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8/3/2019 Writing a Good Paper
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How to Write a Good Paper?
Uday Khedker
(www.cse.iitb.ac.in/uday)
Department of Computer Science and Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
October 2009
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Outline
Introduction: The form and the contents
Contents of a paper The core content: What is research? Structuring the core content for accessibility
Detailed structure of a paper
Elements of writing
Conclusions
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CSI Convention 09 Research: Outline 2/26
Focus of This Talk
Significant distinction between How to write a good paper?
How does a good paper look like?
Process of writing Vs. Product of writing
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CSI Convention 09 Research: Outline 2/26
Focus of This Talk
Significant distinction between How to write a good paper?
How does a good paper look like?
Process of writing Vs. Product of writing We focus on the product rather than focus
Assumptions: Process is goal oriented. Once goals are clear, process is clear
Repeat: Write, read, review, refine, revise . . .
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Part 1
Core Contents of a Research Paper
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What is a Research Paper?
Does a research paper describe
A software?
Design of a software?
A piece of hardware?
A theorem?
A proof?
Empirical measurements?
. . .
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What is a Research Paper?
Does a research paper describe
A software?
Design of a software?
A piece of hardware?
A theorem?
A proof?
Empirical measurements?
. . .
A research paper describes an idea!
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What is a Research Paper?
Cannot be a complete description of work(process/product/modelling/reasoning/postulate/evidence)Must omit many details
Should describe a logically complete idea
Or a collection of logically complete related ideas
Must embody a running theme that forms the essence of an idea
This theme must be explicated in the paper
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CSI Convention 09 Research: Core Contents of a Research Paper 4/26
What is a Research Paper?
Cannot be a complete description of work(process/product/modelling/reasoning/postulate/evidence)Must omit many details
Should describe a logically complete idea
Or a collection of logically complete related ideas
Must embody a running theme that forms the essence of an idea
This theme must be explicated in the paper
Right choice of form and content is important
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What is Research Paper?
Net information content of your paper
= Information in your paper Relevant Information in references
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What is Research Paper?
Net information content of your paper
= Information in your paper Relevant Information in references
> 0
= 0
< 0
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What is Research Paper?
Net information content of your paper
= Information in your paper Relevant Information in references
> 0 Your paper makes research contributions
= 0
< 0
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p /
What is Research Paper?
Net information content of your paper
= Information in your paper Relevant Information in references
> 0 Your paper makes research contributions
= 0 Your paper is a survey paper
< 0
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p /
What is Research Paper?
Net information content of your paper
= Information in your paper Relevant Information in references
> 0 Your paper makes research contributions
= 0 Your paper is a survey paper
< 0 Why do you want to write a paper?
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/
Ingredients of Good Research
Innovation
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Ingredients of Good Research
Innovation
Aesthetics
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Ingredients of Good Research
Innovation
Aesthetics
Other important aspects :
Completeness
Rigour
Empirical demonstration
Effective communication
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Ingredients of Good Survey
Have you identified all key ideas?
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Ingredients of Good Survey
Have you identified all key ideas? Have you distilled the essence of key ideas?
Why are they important?
Why should they be considered key ideas?
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Ingredients of Good Survey
Have you identified all key ideas? Have you distilled the essence of key ideas?
Why are they important?
Why should they be considered key ideas?
Have you illustrated key ideas?
New examples
New pictures
New applications Better explanations
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Aesthetics
Total is greater than the sum of the parts
Scientists study science not because it is useful, but because it isbeautiful. Here I do not talk about the beauty of appearance orbeauty of qualities . . . Here I talk about that profound beautywhich comes from a harmonious order of parts . . .
Henry Poincare.
Example : Painting.
Proportion of colours Vs. their arrangements
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Part 2
Structuring the Core Contentsfor Accessibility
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I i i d Ri i P
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Intuition and Rigour in a Paper
Ideas should be presented at two levels: Intuition
Distilling the idea to its essence Emphasizing the most important aspects (ignoring some details)
Using representative examples (even if all aspects are not illustrated)
Rigour
Plugging all the holes through formalism or reasoning Presenting convincing empirical evidence
Description of ideas at these two levels should be interleaved
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P i E l i f Id
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Presenting Evolution of Ideas
Evolution in discovery is different from evolution in presentation
Evolution in presentation
Perspective
Problem Definition
Key Ideas
Key contributions
Development of the key ideas
Conclusions
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P ti E l ti f Id
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Presenting Evolution of Ideas
Evolution in discovery is different from evolution in presentation
Evolution in presentation
PerspectiveMotivation, Background, Challenges
Problem Definition
Key Ideas
Key contributions
Development of the key ideas
Conclusions
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P ti E l ti f Id
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Presenting Evolution of Ideas
Evolution in discovery is different from evolution in presentation
Evolution in presentation
PerspectiveMotivation, Background, Challenges
Problem Definition
Why is this an important problem? Key Ideas
Key contributions
Development of the key ideas
Conclusions
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Presenting Evolution of Ideas
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Presenting Evolution of Ideas
Evolution in discovery is different from evolution in presentation
Evolution in presentation
PerspectiveMotivation, Background, Challenges
Problem Definition
Why is this an important problem? Key Ideas
Basis of the hope of a solution, Approach of the solution, Key contributions
Development of the key ideas
Conclusions
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Presenting Evolution of Ideas
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Presenting Evolution of Ideas
Evolution in discovery is different from evolution in presentation
Evolution in presentation
PerspectiveMotivation, Background, Challenges
Problem Definition
Why is this an important problem? Key Ideas
Basis of the hope of a solution, Approach of the solution, Key contributions
Your claim to fame Development of the key ideas
Conclusions
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Presenting Evolution of Ideas
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Presenting Evolution of Ideas
Evolution in discovery is different from evolution in presentation
Evolution in presentation
PerspectiveMotivation, Background, Challenges
Problem Definition
Why is this an important problem? Key Ideas
Basis of the hope of a solution, Approach of the solution, Key contributions
Your claim to fame Development of the key ideas
You have succeeded if readers reach here! Conclusions
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Presenting Evolution of Ideas
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Presenting Evolution of Ideas
Evolution in discovery is different from evolution in presentation
Evolution in presentation
PerspectiveMotivation, Background, Challenges
Problem Definition
Why is this an important problem? Key Ideas
Basis of the hope of a solution, Approach of the solution, Key contributions
Your claim to fame Development of the key ideas
You have succeeded if readers reach here! Conclusions
Honest analysis of work done, The Moral of the story
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Part 3
The Structure of a Paper
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The Structure of a Paper
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The Structure of a Paper
Title
Abstract
Introduction, Motivation
Background, Related work Main Contents
Results, Conclusions
Future Work
References
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How to Write a Good Title?
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How to Write a Good Title?
Should be precise and inviting
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How to Write a Good Title?
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How to Write a Good Title?
Should be precise and inviting
Examples of bad titles A Software A theorem and its proof Wireless networks Partial redundancy elimination in presence of critical edges for
practical imperative programs with recursion and large number offunctions and calls through function pointers
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How to Write a Good Title?
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o to te a Good t e
Should be precise and inviting
Examples of bad titles A Software A theorem and its proof Wireless networks Partial redundancy elimination in presence of critical edges for
practical imperative programs with recursion and large number offunctions and calls through function pointers
Possible good titles A software based control system for . . .
On XYZ theorem Reducing congestion in wireless networks Partial redundancy elimination in extreme situations
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How to Write a Good Abstract
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Should be a succinct and stand alone description Reading the rest of the paper should not be necessary to get the gist Self-containment only at a high level of description
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Should be a succinct and stand alone description Reading the rest of the paper should not be necessary to get the gist Self-containment only at a high level of description
An abstract is neither a summary nor an outline of the paper
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Should be a succinct and stand alone description Reading the rest of the paper should not be necessary to get the gist Self-containment only at a high level of description
An abstract is neither a summary nor an outline of the paper
A checklist: Motivation, problem statement, approach, results,conclusions
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How to Write a Good Abstract
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Should be a succinct and stand alone description Reading the rest of the paper should not be necessary to get the gist Self-containment only at a high level of description
An abstract is neither a summary nor an outline of the paper
A checklist: Motivation, problem statement, approach, results,conclusions Common mistakes
Too verbose Too long
Too short Omitting essential details
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How About this Abstract?
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We worked in Computer Science. We proved some theorems.Some were big, some were small. Big theorems had big proof,small theorems had small proofs. We tried to connect theproofs to the theorems. Sometimes we succeeded, sometimes
we didnt. By then, the time for submission had arrived, so wesubmitted the paper . . .
M. Leunen and R. Lipton. How to Have Your Abstract Rejected.
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How to Write a Good Introduction?
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What does a good introduction contain?
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What does a good introduction contain?
More details of motivation and problem statement From general to specific Supported by concrete examples, puzzles, mysteries, Contextualizing the problem
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What does a good introduction contain?
More details of motivation and problem statement From general to specific Supported by concrete examples, puzzles, mysteries, Contextualizing the problem
Importance of the problem Significance of the outcome, Intellectual challenge, other difficulties
Why would simple approaches not work?
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What does a good introduction contain?
More details of motivation and problem statement From general to specific Supported by concrete examples, puzzles, mysteries, Contextualizing the problem
Importance of the problem Significance of the outcome, Intellectual challenge, other difficulties
Why would simple approaches not work?
Overview of proposed approach
A sketch of main proof, algorithm, key idea Novelty of the proposed approach
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What does a good introduction contain?
More details of motivation and problem statement From general to specific Supported by concrete examples, puzzles, mysteries, Contextualizing the problem
Importance of the problem Significance of the outcome, Intellectual challenge, other difficulties
Why would simple approaches not work?
Overview of proposed approach
A sketch of main proof, algorithm, key idea Novelty of the proposed approach
Outline of the paper
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How to Write a Good Introduction?
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Why is a good introduction important?
First chance of making first impression
Writing style, overall quality, analytical skills, confidence in ideas
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How to Write a Good Introduction?
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Why is a good introduction important?
First chance of making first impression
Writing style, overall quality, analytical skills, confidence in ideas Last chance of making the reader want to read your paper in details
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How to Describe Background and Related Work?
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Not just what? but also why?, why not?, how?, how else? etc. Not just a list of summaries
Analysis, comparison, strengths, limitations Organized by ideas rather than by references
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Main Contents
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Important questions are answered
Questions: Problem, Theorem, . . .
Answers: Algorithm/Protocol/Formulation, Proof, Counter example. . .
Type of contribution:Beauty, utility, or both
Use formalism but dont hide ideas behind notationIntroduce notation, terminologies only where required
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How to Write Conclusions?
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Not a just summary
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How to Write Conclusions?
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Not a just summary
Different from abstract and introduction
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How to Write Conclusions?
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Not a just summary
Different from abstract and introduction
Represents the moral of the story A high level description of the significance of ideas, what they could
further lead to
Last chance to highlight importance Analysis of strength and limitations What the readers should remember after they have forgotten the
details
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Not a just summary
Different from abstract and introduction
Represents the moral of the story A high level description of the significance of ideas, what they could
further lead to
Last chance to highlight importance Analysis of strength and limitations What the readers should remember after they have forgotten the
details
Brings back the general level
Abstract Introduction Details: Journey from general to specific Details Conclusions: Return journey from specific to general
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How to Write References?
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Reference or Bibliography? References: List of sources that you actually cite in your paper Bibliography: List of all related publications
Each item in the list must have at least the following fields:Title, Author(s), Journal/Proceedings, Publisher, Year
URLs dont have a publication date, hence say when accessed it last
Follow the style specified by the publisher
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Part 4
Elements of Writing
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Elements of Writing
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Be careful about the language: Grammar, sentence formations,spellings, punctuation etc.
Each paragraph should represent a specific idea
Smooth transition from One paragraph to the next One sentence to the next
Plenty of help available on Internet
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Writing a Good Sentence
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Write short sentences
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Writing a Good Sentence
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Write short sentences
Be precise
The problem stated above is difficultDifficult for whom? NP-complete? Believed by you? Believed byothers? Proved by someone?
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Writing a Good Sentence
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Write short sentences
Be precise
The problem stated above is difficultDifficult for whom? NP-complete? Believed by you? Believed byothers? Proved by someone?
Avoid unnecessary words in a sentence
This is a subject which is liked by peopleThis subject is liked by people
The logger program notes the fact that the event has happenedThe logger notes the event
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Writing a Good Sentence
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Write short sentences
Be precise
The problem stated above is difficultDifficult for whom? NP-complete? Believed by you? Believed byothers? Proved by someone?
Avoid unnecessary words in a sentence
This is a subject which is liked by peopleThis subject is liked by people
The logger program notes the fact that the event has happenedThe logger notes the event
Convert nouns to verbs His verticality changed to horizontality
He fell down This paragraph provides a conclusion of the description
This paragraph concludes the description
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Part 5
Conclusions
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Conclusions
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Writing good papers is important for your research
For your own understanding
For communicating your ideas to others For getting feedback from others
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Conclusions
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On good writing
Writing helps you understand your ideas better
Write, read, revise. Repeat as long as you can
Writing is a creative process and a big source of satisfaction
Writing is an art Rules are not absolute Break rules if you must, but understand why it is necessary
How to be a good writer? Read a lot
Best resource: Elements of Style by Strunk and White
Plenty of help available on Internet
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Acknowledgements
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Anonymous referees of our own papers
Discussions with colleague
Numerous tips available on Internet Talk by Abhiram Ranade
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Last But Not the Least
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Thank You!
Contacting me :
http://www.cse.iitb.ac.in/~uday
Uday Khedker IIT Bombay