Look at the list of typical conference activities (a-h) below and then discuss the following questions.

1. Which of these activities have you done (or might you expect to do) at conferences?

2. Which activities are easier / more difficult for you? Why?

3. Do you know any words or phrases which are appropriate for these activities?

 

a. making arrangements for coffee, lunch or an evening out

b. asking someone which talks they have been to

с. asking someone for their opinion on a talk

d. finding out about where someone works and what research they are doing

e. asking someone if they are giving a talk

f. asking someone how successful their presentation was

g. introducing yourself or someone else for the first time

h. networking (making useful contacts)

 

Have you ever taken part in a meeting in English? If so, who was the meeting with and how was it? What might be difficult about having a meeting in English, apart from the language difficulties you might have? Listen to four scientists talking and take notes about problems they have had in meetings in English (Recording 2.1).

1 Sahal:____________________________________________

2 Hitomi:__________________________________________

3 Sam:___________________________________________

4 Radek:___________________________________________

Have you ever had a problem like those described by the speakers?

Milan is socializing at the 7th European Malaria Conference in Cambridge. Listen to extracts from eight different conversations Milan has (Recording 2.2). For each conversation, say which activity in Exercise 7 you hear. Sometimes, more than one correct answer is possible.

 

Conversation 1:_____________	Conversation 5:____________
Conversation 2:_____________	Conversation 6:____________
Conversation 3:_____________	Conversation 7:____________
Conversation 4:_____________	Conversation 8:____________

 

Look at the sentences from the conversations in Exercise 8c. Complete the spaces with the words in the box. Then listen and check your answers (Recording 2.2).

about based face forward giving go honest how looking sessions this turnout

 

Conversation 1

(1)____________ was it?

Well, to be (2)_________it was a bit too clinical for me.

Conversation 2

And (3) ________ is Freja Pedersen.

Conversation 3

So where are you (4) ________, Freja?

What are you (5)_______at?

Conversation 4

So are you (6)_______a paper here, Makareta?

Conversation 5

Well, how (7)_________you come out with us tonight?

Conversation 6

So, how did the talk (8)________?

Did you get a good (9)_________?

Conversation 7

So which other (10)________have you been to today, Milan?

Conversation 8

It’s good to finally meet you, Jacob, and put a (11)______to the name. This might seem a little (12)_______, but I wondered what opportunities there were in your lab for post-doctoral positions.

2C	Writing a Research Paper

1. Read the text and answer the questions:

1. What preliminary sections do the research papers include?

2. How many major sections do the research papers contain?

3. How are these sections headed?

4. What do you think which of the sections contain figures?

5. What do you think which section is the most detailed? Why?

AN EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH PAPER

An experimental resear c h paper is a paper written by a scientist to present the objectives, methods, results, and conclusions of the study he/she has performed. The paper is usually published in a professional scientific journal and often needs to be peer reviewed. It has much in common with other types of scientific writing, such as a monograph, a thesis or dissertation.

The term “experimental research” used here is referred to any kind of study in which a scientist states a problem, moves a hypothesis as a possible way to solve the problem, collects, processes and interprets research data which will either support or reject the hypothesis.

A paper which describes experimental research differs from a review paper in one major way: it is not limited to the description of the state of knowledge in a given topic area; here the author is expected to create an entirely new work based on his own experimental findings, their interpretation and evaluation.

The organizational format for all experimental research papers is generally the same, regardless of the field of study in which the scientist is working. A typical experimental research paper contains the following sections in the order they are listed:

• Preliminary sections:

Title

Abstract

Keywords

Nomenclature

• Major sections:

Introduction

Methods and Materials

Results and Discussion

Conclusion

• Supporting sections:

Acknowledgements

References

Appendices

Tony is doing research into the panspermia hypothesis as part of a Master’s degree in astrobiology. He has been investigating whether it is possible for bacteria and microorganisms to survive in an environment as harsh as the surface of Mars. He has been advised to organise the text of his introduction around five key questions. Match the beginnings to the endings of the questions.

 

1. What was I	a. approach the problem?
2. Why was it	b. expect to know after doing the research?
3. What was already	c. important?
4. What did I	d. investigating?
5. How did I	e. known about the subject of my research?