Soran University Faculty of Science 2024-2025 Petroleum Geosciences Lecture Notes PDF

Soran University Faculty of Science Department of Petroleum Geosciences Academic Writing Lecture 2 Assist Prof. Dr. Rahel Hamad [email protected] 4th Stage Petroleum Geosciences 2024...

Soran University Faculty of Science Department of Petroleum Geosciences Academic Writing Lecture 2 Assist Prof. Dr. Rahel Hamad [email protected] 4th Stage Petroleum Geosciences 2024-2025 Academic Writing Academic writing refers to a type of speech used by scholars to identify intellectual boundaries and fields of expertise in their disciplines.  Steps to Writ a Research Report Sections Content Cover page Student name and assignment details. Table of contents List of main sections and sub-sections, with page numbers, including tables, figures, abbreviation, and appendices. Abstract A one-paragraph overview of aims, methods, results, and conclusions. OR One or more pages divided into the same sections as the report. Introduction - Research aims and objectives, including any hypothesis. -Rationale for the study, i.e., why the issues for investigation were important or significant. Outlines scope of the report. Briefly states how report is organized. Background to study: Survey of key literature: summary of major themes, concepts and/or trends. Situates current Literature Review. research in relation to existing literature; e.g., how it will add to current knowledge, or address How your study fits existing gap. in? Methods: Gives precise details of methods and procedures, e.g., How the study was study's participants, how they were chosen; data collection methods (e.g. surveys, interviews, carried out; how questionnaires, personal observation, case study); process of ethical consent if applicable; and data was analyzed ? data analysis methods. Results* Presents results objectively, without discussion. Can include explanatory or supporting data (e.g., extracts from interviews). Include figures or tables. Sections Content Discussion* Evaluation and discussion of results. (*Results and Comments on significant findings, and implications. Discussion might Might also include: be combined) whether any initial hypothesis was supported; whether or not the findings met the aims of the study; a comparison of your findings with other research; and limitations, flaws or problems in study design or methods. Conclusion Clearly and concise conclusion to study. Briefly re-states how well the study design met the study's aims. Emphasizes major findings and implications of findings as addressed in discussion section. Briefly re-caps any faults or limitations covered in full in the discussion section. If applicable, suggests future research directions. Recommendations Summarizes and lists in order of importance. (if applicable) Might also be numbered. References Alphabetical list of references. Start on new page, attach to end of report, before appendices. Appendix/Appendices Relevant and necessary material not included elsewhere, e.g., copy of questionnaires or survey forms; participant consent form; large tables referred to but not included in the body of report; raw data. Start each appendix on a new page.  Title The title of your essay, research proposal, research paper, and dissertation should concisely explain the topic you’re discussing and directly relate to your research question. Anyone who reads the title should understand what you’re writing about.  How to decide on a Title ❖ Titles should have a balance between length and detail. Shorter is good, but it needs to be clear. ❖ Capitalize all the keywords and any word longer than 3 letters. ▪ Short words like: of, a, the, in, and these words don’t need to be capitalized. Examples Hydro-geophysical Investigation of Southern Anambra Basin Nigeria DAM Site Selection Using GIS Techniques and Remote Sensing to Minimize Flash Floods in East Nile Locality (Soba Valley) Khartoum State ❖ You should avoid starting the title with a question word like; what, why, or how. So, instead of this, How Viscous Liquid Flows Down the Slope? you should write this, Viscous Liquid Flows Down the Slope  Abstract ❖ The abstract is a brief summary of your research paper, so that people who might want to read it can decide whether it’s worth reading. ❖ An abstract is a short and powerful summary that describes the focus of a research paper. Keywords that are present throughout the entire document are typically included, and it is original written content rather than a selection from the bigger work. Abstracts are typically 100 to 250 words and follow set patterns.  What are the key elements that should be included in an abstract? ❖ Background: A simple opening sentence or two placing the work in context; ❖ Aims (the overall purpose of the study and the research problem(s) you investigated); ❖ Method (the basic design of the study); ❖ Results (major findings or trends found as a result of your analysis); and ❖ Conclusions (a brief summary of your interpretations and conclusions). Thus, Each part of an abstract has a specific function.  Why is an abstract so important? ❖ Help readers decide if they should read an entire article. Thus, to get the reader interested. ❖ Help readers and researchers remember key findings on a topic. ❖ Help readers understand the text by outlining key points prior to reading the full document. ❖ To summarize your study and give an overview of the topic. ❖ An abstract enables critical evaluation.  When to write an abstract? Despite appearing at the beginning of your paper, the abstract should be composed after the body of your work is finished. Someone who hasn't read your paper or associated materials should be able to understand it on its own as a summary of your entire work. What to avoid when writing an abstract? When you are writing your abstract, you should avoid: Frequently referencing other works Any definitions of words Including details not found in the main body of work Adding unnecessary filler words  Questions an abstract should answer: ❖ Why did you do this study or project? (Or why are you undertaking the project/study?) ❖ What did you do, and how? (What will you do? How?) ❖ What did you find? (What do you expect to find?) ❖ What do the findings mean?  Common mistakes in writing the Abstract 1- Holding back (hide) significant points or information 2- Lack of balanced coverage 3- Including references. 4- Length (usually 150 – 200 words). 5- Finally, is the issue of copy paste again? The first line of the abstract and the first line of the introduction is the same.  Types of Abstract To begin, you need to determine which type of abstract you should include with your paper. There are four general types: 1- Critical Abstract A critical abstract provides, in addition to describing the main findings and information, a judgment or comment about the study’s validity, reliability, or completeness. The researcher evaluates the paper and often compares it with other works on the same subject. Critical abstracts are generally 400-500 words in length due to the additional interpretive commentary. These types of abstracts are used infrequently (not often). 2- Descriptive Abstract This type of abstract is also called an indicative abstract, or a limited abstract. This abstract type paints a general description of the paper without going into very in-depth details. With a descriptive abstract, though, you’ll still have to read the main work because the abstract will only provide a general idea without all the vital pieces of content. It’s more like a table of contents but written in the form of a paragraph. And it’s usually about 100-200 words long. 3- Informative Abstract An informative abstract is a summary of a paper. This type of abstract writing is also known as a complete abstract. And it’s pretty self-explanatory. It describes its purpose, methodology, background, results, and conclusion. It also includes information about the paper’s structure, its key thoughts, and the major topics discussed. How long should an informative abstract be? It usually sticks to around 250+ words. The completeness of the information provided in it makes it possible to use the informative abstract as an independent document. The majority of abstracts are informative. 4- Highlight Abstract A highlight abstract is specifically written to attract the reader’s attention to the study. No pretense is made of there being either a balanced or complete picture of the paper. It is leading remarks to spark (incentive) the reader’s interest. In that a highlight abstract cannot stand independent of its associated article, it is not a true abstract and, therefore, rarely used in academic writing. Highlights All six ML models effectively mapped GWPZs in the Akre district. XGBoost outperformed other models in accuracy for generating a GWP map. Rainfall, elevation, LD, Dd, TWI, and slope were key factors. High GWP areas are in the central and central-west parts of the study area.  Structured & Unstructured abstract Structured abstract This style very clearly separates background, method, results, and conclusion. The reader can see the method all the results look interesting the final point. Thus, it defines sections, full coverage of paper, and easy for readers to understand. Introduction: The fundamental driving force of land use and land cover (LULC) change is related to spatial and temporal processes caused by human activities such as agricultural expansion and demographic change. Objectives: The objectives of this study are to compare two land cover classification algorithms, maximum likelihood classification (MLC) and random forest (RF) in the upper and lower parts of HSCZ, and to examine whether landscape configuration in the park has changed over time by comparing the fragmentation, connectivity and diversity of LULC classes. Methods: Two Landsat images were used to analyse LULC fragmentation and loss of habitat connectivity. Seven landscape pattern metrics, percentage of land (PLAND), number of patch (NP), largest patch index (LPI), mean patch size (MPS), euclidian nearest neighbourhood distance (ENN_AM), interspersion and juxtaposition (IJI) and cohesion at class level were selected to assess landscape composition and configuration. Results: A significant change in LULC classes was noticed in the lower part of the park, especially for pasture, cultivated and forest-lands. The fragmentation trends and their changes were observed in both parts of the park, however, more were observed in the lower part. The inherent causes of these changes are the socio-economic factors created by the 1991–2003 UN post-war economic sanctions. The changes increased during sanctions and decreased afterwards. The fall of Baghdad in 2003, followed by rapid economic boom, marked the greatest cause in land use change, especially in changes- susceptible cultivated areas. Conclusions: Shrinkage of forest patches in the lower part of the park increases the distance between them, which contributes to a decline in biological diversity from decreasing habitat area. Unstructured abstract In this style you need to provide information from your introduction, your methods, your results and discussion you still need to provide information from all sections. Thus, the paragraph usually one, no clear structure, need to ensure enough information given. The fundamental driving force of land use and land cover change is related to spatial and temporal processes caused by human activities such as agricultural expansion and demographic change. The objectives of this study are to compare two land cover classification algorithms, maximum likelihood classification and random forest in the upper and lower parts of HSCZ, and to examine whether landscape configuration in the park has changed over time by comparing the fragmentation, connectivity and diversity of LULC classes. Two Landsat images were used to analyse LULC fragmentation and loss of habitat connectivity. Seven landscape pattern metrics, percentage of land, number of patch, largest patch index, mean patch size, euclidian nearest neighbourhood distance, interspersion and juxtaposition and cohesion at class level were selected to assess landscape composition and configuration. A significant change in LULC classes was noticed in the lower part of the park, especially for pasture, cultivated and forest-lands. The fragmentation trends and their changes were observed in both parts of the park, however, more were observed in the lower part. The inherent causes of these changes are the socio-economic factors created by the 1991–2003 UN post-war economic sanctions. The changes increased during sanctions and decreased afterwards. The fall of Baghdad in 2003, followed by rapid economic boom, marked the greatest cause in land use change, especially in changes-susceptible cultivated areas. Shrinkage of forest patches in the lower part of the park increases the distance between them, which contributes to a decline in biological diversity from decreasing habitat area.  The Contents of an Abstract An abstract typically includes the following components: Purpose/Objective: Clearly states the primary goal of the research or document. Methods/Approach: Briefly outline the methodology or approach used in the study. Results/Findings: Highlights the main outcomes or discoveries of the research. Conclusions/Implications: Summarize the key conclusions and their broader significance. Another way to structure your abstract is to use the IMRaD structure. It stands for: Introduction: Introduces the research topic and the problem under investigation. Methods: Describes the research methods and experimental design employed. Results: Presents the main findings or outcomes of the study. Discussion: Analyzes the results, discusses their implications, and draws conclusions. Adhering to the IMRaD structure ensures a logical flow in your abstract, making it comprehensible and informative for readers.  The basic steps to follow when writing an abstract: 1. Write your paper Writing your research paper is the first stage since the abstract is a summary of the work. To ensure that you appropriately explain the facts you detail in the paper, it is best to keep your abstract for last, even if you know what you will be included in it. 2. Review the requirements There can be strict guidelines about length or style if you're writing for a journal or for a project at work. Prior to beginning to write the abstract, review any prerequisites. 3. Consider your audience and publication When writing an abstract, keep in mind who will be reading it. Abstracts are meant to help readers decide quickly whether or not to continue reading your work. Should it be written in a style suitable for an academic or someone working in the medical field, for instance, or does a lay (normal) reader need to be able to understand it? 4. Explain the problem This is the particular issue that your research attempts to address or resolve. Determine the main point of your argument and the extent of your research, including if the issue is broad or narrow. 5. Explain your methods You will then go over the steps you followed to complete your study, such as the variables you included, the research you did, and your methodology. Provide any supporting documentation you had for your claim. 6. Describe your results Talk about the overall conclusions and solutions you arrived at after conducting your research. Simply highlight the most significant findings if you are unable to provide a concise summary of all of your findings. 7. Give a conclusion In your final summary, discuss the significance of the paper and the meaning of your findings. Although you will utilize a conclusion in both forms of abstracts, you will only address the work's implications in the informative abstract. References https://collegeessay.org/blog/how-to-write-a-research-paper/research-paper-abstract https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/abstract https://library.sacredheart.edu/home Thanks For Your Attention