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Top tips. Summary and review
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TOP TIPS
Researchers can encounter many obstacles during the presentation phase. For many, no matter how experienced and confident they might be, writing up includes the
experience of writers’ block, a common condition that can rear its ugly head at any moment during the process. Oral presentations can also be nerve-wracking. In con- sideration of this, the following section outlines tips and techniques that can help during the process of preparing research for presentation.
Spark your interest. One of the most important tips for a criminological researcher – something some have learned the hard way – is to research and write about subjects that genuinely capture your interest. Choosing a topic of interest is not always possible from the outset. However, it is usually possible to adopt an approach that is interest- ing and at least of some value to future work. For example, a researcher might be writing up the final essay for an undergraduate module, having struggled to engage with the material, or starting out on a funded PhD initially written by the supervisors with their own research interests in mind. Although at first these tasks might seem uninteresting or difficult, adopting a carefully considered methodological approach and theoretical framework that spark your interest not only makes the task more interesting but also gives value to the development of your future research and writing.
Manage your time. The process of writing involves a number of stages that each require sufficient time to be set aside for. Recognizing how much time you need and giving yourself enough time to complete the writing up to the best of your ability will, more often than not, facilitate a less stressful experience and produce a better end product. As this chapter has shown, planning, drafting and copyediting are fun- damental stages of the writing process and they require sufficient time as you approach a deadline. You should also bear in mind the time it will take to complete the abstract, referencing, tables and figures and any other additions to the piece beyond the substantive text.
Make a start and save everything. Once a project starts, write from the very beginning. Create a file and begin to write down anything you can and save everything that you write. It could be brief notes about ideas for the project in bullet points or more substantial notes that you can use during this or future projects. Revisiting notes made during past projects can jog your memory and inspire you.
Prepare. Preparing sufficiently is crucial for building confidence and improving presentation technique. Think about the periods in the day, the week and the month when you write and prepare for presentations most effectively, and factor this into the process. Finding a rhythm and being efficient help a lot. Prepare PowerPoint slides for a presentation well in advance, leaving time to revisit and reformulate them if necessary. The worst feeling is a last-minute rush to finish something when you are tired and frustrated. Try your best to avoid this situation as much as possible.
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Sleep on it. If you’re struggling, do something else that is important, or sleep on it and come back to your work the following day with a clear mind and fresh eyes. This is what is commonly referred to as a draft stop: leaving your writing for a day or two before returning to it feeling refreshed. This is another reason to leave yourself
plenty of time during the process; you want enough time to take a break from writ- ing, if necessary, before returning to it with the aim of improving on what you have already produced.
Practise, practise, practise. Developing your writing technique takes time and hard work. An increasing number of academics use social media, including blog posts, as a means not only of testing their ideas but also as a way of sharpening their thinking and improving their writing technique. Others set up writing retreats and support groups with fellow students and colleagues.
Seek feedback. Ask a friend or colleague to read (or watch) and review a draft of your work. Another set of eyes often works wonders and can highlight issues you may have missed yourself.
Manage the stress and anxiety. Learn how to express frustrations productively: make a to-do list; break down large pieces of writing into manageable chunks; organ- ize your notes and/or documents on your computer; prioritize your time effectively; and work in a team if possible.
Learn from your mistakes. At the end of each project, think about which aspect you have struggled with most during the writing up and presenting stages and make a note of areas for improvement. Writing is a craft; everyone starts somewhere. Feeling out of your depth at times is natural. English may not be your first language, or you may not have been taught English particularly well in earlier education. Another tip here is to note down areas for improvement that are highlighted by reviewers and copyeditors to work on during future writing projects. Furthermore, if a style or format is not working well for you, try a new approach (see discussion of alternative techniques above).
SUMMARY AND REVIEW
This chapter has focused on important processes and issues that researchers will encounter when writing up and presenting criminological research. The first section dealt with writing up, providing an indicative dissertation/research report structure and offering some guiding principles and techniques that researchers in criminology can adopt as they plan and carry out their final write-up. This was followed by a brief discussion of oral presentations, again offering some guiding principles and tech- niques. The next section discussed emerging visual and virtual forms of presentation. The aims here were to provide recent examples of work based on the presentation of images and to outline the most basic issues to consider when presenting visual or virtual research. The chapter ended with some ‘top tips’ that can be used by crimi- nological researchers during the writing up and presenting stages of their projects. Giving these processes and issues some attention when writing up research can help to increase confidence, enhance the experience and increase the quality of the end product.
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STUDY QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS
1. Reflect on a previous experience of writing up or presenting.
a. What did you struggle with most?
b. How do you plan to implement changes to improve your technique in the future?
2. Look up various approaches to writing up and presenting.
a. What are the key strengths and weaknesses of each?
b. Which style better suits your research and why?
3. You have just finished a written piece of work. Ask yourself the following ques- tions as you copyedit your work:
a. What are the aims of the research and are they clearly outlined in the paper?
b. Who will make up the audience?
c. Does the paper include an appropriate introduction and conclusion?
d. What is the word limit and has an appropriate amount of space been taken up by each section?
e. Have relevant and clear signposts been included to break up different sections?
f. Is the literature review adequately comprehensive and critical?
g. What methods have been adopted and are they clearly outlined in the paper?
h. Is the presentation of data appropriate and comprehensible?
i. Is the argument reasoned and does it follow a logical sequence?
j. Have appropriate links been made between data and theory?
k. If images, tables, figures or graphs are presented in the text, are they format- ted correctly?
l. Have existing standards or guidelines been followed (e. g. university guide- lines)?
m. 
Have referenced source materials been cited accurately and consistently through- out, including both in-text citation and the final bibliography/reference list?
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