AuthorsGuide

From Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP)

Back to the data management course outline

On to the complete Module Review Criteria page

On to the Voiceover Script page for modules in common

General guidance

  • Please use the Data management training module template (ppt) (Updated - Now with Voiceover scripts & revised Refs/Resources slides)
  • Please use sentence case for all titles on every page
  • As long as all the information mentioned in the template is covered, please feel free to add, subtract or combine body pages of the module as needed; however, keep the References and Resources slide and Other Relevant Modules slides separate so that those materials can be aggregated together when a person uses multiple modules within a single presentation
  • If your module runs to 10 slides or more, please contact Ruth and split the module into smaller pieces
  • When developing a module please ensure that the contents reflect the ESIP membership. It isn't necessary to cover fields, agencies, etc. that are outside the ESIP family. If a module is specific to a particular group (discipline or agency) the module title needs to reflect that!
  • Modules will typically run 5-10 pages in length; but in particular section header modules may be very short
  • Module section header and title should be in the upper left corner of every page (in small print)
  • If you change the module title, make sure the wiki outline is updated accordingly!

Module cover page

  • Please put the name of the Subsection (if any) in the "Subsection" field
  • Please put the name of the module in the "Title" field
  • Please put the section header for the module in the "Section" field
    • For example, the section header for the NSF data management plan module is Agency requirements
    • For example, the section header for Agency requirements module is "The case for data stewardship"
  • Author names and organizations
    • Use Firstname Lastname format for each name (e.g., Joe Smith)
    • Separate first/last name pairs by commas (e.g., Joe Smith, John Doe)
    • If there are multiple organizations indicate that using superscripts
      • For example
        • Joe Smith 1, John Doe 2
        • 1 OrganizationA
        • 2 OrganizationB
  • Version and review date will be updated when the presentation is reviews, so don't bother changing these

Module body pages

  • You will have to edit the master slide for the body to include the section header and name of the module - this will update the value on each page (if in doubt about how to do this don't bother as the date and version will be updated when the module is reviewed)
  • Appropriate imagery and the use of humor are strongly encouraged? The presentation needs to be accessible and interesting - illustrations that help get the point across are strongly encouraged!

References and Resources

  • Please list entries in the "References" and "Resources" slides using the Chicago citation style guidelines
  • On the resources slide please include a reason why the user might be interested in that resource before each resource or group of related resources

File naming convention

  • Please name your module files using the following naming convention:
    • Use camel case (i.e., UseCamelCase) - no underscores, spaces, dashes, etc.
    • Use the form SectionModuleNameAuthor - for example LocalDataManagementManagingYourDataDuerr.pptx

Module Voiceover Script Guidelines

  • Follow the BASIC guidelines for writing the script that a voiceover reader will read for your module:
    • B for Backstory
      • Create a story for yourself that helps justify the words in the script, and deliver a message that fits within a larger context
      • E.g., Imagine that a scientist has just gotten a very important, first grant awarded. They want to learn about data management not only because they should, but also because they want to learn, as long as it doesn't take too much time.
    • A for Audience
      • To whom are you speaking? Better to think about speaking to one person rather than a group
      • E.g., We are speaking to the new graduate student or early career scientist who just started working at our institution.
    • S for Scene
      • What are the surroundings, physically and/or psychologically?
      • E.g., Our grad student has been allowed 1/2 hour at a time over 16 weeks to learn about data management and start to suggest / apply those principles to a newly funded project.
    • I for Ignore Yourself"
      • Look at the information shared from a different point of view than your own, as much as possible. Have fun with it!
      • E.g., Our grad student is a person who is not a native speaker of our language, but understands pictures very well.
    • C for Character
      • Figure out who you are and deliver that message in the script.
      • E.g., You're a brash new data wonk who knows about data, but is curious about a new scientific discipline.
  • See the Voiceover Script page for the script for the Module Template slides common to all modules.

Module Review

When your module is reviewed, here are some of the criteria the reviewers will be using...

  • The module should be well-formed (i.e., follow the guidelines above)
  • The content is balanced in that it should be concise, yet simultaneously both accurate and complete
  • The references should be relevant and any URL's should work
  • The content should be geared to a non-expert yet undergraduate or general college level audience
  • The content should be simple and understandable by that audience
  • Jargon and data management terminology (e.g., data set, granule, etc.) needs to be defined or avoided
  • Imagery should be appropriate to the topic and either openly available or appropriately cited

See more complete criteria on the Module Review Criteria page.