On this page, our goal is to provide a plan of action for writing the most common papers. At their core, the action plans offer an ideal sequence of steps, a suggestion for the path to follow while writing which takes into account both cognition (time to think) and composition (time to write). Our recommendations […]
Sites for creating scientific posters abound. Whether you want straightforward explanation or a sense of humor or have an eye for beauty, you will find a free place on the web for creating posters. Here are a few to get you started! Michael Alley — engineer — excellent straightforward explanations that include templates with fonts […]
A formal proposal has the same parts as an informal proposal, but usually has a higher stake outcome involved. Formal proposals are requested prior to undertaking thesis or dissertation research; in some departments, they are a requirement while in others, they are a planning tool. Formal proposals are part of the grant process, too, though […]
Recall from the front page that at the core, all proposals have three principal parts: a main research question, a context that motivates the research question, and a plan to answer the question. Communicate project ideas to professors in a structured manner using a “mini informal proposal” format, even if not explicitly instructed to do so! Create […]
Let’s assume that most of the writing you’ve done about your research idea (whether for a specific class or a larger project) has mostly been for an audience of one or two: you, perhaps an instructor or mentor, perhaps lab mates as well. In other words, the words generated about the research have mostly been […]
While the form and the organization of a proposal are matters of taste, you should choose your form bearing in mind that every proposal reader constantly scans for clear answers to three questions: What are we going to learn as the result of the proposed project that we do not know now? Why is it […]
Recall from the initial discussion of Review papers that these publications make two kinds of contribution: 1) an organized synthesis of the current state of an area of research according to a (novel) perspective; 2) critical commentary from the writer who eventually recommends directions for further research and/or application. In a review paper, the conclusion […]
Before you get much further, I have an admission to make. We can’t really tell you how to write the body of a review paper. Why? Because the body of a review paper is always an individualistic creation; you are the only one who knows what point of view you’ve carved out of the mountain of […]
Review introductions are blessedly brief. Most of the information in a review happens in the body section. Thus, the job of the Introduction is simply to orient the reader to the review topic, identify the motivation for the review, and provide a road map of the reader’s journey though the rest of the text. The […]