So you want to write a Technical Paper

Instructions Open a Word document or pull out a pen and

notepad. This presentation has many questions, none of

which are rhetorical. To gain maximum utility from this

presentation, write answers to ALL questions asked.

Treat this presentation as a workbook to help start your technical paper.

Why Should I Write a Paper?

Why not to Writing is tough No benefit Nothing to write

about Takes too long Don’t know how to

start

Why to If it not written, it doesn’t

exist Awards, Beneficial to career,

salary Emails are proof you do Do 1 paragraph a day Do 1 paragraph a day, read

this PPT, make an outline, answer questions

Overview Selecting a topic – you already know it First things first Type of paper – what is it for Basic how-to’s Examples Take it from here

Selecting a topic One of the hardest tasks is choosing a topic. This

could be the easiest task: What technical project are you working on now? What topic did you write emails to more than one

colleague about in the last week back and forth? What project do you have to present status on to your

supervisor? What is the longest / most interesting / most rewarded

project you worked on in the last 2 months? Choose one of the above. You now have your topic.

First things first Create outline

See the outline examples coming up Identify audience

Why find your audience Are you writing for a practicing engineer? For a peer scientist to verify your methods, results? To share an application for other readers to benefit from?

Primary audiences Gatekeepers, instructor, faculty, etc.

Secondary audiences Peers, colleagues, coworkers, etc.

Shadow audiences Others who may read communication - Internet!

Type of papers A research paper is the culmination and final product of an involved

process of research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization, and composition

Analytical or argumentative research Goal: argumentative research paper is persuasion, which means the

topic chosen should be debatable or controversial Goal: analytical asks a question on which author has taken no stance.

Paper is often an exercise in exploration and evaluation Practical applications paper Cutting-edge technical paper Experimental, comparative, design, or theoretical paper

Which type is your paper?

Basic how-to’s Short abstract Full paper Extended abstract

Short Abstract how-to’s Begin – Abstract Purpose

Introduce readers to the article’s content Help readers decide whether or not to read paper

One or more paragraphs that are coherent, concise, and self contained (often 100-150 words)

Uses an introduction-body-conclusion structure in which the parts of the report are discussed in order: purpose, research questions, methods, findings, conclusions, recommendations

How? Write 1-2 introduction sentences that explain topic, purpose, and research question(s). Write 1-2 sentences describing your research methods (this may also include the type

of data analysis you used). Write 1-2 sentences describing the results / findings. Write 1-2 sentences containing your conclusions and recommendations.

Full Paper how-to’s Section 1:

Introduce, explain topic

Section 2: Discuss history, background; set the

context Section 3: (may have multiple instances of

this section – e.g. multiple subtopics) Discuss research methods or subtopic

Section 4: Discuss research findings

Section 5: Conclusions

Works Cited/References Appendix

Section 1 detail Purpose/goals

What is the point of the paper? Argumentative? Analytical?

Audience (optional) Is the audience familiar with

topic, terms? For argumentative

What is your thesis? For analytical

What are your research questions?

For design What are your design

methods? Research methods

How did you find your information?

Findings and conclusions Forecast organization of

document

Review1. Have you written down a specific topic for your technical

paper? If no, go back to slide 5 and work through the questions again. If yes, congratulations! Save your work on computer and proceed to #2.

2. Have you written a short abstract for your technical paper? If no, go back to slide 9 and work through the questions again. If yes, congratulations! Save your work on computer and proceed to

#3.3. Have you written an outline for your technical paper?

If no, go back to slide 10 and work through the questions again. If yes, congratulations! Save your work on computer and proceed to #4.

(Next slide.) Note: if you encounter difficulty completing the above, contact

George Earle (email address on slide 17) for assistance.

Review4. Have you created an author profile on the NSBE-

ASC paper submission portal? If no, go to http://cmt.research.microsoft.com/NSBE2012/

and click Sign up here under New Users. Follow the prompts to complete your personal information Create a new Paper Submission and include the topic and

short abstract. If unsure of proper track, select one randomly and conference staff will reassign if necessary. Upload your outline in the file upload section.

If yes, complete the rest of this presentation and begin work on your extended abstract and technical paper. Upload both to the paper submission portal as soon as possible.

Extended Abstract how-to’s

This is a cross between an abstract and a full paper. Essentially start with the abstract and incorporate a shell of the full paper. Work from your full paper outline and partially develop each section.

Each section in the extended abstract should contain roughly 1/4 to 1/3 the content of its counterpart in the full paper.

The purpose of the extended abstract is to help you develop the full paper. It also enables reviewers and/ors to gauge the direction of your paper and provide assistance if needed, rather than completing a full paper and discovering it is not publishable.

Example of a Scientific AbstractUsability and User-Centered Theory for 21st Century OWLs

By Dana Lynn Driscoll, H. Allen Brizee, Michael Salvo, and Morgan Sousa from The Handbook of Research on Virtual Workplaces and the New Nature of Business Practices. Eds. Kirk St. Amant and Pavel Zemlansky. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing, 2008.

This article describes results of usability research conducted on the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). The Purdue OWL is an information-rich educational website that provides free writing resources to users worldwide. Researchers conducted two generations of usability tests. In the first test, participants were asked to navigate the OWL and answer questions. Results of the first test and user-centered scholarship indicated that a more user-centered focus would improve usability. The second test asked participants to answer writing-related questions using both the OWL website and a user-centered OWL prototype. Participants took significantly less time to find information using the prototype and reported a more positive response to the user-centered prototype than the original OWL. Researchers conclude that a user-centered website is more effective and can be a model for information-rich online resources. Researchers also conclude that usability research can be a productive source of ideas, underscoring the need for participatory invention.

Examples Software architecture

http://www.frame-online.net/Articles/TS23%20Bossom.pdf

Aerospace http://www.fenwalsafety.com/Files/KiddeAeroSpace/

Global/US-en/TechnicalPaper.pdf Space

http://www.spaceward.org/documents/papers/The%20Space%20Elevator%20Feasibility%20Condition.pdf

http://www.ilcdover.com/products/aerospace_defense/pdfs/2006-01-2141.pdf

Take it from here Further help

http://www1.cs.columbia.edu/~hgs/etc/writing-style.html

References http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Track ChairsAerodynamics and Aviation Derrick Stanley [email protected]

Aerospace Simulation and Testing Barry Mullings [email protected]

Avionics and Software Dr. Obadiah Kegege

[email protected]

National Defense Aviation and Space Systems

George Earle [email protected]

Space Commerce, Tourism, and Colonization

Myron Fendall [email protected]

Space Exploration Lee Willis [email protected]

Space Launch Vehicles Gary Stinnett [email protected]

Space Research of NSBE Gilena Monroe [email protected]

Space Science Dr. Aprille Ericsson

[email protected]

Systems Engineering Rodney Bailey [email protected]

ASC Technical Paper Vision

Increase the visibility of our best African American

engineers via peer reviewed paper presentations, published conference

proceedings, and paper awards

Alter the worldview of African American aerospace industry professionals via the unprecedented gathering of

diverse technical talent

National Society of Black Engineers

Aerospace Systems Conference

“The sky is not the limit…it’s where we begin”

February 1-4, 2012Los Angeles, CA

So you want to write a Technical Paper

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