CS 696 CS 696 Communication Skills Communication Skills Thanks to - - PDF document

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CS 696 CS 696 Communication Skills Communication Skills Thanks to - - PDF document

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CS 696 CS 696 Communication Skills Communication Skills Thanks to Mary Jane Irwin and Kathy McCoy 1 Communication is the Key! Communication is the Key! No matter how good the idea is, it wont go anywhere unless you can communicate

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CS 696 CS 696 Communication Skills Communication Skills

Thanks to Mary Jane Irwin and Kathy McCoy

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Communication is the Key! Communication is the Key!

No matter how good the idea is, it won’t go

anywhere unless you can communicate it to

  • thers

Keys to successful communication:

  • Have something to say (and believe in it)

Have something to say (and believe in it)

  • Figure out how to motivate it

Figure out how to motivate it – – tell a story tell a story

  • Figure out how to organize it

Figure out how to organize it

  • Figure out how to SAY it

Figure out how to SAY it

  • Practice, practice, practice (rewrite, rewrite, rewrite)

Practice, practice, practice (rewrite, rewrite, rewrite)

  • Deliver the talk

Deliver the talk – – submit the paper submit the paper

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Why is Communication Important? Why is Communication Important?

Good writing/presentations can’t make bad

work good, but bad writing/presentations can make good work go unnoticed

Being a good writer/speaker rarely comes

naturally

  • Get better by writing more paper, giving more

Get better by writing more paper, giving more talks talks

  • Get better by analyzing what good writers/

Get better by analyzing what good writers/ speakers do speakers do

Work at it … it’s uncomfortable but worth it!

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Have something to say Have something to say… …

Writing a paper/presentation often

clarifies/solidifies ideas because the paper needs to tell the full story

Papers/presentations have limited time

frames –figure out the most important points AND how to get them across

That means leaving out details

  • That

That’ ’s often tricky! s often tricky!

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Good Writing Means Good Writing Means… …

Making something Understandable to the

Audience …

Making something Interesting for the

audience to read (with proper motivation)

A poorly written paper is one where the

wrong details are included, or it asks the reader to do too much work. Make it fun to

  • read. Provide the necessary background

and materials.

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Writing is Important! Writing is Important!

Writing was one of the most important

lessons you learn in graduate school

It is important – spend time getting it right! Study from good writers Practice writing – and get feedback! (At

the same time, be willing to give feedback too!)

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How To Organize a Talk/Paper How To Organize a Talk/Paper

Start early – “There is no such thing as

good writing, only good rewriting”

Decide what the “take home message”

should be

Write down the important points you want

to make (in any random order) – don’t forget motivation and “way of looking at the problem”

Spend time thinking about pictures/graphs/

visual aids to help you make your points

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Some Things To Think About Some Things To Think About… …

Get the reader interested early (remember

they’re busy …)

Show the reader how to read and evaluate

the work – establish the point of view the reviewer should be taking

Must be technically sound, but also

understandable to a non-expert

Proof-read the paper and then proof it

again!!! Spell check numerous times!!

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Get Feedback Get Feedback

Get the draft done early for feedback

  • Give it to your advisor REALLY early

Give it to your advisor REALLY early

  • Give it to your friends

Give it to your friends – – and offer to read their and offer to read their papers in return papers in return

Look at feedback as a blessing (grow a

thick skin)

Let the people reading know what the

acceptance criteria are

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Understand Your Audience Understand Your Audience

Know your audience

  • Who is on the program committee?

Who is on the program committee?

  • What kind of work do they do?

What kind of work do they do?

  • What is the style of the conference?

What is the style of the conference?

  • What is the assumed knowledge?

What is the assumed knowledge?

Remember program committee members

are busy people

  • Your writing has to be clear and concise

Your writing has to be clear and concise – – don don’ ’t try to say too much! t try to say too much!

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Know the Criteria for Acceptance Know the Criteria for Acceptance

Significance Technical soundness Relevance to conference topic Relevant literature cited How general is the contribution Is the paper well-written/clear?

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What if the Paper is Rejected What if the Paper is Rejected

Rejection does not necessarily mean that the

work is not good

What is good, bad about the paper - decide if the

paper can be salvaged

If so, revised the paper addressing reviewer

concerns

Resubmit the paper to the next relevant

conference

Don’t give up easily

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Author Ordering Author Ordering

Whose name should go first? Last? How big a contribution gets one on the

author list?

Don’t forget to include

  • Acknowledgement to the

Acknowledgement to the funder funder (ask your (ask your advisor for the grant number) advisor for the grant number)

  • Acknowledgements to others who made

Acknowledgements to others who made contributions, just not enough to make the contributions, just not enough to make the author list author list

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Least Publishable Unit Least Publishable Unit

What about dual (simultaneous)

submissions?

  • To two different conferences

To two different conferences – – NEVER NEVER

  • To a conference and a journal

To a conference and a journal – – ONLY if the ONLY if the call specifically allows it and tell pc chair call specifically allows it and tell pc chair

What about two “versions” of essentially

the same paper ? – LPU hurts you in the long run

Don’t let anyone push you into something

that you are uncomfortable with

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Beware of Plagiarism Beware of Plagiarism

“Plagiarism, in which one misrepresents

ideas, words, computer codes or other creative expression as one's own, is a clear violation of such ethical principles.”

  • www.acm.org/pubs/plagiarism%20policy.html

www.acm.org/pubs/plagiarism%20policy.html

All authors are held responsible for the

paper content

Understand the rules to avoid self

plagiarism

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Oral Presentations Oral Presentations

Determine the talk and make the slides Write out exactly word-for-word what you

are going to say on each slide

Give the talk out loud to yourself with the

slides and printed notes in front of you

  • Note mistakes in the slides

Note mistakes in the slides

  • Jot notes on places that just

Jot notes on places that just “ “don don’ ’t seem to t seem to work work” ” or

  • r “

“flow flow” ”

  • Note if the talk is too long or short

Note if the talk is too long or short

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Some Slide Mechanics Some Slide Mechanics

30 minute talk = ~ 18-20 slides Never use variable width fonts Never use less than 24 point font Shoot for about 3 points per slide and less

than 30 words per slide

Use animation (rather than a laser pointer)

–

Make effect use of color – but don’t overdo

it but don’t

  • verdo it

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Still Practicing Still Practicing… …

Act on the results of the practice

  • Does the overall talk work?

Does the overall talk work?

  • Is it close to the right amount of time or do you

Is it close to the right amount of time or do you have to cut/add major chunks? have to cut/add major chunks?

  • Fix the slides

Fix the slides

  • Rewrite the text to fix the rough spots

Rewrite the text to fix the rough spots (sometimes this means re (sometimes this means re-

  • ordering or working
  • rdering or working

in a new transition or significantly changing a in a new transition or significantly changing a couple of slides) couple of slides)

Repeat until Good! (Speak slowly; don’t

use notes)

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The Dry Run The Dry Run… …

It is often harder to give a talk to your

friends and colleagues than it is to a large audience that doesn’t know you

Make sure to do it early enough so you will

be able to incorporate changes

Lay the ground rules for the dry run – make

sure they know where you are giving the talk (what kind of audience), how long you have, whether you can be interrupted, etc.

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Still on the Dry Run Still on the Dry Run… …

Deliver the talk as if it were the real thing

  • Smile

Smile

  • Be confident

Be confident

  • Look them (all) in the eye

Look them (all) in the eye

  • Be enthusiastic about (all) the material

Be enthusiastic about (all) the material

  • Speak SLOWLY

Speak SLOWLY

  • Speak clearly

Speak clearly

  • Modulate your voice emphasizing the

Modulate your voice emphasizing the important points important points

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More on the Dry Run More on the Dry Run

Listen carefully to the comments

  • Be grateful for every comment you get!

Be grateful for every comment you get! (Remember, you don (Remember, you don’ ’t need to incorporate t need to incorporate them if you don them if you don’ ’t like them, but another t like them, but another viewpoint is ALWAYS helpful.) viewpoint is ALWAYS helpful.)

  • Pay particular attention if someone is confused

Pay particular attention if someone is confused

  • r didn
  • r didn’

’t understand a point that was made t understand a point that was made – – that really needs to be fixed! that really needs to be fixed!

Rewrite the talk based on the comments Go practice it for yourself again!

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At the Conference At the Conference

It is natural to be nervous Check out the set-up in advance (take that

stresser away)

  • It is best if you can actually TRY the media in

It is best if you can actually TRY the media in advance advance

  • Ask for help if something doesn

Ask for help if something doesn’ ’t work right t work right

  • Know what

Know what “ “signals signals” ” for time you will get for time you will get

Remain confident – you KNOW this

material and it is GOOD – now show them!

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Answering Questions Answering Questions

Be prepared !

  • Give session chair

Give session chair “ “sample sample” ” questions questions

  • Have backup slides for the questions you expect

Have backup slides for the questions you expect

Make sure you listen to/understand the question

– repeat it back to the questioner

For questions that need long/detailed

responses, ask to meet after the session

Don’t be afraid to say “that’s a really good

point/idea and on our list to consider for future work”

Don’t get into extended arguments

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One Last Issue One Last Issue

Keep a professional web page Update it regularly Include a professionally done head shot Put personal stuff (family pictures, etc)

accessible via a link clearly marked as such

  • If you wouldn

If you wouldn’ ’t be happy having your mother t be happy having your mother see it, don see it, don’ ’t put it there t put it there

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Resources Resources

That every graduate student in CSE

should have on their bookcase

  • Tufte

Tufte, , The Visual Display of Quantitative The Visual Display of Quantitative Information Information, 2001 , 2001

  • Alley,

Alley, The Craft of Scientific Presentations: The Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to Succeed and Critical Errors Critical Steps to Succeed and Critical Errors to Avoid to Avoid, 2005 , 2005

  • Zobel

Zobel, , Writing for Computer Science Writing for Computer Science, 2004 , 2004

  • Colwell,

Colwell, The Pentium Chronicles The Pentium Chronicles, 2006 , 2006

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Summing Up Summing Up

Communicating your ideas

clearly is an important skill that needs to be worked on

The more you do it, the

easier it becomes – but that fear doesn’t ever go away

Part of being a professional