CMPUT603 - Fall 2005

1. CMPUT603 - Fall 2005 Topic1: Common Abbreviations + Writing Pet Peeves José Nelson Amaral et al. http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~c603 CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

2. Common Abbreviations in Academic Writing CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

3. Common Abbreviations in Academic Writing CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

4. Writing References The Elements of Style By William Strunk Jr., E.B. White, and Roger Angell, Fourth Edition, Longman, 2000 CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

5. Writing References Writing for Computer Science By Justin Zobel, Springer, 2004. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

6. Writing References Handbook of Writing for The Mathematical Sciences By Nicholas J. Higham, Siam,1993. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

7. Document Preparation References LATEX A Document Preparation System User’s Guide and Reference Manual, By Leslie Lamport, Addison Wesley, 1994. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

8. Document Preparation References The LATEX Companion, By Michel Goossens, Frank Mittelbach and Alexander Samarin, Addison Wesley, 1994, (second edition: 2004). CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

9. Robert Holte’s Issues with Poor Writing • Bad organization • Rambling • Lack of argument development • Lack of motivation or explanation about why something is being said. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

10. Use of “This” Avoid using “This” to refer to the meaning of the previous sentence: Poor Usage: The data is written into the outer cylinders of the hard disk. This reduces the access time. Better Usage: The data is written into the outer cylinders of the hard disk. This data distribution reduces the access time. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

11. Another “This” Example(From Strunk and White) Visiting dignitaries watched yesterday as ground was broken for the new high-energy physics laboratory with a blowout safety wall. This is the first visible evidence of the university’s plans for modernization and expansion. Visiting dignitaries watched yesterday as ground was broken for the new high-energy physics laboratory with a blowout safety wall. The ceremony afforded the first visible evidence of the university’s plans for modernization and expansion. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

12. “which” instead of “that”(After Strunk and White) that: defining or restrictive. which: nondefining or nonrestrictive. “The iPod that is broken is on my desk.” Let us know that we are talking about the iPod that is broken, and not about the other one. “The iPod, which is broken, is on my desk.” We only have one iPod, “which” adds the fact that it is broken. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

13. “which” instead of “that”(From Strunk and White) “The careful writer, watchful for small conveniences, goes which-hunting, removes the defining whiches, and by so doing improves his work.” CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

14. Proper use of hyphen ? run time run-time runtime The run time of an application is reported by the run-time system through instrumentation that is collected at runtime. The run-time measurement, taken at runtime, reveals that the run time of the program is 3 seconds. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

15. Proper use of hyphen What is the difference between: External-memory run and External memory run ? External-memory run: A run that is stored in external memory. External memory run: A memory run that is external. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

16. Proper use of hyphen(another example) What is the difference between: Single-address register and Single address register ? Single-address register: A register that has only one address. Single address register: Indicates that there is only one address register. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

17. Excessive, gratuitous, use of “We” and “our”. Poor usage: We designed an experimental framework. The results of our experiments demonstrated speed improvements of 18.2 on 16 processing nodes. Better usage: Experimental results demonstrate speed improvements of 18.2 on 16 processing nodes. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

18. Use of past or future tense Poor usage: The algorithm will read a file from external memory. Better usage: The algorithm reads a file from external memory. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

19. Use of past or future tense Poor usage: Feldmeier demonstrated that a routing-table cache could reduce the lookup time in network gateways by 65\%~\cite{feldmeierINFOCOM88}. Better usage: Feldmeier demonstrates that a routing-table cache may reduce the lookup time in network gateways by 65\%~\cite{feldmeierINFOCOM88}. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

20. Place citation at the end of the sentence. Poor usage: Feldmeier~\cite{feldmeierINFOCOM88} demonstrates that a routing-table cache may reduce the lookup time in network gateways by 65\%. Better usage: Feldmeier demonstrates that a routing-table cache may reduce the lookup time in network gateways by 65\%~\cite{feldmeierINFOCOM88}. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

21. Correct use of et al. Poor usage: Chiueh et al. designs a CPU-style IP caching scheme and demonstrates that general-purpose processors can serve as a powerful platform for high-performance IP routing~\cite{chiueh1999}. Better usage: Chiueh et al. design a CPU-style IP caching scheme and demonstrates that general-purpose processors can serve as a powerful platform for high-performance IP routing~\cite{chiueh1999}. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

22. I think…, It is my opinion…, I believe..., etc Poor usage: I believethat optimizing compilers can reorder data accesses to improve locality. Better usage: Optimizing compilers can reorder data accesses to improve locality. Unless there is a citation at the end of the sentence, or you explicitly stated otherwise, everything that you write is your opinion, your belief, and your thought. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

23. Don’t, doesn’t, isn’t Poor usage: This framework doesn’t address dynamic compilation. Better usage: This framework does not address dynamic compilation. Avoid contractions in technical writing. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

24. Avoid negation Poor usage: This framework does not address dynamic compilation. Better usage: This framework applies to static compilation. Make your sentences affirmative. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

25. So Poor usage: Cache memories are built with expensive technology, so they are small. Better usage: Cache memories are built with expensive technology, therefore they are small. Avoid all colloquialisms in technical writing. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

26. Wasted words The following expressions (and many others that you would use where these appear) often do not add anything to your writing. They waste valuable space in your paper and annoy some of your readers. As a matter of fact Generally It is common knowledge that As we mentioned in Section 3.2* As we stated before It is very important to note that Observe that In order to Note “just”, “very” * Use cross-section references sparingly. When possible, replace them with references to specific definitions, theorems, equations, graphs, etc. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

27. Salavatipour’s State-Your-Intuition Advice • Before a formal proof or a series of equations, give your intuitive reasoning, and an outline of your proof or derivation, in plain English. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

28. Sutton’s Plausible Opposite Test Look at your sentence. In your mind, construct its negative. Is that opposite sentence also plausible? If it is, you should probably say something different. CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods

29. Sutton’s Writing Advice • Do not use “since” when you mean “because”. • Avoid convoluted, indirect sentences. • No double negatives please. • Be direct, honest, and plain. You will get rid of lots of words. Your ideas will be more clearly exposed. • Expect to rewrite and edit extensively! CMPUT 603 - Teaching and Research Methods