J. N. KILPATRICK

WRITIN% A A D PR!lEKlWTING

THE AUTHOR WQS born 1907 in Northern Ireland. Educated Philadelphia, Pa., public schools; Drexel Znstitute of Technology ( G d . work in Management); The CoUege of WiUiam & Maw (BBA and Public Administration); for- merly with Wm. Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, Pa.; later civilian head of Norfolk Naval Supply Center’s Technical Division; cur- rently Engineering Editor, Westinghouse Atomic Power Division.

Editor‘s Note: For specifics as to ASNE requirements for manuscripts, refer to Association Notes at the back of the Jouml .

GENERAL

THE PRESENTATION and publication of significant technical papers (or articles) can enhance their author’s professional reputation and can publicize work performed under company auspices. For maximum quality and effectiveness, however, the subject matter should be technically significant and contribute to existing knowledge such that the pub- lished work becomes a useful part of the literature.

Virtually without exception, but with due regard to any classified aspects, top management strongly encourages the presentation and publication of sigmficant technical papers on the part of its pro- fessional employees. In return, such management reserves the right to review proposed papers prior to their release. Thus the engineer or scientist is assured that his proposed paper will be read by professionally competent reviewers and will benefit

from their constructive comments and suggestions. Not all technical papers receive management

approval for release. Certain economic, policy, or proprietary information may be involved whose public disclosure could jeopardize a company’s com- petitive position or that of an important customer. The subject matter may be adjudged inappropriate to the company’s established field of operations; or the work discussed may be deemed insufficiently stabilized to permit accurate final reporting. Paper preparation may even be inadequate to the extent that the author and his organization would appear professionally in an unfavorable light if tlie pro- posed paper were endorsed for release. Like a ve- hicle operation license, the presentation and publi- cation of technical papers is a privilege, and not a right.

The potential rewards of publishing or presenting a technical paper are great. The responsibilities are equally great, and must be shouldered by writers

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as well as management. Observance of the guide- lines presented here should go far in achieving technical papers that are acceptable to all three sides of the publication triangle-the author, the company, and the reader.

CHOOSING THE SUBJECT

Prospective authors of technical papers should select their subject for discussion very carefully. Professional competence alone in a particular tech- nical area will not ensure a successful paper. There must be a definite knowledge void which the writer believes he can fill; or there must exist a present fund of technical knowledge to which the writer feels he can make significant contributions. Nor is it sufficient to re-present “warmed over hash” from previous technical menus. (A possible exception would be a compilation of previously reported but uncoordinated data, now presented coherently to provide finite direction or guidance to researchers and experimenters.) Subjects chosen need not nec- essarily be those on which the author is currently engaged. Papers may discuss work undertaken in the past which has gone unreported for various reasons, but which is deemed significant and can now be presented in a timely manner. Discussion matter should certainly be of professional interest to more than a scant handful of extreme specialists. A paper on “Some Intermolecular Aspects of Ran- dom Stresses Found in a Bronze Age Ornament” would have scant appeal to members of any tech- nical Society.

In arriving at a choice of subject, it is generally wise to submit, via company channels, an outline of a proposed paper for appraisal and comment by the Society or publication concerned. This can pre- vent much wasted effort on the preparation of com- plete papers which only meet with summary rejec- tion by reviewers. There are also certain areas which require preliminary clearance with manage- ment-areas such as economics, technical predic- tions, performance claims, classified matter, poten- tially patentable ideas, and discussions of immediate concern to customers. For example, the unrestricted publication of new technical information not cov- ered by a U. S. patent, or by the filing of a patent application, could automatically void certain Euro- pean patent rights since disclosure of such data is interpreted abroad as waiving patent rights. Com- pany patent reviewers will advise prospective authors on such matters as necessary.

It is also essential that prospective authors be aware of the existing literature on their selected subject so that needless duplication of technical data may be avoided. Finally, prospective authors should be professionally competent to discuss the subject of their choice and be prepared to defend their paper in the review or past-review stages. In areas of professional uncertainty, selection of a suitable co-author may prove a smart move.

DATA ACQUISITION

Data for presentation and discussion in technical papers may be acquired in a number of ways. It may come from notes, correspondence, previously published data, reports, or as encountered in the course of research or experiments that have not as yet been adequately documented. Generally speak- ing, there is an adequate supply of raw data on most technical subjects-the problem is one of separating the essential items from the nonessential. This is an area governed by the specific facet of the subject to be discussed, and by the skill of the writer in sifting the wheat from the chaff. The writer must build upon the reported past-not merely duplicate or disguise it. Originals are desired, and not just carbon copies.

Once acquired and sifted, data must pass three criteria to be acceptable: 1) it must be pertinent to the subject; 2) it must be factual; and 3) it must be reasonably certain of receiving Company ap- proval for release. If the data doesn’t meet all of these points-forget it and choose a different sub- ject for a paper.

ROUGH DRAFT Text

Starting to write a technical paper-or beginning almost any communication, for that matter-is usual- ly the most formidable hurdle a prospective author must overcome. It is essential, therefore, that initial preparations for writing the rough draft be in out- line form. Such an outline may be extremely simple; extremely detailed; or may lie somewhere between the two. It should, however, contain headings for: 1) The Problem Statement; 2) The Work State- ment; and 3) The Result. More detailed outlines would merely elaborate upon these major divisions.

Under the “Problem” heading the author should assemble basic facts relative to his knowledge of what has been done prior to his writing of the paper. He should also note his reasons for under- taking the work to be reported. This orientation “sets the stage” for the discussion that is to follow and helps the reader to “get with it” with minimum effort and delay. It informs the reader as to what the paper is about, and should arouse his profes- sional interest in ascertaining what was done about the problem.

The “Work Statement” portion of the outline serves to marshal such facts as: how the writer approached the problem; the apparatus or tech- niques employed; and data obtained in the course of the work. Since such data will form the discus- sion or “meat” of the paper, it should receive close attention to ensure pertinent factual detail, ade- quate supporting documentation, and effective illustration.

The “Results” section constitutes a summary of significant and pertinent accomplishments obtained through the described work program. It is in this

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KILPATRICK THE TECHNICAL, PAPER

area that contributions to the state of the art are noted, representing significant advances over pm- viously reported knowledge. Conclusions drawn from work performed may be noted under “Re- sults,” but should be clearly identified as such, and be pertinent and applicable to the paper’s subject. Notation of supporting documentation, such as ref- erences and a bibliograhy, may follow the “Results” section.

After completion and preliminary clearance of the basic outline, writing of the actual paper may begin. All papers should start with an arresting or challenging statement that will arouse interest for the discussion matter that follows. For example, a particularly vexacious and con-

tinuing technical problem may be stated, followed by a brief statement as to how the problem was investigated or solved :in a novel or effective man- ner. Such an introduction should lead smoothly and promptly into the discussion or work statement; thence to a logical summation and conclusion.

Where a Society or publication stipulates that papers conform to a specific or unique format, such requirements should be adhered to-even in the case of preliminary drafts.

References and Bibliography Throughout the rough draft preparation stage, the

writer should be alert to detect areas where s u p porting documentation will aid reader comprehen- sion. Any such references, however, must be perti- nent and available to the general reader on an unrestricted basis, or to properly cleared personnel. Classified or “Company Confidential” references should not be cited in any technical paper intended for unrestricted readership. The same rules apply to bibliographies.

Illustmtions Planning of illustrations should proceed concur-

rently with text preparation. Optimum use should be made of existing drawings, charts and photo- graphs in order to conserve time and money. Files of such media should be consulted by prospective authors prior to initiating requests for new illustra- tion matter. Existing material may often serve ade- quately either in its present form or with relatively minor modification. Similarly, the use or prepara- tion of slides should be borne in mind where visual aids are involved in the oral presentation of tech- nical papers. It is advisable to provide slides suit- able to the type projector to be used, since sizes vary. Where new art work or drafting is necessary, it should be authorized with as long a lead time as possible. prelim^^^^ discussion of proposed figures with Drafting and Photographic personnel is rec- ommended in the interests of achieving clarity and man-hour economy. For review purposes, rough sketches of proposed figures are generally accepb able, provided they are legible and afford a reason- able approximation of the final product.

TYpiW As noted earlier, some professional Societies and

publishers may prescribe quite rigid formats for technical papers. Before typing the draft of a pro- posed paper, therefore, authors should check with the Society or publisher concerned to ensure the draft is properly prepared. In general, drafts are to be typed double spaced on one side of 8sx11 paper, observing 1% inch left, right and bottom margins. Spelling abbreviations, footnotes, references and bibliographies are to be in accordance with standard practice. Short tables should be incorporat4d di- rectly in a text page, rather than be typed on separate pages.

Each draft copy intended for management review should be complete with tables and figures, either in rough or final form. Where photographs are in- volved, half-tones generally prove satisfactory for rough draft review copies, but are not acceptable for h a 1 draft copies. Title sheets are to be supplied with each review copy. These sheets are to note the title of the paper, name of the author (s) , his organi- zation unit and company affiliation, the Society or publication for whom the paper is intended, and place and date of intended presentation or publica- tion as applicable.

In assembling draft copies for review, figures and tables should be located as close as practicable to their textual reference. Use of foldouts should be avoided yhenever possible, since these items are relatively expensive to prepare and reproduce and are cumbersome to handle. Fteferences, bibliogra- phies and acknowledgments of assistance are to follow the end of the text typing. Assembled drafts should be stapled securely in the upper left corner to facilitate routing and review handling. Care must be taken in stapling glossy photographs so as not to impair their use for future reproduction.

DRAFT REVIEW General

Generally speaking, each propose3 paper receives extensive management review. Since certain essen- tial reviewers may be out of town or involved in important meetings during the review period, it is evident that delays will occur in procezrsing a par- ticular paper. With this in mind, prospective authors should plan and submit their papers well in advance of Society or editor deadlines. Many excellent papers have been denied presentation and/or pub- lication due to avoidably missed deadlines.

Submission Responsibility As noted previously, the author(s) concerned is

responsible for meeting established review and sub- mission deadlines. He is similarly responsible for mailing the required number of released copies to the technical Society or publisher involved.

It is to be noted that such Societies or publishers also have the privilege of review and acceptance

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or rejection. It should also be borne in mind that certain Societies impose a page charge for publish- ing accepted papers. Invoices for such charges gen- erally come to the submitting author(s), but may be paid by the company where policies permit.

REPRINTS

Although the practice varies widely with the So- ciety or publisher concerned, authors generally receive a nominal number of complimentary re- prints of their published articles. As a rule, reprints may be obtained for only a limited time following a paper’s appearance in print. Authors or companies desiring extra copies should submit their requests or orders promptly and directly to the Society or publisher concerned.

Requests for reprints received by authors should be cleared with management since certain types of requestors may not be properly cleared to receive the reprint in question. Management is also inter- ested in ascertaining the readership “pulling power” of company-originated technical papers and articles.

General The impact of papers written and approved for

presentation before technical Societies and other groups depends upon the effectiveness of their oral and visual aspects almost as much as on their tech- nical content. The most carefully prepared and technically significant paper can lose potentially interested professional and managerial personnel if sloppily or inadequately presented. It therefore be- hooves potential presentees to study and employ the basic techniques of effective public speaking.

In general, technical papers should not be read verbatim unless their reader is a thoroughly accom- plished speaker. Eye contact between speaker and audience is of extreme importance in establishing and maintaining raport. Changes of pace are also important if one is to stimulate or hold flagging audience interest. The speaker must be aware of audience reaction on a continuing basis, so that he can adjust his presentation pace for optimum im- pact. The frequent switching on and off of audi- torium lighting; walking away from fixed micro- phones; stridency of vocal pitch; faulty diction or monotony of delivery-all of these militate against a successful technical presentation. Yet each of these faults is only too observable at technical Society meetings. The presentation that is remem- bered favorably is the one that is significant and is delivered and illustrated with the antithesis of the above faults in mind.

Oral There is an old saying among public speakers:

“Stand up straight to be seen; speak clearly to be heard; and sit down promptly to be appreciated.’’ This is excellent advice for the presenter of tech- nical papers.

PRESENTATION TIPS

Becoming quite personal for the moment-don’t read your paper. Talk it. Read it verbatim only if you aren’t going to distribute or publish copies and you’re afraid you may be misquoted in the public or technical press. If you absolutely must read your paper, then be so familiar with it that you could almost deliver it from memory. At least memorize effective opening and concluding paragraphs; then deliver them strongly and without losing eye con- tact with your audience. Be sure you’re reading from an approved copy that is complete in all re- spects and whose pages all fall in their proper sequence.

Time and edit your presentation so that it falls within your allotted period. Rehearse your talk (cum slides) well in advance with a representative group of your work associates. If you can include a few dissidents in the group, so much the better- they’ll usually contribute more effective criticism than will your bosom buddies. Listen open-minded- ly to constructive criticism and incorporate good suggestions; then make your rehearsal pitch again with a view to measuring its new effectiveness.

If you are provided with a portable microphone at the meeting, so much the better; if only a fixed microphone is available, then be aware that your voice volume falls off sharply with distance and angle. You will obtain better intelligibility if you speak across a microphone, rather than directly into it. This techniques will ease the blast effects and the sibilants (“s” sounds). Don’t fiddle with the microphone setting once its height and angle has been established to your reasonable satisfaction. Above all, never turn a microphone in the direct line with a loudspeaker-unless you enjoy hearing the resulting feedback shrieks and whistles. If you speak without benefit of microphones, then speak from the diaphragm-not from the throat. Your voice-und your audience-will both survive better. Turn the pages of your paper or notes quietly;

otherwise a sensitive amplifier can make such ac- tions sound like a forest of dry leaves in a hurricane. It is a good idea to fasten a collection of pages with a paper clip, rather than by stapling. Individual pages are then easier and quieter to turn and lay aside.

Remember to look at your audience to the optimum extent-they would prefer seeing your eyes, rather than your bald spot.

Before you utter your first word, Iook out pleas- antly over your audience for about three seconds. Although you don’t have to grin at them; neither should you greet them with an ultra-solmen expres- sion. You are addressing a technical meeting, sure -but it certainly isn’t a wake. Relax. Remember you have been chosen to speak to this particular group because you can tell them something they don’t already know. You’re the one who has the big advantage he-not your audience. They’re

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interested even before you start. Your job is mere- ly to maintain that interest.

It is axiomatic that to keep your audience inter- ested, you must be interested yourself. The best of papers can be ruined by an indifferent presentation. Your voice and stance should reflect your sincere enthusiasm for your paper. You, and the Society chairman involved, obviously thought your paper good enough to present. Reflect that confidence in your voice and in your platform manner.

If you absolutely must leave your fixed micro- phone station or lectern to point out specific features on a screen or board, remember to face your audi- ence as much as possible. Never never talk directly to a screen, placard or chalk-board. It won’t under- stand you-and neither will your audience. YOU should be so familiar with your visual aids that you need merely glance at a projection or easel to be sure the visual is the correct one and to locate the specific point you want to emphasize. But don’t take for granted that the slide being projected is the one you’re talking about. Accidents can happen; and you could find yourself earnestly discussing a graph and having a view of machinery appear on the screen instead of what you expected. (If such does happen-take it in stride. A good technique is to grin briefly and openly as you remark “Well, you can’t win them all!” Then call quietly for the proper slide or visual. Your audience will appreciate your a p 1 om b . )

Visual Aids Visual aids may take various forms. They may

consist of placards, charts, hardware, slides, photo- graphs, documents, drawings-any number of things. However, easel charts and slides are most commonly employed as visual aids to the presenta- tion of technical papers. To be effective, easel charts or placards must be pertinent; clear; as simple as possible; and entirely legible to all members of your audience. A group of simple detail charts will prove more effective than a single large and cluttered chart. Color contributes an important asset to any chart, but its use should be planned carefully to obtain the maximum impact upon the viewers. A mere elaborate use of color will not ensure an effective chart. Simplicity is the basic principle be- hind any effective visual aid.

Slides may be either in black-and-white or in color, although color generally shows up to advan- tage in separating components. As with easel charts, slides must be planned for pertinency, clarity, sim- plicity and optimum legibility. Complicated flow &grams and schematics should be broken down into components for discussion, rather than have t!ieir visuals carry an infinite number of details.

Similarly, a mass of overlapping curves only con- fuses or alienates the viewer who can’t make head or tail of them and is therefore determined to not even try to understand them. Each slide should be required to carry only one idea. And don’t forget to place an orientation mark on each slide as a guide to the projectionist; also number each slide to facili- tate sequencing.

In calling for a particular slide, it is advisable to vary directions to the operator. Constant repetitions of “Next slide, please!” become wearisome. Intro- ductory phrases such as “Thii next slide shows . . .” are f a r better. (Silent signals, of course, are best-provided they are agreed upon in advance.) And don’t keep a slide on the screen after it has served its purpose. It is much better to duplicate it later if necessary, rather than have it remain to distract your audience while you discuss extra- neous matters.

Whenever feasible, it is a good idea to provide some degree of illumination in the meeting place during the showing of slides. Abrupt transitions from light to darkness to light again are tiring to the eyes, and valuable time can be lost before your audience is “with it” again. It is also inadvisable to run a virtually unbroken series of slides or film in a completely darkened auditorium. This only en- courages the sleepers, and is as harmful to audience reaction as many swift transitions between light and darkness. The answer, obviously, is to adhere to a workable compromise between the two. Inci- dentally, as a rule of thumb, the effective viewing comprehension time of a typical uncluttered slide is about three minutes. After that, the impact falls off quite rapidly.

Finally, it is wise to run through your group of slides or other visuals in a last minute rehearsal to be sure they are in their proper sequence and that the person who is to be your operator is reasonably familiar with them and with any projector involved.

REMUNERATION

Technical Societies seldom pay authors for their published papers. In fact, a growing number of such organizations charge a rather stif€ fee to have a paper published in their Journal. Fortunately for authors, this is not the case with “trade” publishers, where accepted technical articles are generally paid for at space or page rates. Remuneration varies with the publisher, the importance of the article, and the number of pages involved.

Authors seldom grow wealthy by marketing their technical articles. Hollywood and television offers are rare indeed-unless the author concerned is an expert science fictionist. The real satisfaction arises from seeing your article in print.

Like this one. . . .

Navel Enqinam Journal. Auquil 1% 629