So you want to write a Technical
Paper
Instructions
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Open a Word document or pull out a pen and notepad.
This presentation has many questions, none of which
are rhetorical.
To gain maximum utility from this presentation, write
answers to ALL questions asked.
Treat this presentation as a workbook to help start your
technical paper.
Why Should I Write a Paper?
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Why not to
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Writing is tough
No benefit
Nothing to write about
Takes too long
Don’t know how to start
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Why to
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If it not written, it doesn’t exist
Awards, Beneficial to career, salary
Emails are proof you do
Do 1 paragraph a day
Do 1 paragraph a day, read this
PPT, make an outline, answer
questions
Overview
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Selecting a topic – you already know it
First things first
Type of paper – what is it for
Basic how-to’s
Examples
Take it from here
Selecting a topic
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One of the hardest tasks is choosing a topic. This could be the
easiest task:
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What technical project are you working on now?
What topic did you write emails to more than one colleague about in the
last week back and forth?
What project do you have to present status on to your supervisor?
What is the longest / most interesting / most rewarded project you
worked on in the last 2 months?
Choose one of the above. You now have your topic.
First things first
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Create outline
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See the outline examples coming up
Identify audience
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Why find your audience
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Primary audiences
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Gatekeepers, instructor, faculty, etc.
Secondary audiences
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Are you writing for a practicing engineer?
For a peer scientist to verify your methods, results?
To share an application for other readers to benefit from?
Peers, colleagues, coworkers, etc.
Shadow audiences
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Others who may read communication - Internet!
Type of papers
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A research paper is the culmination and final product of an involved process
of research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization, and composition
Analytical or argumentative research
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Goal: argumentative research paper is persuasion, which means the topic chosen
should be debatable or controversial
Goal: analytical asks a question on which author has taken no stance. Paper is
often an exercise in exploration and evaluation
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Practical applications paper
Cutting-edge technical paper
Experimental, comparative, design, or theoretical paper
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Which type is your paper?
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Basic how-to’s
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Short abstract
Full paper
Extended abstract
Short Abstract how-to’s
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Begin – Abstract Purpose
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Introduce readers to the article’s content
Help readers decide whether or not to read paper
One or more paragraphs that are coherent, concise, and self contained (often
100-150 words)
Uses an introduction-body-conclusion structure in which the parts of the
report are discussed in order: purpose, research questions, methods, findings,
conclusions, recommendations
How?
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Write 1-2 introduction sentences that explain topic, purpose, and research question(s).
Write 1-2 sentences describing your research methods (this may also include the type of data
analysis you used).
Write 1-2 sentences describing the results / findings.
Write 1-2 sentences containing your conclusions and recommendations.
Full Paper how-to’s
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Section 1:
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Section 2:
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Introduce, explain topic
Discuss history, background; set the
context
Section 3: (may have multiple instances of this
section – e.g. multiple subtopics)
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Section 4:
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Discuss research findings
Section 5:
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Discuss research methods or subtopic
Conclusions
Works Cited/References
Appendix
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Section 1 detail
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Purpose/goals
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What is the point of the paper?
Argumentative? Analytical?
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Audience (optional)
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Is the audience familiar with topic,
terms?
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For argumentative
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What is your thesis?
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For analytical
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What are your research questions?
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For design
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What are your design methods?
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Research methods
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How did you find your information?
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Findings and conclusions
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Forecast organization of document
Review
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Have you written down a specific topic for your technical paper?
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Have you written a short abstract for your technical paper?
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3.
If no, go back to slide 9 and work through the questions again.
If yes, congratulations! Save your work on computer and proceed to #3.
Have you written an outline for your technical paper?
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If no, go back to slide 5 and work through the questions again.
If yes, congratulations! Save your work on computer and proceed to #2.
If no, go back to slide 10 and work through the questions again.
If yes, congratulations! Save your work on computer and proceed to #4.
(Next slide.)
Note: if you encounter difficulty completing the above, contact
George Earle (email address on slide 17) for assistance.
Review
Have you created an author profile on the NSBE-ASC paper
submission portal?
4.
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If no, go to http://cmt.research.microsoft.com/NSBE2012/ and click
Sign up here under New Users.
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Follow the prompts to complete your personal information
Create a new Paper Submission and include the topic and short abstract. If
unsure of proper track, select one randomly and conference staff will
reassign if necessary. Upload your outline in the file upload section.
If yes, complete the rest of this presentation and begin work on your
extended abstract and technical paper. Upload both to the paper
submission portal as soon as possible.
Extended Abstract how-to’s
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This is a cross between an abstract and a full paper. Essentially start with the
abstract and incorporate a shell of the full paper. Work from your full paper
outline and partially develop each section.
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Each section in the extended abstract should contain roughly 1/4 to 1/3 the
content of its counterpart in the full paper.
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The purpose of the extended abstract is to help you develop the full paper. It
also enables reviewers and/ors to gauge the direction of your paper and
provide assistance if needed, rather than completing a full paper and
discovering it is not publishable.
Example of a Scientific Abstract
Usability and User-Centered Theory for 21st Century OWLs
By Dana Lynn Driscoll, H. Allen Brizee, Michael Salvo, and Morgan Sousa from The Handbook of Research on Virtual
Workplaces and the New Nature of Business Practices. Eds. Kirk St. Amant and Pavel Zemlansky. Hershey, PA: Idea Group
Publishing, 2008.
This article describes results of usability research conducted on the Purdue Online Writing
Lab (OWL). The Purdue OWL is an information-rich educational website that provides free
writing resources to users worldwide. Researchers conducted two generations of usability
tests. In the first test, participants were asked to navigate the OWL and answer questions.
Results of the first test and user-centered scholarship indicated that a more user-centered
focus would improve usability. The second test asked participants to answer writing-related
questions using both the OWL website and a user-centered OWL prototype. Participants took
significantly less time to find information using the prototype and reported a more positive
response to the user-centered prototype than the original OWL. Researchers conclude that a
user-centered website is more effective and can be a model for information-rich online
resources. Researchers also conclude that usability research can be a productive source of
ideas, underscoring the need for participatory invention.
Examples
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Software architecture
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Aerospace
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http://www.frame-online.net/Articles/TS23%20Bossom.pdf
http://www.fenwalsafety.com/Files/KiddeAeroSpace/Glob
al/US-en/TechnicalPaper.pdf
Space
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http://www.spaceward.org/documents/papers/The%20Spa
ce%20Elevator%20Feasibility%20Condition.pdf
http://www.ilcdover.com/products/aerospace_defense/pdfs
/2006-01-2141.pdf
Take it from here
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Further help
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http://www1.cs.columbia.edu/~hgs/etc/writingstyle.html
References
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http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Track Chairs
Aerodynamics and Aviation
Derrick Stanley
aeroaviation@nsbe-asc2012.org
Aerospace Simulation and Testing
Barry Mullings
sim-and-test@nsbe-asc2012.org
Avionics and Software
Dr. Obadiah Kegege
avionics@nsbe-asc2012.org
National Defense Aviation and Space Systems
George Earle
national-defense@nsbe-asc2012.org
Space Commerce, Tourism, and Colonization
Myron Fendall
space-commerce@nsbe-asc2012.org
Space Exploration
Lee Willis
space-exploration@nsbe-asc2012.org
Space Launch Vehicles
Gary Stinnett
space-launch@nsbe-asc2012.org
Space Research of NSBE
Gilena Monroe
nsbe-space-research@nsbe-asc2012.org
Space Science
Dr. Aprille Ericsson
space-science@nsbe-asc2012.org
Systems Engineering
Rodney Bailey
systems-engineering@nsbe-asc2012.org
ASC Technical Paper Vision
Increase the visibility of our best
African American engineers via peer
reviewed paper presentations,
published conference proceedings, and
paper awards
Alter the worldview of African
American aerospace industry
professionals via the unprecedented
gathering of diverse technical talent
National Society of Black Engineers
Aerospace Systems Conference
“The sky is not the limit…it’s where we begin”
February 1-4, 2012
Los Angeles, CA