tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49103048548550043102024-03-23T03:13:28.319-07:00Bren Communications Center TipsBren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-72801190108944536712011-05-18T14:17:00.000-07:002011-05-18T14:37:41.451-07:00Communications Tip: Political Capitalization<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >As if politics weren’t tricky enough, figuring out when to capitalize political terms can be a challenge! Is it ‘President’ or ‘president’? ‘Democrat’ or ‘democrat’? Read on for a summary review of when ‘to capitalize or not to capitalize’!<br /><u><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman""><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">President</span><br /></span></u>Capitalize when used as a title preceding a name.</span><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Example:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>President Obama is traveling to India this week.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Capitalize when referring to a specific president even without using the name.</span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Example: What do you think of the President's healthcare plan? </span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";">Use lowercase when referring generally to the office.<br /></span></span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">Example: The Constitution says the president must be a natural born citizen of the United States.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">Administration</span></u><br />Similar to the president rule, capitalize when referring to a specific administration, whether you name it explicitly or not.<br /></span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> Example: Interior Secretary James Watt was a member of the Reagan Administration.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Example: Environmentalists criticized the Administration for appointing Watt.<br /></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Use lowercase when referring generally to an administration.<br /></span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> Example: The requirements of an act are implemented by the administration in power.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">Congress</span></u><br />ALWAYS capitalize when referring to the US Senate and House of Representatives.<br /></span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> Example: The mid-term elections dramatically altered the composition of Congress.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Use lowercase when ‘congressional’ is used as an adjective . . .<br /></span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> Example: That hearing is an abuse of congressional powers!</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >. . . UNLESS the usage is part of a proper name. </span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">Example: The Congressional Review Act gives Congress the power to review all new federal regulations issued by government agencies.</span></span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: normal; font-family: arial;"> </p><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><u><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman""><span style="font-weight: bold;">Congressional Titles</span> (representative/senator/congressman)</span></u><br />Capitalize when using the term as a title followed by a name.<br /></span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> Example:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Last week, Senator Reid defeated Sharron Angle in the 2010 mid-term elections.<br /></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Otherwise, use lowercase.<br /></span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> Example: The senator from California supported the climate change bill.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> Example: Contrary to the President’s wishes, the senator voted against the bill.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">Political Parties</span></u><br />Capitalize when referring to a political party or member of a political party; also capitalize the word "party" if used.<br /></span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> Example: Barbara Boxer is a running for re-election as a Democrat. </span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">Example: The Natural Resources Defense Council’s position is similar to the Democratic Party platform on this issue.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Use lowercase for a general political philosophy or principles.<br /></span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> Example: He is democratic in his thinking.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >A clever example from <a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/When_do_you_capitalize_democrat"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">WikiAnswers</span></a> sums it up as follows: </span> <ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">A Democrat is someone who belongs to the Democratic Party; a democrat is someone who believes in democracy. Democrats (big D) are democrats, but not all democrats (small D) are Democrats—some of them are Republicans! </span></span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">Agencies</span></u><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman""><br />ALWAYS capitalize when referring to a specific agency, whether it is explicitly named or not. </span></span></p> <ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">Example: The </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">National Aeronautics and Space Administration</span> (<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">NASA)</span><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman""> implements the civilian space program. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">Example: The Agency also conducts aeronautics and aerospace research.</span></span></li></ul> <span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Use lowercase if referring to agencies in general.<br /></span><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"> Example: Generally, policy implementation is an agency responsibility. </span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">Directions/Parts of the country</span></u><span style=";"><br />Capitalize when referring to a place name.<br /></span></span></p><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman""> Example: Heidi is from West Virginia.</span></span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=";">Use lowercase when talking about a general direction.<br /></span></span></p><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman""> Example: To find the bike locker, head towards the north side of Bren Hall.</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=";">Where this can get tricky is when parts of a country are referred to by a direction, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">e.g.</i>, the Southwest. In this case, if the term refers to a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">specific</i> geographic area as an entity, you should capitalize it. In contrast, if you are just using the term to describe a portion of the country that lies in a westerly (or other) direction, use lowercase.<br /></span></span></p><ul style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman""> Example: Buffalo used to roam freely across the Great Plains of the American West.<br />vs.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Buffalo used to roam freely across large parts of the western United States.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">Example: Representatives from western states are generally opposed to an increase in grazing fees on federal lands.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman"">Example: The Northeast is known for its vibrant display of fall foliage.</span></span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; line-height: normal; font-family: arial;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-Times New Roman""> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />Hope that helps with any political capitalization confusion! As always, please feel free to contact the Communications Center with any questions. Good luck!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--Audrey Tresham</span></span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-15151192483087055012010-06-03T09:25:00.000-07:002010-08-06T14:41:19.491-07:00Communications Tip: Simplifying Scientific Language<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/TAffhcFXsVI/AAAAAAAAAEU/6MLODVvrgcY/s1600/Complexity-elegance-visual.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 345px; height: 257px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/TAffhcFXsVI/AAAAAAAAAEU/6MLODVvrgcY/s320/Complexity-elegance-visual.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478593237286891858" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Technical terms can make communication more efficient when a group understands the meaning, but they may create barriers when interacting with laypeople or researchers outside of your field. Using jargon can make your message unintelligible, or even worse, make you seem insincere.<br /><br />Adjusting your style of communication is an important part of considering your audience. Remember that one word may be interpreted in a multitude of ways by different people. For example, a landscape ecologist might define a “landscape” as a mosaic that is heterogeneous with respect to at least one factor, due to effects of patterns and processes (Turner, Gardner & O’Neill, 2001; Urban, O’Neill, and Shugart, Jr., 1987). Members of the public might think of “lawns” or “landscaping” when they hear the same word. There are also many popular press references to religious, political, and socio-economic “landscapes.”<br /><br />Keep your audience in mind when crafting your writing or presentation. What do you want them to know about your research, and how can they apply what they have learned to a problem or decision? Also choose your language carefully so that your important points are clear.<br /><br />"Effective scientific prose is accurate, clear, economical, fluent, and graceful" (Council of Biology Editors, 1994, 101).<br /><br />Here are some tips to help you simplify scientific language:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> Rather than using technical terminology, <span style="font-weight: bold;">use simpler synonyms</span>. Also <span style="font-weight: bold;">be careful of words from a thesaurus</span> that can make your communication awkward and unclear.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Examples: </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">do </span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;">accomplish, perform</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">part </span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;"> component</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">begin</span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;">commence, initiate</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">cause</span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;">effectuate</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">measure </span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;">quantify</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">use</span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;">utilization</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">lessen the impact of</span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;">mitigate</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> If you must use jargon, be explicit about it. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Give context and clarification</span> for acronyms or other terms that you use.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Example: </span><br /><br />To evaluate the effect of stresses on <span style="font-style: italic;">hydrologic systems</span>, researchers often use <span style="font-style: italic;">topologic simulation models</span>. These models can help them to predict the <span style="font-style: italic;">fate and transport</span> of pollutants under various conditions.<br /><br />Versus<br /><br />To evaluate the effect of stresses on watersheds and river basins, including changes in the amount of precipitation or ground-water extraction rates, researchers often use simulation models based on local topography and other watershed characteristics. These models can help them to predict where pollutants will travel under various conditions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Wordy phrases may also inhibit understanding. Where possible, <span style="font-weight: bold;">stick to using simple, phrases that accurately convey the meaning you intended</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Examples: </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">fewer</span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;">a decreased number of</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">because</span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;">accounted for by the fact</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">we observed</span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;">it was observed in the course of experiments </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">we do not know</span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;">we have insufficient knowledge</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">to </span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;"> in order to</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">agreement</span> rather than <span style="font-style: italic;">unanimity of opinion</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">It may be effective to use short stories or analogies</span>. If you use this technique, be sure that your analogy is straightforward and that your audience will relate to it. Consider the following example from Stephen Schneider of Stanford University (Schwartz, 2006). If you were asked to justify a policy that mandates large energy use reductions based on a minimal increase in the likelihood of catastrophic climate change, what would be an effective method? Schneider recommended drawing a parallel with fire insurance. Many homeowners invest in fire insurance although only a fraction will actually experience a home fire.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Consult someone outside of your field</span> to assess the clarity of your paper or presentation.<br /><br /><br />One again, all of us at the Communications Center would like to wish you a wonderful summer!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">References:</span><br /><br />Council of Biology Editors, Style Manual Committee. (1994). <span style="font-style: italic;">Scientific style and format: the CBE manual for authors, editors, and publishers</span>. 6th ed. Reston, VA: Council of Biology [Science] Editors.<br /><br />Gale, C. <span style="font-style: italic;">Be clear: communicating research to lay audiences</span>. Retrieved from http://www.stanford.edu/~cgale/<br /><br />Miller, O. (2010). <span style="font-style: italic;">How to simplify your presentation without dumbing it down</span>. Retrieved from http://speakingaboutpresenting.com/content/presentation-simplicity/<br /><br />Schwartz, M. (2006). <span style="font-style: italic;">Scholars learn to communicate plainly the science of climate change</span>. Stanford Report. Stanford: Stanford University. Retrieved from http://news.stanford.edu/news/2006/november15/woodspol-111506.html<br /><br />Turner, M.G., Gardner, R.H., & O’Neill, R.V. (2001). <span style="font-style: italic;">Landscape Ecology in Theory and Practice: Pattern and Process</span>. New York: Springer Science and Business Media, Inc.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Urban, D.L., O’Neill, R.V., & Shugart, Jr., H.H. (1987). Landscape ecology: a hierarchical perspective can help scientists understand spatial pattern. <span style="font-style: italic;">Bioscience</span>, 37(2): 119-127.<br /><br />--Danica Schaffer-Smith<br /><br /></span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-66737839783535617692010-06-02T10:39:00.000-07:002010-06-02T10:41:42.290-07:00Communications Tip: Editing ChecklistLast year, our ESM 437 class compiled a quick reference checklist for general editing, an ideal resource as you finish final papers and prepare for internships, new jobs, or a relaxing summer. Feel free to adapt our list to your next writing effort.<br /><br />Here is an editing checklist to get you started. Let us know if we're missing anything and we'll add it to future iterations.<br />--Matches expectations of task<br />--Clear objective/thesis statement<br />--Compelling introduction and conclusion<br />--Demonstrates flow/logical order<br />--Makes relevant and appropriate recommendations<br />--Easy to find critical points<br />--Addresses significance: answers “so what?”<br />--Supportive and well-integrated evidence<br />--Assumptions are explicit<br /><br />--Overall clarity<br />--Cohesion/ connectivity between paragraphs<br />--Appropriate scope<br />--Precise language<br />--Avoid redundancy<br />--Sentence/word variation<br />--Audience-appropriate evidence (e.g., statistics, observations, examples);<br />useful charts/tables/visuals, where applicable<br />--Tense/verb agreement<br /><br />Thank you to our ESM 437 students for their contributions!<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">--Monica Bulger</span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-39284845291813087402010-05-26T15:52:00.000-07:002010-05-26T16:43:22.513-07:00Fearless Punctuation Tip - How to Hyphenate<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Student writers often confuse the hyphen and dash. A hyphen is a short line (-) used to join words; it occurs on most keyboards as an actual key. A dash is a longer line (—) used to set off or separate phrases; it does NOT occur on most keyboards as an actual key. A dash can be automatically generated in Microsoft Word, however, by typing two hyphens between words like this: A dash--generated with two hyphens--is a useful writing tool. (After you use “space bar” to move away from the word following the double hyphens, MS Word will automatically change it into a dash.) If you are using a word processing program that does not automatically convert double hyphens to a dash, then it is acceptable to use the two hyphens in place of the dash.<br /><br />Now that we’re clear on that point, let’s focus on the hyphen. If you are looking for infallible rules for when to use the hyphen, you are out of luck: its use is constantly evolving! The following uses, however, are generally agreed upon, with a few exceptions here and there.<br /><br />~Main Uses~</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />1. To join two or more words serving as a single adjective before a noun (a.k.a., a compound modifier)</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Examples:<br />Asbestos is a well-known carcinogen.<br />Look online for up-to-date images of the oil spill.<br />Predictions from large-scale global climate models can be a valuable resource for city planners.<br /><br />Note: When the adjective follows the noun, the words are NOT hyphenated.<br /><br />Examples:<br />The carcinogenic properties of asbestos are well known.<br />The images of the oil spill are up to date.<br />Predictions from global climate model can be a valuable resource for city planners in spite of the models' large scale.<br />[In these cases, "well known," “up to date,” and "large scale" follow the nouns they're modifying, so they are not hyphenated.]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. To join compound numbers under one hundred and fractions</span><br /><br />Examples: thirty-five, fifty-two or five-eighths<br /><br />Hyphens are usually not used with numbers greater than one hundred, unless they occur within the greater number:<br /><br />Example: one hundred twenty-one<br /><br />Note: While hyphens are used to write out numbers when required, it is acceptable in most cases to write numbers that are greater than ten numerically (e.g., 12 instead of twelve).</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />3. To avoid confusion or awkward combinations of letters</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Examples:<br />re-sign a purchase order (vs. resign from a job)<br />re-creation of the compound (vs. parks and recreation)<br />re-enter the facility (vs. “reenter”)<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />4. To avoid ambiguities</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Examples:<br />a little-used car vs. a little used-car<br />third-world environmental degradation vs. third world environmental degradation</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />5. To join certain prefixes and suffixes to words</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Examples: Use a hyphen with the prefixes ex-, self-, all-, half-, semi-, quasi-, non-, post-, and neo-.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />self-employed</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />quasi-normal</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />post-test</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Example: Use a hyphen with the suffix –elect.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />president-elect</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Example: Use a hyphen between a prefix and a capitalized word or acronym.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />pre-NEPA regulation</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Example: Use a hyphen and with figures or letters.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />mid-1990s</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />T-shirt</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Note: In all of the above cases, there are NO SPACES on either side of the hyphen.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. To split words between lines when using a justified text format. </span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />Whenever possible, keep a word that isn’t hyphenated together, but when it does get broken at the end of a line, make the break only between syllables or where a word is already hyphenated.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Examples: en-vi-ron-ment-al-ist, warm-ing, plan-ning, or mass-produced</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Note: Never put a single letter at the beginning or end of a line and never put two-letter suffixes at the beginning of a new line.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Examples:</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />extremely (Do not separate to leave “ly” beginning a new line.)</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />avail-a-ble (Separate only on either side of the a; do not leave the initial “a” at the end of a line.)</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><br />~Suspended Hyphens~</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Suspended hyphens (a.k.a., “dangling” or “hanging” hyphens) are used in series of related compound words separated by “and” “or” or “to.” In these cases, the hyphen acts as a kind of place holder.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Examples:</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />The first- and second-year MESM students are brilliant.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />The proposed logging site is full of two- and three-hundred-year-old trees.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><br />~Hyphen MYTHS~</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. The hyphen as a separator</span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />The hyphen’s main purpose is to join words, but people still sometimes use it INCORRECTLY as a “separator,” frequently in place of a comma.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Examples:</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />Once you’ve run the model-add it to your GIS display. (Incorrect)</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />Once you’ve run the model, add it to your GIS display. (Correct)</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />Other “separators” that are more appropriate include the period (hyphens can be an indicator of run-on sentences), the <a href="http://graduatecommunication.blogspot.com/2010/05/fearless-punctuation-tip-3.html">colon</a>, the <a href="http://graduatecommunication.blogspot.com/2010/05/help-save-endangered-semicolon.html">semicolon</a>, or the <a href="http://graduatecommunication.blogspot.com/2010/04/fearless-punctuation-tip-1.html">dash</a> (visit the Communication Center’s blog posts for more information on each of these “separators.”)</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. The hyphen as a delimiter.</span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />Another common mis-use of the hyphen is to delineate internal or parenthetical phrases.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Incorrect Example: Black carbon-unlike greenhouse gases-stays in the atmosphere only for a few weeks.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />This incorrectly hyphenated sentence is confusing, because people will read it as</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Black carbon-unlike . . .</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />greenhouse gases-stays . . .</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />in the atmosphere only for a few weeks.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />…when what the writer really meant was</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Black carbon . . .</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />unlike greenhouse gases . . .</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />stays in the atmosphere only for a few weeks.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />This sentence should be correctly written with dashes as follows:</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />Black carbon—unlike greenhouse gases—stays in the atmosphere only for a few weeks.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><br />~Confusion About Capitalization~<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >We often get asked whether to capitalize the word following a hyphen in a title. After consulting grammar books, checking journals, and asking editors, we discovered that there is no consensus on whether one practice is more correct than another.<br /><br />Therefore, both of the following examples are correct:</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />Predictions from Large-scale Global Climate Models</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />Predictions from Large-Scale Global Climate Models</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />We generally prefer the second option, but will post feedback from faculty on this issue.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />~~</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />These tips should help you to correctly use the hyphen, but when in doubt, you can always check a dictionary or a good style reference—or make an appointment at the <a href="http://www.bren.ucsb.edu/academics/comm_center.htm">Communications Center</a>!</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><br />~References~</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />Conrey, S. M., and Stolley, K. (2010). Hyphen Use. Retrieved from the Purdue Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/576/1/.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Hester, Z. (2010). The Hyphen. Retrieved from http://zacharyhester.com/site/articles/en_hyphen.html.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Wikipedia. (2010). Hyphen. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyphen.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />--Audrey Tresham</span><br /></span></span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-59773081840402387482010-05-18T10:29:00.000-07:002010-05-24T16:11:59.810-07:00Fearless Punctuation Tip - Help Save the Endangered Semicolon!<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Despite the many benefits it offers, the semicolon is often misunderstood—or even feared—and has become increasingly scarce in modern writing. In this installment of our Fearless Punctuation Series, we provide you with three easy ways that you can bring back the semicolon: </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> If you have two short stand-alone sentences that are related, or provide interesting contrast to one another, you may consider incorporating them into one sentence. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Semicolons allow you to join independent clauses without using conjunctions</span> (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">and, but, nor, yet</span>).The following examples show instances when semicolons should, and should not, be used to connect clauses. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Example:</span> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A coal transport recently grounded and spilled oil at a coral shoal along the Great Barrier Reef. Park officials and environmentalists are particularly concerned about negative impacts on hatching seabirds and turtles (AFP, 2010). </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;">--Each of these statements can stand alone, but the ideas they contain are related. They can be combined, as shown below. </span> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A coal transport recently grounded and spilled oil at a coral shoal along the Great Barrier Reef; park officials and environmentalists are particularly concerned about effects on hatching seabirds and turtles (AFP, 2010). </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;">--Combining the two statements using a semicolon shows that they are connected.</span> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Example: </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Most climate models predict increased temperature and precipitation in the Pacific Northwest. These conditions may favor the spread of insects and pathogens affecting forests (van Mantgem et al., 2009) </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;">--Each of these statements can stand alone, but the ideas they contain are related. They can be combined by using a semicolon or a conjunction, as shown below. </span> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Most climate models predict increased temperature and precipitation in the Pacific Northwest, and these conditions may favor the spread of insects and pathogens affecting forests (van Mantgem et al., 2009). </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> <span style="font-style: italic;">--If a conjunction is used to connect two clauses, a comma should be used, rather than a semicolon. </span> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Example: </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Whole Foods Market offsets its total energy use through wind energy credits. All store locations have also discontinued the use of plastic grocery bags (Loftus, 2010). </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;">--These two statements do not have an obvious connection. Eliminating plastic bags is not related to energy offsets, so it is best to leave these two sentences separate. </span> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) </span> Semicolons can also help you to <span style="font-weight: bold;">connect sentences with internal punctuation</span>. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Example: </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Due to public concern about habitat deterioration, a restoration project has been proposed along the Kissimmee River. The primary goal is to return flow to the floodplain (ACOE, 2010). </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> <span style="font-style: italic;">--These two sentences are related, and the period breaks the relationship between the clauses. They can be combined using a semicolon, as shown below. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Due to public concern about habitat deterioration, a restoration project has been proposed along the Kissimmee River; the primary goal is to return flow to the floodplain (ACOE, 2010). </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> <span style="font-style: italic;">--A semicolon is appropriate for connecting the two sentences. If a comma had been used, the sentence would have a comma splice error. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) </span> You may additionally <span style="font-weight: bold;">use semicolons as super commas</span> in your writing. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Example: </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The United Nations operates offices throughout the globe, including in Nairobi, Kenya; Bankok, Thailand; Santiago, Chile; and Beirut, Lebanon. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> <span style="font-style: italic;">--Use a semicolon if you are making a list of items separated with commas, such as locations, names, dates, or descriptions. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Note: </span>If you are in doubt, <span style="font-weight: bold;">reading aloud may help you to decide which punctuation is most appropriate</span>. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Comma = brief pause </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Semicolon = moderate pause </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Period = full stop </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A comical illustrated guide to semicolon usage is available at <a href="http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon">http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon </a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Also, refer to Jane Straus’ online Blue Book of Grammer at <a href="http://www.grammarbook.com/">http://www.grammarbook.com/</a> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />References: </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">[ACOE] US Army Corps of Engineers. (2010). <span style="font-style: italic;">Kissimmee River Restoration</span>. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Divisions/Everglades/Branches/ProjectExe/Sections/UECKLO/KRR.htm </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">[AFP] Agence France-Presse. (2010). <span style="font-style: italic;">Great Barrier Reef oil spill hits renowned nature sanctuary</span>. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://www.grist.org/article/2010-04-14-great-barrier-reef-oil-spill-hits-renowned-nature-sanctuary/ </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Hacker, D. (1999). <span style="font-style: italic;">A Writer’s Referenc</span>e. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. <br /><br />Loftus, K. (2010). <span style="font-style: italic;">Our earth day commitment</span>. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/category/green-action/ <br /><br />van Mantgem, P.J., Stephenson, N.L., Byrne, J.C. Daniels, L.D., Franklin, J.F., Fule, P.Z., Harmon, M.E., Larson, A.J., Smith, J.M., Taylor, A.H. & Veblen, T.T. (2009). Widespread increase of tree mortality rates in the western United States. <span style="font-style: italic;">Science</span>, 323, 521-524. <br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--Danica Schaffer-Smith</span><br /></span><br /></span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-19813997659087499402010-05-05T11:28:00.000-07:002010-05-05T22:18:30.467-07:00Fearless Punctuation Tip - The Collaborative Colon<span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >For the next tip in our Fearless Punctuation Series, we reveal</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" > the hidden power of the colon to emphasize and elaborate. We encourage you to </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >use the colon daringly, yet sparingly, to spice up your writing.</span><br /><br />H.W. Fowler said that the colon “delivers the goods that have been invoiced in the preceding words,” which is as apt a description as any! More specifically, colons introduce the part of a sentence that exemplifies, restates, elaborates, undermines, explains or balances the preceding statement. Most importantly, that ‘preceding statement’ must always be an independent clause capable of standing alone. Never use a colon after a sentence fragment.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">~Main Uses~</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A writer may use a colon after an independent clause to direct the reader’s attention to a list, an appositive, or a quotation</span>.<br /><br />Examples<br />List<br />The Bren School’s MESM core curriculum includes the following fall courses: Ecology of Managed Ecosystems, Earth Systems Science, Introduction to Environmental Policy Analysis, and Business and the Environment.<br /><br />Appositive<br />When examined in this way, climate change is a violation of nature: an appalling mistake.<br /><br />Quotation<br />Consider the words of P.J. O’Rourke: “The college idealists who fill the ranks of the environmental movement seem willing to do absolutely anything to save the biosphere, except take science courses and learn something about it.”<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A colon may also be used between independent clauses if the second clause summarizes or explains the first</span>.<br /><br />Example<br />The environmental assessment was correct: most of the habitat had been destroyed.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Note: When an independent clause follows a colon, it may begin with a lowercase </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >or a capital letter.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">~Other More Perfunctory Uses~</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The colon is also used after a salutation in a formal greeting letter, to indicate hours and minutes, to show proportions, between a title and subtitle, and in certain conventions in bibliographic entries (volume: page number, city: publisher, etc.).</span><br /><br />Examples<br />Dear Ms. Helfer:<br /><br />9:30 a.m.<br /><br />The standard ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus in marine systems is 16:1.<br /><br />Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation<br /><br />Boston: Bedford, 1999.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">~Avoid Mis-use~</span><br />As mentioned above, a colon MUST be preceded by an independent clause.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Avoid using a colon between a verb and its object or complement.</span><br />Some important nutrients in aquatic systems are: phosphorus and nitrogen. (Incorrect)<br />Some important nutrients in aquatic systems are phosphorus and nitrogen. (Correct)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Avoid using a colon between a preposition and its object.</span><br />Particulate matter (PM10) pollution consists of: very small liquid and solid particles floating in the air. (Incorrect)<br />Particulate matter (PM10) pollution consists of very small liquid and solid particles floating in the air. (Correct)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Avoid using a colon after "such as," "including," or "for example."</span><br />The Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve is home to native plant species such as: <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Arctostaphylos purissima</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Ceanothus cuneatus </span>var<span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >. fascicularis</span>. (Incorrect)<br />The Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve is home to native plant species such as <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Arctostaphylos purissima </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Ceanothus cuneatus</span> var. <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >fascicularis</span>. (Correct)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >~</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >References</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">~</span><br />Hacker, D. 1999. A Writer’s Reference. Fourth Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.<br /><br />Jeantheau, M. 2010. Funny Environmental Quotes. Grinning Planet. Web. http://www.grinningplanet.com/environmental-quotes/funny-environmental-quotes.htm<br /><br />Truss, L. 2003. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. Gotham Books: New York City.<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />--Audrey Tresham</span></span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-22678459178818822942010-04-27T17:15:00.000-07:002010-04-27T17:32:07.387-07:00UCSB's Environmental Media InitiativeEnvironmental media has really taken off as a "hot topic" in the last few years and environmental media centers are springing up at campuses across the country. As an institution uniquely suited to this interdisciplinary field--with a tradition of excellence in both environmental science and media/communications studies--UCSB has instituted an <a href="http://www.cftnm.ucsb.edu/Programs/EMI/index.html">Environmental Media Initiative </a>(EMI).<br /><br />The EMI is part of UCSB's <a href="http://www.cftnm.ucsb.edu/">Carsey-Wolf Center for Film, Television and New Media </a>and brings together environmental scientists with film, media and communications scholars to collaborate on teaching, research and public programming. Some of their programs include:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.cftnm.ucsb.edu/Programs/EMI/Teaching/BH_splash.html">Blue Horizons</a>: a 9-week academic summer program focused on using media to communicate vital stories of the global ocean.</li><li><a href="http://www.cftnm.ucsb.edu/Programs/EMI/Teaching/GS_splash.html">Green Screen</a>: an environmental media production program that brings together students in the arts, humanities, social sciences and sciences to engage environmental issues in Santa Barbara through artistic production.</li><li><a href="http://www.cftnm.ucsb.edu/Programs/EMI/Research/DO_splash.html">Digital Ocean</a>: a virtual commons that connects people and provides them with resources to advance ocean sustainability and protect earth's ocean ecosystems.</li></ul><p>Dr. Ron Rice recently provided the Bren community with an overview of the EMI program and made the following suggestions for ways that Bren students can engage with the EMI:</p><ul><li>Take <a href="http://www.cftnm.ucsb.edu/Programs/EMI/Teaching/courses.html">environmental media courses</a> or apply to <a href="http://www.cftnm.ucsb.edu/Programs/EMI/Teaching/BH_splash.html">Blue Horizons</a></li><li>Investigate interdisciplinary funding opportunities through the EMI for graduate students: either full funding or quarter-time hourly work on EMI projects (talk to Bren Ph.D. student Julie Robinson)</li><li>Find a way to do a dual project with Bren/EMI as part of your classes or internships or on your own</li><li>For Bren MESM students, think about different ways to distribute your group project results, in addition to your paper report. Collaborate with EMI colleagues on short films, online media or other ideas.</li><li>Contingent upon funding, EMI hopes to complete a biannual survey on environmental knowledge and attitudes. This project could be a good opportunity for Bren students to get involved.</li></ul><p>For more information, visit the <a href="http://www.cftnm.ucsb.edu/Programs/EMI/index.html">EMI website </a>or talk to Bren folks who are involved with EMI, like Steve Gaines, John Melack, or Ph.D. student Julie Robinson.</p><p><em>--Audrey Tresham</em></p><p></p>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-46623856191938673602010-04-26T09:12:00.000-07:002010-05-05T22:20:38.200-07:00Fearless Punctuation Tip - Footnoting Without FearUpon a request from Bren faculty regarding proper punctuation when using footnotes, the Communications Center staff presents the second tip in our Fearless Punctuation series: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Footnoting Without Fear</span>!<br /><br />Footnotes are a great tool for citing references when you want to avoid fragmenting your text with parenthetical citations. Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page in which a source was referenced, as opposed to endnotes, which appear at the end of the document.<br /><br />Since formatting footnotes is challenging on a blog, please <a href="http://fiesta.bren.ucsb.edu/%7Ewriting/footnotes.pdf">click here to download</a> the full Footnoting Without Fear tip.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--Sara Solis</span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-88591774146819681332010-04-22T10:23:00.000-07:002010-05-05T22:19:49.117-07:00Fearless Punctuation Tip - Parentheses, Slashes and Dashes.Are you in a writing rut? It is easiest to write using the methods we are already familiar with, but this may limit our creativity. Getting comfortable with punctuation can add variety to your writing. We have put together a short “Fearless Punctuation” series so that you can dust the cobwebs off of that grade school English knowledge, and hopefully to help you start having fun using punctuation. <br /><br />Parentheses, and Dashes and Slashes. Oh My! <br /><br />These three types of punctuation are very useful for including supplementary information or creating emphasis in your writing. Each mark is appropriate to specific scenarios. Keep in mind that they should be used sparingly, as they may create a choppy effect. <br /><br />1) Parentheses are used to:<br /><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">insert information including: supplemental material, changes in subject or afterthoughts</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">order items in a list or series </span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Parentheses are especially useful in draft revisions, allowing you to add in new information as you read. Generally, parenthesis should be avoided in finished work. In subsequent edits, the information they contain can usually be integrated in your piece without the use of parentheses. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Example 1</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Proper use of parentheses:<br /></span>The permit stipulates that: (1) work may only take place during daylight hours; (2) no work may take place within 500 feet of active raptor or songbird nests; (3) daily clearance survey must be conducted by a qualified biologist prior to any ground disturbing activities; (4) a monitoring biologist must be present during all work activities to ensure compliance with the permit and (5) monthly monitoring reports will be submitted to the Department of Fish and Game for review.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--This example shows proper use of parentheses in a list. The parentheses help the reader to note each of the important requirements in the series. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Example 2</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Incorrect use of parentheses:</span><br />Each year almost two million people (of which 90% are children under 5 years of age) die due to waterborne diseases.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Correction: </span><br />Each year almost two million people die due to waterborne diseases; 90 percent of those affected are children under five years of age.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--In this example, information that may be very important for the reader is presented as an afterthought in parentheses. The sentence is also informal. The correction, using a semicolon, is more professional and gives more importance to the statistic. Also note that in professional writing, numerals from one to nine should be fully written out, as well as “percent,” rather than “%.” </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) Dashes</span> are used to:<br /></span></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">give emphasis to supplementary information</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">introduce a list, to show a paraphrase, or<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">indicate a shift in the tone or topic of your writing </span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Example 1</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Incorrect use of dashes: </span><br />There are numerous examples of firms—with superior corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs—that have done well, as well as firms—with poor CSR reputations—that have performed poorly. However, for most firms, most of the time, financial performance is unrelated to corporate social responsibility.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Correction:</span><br />There are numerous examples of firms with superior corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs that have done well—as well as firms with poor CSR reputations that have performed poorly. However, for most firms—most of the time—financial performance is unrelated to corporate social responsibility.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--Dashes in this example do not emphasize the most important information to further understanding. In the correction, dashes draw attention to supplementary information that supports the argument.</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Example 2 </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Incorrect use of dashes: </span><br />There are numerous measurements: satellite data, radiosondes, borehole analysis, glacial melt observations, sea ice melt, sea level rise and permafrost melt—that indicate the general trend and magnitude of climate change.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Correction: </span><br />There are numerous measurements—satellite data, radiosondes, borehole analysis, glacial melt observations, sea ice melt, sea level rise and permafrost melt—that indicate the general trend and magnitude of climate change on Earth.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--In this example, a dash is used incorrectly after a colon. To use a dash to offset items in a list, bookend the list by beginning and ending with dashes, as shown in the corrected version. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) Slashes </span>are most often used to distinguish paired terms such as “he/she”. They are usually read as “or” or “and.” They are also used in abbreviations (i.e., w/, w/out, and/or). Slashes are useful for notes and brainstorming, but are generally not appropriate in academic or professional writing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Example 1 </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Incorrect use of slashes: </span><br />The budget proposal would increase fees for inactive oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters to $4/acre.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Correction: </span><br />The budget proposal would increase fees for inactive oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters to four dollars per acre.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--The use of slashes and other shorthand in this example is informal. In the more professional correction the unnecessary slash is replaced with “per,” and “four dollars” is written out rather than “$4.”</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Example 2 </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Incorrect use of slashes: </span><br />The environmentalists/scientists assert that preserving coastal sage scrub and/or chaparral habitats in the vicinity is crucial to the survival of local coastal California gnatcatcher populations.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Correction: </span><br />Scientists and environmentalists assert that preserving coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats in the vicinity is crucial to the survival of the local coastal California gnatcatcher populations.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--In this example, the slash is unnecessary. The paired terms can be separated, as shown in the correction. </span><br /><br />References:<br />Hacker, D. (1999). <span style="font-style: italic;">A Writer’s Reference</span>, 4th Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--Danica Schaffer-Smith</span><br /></span></span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-38691834737179837972010-04-09T11:32:00.000-07:002010-05-05T22:21:31.326-07:00Tough Topics, Tough Audiences. Part IV: Meet the Audience Where They Are<strong style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">As environmental professionals, Bren students and alumni are often tasked with communicating complex environmental problems and solutions to "non-environmental" audiences. These audiences can sometimes be unreceptive or even hostile, and speaking to them can be quite a challenge. On February 26th, the 2010 Doris Duke Fellows hosted a workshop entitled "Tough Topics, Tough Audiences" where public speaking coach Lisa Braithwaite helped Bren students prepare for these difficult situations. The following is an excerpt from her informative presentation. For more on Coach Lisa B., visit her <a href="http://www.coachlisab.com/">website </a>or <a href="http://www.coachlisab.blogspot.com/">blog</a>. You should also check out the excellent <a href="http://www.coachlisab.com/bren.html">resources page </a>she has set up for Bren students.</strong><br /><br /><strong>Meet the Audience Where They Are</strong><br />If you're doing all the other things we've discussed (<a href="http://graduatecommunication.blogspot.com/2010/04/tough-topics-tough-audiences-part-i.html">knowing your objective and audience</a>, <a href="http://graduatecommunication.blogspot.com/2010/04/tough-topics-tough-audiences-part-ii.html">preparing</a>, and <a href="http://graduatecommunication.blogspot.com/2010/04/tough-topics-tough-audiences-part-iii.html">engaging your audience</a>) then you're laying the groundwork and will likely have fewer of the "tough audience" situations. But, if you do expect a tough audience, it's important to understand people's motivations for being there and their barriers to learning from you.<br /><br />Remember that everybody has a lifetime of skills and knowledge to contribute; they're not a blank slate or empty vessel waiting to be filled with your knowledge! Think of your audience as people who have lots of knowledge, experiences and things that they can share and contribute if you're open-minded about it.<br /><br />Start by <strong>checking your assumptions</strong>. Before tough presentations, we frequently make assumptions that the audience will disagree with us, but in reality, most of your audiences are supportive. For the most part, people are on your side. Keep that in mind and re-frame mentally. Don't assume they're going to be hostile, think, "They're here to support me; they want to learn from me."<br /><br />Secondly, try to avoid assumptions you might make <em>during</em> your presentation about how people are acting or responding to you. Don't extrapolate out one person who may look a certain way to the whole audience. And realize that everybody is different: that nasty look someone is giving you may just be his face!<br /><br />That being said, there are occasionally some people who might make things more difficult for you. What do you think makes these people uncomfortable? Maybe . . .<br /><ul><li>They don't understand what you're saying</li><li>You're contradicting something they believe (especially anything related to values or personal issues)</li><li>They have false assumptions about your topic</li><li>They feel judged or blamed about something</li><li>You're asking them to change</li><li>They're afraid that you will make them talk!</li><li>They have a different perspective</li><li>They've been forced to be there</li><li>They don't know what to believe</li><li>They are confused and a confused mind always says no</li></ul><p>Thinking about and preparing for these possibilities in advance can help prevent or defuse tough situations. For example, if you're going into a situation where you expect the audience to have a different perspective, try to address it right up front. Use some humor, let them know that even with differing perspectives, what they have to say is important and you do want to hear it. In any tough situation, be human, be upfront, be forthright. Be 100% honest all the time, and don't break the trust with your audience because it is hard to get it back.</p><p>Even if you work hard to avoid it, you may sometimes encounter a heckler. Hecklers can be challenging, but the first step in dealing with them is to take what they're saying at face value: don't read into it, don't over-analyze it. Just remember to always be respectful and never assume that it's you personally that someone is bothered by; it's something going on with them. Let that person feel heard because, a lot of times, that's all they want. It's OK to say, "I'm not prepared to talk about that today, but I'd be happy to discuss it. I'll give you my card and maybe we can talk about it later." </p><p>In general, however, the less you say to hecklers, the better, because the more you say, the more you're likely to get into something. For more on dealing with hecklers, see the <a href="http://www.coachlisab.com/bren.html">Bren resources page </a>on Coach Lisa B's website. There is a short presentation on dealing with hecklers by fellow speaking coach Olivia Mitchell, as well as a <a href="http://www.coachlisab.com/hecklers.html">handout</a>.</p><p>In conclusion, try to understand where your audience is coming from. Remember, it's not all about you! Put the focus back on your audience: who are they, what do they need? Then you'll be doing them a service, giving them some value. Do the research, think about it and you'll feel less hostile about them. When you get tough questions, remember, "This person just wants some information." Keep that sense of confidence in your message and if you've done all the prep and legwork, you'll be prepared for these kinds of issues.</p><p>Most importantly, remember that tough topics + tough audiences = a tough speaker! The more you speak to these tough audiences, the better speaker you will become. Good luck!</p><p><em>--Audrey Tresham</em></p>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-24470747065849293442010-04-09T10:59:00.000-07:002010-05-05T22:21:51.254-07:00Tough Topics, Tough Audiences. Part III: Engage the Audience<strong style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">As environmental professionals, Bren students and alumni are often tasked with communicating complex environmental problems and solutions to "non-environmental" audiences. These audiences can sometimes be unreceptive or even hostile, and speakinng to them can be quite a challenge. On February 26th, the 2010 Doris Duke Fellows hosted a workshop entitled "Tough Topics, Tough Audiences" where public speaking coach Lisa Braithwaite helped Bren students prepare for these difficult situations. The following is an excerpt from her informative presentation. For more on Coach Lisa B., visit her </strong><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.coachlisab.com/"><strong>website </strong></a><strong style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">or </strong><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://coachlisab.blogspot.com/"><strong>blog</strong></a><strong style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">. You should also check out the excellent </strong><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.coachlisab.com/bren.html"><strong>resources page </strong></a><strong style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">she has set up for Bren students.</strong><br /><br /><strong>Engage the Audience</strong><br /><br />It is very important to engage your audience, to keep them interested in what you're saying. One way to do this is to use relevant stories, examples and analogies. A good analogy can really get your message across; it takes a concept that might not be easy for people to understand, and relates it to something that they know in their lives. Think of Simon Cowell's colorful analogies on American Idol: "that sounded like a nightmare I had" or "like a cat jumping off the empire state building!" Sometimes his analogies aren't that helpful because they're NOT relevant to everyone, but they ARE vivid!<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458203012689108162" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/S79uuKNNHMI/AAAAAAAAADc/dX8C5XG26kw/s320/DSCN9949.JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Coach Lisa B. talks to Bren students about engaging </em></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>their audience.</em></span></p><p>You can also use emotion to connect and use humor to diffuse tense situations. Self-deprecating humor is always good. Making fun of yourself breaks down audience barriers and makes you look human (but don't to it too much or you look insecure). It is NEVER a good ideas to do humor at an audience member's expense.</p>Research shows that people are different types of learners: auditory, kinesthetic, visual, etc. In an effort to engage all types of learners, try to get your audience moving and/or doing at least once in your presentation. When you ask a question to a room, you often get silence. But if you ask it and then say, "Discuss it among yourselves," then the room is buzzing and when you come back, people are more willing to talk--partly just because that silence barrier has been broken.<br /><br />This format also provides a safe space where people can talk who aren't comfortable raising their hand in front of the room. Additionally, it takes the focus off you, gives you a break, and gives them a break from you! When breaking people into groups, however, be aware of the room. You don't want to take up too much time with people moving or climbing over aisles, chairs, etc. If moving is too difficult, you can alwasy say, "Talk about it with your neighbor."<br /><br />On a related note, people do learn in a lot of different ways. Be aware of that and don't pre-judge your audience. Just because someone is playing games on their phone, it doesn't mean they're not listening to you. Perhaps they are a kinesthetic learner and having something to do with their hands might actually help them absorb your information.<br /><br />For more tips on engaging your audience, check out <em>Made to Stick </em>by Chip and Dan Heath (listed uner "<a href="http://www.coachlisab.com/bren.html#reading">Recommended Reading</a>" on Lisa's Bren resources page). It's a marketing book about making ideas sticky and memorable, but is very applicable to public speaking.<br /><br />Check back soon for <em>Tough Topics, Tough Audiences Part IV: Meet the Audience Where They Are.</em><br /><br /><em>--Audrey Tresham</em>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-49117644319150163442010-04-06T17:09:00.000-07:002011-05-18T14:43:57.153-07:00Tough Topics, Tough Audiences. Part II: Prepare, prepare, prepare!<div style="font-style: italic;" face="georgia">As environmental professionals, Bren students and alumni are often tasked with communicating complex environmental problems and solutions to "non-environmental" audiences. These audiences can sometimes be unreceptive or even hostile, and speaking to them can be quite a challenge. On February 26th, the 2010 Doris Duke Fellows hosted a workshop entitled 'Tough Topics, Tough Audiences' where public speaking coach Lisa Braithwaite helped Bren students prepare for these difficult situations. The following is an excerpt from her informative presentation. For more on Coach Lisa B., visit her <a href="http://www.coachlisab.com/">website </a>or <a href="http://www.coachlisab.blogspot.com/">blog</a>. You should also check out the excellent <a href="http://www.coachlisab.com/bren.html">resources page </a>she set up for Bren students.</div><br /><div style="font-family:georgia;"><strong>Prepare, prepare, prepare!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></strong><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Preparation is the number one thing that people don’t spend enough time on. Start by thinking about how you will you open and close your presentation. Openings and closings are an area that are highly neglected by speakers and are the only part of your presentation that you should memorize. While memorizing your whole presentation word-for-word can make you sound stiff or canned, your opening is important and memorizing it helps make you less nervous and lets you get started.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Openings</span><br />About 99% of all speakers begin with “Hi, my name is so and so, and I do this.” Don’t start by talking about yourself, because your audience probably doesn’t care that much—or they’ve already read your bio in a handout or on a website. Try to jump right in with something that is more engaging. You want to get the audience on your side immediately and the way you do that is by coming across as a human being immediately. Make a connection with the people in the room. When you start out being human, using humor or trying to lighten environment, people start connecting with you right away. Potential starter ideas: use a question, quiz, story or shocking statistic.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Closings<br /></span>How many of you have gotten to the end of a presentation, and then you just didn’t know what to say? So you just say “Oh OK, thanks, that’s it!” or you talk in circles because you don’t know how to end. That’s not a great last impression for your audience! Try to plan a strong closing that emphasizes your main point or your take-home message. Leave your audience with a sense of closure and a good impression!<br /><br />More specifically, DON’T end with Q&A! The energy in the room dies during questions and you could also end on some random question that had nothing to do with your presentation. You need to be in control of the room, and when you end on Q&A, that is not the case. If possible, take Q&A before your closing. Say something like, “I have about five minutes for Q&A, and then after that, I’m going to wrap up.” At end of the Q&A say, “I’d like to take a few minutes to wrap up or recap.” Using this technique will make your presentation so much cleaner—what sticks in the audience members’ minds is your big idea or call to action; not the last random question.<br /><br />If you have a strict format for your talk, avoiding the ending Q&A can be difficult, but at least ask the organizer beforehand, “Can I just say a few words after the Q&A to conclude and to wrap everything up that we’ve been talking about?” It’s hard to imagine someone saying no to that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Determine your main points</span><br />Don’t put everything you know into your presentation! Showing everything you did or know on the slides isn’t about the <i>audience</i>—it’s about <i>you</i> and your presentation isn’t about you! The audience doesn’t want or need everything you know. Three to four main points are ideal. That number depends a little on the amount of time you have to present, but for longer presentations, think about how you can flush out you main points more, rather than adding more points. Your audience will only retain so much. </div><br /><div style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">How will you organize your ideas?</span><br />There are lots of ways to structure and organize your ideas (chronologically, big picture to small picture) but have a structure of some kind and think of what’s going to work best for your audience.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Practice!</span><br />How much time do you typically give to practicing your presentations? How many of you only practice the night before? You put so much time into creating your presentation, when it comes to delivering it, do you really want to wing it? Do you want it to be just OK? Your audience is giving up their time and sometimes their money to come see you; make it worth it for them.<br /></div><div face="georgia"></div><p><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458206498665297810" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/S79x5Eesd5I/AAAAAAAAADk/J8ls5KIq6Bc/s320/DSCN9982.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Bren students practice giving mini-presentations to their peers during the workshop. </em></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-weight: bold;">What to do if you have limited time to prepare<br /></span>Determine the three critical points you want to make and think about how you can open/close it with a bang. In addition, being prepared in your work—even if not for a specific presentation—will make it easier to do a presentation on short notice: read your journals, your blogs—be up on that stuff. Don’t slack off on the homework part of work. The more you keep up on your professional development, the more you’re prepared to speak.<br /><br />Remember, the most important thing is to meet the needs of your audience. It’s not about you; it’s about getting your message across to your audience and anyone can do this with proper preparation.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--Audrey Tresham</span></p>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-27436317805109409812010-04-06T16:47:00.000-07:002010-05-05T22:23:40.358-07:00Tough Topics, Tough Audiences Part I: Know Your Objective & Your Audience<span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" ><span>As environmental professionals, Bren students and alumni are often tasked with communicating complex environmental problems and solutions to "non-environmental" audiences. These audiences can sometimes be unreceptive or even hostile, and speaking to them can be quite a challenge. On February 26th, the 2010 Doris Duke Fellows hosted a workshop entitled 'Tough Topics, Tough Audiences' where public speaking coach Lisa Braithwaite helped Bren students prepare for these difficult </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">situations. The following is an excerpt from her informative presentation. For more on Coach Lisa B., visit her <a href="http://www.coachlisab.com/">website </a>or <a href="http://www.coachlisab.blogspot.com/">blog</a>. You should also check out the excellent <a href="http://www.coachlisab.com/bren.html">resources page</a> she set up for Bren students.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Talking about</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">difficult topics takes courage, tact and humor, especially when you go into a situation already knowing there might be antagonism. But it's important to remember that your audience can also be receptive, responsive and grateful--don't forget that! Don't assume with a hostile or difficult audience that there aren't people there whose lives you're going to change.<br /><br />Even in difficult situations, the presenter is responsible for the audience's understanding and if you, as the speaker, are not able to get your message across, then you need to find a way to improve! What is most important is meeting the needs of your audience. It</span><span style="font-size:100%;">'s not about YOU; it's about getting your message across to your audience and anyone can do this with proper preparation. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Know Your Objective & Your Audience</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />In order to know the objective of your talk, you have to know your audience. Are they beginners? Do they know absolutely nothing about your topic, or are they experts? Are they contrarian? Knowing the answers to these questions will affect the type of presentation you give.<br /><br />There are three basic questions you should try to answer about your audience:</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/S7vLkjUbx1I/AAAAAAAAADU/oA6liBtBjCk/s1600/DSCN9969.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 200px; float: right; height: 150px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457179202306164562" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/S7vLkjUbx1I/AAAAAAAAADU/oA6liBtBjCk/s200/DSCN9969.JPG" border="0" /></a> <ol><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Why are they there?</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">What are their needs?</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">What do you want them to do as a result of your talk?</span></li></ol><span style="font-size:100%;">There are many ways to find the answers to these questions. If it's a sma</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ller audience or panel, read their backgrounds or CVs. If you're speaking to a group, familiarize yourself with the perspective or mission of the organization. If it's feasible, send out an online questionnaire in advance to find out what the audience wants. Talk to the event organizer to get information about the group. The more you know about your audience, the more you can serve their particular needs. Try to always give your audience something of value and something that is relevant or applicable to their lives.<br /><br />Think about these issues before you even start creating your presentation: know who you're talking to, why, what they want, and what you want them to do. Then you'll have a real objective, and you can create a presentation for that specific audience.<br /><br />Check back soon for <em>Tough Topics, Tough Audiences Part II: Prepare, prepare prepare!</em><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >--Audrey Tresham</span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-85197543329896806912010-04-05T14:45:00.000-07:002010-04-05T15:32:25.147-07:00Communications Tip: Preparing a Professional Writing Sample<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">It’s that time of year at the Bren School, and the search is on for your dream job or internship. Please remember that the Communications Center is here to help you through this process. <br /><br />Employers recognize strong communication skills as a major asset in their potential employees, regardless of the position. Your writing sample will be an organization’s first impression of your work, so you want to have a polished, appropriate piece ready to submit at a moment’s notice.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />We have prepared a few tips to help you select a standout writing sample:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">1) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Always ask your potential employer for guidelines</span>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Two pages, or 500 words, is usually an acceptable length</span>, if no requirement is provided. You might consider having two writing samples of different lengths available (e.g., a one- to two-page memo, as well as a five- to ten-page essay). Whatever length you choose, <span style="font-weight: bold;">make sure to use a complete piece that has a beginning, middle, and conclusion</span>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">3) Regardless of the subject matter, <span style="font-weight: bold;">be sure that your piece is well researched and uses intelligent, persuasive arguments</span>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">4) <span style="font-weight: bold;"> If possible, choose a topic that is relevant to the position</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Alternatively, you could match your sample to the type of writing you might be asked to perform on the job</span>. For example, for a policy internship with the EPA it is important to demonstrate the ability to analyze complex data and make strong recommendations. A more traditional scientific report might be appropriate for a role in the research field, whereas a clear, concise synthesis of a body of knowledge would be better-suited to a communications position. Before starting from scratch, review written work from your previous Bren classes to find candidates pieces to be polished. Also, see Career Services for advice on the topic and style of your piece.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">5) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Proofread your writing and seek outside assistance with editing</span>. The more eyes that have reviewed your piece, the more confident you can be that it is free of errors.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Our Writing Consultants are available for one-on-one appointments. We can help you with organization, style, professionalism of your writing sample. We are also available to assist you with cover letters.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Before making an appointment with us, please be sure to consult Career Services regarding the content of your application materials.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">We look forward to working with you!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--Danica Schaffer-Smith</span><br /></span></span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-31991124625810968452010-03-12T16:14:00.000-08:002010-03-12T16:32:01.675-08:00Communications Tip: Requesting a Letter of RecommendationYou’ve completed your application essay, ordered your transcripts, and drafted your cover letter; now you need to secure that crucial letter of recommendation. The manner in which you compose your request will influence its effectiveness. Lara Polansky (MESM 2009) compiled the following guidelines for writing position-winning requests:<br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Be concise:</span> Professors/employers are inundated with emails and likely have limited time to read/respond to requests; incorporate the key details in as few words as possible.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Include a short description of the fellowship/internship/program:</span> This will aid your recommender in writing a letter geared toward the specific opportunity for which you are applying.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Provide suggestions:</span> You know what it takes to obtain the award/position. Help your recommender understand this and, thus, incorporate this information in his/her letter, by suggesting subjects to emphasize. You may also want to guide your recommender towards a discussion of experiences exemplifying your unique attributes that differentiate you from other applicants.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">List the desired applicant qualities as specified by the program:</span> Your letter of recommendation will be most effective if your recommender demonstrates how your characteristics align with those the program is seeking in an applicant.<br /><br />5. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Attach your statement of purpose</span> (or equivalent) <span style="font-weight: bold;">and resume:</span> Although your recommender is likely familiar with your academic and professional experiences, it is often helpful to provide these detailed summaries of goals and accomplishments. This will help your recommender to be as specific as possible in his/her letter.<br /><br />6. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Format your message:</span> Use of underlining and bullets will help direct the reader to the most important parts of your request.<br /><br />7. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Highlight the deadline:</span> It is important that your recommender know the time frame of the request.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bren faculty contributed the following recommendations to strengthen your requests:</span><br />--<span style="font-weight: bold;">Be timely:</span> Many times faculty get requests at the last minute. Whenever possible, provide a minimum of two weeks' notice.<br />--<span style="font-weight: bold;">Letters need a full address</span> (i.e., letter heading) ready for copying and pasting, <span style="font-weight: bold;">as well as bulleted descriptions of the proposed study or work</span>, if the letter concerns a specific project.<br />--If the letter has to be sent by mail, <span style="font-weight: bold;">provide an addressed envelope</span> for the recommender.<br />--Provide the web address of the fellowship opportunity but <span style="font-weight: bold;">DON'T expect the</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> recommender to weed through the detailed application. Tell him/ her exactly</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> what is required</span> -- e.g., points stressed in the fellowship application instructions, how the letter is to be sent (email or mail), exact address, number of copies, etc.<br />--<span style="font-weight: bold;">Send an email first</span>, asking the person if they are willing to be a recommender and state the deadline. This gives them an "out" and does not make them feel like you presume they are willing to write one. If they say they don't have time, respect that and move on. If they do have time, followup with an email to provide exactly what they need. Try to provide all information in a single e-mail to save the recommender time and to avoid important information getting buried in multiple messages.<br />--<span style="font-weight: bold;">Offer to draft the letter</span> (or at least an outline) for the recommender.<br />--<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ask for letters from faculty who know you well.</span> Often, faculty receive requests from students who took a large course and never spoke with them, either in class or outside of class. There is no value to a generic letter which does not highlight your achievements and qualities. If you want a professor to know more about you than just the grade you received, try to stand out in class by asking questions, participating in research activities, and doing exemplary work.<br /><br />The bottom line is, <span style="font-weight: bold;">be considerate of your letter writer</span>. The more time you put into preparing your letter request, the less time your letter writer needs to spend requesting additional information.<br /><br />Thank you to the faculty who sent their advice and suggestions!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--Monica Bulger</span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-23009581012218048632010-03-09T10:49:00.000-08:002010-04-09T10:54:54.150-07:00Preparing the Bren Group Project Brief<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The Bren School Communications Center offered a one-hour workshop on March 1st to assist students in preparing their Group Project brief documents.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Dr. Monica Bulger led a discussion of the elements of a strong brief. She distributed a <a href="http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/IRAC_handout.doc">handout </a>describing the "IRAC" system, used in Berkeley's law courses. <a href="http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/IRAC_handout.doc">IRAC</a> (</span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is a framework used to develop tight, well-prepared, concise arguments</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">. We can use this same system to help us translate detailed and lengthy reports into a more condensed format.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Considerations in preparing the brief</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">:</span><br /></span><ul style="font-family:verdana;"><li><span style="font-size:85%;">The audience comes first (as always!).</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">How can you profit from the brief or use it to further your career?<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Could it serve as a writing sample?</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">The overall goal is to produce a 1-4 page document that communicates complex ideas clearly and simply.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Make this a document that you can be proud of.Your Executive Summary may be a good starting point.<br /></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Activity 1</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">: Groups spent a few minutes building an outline for their briefs using IRAC.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Applying IRAC to the Bren Group Project</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">:</span><br /></span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Issue</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">: What are you addressing? This should be a one-sentence description of your topic.<br />Example: There is no established way to predict or reduce the environmental impact of shoes.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Rule</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">: What are some of the assumptions made about your topic? What are some of the limitations or challenges in addressing the question?</span><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Analysis</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">: How did you approach the problem? What evidence have you gathered? It is important to explain the basics of your methods and provide support for your conclusions.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Conclusion</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">: What are the results of your study? What are the implications of your findings?<br />Example: The Footprint Group Project produced a model that can predict and reduce the environmental impact of shoes during the design phase.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">You will want to </span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >market your project as much as possible</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> in the brief. A brief is a much more attractive than a full report for people interested in learning about your project. The brief is very likely the only thing that will actually be read. If it is provides a strong and compelling message, it will entice readers to explore your report.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Activity 2:</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Groups spent a few minutes looking at past group project briefs and the entire group then discussed examples of strong content and formatting.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Advice for brief formatting generated in the session:</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><ul style="font-family:verdana;"><li><span style="font-size:85%;">The main message should be visually obvious.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">You might consider putting the problem statement and your conclusions in bold.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Maximize headings by making them count: for example, instead of "Results" use a more descriptive title.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">If you have a study site, include a map showing the area.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">If you are studying a species, show a picture of it.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Create strong graphs or figures to represent your data.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Think about the brief as a movie preview; you want to include the most exciting moments to get people to the theater to see the full movie. This is your opportunity to compel people to want to know more.<br /></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you would like further assistance with your group project brief, please contact us. Our Writing and Visual Design Consultants will be happy to arrange appointments upon request.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">--Danica Schaffer-Smith</span><br /></span></span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-63026313029577705692010-03-02T09:02:00.000-08:002010-03-12T16:14:29.865-08:00Compelling Poster Design<span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/S41REyTHkYI/AAAAAAAAAC0/Sg3HKr6bWNI/s1600-h/DSCN9939.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/S41REyTHkYI/AAAAAAAAAC0/Sg3HKr6bWNI/s320/DSCN9939.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444096667224084866" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >On February 22nd, the Bren School Communications Center hosted a workshop on the content and visual design of posters. The workshop specifically addressed the needs of 2nd year Bren students, who are currently in the process of preparing posters summarizing their Group Projects. Dr. Monica Bulger led a brief discussion of the textual aspects of a poster and Visual Design Consultant Aaron Sobel provided guidelines for visual design as well as an overview of design tools.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TEXTUAL CONTENT</span><br /><div style="width: 425px;" id="__ss_3326150"><strong style="margin: 12px 0pt 4px; display: block;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/monicabulger/bren-poster-presentation-workshop" title="Bren Poster Presentation Workshop">Bren Poster Presentation Workshop</a></strong><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=brenposter10-100303091551-phpapp01&stripped_title=bren-poster-presentation-workshop"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=brenposter10-100303091551-phpapp01&stripped_title=bren-poster-presentation-workshop" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="padding: 5px 0pt 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/monicabulger">Monica Bulger</a>.</div></div>The text on a poster must strike a balance between providing technical information and sustaining interest. The primary consideration should always be your audience (family, friends, other students, professors, clients). When in doubt, <span style="font-weight: bold;">direct your message toward your professors and clients</span>. Also important is in what context the poster will be displayed. At the presentation in April, members of your group will be able to discuss details of the project with the audience, but it should have enough content to speak for itself on the walls of Bren Hall.<br /><br />When you look at a poster, what do expect to take away from it? Participants at the workshop expressed that <span style="font-weight: bold;">within a few seconds you should be able to identify the problem, what the group did, the results, and why the research is important</span>. Consider what message you want to convey to your audience.<br /><br />Activity 1: Participants worked with their group members to write out their research question or a brief statement about the project’s findings. Once this message is distilled, it can be used as a guiding focus in design of the poster.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monica’s tips: </span><br /></span><ul style="font-family:verdana;"><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Plan for short attention spans. For example, use headers that are more descriptive than just “methods, results, discussion”. Consider incorporating your findings into the title of the poster.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">A lot of text is overwhelming. Preserve the meaning, but cut out the details. Ideally, your main message should be one brief sentence. You can start with a long version, and then determine what is essential later.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Consider using your presentation slides as a guideline rather than the report. Your slides are already a more condensed and visual version of your information.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Use space wisely. Make sure that all of your images are useful in communicating your data.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Look at other posters and decide what you like and dislike<br /></span></li></ul><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">VISUAL DESIGN</span><br /><div style="width: 425px;" id="__ss_3280959"><strong style="margin: 12px 0pt 4px; display: block;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/macsobel/poster-design-3280959" title="Poster Design">Poster Design</a></strong><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=posterdesign-100225214904-phpapp02&stripped_title=poster-design-3280959"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=posterdesign-100225214904-phpapp02&stripped_title=poster-design-3280959" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="padding: 5px 0pt 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/macsobel">Aaron Sobel</a>.</div></div><span style="font-style: italic;">Using Design Tools: </span><br />There are many different tools to choose from including Photoshop, InDesign, Powerpoint, and Pages (Mac only). Photoshop and InDesign have advanced features, but are more difficult to learn to use quickly. Powerpoint is the least flexible program, however, it is very widely used, is compatible with both Mac and PC platforms, and more people will be able to assist you in its use. <br /><br />Regardless of which program you choose to use,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> it is very important to set the “canvas size” before doing anything else</span>. Doing this will ensure that the poster is already the proper size when you take it to the printer. You may recall that enlarging images can result in pixilation issues. This may be a problem if the canvas size is not set correctly. In PowerPoint, this option is under page setup.In Pages, it can be found in page setup, under the File menu. Under “paper sizes”, you can define a new page size. In Photoshop, the canvas size is set when you create a new document.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Getting your Poster Printed: </span><br />When you go to the printer, you will want to take at least two file versions of your poster. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Call ahead to determine what the printer needs from you and what file formats they accept</span>. Take your original file with you in case you need make any edits on the spot. Additionally, you should bring at least one image version, such as JPEG, TIFF, or PDF. TIFF is the best option to maintain image quality.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Fonts: </span><br />Font choices contribute voice to the information on your poster. Sizes vary between fonts so be sure to <span style="font-weight: bold;">print and review several different sizes of the fonts you are thinking of using</span>. Free fonts can be downloaded online and installed on your computer. Keep in mind that the printer may not have your font, if you need to make changes. The TIFF or JPEG image versions will preserve your font style.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Colors: </span><br />A lot of the thematic feeling in a poster is found in the color scheme. Color wheels can help you select pleasing color combinations. You may also want to consider color meanings in making your choices for certain subject matter. Generally, <span style="font-weight: bold;">conflicting colors and shadowing should be avoided</span>. Print an 8.5x11 version of your poster to preview the color scheme before making a final decision.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Images</span>:<br />Photographs and figures draw in your audience and are much more easily absorbed than textual information. If you have them, use photos of your group in action. Be creative in how you convey your information in figures and graphs. For example, to compare magnitudes, you can create objects (i.e. in Photoshop) that are the same shape but different sizes, rather than using percent figures. It is helpful to highlight the most important information, such as by using a different color for the most important column on a bar graph.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Logos and other images may look cleaner if they are cropped</span>. Aaron gave a demonstration of how to clip a background in Photoshop so that text would wrap the curves of the image rather than the square background. Use the magic wand tool to do this, with the tolerance set high. If you hold down the shift key, you can add areas from the background. Once the backround is selected, choose select inverse> copy> save new>paste to get same image with no background. Save it as a PNG to import it into your poster.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">More helpful online tools</span>:<br /></span><ul style="font-family:verdana;"><li><span style="font-size:85%;">You can upload your poster in Feng-gui to determine the hotsposts in your poster, where most eyes will focus. Aaron uploaded an example poster and no hotspots occurred on the text.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Free flowchart tools, such as Omnigraffle, are available to make nicer images. Export them as PNG files to put into your poster. </span></li></ul><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Aaron’s Tips: </span><br /></span><ul style="font-family:verdana;"><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Keep the poster as simple as possible and make use of white space.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Try drawing your poster before doing it on the computer. Changes will be easier early on.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Make sure to use spell check .<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Ask people outside of your group to give you feedback.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Print out a color proof on 8.5x11 before you take it anywhere else.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Make sure to have at least $80 left in your account to print two copies of your poster. </span></li></ul><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Activity 2: Students took a fieldtrip to evaluate design and content elements of posters on Bren Hall 3L, spending no more than 1 minute looking at each poster. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Workshop participants generally liked posters with strong imagery, thematic colors, and limited text</span>.<br /><br />We hope that these concepts and tips will be useful in preparing your Group Project posters. Keep in mind that special sessions for poster design are also available in the Communications Center. We look forward to working with you soon!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--Danica Schaffer-Smith</span><br /></span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-40402282505253091242010-02-04T07:28:00.000-08:002010-03-12T16:36:06.332-08:00Communications Tip: E-mail EtiquetteSince e-mail is likely the most common means of communication with your professors, prospective employers, and other colleagues, knowing how to effectively use the medium will increase your chances of successful communication.<br /><br />Basic rules of e-mail:<br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Be professional:</span> Include a salutation and closing signature.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Keep it simple:</span> We’re all busy and don’t have time to read your 3 paragraph request for a meeting. Make it easy for your reader to answer your questions or address your concerns by keeping e-mails brief and you purpose for writing clear.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Respond in a timely manner:</span> Especially when working under deadline and in groups, it’s important to provide information/respond to team member’s questions as promptly as possible.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Be polite:</span> If you’ve sent a question or concern to someone, do send acknowledgment of their e-mail.<br /><br />5. Feel free to use bullet points or <span style="font-weight: bold;">bold</span> (for deadlines or meeting times) to <span style="font-weight: bold;">make finding the important bits easy for your reader</span>.<br /><br />6. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Consider timing:</span> True, e-mail is asynchronous, but unless your professor has told you in advance that weekend e-mailing is acceptable, expect a response during work hours, Monday – Friday.<br /><br />7. A follow-up to point #6: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on others' parts.</span> Do _not_ expect an immediate response to your e-mails; in fact, give respondents at least a 24 hour window.<br /><br />8. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Follow-up:</span> People are busy. If you’ve sent an e-mail to a prospective employer or team member and have not received a response, it is perfectly acceptable to send a follow-up message. [Use discretion: if you sent an e-mail at midnight and it is now 8a.m., refer to point #7.]<br /><br />9. Guidelines for bad news e-mails:<br />-- <span style="font-weight: bold;">ALWAYS REMAIN PROFESSIONAL <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>(Incidentally, avoid using all caps in e-mail. It looks like you're yelling.)<br />-- Stick to the issues, avoid emotional phrasing/claims<br />-- Resist personal attacks<br />-- <span style="font-weight: bold;">WAIT: Always write calm.</span> It’s better to take longer to respond than to send something immediately that could potentially burn bridges.<br /><br />10. Generating positive outcomes from bad news e-mails:<br />-- <span style="font-weight: bold;">Consider the human element:</span> Know your audience and consider their<br />needs/motivations when crafting your response.<br />-- Where appropriate and when it can be accomplished tastefully, <span style="font-weight: bold;">use humor</span> to lighten the situation.<br />-- Always try to <span style="font-weight: bold;">end on a positive note</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--Monica Bulger</span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-38193195806577141842010-02-01T05:08:00.000-08:002010-05-05T22:24:54.373-07:00Mindful Presenting, Part VI: Defense Q&A<strong style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">On January 8th, the Bren Communications Center hosted a 4 hour workshop on developing and delivering compelling presentations. We used Nancy Duarte's <em>slide:ology</em> as our text. This post is focused on part VI of the workshop: Defense Q&A.</strong><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">Presenter: Dr. Monica Bulger</strong><br />In preparation for your defense and public presentations, we asked MESM alumni to share their thoughts. Click <a href="http://fiesta.bren.ucsb.edu/%7Ewriting/defense_qa.pdf">here</a> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>to download a handout from the workshop. Here are some additional tips for managing the Q&A portion:<ul><li>Try to anticipate questions and figure out answers in advance.</li><li>Prepare a response for if you don't know the answer.</li><li>Always thank or acknowledge the person who asked the question. You don't have to use the words "thank you" every time. You could say something like "oh, interesting question" or "good point." </li><li>It's OK to think for a moment before you respond.</li><li>If it's a multi-part question, write down the question as the audience member is asking it and make sure you cover all parts. (That also means you should bring a pen and paper!)</li><li>If an audience member makes a suggestion, note it. Take it constructively (at least in the room) and/or write it down. Don't write it off!</li><li>If a second group member wants to add a follow up to an answer, that's fine, but keep it brief. You do not need to give two full answers, and definitely try to limit it to no more than two "answerers" per question.</li></ul><p>Some groups in the past have had one group member act as moderator for the Q&A. This idea may or may not work for your group; you need to consider your own group dynamics. If you do use a moderator, there's a couple ways you can handle it. You can decide ahead of time who's going to field which type of questions, that way the moderator knows who to direct each question to. </p><p>Alternatively, you could use some sort of signal. One group last year had red and green cards to signal the moderator whether they felt the could answer the question or not. In addition, as one person was answering, the other group members could also use the green card to indicate that they wanted to add a follow-up point. That way, the person answering could do a "warm hand-off" to the other group member.</p><p><span style="font-style: italic;">--Audrey Tresham</span><br /></p>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-57714908223251681762010-02-01T05:04:00.000-08:002010-05-05T22:26:18.294-07:00Mindful Presenting, Part V: Logistics<div><strong style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">On January 8th, the Bren Communications Center hosted a 4 hour workshop on developing and delivering compelling presentations. This post is focused on part V of the workshop: Logistics.</strong><br /><style="font-style:><span style="font-style: italic;">Presenters: BJ Danetra and Monica Bulger</span><br /><br />When planning your presentation, here are some "logistical" aspects of delivery that you should consider.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Always test out the space prior to presenting</span>. Make sure that any technologies you use will function as planned. Test out the lighting so that you know if you'll be able to see the audience. Determine whether you'll be standing on a raised platform, or level with the audience. Knowing these small details will reduce your anxiety when you present.<br /></style="font-style:></div><p><strong>Microphones.</strong> If there's a podium mic, get used to staying at the podium. Otherwise, you will not be heard! If you have a lapel mic, be aware of where the screen is--you want the lapel mic to be on the same side as the screen, so that if you turn your head to look at the screen, people can still hear you.</p><p><strong>Podiums. </strong>Don't clutch the podium! Practice with a podium and get used to it. Act normal. If your mic prevents you from strutting across the stage, you can move a little bit around the podium, as long as you're still picked up by the mic. Practice speaking with out the podium and then practice standing behind it. Review TED talks for examples of people using the podium to their advantage.<br /></p><p><strong>Panels/tables.</strong> If you're sitting onstage at a table while someone else is presenting, don't look like a deer caught in headlights. You don't want to distract from the presenter. Look completely engrossed in whoever's presenting, laugh at the jakes (in a natural way), act like you've never heard the presentation before. When you're at the the table there should be NO audience eye contact--look at the presenter.</p><p><strong>Lighting. </strong>If you have a spotlight on you, make sure you stay in the light. Believe it or not, sometimes moving out of the light confuses the audience and something in their brain can make them think they can't hear you (even if you're mic'd)!</p><p><span style="font-style: italic;">--Audrey Tresham</span><br /></p>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-7092009384948837202010-02-01T05:01:00.001-08:002010-05-05T22:27:46.662-07:00Mindful Presenting, Part IV: Lessons from Bridget Dobrowski<p style="font-style: italic;">On January 8th, the Bren Communications Center hosted a 4 hour workshop on developing and delivering compelling presentations. This post is focused on part IV of the workshop.<br /><span style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">Presenter: Bridget Dobrowski</span><br /></p><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/S19uj1XQ0uI/AAAAAAAAACs/jZzOcB-rRdA/s1600-h/Great+Presentations+Pictures+031.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px; float: left; height: 150px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431181237531235042" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/S19uj1XQ0uI/AAAAAAAAACs/jZzOcB-rRdA/s200/Great+Presentations+Pictures+031.jpg" border="0" /></a>Bridget Dobrowski (MESM '09) contributed to our Bren blog last year (see "<a href="http://brenmesm.blogspot.com/2009/06/suggestions-for-developing-memorable.html">Suggestions for Developing a Memorable </a><a href="http://brenmesm.blogspot.com/2009/06/suggestions-for-developing-memorable.html">Presentation</a>") and emphasized the following points related to delivery during our workshop.</p><p><strong>Bring water</strong>. You'll want it, plus sipping it is a good way to slow down or take a moment to relax.</p><p><strong>Decide WHAT you want to say but not HOW you want to say it</strong>. Don't say the same words every time you rehearse. It's very hard to have something 100% memorized and have it not sound rehearsed. Your audience is also going to take the gist of what you say and translate it into their own words/understanding anyways. So don't worry about exact wording.</p><p><strong>Stick with simple language</strong>. You want everyone in the room to be able to understand you. For example, think of the word "biodiveristy." If you instead say something like "lots of plants and animals," the ecologists in the room will still translate that into 'biodiversity' and everyone else will still know what you mean (which they might not if you say biodiversity.) </p><p><strong>Own your own presentation</strong>. Work with your group, but your group should not write YOUR script. Don't let them direct you over word use. If you don't plan to speak like you normally speak, in a way that's "you," then you'll sound like a robot.</p><p><strong>You can write a script, but then forget the script</strong>! If it makes you more comfortable, write a script to make sure that you're including all the important information. But try different ways of "writing" the script: tape record yourself talking, speak out loud while you type. You want to make sure you're speaking a script that you're then writing down, and not writing out an essay that becomes a script. Memorize your script in terms of main points and the order (not specific wording). You want to be so familiar with the material that it's easy to deal with distractions that might come up. </p><p>After you know the material really well, start intentionally <strong>practicing in different ways</strong> or by not focusing on the "script." Try drawing out the slides from memory or bulleting your main points (again, in ideas, not in exact words). The point is to know your facts and the order you have to work through, but don't worry about memorizing specific wording. (You may get push back from your group on this, but resist it!)</p><p>Try to <strong>feel comfortable with your content and presentation plan at least a week before your presentation</strong>. That way, you have some time to relax and live with it, and pressure isn't building right up until the moment of the presentation. </p><p>Most importantly: <strong>don't act, just be you</strong>.</p><p><span style="font-style: italic;">--Audrey Tresham</span><br /></p>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-53014412186479168722010-01-25T15:57:00.000-08:002010-05-05T22:29:04.636-07:00Mindful Presenting, Part III: Delivery<style="font-weight: style="font-style: italic;">On January 8th, the Bren Communications Center hosted a 4 hour workshop on developing and delivering compelling presentations. We used Nancy Duarte's <em>slide:ology</em> as our text. This post is focused on part III of the workshop: Delivery.<br /><style="font-style:>Presenter: Dr. Monica Bulger</style="font-style:></style="font-weight:><div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvfrVrh76Mk"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px; float: right; height: 128px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431180323245238370" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/S19tunYfqGI/AAAAAAAAACk/giuGfNYEwrs/s200/steve+jobs+pic.bmp" border="0" /></a>While it is important to develop the content and visual impact of your presentations, the delivery of that content is an equally important--and sometimes overlooked--factor. Let's begin our examination of presentation delivery by looking to a pro: Steve Jobs. Check out this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvfrVrh76Mk">excerpt from his presentation</a> introducing the MacBook Air. </div><div><br /></div><div>What did you notice?</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>He really told a <strong>convincing story</strong>. Your presentation is not a dump of everything you know--remember to focus on the "so what?" aspect. Find the story in your data. You don't have to share every single finding, just what's important and/or what supports the story.</div><div><br /></div><p>He made <strong>eye contact</strong> with his audience, including them in the story. Try to connect with at least 2-3 people in your audience. It will make you feel better and will draw the audience in. </p><p>His presentation is <strong>simple, clean</strong> (both in terms of visual impact and delivery). Notice that none of his slides had "titles." Think of the table he used to compare laptop, it was very simple: no column headings, not a lot of text. In terms of his delivery, the development of this product took years; people toiled over it. It would be tempting to put all that background info and data out there, but he would probably lose the audience. He <em>didn't</em> put all that out there, the level of detail in his presentation was insanely minimal! Focus on clarity and accuracy rather than on including every technical detail. </p><p>He <strong>speaks slowly. </strong>Every word has emphasis and the talk doesn't feel rushed. Rushing or speaking quickly (think back to our audience awareness tips) could make your audience feel anxious or uninterested.</p><p>There was a <strong>clear progression</strong> to his presentation. He took the audience from point A to point B and built up support for his "cause" along the way. Think about where your audience is at the start of your presentation, and where you want to move them. How can you lead them through that progression? </p><p>He had a <strong>STAR moment</strong>: when he pulled that laptop out of the envelope, everyone gasped and clapped. That star moment is what the audience will remember. What is your star moment? It could be a prop, a story, a data chart, images or pictures . . . but you want to have something like that envelope. You may even want to organize your whole presentation around your star moment. [see Duarte's <span style="font-style: italic;">slide:ology</span> for details about STAR moments --> Something The Audience Remembers.]<br /></p><p>While it didn't seem that Steve ever got nervous, it is important to <strong>have a game plan for if you get nervous</strong>. Think of something you can do or wear that will make you comfortable and shift the nervousness. If you freeze up, try asking the audience a rhetorical question. That shifts the focus away from you; they'll be thinking about the answer instead of staring at you. </p><p></p><div>~~~~~~~</div><div>For an example of a Bren group project presentation with two different presentation styles, check out the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZHgLNTHV_0&feature=channel_page">Green Pieces project video</a>. </div><p>For additional examples of strong presentation delivery, check out <a href="http://www.ted.com/">Ted Talks</a>. The Ted Talk organizers give their presenters the following "Ted Commandments."</p><ul><li><strong>Rehearse, but act spontaneous</strong>. Being too rehearsed is boring</li><li><strong>Provide revelations</strong>. Be interesting; say something the audience isn't expecting.</li><li><strong>Show vulnerability</strong>. Prioritize connecting with your audience, rather than being perfect. You're not expected to know everything (especially during the Q&A portion).<br /></li><li><strong>Don't be tedious</strong>.</li><li><strong>Change the world</strong>. </li><li><strong>Don't use bullet points</strong>!</li></ul><p>If you have any questions, please contact the Communications Center to make an appointment. We are happy to help you with all forms of communication, not just writing!</p><p>Good luck!</p><p><em>--Audrey Tresham</em></p></div>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-11285389625357191212010-01-19T16:37:00.002-08:002010-05-05T22:29:36.547-07:00Mindful Presenting, Part II: Visual Design<strong style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">On January 8th, the Bren Communications Center hosted a 4 hour workshop on developing and delivering compelling presentations. We used Nancy Duarte's <em>slide:ology</em> as our text. This post is focused on part II of the workshop: Visual Design.</strong><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">Presenter: Aaron Sobel</strong><br /><br />The descriptions below follow Aaron's slides.<br /><div style="text-align: left; width: 425px;" id="__ss_2965782"><a style="margin: 12px 0pt 3px; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; text-decoration: underline; font-size-adjust: none;" title="Mindful Presenting: Slide Design" href="http://www.slideshare.net/monicabulger/mindful-presenting-slide-design">Mindful Presenting, Part II: Slide Design</a><object style="margin: 0px;" height="277" width="340"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=slidedesign-100121104253-phpapp02&stripped_title=mindful-presenting-slide-design"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=slidedesign-100121104253-phpapp02&stripped_title=mindful-presenting-slide-design" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="355" width="425"></embed></object></div><br />Generally, there aren't any specific "rules" for designing a good presentation. Every presentation is different and you just need to do what works. That being said, here are some "rules" to go by for basic slide design!<br /><br /><ul><li>Don't use bullets</li></ul>Bullets are boring! You're probably used to seeing them frequently in your classroom presentations but there are two reasons for that: (1) your professors are giving multiple presentations every day; they don't have time to craft great presentations for every class and bullets are easy, and (2) the slides are often available online as a reference and need to be easy to follow on their own. However, those limitations do <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> apply to your group project presentations. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Remember that you are the presentation, not the slides.</span><br /><br /><br />There are ways to keep the notion of bullets, minus the bullets themselves (see Patagonia map slide). For example, in this slide, we highlight key ideas overlaid on a (visually interesting) map. Each idea appears in bold, then fades out as the next idea is introduced. Consequently, you have some visual interest, there's still white space on the slide, there's a progression <em>through</em> the slide, and the audience can tell where the focus is (all without bullets!)<br /><ul><li>Know your presentation constraints and equipment.</li></ul>Even if things look perfect on your computer, there are a number of issues that can come up in a new venue: the screen aspect could be different, there could be a washed out display or your colors may appear differently. Be prepared for these issues and whenever possible, <span style="font-weight: bold;">try out your presentation at the venue in advance.</span><br /><ul><li>Avoid cheesy clip art.</li></ul>Visual interest is a good thing, but cheesy clip art . . . not so much. Use pictures and data visualizations, but eliminate (or at least minimize) that clip art.<br /><ul><li>Think about font choice.</li></ul><p><strong></strong>Font choice can put meaning into a slide . . . whether you intend it to or not, so be careful. It's also important to standardize your font choice--you don't want a different font on every slide. Font size can also be an issue. Guy Kawasaki (slide guru) suggests "Find out the age of the oldest person in your audience and divide it by two. That's your optimal font size." (While this might not always work out, it's at least a good place to start.)</p><ul><li>Consider contrast.</li></ul>Contrast can either enhance the read-ability of your slides, or detract from it. Dark text on a light background (and vice versa) is good. Colors that are really close together on the <a href="http://www.colormatters.com/colortheory.html">color wheel </a>(like green/yellow) are hard to read on top of each other, so definitely avoid that. Also avoid simultaneous contrast: when colors that are opposing to each other<strong> <span style="font-weight: normal;">(see slide)</span> </strong>are placed right on top of each other.<br /><ul><li>Avoid pixilation of images</li></ul>You can actually tell Google Image to find images above a certain size threshold. Generally, if it looks good on your computer screen, it will probably look OK on your presentation. On a related note, if you have images that contain text, the text doesn't always look so great, so be careful of it.<br /><ul><li>Create "white space"</li></ul>You don't want to cram your slides full of information. The audience's attention should be focused on YOU, not on the slides. A general rule of thumb is that they should be able to absorb your slide in 3-5 seconds. If it takes longer than that, the info on your slide is probably too dense.<br /><ul><li>Blank slides are OK.</li></ul>As soon as you switch slides, the audience won't be looking at you, they'll be reading the slide. So if you're talking for awhile and you don't want your audience distracted, put up a blank screen. It gives the audience a "break" too.<br /><ul><li>Draw the viewer's attention </li></ul><p>You don't have to weight everything on your slide evenly. If you have a key point or image, figure out a way to draw attention to it. You can use color, fadeouts, bold text, etc.<br /></p><ul><li>Split complex ideas across slides (and go through them faster)</li></ul><p>You don't want to overload your audience, so if you have a complex idea, split it up into bite-size pieces. (This tip also ties in with creating white space.) Some of you may have heard the guide that you should have one slide for every two minutes, but that should be the exception, not the rule.<br /></p><ul><li>Images are absorbed easier than text</li></ul><p><strong></strong>When your audience can absorb a slide quickly, it keeps the focus on you, where it belongs. You are the one giving the info, the slides are behind you supplement your info.</p><ul><li>Use your own photos (of YOU & your group!)</li></ul><p>Using your own photos makes it interesting and creates a personnel connection with your audience. You can also use your own photos online or in your poster (Just remember to keep them professional and give proper credit.)<br /></p><ul><li>Opacity</li></ul>You can adjust the opacity in most slide applications, so you can dim out images to emphasize text, or vice versa.<br /><p>And the final rule is . . .<br /></p><ul><li>Break these rules!</li></ul>If we all followed these rules, we end up with similar looking presentations, which is boring.<br /><p style="font-weight: bold;">Remember that YOU are what makes the presentation. </p>Good luck!<br /><p>--<span style="font-style: italic;">Audrey Tresham</span></p>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-54611485469531021642010-01-14T17:51:00.000-08:002010-01-16T17:02:23.045-08:00Responding to Fellowship Prompts Workshop January 2010On Wednesday, January 26th, the Communications Center staff presented a "Responding to Fellowship Prompts" workshop specific to the Switzer Environmental Fellowship. A critical component of the Switzer application is a 2-3 page essay to provide the reviewers "insights into the personal motivations of the applicant as well as how his/her academic experience will be applied to environmental improvement." The essay is the opportunity to really show the reviewers who you are, what you are about, and why you deserve this fellowship (much more so than your resume, transcripts, and other application materials). The slides from the workshop are embedded below and a <a href="http://fiesta.bren.ucsb.edu/%7Ewriting/fellowship_prompts">handout is available here</a>.<br /><div style="width: 425px; text-align: left;" id="__ss_2918847"><a style="margin: 12px 0pt 3px; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/monicabulger/responding-to-fellowship-prompts-2010" title="Responding To Fellowship Prompts 2010">Responding To Fellowship Prompts 2010</a><object style="margin: 0px;" height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=respondingtofellowshipprompts2010-100114195024-phpapp02&stripped_title=responding-to-fellowship-prompts-2010"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=respondingtofellowshipprompts2010-100114195024-phpapp02&stripped_title=responding-to-fellowship-prompts-2010" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><div style="font-size: 11px; font-family: tahoma,arial; height: 26px; padding-top: 2px;">View more <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/monicabulger">Monica Bulger</a>.</div></div><br />The Switzer Foundation's requirements for a complete essay are rather numerous. There are 5 interrelated key topics that must be addressed explicitly, 6 qualifications that must be demonstrated in the essay but not necessarily addressed explicitly, and 6 additional qualifications that should be highlighted if they apply to you. The key to this essay is to cover all of the necessary criteria without being repetitive, long-winded, or incoherent. To avoid these pitfalls, we recommend the following strategy for mapping your response:<br /><ul><li>Copy the 5 key topics into your essay document </li><li>Brainstorm your experiences and qualifications for each topic</li><li>Use Switzer's "must demonstrate" and "highlight if applicable" qualifications as a checklist to make sure your brainstormed ideas hit on all the criteria</li><li>Organize your outline according to some theme (chronological order, type of experience, etc.)</li></ul>Remember that your goal is to tell a natural story that will be compelling to the application reviewers and each vignette should have a purpose in demonstrating a qualification. Good luck applicants!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--Sara Solis</span>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910304854855004310.post-28725992891865394632010-01-12T16:56:00.000-08:002010-04-09T10:48:47.311-07:00Mindful Presenting, Part I: Audience Awareness<strong style="FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-WEIGHT: normal">On January 8th, the Bren Communications Center hosted a 4 hour workshop on developing and delivering compelling presentations. We used Nancy Duarte's <em>slide:ology</em> as our text. This post is focused on part I of the workshop: Audience Awareness.<br />Presenter: Dr. Monica Bulger</strong><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; WIDTH: 425px" id="__ss_2965339"><a style="MARGIN: 12px 0pt 3px; DISPLAY: block; FONT: 14px Helvetica, Arial, Sans-serif; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; font-size-adjust: none" title="Mindful Presenting: Audience Awareness" href="http://www.slideshare.net/monicabulger/mindful-presenting-audience-awareness">Mindful Presenting, Part I: Audience Awareness</a><object style="MARGIN: 0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=workshop1audience-100121101819-phpapp02&stripped_title=mindful-presenting-audience-awareness"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=workshop1audience-100121101819-phpapp02&stripped_title=mindful-presenting-audience-awareness" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="355" width="425"></embed></object></div>When preparing for presentations, you need to think about your audience. Who are they? What is their background? What are their interests? One aspect of your presentation is to convince your audience of your big idea or main points, and in order to do that effectively, you need to have some idea of who they are.<br /><br />Analyze your audience needs (adapted from <em>slide:ology</em>):<br /><ul><li>What are they like?</li><li>Why are they here?</li><li>What keeps them up at night?</li><li>How can you solve their problems?</li><li>What do you want them to do?</li><li>How can you best reach them?</li><li>How are you going to connect?</li></ul><p>You should also consider YOUR role in information delivery: </p><ul><li>What unique expertise and experience do you contribute? </li><li>What are you desired outcomes?</li><li>How can you connect with your audience?</li></ul><p>Learn to empathize with your audience to both meet their needs and accomplish your desired outcomes. For example, imagine that Sarah Palin is presenting to an audience of Mafia dons. At first glance, it may seem that they don't have much in common, but she could probably relate to them on firearms, strong family ties and political influence!</p><p>The main point is that audiences are very different (for example, the audience for your group project defense will be different from that of your public presentation). If you think about celebrity personas, such as Martha Stewart, Steve Jobs, or Jon Stewart, they are all very flexible; they have an interesting enough persona to address different audience needs. </p><div>Consider your various group project audiences. We asked participants in our workshop to describe the audience for your <em>public</em> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/S1ZMus5ddSI/AAAAAAAAABs/iq9mn2rOgq8/s1600-h/Great+Presentations+Pictures+016.jpg"></a>presentations in one word and received the following responses: receptive, supportive, sophisticated, <strong>varied</strong> (in knowledge & background). </div><br /><div></div><div>So if the audience has a diverse knowledge level, who do you target? You may think you should aim for the "average" level, but since this is a school presentation, we recommend targeting just a few degrees down from the most knowledgeable person in the room. </div><br /><p align="left">Your family and friends will love you no matter what, and honestly, might not pay that much attention to the details--they don't necessarily have a burning interest in the topic; their interest is you. The next "knowledge tier" is your fellow students. The one above that is professors and community members who are interested in what you have to say and who will ask questions: that's who you want to target. The goal is to target the highest tier of your audience, when possible, <em>without</em> losing the rest of them.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/S1h9qmfYRlI/AAAAAAAAAB8/3IIIAlC_zSk/s1600-h/students_quickstorm2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 191px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429227521635272274" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fXPn7gwQSDM/S1h9qmfYRlI/AAAAAAAAAB8/3IIIAlC_zSk/s320/students_quickstorm2.jpg" /></a> <p align="left"><em></em></p><p align="center"><em>(Above, Bren students brainstorm about their audience needs.)</em></p><p>When we asked our students to describe your GP defense audience, one student said "time." Yes, your professors are busy and pressed for time, but they want to be there for you, so think about what you can do to make it worth their while. Also keep in mind that the professors are there to ask questions that will help you improve your reports--they're not there to work against you!</p><p>If you know who your defense respondents are going to be, talk to people being advised by them, find out what they like. Better yet, find their Ph.D. students and ask them to come to a practice presentation and play the role of their mentors. </p><p></p><p>In addition to thinking about your audience needs, you should also consider YOUR role in delivering information to that audience. Spend five minutes thinking about what you have to bring to a presentation--it will help you be confident. As a start, you probably know your topic backwards and forwards!</p><ul><li>Who am I?</li><li>How can I relate to my audience?</li><li>What is my desired result?</li></ul><p>Another important point to consider: do you understand your topic yet? because if you don't understand it, your audience certainly won't. Be sure to find your message. Steve Jobs often refers to what he calls the "napkin test:" can you write down and explain your big idea in the pace of a cocktail napkin? </p><p>If you're not sure what your big idea is, ask yourself what do you want the audience to know before they leave the room? Then, make sure you foreground that one idea in your presentation. In your GP reports, there are going to be a LOT of ideas, but you can't get them all into your presentation: remember that you only have 15-20 minutes to get your big idea across. </p><p></p><p>The final point we'd like you to consider in terms of relating to your audience is presentation vs. story: talking <em>at</em> someone vs. talking <em>to</em> them. Consider your presentation a dialogue (which it actually will be during the Q&A portion). Use the formal presentation part to prepare your audience for the dialogue/Q&A: connect with your audience, use eye contact, empathize with them. </p><p>Stories can also allow for or enhance audience understanding; don't just do a "data dump." Think of your presentation as a story. What are the elements of a good story? Conflict, Structure, Resolution. Think back to your "big idea," how do you tell it as a story? What are the main elements you want to communicate?</p><p>After you think you've mastered "audience awareness," ask another group (preferably one that knows nothing about your topic) to come and view a practice presentation. Get some feedback from them as your new audience!</p><p>Additional Resources</p><ul><li>Check out <a href="http://www.ted.com/">TED talks </a>online ("Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world")</li><li><em>slide:ology</em> by Nancy Duarte</li><li><a href="http://blog.duarte.com/">Duarte Design blog</a></li><li><a href="http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/prep.html">Garr Reynold's "Presentation Zen" blog</a><br /></li></ul><p>And check back soon for our other <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Mindful Presenting </span>posts. Good luck!</p><p>-<em>-Audrey Tresham</em></p>Bren Communications Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17261442200151830342noreply@blogger.com1