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Jia-Bin Huang

@jbhuang0604

Apr 4

How to write math in a paper?

Math allows you to convey your idea precisely and concisely. But how to write them clearly? 🤔

Check out some high-level tips (with examples). 🧵

*Make it readable*

Math writing blends both NATURAL and MATH languages. It should be *readable*.

*Follow good style*

• texts in math: \mathrm for
• transpose: use ^\top instead of ^T
• big parentheses: use \left and \right

Read 11 tweets

Jia-Bin Huang

@jbhuang0604

Mar 21

How to write the Introduction?

As a junior student, writing the introduction of a research paper is arguably the most daunting part of paper writing. 😱

Here is a simple template I find useful:

3 Figures 🖼️ + 5 Questions 🤔

*🖼️ WHAT figure*

Start with the paper with a WHAT figure (known as the "teaser").

This figure shows only two things.
1⃣ Input
2⃣Output

This helps the readers understand what your work is about. Here are some of my favorite examples.

WHAT Example 1:

Mask R-CNN showcases its key results upfront without waiting until the result section.

1⃣ Input: Single images
2⃣Output: Instance segmentation masks

Read 20 tweets

Jia-Bin Huang

@jbhuang0604

Feb 22

How to decide what to work on?

So many exciting ideas, so little time! How can one narrow down to a specific idea to work on? 🤔

Sharing some strategies I found useful. 🧵

*Find your position*

Understand your unfair advantages over others, what the community cares about, and how you can best contribute.

Avoid crowding the ball (aka chasing the hottest problem in the field).

*Identify intrinsic motivation*

Work on problems and real applications that you genuinely care about.

Read 7 tweets

Jia-Bin Huang

@jbhuang0604

Feb 19

How to find research opportunities?

Finding opportunities to gain experience is arguably the most challenging part for students wishing to pursue grad school, particularly for those who don't have resources/connections.

Some tips on approaching potential mentors. 🧵

*Lead with value*

❌ "I am very interested ... I want to grow ... I want to get the experiences... I have many prior experiences ... me, me, me, me, me, me, me!"

✅ "Here is what I can contribute to your team. I can do this bc my experience/skills on blah blah blah."

*Go the extra mile*

❌ Generic email sent to 500 professors. "I found your project X inspiring."

✅ "I ran the code from your latest project X. Here are some limitations I found. I think we can explore this and that direction to tackle the problem."

Read 7 tweets

Jia-Bin Huang

@jbhuang0604

Feb 17

How to create a good table?

While in grad school, I thought my job writing the paper was done after dumping all the numerical numbers from my experiments in a table. 🤦‍♂️

Check out some tips that will help you improve the quality of your tables! 🧵

*1⃣ Avoid vertical lines*

Having vertical lines in a table almost always makes the table less readable. Avoid them at all costs.

*2⃣ Never, ever use double rules*

Feel the urge to use double rules (\hline)?

Try the \toprule, \midrule, \bottomrule using the booktabs package instead! It levels up your table in no time!

Read 8 tweets

Jia-Bin Huang

@jbhuang0604

Dec 6, 2022

How to write a reference letter for graduate admission?

After writing and reviewing many recommendation letters, I gradually learned what makes a good letter.

Here are some tips for people new to writing recommendation letters for the upcoming application season! 🧵

*It's your job*

If the student works closely with you on research projects, it's your RESPONSIBILITY to write the letter.

Don't ask students to write a complete draft so you can just sign your name.