| Written by: | Titus Schleyer |
| Questions about this assignment? | Titus Schleyer |
| Prerequisites: | General understanding of informatics research and evaluation methodologies |
| Outcomes: | a critical and rigorous evaluation of a research paper, discussion of relevant background, exploration of methodological alternatives (if appropriate), and review of implications for future research directions |
Background: Part of the fascination with informatics research is the multitude of approaches and applicable methods used in the field. As junior researchers, participants in this course should develop their ability to evaluate research critically and objectively, and, if appropriate, discuss implications for their own research.
How to complete this assignment: Read your assigned paper in detail, and review the appropriate background literature, regardless of whether it was cited in the paper or not. Prepare a 45-minute presentation about the paper in which you give a comprehensive overview of the research area, and discuss the paper in detail.
Deliverables:
In addition to presenting
all relevant background material and explaining the content of the paper, the
presentation must address the following points:
All visuals and handout materials must follow common information design principles (Review information design seminar presented in BIOINF2201).
Based on the facts and ideas presented, a 15-minute discussion must be guided by the presenter. This discussion can be based on a small in-class assignment or some questions posed by the presenter. The discussion must be thouroughly prepared in order to be worthwhile for all attendees. Questions posed should encourage everybody to contribute in a way that an increase of the understanding of the topic can be achieved and not lead to a regurgitation of the facts known.
Grading criteria: Criteria for grading are, in order of importance: (1) content and coverage of presentation (did you present all relevant background material, did you explain the content of the paper so your audience could understand it, where you able to answer questions adequately, etc.); (2) role as moderator of the guided discussion; (3) presentation style and delivery; and (4) format and delivery of your visual aids and handouts.
Helpful readings:
- for preparing the presentation: How to speak how to listen by Adler
- for preparing the visuals and the handouts: The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Tufte