A scientific paper should demonstrate that you can engage with a topic in a well-founded and objective manner. It should address a recognizable subject, make new statements, and be useful and traceable (including citations). The methodological approach should also be explained (Ebster, Stalzer 2017).
An important aspect of a structured process is creating a timeline, in which you consider not only literature research and writing but also the collection of research data and its analysis. Additionally, you should plan for buffers for corrections and, if necessary, for binding the paper.
For the writing itself, you will need a writing program, such as Word or Pages. Some academic disciplines use more complex programs like LaTeX.
Preliminary Considerations
First and foremost, you should clarify the following points:
- What is the topic?
- How extensive should the paper be?
- What is the resulting literature requirement? For ten pages, you will need significantly more literature than for a five-minute presentation, and conversely for which you will not need as much literature as for an 80-page master's thesis
- Are there any works that address the topic from the same or similar perspectives?
- Are there specific methodological requirements that influence the literature or information needs? Empirical studies, for example, require a different approach, as less literature is needed.
Research Phases
Following these preliminary considerations, we can speak of three research phases:
1. The Idea:
Foundational literature is needed. You will first read and excerpt this literature. With this preliminary draft and your understanding of the basics, you will approach your supervisor. They will then approve the idea, the research question, etc. Some supervisors also provide a topic that you will need to work on independently.
2. Researching Further Literature:
Make sure to focus on finding current literature. After all, you do not want to report on an 'old' topic unless you have a new perspective on it. Research should be creative and provide added value.
During this further research, you may find that the literature you need is not available on-site. Therefore, plan for delivery times. Interlibrary loans take 2-3 weeks if you order a book. Ordering articles is quicker. This way you are not under time pressure.
In addition to searching in our Katalog+, it is best to also use subject-specific databases to find current literature from academic journals. This will save you the tedious task of searching through individual issues. Once you have found your literature, read and excerpt it again. Write down the page numbers of the ideas directly in your excerpts. Try to quote only the most important statements verbatim. Paraphrase as much as possible in your own words. Make sure to note the source for each direct or indirect quote to avoid plagiarism.
3. Create an Outline:
In the third phase, you create your outline. However, you can also do this earlier. It is important to coordinate this with your supervisor. Generally, outlines are dynamic and often change during the writing process.
To bring your work to life, formulate theses that arise from critically reading the literature. Has a particular aspect not been addressed, or is it something entirely new? In this phase, you also begin writing. At the end, double-check the bibliography against the footnotes.
Tip: Use a reference management software right from the start. This will help you keep track of and manage the collected literature in an organized manner.
Literature Evaluation
What can you improve in your research method if you found too few or too many results?
If you find too little literature, you may have used the wrong keywords or not considered all research tools. Alternatively, if you are writing an empirical paper, the amount of literature may not be sufficient for your research question.
If you have found too much literature, you can narrow down the topic further. A free-text search yields more results than a content search using keywords. Are there renowned authors among the contributors? If so, select those works. Analyze the result lists and further sort or filter them. Which titles can be disregarded because they are too old or not entirely relevant to the topic?
How do you evaluate the results you found in terms of quality or relevance? Ask yourself two questions: Is the source citable (accessible), and is the source worthy of citation (scientific quality criteria)?
The following points are important for assessing relevance:
- Topicality
- Integrity
- Reputation of the author(s) (e.g., citation frequency)
- Reputation of the publisher
- Place of publication (e.g., impact factor of the journal)
- Depth of investigation
- Availability
- (Supervisor’s recommendation)
In the Katalog+, you can already make an initial selection and evaluate the found titles regarding their quality and relevance to your topic.
Is there an author or a particularly renowned scientist in your field who must not be overlooked in your work? Or can a keyword indicate that this title is particularly relevant?
If an abstract or table of contents can be accessed through the catalog entry, you can conveniently assess from your workplace or home whether the title is of interest to you.
If you are already in front of the relevant bookshelf in the university library, you can decide on-site whether the title is significant for you. In this case as well, aspects like the relevance of the topic and its currency are key criteria.
However, the most important aspect is the critical evaluation of sources for anything which can be found on the internet. Here, the author and the URL of the page are important for assessing relevance and quality. The following criteria can help you in your evaluation:
- Is an author indicated?
- URL/address of the page
- Purpose of publication
- External presentation
- Topicality and continuity
- Writing style
- Factual and content accuracy
- References
If you are focusing on the professional field of a sociologist, your neighbor’s personal homepage is not a citable source, whereas the website of the Association of German Sociologists is.
Furthermore, there are subject-specific differences regarding whether a source is citable or not. Imagine you are writing a scholarly paper on the press coverage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Would you classify the tabloid 'Bild' as a citable source in this case? Of course, you would! Because 'Bild' is a daily newspaper that cannot be overlooked in the press coverage of the 2018 World Cup. However, if you were writing a paper on Alzheimer's research in Germany, you would not base your theses on articles from 'Bild,' but rather refer to contributions in recognized medical journals.