Technical Writing
Abstract
The abstract is the first, and frequently only, portion of your paper someone will read. Summarizing your work in a concise and engaging way is the goal of the abstract.
Introduction and Literature Review
The introduction and literature review put your work in context and explain its importance and relevance.
- MIT Comm Lab: Introduction
- Wiley: Writing a Literature Review: Six Steps to Get You from Start to Finish
- Wiley: Article Introductions: More Important Than You Thought
- Thesis Whisperer: How to Become a Literature Searching Ninja
Journals
This page contains links to some of the most popular journals where Zucrow students often submit papers. Find a good fit for your project as well as information about formatting and submission.
Methods
The Methods section tells the reader what you did and what process you followed so they can evaluate your results and possibly duplicate them. Clarity and specificity are critical.
Plots and Figures
A picture is worth a thousand words. Graphics can help convey complex ideas succinctly and quickly to an unfamiliar audience.
Well written article with examples of how the same data can be expressed more effectively by changing the format of charts and figure: MIT Comm Lab: Figure Design.
References and Documentation
Resources such as Mendeley and Zotero are indispensable tools for storing, sorting, and citing your references. They can also auto-generate in-text citations and reference lists and modify them to match the formatting required by your journal. If you want to submit to another journal later, no worries! You can change the formatting of all the citations in your paper with a few clicks of the mouse.
Results, Discussion, & Conclusion
The Results and Conclusion or Discussion sections are where you present your findings and explain their significance. This section tends to have a larger graphics-to-text ratio than the others.
Title and Key Words
If you want people to read and reference your work, it must be discoverable. In this age of search engines, a good, descriptive title and key word choices are critical.
Technical Presentations
Conferences
This page contains links to some of the most popular conferences attended by Zucrow students. Find a good fit for your current project or explore places you might want to submit to in the future.
Giving Technical Presentations
Giving technical presentations, especially for a professional audience, can be very intimidating. Here are some resources to help you prepare well and feel confident when you step to the podium.
Graphics for Papers and Slides
A picture is worth a thousand words. Graphics can help convey complex ideas succinctly and quickly to an unfamiliar audience.
Well written article with examples of how the same data can be expressed more effectively by changing the format of charts and figure.
Online Presentations and Meetings
- Zoom Blog: Best Practices for Hosting a Digital Event
- ezTalks: Effective Video Communication Skills You Should Know
- MindTools: How to Run Effective Virtual Meetings
Poster Design & Delivery
A good poster will summarize your entire research project in a visually appealing way and be accessible even to people unfamiliar with your field of study. That’s a pretty tall order!