You will be uploading this worksheet and two slide decks to Blackboard.
This week’s worksheet will be a little different from previous weeks. The focus of this week’s worksheet is understanding how introductions to academic papers are written and how to translate this information into an effective presentation. You are going to read the introduction to Barton et al. (2006) “Information processing during face recognition: The effects of familiarity, inversion, and morphing on scanning fixations” and answer some questions. The objective is to improve your understanding of how to properly introduce a research project, whether that be an academic paper, presentation, or poster.
Since this is an academic paper, it does contain some jargon. I’ve provided a glossary to refer to when reading:
fovea: a small depression within the retina where visual acuity is the highest.
percept: a mental concept that is developed as a consequence of the process of perception
saccade: a rapid movement of the eye between fixation points. They are mainly used to understand how gaze orients towards an object of interest.
scanpath: the path of the eyes when reading a document or observing a scene
Does the Introduction go from narrow to broad background information or broad to narrow?
Whatis one gap in the literature the authors are addressing? Provide a quote to support your statement.
What is one question the authors are addressing? Provide a quote to support your statement.
What is one hypothesis the authors are addressing? Provide a quote to support your statement.
For a 17-minute talk, you should have 4 to 6 introductory slides. These slides should provide a concise background, motivation, and hypotheses for your research project. It should follow the following order:
What is the big picture your research is addressing?
What previous research informs your research question?
What study system are you using? Why is this study system uniquely situated to answer your specific question?
Outline specific hypotheses and your predictions
More information for each of these bullet points:
The introduction should start by setting the stage for the research, addressing the broader context or “big picture” that frames the study. This involves explaining the overarching issues or problems that the research seeks to address. For instance, if the project focuses on environmental impacts on coral reefs, the presentation could begin by discussing the global significance of coral reefs, their role in marine ecosystems, and the pressing threats they face. This approach helps to capture the audience’s interest and emphasizes the relevance and urgency of the research.
Building on the big picture, the next step is to delve into what previous studies have found regarding the topic at hand. This section should summarize key findings from existing literature that directly relate to your research question. It’s important to highlight how these studies lay the groundwork for your project. For example, mention specific studies that have identified potential causes of coral reef degradation, and how your research will build on or challenge these findings. This demonstrates the foundation of existing knowledge your study is based on and identifies gaps that your research aims to fill.
Here, you specify the study system you’ve chosen, such as a particular coral reef location, and justify why it is ideal for addressing your research question. Explain the unique attributes of the system that make it suitable for your study. For instance, if your research investigates the resilience of coral reefs to climate change, you might choose a reef known for its rapid adaptation to temperature changes. Discuss the characteristics of this reef that provide a unique opportunity to observe and understand resilience mechanisms, thereby underscoring the appropriateness and significance of your study system.
Finally, clearly state the hypotheses and predictions of your research. Each hypothesis should be a concise statement that predicts an outcome based on the theory or prior research discussed earlier. For instance, your hypothesis might be that “reefs with higher genetic diversity are more resilient to temperature fluctuations.” Accompany each hypothesis with predictions that are testable within your study’s framework. This section is critical as it transitions the introduction into the methods and anticipated results, setting the stage for the subsequent parts of your presentation.
Create 4-6 slides (not including title) that summarize the Introduction of Barton et al. (2006) as if you were presenting it. Follow the guidelines above, and this additional general guideline:
The slides can be created using any software you would like. However, if you use something like Google Slides, make sure that I have permission to view them.
Upload the slides to Blackboard before the next lab.
Create 4-6 slides (not including title) that adequately provide background information for your group project, obeying all of the guidelines provided previously. You should have 2-3 citations of primary literature (academic papers).
Note that this is a first draft, so they do not need to be perfect. This is your opportunity to get feedback!
Upload the slides to Blackboard before the next lab.
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Lab materials inspired by Data Nuggets.