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Writing for Computer Science: Writing up

Writing for Computer Science: Writing up. Speaker: Atlas F. Cook IV. Overview. Getting Started Writing Tips Paper Scope External Sorting Paper Organization Publishing First Draft Submission Thesis Parting Words. Getting Started. Research is exciting!  Solve real problems

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Writing for Computer Science: Writing up

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  1. Writing for Computer Science: Writing up Speaker: Atlas F. Cook IV

  2. Overview • Getting Started • Writing Tips • Paper Scope • External Sorting • Paper Organization • Publishing • First Draft • Submission • Thesis • Parting Words

  3. Getting Started • Research is exciting!  • Solve real problems • Enrich world’s knowledge • Slow, steady progress • Enjoy the successes • Even discovering something that does not work is progress.

  4. Getting Started • Read background articles • Brainstorm with advisor • Scribble down ideas: • Spiral notebook • Be like Darwin: messy & creative  • Research ≈ Mouse in a Maze • Dead-ends • Cheese at the end

  5. Writing Tips • Start writing early to organize your thoughts • Know your audience • What is common knowledge? • What needs more details? • Research =

  6. Paper Scope • What is the problem? • Why is it interesting? • How would it help others? • Organization • Background results first OR New results first • Audience determines amount of background material

  7. External Sorting(p. 139) Research scenario: Audience Question coming! • Database external sorting • While (more data) { Load data from HDD into memory Sort data in memory Save sorted result to temporary HDD file } Merge temporary files • Audience: Is compressing the data a good idea?

  8. External Sorting(p. 139) • Compression Disadvantage: • More processing time • Compression Advantage: • Fewer reads/writes from the HDD • Less network traffic • If all data fits in memory • Avoid compression • Otherwise • Use compression  save HDD reads/writes

  9. Paper Organization • Educate readers • Logic Sequences: • Chain (e.g., external sorting) • State the Problem – HDD/network bottleneck • Background – Previous sorting approaches… • Improvement – Compressed merge sort • Specificity (e.g., compiler) • Outline – Front-end & Back-end • Fill in details – Parser, Syntax-Analyzer, …

  10. Paper Organization • Logic Sequences: • By Example (e.g., external sorting) • Start with familiar setting – Merge sort • Apply to new problem – External merge sort • By Complexity (e.g., Recursive proof) • Simple cases – Base cases • Complex cases – Recursive cases

  11. Paper Organization • Common Sections: • Title & Author • Abstract • 50 to 200 words • Summarize paper • Introduction • Extended abstract • Motivation & results • Avoid jargon and notation

  12. Paper Organization • Common Sections: • Body • Background & terminology • Detailed proofs & results • Literature Review • Standing on the shoulders of giants • Most work extends other works -- inheritance  • Conclusions • Review results • Future work idea

  13. Paper Organization • Common Sections: • Bibliography • BibTeX Editor

  14. LyX Word Processor • LyX word processor • LaTeX editor • Windows or Linux • Pre-compiles formulas & citations • WYSIWYM Uncompiled Formula: LyX Source Code: $S(x)=\frac{S(x-1)+O(N^2)}{2}$

  15. The First Draft • First Draft • Written while you do research • Organizes your thoughts • Finds mistakes • Focus on concepts over grammar • Problem definition • Mathematical content • Be messy & creative

  16. The First Draft • First Draft • Use simple sentences to avoid writer’s block • Brainstorm ideas with advisor • Outline ideas • When you get stuck: • Try different angles • Talk with advisor • Go <do your favorite activity> (I go jogging )

  17. From Draft to Submission • Anticipate objections • Make conservative claims • Be thorough with evidence • Keep a journal • Ideas, proofs, & hypotheses

  18. From Draft to Submission • Co-Authoring Strategies: • Each author writes different sections • Disadvantages: • Disjoint styles • Inconsistent tables & figures • Repetition & omission • Taking Turns + Exclusive locks • Person a starts writing • Person b revises & extends • Person a revises & extends • Person b revises & extends

  19. Prepublication • Technical Reports • Timestamp • “Stake claim” to your ideas

  20. Thesis • Thesis Goals: • Demonstrate original & meaningful research • Critique your own results: • Why is this algorithm better? • Less network congestion? • Fewer CPU cycles? • Show importance of the topic • Show that results are useful to others

  21. Writing Checklist • Identify goals & scope • Logically organize the paper • Keep a journal of brainstormed ideas • Write while researching  evaluate ideas

  22. Research is a journey, not a destination. Parting words • Work diligently. • Make a conscious decision to be happy in your work.

  23. Reference: • Zobel, Justin.Writing for Computer Science, 2nd ed., 2004.

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