Getting Published: Materials of Creativity and Skeptism

1. Getting Published: Materials of Creativity and Skeptism Workshop at UMS 1 June 2009 Lecture 2: How to write an abstract? Ismail Said (PhD) Head of Landscape Architectural Department Faculty of Built Environment Universiti Teknologi Malaysia b-ismail@utm.my

2. Things to discuss • Title • Keywords • Abstract If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. - Derek Bok

3. Title • Clearly describe the contents of your research • Independent and dependent variables • Concise and accurate; snappy • Comprise of major variables or subject • Less than 10 words

4. Examples of Title Benchmarking electricity consumption (2006) • The subject is benchmarking electricity consumption in building. • Key indicator is kWh/m 2 usable floor area and year. Analyzing sunlight duration and optimum shading using a sky map (2007) • The subject is predicting the sunlight duration on windows • The method is using the hemispherical sky Children in the City: Reclaiming the Street (2006) • The major variable of this paper is children who live in the city. • The issue is to make the street as a place for children. A multigrid method for the Cahn–Hilliard equation with obstacle potential (2009)

5. Examples of Title Open space planning model: A review of approaches and methods (2007) • A theoretical review of models of open space planning • Merits and limitations of models Residential mobility in Chinese cities: A longitudinal analysis (2006) • The subject is mobility of urban dwellers in China. The study is an analysis of social housing system in Chinese cities from 1949-1994. Conflicting factors in construction projects: Korean perspective • The title discuss on adverse effect of conflict in construction projects. One of the factors is differing site condition.

6. Longer Titles Domestic Space Arrangement of the Private Rental Housing: A Case of Urban Village Housings of Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2005) • The issue of the paper is space arrangement in rental houses. • The author investigates a specific case of village houses in Yogyakarta. Landscape as Playspace: The Effects of Natural Environments on Children’s Play and Motor Development (2005) • Clearly, the subject is natural landscape as playspace for children. • The issue is about what are the effects of playing in natural landscape on children’s motor development.

7. Exercise on title What are concerns of the following papers? 1.Use of process maps to develop a management briefing sheet for a design consultancy (Engineering, Construction and Arch Management) • The Law of Conservation of Activities in Domestic Space (JAABE) 3. Ecological footprints and sustainable urban form (Journal of Housing and Built Environment) • Designing suburban greenways to provide habitat for forest-breeding birds (Landscape and Urban Planning) 5. Contradictions and Complexities: Jane Jacobs's and Robert Venturi's Complexity Theories (Journal of Architectural Education) 6. Artificial neural networks model for predicting excavator productivity (Engineering Construction and Architectural Management) 7. Mapping the design process during the conceptual phase of building projects (Engineering Construction and Architectural Management)

8. Abstract • Abstracts (ab=out, trahere=pull; “to pull out”) • An abstract is the prelude of your paper. It is usually read first and may be only part read. Therefore, make it accurate, specific, objective, and self-contained (i.e., it makes sense alone without references to the main text). WRITE IT AT THE END. • It must concisely describe the experimental question, the general methods and the major findings and implications of the experiments An example: Analyzing sunlight duration and optimum shading using a sky map A method of predicting the sunlight duration on windows in a densely packed building environment is presented.

9. Keywords • Keywords are the main subjects which guide the structure of your paper. Generally, 5 to 6 keywords are required. • Example A Study on the History and Development of the Javanese Mosque Part 3: Typology of the Plan and Structure of the Javanese Mosque and Its Distribution typology; plan of main prayer hall; soko guru; Javanese mosque; distribution

10. Abstract Content 1.  Intent or objective of paper; Problem statement; Issue (1-2 sentences) 2. Method of study (2-3 sentences) 3. Results or Findings (2-3 sentences) 4. Conclusion (1-2 sentences) 5. Implication (1 sentence)--optional How many words? Generally, 200-250 words in Social Sciences. It can be as few as 30 words in Chemistry.

11. Emerald has introducedstructured abstracts • A structured abstract – in 250 words or less (no more than 100 in any one section) • Purpose – Reasons/aims of paper • Design- Methodology/’how it was done’/scope of study • Findings – Discussion/results • Research limitations/Implications – Exclusions/next steps • Practical implications – Applications to practice/’So what?’ • Originality/value – Who would benefit from this and what is new about it?

12. First Five Steps to Writing an Effective Abstract 1. Identify the major objectives and conclusions 2. Identify phrases with keywords in the methods section 3. Identify the major results from the results/discussion section 4. Assemble the above into a single paragraph 5. State hypothesis/method used in the first sentence

13. Second Five Steps to Polish the Abstract • Omit background information/literature review/detailed description of methods • Remove extra words and phrases (use the active form) • Revise the paragraph to convey only the essential information • Conform to the guidelines of the targeted journal • Get your friend to comment on it (preferably one who is not familiar with your work)

14. One sentence abstract !

15. Abstract 1 People needs in the urban landscape: Analysis of Landscape And Urban Planning contributions (2007) The articles published in Landscape and Urban Planning during the past 16 years provide valuable insights into how humans interact with outdoor urban environments. This review paper explores the wide spectrum of human dimensions and issues, or human needs, addressed by 90 of these studies. As a basis for analysis, the major themes tapped by the findings were classified into two overarching groups containing three categories each. The Nature needs, directly linked with the physical features of the environmental setting, were categorized in terms of contact with nature, aesthetic preference, and recreation and play. The role of the environment is less immediate in the Human-interaction group, which includes the issues of social interaction, citizen participation in the design process, and community identity. Most significantly, the publications offer strong support for the important role nearby natural environments play in human well-being. Urban settings that provide nature contact are valuable not only in their own right, but also for meeting other needs in a manner unique to these more natural settings. In addition, although addressed in different ways, remarkable similarities exist concerning these six people requirements across diverse cultures and political systems. Urban residents worldwide express a desire for contact with nature and each other, attractive environments, places in which to recreate and play, privacy, a more active role in the design of their community, and a sense of community identity. The studies reviewed here offer continued evidence that the design of urban landscapes strongly influences the well-being and behavior of users and nearby inhabitants.

16. Analyzing the abstract 1 • Purpose: The articles published in Landscape and Urban Planning during the past 16 years provide valuable insights into how humans interact with outdoor urban environments. This review paper explores the wide spectrum of human dimensions and issues, or human needs, addressed by 90 of these studies. • Method: As a basis for analysis, the major themes tapped by the findings were classified into two overarching groups containing three categories each. The Nature needs, directly linked with the physical features of the environmental setting, were categorized in terms of contact with nature, aesthetic preference, and recreation and play. • Findings: The role of the environment is less immediate in the Human-interaction group, which includes the issues of social interaction, citizen participation in the design process, and community identity. Most significantly, the publications offer strong support for the important role nearby natural environments play in human well-being. Urban settings that provide nature contact are valuable not only in their own right, but also for meeting other needs in a manner unique to these more natural settings. In addition, although addressed in different ways, remarkable similarities exist concerning these six people requirements across diverse cultures and political systems. Urban residents worldwide express a desire for contact with nature and each other, attractive environments, places in which to recreate and play, privacy, a more active role in the design of their community, and a sense of community identity. The studies reviewed here offer continued evidence that the design of urban landscapes strongly influences the well-being and behavior of users and nearby inhabitants.

17. Abstract 2 Correlation between thermal conductivity and the thickness of selected insulation materials for building wall Purpose and analysis Correlation between thermal conductivity and the thickness of selected insulation materials for building wall has been analyzed. Findings The study has found that a relationship between the thermal conductivity (k) and optimum thickness (xopt) of insulation material is non-linear which obeys a polynomial function of xopt = a + bk + ck2, where a = 0.0818, b = -2.973, and c = 64.6. Implication This relationship will be very useful for practical use to estimate the optimum thickness of insulation material in reducing the rate of heat flow through building wall by knowing its thermal conductivity only.

18. Abstract 3 Nonequilibrium dynamics of scalar fields in a thermal bath We study the approach to equilibrium for a scalar field which is coupled to a large thermal bath. Our analysis of the initial value problem is based on Kadanoff-Baym equations which are shown to be equivalent to a stochastic Langevin equation. The interaction with the thermal bath generates a temperature-dependent spectral density, either through decay and inverse decay processes or via Landau damping. In equilibrium, energy density and pressure are determined by the Bose–Einstein distribution function evaluated at a complex quasi-particle pole. The time evolution of the statistical propagator is compared with solutions of the Boltzmann equationsfor particles as well as quasi-particles. The dependence on initial conditions and the range of validity of the Boltzmann approximation are determined.

19. Exercise on abstract • Let us do the following exercise by choosing at least two abstracts from list (n=3). Analyze the abstract in the form of purpose, problem statement, method, analysis, findings and conclusion.

20. Exercise Abstract 1 A Study on the History and Development of the Javanese Mosque Part 3: Typology of the Plan and Structure of the Javanese Mosque and Its Distribution This paper investigates and analyzes a typology of the plan and structure of the Javanese mosque and its distribution. The study will focus on the plan of the main prayer hall and the soko guru principle structure (master pillars in the centre of the main prayer hall, supporting the upper hipped roof of the mosque) since these two elements and the roof are the main characteristics of the Javanese mosque. Until today these were generally well-preserved elements. The study investigates and analyzes 127 mosques that were constructed in the 15th-19th centuries in Java. Based on this analysis, the paper argues that the main/original mosque type is square in plan with four master-pillars in the centre of the main prayer hall. It also finds and argues that there are many variations on these two elements in its development, but the main type is evenly spread throughout Java Island.

21. Exercise Abstract 2 Using Children’s GIS Maps to Influence Town Planning In a research project carried out in various neighborhoods in Stockholm, Sweden, we have developed a method for facilitating children’s influence on spatial planning. Our goal was to construct a vehicle for communication that could work in practice for both children and teachers as well as for planners. The method uses computerized GIS maps—a common tool in spatial planning. With little assistance, 10- to 12-year-old children map their routes and special places, mark activities and write comments. Teachers can also map routes and places used for education. The results have proved reliable and accessible by planners. Use of the mapping method within the school curriculum and in the planning process is broadly discussed in the paper. • Keywords: children, communication, children’s participation, GIS, planning, mapping

22. Exercise Abstract 3 Children in the City: Reclaiming the Street During recent decades, in many cities, important changes in home and neighborhood environments have significantly impacted the play and peer interactions of children. Many urban streets and public spaces have become inhospitable to children. However, parents continue to value outdoor play and access to nature as important to their children’s health and development. Against the background of a re-emerging interest among families and city governments to create child-friendly urban environments, this paper examines social and physical characteristics of such environments, based on research conducted in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It concludes that planners and designers need to support the efforts of families to re-claim the street as an important area for urban livability for children. Keywords: woonerf, home zone, traffic calming, child-friendly cities, home range, the Netherlands

23. Exercise Abstract 4 A unified theory of quantum holonomies A periodic change of slow environmental parameters of a quantum system induces quantum holonomy. The phase holonomy is a well-known example. Another is a more exotic kind that exhibits eigenvalue and eigenspace holonomies. We introduce a theoretical formulation that describes the phase and eigenspace holonomies on an equal footing. The key concept of the theory is a gauge connection for an ordered basis, which is conceptually distinct from Mead–Truhlar–Berry’s connection and its Wilczek–Zee extension. A gauge invariant treatment of eigenspace holonomy based on Fujikawa’s formalism is developed. Example of adiabatic quantum holonomy, including the exotic kind with spectral degeneracy, are shown.

24. Exercise Abstract 5 Toxicogenomics: unlocking the potential of the human genome Toxicogenomics merges genomics with toxicology and observes the genomewide effects of toxicants. The field is really only taking the first steps to establish the ‘ground rules’, nomenclature and standards by which it will develop and a standardised approach to toxicogenomic evaluation is still to be agreed. There is a great need to address toxicogenomics to iatrogenic morbidity, environmental health and safety and diet. In the case of iatrogenic morbidity, 0.5% of the UK hospital population is affected and toxicogenomics could lead to personalised medicine, i.e., to define a drug dosage tailored to each patient’s unique genetic make-up and medical condition that is beneficial, inadequate or toxic. Before this can become a reality, toxicogenomic profiles need to be generated for a host of commonly prescribed drugs and shown to be robust in crosscentre, cross-platform comparisons; the magnitude of the work needed will be vast and needs to be nationally coordinated and funded. The potential of predictive toxicogenomic and all tri-nomic methodologies is far greater than its current usefulness. The sequencing of genomes alone is not a panacea. Rather, genomic, tri-nomic and pharmacogenetic databases must be integrated with a comprehensive toxicant class database with validated tri-nomic profiles linked to traditional toxicity endpoints; this should be carried out as exhaustively as the sequencing effort itself. This must be undertaken in order to exploit the vast potential of this new field to provide personalised medicine, sensitive and quick environmental health and safety surveillance and accurate and scientifically supported dietary advice.

25. End of Lecture 2