Scientific Communication (SS 2007)

Aims of the course

The aim of these courses is to introduce graduate students to the principles of scientific communication: writing a journal paper; making an effective scientific conference poster; and making a professional seminar or conference oral presentation of scientific material. The presenter is multi-disciplinary and the courses are adapted to each graduate school. 

 Writing and Publishing an Effective Journal Paper
Aim:
To help participants understand the following: the characteristics of an effective paper; requirements for each section of a paper; what reviewers and editors look for; the process of publishing a paper. 

To be covered:
The general structure of a journal paper. Then, for each section: the purpose of the section; how to write it; difficulties in writing it; tense of the verb; common faults; review checklist.

Method of learning:
♦ PowerPoint presentation by Heather Silyn-Roberts
♦ Group discussion between presenter and participants
♦ Participants' individual assessment of the papers they have brought with them

 Making an Effective Conference Poster
Aim:
To help participants construct for a conference a display poster that effectively communicates the essential elements of a piece of scientific work. 

To be covered:
Features of posters that viewers like; planning; design and structure of information; figures and tables; effective and ineffective features of posters; review checklist.

Method of learning:
♦ PowerPoint presentation by Heather Silyn-Roberts
♦ Discussion of the requirements
♦ Participants' assessment and grading of posters (postes brought by participants, photos)

 Making an Effective Seminar or Conference Presentation
Aim:
To help participants learn how to use the skills of rhetoric, structuring of information, and preparation of visual aids to present scientific information in a professional manner at a conference or seminar. To learn what to avoid doing. 

To be covered:
Guidelines for beginners; types of notes; structuring a presentation; using overview information at the beginning and end; dealing with detail; spoken style; wording (your own, visual aids); designing visual aids; delivering the talk; dealing with needing to pause, interruptions, finishing in a hurry; answering questions.

Method of learning:
♦ All participants will present a prepared five-minute seminar based on their work. Each presentation is followed by group discussion analysing the effective and ineffective points.
♦ PowerPoint presentation by Heather Silyn-Roberts of what to do and what not to do when making a scientific presentation.
♦ Time allowed for participants to improve their presentation, followed by the second, improved version by each participant. Group discussion after each presentaion. Also practice in finishing in a professional manner when one's time has run out.
♦ NOTE: each participant who has gone through this course has shown a marked improvement in presentation technique and confidence in the second presentation.

Set up

• Maximum numbers of participants is 20.
• Programme Schedule:
  Day 1: Morning and part afternoon: journal paper; rest of the afternoon: poster
  Day 2: seminar on making an oral presentation: followed by the first presentation by the students & feedback
  Day 3: second presentations
• Participants should bring a journal paper that they have written or are familiar with; each participant will analyse this paper during the course
• Participants should bring examples of conference posters. These will be analysed during the course
• Each participant should prepare beforehand a five-minute oral presentation (with visual aids: PowerPoint or overhead foils) on an aspect of his/her work. Each presentation is given once, then improved and presented a second time
   

Target date

Friday, June 30, Monday July 3 and Tuesday July 4, 2007
Starting: 9:00 a.m.
Ending: 5:00 p.m.
Seminar room, BCCN Building, Hansastr. 9a

Evaluation

Average evaluation: 1.54 (scale 1-4 with 1 being the best)

Comments:

• I missed the part about written papers due to a personal problem
• The repetition of the oral presentations should be done one day after the first presentation to give time for the students to modify he slides and practice the modified speech
• More than two days would be too much. In my opinion one and a half is sufficient
• first day: we could have gome more into detail, perhaps use more examples of papers people brought with them → Take one day for this session. Doing talks of groups at two days, giving possibility to improve slides. Smaller groups on first day
• Maybe "chalk talks" and "stand-up presentations" could be included
• Maybe such a training session should be taken in early semesters. Diploma-students will benefit from it most. The reduction to two-days and the group/splitting was a good idea
• groups of 7-9 is just right, many more students would be too much
• I think the impact of this course will be much higher for beginners, i.e. diploma students
• More details, how a poster has to be done, could have been shown. More critic to the posters: what can be done in a better way
• More emphasis on the actual process of writing articles would have been useful. Maybe by practicing writing one part of an article
• 1st day: rush through 'publication' topics maybe more 'hands-on' on papers, posters, talks... but all in all very good, esp. for 1st year PhDs
• tips and common mistakes in English; write exercise: small essay / abstract; writing strategies
• could be more neuroscience specific (certain journal habits); add overview on the literature on writing / presenting