Academic Communication
Lesson 5
Please sit with one partner.
Get two handouts each from the front
desk.
Course Website: staff.ustc.edu.cn/~acadcom
“But my research is harder to
explain than zircons!”
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“The zircon talk the teacher gave was
easy science. My paper is hard!”
Part of the reason it was easy was
the way I explained it.
A good presenter helps an audience
understand complex material,
particularly in the Introduction.
But how????
Handout “Effective Explanations:
How to make difficult material
seem easier”
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Use intuitive functional definitions
• What does it DO?
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Use analogies
• What familiar thing is it similar to?
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Use pictures/illustrations
• Visual analogy
Effective Explanations
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Use intuitive functional definitions
• What does it DO?
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Use analogies
• What familiar thing is it similar to?
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Use pictures/illustrations
• Visual analogy
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What is the hardest thing to explain
in your paper?
How could you use these ideas to
make that seem easier?
Reminder:
Handouts, Class PPT, Schedule

available in electronic form at
http://staff.ustc.edu.cn/~acadcom
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Do not look at the PPT file until you
have attended that lesson.
In the Conclusion Section of
your presentation…
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How can you restate the points of
the body in one sentence each?
What is the most important point
(result) you want the audience to
remember?
What practical application is there of
this work? (or other motivation to
remember)
What further questions came up
because of this work?
Conclusion Timing: >1:15, <2:00
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[30s?] How can you restate the points of
the body in one sentence each?
[30s?] What is the most important result
you want the audience to remember?
[20s?] What practical application is there
of this work? (or other motivation to
remember it or read the paper)
[15s?] What further questions came up
because of this work?
Adjust timing as needed for your result!
Conclusion Strategies
Strategy 1: Restate result, then evidence
 “In conclusion, [<restate goal>]. <Restate
central idea/main result>. We saw
evidence for this as follows. <Review
evidence points of body.>”
Strategy 2: Restate evidence, then result
 “In conclusion, [<restate goal>]. In this
research we saw this evidence: <Review
evidence points of body>. This proves that
<restate central idea/main result>.”
Strategy 1: Restate result then
summarize evidence
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Slide 1: Restate main result and why we
care
• Central Idea sentence?
• Application / motivation / possible effect
Slide 2: Review most important evidence
points
• One spoken sentence each, or 2 short
sentences
Slide 3: Open questions / future research
Strategy 2: Summarize evidence,
then restate the result (as in the
zircon example presentation)
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Slide 1: Review most important evidence
points
• One spoken sentence each, or 2 short
sentences
Slide 2: Restate main result and why we
care
• Central Idea sentence?
• Application / motivation / possible effect
Slide 3: Open questions / future research
In class now, write a Conclusion transcript
= the exact words you will say
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“In conclusion…” / “As I end/conclude/finish…”
[Optional] “…the goal of this research was to …”
[25-40s?] restate the points of the body *
[15-30s?] restate the most important result to
remember *
[20-30s?] give practical application or
motivation *
[15s?] give open questions or future research
direction
“Thank you. Are there any questions?” or
similar (but not “Thanks” or “Any questions?”)
* May be in different order for your talk
Two Big Introduction Problems
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Problem: Starting off too complex
• Bad: complex technical terms in first
minute
• Bad: assuming audience knows context
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Problem: Not giving motivation
• not giving connection to real world
Clearly State the Context
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Audience needs context for your
result
What field? What area? What topic?
Compare to postal address:
Country, City, Apartment
Address Information: Bad & Good
Bad (missing key information):
Murray Sherk
Apartment 202
Good:
China, Anhui, Hefei
USTC, East Campus,
Building 26, Apt. 202
Murray Sherk
Your Introduction needs:
3 clear sentences to quickly “funnel” focus
Field, Area, Topic
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Near or at beginning of Introduction
Make a general statement to identify
your field:
• Bad: “This is a Computer Science result.”
• Good: “Without computers, our modern world
would grind to a halt.”
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May or may not also be attention-getter
Vital! In your exam session, which field it
is may be very unclear to your audience!
• For experts, it is still useful since it lets the
audience get used to your voice with
something easy to understand.
Field, Area, Topic
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Narrows down the focus
Your area may not be well known
Even experts may appreciate
knowing where you believe this
result “fits”.
Example: Is the result demonstrating
a computer simulation technique that
has medical applications, or is this
medical research using a computer
simulation?
Field, Area, Topic
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Narrows down the focus enough so
the title makes sense
May or may not get to the research
question at this point
Look at the handout examples: For
each…
• Field?
• Area?
• Topic?
Bad Motivation
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Bad: “This paper reveals how
snorglings wimble.”
• Huh?
• for experts only
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Bad: “It is of interest to scientists to
know how snorglings wimble.”
• Why?
• What type of scientist?
Proper Motivation
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Good: “Learning how snorglings
wimble may help us develop more
fuel-efficient cars and trucks.”
Even if I don’t know what “snorgling”
or “wimble” means, I see why I
should care.
“Snorgling” and “wimble” are just words I
invented for this example…
.. but special terms of your result may
sound just as mysterious to your audience!
Strategies for Arguments
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“Argument” =
“claim” + “reasons and evidence”
Is the claim clear?
Are these good reasons to accept the
claim?
Is there enough evidence to accept
the claim (in the time you have)?
Strategies for Arguments
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Logic & Reason
• objective facts plus logical thinking
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Character & Credentials
• “I’m honest – I’m telling the truth”
• “I know what I’m talking about”
• “They are honest and can speak with
authority, and they believe this”
• Partly subjective, but “expert opinion”
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Emotion
• fear, love, respect, loyalty, patriotism…
Claim: “You should practice “th”
sounds every day until your exam.”
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Emotion
• “Do it or you will fail the course!”
• “Do it and you’ll get a high mark to
make your mother proud of you.”
Practice “th” every day now!
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Emotion
• “Do it or you will fail the course!”
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Character & Credentials
• “Native English speakers who have
taught thousands of Chinese students
just like you, say this practice is vital.”
• “Chinese students with great English
spend a lot of time practicing like this.”
Practice “th” every day now!
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Emotion
• “Do it or you will fail the course!”
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Character & Credentials
• “Native English speakers say…”
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Logic & Reason
• “th” sounds are not part of Chinese
• Chinese face muscles and tongue are
not used to doing the right thing for “th”
• muscles learn by repetition over time
Sometimes the strategies overlap
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C&C can be stronger combined with L&R
• “He saw a tiger on East Campus” but one
person is easily wrong, crazy, or lying
• “200 students saw a tiger on East Campus”
is much more convincing.
• The witness of many people logically gives
stronger evidence than just one such
person
L&R is weakened by inserting opinion (C&C).
“This fact proves this claim”
is much better than
“I believe this fact proves this claim”
Scientific Arguments
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Use L&R for 90% or more of
evidence
C&C and Emotion can be used to
motivate, but are considered very
weak
Never use “Proof by intimidation” at
an international conference
• “Believe it!” (because I say so)
• “If you don’t believe it you’re stupid”
• “As we all know…” (Dajia zhidao?)
Argument Strategy Exercise
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Working with your partner, figure out
how to use all 3 strategies to argue
that the following claim is true:
Claim: “Intelligent beings from outer
space have visited Earth.”
(As usual, please use only English in
your discussion)
Some Possible L&R Arguments
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“Mysteries like how ancient people
build huge things like Egyptian
pyramids – easy to solve if helped by
advanced aliens.”
“So many planets in Universe implies
so many aliens that it’s likely one
visited.”
• Bad math actually
• “It’s easy to get a girlfriend at USTC
because there are 3,000 girls here”
• ignores 12,000 boys competing for the
girls and compatibility issues.
Some Possible C&C Arguments
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“Governments of many major nations
have seriously investigated UFO
sightings and cannot explain them all
as false.”
“In the past 100 years thousands of
people around the world have
reported seeing UFOs or aliens.”
Some Possible Emotion Arguments
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“Aliens advanced enough for space
flight must be scientifically ahead of
us. We must prepare to defend
ourselves! (i.e. at least behave like
we believe they exist)”
“If they’ve visited, then they’re
technologically superior and have not
destroyed us. Maybe they’re helping
us develop like parents guiding
children.”
Homework
Write out all of what you will say for
your Conclusion section in full
English sentences in a computer
document.
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Bring a printout to class next week.
(Do NOT email it to me.)
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Conclusion transcript will be part of the
full transcript you hand in later
• good job now  less work later
• Full transcript due at end of your
exam session – worth 10% of your
course grade
Homework
Read the “Avoid these common
mistakes” handout
 (on the other side of the “Strategies
for Arguments” sheet)
 Useful when you are deciding on
wording for your Conclusion section
transcript