Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!almstrum
From: almstrum@cs.utexas.edu (Vicki L. Almstrum)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: How to read the literature
Summary: writing exercises
Keywords: writing, refereeing, authoring
Message-ID: <20169@cs.utexas.edu>
Date: 24 May 91 17:03:21 GMT
References: <6113@eastapps.East.Sun.COM>
Organization: U Texas Dept of Computer Sciences, Austin TX
Lines: 46

In article <6113@eastapps.East.Sun.COM> jparker@east.sun.com (Jeff Parker - Sun BOS Software) writes:
>
>	I'm preparing to teach a course in which I will ask students
>to read journal articles.  I've drawn up a short list of questions.
>

I think this is a great idea, Jeff!  I have a couple of related but different
ideas for writing exercises in the context of journals.  These may be most
appropriate for upper division undergraduates or for graduate students.

The first idea is to ask students to referee one or more articles.  This can
be done with already-published articles, but is perhaps a more meaningful
exercise if unpublished articles (related to the subject area) can be found.
Articles which students can read to obtain assistance in this endeavor are:

  "The Task of the Referee", Alan J. Smith, IEEE Computer, April 1990, 65-71.

  "Guidelines for Referees (October 1989)", IEEE Computer, April 1990, 14-15.

  "A Guide for New Referees in Theoretical Computer Science", I. Parberry,
       SIGACT News, Vol. 20, No. 4, April 1989, 92-109.

  "Rules for Referees", B. Forscher, Science, October 15, 1965, 310-321.

A second activity is to ask students to write an article suitable for 
submission to a scholarly journal or magazine.  The instructor can make a
go-no go decision on whether the final product should be submitted.  The
process requires that students become familiar with the author guidelines
for the appropriate publication, and also that they produce a paper which
conforms with the format requirements.  Some examples of the author guidelines
can be found in the following:

  "Guidelines for Authors", IEEE Software, Vol. 1, No. 1, January 1984, 7-8.

  "Information for Authors", CACM, Vol. 32, No. 3, March 1989, 411-414.

  "How to write a Scientific Paper", R. Day, IEEE Transactions on Professional
        Communication, Vol. PC-20, June 1977, 32-37.

-- Vicki

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Vicki L. Almstrum                 INTERNET:  almstrum@cs.utexas.edu *
*  Department of Computer Sciences & Mathematics Education Department *
*  University of Texas at Austin, TAY 2.124, Austin, TX  78756        *
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