Distilling Your Scholarly Research

Introductions & Q.A.B.s

Mimi Beck

Program Director, Graduate Student Life

Rev. Kevin J. Sandberg, C.S.C., Ph.D.

Director, Common Good Initiative, Center for Social Concerns

Mike Westrate, Ph.D.

Program Director, Grad School Office of Grants & Fellowships

Getting to Know You, Q&A

1. How many are from the college of…2. How many are 1st years…3. How many are international students?4. How many have been to one of my events? Fr.

Kevin’s? A Grad Life event?5. How many plan to compete in 3MT?

THE TYPOLOGY OF

SELF-PRESENTATIONS

• Research pitches can be oral or written, in person or online, in videos or in cover letters.

• Whether 3MT Pitch, Fellowship Application, Grant Proposal, Thesis or Dissertation Proposal, Elevator Pitch, or Job Application, it is all the same type of communication!

• Winning skills in this area can be learned and perfected—and the best part is, you can practice and improve while winning competitions, making more money, and building your personal brand

It is all the same genre

Selling Yourself and Your Research

• Homily (~3 minutes during the week, ~7-10 on Sunday)• Classroom Lecture (30-90 minutes)• Job Interview (~20 minutes first round, ~72 hours in last round visit)

• Job Talk (40-60 minutes)• Elevator Pitch (30 seconds to 3 minutes)• 3MT (3 minutes [recommended: ~2.9 minutes])

It is all the same genre

Typology of Oral Presentations

What are the primary differences?Format

Audience (requires analysis)

Audience Analysis

Who will they be?

What will they expect?

• Big names from the faculty• VIPs from administration• Industry leaders• Community leaders

Who will they be?

Analyzing the 3MT Audience

• Were the thesis topic, results and implications communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?

• Did the presenter pique your curiosity/interest to want to know more about their research?

• Did the presenter avoid trivializing or over-generalizing their research?

What will they expect?

Analyzing the 3MT Audience

THE CONTEXT:

Q.A.B.

Question

Answer

Benefits

Q.A.B.

Question/problem

Answer/evidence

Benefits/limitations

Q.A.B.My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening and its restoration. It argues that listening is an exercise in responsibility. As such, listening is best described as a gift of self in the face of uncertainty. It is a critical means by which we unknow, become, and value. Yet listening is a topic about which contemporary religious educators have said very little. Nevertheless listening has a strong presence in religious traditions. King Solomon asked for a listening heart, Jesus enjoined whoever has ears to hear, and St. Benedict summoned the novice in religious life to listen carefully. If, as Parker Palmer has said, “the first task of an educator is not to talk but to listen,” then listening should be a topic of research, a curricular concern, and a pedagogical disposition, lest our efforts to teach remain structurally undermined from the very beginning.

Q.A.B.My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect

of listening and its restoration. Or, [Q] what is the role of religious education in the neglect and restoration of listening?

Q.A.B.My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening and its restoration. It argues that [A] listening is an exercise in responsibility. As such, listening is best described as a gift of self in the face of uncertainty. It is a critical means by which we unknow, become, and value. Yet listening is a topic about which contemporary religious educators have said very little. Nevertheless listening has a strong presence in religious traditions. King Solomon asked for a listening heart, Jesus enjoined whoever has ears to hear, and St. Benedict summoned the novice in religious life to listen carefully. If, as Parker Palmer has said, “the first task of an educator is not to talk but to listen,” then listening should be a topic of research, a curricular concern, and a pedagogical disposition, lest our efforts to teach remain structurally undermined from the very beginning.

Q.A.B.My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening and its restoration. It argues that [A] listening is an exercise in responsibility. As such, listening is best described as a gift of self in the face of uncertainty. It is a critical means by which we unknow, become, and value. Yet [p] listening is a topic about which contemporary religious educators have said very little. Nevertheless [e] listening has a strong presence in religious traditions. King Solomon asked for a listening heart, Jesus enjoined whoever has ears to hear, and St. Benedict summoned the novice in religious life to listen carefully. If, as Parker Palmer has said, “the first task of an educator is not to talk but to listen,” then listening should be a topic of research, a curricular concern, and a pedagogical disposition, lest our efforts to teach remain structurally undermined from the very beginning.

Q.A.B.My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening and its restoration. It argues that [A] listening is an exercise in responsibility. As such, listening is best described as a gift of self in the face of uncertainty. It is a critical means by which we unknow, become, and value. Yet [p] listening is a topic about which contemporary religious educators have said very little. Nevertheless [e] listening has a strong presence in religious traditions. King Solomon asked for a listening heart, Jesus enjoined whoever has ears to hear, and St. Benedict summoned the novice in religious life to listen carefully. If, as Parker Palmer has said, “the first task of an educator is not to talk but to listen,” then listening should be a topic of research, a curricular concern, and a pedagogical disposition, lest our efforts to teach remain structurally undermined from the very beginning.

Q.A.B.My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening and its restoration. It argues that [A] listening is an exercise in responsibility. As such, listening is best described as a gift of self in the face of uncertainty. It is a critical means by which we unknow, become, and value. Yet [p] listening is a topic about which contemporary religious educators have said very little. Nevertheless [e] listening has a strong presence in religious traditions. King Solomon asked for a listening heart, Jesus enjoined whoever has ears to hear, and St. Benedict summoned the novice in religious life to listen carefully. If, as Parker Palmer has said, “the first task of an educator is not to talk but to listen,” then listening should be a topic of research, a curricular concern, and a pedagogical disposition, lest our efforts to teach remain structurally undermined from the very beginning.

Q.A.B.My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening and its restoration. It argues that [A] listening is an exercise in responsibility. As such, listening is best described as a gift of self in the face of uncertainty. It is a critical means by which we unknow, become, and value. Yet [p] listening is a topic about which contemporary religious educators have said very little. Nevertheless [e] listening has a strong presence in religious traditions. King Solomon asked for a listening heart, Jesus enjoined whoever has ears to hear, and St. Benedict summoned the novice in religious life to listen carefully. If, as Parker Palmer has said, “the first task of an educator is not to talk but to listen,” then [B/l] listening should be a topic of research, a curricular concern, and a pedagogical disposition, lest our efforts to teach remain structurally undermined from the very beginning.

Exemplars

Andrew Farrer Univ. of Adelaide

2015 Winner

Mara Gotz Univ. of Edinburgh

2014 Winner

Exercise #1 [5 min]

1. What were their questions?

2. What were their answers?

3. What are the benefits of their research?

4. Why did they win?

Please stay in your groups

THESIS COMPONENT

S

To Compose a Thesis:

Topic

Thesis

To Compose a Thesis:

Topic problematize it

contextualize it

Thesis

particularize it

relativize it

To Compose a Thesis:

Topic problematize it

contextualize it

Thesis

particularize it

relativize it

Problematize

Contextualize

Particularize

Relativize

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Concise Meaningful

Intriguing Memorable

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Concise

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Concise

What is the average length watched of a single video on internet?

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Concise

What is the average length watched of a single video on internet?—2.7 minutes

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Concise

What is the average length watched of a single video on internet?—2.7 minutes

Which is absorbed more readily: a longer or shorter sentence?

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Concise

What is the average length watched of a single video on internet?—2.7 minutes

Which is absorbed more readily: a longer or shorter sentence?—shorter

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Concise

What is the average length watched of a single video on internet?—2.7 minutes

Which is absorbed more readily: a longer or shorter sentence?—shorter

Does jargon create barriers or engage people?

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Concise

What is the average length watched of a single video on internet?—2.7 minutes

Which is absorbed more readily: a longer or shorter sentence?—shorter

Does jargon create barriers or engage people?—barriers

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Intriguing

Be distinctive.

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Intriguing

Be distinctive.

Be heuristic—enable the person to enter the discovery process.

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Intriguing

Be distinctive.

Be heuristic—enable the person to enter the discovery process.

A speaker's commitment begets a listener's interest.

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Meaningful

Be transparent—don't bury the lead; reveal your hand early.

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Meaningful

Be transparent—don't bury the lead; reveal your hand early.

Don't merely state an observation; incite discussion.

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Meaningful

Be transparent—don't bury the lead; reveal your hand early.

Don't merely state an observation; incite discussion.

All stories are true, and some of them took place.

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Memorable

Be attentive to what sticks; provide a hook.

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Memorable

Be attentive to what sticks; provide a hook.

Listenability depends on timing as well as vocal hangers; build anticipation.

Characteristics of a Thesis Statement

Memorable

Be attentive to what sticks; provide a hook.

Listenability depends on timing as well as vocal hangers; build anticipation.

Facts are retained; stories retold.–Scott Ginsburg

Exercise #2

Q. How do human events effect the bacteria that live on human bodies?A. I am collecting historical dental plaque to analyze bacteria in relationship to human events.B. The results will help guide natural improvements in digestion, vitamin production, and immune function. This will help free us from reliance on antibiotics.

Please Write Your Own Q.A.B. [10 min]

Q. How do ideas transfer and spread?A. I am studying ideas that transferred from Sociology to Translation Studies.B. The results will help individuals, groups, and markets effectively transfer and spread knowledge, both inside and outside academia.

Andrew Farrer

Mara Gotz

Exercise #2

1. 2-3 people present from each group [1 min each]

2. Feedback for each person [2-3 min each]

How can they improve in each of these categories?

Was it concise?

Was it meaningful?

Was it intriguing?

Was it memorable?

Present Your Q.A.B. [10 min]

Let’s Play…

The Game of Benefits [to 11:55]Intellectual Merit (your field)

and Broader Impacts (everybody

else)

Recap

1. Determine your format

2. Know your audience!

3. Know your:

Question/problem

Answer/evidence

Benefits/limitations

Know that you can do it!

The Distillation Process