Scientific Work
Scientific work is an important part of the skills to be applied in studies. Even though every subject culture has its own ideas and rules for scientific work, scientific work can be thought of as a process with the end goal of a written paper or oral performance, which always proceeds in the same way. The following hints should help you by showing this process once completely, divided into seven easy-to-follow steps.
At the same time, we would like to show you where you can get general support if you get stuck with one of these steps. For questions regarding the content, however, your contact persons are always the respective teachers in the departments.
Orientation and planning
What to do?
- Topic definition (in consultation with supervisor) - Narrow down topic (e.g. by mind map) - Develop question - Clarify formalities - Draft work/time schedule
Who can support me?
- The first point of contact for questions about the topic and the question should always be the supervising teacher.
- In addition, the Psychological Counseling Service offers many helpful services related to the topic (e.g. time management or learning to learn)Online services of the Psychological Student Advisory Service
- The Division of Foreign Languages of the zhb (Center for Higher Education) also offers a range of workshops on scientific work.
Research
What to do?
- Topic-based literature selection
- Assessment of the importance, usefulness of literature
- Evaluation of literature according to criteria:
- How current is the literature?
- How relevant is the literature to my topic?
- What is the intention behind the literature? (Function of the text, target audience and goals of the text, who are the authors)?
- How objective and reputable is the literature? (Type of source? Verifiability (source references)? Is it intended to arouse emotions?)
Who can support me?
The University Library (UB) helps with questions about research and literature management:
- Guided tours of the UB and use of the search catalog: Introduction to Guided tours and courses at the UB
- Workshop offers around research: Finally successful researchMoodle - self-study room "Finally successful research".
- If you have questions about literature management (Citavi), the UB offers a self-study course in Moodle.
- In addition, the UB has a YouTube channel with explanatory films on literature research, etc.
Scientific Reading
What to do?
- Purpose-based and use-based reading as a time-intensive step.
- Goal: Identify positions, arguments, and contexts in the text.
- What does the text deal with?
- Who argues how?
- Why? What is the purpose?
- Where did the text originate, when, and under what circumstances?
- What is critical about the argumentation of the text?
- How helpful is the text for my own question?
Tip: Write down the most important points of the text in an excerpt immediately after reading!
Who can support me?
Strategies for structured reading can also be trained in self-study:
- helpful tips are offered by an infovideo of the University of Frankfurt
- the University of Gießen offers a web seminar on reading techniques
Structuring
What to do?
- Two meanings:
- mental structuring (e.g. by mind map)
- text structure, own lines of argumentation
Who can support me?
- The Division of Foreign Languages offers workshops on structuring research material and organizing thoughts.
Creating
What to do?
- Systematically implement the ideas using the previously created outline ("central theme").
- Writing the rough draft, in which own thoughts are formulated on the basis of the research question of the paper.
Who can support me?
Creating and revising are the steps that cause "headaches" for most students, but there are supporting services for this as well:
- The Division of Foreign Languages offers various workshops around the topic of writing.
- The Psychological Student Advisory Service offers various events for support: the Writing Week and various coaching groups for writing support.
Revising
What to do?
- Revise raw version according to various criteria:
- content (comprehensibility and completeness of the writing)
- linguistic and stylistic
- spelling, grammar
- layout and formality (according to the guidelines)
Tip: Have the work read by a third party before revising it and put it away for a few days yourself provides a fresh look at what has already been written.
Who can support me?
Creating and revising are the steps that cause " headaches" for most students, but there are support services for this as well:
- The Division of Foreign Languages offers various workshops around the topic of writing.
- The Psychological Student Advisory Service offers various events for support: the Writing Week and various coaching groups for writing support.
Presentation
What to do?
- For written work: submission of the paper
- For oral exams: presentation, oral exam
Who can support me?
Are you afraid of the goal? Test anxiety? Don't panic! There is support for that, too:
-
Psychological Student Advisory Service offers individual counseling as well as coaching groups.
- In the Division of Foreign Languages there are, among other things, workshops to train presentations