Abstract Writing Workshop Grady Gauthier Jason I. Hong EECS Department University of California at Berkeley

2 Nov Getting Your Research Out There Posters Workshops Short papers Tech reports Conference papers Journal articles Web Sites and Web-Based Databases Web SitesWeb-Based Databases

3 Nov What are Research Abstracts? Abstracts are stand-alone summaries of a research project, giving an overview of the problem, what you did, & what you learned Abstracts are important because: ­Some conferences ask for abstracts first ­Workshops / poster sessions ask for abstracts ­They are the first thing people read in a paper ­They are used in collections of papers ­They are used in searchable databases Is this research interesting to me?

4 Nov Workshop Format How to write abstracts How to get your research out there (And a little bit about how research is done)

5 Nov

6 Example Abstract Through a study of web site design practice, we observed that web site designers design sites at different levels of refinement—site map, storyboard, and individual page—and that designers sketch at all levels during the early stages of design. However, existing web design tools do not support these tasks very well. Informed by these observations, we created DENIM, a system that helps web site designers in the early stages of design. DENIM supports sketching input, allows design at different refinement levels, and unifies the levels through zooming. We performed an informal evaluation with seven professional designers and found that they reacted positively to the concept and were interested in using such a system in their work. (CHI2000)

7 Nov Example Abstract Through a study of web site design practice, we observed that web site designers design sites at different levels of refinement—site map, storyboard, and individual page—and that designers sketch at all levels during the early stages of design. However, existing web design tools do not support these tasks very well. Informed by these observations, we created DENIM, a system that helps web site designers in the early stages of design. DENIM supports sketching input, allows design at different refinement levels, and unifies the levels through zooming. We performed an informal evaluation with seven professional designers and found that they reacted positively to the concept and were interested in using such a system in their work. (CHI2000) What is the Problem? What did we do?What did we learn?

8 Nov What are Research Abstracts? Abstracts should have: ­Objective – the problem ­Methods – how you approached the problem ­Results – interesting results, the facts ­Conclusions – what we think the results mean

9 Nov Example Abstract Caspase 8 is a cysteine protease regulated in both a death-receptor-dependent and –independent manner during apoptosis. Here, we report that the gene for caspase 8 is frequently inactivated in neuroblastoma, a childhood tumor of the peripheral nervous system. The gene is silenced through DNA methylation as well as through gene deletion. Complete inactivation of CASP8 occurred almost exclusively in neuroblastomas with amplification of the oncogene MYCN. Caspase 8-null neuroblastoma cells were resistant to death receptor- and doxorubicin-mediated apoptosis, deficits that were corrected by programmed expression of the enzyme. Thus, caspase 8 acts as a tumor suppressor in neuroblastomas with amplification of MYCN. (Nature, May 2000)

10 Nov Example Abstract Caspase 8 is a cysteine protease regulated in both a death-receptor-dependent and –independent manner during apoptosis. Here, we report that the gene for caspase 8 is frequently inactivated in neuroblastoma, a childhood tumor of the peripheral nervous system. The gene is silenced through DNA methylation as well as through gene deletion. Complete inactivation of CASP8 occurred almost exclusively in neuroblastomas with amplification of the oncogene MYCN. Caspase 8-null neuroblastoma cells were resistant to death receptor- and doxorubicin-mediated apoptosis, deficits that were corrected by programmed expression of the enzyme. Thus, caspase 8 acts as a tumor suppressor in neuroblastomas with amplification of MYCN. (Nature, May 2000) What is the Problem? What did we do / learn? (Little bit of Method / Mostly Results) What did we learn? (Conclusions)

11 Nov Structure of Research Papers Abstract Introduction Background and Related Work Description of Your Work Results Discussion Future Work Conclusion

12 Nov Structure of Research Papers Both present an overview of the research Abstracts versus Introductions ­Introduction is longer ­Abstract describes specific problem, intro needs to have a stronger, broader problem motivation ­Introduction provides some background info, describing the research area Abstracts should not have: ­References ­Background info ­Information that is not in the paper itself

13 Nov Abstract Lengths Length of abstracts vary ­1 paragraph (~4-7 sentences) for posters, tech reports, short papers, conference papers +Some have strict word lengths, many do not ­1-2 paragraphs for journal articles ­Some conferences / workshops ask for 1-2 page abstracts first, and then full papers later +These kinds of abstract are different, as they explain what you want to do, why it's an important problem, and any early results

14 Nov Writing Research Abstracts Typically written after rest of paper is done Writing Tips ­Skim thru paper for the main points, including objectives, methods, results, and conclusions ­Remove any background info ­Remove info that is not in the paper itself ­Iterate Goals ­Make sure the abstract can be read by itself without the paper (People often read abstract, intro, and conclusions first, rest of paper last) ­Clear for your specific audience

15 Nov Example Abstract Algorithmic Issues in Large Scale Dynamic Networks We propose to develop a theoretically well-founded framework for the design and analysis of algorithms for large scale dynamic networks. In particular, for the Web and related dynamic networks, such as the underlying Internet topology and Internet-based peer to peer ad hoc networks. We plan to develop rigorous mathematical models that capture key characteristics and can make reliable predictions about features such as connectivity, information content, and dynamic of these networks. We plan to apply this framework to test existing algorithms and construct improved new algorithms. The main benefits of developing the mathematical models of the Web structure and dynamics will be the improved theoretical foundation for the design, analysis, and testing of algorithms that operate in the web environment. The tangible results of this work will therefore be models that can be subjected to experimental verification, analyses of algorithms based upon these models, new algorithms that benefit from these analyses, and, finally, proof-of- concept demonstrations and experimental evaluations of such algorithms. (NSF ITR 2001)

16 Nov Exercise 15 minute exercise Get in groups of 2-3 Write a 1 paragraph abstract on research you are doing now (or a class project you are working on now or did in the past) ­Do either the "This is what I did" abstract or the "This is what I will do" abstract After you are done, pass your abstract to others in your group and get feedback

17 Nov Example Abstract Software support for making effective pen-based applications is currently rudimentary. To facilitate the creation of such applications, we have developed SATIN, a Java-based toolkit designed to support the creation of applications that leverage the informal nature of pens. This support includes a scenegraph for manipulating and rendering objects; support for zooming and rotating objects, switching between multiple views of an object, integration of pen input with interpreters, libraries for manipulating ink strokes, widgets optimized for pens, and compatibility with Java’s Swing toolkit. SATIN includes a generalized architecture for handling pen input, consisting of recognizers, interpreters, and multi- interpreters. In this paper, we describe the functionality and architecture of SATIN, using two applications built with SATIN as examples. (UIST2000)

18 Nov Example Abstract Software support for making effective pen-based applications is currently rudimentary. To facilitate the creation of such applications, we have developed SATIN, a toolkit designed to support the creation of applications that leverage the informal nature of pens. SATIN introduces a generalized architecture for handling pen input, consisting of recognizers, interpreters, and multi- interpreters. It also includes libraries for manipulating ink strokes, GUI widgets optimized for pens, and compatibility with Java’s Swing toolkit. In this paper, we describe the functionality and architecture of SATIN, using two applications built with SATIN as examples.

19 Nov Questions?

20 Nov Example Abstract Software support for making effective pen-based applications is currently rudimentary. To facilitate the creation of such applications, we have developed SATIN, a Java-based toolkit designed to support the creation of applications that leverage the informal nature of pens. This support includes a scenegraph for manipulating and rendering objects; support for zooming and rotating objects, switching between multiple views of an object, integration of pen input with interpreters, libraries for manipulating ink strokes, widgets optimized for pens, and compatibility with Java’s Swing toolkit. SATIN includes a generalized architecture for handling pen input, consisting of recognizers, interpreters, and multi- interpreters. In this paper, we describe the functionality and architecture of SATIN, using two applications built with SATIN as examples. (UIST2000)