Conference papers are a major source of information in postgraduate education and research. However, the quality of many practitioner-written conference papers describing their experiences is less than optimal. This paper suggests a template to try to improve the quality of practitioner presentations and papers in the Case Study genre (prototyped at SETE 2004) to format practitioner papers as a way to link their experiences into the literature to provide data to assist researchers improving the practice of systems engineering. Examples of the use of the template are included.
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A Proposed Paper Template for improving the Quality of Practitioner Written Papers at Conferences and Symposia
1. A Proposed Paper Template
for improving the Quality of
Practitioner Written Papers
at Conferences and Symposia
Joseph E. Kasser DSc, CEng, CM
Systems Engineering and Evaluation Centre
University of South Australia
Joseph.kasser@unisa.edu.au
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2. Topics
Why we need one
Process for writing the paper
The Template
Filling in the template
Where to find an example
Summary
Conclusion
Questions and discussion
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3. Why we need one
Students use these papers for research and
education
The academic quality of the published papers
is less than desired
Papers repeat discoveries instead of
reinforcing theory
It is difficult to find information in the papers
There are few references to the literature
We are not building a Framework of Ideas
Critical to the development of a discipline
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4. Case studies and personal
experience papers
Gather data about the case
Organise the data to highlight the
focus of the study
Develop the narrative
Validate the narrative
Compare the study with appropriate
others to identify areas of
improvement
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5. Requirements for Papers
Shall be organized to facilitate the
writing of information
Shall be organized to facilitate the
retrieval of information
Shall indicate how the lesson(s) learned
from the story may also apply in other
situations
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6. Templates
UMUC experience
Leveraged research into development of
predictive metrics for project failure
MIL-STDs
MIL-STD-490 for requirements documents
RFPs
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7. Process for producing the
paper
1. Decide on the point(s) to be made in the paper
2. Determine what data needs to be collected to
reinforce the point(s) to be made
3. Collect the data
4. Research the literature to determine if the
points have been made before
5. Write up the story
6. Analyse the story and document the analysis.
7. Write up the lessons learned
8. Summarise the Case Study
9. Develop and document the conclusions
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8. Template
1. Overview
2. Background
3. The Story
4. Analysis
Lessons learned
Summary
Conclusion
References
Glossary of acronyms and corporate terms
Questions and comments
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9. 1. Overview
A one or two slide abstract of the
presentation that tells the viewer why
they should watch the presentation
Think of this as the newspaper headline
that entices the reader to read the
section
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10. 2. Background
This is where you describe the
background to the story you are about
to tell
This should be one or two slides
Use colour to stress or highlight points
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11. 3. The Story
This is where you tell the story without
any comments, analyses, or references
to the literature
Use as many slides as you feel are
necessary
Remember the presentation does have a
time limit
This is the part that most practitioner
case study papers tend to do well
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12. 4. Analysis
Why what you did worked.
Where you link the story to that knowledge (in the
form of the literature) and show that a (see
examples later)
Section of the story is supported by or found
similar to a reference
Section of the story is refuted found different
from a reference
Use as many slides as you feel are necessary
Standards, corporate handbooks, the INCOSE
systems engineering handbook, the proceedings of
past conferences, journals, web sites, and text books
that you may have on the shelves in your office
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13. 5. Lessons Learned
This is where you itemise and briefly
discuss the lessons learned
You may also reference them to the
literature if appropriate
In the paper/presentation use indented
text for the discussion
see example in paper
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14. 6. Summary
Summarise the presentation here
This could be as simple as a copy of the
Topics slide
you’ll just talk it from a different
perspective
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16. 8. References
If there is no accompanying paper
List the references in the same format as
for papers
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17. 9. Glossary/Acronyms
If there is no accompanying paper
List all the acronyms in alphabetical order
Use as many slides as necessary
Show the slide during the presentation but
don’t read them all!
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18. 10. Questions and discussion
This is the last slide of the presentation
Put an interesting graphic here
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19. Prototyping @ SETE 2004
Non-refereed practitioner
presentation category
Template and example
supplied to authors
MCSS Case Study
Papers that used the
template seemed better
than those that didn’t
Anecdotal evidence
General delegate impression
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20. Examples
2005 MCSS
Upgrade Case
Study
2006 Pacor
Upgrade Case
Study – in paper
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21. Summary
Why we need one
Process for writing the paper
The Template
Filling in the template
Where to find an example
Summary
Conclusion
Questions and discussion
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22. Conclusion
Recommend to the Conference
Committee that the template be made
mandatory for case study and personal
experience papers.
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