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Essential skills for science & technology
Publisher
Oxford Univ. Press
Publication Date
2008
Language
English
Description
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Table of Contents
From the Book
pt. 1. You and tertiary study 1. The first step Graduate attributes Transition to university Balancing life and study Skills for academic success Recommendations 2. Being organised Why time management is important How do you cope with all the demands on your time? Setting your goals Planning The study timetable Resources Using your time well Late submissions Time wasting Procrastination pt. 2. Learning and researching 3. Modes of learning for higher education What is learning? Memory The learning curve Preferences for learning Sensory aspects of learning styles Visual Auditory Kinaesthetic or tactile Learning for meaning Monitoring your own learning Advice from successful students Keep up The topic syllabus Get to know your classmates Survey the entire work Reading, highlighting, and taking notes The card system Review information 4. Lectures, tutorials, and laboratories Lectures Listening Effective note taking Mechanics Editing and reviewing Summaries Translations Laws of science Tutorials Practical and laboratory classes Laboratory safety 5. E-learning and researching Five levels of e-learning Information retrieval Knowledge databases Online support Asynchronous instruction Synchronous instruction The virtual library and electronic resources Databases Citation indexes The Internet The World Wide Web Using search engines for research How to sort information Improving your search results Web-based learning Learning tools Net etiquette 6. Assessments Grading systems Continual assessment Exams Tackling exams Preparation Techniques Self-confidence About the exam Format Length Value The multiple-choice exam pt. 3. Critical evaluation 7. Reading scientific literature The scientific literature Textbooks, reference books, and handbooks Reviews, monographs, and annuals Journal articles Scientific abstracts, citations, and electronic databases Reading concerns Asking specific questions Critical reading of journals Skim reading Critical reading 8. Critical thinking Science and the pursuit of knowledge Knowledge, scepticism, and critical thinking Why be a critical thinker? How to be a critical thinker What is justification? Assessing evidence Critical thinking and argumentation 9. Academic argument What is an academic argument? When do you need to present an argument? What makes a good argument? Types of argument Deductive reasoning Inductive reasoning What makes a weak or strong inductive argument? Using good argument in your writing
pt. 4. Writing and presenting in the sciences 10. Academic integrity and plagiarism Why do we need academic integrity? What is plagiarism? Other forms of unethical behaviour Referencing Paraphrasing correctly Group work 11. Referencing styles Referencing styles Non-referenced material Author-date style Citations in the text Reference list The Vancouver style Citations in the text Reference list Keeping track of your references 12. Writing for the sciences Analysis of the question Example of assignment questions Questions you may want to ask Source materials Planning the structure of the assignment The idea of themes Sections of the written assignment Introduction The basic theme Background information Body of the text Summary and conclusions References Using graphs, tables, and figures Language : putting it all together A proposed structure for scientific writing Final checklist Presentation Introduction Discussion Conclusions 13. Writing a report Title page and inside cover Terms of reference Table of contents Executive summary or abstract Introduction Materials and methods Main findings 1) Results 2) Discussion 3) Conclusions 4) Recommendations References Appendixes and attachments Final checklist Format and presentation Executive summary Introduction Results and discussion Conclusions and recommendations Language and expression 14. Writing a laboratory report Language and style Objective language Active or passive voice Past or present tense Words to keep in mind when writing Clarity Correctness Completeness Simplicity Readability Objectivity Writing a laboratory report Title Abstract Introduction Materials and methods Results Discussion Summary and conclusions References Appendixes Checklist Presentation Introduction Methods Results Discussion Conclusions 15. Writing an article review What is an article review? Research article types Simple structure Additional elements Critical analysis Critiquing an experimental or empirical article A template for reviewing empirical articles 16. Presentation skills : talks and posters Oral presentations Preparation Delivery Poster presentations Presentation 17. Editing your writing The editor's toolbox Structural editing Copy editing Proofreading Common faults in English expression Top sports for errors Common error types Use of commas Avoiding tautology Distinguishing meaning Parallel structure
pt. 5. Quantitative methods
18. An approach to problem solving
Blocks to problem solving
Steps in problem solving
Clarifying the problem
Devising a plan of attack
Implementing the plan
Checking the answer
19. Fundamental mathematics
Order of operations
Exponents, powers and roots
Multiplying and dividing powers
Powers of powers
Negative powers
Roots and fractional powers
Scientific notation
Addition and subtraction
Multiplication and division
Logarithms
What are logarithms?
Laws of logarithms
Equations and dimensions
Units and dimensions (dimensional analysis)
20. An introduction to calculus
Differential calculus
Integral calculus
21. Basic statistics
Categorising data
Drawing and using graphs
Drawing lines on graphs
Drawing inferences from graphs
Interpolation
Extrapolation
Relationships between variables
Statistical terminology
Appendixes
1. Key words in written assignment questions
2. Unusual plurals
3. Prefixes
4. The use of apostrophes
5. SI units and fundamental constants.
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ISBN
9780195558319
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