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Introduction To Writing for Computer Science and Engineering. Course Objective. Learn how to write technical documents ! Including User manuals – Have you written one? Technical manuals - Have you written one? Describing algorithms – Do you know? Technical Papers – What’s that?
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Introduction To Writing for Computer Science and Engineering
Course Objective • Learn how to write technical documents! • Including • User manuals – Have you written one? • Technical manuals - Have you written one? • Describing algorithms – Do you know? • Technical Papers – What’s that? • Project proposals - ??? • NOTE: We don’t learn how to write essays
Why such a course? • The biggest problem for engineers (including computer scientists) is that • They cannot communicate effectively their thoughts • They can write millions of line of code that will do extra-ordinary tasks but.. • This limits significantly their career prospects
Motivation • A scientific paper presents new ideas and demonstrates their correctness. • These should be presented with clarity and without ambiguities. • Unfortunately scientists in many cases cannot communicate well. • Why? Please provide your opinion.
Scientific Writing • Scientific writing is about structure, non-ambiguity, completeness. • The reader must be able to reconstruct the author’s work. • In clearly written senior project report this should hold true • A difficult to understand paper is never convincing. • After half-a-read people will give up • Good writing and presentation can persuade the reader that the work is of value
Scientific writing • For example, the reader tends to judge statements to be wrong if they contain numerous spelling errors. • The issu hear is that this teqnical paper is realy interestin. • The issue here is that this technical paper is really interesting • Layout issues such as font and spacing are also important. • The issue here is that this technical paper is really interesting • THE issue Here is that thistechnical paper is really interesting
Problems • English is the language of science • If English is not your native language, you probably confront many difficulties • Usually scientists have little experience of writing extended documents. • Many are intimidated by writing and avoid it because it’s not fun
Remarks • Few scientists are natural writers • Those who write well, learn usually through experience • Their early papers are often embarrassingly poor • It is not so difficult to become a good writer • Steps: create a logical organization, use concise sentences, revise against checklists of possible problems, seek feedback and • PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
Getting Started with Latex • Download TexMaker v3.5 (www.xm1math.net/texmaker/). • This is a free, multiplatform latex editor • Download Miktex (http://www.miktex.org/) • Version 2.9, Basic • These are the latex libraries • Install both in the default folders • If you can
Now you are ready! • Download and start reading the latex getting started tutorial and • Create the first example