Resources - Grasp

Useful resources for you to develop your skills for communicating your research effectively.

Conducting research in Engineering

1. Conducting research and getting a PhD

1. Booth, W 2016 The Craft of Research, 4th edition, University of Chicago Press (Monash University Library ebook)
2. Cryer, P 2006 The Research Student's Guide to Success, 3rd edition, Open University Press (Monash University Library ebook)
3. Hayton, J 2015 PhD: an uncommon guide to research, writing & PhD life, (Monash Caulfield Library 808.02 H426P 2015)
4. Petre, M and Rugg, G 2010 The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research, 2nd edition, Open University Press (Monash University Library ebook)
5. Phillips, E and Pugh, D 2010 How to get a PhD: A handbook for students and their supervisors, 5th edition, Open University Press (Monash University Library ebook)
6. Azuma, R 2019 So long and thanks for the PhD! A computer cience PhD student’s humorous guide to surviving graduate school. Everything he wishes he had known when he started out. Useful for Engineering students.

2. Informative Blogs for Research Students

1. The Thesis Whisperer The Thesis Whisperer is a blog for graduate research students edited by Professor Inger Mewburn, director of researcher development at The Australian National University.
2. PhD Advice Website This website provides advice from Dr James Hayton with excellent Quick Tips on PhD research writing, including writing a literature review and writing a PhD thesis

Research writing in Engineering

1. Developing your English grammar for research writing

Books and Grammar courses

1. Azar, B and Hagen, S 2017 Understanding and using English grammar, Fifth edition, Longman (Available at Monash University Library).
2. Caplan, N 2012 Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers, University of Michigan Press (Available at Monash University Library). This book is an excellent advanced grammar book.
3. Glasman-Deal, H 2010 Science Research Writing for Non-Native Speakers of English, Imperial College Press (ebook available at Monash University Library). This book has excellent sections on useful grammar for writing research papers.
4. Swan, M 2005 Practical English usage, 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, Oxford (Available at Monash University Library). This book provides clear practical information and explains many tricky rules of grammar and of English usage.

Online grammar sites

1. Griffith University Help Yourself Resources, including grammar resources on articles, countability, prepositions, conjunctions, tenses, voice, subject verb agreement, and complex sentence structures.
2. Monash University Peer Support Grammar Resources, including links to other university grammar websites and to resources on sentence structure, parallel structure, modal verbs and punctuation.

2. Fundamentals of research writing

1. Fundamental Writing Skills for Researchers. This is a very informative and practical lecture on the main features of research writing. Go through each part slowly doing the exercises and you will learn some important ways to become a successful research writer.
2. Coghill, A and Garson, L 2006 The ACS style guide: effective communication of scientific information, 3rd edition, (Pharmacy Library General Collection 808.06654 C676A 2006), particularly Chapter 3 Writing Style and Word Usage.
3. Glasman-Deal, H 2010 Science Research Writing for Non-Native Speakers of English Imperial College Press (Monash University Library ebook) This excellent book presents a comprehensive course that will help you develop your research writing skills for writing a research paper.
4. King, C 2012 Reverse Outlining: A Method for Effective Revision of Document Structure, Tutorial, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, Vol. 55, No. 3, September 2012. This tutorial demonstrates a helpful method for revising and improving the structure of your research writing particularly in research papers and reports.

3. Writing research papers

Two excellent comprehensive guides on writing research papers for Engineering students

• Ashby, M 2005 How to write a paper, 6thed, Engineering Department, University of Cambridge
• Mack, C 2018 How to Write a Good Scientific Paper, Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, (Monash University Library ebook)

Excellent book on writing research papers

• Glasman-Deal, H 2010 Science Research Writing for Non-Native Speakers of English Imperial College Press (Monash University Library ebook). This book presents a comprehensive course that will help you develop your research writing skills for writing a research paper.

Helpful advice for replying to journal reviewers’ comments

• Hutchinson, S 2010 Surviving the Review Process, IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, December 2010

Helpful advice for all students

• Stojmenovic, I 2010 Editor’s Note: How to Write Research Articles in Computing and Engineering Disciplines, IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems, Vol 21 No 2 February 2010
• Longo, J (Undated) Preparing a Research Paper in IEEE Format, Powerpoint presentation in Technical Communication, Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering.

4. Writing a review paper

The first step in writing a good review paper is to read some advice from the experts about how to write such a paper. The next step is to analyse a good sample review paper and to examine in detail (1) the structure of the paper; and (2) the writing particularly in the Abstract, in the Introduction, in the beginning and end of sections, and in the Conclusions. Here are two writing guides and two well-written clear review papers for you to use.

Two excellent guides for writing a review are:

1. Allwood, J 2012 Writing a review paper, Editorial, Journal of Materials Processing Technology 212 (2012) 1–2
2. Van Wee, B & Banister, D 2016 How to Write a Literature Review Paper? Transport Reviews, 2016 Vol. 36, No. 2, 278–288

Two excellent sample review papers are:

1. Allwood, J 2005 Survey and Performance Assessment of Solution Methods for Elastic Rough Contact Problems, Journal of Tribology, January 2005, Vol. 127, 10-23
2. Music, O et al, 2010 A review of the mechanics of metal spinning, Journal of Materials Processing Technology 210 (2010) 3–23

Other useful tips on writing a literature review:

Go to: Quick tips for PhD students on James Heyton’s PhD Advice Website and search under ‘literature’. You will find helpful tips on many aspects of writing a review including: How to start your reading, How to read a journal article, How to write a PhD literature review, How to write a compelling review, How much literature is enough?, and An easy way to update your literature review quickly.

5. Writing an Engineering thesis

Evans, D and Gruba, P (2014). How to write a Better Thesis, Melbourne University Press, 3rd edition. (Monash University Library ebook)

Research speaking in Engineering

1. Developing your English Pronunciation

Pronunciation: Excellent materials produced by the University of Technology Sydney for improving your fluency and pronunciation in Australian English, particularly for academic presentations. There is also a list of excellent books, audio and internet resources for you to use to improve your pronunciation.

Producing the sounds of English: BBC Learning English: Pronunciation tips.

Tim's Pronunciation Workshop: BBC English Pronunciation programs for tips on how to improve your pronunciation.

Talk about English: Better speaking: BBC Learning English shows you how to become a fluent, confident speaker of English.

Pronouncing dictionary: Look up words in the Cambridge Dictionary to check the stress pattern and sounds.

Another talking dictionary of English Pronunciation http://www.howjsay.com/index.php

ABC Radio National programs with interviews of researchers and scientists speaking about the latest scientific research (The Science Show) and medical research (The Health Report). There are recordings and transcripts from interviews on many interesting topics. The online interactive transcripts give you the opportunity to 'read along' with the speaker and imitate their sounds, pausing, stress and intonation. The audio can be stopped and repeated giving you an excellent opportunity to practise the pronunciation and speech techniques used by each speaker.

• The Science Show
• The Health Report

TED videos: The TED video site has a wide range of excellent presentations. It is particularly useful for non-native speakers of English as interactive transcripts are provided. The presentations are drawn from the fields of Technology, Entertainment and Design, Business, Science and Global Issues. Again, the online interactive transcripts give you the opportunity to 'read along' with the speaker and imitate their sounds, pausing, stress and intonation.

2. Presenting your research in presentations and talks

Use these resources to improve how you prepare and give effective research seminars and talks:

• Giving effective research presentations in Engineering, 2023 seminar by Jane Moodie, Monash University Graduate Research Academic Support
• An excellent lecture on how to devise and give effective presentations: Doumont, J-L, 2012, Communicating Science to Non-scientists, Stanford University, USA
• Matt Carter, 2012, Designing Science Presentations: a visual guide to figures, papers, slides, posters, and more, ebook available Monash University Library
• Rethinking Presentations in Science and Engineering, a resource developed by Michael Alley, Penn State University
• Poster and Presentation Resources, The Graduate School, University of North Carolina, USA. Last updated January 2023
• Hill, M, 1997, A Generic Conference Talk Outline, Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Learn from other good presenters. Analyse the key features of successful presentations:

• Excellent Engineering research student seminar presentations from the Mechanical Engineering Department, Penn State University, USA
• Testing NMPC Performance through SBA for UAV Flight Krispin Davies, 2015 Mechanical Engineering Graduate Conference Presentation, University of Calgary, Canada

Analyse the features of good Engineering TED talks:

There are many excellent Engineering TED talks available for you to watch. Here’s one good example:

Self-healing concrete and asphalt, Erik Schlangen, Professor of Experimental Micromechanics and Director of the Microlab at Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

3. Devising effective slides for your presentations

Excellent resources on how to devise your slides:

1. How not to devise your slides, 2023 seminar by Jane Moodie, Graduate Research Academic Support, Faculty of Engineering
2. Doumont, J-L 2013 Creating effective slides: Design, Construction, and Use in Science, Lecture on 29/4/2013 at Stanford University, USA
3. Excellent resources and links in Poster and Presentation Resources, Graduate School, University of North Carolina, USA
4. 10 tips on how to make slides that communicate your idea, from TED’s in-house expert

Different approaches to slide design:

1. A conventional approach: Using PowerPoint in Oral Presentations, The Learning Centre, University of NSW, Australia
2. Assertion - Evidence approach: Alley, M Scientific Presentations: The Assertion-Evidence Approach, Penn State University, USA. Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students online resource, with model research presentations using Assertion-Evidence slides
3. An exciting non-linear approach for devising a presentation: Devising Prezi presentations, with Sample Prezi by Mewburn, I 2012: Getting things done: becoming a more effective researcher

Excellent online books at Monash University Library:

1. Carter, M2012 Designing Science Presentations: a visual guide to figures, papers, slides, posters, and more, Academic Press
2. Frankel, F 2012 Visual strategies: a practical guide to graphics for scientists & engineers, Yale University Press
3. Nathans-Kelly,T and Nicometo, C 2014 Slide Rules: Design, Build, and Archive Presentations in the Engineering and Technical Fields, IEEE Press
4. Excellent guide to good design for presentations and for clear communication with slides: Williams, R, 2010 The Non-Designers Presentation Book: Principles for effective presentation design, Peachpit Press

4. Devising successful posters in Engineering

There are many good resources to help you devise successful posters that communicate your research effectively.

1. Use these introductions to research poster design. This seminar presentation gives lots of helpful advice about the content, format and design of good posters: Devising a winning poster (PDF, 2.76 MB), a seminar presentation by Jane Moodie, Graduate Research Academic Support, Engineering Faculty, Monash University. This book gives an excellent concise overview of designing eye-catching effective posters: Lindsay, D 2020 Scientific Writing = Thinking in Words, 2nd edition, Chapter 14 Posters pp 119-125, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, ebook available Monash University Library
2. Learn from these helpful online resources.
3. Analyse the features of good sample posters:

• Alley, M Design of Scientific Posters, College of Engineering, Penn State University, USA.
• Purrington, C 2019 Designing conference posters
• Poster and Presentation Resources, The Graduate School, University of North Carolina, USA. Last updated January 2023
• Carter, M 2012, Designing Science Presentations: a visual guide to figures, papers, slides, posters, and more, ebook available Monash University Library

• There’s an excellent comparison of a good and a bad poster in Lindsay’s book Scientific Writing = Thinking in Words Chapter 14 Posters pp 119-125 listed above.
• Monash Engineering poster 1: Instability and transition of steady and pulsatile flow in a stenotic tube (PDF, 1.14 MB)
• Monash Engineering poster 2: Unlocking the Secrets of Turbulence: Instabilities in Flows Over Bluff Plates (PDF, 1.32 MB)

5. Giving a successful Three Minute Thesis (3MT) presentation

Preparing and giving a successful Three Minute Thesis (3MT) presentation

Sample prize-winning Engineering 3MT presentation

In 2020 Erin Brody from Materials Engineering won both the Engineering Faculty competition and then the Monash University 3MT competition. To help you devise your own 3MT presentation, you can learn about what is expected in an excellent 3MT presentation from Erin.

Here are 1. the recording of her presentation; 2. an interview with Erin where she talks to Jane Moodie from GRAS about how Erin devised and gave her presentation; and 3. Some key tips for your own presentation.

1. Recording of the 2020 Monash University 3MT Winner Erin Brody Human-Plane Bits: New Alloys for Implants.
2. Interview with Erin Brody Tips for winning the 3MT competition
3. Summary Sheet of Key Tips from Erin Brody’s Interview.

Some excellent lectures on how to devise a successful 3MT presentation

Here are three seminar presentations to help you devise your own 3MT presentation. Two are by Inger Mewburn, Professor and Director of Research Training at the Australian National University, Canberra, and the third is by Sean McGraw, a PhD student in Astrophysics at Ohio University.

1. Mewburn, I: How to win the 3MT, ANU. This is a slide presentation from a seminar for research students at ANU.
2. Mewburn, I 3MT: the three most common mistakes, ANU. This is a 7 minute talk.
3. McGraw, S 3MT: Tips for Preparing a Successful Presentation. This is a 12 minute talk.