Distilling Your
Scholarly Research
Introductions & Q.A.B.s
Mimi Beck
Program Director, Graduate Student Life
Rev. Kevin J. Sandberg, C.S.C., Ph.D.
Director, Common Good Initiative, Center for Social Concerns
Mike Westrate, Ph.D.
Program Director, Grad School Office of Grants & Fellowships
Getting to Know You, Q&A
1. How many are from the college of…
2. How many are 1st years…
3. How many are international students?
4. How many have been to one of my events? Fr.
Kevin’s? A Grad Life event?
5. How many plan to compete in 3MT?
THE TYPOLOGY OF
SELF-PRESENTATIONS
Selling Yourself
and Your Research
It is all the same genre
• Research pitches can be oral or written, in person or
online, in videos or in cover letters.
• Whether 3MT Pitch, Fellowship Application, Grant
Proposal, Thesis or Dissertation Proposal, Elevator
Pitch, or Job Application, it is all the same type of
communication!
• Winning skills in this area can be learned and
perfected—and the best part is, you can practice and
improve while winning competitions, making more
money, and building your personal brand
Typology of Oral Presentations
It is all the same genre
• Homily (~3 minutes during the week, ~7-10 on Sunday)
• Classroom Lecture (30-90 minutes)
• Job Interview (~20 minutes first round, ~72 hours in last round visit)
• Job Talk (40-60 minutes)
• Elevator Pitch (30 seconds to 3 minutes)
• 3MT (3 minutes [recommended: ~2.9 minutes])
What areFormat
the primary differences?
Audience (requires analysis)
Audience Analysis
Who will they be?
What will they expect?
Analyzing the 3MT Audience
Who will they be?
• Big names from the faculty
• VIPs from administration
• Industry leaders
• Community leaders
Analyzing the 3MT Audience
What will they expect?
• Were the thesis topic, results and
implications communicated in language
appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
• Did the presenter pique your
curiosity/interest to want to know more
about their research?
• Did the presenter avoid trivializing or overgeneralizing their research?
THE CONTEXT:
Q.A.B.
Question
Answer
Benefits
Q.A.B.
Question/problem
Answer/evidence
Benefits/limitations
Q.A.B.
My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening
and its restoration. It argues that listening is an exercise in
responsibility. As such, listening is best described as a gift of self in the
face of uncertainty. It is a critical means by which we unknow, become,
and value.
Yet listening is a topic about which contemporary religious
educators have said very little. Nevertheless listening has a strong
presence in religious traditions. King Solomon asked for a listening
heart, Jesus enjoined whoever has ears to hear, and St. Benedict
summoned the novice in religious life to listen carefully.
If, as Parker Palmer has said, “the first task of an educator is not to
talk but to listen,” then listening should be a topic of research, a
curricular concern, and a pedagogical disposition, lest our efforts to
teach remain structurally undermined from the very beginning.
Q.A.B.
My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening
and its restoration. Or, [Q] what is the role of religious education in
the neglect and restoration of listening?
Q.A.B.
My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening
and its restoration. It argues that [A] listening is an exercise in
responsibility. As such, listening is best described as a gift of self in the
face of uncertainty. It is a critical means by which we unknow, become,
and value.
Yet listening is a topic about which contemporary religious
educators have said very little. Nevertheless listening has a strong
presence in religious traditions. King Solomon asked for a listening
heart, Jesus enjoined whoever has ears to hear, and St. Benedict
summoned the novice in religious life to listen carefully.
If, as Parker Palmer has said, “the first task of an educator is not to
talk but to listen,” then listening should be a topic of research, a
curricular concern, and a pedagogical disposition, lest our efforts to
teach remain structurally undermined from the very beginning.
Q.A.B.
My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening
and its restoration. It argues that [A] listening is an exercise in
responsibility. As such, listening is best described as a gift of self in the
face of uncertainty. It is a critical means by which we unknow, become,
and value.
Yet [p] listening is a topic about which contemporary religious
educators have said very little. Nevertheless [e] listening has a strong
presence in religious traditions. King Solomon asked for a listening
heart, Jesus enjoined whoever has ears to hear, and St. Benedict
summoned the novice in religious life to listen carefully.
If, as Parker Palmer has said, “the first task of an educator is not to
talk but to listen,” then listening should be a topic of research, a
curricular concern, and a pedagogical disposition, lest our efforts to
teach remain structurally undermined from the very beginning.
Q.A.B.
My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening
and its restoration. It argues that [A] listening is an exercise in
responsibility. As such, listening is best described as a gift of self in the
face of uncertainty. It is a critical means by which we unknow, become,
and value.
Yet [p] listening is a topic about which contemporary religious
educators have said very little. Nevertheless [e] listening has a strong
presence in religious traditions. King Solomon asked for a listening
heart, Jesus enjoined whoever has ears to hear, and St. Benedict
summoned the novice in religious life to listen carefully.
If, as Parker Palmer has said, “the first task of an educator is not to
talk but to listen,” then listening should be a topic of research, a
curricular concern, and a pedagogical disposition, lest our efforts to
teach remain structurally undermined from the very beginning.
Q.A.B.
My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening
and its restoration. It argues that [A] listening is an exercise in
responsibility. As such, listening is best described as a gift of self in the
face of uncertainty. It is a critical means by which we unknow, become,
and value.
Yet [p] listening is a topic about which contemporary religious
educators have said very little. Nevertheless [e] listening has a strong
presence in religious traditions. King Solomon asked for a listening
heart, Jesus enjoined whoever has ears to hear, and St. Benedict
summoned the novice in religious life to listen carefully.
If, as Parker Palmer has said, “the first task of an educator is not to
talk but to listen,” then listening should be a topic of research, a
curricular concern, and a pedagogical disposition, lest our efforts to
teach remain structurally undermined from the very beginning.
Q.A.B.
My doctoral study was concerned with [p] the neglect of listening
and its restoration. It argues that [A] listening is an exercise in
responsibility. As such, listening is best described as a gift of self in the
face of uncertainty. It is a critical means by which we unknow, become,
and value.
Yet [p] listening is a topic about which contemporary religious
educators have said very little. Nevertheless [e] listening has a strong
presence in religious traditions. King Solomon asked for a listening
heart, Jesus enjoined whoever has ears to hear, and St. Benedict
summoned the novice in religious life to listen carefully.
If, as Parker Palmer has said, “the first task of an educator is not to
talk but to listen,” then [B/l] listening should be a topic of research, a
curricular concern, and a pedagogical disposition, lest our efforts to
teach remain structurally undermined from the very beginning.
Exemplars
Mara Gotz
Univ. of Edinburgh
2014 Winner
Andrew Farrer
Univ. of Adelaide
2015 Winner
Exercise #1 [5 min]
1. What were their questions?
2. What were their answers?
3. What are the benefits of their research?
4. Why did they win?
Please stay in your groups
THESIS
COMPONENTS
To Compose a Thesis:
Topic
Thesis
To Compose a Thesis:
Topic
problematize it
contextualize it
particularize it
relativize it
Thesis
To Compose a Thesis:
Topic
problematize it
contextualize it
particularize it
relativize it
Thesis
Problematize
Contextualize
Particularize
Relativize
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Concise
Meaningful
Intriguing
Memorable
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Concise
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Concise
What is the average length watched of a single video on internet?
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Concise
What is the average length watched of a single video on internet?—2.7 minutes
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Concise
What is the average length watched of a single video on internet?—2.7 minutes
Which is absorbed more readily: a longer or shorter sentence?
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Concise
What is the average length watched of a single video on internet?—2.7 minutes
Which is absorbed more readily: a longer or shorter sentence?—shorter
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Concise
What is the average length watched of a single video on internet?—2.7 minutes
Which is absorbed more readily: a longer or shorter sentence?—shorter
Does jargon create barriers or engage people?
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Concise
What is the average length watched of a single video on internet?—2.7 minutes
Which is absorbed more readily: a longer or shorter sentence?—shorter
Does jargon create barriers or engage people?—barriers
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Intriguing
Be distinctive.
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Intriguing
Be distinctive.
Be heuristic—enable the person to enter the discovery process.
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Intriguing
Be distinctive.
Be heuristic—enable the person to enter the discovery process.
A speaker's commitment begets a listener's interest.
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Meaningful
Be transparent—don't bury the lead; reveal your hand early.
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Meaningful
Be transparent—don't bury the lead; reveal your hand early.
Don't merely state an observation; incite discussion.
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Meaningful
Be transparent—don't bury the lead; reveal your hand early.
Don't merely state an observation; incite discussion.
All stories are true, and some of them took place.
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Memorable
Be attentive to what sticks; provide a hook.
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Memorable
Be attentive to what sticks; provide a hook.
Listenability depends on timing as well as vocal hangers; build anticipation.
Characteristics of a
Thesis Statement
Memorable
Be attentive to what sticks; provide a hook.
Listenability depends on timing as well as vocal hangers; build anticipation.
Facts are retained; stories retold.
–Scott Ginsburg
Exercise #2
Please Write Your Own Q.A.B. [10 min]
Andrew Farrer
Q. How do human events effect the bacteria that live on human bodies?
A. I am collecting historical dental plaque to analyze bacteria in relationship
to human events.
B. The results will help guide natural improvements in digestion, vitamin
production, and immune function.
This will help free us from reliance on antibiotics.
Mara Gotz
Q. How do ideas transfer and spread?
A. I am studying ideas that transferred from Sociology to Translation Studies.
B. The results will help individuals, groups, and markets effectively transfer
and spread knowledge, both inside and outside academia.
Exercise #2
Present Your Q.A.B. [10 min]
1.
2-3 people present from each group [1 min each]
2.
Feedback for each person [2-3 min each]
How can they improve in each of these categories?
 Was it concise?
 Was it meaningful?
 Was it intriguing?
 Was it memorable?
Let’s Play…
The Game of Benefits [to 11:55]
Intellectual Merit (your field)
and
Broader Impacts (everybody else)
Recap
The Distillation Process
1.
Determine your format
2.
Know your audience!
3.
Know your:
Question/problem
Answer/evidence
Benefits/limitations
Know that you can do it!