112304 Getting to the point: Key messages and abstract writing in science

Type
Seminar
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Organisation
Offered in
Sommersemester 2023
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

The course is designed to support BOKU students who want to present their research at any meeting or scientific conference (such as the ELLS Scientific Student Conference 2023). Students should be encouraged to present the research they did in the framework of their Bachelor Thesis, Master Thesis or at the beginning of their PhD. There are many good research ideas and results by students that merit much more attention!
The aim of this course is first to develop a clear idea of what you want to present in your research, your key message. We will analyze scientific literature and do group work to support each other in finding a clear and understandable key message. We will then expand this key message and develop it into an abstract that you can submit for a conference (but the abstract is the same if you submit a paper to a journal!). Furthermore, I will provide input on the general structure of an abstract. We will critically reflect on why certain structures or wordings may be helpful or distracting and how to present your research ideas or results in an accessible and convincing way. Such skills are useful not only to present the results of scientific research, but also in professional practice or job applications. The participants will benefit from intensive interactions with other participants and with lecturers, as well from the rapid feedback tailored to their abstract
The summer term course is offered in two parts: Part 1 focuses on finding the key message in your research. In Part 2 we will focuses on writing a convincing abstract. Both parts will take place blocked from end of April until the beginning of June.

Grading will be based on the active participation in the course, as well as on the quality of the feedback you provide to others.
Additional information and material will be available by April, on the BOKUlearn website of the course.
Previous knowledge expected


Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Upon completion of this course, the students will be able to:
•present scientific results effectively to diverse audiences, such as students or senior researchers of various disciplinary backgrounds
•identify and avoid traditional pitfalls in oral and poster presentations
•know how to implement appropriate PowerPoint tools for both oral and poster presentation, while carefully aligning structure, design and information content
•recognize the impact of the presentation style on the audience with respect to learning, motivation and impression of scientific quality
•understand the strengths (and potential weaknesses) of their personal presentation style
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.