Chapter II

PRESENTATION
SKILLS

1
 Introduction

A research proposal
should be compiled before attempting to start
with a research project.
most important aspect of the research project
should be considered carefully by the researcher.

2
 Identifying a research topic

firststep and one of the most difficult task in

research
 Defining the problem
There is a tendency for the beginner in
research to ask questions that are usually
diffuse or vague.
Each topic that is proposed for research has
to be judged according to certain guidelines
or criteria.

3
 What is a research proposal?

 After proper and complete planning of a research, the

plan should be written down.
research proposal
detailed plan of study.
specific course of action that will be followed.
document which sets out your ideas in an easily
accessible way.
objective of writing a proposal is to describe
what you will do
why it should be done
how you will do it
what you expect will result.
4
 Continued……………

A vague, weak or fuzzy proposal

leads to a long, painful, and unsuccessful
research
Getting a good idea
 depends on familiarity with the topic.
 Needs a longer preparatory period of reading,
observation, discussion, and incubation.
 Read everything that you can in your area of
interest.
Figure out what are the important and missing
parts of our understanding.
Figure out how to build/discover those pieces.
Live and breathe the topic. 5
 Continued……………….

Talk about it with anyone who is interested.

write the important parts as the proposal.

o Once a proposal has been developed and approved
 the study should be started and progressed based on
the proposal frame
 It should be adhered to strictly and should not be
changed.
 Violations of the proposal can discredit the whole study.

6
 Continued…………

A well-written proposal can be judged according to

three main criteria.
Is it adequate to answer the research question (s),
and achieve the study objective?
Is it feasible in the particular set-up for the study?
Does it provide enough detail that can allow
another investigator to do the study and arrive at
comparable results?
7
 Issues to remember:

Know your area of expertise:

 What are your strengths and what are your
weaknesses?
 Play to your strengths, not to your weaknesses.
If you want to get into a new area of research,
learn something about the area before you write a
proposal.
Research previous work.
Be a scholar.
Before you start work on your research proposal,
find out whether you’re required to produce the
proposal in a specific format.
8
Components of a Research proposal

Title page
Abstract
Table of Content
List of Abbreviations
List of Symbols
List of figures
List of tables
Introduction/Background
Statement of the problem
Literature review
Hypotheses /Questions 9
Continued…………

 Conceptual framework
 Objective/Aim of the study
 Research methods, materials and procedures
 Study area , Study design, Study subjects
 Sample size, Sampling methods
 Method of data collection
 Description of variables, Data quality assurance
 Operational definitions, Plan of data analysis
 Work plan
 Budget
 References
 Appendices/Annexes
10
Title page
 A title
definite and concise indication of what is to come.
state your topic exactly in the smallest possible number of
words.
should almost never contain abbreviations.
 All words in the title
Should be chosen with great care
association with one another must be carefully managed.
 Contents of title page
 Title of the research
 name of his department/ faculty/ Institution
 Name of researcher and his advisor
 date of delivery
 The title page has no page number
11
Summary/Abstract

abstract
a mini version of the proposal.”
a concise one page brief summary the material
presented in the proposal.
needs to show a reasonably informed reader why a
particular topic is important to address and how you
will do it.
In the abstract
◦ specify the question that your research will answer,
◦ Establish why it is a significant question;
◦ Show how you are going to answer the question.

12
Continued………………

Issues to remember:
Though it appears at the front of the proposal, it is
written last.
Do not put references, figures, or tables in the
abstract.
A well-prepared summary enables the reader to
◦ Identify the basic content of a document quickly
and accurately,
◦ Determine its relevance to their interests, and
◦ Decide whether they need to read the document
in its entirely
13
Introduction/background

Provides readers with the background

information for the research proposal.
Its purpose is to establish a framework for the
research, so that readers can understand how it is
related to other research.
should cite those who had the idea or ideas first,
and should also cite those who have done the
most recent and relevant work.
Be sure to include a hook (brief opening
statement that catch up the attention of the
reader) at the beginning of the introduction.
14
Continued…………….

The introduction also should address the

following points:
◦ Sufficient background information to allow readers
understands the context and significance of the
question you are trying to address.
◦ Proper acknowledgement of the previous work on
which you are building.
◦ Sufficient references such that a reader could by
going to the library, achieve a sophisticated
understanding of the context and significance of the
question.

15
Continued……………….

the introduction/background section should contain a

rationale for your research.
◦ Why are you undertaking the project?
◦ Why is the research needed?
◦ This rationale should be placed within the context
of existing research or within your own experience
and/or observation.
◦ You need to demonstrate that you have knowledge of
the literature surrounding this topic. 16
Statement of the problem

“Statement of the problem encapsulates the

question you are trying to answer.”
The researcher should think on what caused the
need to do the research (problem identification).
The question that he/ she should ask him/
herself is: Are there questions about this
problem to which answers have not been
found up to the present? 17
  asks how similar and related questions have been answered
Literature review

before.”
 The stages of a literature review
1. Define the problem
2. Initial appraisal (evaluation) from raw bibliographical
data:
 What are the authors’ credentials or evidence?
 Are they experts in the field?
 Are they affiliated with a reputable or honourable
organization?
 What is the date of publication,
 is it sufficiently current or will knowledge have
moved on?
 If a book, is it the latest edition? 18
Continued……………….
3. Appraisal or assessment based on content
analysis:
 Is the writer addressing a scholarly audience?
 Do the authors review the relevant literature?
 Do the authors write from an objective viewpoint, and are their
views based on facts rather than opinions?
 If the author uses research, is the design sound?

 Is it primary or secondary material?

 Do the authors have a particular theoretical viewpoint?
 What is the relationship of this work to other material you
have read on the same topic?
19
Continued……………….

Issues to remember:
 A literature review must do the following things:
◦ be organized around and related directly to the
research question you are developing
◦ synthesize results into a summary of what is and is
not known
◦ identify areas of controversy in the literature
◦ formulate questions that need further research

20
 Questions and/or Hypotheses
Is a tentative proposition of the problem statement.
Issues to remember:
A research hypothesis is usually stated in an
explanatory form, because it indicates the expected
reference of the difference between two variables.
The research hypothesis may be stated in a
directional or non-directional form.
A directional hypothesis statement indicates the
expected direction of results, while a non
directional one indicates no difference or no
relationship.
21
 Objective/aim of the study
 An objective
a solution to a problem
a step along the way toward achieving a solution
an end state to be achieved in relation to the problem.
should be
simple (not complex),
specific (not vague),
stated in advance (not after the research is done), and
 stated using “action verbs” that are specific enough to be
measured.
[SMART: Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic &
Time-bounded]

22
 Continued……………
Classificationof Research Objectives
General objective
1)
 What exactly will be studied?
General statements specifying the desired outcomes of the

proposed research
2) Specific objectives
Specific statements summarizing the proposed activities
description of the outcomes and their assessment in
measurable terms
It identifies in greater detail the specific aims of the
research project, often breaking down what is to be
accomplished


23
 Continued……………

Why should research objectives be developed?

The
 formulation of objectives will help you to

 focus the study (narrowing it down to essentials);

 avoid the collection of data which are not strictly

necessary

 organize the study in clearly defined parts or phases.

24
 Methods, material and procedures
 show how you will achieve the objectives, answers the
questions.”
 heart of the research proposal
 What belongs in the "methods" section of a research
proposal?
◦ Information to allow the reader to assess the believability of
your approach.
◦ Information needed by another researcher to replicate your
experiment.
◦ Description of your materials, procedure, theory.
◦ Limitations, assumptions, and range of validity.

25
 Continued……………
 The proposal should describe in detail the general research plan.
(May not necessarily be true for all types of research)
 Description of study area
 Description of study design
 Description of study participants
 Description of selection process (sampling method)
 Determination of sample size (if any)
 Methods of data collection
 Description of the expected outcome and explanatory
variables… (if any)
 How data quality is ensured
 Presentation of the data analysis methods


26
 Work plan
 “A work plan informs the reader how long it will take to
achieve the objectives/ answer the questions.”
 The GANTT Chart

◦ Different components/phases/stages of the study

should be stated
◦ Description of activities in each phase
◦ Time required to accomplish the various aspects of the
study should also be indicated

27
 Budget and funding
 shows how much it will cost to answer the question.
 proposal budget reflects direct and indirect costs.
 Direct costs:
Personnel, Consumable supplies, Equipments, Travel,
Communications, Publication
 Indirect costs:
Those costs incurred in support and management of the proposed
activities
Examples include: Overhead costs for institutions or
associations; General administrative cost; Operational and
maintenance; Depreciation and use allowance. 28
Continued……………
 Obtaining funding for research projects
Familiarize yourself with the policies and priorities of funding
agencies
 Identify the procedures, deadlines and formats those are
relevant to each agency
Obtain written approval and support from relevant local and
national authorities and submit together with your proposal
If you are a beginning researcher, associate yourself with an
established researcher/ advisor
Build up your own list of successfully completed projects (i.e.
your own reports, publications, etc.) 29
 References
 References may be made in the main text using index numbers in
brackets (Vancouver style) or authors name (Harvard style)
For a journal paper give:
◦ the names of the authors,
◦ the year of publication,
◦ the title of the paper,
◦ the title of the journal,
◦ the volume number of the journal,
◦ The first and last page numbers of the paper.


30
 Continued……………
For a book give:
◦ The author,
◦ The year of publication,
◦ The title, and the edition number if there is one,
◦ The name of the publisher,
◦ The page numbers for your reference.
 For an internet reference give:
◦ The author of the web page,
◦ The title of the item on the web page,
◦ The date the item was posted on the web page
◦ The date the item was accessed from the web page
◦ The complete and exact URL. 31
 Appendices/Annexes

any additional information you think might be helpful to

a proposal reviewer.

For example, include: Questionnaire & other collection

forms; Dummy tables; Biographical data on the
principal investigator.


32
Technical report writing
 Writing is presentation of ideas using text.
 To structure information using both text and design to achieve
an intended purpose for clearly defined audiences
Elements of good Technical Writing
 Thoughtfulness
 Correctness
 Appropriateness
 Readability

Characteristics of good research report

 Try to say a lot in few words
 Be professional and serious
 Maintain accuracy and clarity
 Always keep your objectives and your audience in mind
33
Continued …………..
Steps in Writing:
◦ Preparing
◦ Organizing
◦ Composing
◦ Reviewing with the view to revise

 Key Elements that should be remembered during writing

 Purpose
 The target audience

34
 Organizing a technical report
◦ Decide on the structure and outline it
◦ Prepare a complete outline for each element of the
structure
◦ Decide on and make the basic units of the structure
◦ Organize the Units
◦ Ascertain the organization is logical and efficient
◦ Write an outline for every chapter/section
◦ Outline: make a story line
◦ Select the main points or ideas to be included and the order of
their presentation

35
 Continued……………
Write the outline
◦ Message 1
 Support 1-1 for message 1
 Support 1-2 for message 1
 Sub-support for 1-2-1
 Sub-support for 1-2-2 ….
◦ Message n
 ……
…


36
 General structure of a research report
List of the parts of a typical scientific report:
◦ Title
◦ Acknowledgement
◦ Abstract
◦ (Table of Contents)
◦ (Lists of Figures and Tables )
◦ Introduction
◦ Materials and methods
◦ Results
◦ Discussion/Conclusion
◦ References
◦ Appendices, where applicable
37
 Continued……………
 Theentire technical report can be viewed as having three basic parts:
Front part, Main (body) part and Back part.
The Front part generally include:
Cover,
Label,
Title Page,
Abstract,
Table of Contents and
Lists of Figures and Tables
 The Main part includes:
Introduction; Methods, Materials (& Assumptions); Design
parts
Results and Discussion; Conclusions;
Recommendations;
References 38
 Continued……………
 The
Back part includes: Appendixes; Bibliography; List of
Symbols, Abbreviations, and Acronyms

 Some Principles & Good Practices in Technical Writing

Outline your ideas before you start
Draw a diagram or mind map of relationship between ideas.
Write the body.
Write summaries of individual sections (to be deleted later);
Write regularly.
Talk about your ideas before, during, and after writing them
down.
Get regular feedback on what you write

39
 Continued……………
Composing
Composing: Getting ideas onto paper -paragraph and sentences
Sentence: Consistent and simple structure; Main aim is clarity
Notation: Avoid unnecessary notation
Formulas

◦ Are part of the regular text

◦ Create equations with equation editors
◦ Number all equations
Figures/Tables
◦ Better than a thousand words
◦ Explanation of the figures must be given in the text.
◦ Axes of graphs must be labeled, units shown, and meaning
explained, if necessary
◦ Use appropriate scale for eligibility of information in the graph
◦ If colored graphics are used, let them have sharp contrast w.r.t. the
background as well as among other graphs 40
 Continued ……………
Reading and Revising
Read the draft after some time since the first writing
Read the draft as if it were written by another person
Proofread
◦ Read for logic, cohesion and comprehension
◦ Does what you read reflect you intentions?
◦ Check the citations
Read with one aspect or rule at a time (flow,
grammar, etc)
Get someone to read for you.
Always be ready to rewrite 3 to 4 times over

41
Some editorial, format and layout issues in
technical writings
Paper size
Font type, size and typeface
Line (and new line) spacing
Paragraph indentations
Columns in a page
Page/column margin sizes
Figures/graphs/tables
Equations
List of figures, acronyms

42
 Oral presentation skills
Presentation is conveying information to
others via speaking (oral) or in written form -
reports.
Presentation has a specific purpose
 communicating with others
 Persuading/convincing others
 training/teaching others
 graduating;
 etc

43
 Continued …………

Speaker Audience
Wants to convey something May want to listen and benefit
One person, usually Many persons
Familiar with the topic May not be familiar with topic

Planning your presentation: Issues

i. Determine the objective (type) of talk which may be
◦ Talk to present new research results
◦ Review/Overview talk
◦ Tutorial talk
◦ Training/Teaching
◦ Presentation for selling an idea or a product (proposal)
44
 Continued …………
ii. Assess knowledge level of audience
◦ Homogeneity of audience
◦ Knowledge of audience
◦ Tailor your talk to the audience
iii. Major points you want to present
◦ 3-5 points

Planning your presentation: Organizing

Why was the work done? State problem and goal
What are possible solutions? State solutions
What findings resulted from the work? Present the
results of your work
What do the results imply? State
implications/consequences of your work
45
 Continued …………
 Planning your presentation: Structure
1. Tell them what you are going to present
◦ Overview, introduction, motivation ------ 20%
2. Your main presentation Main
body of your talk {Methods, Analysis,
Results & Discussions} ----------- 70%
3. Tell what you told them again
◦ Summary {Conclusion and Recommendation}
--------------- 10%

46
 Outlining and formatting oral presentations
Stylistic Issues: The Slide
Layout:
background color of the slide & the color of
the text should have a sharp contrast
Font:
‘Small’ case letters are easier to read than
‘CAPITALIZED’ letters
Select a font type that is easily legible and has
sufficient spacing between letters
font size, may be in the range of 18 to 28 a
good starting point is twenty-four,

47
 Continued …………
Content of pages in the slide - Text
The rule for technical presentations may be
the “2 minutes per slide” rule.
One slide ~ one message!
Don’t overdo formulas (also be created with
equation editor)
Watch your colors (at most 3 colors)

48
 Personal preparation for presentation
The Presenter: physical appearance (both for males
and females)
Dress appropriately and also be clean, and
attractive.
no defined dress code, but “don’ts” that you
should always follow
◦ Do not dress shabbily
◦ Do not come with unkempt/undressed hair and
untreated beard
◦ Do not wear slippers
◦ Do not wear jeans and T-shirt, or
◦ other extremely casual clothing 49
 Continued …………
The Presenter: emotional tensions and Others
related issues
Language (English)
◦ Keep it simple (concise/short but accurate)
◦ Emphasize the key points (and minimize on less
essentials)
◦ Check the difficult pronunciations
Ending a point and beginning a new point
◦ Slow down and higher volume
◦ Short pauses
◦ Appropriate expressions
50
 Continued …………
Interact with audience
◦ Questions to audience (not frequently)
◦ Be open to questions

Questions and Answers (Q&A)

 Visual Aids (Computer & LCD projector)

51
 Chapter III
Management aspect of
Research and Development
(R&D) works and outputs

52
 Discussion forums
 Live auditorium based (or live online) forms
include
Seminars:- (course & research)
Workshops:- Is period of discussion and
practical work on a particular subject, when
a group of people share their knowledge and
experience. e.g. A theatre workshop
 panel discussions:- A panel is a group of
people chosen to take part in a discussion,
debate
53
 Discussion forums
Symposium:- Small conference for
discussion of a particular subject

Conference:- Is a meeting (usually large) for

discussion or exchange of scientific views.

54
 Management of finalized, active and prospective
R&D works
Journals - a magazine or periodical, especially one
published by a specialist or professional body for its
members
Transactions – proceedings (the published records) of a
learned society (in which reputed researchers/ experts
have document their R&D works)
Magazine: a periodical publication issued at regular
intervals, usually weekly or monthly, containing articles,
stories, photographs, advertisements, and other features,
with a page size that is usually smaller than that of a
newspaper but larger than that of a book.
Proceedings – published records of a meeting or
conference (in which active R&D outputs are documented
55
 Continued ………………..

Periodical: is a magazine or journal published at regular

intervals, especially weekly, monthly, or quarterly
Newsletter: a printed report or letter that contains news
of interest to a specific group, e.g. the members of a
society or employees of an organization, and is
circulated to them periodically
Bulletin: is a newsletter issued by an organization or
institution
Equipment manuals: a book that contains information
and instructions about the operation of a machine or how
to do something
Books: a published work of literature, science, or
reference, or a work intended for publication
56
 Project
 Select any research topic(it can be social aspect,
political aspect, economic aspect, science,
engineering and technology aspect, but it is better if
the research topic is related with your profession)
 Based on the selected topic, prepare a fundable
proposal.
 Group members not more than 6
 Submission date: May 20/2011E.C
 Evaluation:
 Documentation:30%
 Presentation:20%

57