Team Activity #2: Title

• Evaluate titles of papers that you bring.

• Evaluation points:
– Does the title give a full and honest indication of what is in
the paper?
• Sometimes exaggeration of title is observed.
• E.g.: Use of ‘general’ words rather than ‘specific’ words
– Is the title succinct so that it does not have any uninformative
phrases?
• E.g.: ‘discussion’, ‘observation’, ‘study’
– Is the title specific?
 Team Activity #2: Title
• Software dependencies and work dependencies and their impact on failure
➢ Software and work dependencies: their impact on software system failure

• Investigation on humidification-dehumidification desalination system coupled with

heat pump
➢ Experimental/mathematical investigation on humidification-dehumidification
desalination system coupled with heat pump

• Investigation of off grid photovoltaic systems for a reverse osmosis desalination

system: a case study
➢ Numerical simulation of off-grid photovoltaic systems for a reverse osmosis
desalination: A case study
Seismic Levee System Fragility
Considering Spatial Correlation of
Demands and Component Fragilities
Dong Youp Kwak, a) M.EERI, Jonathan P. Stewart, a) M.EERI,
Scott J. Brandenberg, a) M.EERI, and Atsushi Mikami b)

Seismic levee performance is most readily computed for short segments hav-
ing consistent geometry, soil conditions, and seismic demands. Spatial variations
of seismic demands and of segment capacities significantly influence system risk,
which is critical for flood protection because any segment failure within the sys-
tem can cause inundation. We present a methodology to compute the probability
of seismic levee system failure conditional on individual segment fragility and
spatial correlations of demands and of capacities. Seismic demands are estimated
from ground motion prediction equations; their correlation is available in the lit-
erature. Capacities and their correlation are derived from levee damage observa-
tions from a levee system in Japan shaken by two earthquakes. We find seismic
capacities to exhibit positive correlations over shorter distances than for demands.
System fragility is computed using Monte Carlo simulations where segment
demand and capacity realizations are generated to account for spatial correlations.
We find that the probability of system failure is lower than would be obtained
under an assumption of no correlation and that damage probability increases as
the number of components in the system increases. [DOI: 10.1193/
083115EQS132M]

INTRODUCTION
A levee system is comprised of earth embankments that protect a particular area from
flooding. One example is the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, where levees protect below-
sea-level “islands” and convey fresh water that is exported to more than 20 million urban and
agricultural users. If a particular length of a levee is taken as a segment (e.g., 50 m in length),
then a levee system is a collection of levee segments in series. Levee systems are typically
continuous and have lengths much greater (often measured in km) than their width or height
(typically measured in m).
Kwak et al. (2016) developed fragility functions for 50 m long levee segments in which
probabilities of exceeding various damage thresholds are expressed as a function of peak
ground velocity (PGV ), geological conditions, and groundwater elevation. Levee segments
are connected in series, so failure of one segment exposes the protected region to flood risk
when the levee system is continuously “loaded” (retaining water). Under such conditions, the
 Step-by-step creating title
• Read GUIDE FOR AUTHORS for any guidelines (word
limit, length limit, specific format, etc.)
• Create keywords from your paper
– General topic, main theory, research design, variables, key
materials, key techniques, target, …
• Create title using keywords
– Include three or four elements of
• Achievement by your research
• Topic of your research
• Method you used
• Purpose of your research

• Use remaining words as your keywords

 Example
• “Seismic levee system fragility considering spatial
correlation of demands and component fragilities”
– Seismic levee system fragility: topic and purpose
– Spatial correlation of demands and component fragilities:
method
• How can we improve following titles?
– A study on hybrid energy harvesting system of piezoelectric
and electromagnetic harvesters
– An experimental method for measuring the noise reduction
characteristics of floor materials in apartment buildings
• Analyze your titles
 Common Errors
• Avoid wasting words
– An investigation of, a study of, an analysis of, a method of, …
– Make it more specific. “a case study of, an numerical analysis
of, …”
• Do not use words of new method or technique you
invent in your title (nobody understands).
• No period at the end
Abstract
 Abstract
• Limit of abstract: 150 to 300 words – Read GUIDE FOR
AUTHORS
 Purpose of abstract
• Article
– To get someone to read your full article
• Conference
– To get someone to come to your presentation
– To get your presentation accepted for a conference (some
conferences require only abstract)
 Abstract framework
• Abstract is a complete mini-paper, not just a summary.
– It must be complete
– It must be understandable without reading the whole text
– Marketing tool explaining why the reader should read the
whole paper
 Abstract framework
• Common framework: IMRAD, similar to the full
paper
– Introduction
• Background information to understand the need for the research
• Research problem, questions or hypotheses
• Explanation of a gap or lack of research in the field that makes
your paper necessary
• Purpose of the paper or proposal contained in the paper
 Abstract framework
• Common framework: IMRAD, similar to the full
paper
– Methods
– Results
– Discussion and Conclusion
• Recommendations for changes in policy, training, procedures, or
research methods
• Summary of the most important finding of the paper
 Example
Seismic levee performance is most readily computed for short
segments having consistent geometry, soil conditions, and seismic
demands1.aSpatial variations of seismic demands and of segment
capacities significantly influence system risk, which is critical for flood
protection because any segment failure within the system can cause
inundatio n.1bW e present a methodology to compute the probability of 1. Introduction
seismic levee system failure conditional on individual segment fragility a. Topic
and spatial correlations of demands and of capacitie s. 1cSeismic demands b. Need
are estimated from ground motion prediction equations; their c. Purpose
correlation is available in the literature .2Capacities and their correlation 2. Methods
are derived from levee damage observations from a levee system in 3. Results
Japan shaken by two earthquakes2. We find seismic capacities to exhibit
positive correlations over shorter distances than for demands3. System
fragility is computed using Monte Carlo simulations where segment
demand and capacity realizations are generated to account for spatial
correlations2. We find that the probability of system failure is lower than
would be obtained under an assumption of no correlation and that
damage probability increases as the number of components in the
system increases.3[DOI: 10.1193/ 083115EQS132M]
 Key points for good abstract
• A stand-alone document
– It should be understandable without reading whole paper.
• Read GUIDE FOR AUTHORS
– Some journals would require specific structure for abstract.
• Your article characteristics
– Method paper: more detailed methods information
– If research problem is clear in your field, focus more on results
• Good practice to include each section of the paper as
at least one sentence.
 Key points for good abstract
• Be specific with your results and quantify if possible.
– “As a result, the manufacture failure rate has been improved.”
– “As a result, the manufacture failure rate has been decreased
as 0.2%...”
• Do not hide significant points to try to get the
reader to read the whole article.
• Show problems in previous research
• Emphasize the contribution to the field
 Common Errors
• Do not use the same sentence for the first line of
abstract and the first line of introduction. Poor writing
style.
• No paragraphs (there are exceptions. E.g., extended
abstract, thesis)
• No abbreviation if used only once or twice.
– E.g., Monte-Carlo simulation (MC)
• Can include name of author, but not referenes such as
1 or (Kwak et al., 2016).
 Team Activity #3: Abstract
• Analyze abstracts of the papers
• Analysis points:
– What is the abstract type? Can you find IMRAD?
– Is there any possibility of improvement considering followings?
• Precise and Honest
• Stand-alone
• No uncommon technical jargons or citations
• Brief and specific
Introduction
 Purpose of introduction
• Not simply to introduce your work!
• Persuade the reader that your paper is helping to:
– Improve an existing method/theory/technique
– Remove a gap by better understanding of a topic or finding
information lacked in your field
– Expand the research field by creating/combining/applying a
new or known theory/method/model to a known or new
problem
• Show connection between your work and previous
work/problem
 Structure of introduction
• Three basic parts
1. Situation
– Background: How your paper is related to the research
problem and previous research
2. Problem cycle
– The problems with previous research
3. Solution or gap
– How your paper is a solution to problems/missing areas of
research in your field
 1. Situation
A. General background information
B. General research problem
C. Key terms / Key concepts
 1.A Give very general background
information on the topic

A levee system is comprised of earth embankments that protect

a particular area from flooding. One example is the
Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, where levees protect below- sea-
level “islands” and convey fresh water that is exported to more
than 20 million urban and agricultural users. If a particular length
of a levee is taken as a segment (e.g., 50 m in length), then a
levee system is a collection of levee segments in series. Levee
systems are typically continuous and have lengths much greater
(oMen measured in km) than their width or height (typically
measured in m).
 Not to general
• ”Environmental concerns due to the use of fossil fuels
are worldwide concern.”
– What concern? Green-house effect? Increase of CO2? Dust?
Tens of environmental concerns due to the use of fossil fuels.
• ”English education is a much discussed topic in Korean
education.”
– Which Korean education? Highschool? Kindergarten?
Business? Which English education? Writing? Speaking?
 1.B Introduce very general research
problem and its importance
Kwak et al. (2016) developed fragility functions for 50 m long levee
segments in which probabilities of exceeding various damage
thresholds are expressed as a function of peak ground velocity (PGV),
geological conditions, and groundwater elevation. Levee segments
are connected in series, so failure of one segment exposes the
protected region to flood risk when the levee system is continuously
“loaded” (retaining water). Under such conditions, the levee system
fragility problem involves analysis of the probability of whether at
least one levee segment in the series exceeds a specific damage
state. The solution of this problem depends strongly on the
system length (i.e., number of segments) and correlations of
capacity and demand among segments. The greater the number of
segments, the higher is the opportunity for demand to exceed
capacity in at least one segment.
To illustrate the importance of spatial correlation, …
 1.C Define the key terms and/or explain
the key concepts
A levee system is comprised of earth embankments that protect a
particular area from flooding.

For the perfectly correlated system, the capacity and demand for
each segment are random variables that have perfect spatial
correlation.

• Do not overestimate the knowledge of readers. Assume readers

of your article are master students who are just started the
research.

• Well-written papers = easy to read. More extensive introductions

for background information.
 2. Problem cycle
A. Summarize / classify / compare the different methods
/ techniques / issues / theories in the research field
B. Critically evaluate previous theories / methods /
issues
C. Indicate specific problem that has not been solved by
previous work
D. Indicate a gap of knowledge that is missing
 2.A Summarize methods / techniques
/ issues / theories
Previous studies have addressed the system fragility problem for relatively simplified
conditions. USACE (2008) and Wolff (2008) compute P(FS) by dividing the levee system
into “reaches” with one or several characteristic lengths (typically 100 to 300 m)
within which the correlation of damage is assumed perfect, whereas correlations
between reaches are taken as zero. In these applications, a reach is a length of levee
judged to have adequately similar geometry, soil conditions, and loading conditions
that the reach can be represented by analysis of a single cross-section. For each reach,
P(fi) is evaluated from geotechnical engineering models, and P(FS) is then computed
using Equation 2. For applications to flood risk in the Netherlands, Vrouwenvelder
(2006) and Jongejan and Maaskant (2015) extend the “reach” concept to consider
non-unity correlation within reaches and potentially non-zero correlation between
reaches, in both cases depending on the correlation of relevant geotechnical
properties.
 2.B Critically evaluate previous
methods / issues / theories
The principal limitation of the methods is that they incorporate the spatial
correlations of damage in an arbitrary manner… A more robust solution that accounts
for spatial correlations in resistance and demand s is therefore needed.

▶ Criticize politely
Positive or neutral statement + However + critical analysis
Example: Although these papers present promising applications, the
specific guidelines or directions on making use of the descriptors are
not sufficient.
 2.C Indicate specific problem that is
not been solved
For applications to levees, there are significant limitations associated with the
assumptions required to derive Equation 7. Constant reliability index will not apply to
the levee segments within a spatially distributed system—some segments will have
relatively low fragility (due to low demand or high capacity) while others will be higher.
Likewise, we intuitively expect the correlation of safety margin to not be constant but
to vary with separation distance (closer segments well-correlated, distant segments
uncorrelated).
2.D Indicate gap of knowledge that is
missing
“Although several cooperative caching protocols have been proposed, few
studies have examined how to select the best proxy server that would offer
the best response time to a Web client.”

“Few studies, however, have examined the independent effects of vitamin D

therapy, and none, to our knowledge, have compared survival among
patients receiving different types of vitamin D formulations.”

“Most studies have focused on seeking simplistic and static patterns. Very
few have tested mechanistic hypotheses or explored the factors that
modulate edge effects. Consequently, studies are …”

“Although nanotubes are a fundamental form encountered in tilebased DNA

self-assembly, the factors governing tube structure remain poorly
understood.”
 A lack itself is not enough. Explain
why the lack is a problem
“However, there is substantial discrepancy among recent
studies about the existence and intensity of edge effects.
Most studies have focused on seeking simplistic and
static patterns. Very few have tested mechanistic
hypotheses or explored the factors that modulate edge
effects. Consequently, studies are very site-specific and
their results cannot be generalized to produce a
universal theory of edges.”
 Literature review
• Literature review should be a critical
analysis of previous work, not just a
summary.
• Do not just list previous studies without
any reason.
Kim et al. (2019) proposed…
Park et al. (2019) investigated…
Kwak et al. (2010) studied…
Lee et al. (2014) examined…
 3. Solution
• Introduce your paper as a solution of these problems
or missing areas

A paper = A story. Indicate happy ending!

A. Explain how your paper is going to help to solve the

problem and/or fill the gap.
 3. Solution
To address this problem, we present a methodology for computing P(FS)
conditional on P(fi) and spatial correlations among segments. We begin in
the next section by describing prior work for analysis of system fragility. We
then describe the quantification of damage using Boolean variables
representing damage states, define variables related to the correlation of
damage states, and develop estimates of those correlations using
autocorrelation analyses of levee damage data from Japan. Next we define
statistical distributions and spatial correlation functions for segment-specific
seismic levee capacity and demand. Demand correlations are taken from the
literature (Kwak et al. 2016, Jayaram and Baker 2009) and capacity
correlations are obtained from observations of a levee system shaken by two
recent earthquakes in Niigata, Japan. System-level fragility is then derived
using Monte Carlo simulations that consider the correlated segment
demands and capacities. We conclude by applying the proposed approach
to compute system fragility for components of a levee system protecting a
Japanese city.
 3. Solution
The proposed approach, described and illustrated in subsequent
sections of this paper, was developed to overcome the
limitations of previous methods. The approach is fully general
for series systems having non-uniform component fragilities and
defined correlations among demands and capacities. Although
fully general, the application emphasized here is levee flood
control systems.
 Assignment #3: Introduction
• Analyze introduction section of the paper in your field
• Use the following framework
1. Situation
A. General background information
B. General research problem
C. Key terms / Key concepts
2. Problem cycle
A. Summarize / classify / compare the different methods / techniques /
issues / theories in the research field
B. Critically evaluate previous theories / methods / issues.
C. Indicate specific problem that has not been solved by previous work
D. Indicate a gap of knowledge that is missing
3. Solution
A. Explain how your paper is going to help to solve the problem and/or fill
the gap.