Compulsory course parts of the

’Independent project/degree project’ courses

Scientific writing and oral presentationMASTER & MAGISTER

Maria Kahlert Dept. of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment

SLU has no common policy for the layout of student projects.

There is, however, some information that you must include on the front page of your thesis, please see the library webpage for more information.

Individual programs may have different guidelines and writing instructions.

Please check with your department if there are any special guidelines or other instructions that you should follow!

Scientific writing and oral presentation

You mustAims of course Magister/D-level resp. Master/E-level, 30 hp:

1. Identify and formulate question. Planning and execution.

2. Locate, handle and evaluate information.3. Report results orally and in writing in a way relevant

for the selected target group. (D: Swedish or English; E: must be English)

4. Use correct vocabulary (adapted to subject and to target group), use correct tables and illustrations.

5. Oral presentation must be clear, keeps time and other frames (e.g. handle technique in an acceptable way). (For E. Scientific presentation)

6. Write an appropriate popular summary.

your table should not

look Like This!

Good Table Example!

1 2

A 5,60 8,56

B 1,2 1,3

C 34 53

Table 1. This is how a table should look like. A table heading is always above the table. Please no vertical lines! (Reference here if needed 2011)

Figure 1. A figure has always the text UNDER the picture. Figures and tables should always have a text explaining what to be seen.

Tables and figures

Building a text

Different ways to sort the text

1) First know what you want to say (“take-home-message”, important contents)

2) Sort the contents(hypothesis/questions, results, way of logical thinking (how did you reach you conclusions), conclusions, any decisions, suggestions for further work/any actions)a) Timeb) Logicalc) Contrastd) The most interesting first

Write – for your scientific collegues

• Formulate the title of your work• Formulate the hypothesis of your work• Formulate

– What you are going to do and why, in 4-6 sentences

– What you have done and why, and what your results and conclusions are, in 4-6 sentences

Write – for the public

• Formulate the title of your work• Formulate the hypothesis of your work• Formulate

– What you are going to do and why, in 4-6 sentences

or– What you have done and why, and what your

results and conclusions are, in 4-6 sentences

Oral presentation

•Practice!• Keep It Short & Simple! (KISS)• Be yourself!

Links(not complete, but useful,

for further information and more links, see the SLU library webpage under SearchCollectPublish (http://www.slu.se/en/library/search/search-and-writers-guide/see especially the ‘student template’ page).

In case of problems while writing, contact the library “Writing Centre” (info on library webpage)

• Very good summary on writing a scientific paper:Writing readable papers: How to tell a good story by Rosemary J. Mackay (Bulletin of the North American Benthological Society 12(3): 381-388; 1995) https://www.benthos.org/Journal-(JNABS)/Information-for-Authors/Writing-Readable-Papers.aspx

• Very good summary on presenting science (Biology Education Centre 2010 CEMUS, UU)http://www.cemus.uu.se/dokument/gcsf2010/Presenting%2520science%25202010-1-EN-webb.pdf

• Recommended books about writing and presentation techniques (both available from SLU libraries)

Writing and presenting scientific papers by Birgitta Malmfors, Phil Garnsworthy, Michael Grossman

How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper by Robert A. Day, Barbara Gastel

• Example for authors on webhttp://www.blackwellpublishing.com/bauthor/