Hi.
I’m the RE Mentor for industry papers and I’m here to do what I can to help you.
If you’re new to writing papers, and would rather be getting on with something useful and practical – but for some reason feel you need to get a paper published and discussed on a) your practice on a specific project; b) a challenge that you have experienced in your work, and that you feel deserves attention; or c) you’ve taken part in a piece of applied research in industry – and you feel in need of a bit of guidance, then I’m here to advise.
These three categories are the Industry Paper Categories for 2013, and they illustrate an important point. When you submit a paper to a conference, you need to match what you have to say with the way the conference sees the world. Right or wrong, someone (more likely, some committee) has put together a framework for the conference, and that’s what they’ve told the reviewers who’ll evaluate your paper to look for. If there’s a category for bold visionary speculation about industry in 2023, then you need to speculate boldly in a visionary kind of way: no room for modest descriptions of past projects there. RE’13 has instead asked for three practical types of paper – practice, challenges, and applied research, and you should aim clearly for exactly one of these.
Another important point may seem too obvious to mention to practical people in industry – I’m sure you know it already – but it’s this: if you want to get your paper accepted, you would do well to look at papers that have been accepted, and study how they are structured. The categories this year aren’t exactly the same as in past years, but the general shape of industry papers is much the same. Read one. What’s it like? It has a short, clear abstract that says what the paper is about, and what it found. It has an introduction that describes the context. It’s organized into a few sections (say, 4-6) with an obvious logic to them – say, Problem, Method, Results, Discussion. It fits into 6 pages of letter-sized paper. It’s written in 2 columns of 10-point type. It has a short list of numbered references, which are used in the paper. It’s easy to read. It’s practical. It’s truthful. It’s probably illustrated with a diagram, a table, perhaps a map or photograph. It probably gives examples of how the technique, approach, or tool is used. Guess what? You should do that sort of thing.
Have you never written a paper before? OK, that’s fine. There is no magic or mystery to the process. It is quite hard work, and it will take you a few days at least. What to write? Put yourself in a reader’s shoes. Here is another six pages of stuff. What’s it about? Why should I read it? What will I learn? Will it be worth reading? Or shall I jump to the next paper? The reader will probably begin by looking at the title and the abstract. Make your title say what is new and exciting about your paper. Make your abstract say, clearly and briefly, what your paper is about and what is special about it. Then, what to write in the body of the paper itself? Well, you have a small space in which to get the reader to understand what your problem was, in what situation; and if appropriate, what you did about it, what you found out. And probably you will conclude with a few pointers to what needs to be done next: where your work could be useful; what else needs to be explored to develop the method; how the benefits can be realized. Who are you writing for? Well, it’s an industry paper, so assume your reader is a busy, practical person who is keen to learn how to solve requirements problems better. They’ll be intelligent and hard working, but do not know the details of your organization, your project. Tell them, simply and plainly, what your approach was. Be frank about what worked and what didn’t – knowledge of the limits of any technique is valuable.
Finally, whether you’re completely new to paper writing or not, remember that two heads are better than one. Many papers (and most books) have an Acknowledgements section, thanking people for their help. Aha! Get a colleague to read your paper. If possible, watch them as they read. Do they go through it easily, or with difficulty? Do they quickly grasp how the paper is organized, or do they go backwards and forwards trying to see what you are saying? If they give you any comments or suggestions, take them seriously. Very likely, other readers would find the same issues. Ask experienced colleagues what they’d put in the paper, what they’d leave out. If all else fails, ask me!
Good luck with your paper. I’m sure you’ll find writing it a rewarding experience.
Ian Alexander, September 2012
http://www.scenarioplus.org.uk/
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