Seminar in Transportation

1. Seminar in Transportation A summary of An Outline of Scientific Writing, Jen Tsi Yang By: A. Ariannezhad, A. Iranitalab, M. kavianipour, A. Mohammadi, A. Moeinaddini Civil Engineering DepartmentSharif University of Technology

2. 1Word Choice A.Delete Uninformative Words And Avoid Redundancy • The mathematician Pascal once noted to a friend: “I am writing a longer letter than usual, because there is not enough time to write a short one. ” unnecessarily wordy improved version • brief in duration brief • Sufficient in number sufficient • It was precooled before It was precooled.

3. 1Word Choice B. Use One Word To Replace A Phrase • at this point in time now • the reason was because because • it was evident that evidently

4. 1Word Choice C. Avoid Grandiloquence • provokes ridicule • Sir Winston Churchill: “Give us the tools and we will finish the job.” • The greatest speeches in history were simple and to the point

5. 1Word Choice • The data were calculated. • Necrosis may be caused by toxins. • Computations were conducted on the data. • It may seem reasonable to suggest that the necrotic effect may possibly be due to toxins.

6. 1Word Choice D. Avoid Cliches And Euphemisms • The patient died. • The patient expired • The patient passed away • The patient breathed his last • The patient has gone to his rest

7. 1Word Choice E. Use Synonyms • There are two reasons to use synonyms: • 1-to avoid monotony from using the same term repeatedly. • 2-to express the precise shade of meaning for a specific context. The subject demonstrated a marked sensitivity to the allergen. After receiving the medication, she showed marked improvement. This is a marked medical achievement. The subject demonstrated a marked sensitivity to the allergen. After receiving the medication, she showed extraordinary improvement. This is a noteworthy medical achievement.

8. 2 Sentence Structure A.Agreement of Subject And Verb 1- The number of the verb must agree with the number of the subject An evaluation of the experimental results, as well as the clinical findings, is described. An evaluation of the experimental results, as well as the clinical findings, are described. An evaluation ... Are described An evaluation ... is described • An easy way to identify the correct subject and verb form:

9. 2 Sentence Structure 2- Recognize irregular plurals • singular forms: data, formulae, radii • Plural forms: datum, formula, radius correct form This data is significant These data are significant

10. 2 Sentence Structure 3- when singular and plural subjects are joined by either ... or and neither ... nor, the verb must agree with the nearest subject. correct form Either the samples or the apparatus were contaminated. Either the samples or the apparatus was contaminated. Neither of the samples is large. • both of either and neither, always take a singular verb.

11. 2 Sentence Structure correct form The tissue was minced and samples incubated. The tissue was minced and Samples were incubated. Blood samples have been drawn and measurements have been taken. correct form Blood samples have been drawn and measurements taken. • A compound sentence with more than one dependent clause:

12. 2 Sentence Structure B.Pronoun Reference • A missing antecedent • Ambiguous reference The monkey was operated on by the surgeon when he was six weeks old. The monkey, when he was six weeks old, was operated on by the surgeon. When he was six weeks old, the monkey was operated on by the surgeon. • If the ambiguity cannot be removed by rearranging words, the entire sentence should be rewritten.

13. 2 Sentence Structure C. Active And Passive Voice • As fashions change with time, so does the style of scientific writing. It was suggested by Dr. Smith that the test be postponed Dr. Smith suggested postponing the test. • You should not entirely avoid using the passive voice. The relationship F = ma was discovered by Newton. Newton discovered the relationship F = ma.

14. 2 Sentence Structure C. Active And Passive Voice • The passive voice is also used to avoid mentioning the performer of the action when the performer is unimportant, indefinite, unknown, or obvious from text. Bovine serum albumin was purchased from Sigma. Eighteen minutes of the tape had been erased.

15. 2 Sentence Structure D. Nouns From Verbs • For many action verbs there are nouns of similar derivation such as: • examine/examination and perform/performance improved form An evaluation of the data was done. The data were evaluated. The installation of the new equipment has been carried out. The new equipment has been installed. improved form

16. 2 Sentence Structure E. Modifiers 1-Adjectival modifiers: a child in blue jeans. a child in jeans the color of the sky. • Modify the nearest noun. • One or more adjectives precede the noun, while adjective phrases follow the noun.

17. 2 Sentence Structure 2-Adverbs: • He noted a relatively large increase in blood flow • An exception is when the adverb modifies an intransitive verb. • He walked quickly • Mainly modify verbs, but they can also modify, adjectives, other adverbs, and even whole sentences. • Most single-word adverbs end in -ly, such as lightly and evenly precede the words that they modify.

18. 2 Sentence Structure 2- Adverbs: As soon as my replacement arrived, I left. I left As soon as my replacement arrived. • Compound verbs consist of one or more helping verbs and a participle. • He is probably writing his thesis now. • If only the participle is being modified, • His thesis has been carefully written. • The procedure has been tried time after time. • If The modifier makes up a large portion of the sentence,

19. 2 Sentence Structure 2- Adverbs: Slowly, he drew the blood into the syringe. He slowly drew the blood into the syringe. He drew the blood slowly into the syringe. He drew the blood into the syringe slowly. but never He drew slowly the blood into the syringe. • Sometimes a single adverb can take one of several positions in the sentence. It should never, however, separate a verb from its object.

20. 2 Sentence Structure 2- Adverbs: We purchased rats from a dealer weighing about 250 g. We purchased rats weighing about 250 g from a dealer. • A misplaced modifier making the sentence confusing or illogical.

21. 2 Sentence Structure F. Germanic Construction The gas analyzer sampling tube is then connected to the calibrator mixing chamber. The sampling tube of the gas analyzer is then connected to the mixing chamber of the calibrator. • Sentences containing several adjectives in sequence • This is a case where the most concise sentence is not the clearest

22. 2 Sentence Structure G. Punctuation “as of September 1,257 people were dead,” Instead of “as of September 1, 257 people were dead.” • In August 1993, a dam in a remote western province of China burst and killed 257 people. • the U.N. disaster relief agency misread a Chinese document Which read:

23. 2 Sentence Structure H. American And British Styles 1-Spelling • Some American words ending with -ction, -ense, -er, -El, - log, or -yzeare spelled differently in British usage. • For some verbs ending with -e, the American style is to drop the silent e when a suffix is added, while British style retains the e.

24. Ending American British -ctionconnection connexion inflection inflexion -ensedefense defence -er center centre liter litre -or behavior behaviour color colour -yze analyze analyse Verb AmericanBritish age aging ageing judge judgment judgement

25. 2 Sentence Structure 2-Punctuation With Quoted Material • A comma, an exclamation point, a period, or a question mark He shouted, “Have a safe trip!” as we drove away. Why did she say, “Call me when you get home”? • Colons and semicolons are placed outside the quotation marks. It was clear that everyone had read “Treatment of Tumors”; the ensuing discussion was brisk and informed. • The British rules for

26. 2 Sentence Structure 2-Punctuation With Quoted Material • A colons, ellipses, exclamation points, question marks, or semicolons • A comma or period, however, is always placed inside the closing quotation mark.. “This meeting is now adjourned,” were her closing words. “The pen is mightier than the sword” is his favorite maxim. • The American rules

27. 2 Sentence Structure 2-Punctuation With Quoted Material American British Please bring some form of identification, e.g., a driver’s license or passport Please bring some form of identification, e.g. a driver’s license or passport • The American practice is to use a comma after e.g. and i.e., while the British style omits the comma.

28. 3 Paragraph Structure • basic guidelines for paragraph design: 1- Cover only one main point or idea in each paragraph. 2- Each sentence should establish or support the topic of the paragraph 3- Include information that explains why actions were taken • All of the patient data were kept in paper files. The absence of even one • clerk caused delays in the monthly reporting. Finally, management decided • to interview some systems analysts. • A lucid paragraph contains a topic sentence and clearly related supporting sentences

29. 3 Paragraph Structure • basic guidelines for paragraph design: 4- Keep a consistent point of view and maintain the same grammatical voice. 5- Use parallel construction to make the paragraph easier to understand

30. Part II: Planning the Paper Preliminaries • To write or not to write • You should • Start with a premise • Develop a theory • Or conduct a series of experiments • Prove or disprove the premise • You Shouldn’t • Start with data collected by your students or coworkers • Try to explain the data

31. Part II: Planning the Paper Preliminaries Format of a regular paper Title Author Abstract Introduction Material and Methods Results (And) Discussion Acknowledgement References Tables Figures Legends of Figures IMRAD

32. Part II: Planning the Paper Preliminaries • Format of a regular paper • Suggested Approach • Follow the journal’s instructions • Decide which experimental data • Materials and Methods section • The results, figures and tables • Introduction and Discussion • The reference list • The tables in numerical order • The figures in numerical order • Select a tentative title

33. Part II: Planning the Paper Preliminaries • Format of a regular paper • Suggested Approach • The abstract • Revise the first draft • Revise the manuscript • Seek comments from each author (Multiauthor paper) • Reread the manuscript • Have someone review the manuscript • Have the text polished by someone fluent in English • Submit the manuscript to the journal

34. Part II: Planning the Paper Preliminaries • Format of a regular paper • Keep in mind two facts • Brevity • Clarity practice to condense your manuscript as much as possible • Convention for verb forms • Introduction and Discussion: Present Tense • Materials and Methods and Results: Past Tense

35. Part II: Planning the Paper Preliminaries • Communications (letters) to the editor • They are • An urgent report of unusual results • New and significant insights that allow for rapid publication • Their importance to current research warrant immediate publication • They are not • Short versions of regular papers • They should be • Very brief • Concise • Clear

36. Part II: Planning the Paper Preliminaries • Nomenclature and Style • International standards on nomenclature should be observed. • The US National Academy of Sciences recommends various guides. • Chemistry. The ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and Editors, ed. Dodd, J. S. (1986) American Chemical Society Publications, 1155 16th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036. • Physics. AIP Style Manual (1990) American Institute of Physics, 335 East 45th Street, New York, NY 10017

37. Part II: Planning the Paper Title and Running Title • A title is usually a phrase, but can be a complete sentence. • A good title should: • Provide specific information • Be informative and lucid • Include a subtitle if needed: The frequency and predictors of helmet use among Iranian motorcyclists: A quantitative and qualitative study • Not be in question form • Not contain nonstandard abbreviation: The CMC of SDS The critical micelle concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate

38. Part II: Planning the Paper Title and Running Title • A good title should: • Begin with an important term • Not contain judgmental words • Not be serial • Provide a running title: • Less than fifty characters long including spacing • The briefer title that appears on each page of text Sudden deafness and its relationship to atherosclerosis Running title: SUDDEN DEAFNESS AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS

39. Part II: Planning the Paper Authors • Multiauthorship • Two questions show up • Who should be listed as an author? • In what order should coauthors be listed? “I will list your name in my paper, and you will list my name in your publications.” • It is usually: • The first author did the research • last author is the supervisor

40. Part II: Planning the Paper Authors • Multiauthorship • It is suggested that • Title page contains the names of those who have contributed materially to the work • Others can be thanked in the Acknowledgments • Citing • Reducing list of more than three authors, to the first author’s name followed by “et al.” • One Record: In a 1987 paper in Phys. Rev. D. there were 108 authors from 14 universities

41. Part II: Planning the Paper Authors • Format of names • first name/middle name/last name/designations Doyle Arthur Bramhalljr. AsgharRastegar M.D. Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL • The spelling of a name in English is a matter of personal preference.

42. Part II: Planning the Paper Authors • Romanization of Persian names • From the ALA-LC Romanization Tables:

43. Part II: Planning the Paper Authors • Romanization of Persian names • Examples:

44. Part II: Planning the Paper Abstract and Key Words • Abstract • Is not an indicative summery or a table of contents • Gives actual data • A mini-paper • Maximum information with minimum words • Covering • Objective • Materials and Methods • Results • Conclusions

45. Part II: Planning the Paper Abstract and Key Words • Abstract • Should answer • Why • How • What • 150 to 250 words or even less • Within one double-spaced typed page on standard-size paper.

46. Part II: Planning the Paper Abstract and Key Words • Double-spaced • In MS Word • Type the whole abstract • Select all the text • Hold ctrl+2

47. Part II: Planning the Paper Abstract and Key Words • In abstract • Avoid abbreviations unless • A name is better known by its abbreviation DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) • A long term is used several times (5 or more) The University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) • Avoid citing references • Don’t end with “The results will be discussed,”

48. Part II: Planning the Paper Abstract and Key Words • Key Words • 3 to 5 words or short phrases • Usually not the words already in the title Title: Analysis of urban network performance under stochastic incident occurrences Keywords: traffic accident, natural disasters, traffic fluctuations, network design But not: stochastic events, urban network, network design

49. Part II: Planning the Paper Introduction • Introductions includes: • Background information • Not the elementary facts • The reason of this project • Relevant findings • Specialized background facts • A brief summary of previous work The introduction aims to evoke interest and should also be brief to avoid losing the reader’s attention.

50. Part II: Planning the Paper Introduction • Covers three parts • The general background • Previous findings by others • Your examinations of the questions • Verbs • In the present tense for ongoing truths • In the past tense for this research findings Doctors recommend taking aspirin each day to prevent heart attacks. We administered daily aspirin to 200 subjects and found it unsuitable for ulcer-prone patients.