The following model is adapeted from the core method developed by Jimmie Killingsworth in this book Information in Action . The model is designed to increase the writer's efficency by offering multiple points for review and revision. This keeps the writer from straying too far from thiwr purpose as well as the needs fo their audience. The Core Method is particularly effective for handling large writing projects. I have adapted it to fit the proces of writing Software Engineering Research Papers.

Writing should begin before research begins

1. Plan resesarch subject
   1. Define the questions your research sees to answer (derived from Mary Shaw)
   2. Answer all the questions on NewProjectChecklist with one sentence answers
   3. Prepare a 30 second defense of your project.
   4. Write a Core document summarizing your answers to the questions in step 2
   5. Review and revise
   6. Move to planning research
   7. turn core document into an introduction
2. plan research
   1. KEEP DETAILED LOGS!
   2. Create your hypothesis.
   3. write how each of your experiements will answer questions on NewProjectChecklist
   4. plan figures for the data so you know what to collect
   5. Perform research+collect data.
   6. ...while writing methods
   7. Repeat/Revise this whole section if your findings surprise you. KEEP DETAILED NOTES OF THIS
3. Publish the paper
   1. Review your research findings: Review your answers to NewProjectChecklist.
   2. Write second (post research) core document
      • Summarize your answers to ResearchFindingsChecklist?
      • Identify who is producing the document (for collaborations)
      • Write towards your intended audience
      • Write a 1-2 page document that answers the above
   3. turn core document 2 into a results section.
   4. give oral presentation on work
   5. review and revise
   6. Write full draft
   7. make changes on the global view of the project, reorganization edit.
   8. make sentence level changes to the document
   9. publish!

Tips to improve as a writer:

• What erros an I prone to?
  • spelling?
  • skip words when I read?
• TIP: read article backwards, sentence by sentence
  • forces you to decide if each sentence can stand on it's own merit.
• TIP: make outlines from existing good papers.
• Shouw we formally outline our papers before writing them? Yes!
• Read papers similar to what you are writing
• outlines -> headings
  • use lists where appropriate
• answer different kinds of questions in each section.
• Produce documents that people can use
• Read http://www.hu.mtu.edu/~cwaddell/Basic_Prose_Style.html

Summarize things on one page. That way you can get early and quick feedback. Gives you the abiltiy to talk about your topic quickly.

Can you justify your work in 30 seconds?

write one sentence on each question in the shaw paper.

Identify who is doing what before you begin.

Know what the journal is accepting. use the analogy of joining a ocnversation, you always listen before you chime in.