Writing Well 2 : Building Traction and Triumph into co-Authorship Suzanne M. Kresta, John A. Nychka Roger Graves*, Jacob Masliyah, Murray Gray * Director, Writing Across the Curriculum, English and Film Studies Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Stay Write well well… well… ll … this is what we learned! this is what we learned! http://www.finlosreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/blank_page.jpg Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Key Points • Graduate students can benefit from: – informed methods of reading informed methods of reading reading & writing reading & writing writing technical literature writing technical literature – many ways of outlining outlining – developing writing in a stepwise stepwise manner – a writing recipe recipe – tremendous peer d eer and advisor support d d i support – limited levels of edit levels of edit at each stage – deadlines and timely feedback deadlines and timely feedback feedback feedback Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Graduate School: A New Game • New graduate students tend to: • Mature graduate students tend to: – start reading for content start reading for content – read for validity of proposed read for validity of proposed arguments – gather information – make connections between concepts – memorize facts – know their limits – reach their limits quickly in a research environment (a new – have been transformed into creators genre) genre) of knowledge from data of knowledge from data – not know how research really works Undergraduate Education ≠ Graduate Education Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Journal Articles: A New Genre In a nutshell: • Hard reading! • Hard reading! • Much content • Conflicting ideas Conflicting ideas • Array of quality and style • Varying levels of detail y g Undergraduate Reading ≠ Graduate Reading and Writing and Writing Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Levels of Editing • Give timely and constructive feedback. • Students can only absorb feedback on one or two y major points at a time • Many levels of edit will happen, for example: Many levels of edit will happen, for example: – Presentation of data and figures (Visual) – Structure and Arguments g – Editorial polishing – Big picture • Be kind to yourself – stop editing after an hour. B k d lf d f h Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Reading and Writing Exercises • Start early • S • Supportive environment – group meetings ti i t ti • Two examples – Beginning and End B d d – Visual Abstract – Art of the Argument – in the paper Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Example #1: The Beginning and Ending Goal: identify key elements in a “story” • Edit d ti l • Edited article: – No citation information at all – Introduction abstract and conclusion removed – Introduction, abstract, and conclusion removed • Students read article and fill in missing info • Compare and contrast their results with original • Compare and contrast their results with original (advisor feedback) Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Example #2: Visual Abstract Goal: make conceptual connections about research (preparation for story telling) t t lli ) • Students are given a Start here short presentation about h t t ti b t visual thinking • How to make connections • How to make connections with images “ The Back of the Napkin : Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures,” Dan Roam, Expanded Edition, Portfolio, New York, 2009) Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
• Each student is given: • 1 week to prepare a visual abstract about a research topic of own k l b b h f choosing • Visual abstract must be on a small cocktail na small cocktail napkin! p kin! • Present, and explain if necessary, their visual abstract at group meeting – repeat and refine as necessary repeat and refine as necessary Napkin: J.A Nychka Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Example #3: The Art of the Argument Goal: extract the argument structure G l h – Article selection: • content which the student knows well already hi h h d k ll l d • disparate views in literature • good and poor argument structures g p g – Students determine: • Is the problem identified clearly? What is known? • What are the authors contributing? Wh h h b • What is their main argument? • Is their evidence convincing? What is missing? g g • What makes the paper memorable? – Discuss with advisor (or in a journal club) Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Outlines – use many tools! • Traditional linear outline does NOT work well – especially for sequential learners! p y q • Alternatives: – The Godess Nike (Just Do It!) (J ) – Figures First (What is the story?) – Draft Abstract and Conclusions (What are the main points?) – Beetle or Spider diagrams (Sort the laundry) – Concept Maps (Construct the sequence) – Partial construction of paragraphs Partial construction of paragraphs • Help the student learn to construct the story! Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
The Goddess Nike Many students find it easiest to write a fast brain dump to get all of their p g thoughts on paper, then sort them out and begin a serious draft! and begin a serious draft! http://symbolyzer.blogspot.com/2009/09/swoosh.html http://www.ask.com/wiki/Louvre Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Figures first • Many papers start as a presentation! – Children s picture books work from images and captions Children’s picture books work from images and captions – students like this idea of starting from a storyboard • The story is written around the data and images The story is written around the data and images – Sketch the visuals first – plot everything vs everything – Construct the argument and main points – Draft figure captions and finalize best figures • This is the core of the results and discussion Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Main Points? • What are the three most important points in the paper? ? • What are the most important contributions to k knowledge? l d • Draft Abstract and Conclusions Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Beetle or Star or Spider Diagrams • No need to know what know what comes first • Sort ideas Sort ideas • Fast! *Website CMAP tools – free drawing software for concept maps Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Concept Maps: Making Connections • Construct the argument in order • Add connecting Add connecting words in the logic Images from: Callister, W.D., “Materials Science and Engineering, An Introduction,” 7th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 2007. Eng-Tips Forums, Failure of Boiler Tubes, thread330-191127, http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=191127&page=80, accessed on June 25, 2010. Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
Concept Maps: Making Connections Images from: Callister, W.D., “Materials Science and Engineering, An Introduction,” 7th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 2007. Eng-Tips Forums, Failure of Boiler Tubes, thread330-191127, http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=191127&page=80, accessed on June 25, 2010. Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
...my current order of attack 1. Experimental 2. 2. Select key figures Select key figures 3. Visual Abstract and Conclusion – Draft 4 4. Outline Outline 5. Review figures 6. 6 R Results lt 7. Introduction 8. Edit Abstract and Conclusions; Select Title d b d l l l Chemic Chemical and al and Materials Engineering Materials Engineering Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014 Faculty Forum, Feb 11, 2014
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