Steve Whitmore & Maureen Hindy

January 2011
Presented to ENSC 105 Spring 2012 by Renee McCallum

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Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to apply some
basic planning and organizational skills, including the
following:
Time management

Dealing with procrastination

Outlining papers effectively
Organizational patterns
Alternative perspectives
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Planning Strategies
Begin as soon as possible

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Issues of Time Management

When will you do any necessary research?

How long will it take to draft the document?

Will the document go through a peer or client review

(often a slow process)?

How long will it take to prepare and duplicate the final
document?
How much time is required to deliver the document?

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Time Management for Reports

Planning guidelines for writing a 50 page technical
report
Organization and research

5 days

25%

Drafting

3 days

15%

Peer review

1 day

05%

Revising and editing

5 days

25%

Formatting and duplication

2 days

10%

Delivery by courier

1 day

05%

Contingency

3 days

15%

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Time Management
Example of a Gantt chart
Research Topic
Write 1st Draft
Create Figures
Revise 1st Draft
Final Editing
Format Report
Deliver Report
0

10

Weeks

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Procrastination
The consequences of procrastination

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Procrastination
5 common reasons for procrastinating:
Hard work
Dislike writing
Uncertainty about where to start

Perfectionism
Apprehensive about audiences criticisms

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Dealing
with
Procrastination
Recognize that procrastination makes it harder in the end.
Overcome a dislike of writing by focusing on positive goals.
Deal with the uncertainty of getting started by asking

questions.
Replace a desire for perfection with a quest for excellence.
Deemphasize potential criticism by viewing your drafts as
provisional.
Distinguish between procrastination and incubation.

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Organizational Strategies
Creating outlines

Using organizational patterns

Writing introductory paragraphs
Creating graphics

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Topical Outlines

1. Fiber Optics in Telecommunications

1.1. Architectures
1.1.1. Active Pedestal
1.1.2. Double Star
1.1.3. Star Bus
1.2. Materials
1.2.1. Fiber Types
1.2.2. Strand
1.2.2.1. Core
1.2.2.2. Cladding
1.3. Applications
1.3.1. Residential
1.3.2. Commercial
1.4. Advantages and Disadvantages
1.4.1. Cost
1.4.2. Flexibility
1.5. Installations
1.6. Computer Simulations

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Computer Outlines

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Mind Maps

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Taxonomies

Fiber Optics in Telecommunications

Architectures

Star Bus

Strand
Core

Double Star

Cladding

Active Ped.

Advantages

Applications
Residential

Commercial

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Disadvantages
1.
2.
3.

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Patterns of Organization
Pattern

Description

Chronological

Sequence of events through time, as for describing a process.

Spatial

According to physical relationships, as for describing an object.

Comparison/Contrast

Explanation of similarities and differences, as for comparing old

and new designs.

Order of importance

From most important to least important, as determined by

audience and purpose.

Problem solving

Explanation of problem, method, and solution followed by

recommendations.

General to specific

A general point followed by a more detailed explanation

and/or specific examples.

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More Organizational Patterns

Place the obvious before the remarkable
Place the presentation before the refutation

Place the explanation before the complication

Place the solvable before the unsolvable
Place the agreement before the disagreement

Place the likely before the speculative

Place the rules before the exceptions

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Rhetorical Issues and Planning

Consider audience, purpose, and tone
Use standard forms when required
Determine an appropriate perspective:
Perspective

Possible Uses

1st Person (I, We, Organization)

Letters, memos, reports, proposals

2nd Person (You)

Manuals, procedures, letters

3rd Person (She/He, They, One)

Reports, legal documents

No Person (Passive Voice)

Scientific reports & articles, specs.

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Introductions & Graphics

Some writers like to perfect the introduction prior to

starting to work on the rest of the paper.

Useful for papers where the structure or conclusions are

unclear
Recognize risk of perfectionism and procrastination

Experienced engineers sometimes create all the

graphics for a document and then fill in the blanks.

Useful for papers with a high visual content
Recognize risk of insufficient explanation and transition

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105 Research Paper

Research a contemporary issue related to science, technology, or

engineering.
Write an informative and persuasive paper dealing with its ethical,
social, or political dimensions.
Take a reasonable position and persuade your readers that it is valid.
Support your position with evidence from credible sources (do not
rely solely on sources from the Web).
Put info about your research into your research journal.
Use author/date system for citations and references.
Write a paper of about 2000 words, which is approximately 7 doublespaced pages plus title page, acknowledgements, and references.
NOT an essay.

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Research Paper (Contd)

The paper must be word processed using page

numbers, double spacing, standard 2.5 cm margins

and a 12-point font.
The title page includes your name, student number,
the title of your paper, the course numbers,
instructors' names, your TA's name, and the date
submitted.
Include an acknowledgments section on the page
following the title page. Include the names of everyone
who helped you with the assignment and a description
of the help they provided. If you received help from a
tutor, also include contact information.
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Research Paper (Contd)

Use evidence from expert (and other) sources to support

your position on a controversial or debatable issue.

Establish a clear point of disagreement with the specific
audience (readers) you are addressing in your paper.
Have enough common ground with your audience so that
you can reasonably expect your readers to change their
minds, accept what you have to say, or do what you ask.
Make it clear to the audience what you want to accomplish
(i.e., change minds, accept what you have to say, or do what
you ask).

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Conclusion

Reflections: How much do you procrastinate and

why?

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