Introduction

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cigdem Issever ◽  
Ken Peach
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Basic Skills ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Keynote Address ◽  
Group Meeting ◽  
Monday Afternoon ◽  
International Conference ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Good Presentation

‘Giving a talk’ is part of everyday life for the working scientist—it is one of the most important ways in which we communicate our research and our ideas to others. The ‘talk’, of course, covers an enormously wide range, from a 10-minute briefing on progress to a handful of colleagues at the regular Monday afternoon group meeting to a keynote address to a major international conference with more than a thousand delegates. However, whatever the occasion, the aim of the talk is the same—to get your message across to your audience clearly and effectively. Members of an audience usually appreciate a good talk. Often, someone will come up afterwards and say something like ‘Thank you very much for that talk; I really enjoyed it and I learnt a lot.’ When that happens, you have achieved at least some of your goals; you have informed, you have educated and you have entertained. Presentational skills are becoming more important in all walks of life. Presenting science, professionally to other scientists and to a wider public, has particular issues that need to be addressed. Our aim in this short book is to equip you, the reader (undergraduate, postgraduate, professional researcher, junior academic . . .) with the basic skills needed to make a good presentation. Our approach is essentially pragmatic and not dogmatic, with emphasis on four essential points: 1. The goal is to communicate the science to the audience. 2. The speaker is responsible for everything that appears, and does not appear, on each slide. 3. The structure and appearance of the presentation, as well as the content, are part of the communication process. 4. There is no standard way of doing things—each slide, and each presentation, is different, and must be tailored to the needs of the audience. Before you read further, we need to make one thing clear—we do not pretend to be able to give you ‘Five Simple Steps to the Perfect Presentation’, and we are somewhat sceptical about any such approach. There are several reasons why we take this stance.

Presenting Science

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cigdem Issever ◽  
Ken Peach
Keyword(s):  
Basic Skills ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Keynote Address ◽  
International Conference ◽  
Good Presentation

Giving a talk' is one of the most important ways in which we communicate our research. The 'talk' covers everything from a ten-minute briefing on progress to a handful of colleagues, to a keynote address to a major international conference with more than a thousand delegates. Whatever the occasion, the aim is the same - to get the message across clearly and effectively. At the same time, presentational skills are becoming more important in all walks of life - and presenting science has particular issues. Our aim is to equip the reader with the basic skills needed to make a good presentation, and our approach is pragmatic, not dogmatic. We emphasise four points: - The goal is to communicate the science to the audience. - The speaker is responsible for everything that appears, and does not appear, on each slide. - The structure and appearance of the presentation are part of the communication process. - There is no standard way of doing things. Giving a good talk on science is a skill that can be learnt like any other: in this book we take the reader through the process of presenting science to a wide variety of audiences.

Stay Ahead Through Rapid Innovation

2007 ◽  
Vol 01 (01) ◽  
pp. 23-24
Author(s):  
James Burke
Keyword(s):  
Keynote Address ◽  
International Conference

The Long View - James Burke gave the keynote address at the Thermo Informatics World international conference in Prague, which explored how users can take advantage of evolving technologies to drive improvement in laboratories and business, from which this article is adapted.

scholarly journals 'Quick Reads' May Promote Literacy without Stigma: Findings from Eight UK Public Libraries

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Stephanie Jane Hall
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learners ◽  
Adult Literacy ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Basic Skills ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Adult Readers ◽  
First Choice ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Literacy Services

A review of: McLoughlin, Carla, and Anne Morris. "UK Public Libraries: Roles in Adult Literacy Provision." Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 36.1 (March 2004): 37-46. Objective – To examine the role of public libraries in the provision of adult literacy services, with a detailed look at both the successes and concerns of the libraries under study; to provide recommendations for best practice in establishing or reviewing adult literacy services. Design – A series of case studies using written reports and semi-structured interviews. Setting – Eight public libraries in the UK involved in literacy service provision or reader development services. Subjects – Eight senior staff members in charge of library literacy programming. Method – A written report of literacy service initiatives was solicited from each participating library. A single interview was conducted with a staff member in charge of literacy service at each of the eight participating libraries. Fact-checking telephone interviews were conducted at three locations where adult literacy programs were in early stages. More in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted at the five libraries with better established programs. Each type of interview consisted of a set of scripted questions supplemented by individualized questions based on the written reports. Main results – There are four key areas of results to be summarized from this study: Adult Literacy Collections – The authors observed three main approaches to branding literacy collections: ?Emphasis on reading for pleasure (with collections entitled ‘Quick Reads’ or ‘First Choice’); ?Emphasis on reading for skills development; ?Discreet labelling enabling stock recognition without advertising that the reader is borrowing literacy materials. The authors conclude that the ‘Quick Reads’ approach was the most successful in highlighting the collection without stigmatizing it and in promoting the pleasure of reading. The importance of maintaining relevant, attractive books was highlighted, with collections targeting both entry level readers and emergent readers. Approaches for Supporting Adult Literacy – The libraries used reader development extensively as a strategy to support adult literacy efforts. Staff tied literacy offerings to other programs or services of interest (for example, promoting adult literacy services alongside audio-visual collections and Internet access). Adult learners were also targeted for library tours, reading groups, and assistance with book selection for the literacy collection. Some of the libraries hired new staff from outside the library profession, choosing candidates with prior experience in basic skills development or community work. Methods of Attracting Adults with Poor Literacy -- Partnership was identified as a key strategy for the libraries studied. Partnerships were formed with numerous agencies, including the probationary service, a community centre (where the library’s ‘reader in residence’ was installed), a college, and a Peugeot factory. Networking with other literacy service providers and coalitions was also an important strategy, particularly as a way to increase the library’s profile as a literacy service provider. Perhaps the simplest strategy for attracting adults with poor literacy was to identify areas of the library districts where literacy skills were lowest and then to target literacy service to those regions. Sustainability and Mainstreaming -- Early planning for sustainability was crucial. Incorporating funding for literacy staffing and collections into the core budget and annual library plan was also an important step. While some libraries hired new staff, and one library staffed the literacy project with volunteers, using existing staff for adult literacy work proved to be more efficient and sustainable. Instilling a sense of ownership in the project for both staff and users of the literacy services by involving them in the development and promotion of literacy service and collections was another strategy employed to ensure longevity of the service. Conclusions – The most successful form of library literacy service provision was found to be the reader development approach (promoting reading for enjoyment and building reading activities around existing interests). The libraries studied showed an understanding of the wide range of reading levels and interests among adult learners. Potential barriers for libraries in the provision of adult literacy service “include restrictive funding criteria, limited staff capacity, and a bidding culture that remains unsympathetic to public library circumstances” (44). The authors make five recommendations for best practices in adult literacy service provision: Eclectic adult literacy collections: Collections should be fresh and appealing and should incorporate engaging non-fiction. Standardized criteria for adult literacy stock: Standardized criteria should be developed by a basic skills agency, preferably at a national level. Equality for adult readers: Approach adult readers as people who read for enjoyment or who are ‘getting back to reading’, rather than as those needing to ‘improve’ their reading. Maximum access: Ensure a diverse and well-stocked collection of books that is easy for adult learners to locate. Community profiling: Optimize service delivery by profiling your community’s literacy levels.

scholarly journals Is archaeology useful? An archaeological dialogue

2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-130 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Annual Meeting ◽  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Discussion Forum ◽  
Keynote Address ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
International Conference ◽  
Public Consumption ◽  
Discussion Article ◽  
A Current

For a third time, Archaeological dialogues has organized a face-to-face dialogue at an international conference around a current and provocative question. At the annual meeting for the Society of American Archaeologists in Atlanta, USA, in April 2009, Archaeological dialogues invited a panel of leading scholars to participate in a discussion forum entitled ‘Is archaeology useful?’. The discussion sought to address a number of interrelated questions: how important is the criterion of ‘usefulness’ in establishing the value of our discipline? To whom do we need to justify ourselves? In what ways can or should archaeology be useful to society? Must archaeologists distinguish between critique and action, and balance knowledge production and public consumption of our work? Does it really matter what we do and for whom? Shannon Dawdy presented her thoughts in a keynote address which was followed by comments from Carol McDavid, Peggy Nelson, Mark Pluciennik, Jeremy Sabloff, Joe Watkins and Rita Wright. The keynote address, along with the comments that arose from the forum, are published in this issue as a discussion article. The written version of this dialogue also includes comments by Pedro Funari with Aline Vieira de Carvalho, Cornelius Holtorf and Ulrike Sommer, who were invited to share their views on the topic and broaden the scope of the debate.

scholarly journals Universals and cultural diversity in the expression of gratitude

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 180391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simeon Floyd ◽  
Giovanni Rossi ◽  
Julija Baranova ◽  
Joe Blythe ◽  
Mark Dingemanse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Cultural Elements ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Social Reciprocity ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Different Cultures

Gratitude is argued to have evolved to motivate and maintain social reciprocity among people, and to be linked to a wide range of positive effects—social, psychological and even physical. But is socially reciprocal behaviour dependent on the expression of gratitude, for example by saying ‘thank you’ as in English? Current research has not included cross-cultural elements, and has tended to conflate gratitude as an emotion with gratitude as a linguistic practice, as might appear to be the case in English. Here, we ask to what extent people express gratitude in different societies by focusing on episodes of everyday life where someone seeks and obtains a good, service or support from another, comparing these episodes across eight languages from five continents. We find that expressions of gratitude in these episodes are remarkably rare, suggesting that social reciprocity in everyday life relies on tacit understandings of rights and duties surrounding mutual assistance and collaboration. At the same time, we also find minor cross-cultural variation, with slightly higher rates in Western European languages English and Italian, showing that universal tendencies of social reciprocity should not be equated with more culturally variable practices of expressing gratitude. Our study complements previous experimental and culture-specific research on gratitude with a systematic comparison of audiovisual corpora of naturally occurring social interaction from different cultures from around the world.

Presenting Medical Statistics from Proposal to Publication

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Peacock ◽  
Sally Kerry
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Methods ◽  
Journal Article ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Statistical Analyses ◽  
Medical Statistics ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Good Presentation

Presenting Medical Statistics includes a wide range of statistical analyses, and all the statistical methods are illustrated using real data. Labelled figures show the Stata and SPSS commands needed to obtain the analyses, with indications of which information should be extracted from the output for reporting. The relevant results are then presented as for a report or journal article, to illustrate the principles of good presentation.

scholarly journals Summary

1985 ◽  
Vol 87 ◽  
pp. 489-495
Author(s):  
P.W. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Variable Star ◽  
International Conference ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Helium Stars ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Newspaper Reporter ◽  
Velocity Dispersions ◽  
Helium Star

This has been the first international conference devoted to hydrogen-deficient stars and related objects. As Professor Hunger stated in his introduction, one aim of a meeting such as this is to review our achievements and find out what conclusions we can reach about the nature and origin of the objects we study. However, it is even more important that we identity the questions that we must ask and particularly which questions it may be within our means to answer. A newspaper reporter is said to have asked the Chairman of our Local Organizing Committee what we proposed doing to correct this hydrogen deficiency!Our meeting started with Drilling’s review of the galactic distributions and velocity dispersions of the various groups of hydrogen-deficient stars. They cover a wide range from the Population I rapidly rotating intermediate helium stars to the extreme helium stars and cool hydrogen-deficient stars, including the R Coronae Borealis (RCB) variables, which show characteristics of Intermediate Population II. We certainly need to be very clear how each of these classes is defined, particularly as there are a few objects, very definitely hydrogen-deficient, which fail to fit neatly into any of our categories. One star which has been the subject of three contributed papers and mentioned in others has too much hydrogen and too much gravity to be an extreme helium star, too little hydrogen to be an intermediate and too little gravity to be a subdwarf. I refer to BD+13°3224, otherwise known as V652 Her. As many of these stars are discovered to be variable they will be allotted variable star names. To avoid confusion it seems best to mention all known names.

Keynote Address: “Sociology of Law in Germany”

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Raiser
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
National Socialism ◽  
Max Weber ◽  
German Law ◽  
Keynote Address ◽  
Sociology Of Law ◽  
International Conference ◽  
1960S And 1970S ◽  
The 1960S

The following essay was the keynote delivered at the International Conference of the German Law & Society Association in Bremen, Germany, in March 2010. In seeking to understand the formation of the Association of the Sociology of Law it is important to be mindful of the context of the spirit of the 1960s and 1970s in which it arose. Sociology of law's beginnings can be traced to the start of the 20th century with especially Eugen Ehrlich, Max Weber, Hermann Kantorowicz, Arthur Nußbaum and Theodor Geiger. However, after nearly being wiped out under German National Socialism, it began to re-emerge slightly in the 1960s.

scholarly journals Serbian Society at the Beginning of the 20th Century. “Militarization of Everyday”

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 28-45
Author(s):  
Ya. V. Vishnyakov
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
The Political ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Balkan Countries ◽  
Eastern Question ◽  
The Impact

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Eastern question and the search for ways to solve it occupied a central place in the politics of both Russia and European states. With his decision was closely linked the process of formation of the young Balkan countries. Serbia, whose formation of a new statehood typologically coincides with a change in the system of European international relations of the 19th and early 20th centuries, played an important role in the events of the Eastern question, while claiming to be the Yugoslav “Piemont”. However, it was the war by the beginning of the twentieth century. It became, both for Serbia and other countries of the region, not only a means of gaining state sovereignty, but also the main way to resolve its own interstate contradictions, which took place against the background of an external factor - the impact on the political processes of the Balkans of the Great Powers. These factors led to the natural militarization of the everyday life of Serbian society. The presence in the everyday consciousness of the people of the image of a hostile “other” became one of the main ways of internal consolidation of the country, when attitudes towards war, pushing the values of peaceful life to the background, created a special basic consensus in the state development of Serbia at the beginning of the 20th century, and the anthropological role of the military factor was essential influenced the underlying processes that took place in the country at the beginning of the twentieth century. In the conditions of a new stage of destruction of the Balkans along the ethno-political line, the factor of militarization of everyday life again becomes an important element of the historical policy of the Balkan countries and the construction of a “new past”. In this regard, the understanding of many problems and possible scenarios for the development of the current Balkan reality is linked to this phenomenon. Thus, the study of the impact on the political life of Serbia at the beginning of the twentieth century of special "extra-constitutional" institutions is important for a wide range of researchers, including for a systematic analysis of the crisis in the territory of the former SFRY.Author declares the absence of conflict of interests.

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