enough white space between sections to avoid overcrowding. A well-spaced layout enhances readability. --- ## Visual Design - Minimalist design: Use simple backgrounds, consistent fonts, and a limited color palette. Avoid too much decoration—let the content shine. - Readable fonts: Use large, easy-to-read fonts (e.g., 24-32 points for text, 72-100 points for the title). Avoid serif fonts in the body text. - Color contrast: Ensure there’s enough contrast between text and background. Use dark text on a light background or vice versa to maintain readability. - Visual hierarchy: Make key elements (e.g., main findings or visuals) larger or more prominent to draw attention. --- ## Effective Visuals - Charts and graphs: Use simple, clear charts or graphs to display data. Avoid overcrowded visuals—focus on the most important data points. - High-quality images: Include sharp, relevant images, figures, or diagrams to support your findings. Ensure images are large enough to be seen from a distance. - Infographics: Use infographics or visual metaphors to explain complex ideas. Visual storytelling can make your poster more engaging. - Legends and labels: Clearly label charts, graphs, and images. Include legends if needed, and ensure that all visuals are self-explanatory. --- ## Content and Messaging - Brevity: Be concise. A poster is a visual summary of your research, not a full paper. Use bullet points, short sentences, and simple language. - Focus on key findings: Highlight the most important aspects of your research. Don’t try to cover everything—focus on the main message or results. - Introduction and conclusion: Provide context with a brief introduction and end with a concise conclusion that emphasizes the impact of your research. - Captions and annotations: Use captions for figures and tables to clarify their significance. Annotations can help explain critical parts of complex visuals. --- ## Engagement and Interaction - Elevator pitch: Prepare a brief (1-2 minute) summary of your research that you can deliver when someone approaches your poster. Practice explaining your poster succinctly. - Interactive elements: Consider adding interactive components like QR codes leading to further resources, datasets, or videos related to your research. - Answer questions: Be prepared to engage in discussion, answer questions, and explain complex concepts. Stay near your poster to interact with viewers. --- ## Memorable Takeaways - Key points summary: Include a key takeaways section or a concise summary of the most important aspects of your work. - Handouts or contact info: Provide small printouts with a summary of your poster or your contact information so interested viewers can follow up later. - Future work: Briefly mention future research directions to leave the audience thinking about the broader implications of your work. --- ## Example posters [Link 1](https://www.animateyour.science/post/best-examples-of-scientific-posters) --- # Selecting and Publishing in a Journal: Key factors to consider - Suitability - Audience - Prestige - Access (Open access or subscription) - Impact - Article Processing Charge (APC) --- ## Doing Literature Review [Slides](https://thiyanga-scientificwriting.netlify.app/slides/4_lr/4_lr#1) --- ## What are the different types of review? - Systematic Reviews - Meta-Analyses - Umbrella - Comparative Effectiveness - Scoping - Rapid - Narrative Additional reading: https://guides.lib.umich.edu/c.php?g=283340&p=9133330 --- ## Research Ethics [Slides](https://thiyanga-scientificwriting.netlify.app/slides/4_lr/5_ethics#1) --- ## Grammar of Graphics [Demo](https://blog.tidy-intelligence.com/posts/ggplot2-vs-plotnine/) --- ## Other topics - Grey Literature - Managing Citations: EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley --- ## Grey literature - Materials produced outside of the standard academic or commercial publishing systems. - Unlike peer-reviewed journal articles or books, grey literature is often created by organizations, government bodies, think tanks, NGOs, and corporations. - These documents are typically not formally published through established academic publishers, making them more difficult to access, but they still provide valuable information and insights --- ## Common types of grey literature - Reports - Working papers - Government documents - White papers - Evaluations --- ## Active Listening Active listening is a key communication skill, vital for effective writing and peer engagement in scientific contexts. It involves more than just hearing the words; it is about understanding the speaker's message, intent, and emotions. **Key components: ** in-class explanations --- ## Thinking Hard: Cognitive Load Theory Understanding how people process information is essential in scientific writing and presentations. Cognitive load refers to the amount of mental effort required to process information. - Intrinsic cognitive load - Extraneous cognitive load - Germane cognitive load - Thinking hard and motivation --- ## Business Insight Generating new ideas in scientific contexts requires a structured approach to creativity. - Preparation - Incubation - Illumination - Verification --- ## Presentation skills - Preparing for a presentation - Organizing the presentation material - Writing the presentation - Deciding on the presentation method - Working with Visual Aids --- ## Storytelling - Reasons for telling stories - Properties of a good story - Storytelling process --- ## Preparing your 3MT presentation - Drafting your 3MT - Creating your 3MT slide - Practising your 3MT presentation Links: [Link 1](https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/watch-3mt)