A presentation from a workshop on how to structure original research communications (manuscripts and seminars). The main purpose of the workshop is to introduce a new way of thinking about the underlying "backbone" of any research communication. I propose that the most useful organising principle to use is to structure the paper or seminar as a nested series of questions addressed by a corresponding nested set of answers. Author: Geoff Hyde, NCBS, Bangalore.

1. The Science of Scientific Communication

4. The Hope X Scientist X X X X X X X X X Audience X X

5. The Reality X Scientist X X X X ? Y X Z X Y Audience Z

8. American Scientist, 1990, 78, 550

16. An outline is a higher-order framework..

17. … that we use to fill in the details.

21. A more useful top-level pattern: nested questions and answers Big Picture Question Aim-level Question/s Objective-level Question/s Objective-level Answer/s Aim-level Answer/s Big Picture Answer/s NB: Aim-level question must be one audience sees as: - unanswered in the literature (novelty) - significant

22. An example talk to illustrate the nested Questions/Answers pattern. Part 1: No use of PowerPoint: purely verbal Part 2: PowerPoint can be used Part 3: No use of PowerPoint: purely verbal Your own talks in the course should have the same mix of “purely verbal” and “PowerPoint-assisted” parts.

23. A problem in paradise: The vanishing Picobar Tree Frog Geoff Hyde NCBS SCCS 2010 Bangalore (The slides for parts of the talk that were “purely verbal” have been added here for completeness)

25. Diurnal Insectivorous Mid-altitudes Population declining The Picobar Tree Frog

26. How can the population decline of the Picobar Tree Frog be halted?

27. Possible players in the population decline of the Picobar Tree Frog Rat Snake ( Ptyas mucosa ) Introduced 1999 Picobar Lady Beetle ( Harmonia picobari ) Threatened by fungi

28. Is population decline due to increased predation or decreased prey?

29. Nested Questions and Answers of talk so far How can we reverse the decline of the Picobar Tree Frog? Is Picobar Tree Frog decline due to Rat Snake increase or Lady Beetle decrease?

30. Nested Questions and Answers for this workshop How do scientists cope with the communication challenges (information-density, specialisation) posed by rapid expansion of information? How do we make the transmission of our scientific messages more accurate?

31. An example talk following the structure for your own talks in this course Part 1: No use of PowerPoint: purely verbal Part 2: PowerPoint can be used Part 3: No use of PowerPoint: purely verbal

32. If increased predation, ......

33. .....,we should see snakes eating frogs Objective 1: Do starved captive rat snakes eat Picobar Tree Frogs?

34. If decreased prey, frogs should strongly prefer Lady Beetles

35. Objective 2: Do starved, captive Picobar Tree Frogs strongly prefer Picobar Lady Beetles ?

36. Preparation for exposure to frogs 27 o C + 36 o C Replication : 20 snakes

37. Snakes offered two species of frogs

38. Snakes ate the brown frogs

39. Tree frogs uneaten after one week

40. Objective 1: Do starved captive rat snakes eat Picobar Tree Frogs? No

41. Preparation for exposure to insects 27 o C Replication : 20 frogs

42. Frogs offered five species of insects

43. Frogs targeted the Lady Beetles

44. 95% Lady Beetles, 25% Brown Beetles eaten

45. Objective 2: Do starved, captive Picobar Tree Frogs strongly prefer Picobar Lady Beetles ? Yes

46. Nested Questions and Answers, up to end of Results How can we reverse the decline of the Picobar Tree Frog? Is Picobar Tree Frog decline due to Rat Snake increase or Lady Beetle decrease? * Do captive Rat Snakes eat Picobar Tree Frogs? * Do captive Picobar Tree Frogs strongly prefer to eat Lady Beetles? * Captive Rat Snakes do not eat Picobar Tree Frogs. * Captive Picobar Tree Frogs strongly prefer to eat Lady Beetles.

47. An example talk following the structure for your own talks in this course Part 1: No use of PowerPoint: purely verbal Part 2: PowerPoint can be used Part 3: No use of PowerPoint: purely verbal

48. Is decline of Picobar Tree Frogs due to increased Rat Snake predation or decreased availability of Lady Beetles? * Very unlikely due to Rat Snakes * Results support Lady Beetle hypothesis - need support from field studies - preliminary data is suggestive

49. Suggestions for management of population decline * Breed fungal-resistant Lady Beetles * Captive breeding program for tree frogs

50. Nested Questions and Answers for entire talk How can we reverse the decline of the Picobar Tree Frog? Is Picobar Tree Frog decline due to Rat Snake increase or Lady Beetle decrease? * Do captive Rat Snakes eat Picobar Tree Frogs? * Do captive Picobar Tree Frogs strongly prefer to eat Lady Beetles? * Captive Rat Snakes do not eat Picobar Tree Frogs. * Captive Picobar Tree Frogs strongly prefer to eat Lady Beetles. Captive results consistent with a role for Lady Beetle decrease in Picobar Tree Frog decline. * Breed fungal-resistant Lady Beetles. * Start captive breeding program for Picobar Tree Frogs.

52. 1. Express questions, especially aims , as questions How can we reverse the decline of the Picobar Tree Frog? Is Picobar Tree Frog decline due to Rat Snake increase or Lady Beetle decrease? * Do captive Rat Snakes eat Picobar Tree Frogs? * Do captive Picobar Tree Frogs strongly prefer to eat Lady Beetles? * Captive Rat Snakes do not eat Picobar Tree Frogs. * Captive Picobar Tree Frogs strongly prefer to eat Lady Beetles. Captive results consistent with a role for Lady Beetle decrease in Picobar Tree Frog decline. * Breed fungal-resistant Lady Beetles. * Start captive breeding program for Picobar Tree Frogs.

53. 2. Use devices to focus attention on aim-level Questions and Answers How can we reverse the decline of the Picobar Tree Frog? Is Picobar Tree Frog decline due to Rat Snake increase or Lady Beetle decrease? * Do captive Rat Snakes eat Picobar Tree Frogs? * Do captive Picobar Tree Frogs strongly prefer to eat Lady Beetles? * Captive Rat Snakes do not eat Picobar Tree Frogs. * Captive Picobar Tree Frogs strongly prefer to eat Lady Beetles. Captive results consistent with a role for Lady Beetle decrease in Picobar Tree Frog decline. * Breed fungal-resistant Lady Beetles. * Start captive breeding program for Picobar Tree Frogs.

54. Devices for focusing on Aims:Talks Introduction Results Discussion Methods 1. Big Picture Question 2. Aim-level Question/s 3. Objective-level Answer/s 3. Objective-level Question/s 2. Aim-level Answer/s 1. Big Picture Answer/s Change to less emphatic tone Emphasise importance: tone, pausing, dedicated slide Remind reader of Aim-level Question/s Recapitulate

55. Introduction Results Discussion Methods 1. Big Picture Question 2. Aim-level Question/s 3. Objective-level Answer/s 3. Objective-level Question/s 2. Aim-level Answer/s 1. Big Picture Answer/s Single paragraph At very end of penultimate paragraph Remind reader of Aim-level Question/s Introductory paragraph Devices for focusing on Aims: Papers

56. Asthma is one of the most debilitating of respiratory diseases. The delineation of its aetiology in children is of particular importance because of this disease’s increasing prevalence. During the last three decades, the incidence of asthma in children, especially in the developed world, has continually risen (Koff et al., 2004). For example, it has recently been estimated that by the age of fourteen, 25% of all children in Australia will have suffered at least one asthmatic attack (Krokodyal and Dundee, 2001). The reasons for the increasing prevalence of asthma are unclear. Several studies have demonstrated that time spent indoors correlates strongly with the incidence of childhood asthma (e.g. Ceeger and Neentendough, 1988), and Durstmeight (1990) has proposed that prolonged exposure to household allergens could be important. But it has not yet been shown definitively that indoor allergens are responsible. Recently Ghetarlyfe (2003) has suggested that it is decreased time spent outdoors that is possibly the causative factor. In this as yet untested scenario it would be outdooor, not indoor, allergens that are responsible: children might be getting fewer opportunities to develop an insensitivity to agents such as pollen and fungal spores that occasionally reach high densities, since they not being exposed to them at low levels. Thus whether “indoor-time-associated” asthma involves indoor or outdoor allergens is an ongoing issue. An example Introduction to paper: up to Aim

57. Thus whether “indoor-time-associated” asthma involves indoor or outdoor allergens is an ongoing issue. To address this question, we have followed up the group of 5,000 children originally surveyed by Ceeger and Neentendough (1988). Our approach, in which we cross-correlate the antibodies present in the children with antigens found in their indoor and outdoor environments, allows us to identify the likely source of the antigens that cause attacks experienced by these children. An example Introduction to paper: Objective

58. How can we reverse the decline of the Picobar Tree Frog? Is Picobar Tree Frog decline due to Rat Snake increase or Lady Beetle decrease? * Do captive Rat Snakes eat Picobar Tree Frogs? * Do captive Picobar Tree Frogs strongly prefer to eat Lady Beetles? * Captive Rat Snakes do not eat Picobar Tree Frogs. * Captive Picobar Tree Frogs strongly prefer to eat Lady Beetles. Captive results consistent with a role for Lady Beetle decrease in Picobar Tree Frog decline. * Breed fungal-resistant Lady Beetles. * Start captive breeding program for Picobar Tree Frogs. The 3 parts of a scientific story resonate with a well-known pattern…

59. ..that of the three acts of a narrative Act I: Set-up Act II: Journey Act III: Resolution 3. Objective-level Question/s 1. Big Picture Question 2. Aim-level Question/s 3. Objective-level Answer/s 2. Aim-level Answer/s 1. Big Picture Answer/s (Methods)

60. The three acts of a story Act I: Set-up Act II: Journey Act III: Resolution Rama and Sita exiled from Ayodhya Rama and Sita separated Rama defeats agent of his separation from Sita Return in glory to Ayodhya Rama kills Bali The Bridge to Lanka

61. The main axis of a paper Act I: Set-up Act II: Journey Act III: Resolution 3. Objective-level Question/s 1. Big Picture Question 2. Aim-level Question/s 3. Objective-level Answer/s 2. Aim-level Answer/s 1. Big Picture Answer/s (Methods)