Secrets to Success in CS ScholarshipAdvice/Thoughts (Fall’12)Slide 3Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Secret #1Secret #2Secret #3Secret #4Secret #5Secret #6Secret #7Cool Insights/ObservationsSlide 16Slide 17Advice/Thoughts (Fall’11)Slide 19Slide 20Slide 21Slide 22Slide 23Slide 24Advice/Thoughts (Fall’10)Slide 26Slide 27Slide 28Slide 29Advice/Thoughts (Fall’09)Slide 31Slide 32Slide 33Slide 34Advice/Thoughts (Fall’08)Slide 36Slide 37Slide 38Slide 39Slide 40Advice/Thoughts (Fall’07)Slide 42Slide 43Slide 44Advice/Thoughts (Winter’07)Slide 46Slide 47Slide 48Secrets to SuccessSecrets to Successin CS Scholarship in CS Scholarship … … and some advice, thoughts, and some advice, thoughts, insights, and observations tooinsights, and observations tooAdvice/Thoughts (Fall’12)Advice/Thoughts (Fall’12)•Write before, during, and after the actual Write before, during, and after the actual experiments are performed. (Daniel)experiments are performed. (Daniel)•If you fail to communicate, you will If you fail to communicate, you will probably fail to publish. (Matt)probably fail to publish. (Matt)•Peer reviews are painful but pertinent. Peer reviews are painful but pertinent. (Blake)(Blake)•Focused reading lessens the research Focused reading lessens the research burden. (Blake)burden. (Blake)Advice/Thoughts (Fall’12)Advice/Thoughts (Fall’12)•Testability is the difference between a Testability is the difference between a thought and a theory. (Daniel)thought and a theory. (Daniel)•Your research pattern is your roadmap Your research pattern is your roadmap to success. (Matt)to success. (Matt)•A wise man follows research patterns, a A wise man follows research patterns, a foolish man ignores them. (Hiro)foolish man ignores them. (Hiro)•Don’t pursue the perilous path of Don’t pursue the perilous path of plagiarism. (Matt)plagiarism. (Matt)Advice/Thoughts (Fall’12)Advice/Thoughts (Fall’12)•The right thing to do is to write before The right thing to do is to write before you’re certain that you’re writing you’re certain that you’re writing everything right. (Matt)everything right. (Matt)•Little mistakes erode trust in big Little mistakes erode trust in big results. (Blake)results. (Blake)•Simple style breeds success. (Daniel)Simple style breeds success. (Daniel)•Readers benefit from writers’ Readers benefit from writers’ strugglings. (Hiro)strugglings. (Hiro)Advice/Thoughts (Fall’12)Advice/Thoughts (Fall’12)•Think more, write less. (Daniel)Think more, write less. (Daniel)•Wordiness is writing much while saying Wordiness is writing much while saying little. (Matt)little. (Matt)•Punctuate for clarity—correctness will Punctuate for clarity—correctness will follow. (Daniel)follow. (Daniel)•Lose the lard in long sentences. (Matt)Lose the lard in long sentences. (Matt)•We have laid to rest the lie that “lie” We have laid to rest the lie that “lie” and “lay” are the same. (Matt)and “lay” are the same. (Matt)Advice/Thoughts (Fall’12)Advice/Thoughts (Fall’12)•Good editing cuts deep but doesn’t leave Good editing cuts deep but doesn’t leave scars. (Daniel)scars. (Daniel)•P(text) + (1-P)(graphs) = good paper, P(text) + (1-P)(graphs) = good paper, where P is a proper balance factor. (Hiro)where P is a proper balance factor. (Hiro)•Education cycle: teach to learn, learn to Education cycle: teach to learn, learn to teach. (Hiro)teach. (Hiro)•Careful curriculum choices can catalyze Careful curriculum choices can catalyze classroom comprehension. (Matt)classroom comprehension. (Matt)Advice/Thoughts (Fall’12)Advice/Thoughts (Fall’12)•Computer science is the science of Computer science is the science of precisely encoding thought. (Blake)precisely encoding thought. (Blake)•Save the “thanks” and keep the Save the “thanks” and keep the conclusion. (Daniel) conclusion. (Daniel)Secret #1Secret #1•Write a “good” abstract.Write a “good” abstract.•““Good” means “exactly” of the form:Good” means “exactly” of the form:–What’s the problem?What’s the problem?–Why’s the problem a problem? (Why does anyone care?)Why’s the problem a problem? (Why does anyone care?)–What’s the solution? (A startling sentence.)What’s the solution? (A startling sentence.)–Why’s the solution a solution? (How did you determine Why’s the solution a solution? (How did you determine you succeeded?)you succeeded?)•See “See “Thesis ProposalThesis Proposal” in the Grad Handbook” in the Grad Handbook•““Good” also means “Good” also means “containing the containing the essential qualitiesessential qualities” of the paper.” of the paper.Secret #2Secret #2•Embed the review you want to receive in the Embed the review you want to receive in the proposal or paperproposal or paper..–For NSF grants write the “embedded review” in For NSF grants write the “embedded review” in labeled sections: intellectual merit & broader impactlabeled sections: intellectual merit & broader impact–For papers, write the “embedded review” in the For papers, write the “embedded review” in the abstract, introduction, and conclusion.abstract, introduction, and conclusion.–This makes the reviewer’s job easierThis makes the reviewer’s job easier•The “embedded review” consists of embedding The “embedded review” consists of embedding answers to the following questions in your answers to the following questions in your introduction and conclusions.introduction and conclusions.–What, precisely, is your contribution?What, precisely, is your contribution?–What is your new result?What is your new result?–Why should the reader believe the result?Why should the reader believe the result?Secret #3Secret #3•(Subtly)(Subtly) let your reader know that you have let your reader know that you have done something substantial or that you have done something substantial or that you have been able to come up with a clever insight been able to come up with a clever insight that others have not seen.that others have not seen.•Rather than “this is hard,” sayRather than “this is hard,” say–““longstanding problem”longstanding problem”–““challenges include”challenges include”–……•Rather than “I am insightful,” sayRather than “I am insightful,” say–““arriving at this insight