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1
How to write a scientific research paper in basic and qualification modules in the
department of British/ American studies: Teaching English as a Foreign Language
and Foreign Language Research/ Intercultural Communication at the University of
Kassel
This manual is mandatory for all students who are part of the modularized teacher
training programmes. For the students of other programmes there is a separate manual
(see FLUL-Homepage: http:www.uni-kassel.de/flul).
Version: June 28th 2010
The present manual is directed at students of the modularized teacher training
programmes who plan to write a research paper in the course of a final exam within the
modularized program in the field of Foreign Language Teaching Research/ Intercultural
Communication.
The term “scientific research paper” encompasses the specified module exam “research
paper” (you will be informed about alternative module exams that are also possible in
their seminars). Yet you have to consider that the research paper has to cover the whole
module as far as the content is concerned. If a module, e. g., consists of two seminars
(like module 5b), the research paper will have to relate to the content of both seminars.
Please consult the instructors who will be responsible for grading your paper in time.
Bear in mind that you will have to hand in the research paper, and the module
certification that has already been signed by the instructors. The module exam is only
valid if this module certification has been completely filled out and signed. You will find
the respective form in the appendix of the module examination regulations*.
The instructions in this manual aim at
•
demonstrating how to structure a research paper concerning form and content
•
rendering grading of a research paper more transparent
*All study and examination regulations are available on the website of the University of Kassel:
www.uni-kassel.de
2
Table of Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Formal Guidelines for All Research Papers
3
1.1.
Language
3
1.2.
Formatting
3
The Structure of a Research Paper
5
2.1.
The Title Page
5
2.2.
The Abstract
5
2.3.
The Table of Contents
5
2.4.
Introduction
6
2.5.
Main Part
6
2.6.
The Conclusion
7
2.7.
The References
7
2.8.
The Appendix
7
Quotations
8
- Note on Plagiarism -
8
3.1.
Mentioning Sources in the Text
8
3.1.1.
Examples for Paraphrases
8
3.1.2. Examples for Quotations
10
3.1.3. Online Sources
11
3.2.
12
References
Criteria for Research Papers in Basic and Qualification
Modules
15
4.1.
Criteria for Research Papers in Basic Modules
15
4.2.
Demands for Research Papers in Qualification Modules
16
Hints How to Find Adequate Secondary Literature
17
Evaluation criteria for research papers in “Teaching English as
a Foreign
Language and Foreign Language Research/
Intercultural Communication”
19
Further advice
20
3
1.
Formal Guidelines for All Research Papers
1.1.
Language
If the instructors do not instruct you otherwise research papers always have to be written
in English. Bear in mind: Always have your paper proof read before handing it in (if
possible by native speakers)!
In the sense of a critical Language Awareness (see quote below) you should use neutral,
and not judging or biased phrases. E. g. you should choose adequate formulations
concerning the gender or ethnic background of the persons you describe. Avoid
sloppiness when employing the masculine pronoun “he” when you write about both sexes
(e. g. “the teacher ... he”).
Alternatives to the generic “he” or “she” are the following possibilities:
(1) Neutral paraphrases (e. g. “individuals should consider...”).
(2) Employ the plural (e. g. “Teachers ought to be aware of their students` cultural
backgrounds.”).
(3) Employ an article instead of pronouns (e. g. “When assessing a student’s
achievements a teacher ...”).
(4) Omit pronouns (e. g. “When assessing students´ achievements a teacher ...”). Avoid
employing “he” and “she” or combinations like “he/she” at the same time because they
can be exhausting and distracting for the reader.
“[Critical Language Awareness] highlights how language conventions and language practices are invested
with power relations and ideological processes which people are often unaware of. It criticizes mainstream
language study for taking conventions and practices at face value, as objects to be described, in a way
which obscures their political and ideological investment.” (Fairclough, 1992, p. 7).
1.2.
Formatting
The following instructions apply to scientific research papers of all kinds and refer to the
setting of common word processors (e. g. Microsoft Word).
•
page layout:
o
paper format: DIN A4
4
o
margins: 2.5 cm (top, bottom, left and right)
o
header: 1.5 cm from the margin
o
footer: 1.5 cm from the margin (If the printer you are using needs larger margins in order
to print correctly, please adjust this detail accordingly.)
•
continuous text:
o
font: Times New Roman, normal
o
font size: 12 point
o
spacing: 1.5
o
indentation of the first line of a paragraph: 1 cm
o
alignment: justified setting (this means the text on the right margin does not seem to be
frayed but aligned right); hyphenate!
•
•
•
•
headings:
o
font: Times New Roman, bold
o
font size: 12 point
o
spacing: 1.5
o
indentation of the first line of a paragraph: no indentation
o
alignment: aligned left
footnotes:
o
font: Times New Roman, normal
o
font size: 10 point
o
spacing: single spacing
o
indentation of the first line of a paragraph: no indentation
o
alignment: justified setting
references:
o
font: Times New Roman, normal
o
font size: 12 point
o
spacing: 1.5
o
indentation of the first line of a paragraph: hanging, 1.25 cm
o
alignment: justified setting
pagination:
o Number all pages (if necessary, number the appendix, too) continuously with Arabic
numbers centered in the footer. The title page is counted as page 1. However, as the only
page in the paper, it is not given a page number; the abstract (see below) gets the page
number 2, and the table of contents starts with page 3.
5
2.
The Structure of a Research Paper
2.1.
The Title Page
The title page should always contain the following information:
the topic of the paper, its author(s) (with postal address, telephone number and email
address), the name of the university, the name of the department and the discipline, the
title of the seminar (including the semester), the name of the module, the name of the
instructor, the date of handing the paper in. As far as the formulation of the title is
concerned, make sure that the purpose and the focus are clarified as best as possible (e. g.
“Learning at Station: An Example of Cooperative Learning in the EFL Classroom with a
special focus on issues of organization”) rather than choosing a more global title (e. g.
“Cooperative Learning in EFL Teaching”).
→ see examples in the appendix!
2.2.
The Abstract
The abstract summarizes the most essential points of the paper and should cohere with
the structure and focus of the paper. Write in complete sentences, not in keywords. Please
write a German and an English version of the abstract. Length: 150 words at most per
abstract.
2.3.
The Table of Contents
The first entry in the table of contents is the first heading of the continuous text (i. e.
usually the title of the introduction); thus you will not include title page, abstract, table of
contents, list of tables and illustrations.
The table of contents reflects the structure of your work/ your train of thought. Looking at
the chapter and paragraph headings the reader should become aware of the author's
thoughts and motifs when writing the paper. Furthermore, make sure the headings in the
table of contents and continuous text are exactly the same.
Finally, with regard to the correct formatting of chapter numbers, chapter headings, and
pagination make sure the model in the appendix is checked!
6
2.4.
Introduction
The introduction should be more than a narrative repetition of the table of contents!
a. Describe the background of your paper you deduce your question from. Consider
why you think it is relevant for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and
Foreign Language Research/ Intercultural Communication and the English
Teaching Methodology respectively (the “Why”)?
b. Moreover, formulate precisely what you are aiming at (the “What”): Consider
what problem you would you like to work on and what questions you would like
to answer respectively?
c. Describe the approach you use in order to answer your question (the “How”), e. g.
by presenting a short overview about the structure of your paper.
d. Moreover, as a start you should briefly clarify some of the terms that you employ
in your paper. In your main part you should elaborate it in more detail.
In general the introduction should motivate the reader to actually read the paper!
2.5.
Main Part
It is of intrinsic importance that the main part is clearly structured, because it contains the
core of your argumentation. However, you should not structure it too excessively,
because this can distort the coherence and inner logic of the paper. In such a case you
would just enumerate single aspects as single pieces without any recognizable connection
so that you would get the impression of a jigsaw that has not been completed yet.
Finish larger paragraphs within the main part with a short (!) summary or a conclusion.
Thus the reader can follow the thread of the argumentation once again. In addition,
students should create transitions from one part to the next that render the logic behind
the argumentation which should always be transparent to the reader.
Also keep in mind to draw concrete parallels to teaching at school and the curricula.
If you present complex topics, or if you list a lot of single data and facts you should
consider using tables and graphs. You should keep in mind, however, that you should not
just repeat the information which is in the table in your text but that text and table should
be used to complete each other. Consequently, graphs can visualize the relation between
different factors or ideas. Thus you can describe this in your text in more detail.
7
You should include the same amount of German and English secondary literature in your
paper; however, this depends on the specific topic, and you have to talk about this with
your instructor. If you discuss Anglo-American concepts you have to check whether they
can be applied to or whether they are relevant for German contexts.
Important: If you write an empirical research paper (i. e. a research paper which is based
on the evaluation of data) the structure of the main part is strictly prescribed. Above all,
take a look at the separate leaflet for that!
→ Leaflet only available in German, soon to be published in English
2.6.
The Conclusion
The conclusion should precisely summarize the thread of the argumentation and the most
essential statements of the main part once again. While doing this you should refer
explicitly to the question(s) you have formulated in the introduction. Finally, you should
evaluate the knowledge you acquired as well as try to briefly consider more questions
that might have occurred to you while writing the paper.
2.7.
The References
In the references you must mention all sources (books, essays, pages on the internet,
video and audio material, software, etc.) which you refer to in your paper either literally
in a direct quotation or when just giving the gist (paraphrase). Sources that you came
across while doing your research that you did not mention in your paper are not to be
included in the references.
2.8.
The Appendix
You have to add an appendix to your paper if you refer to substantial amounts of material
in your paper (e. g. worksheets, questionnaires, information from schoolbooks, song
lyrics, etc.) Furthermore, larger photographic documentations should be included here,
too. You should not, however, include graphs, photos or tables that are necessary for the
reader to immediately understand the text.
8
3.
Quotations
Dealing with the appropriate publications of a certain topic (monographs, collections of
essays, articles from scientific journals) is the basis of every scientific research paper. If
you adopt contents from one of these publications by either referring to the gist of it (as a
paraphrase) or literally (as a direct quotation) it is always essential to point this out in
your paper! Everything else is plagiarism (taking somebody else´s ideas or words and
using them as if they were one´s own) (see below note on plagiarism).
The following quotation instructions are taken from the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association (American Psychological Association, 1994, 2002).
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
In the academic field you talk about plagiarism if somebody adopts contents from other
In the academic field you talk about plagiarism if somebody adopts contents from other
publications (printed or electronic) either literally (= quotation) or giving the gist of it (=
publications (printed or electronic) either literally (= quotation) or giving the gist of it (=
paraphrase) or if the person just adopts the argumentation of a source without mentioning
paraphrase) or just adopting the argumentation without mentioning the source.
it. Mentioning the source in the references is not enough; showing the quote in the
Mentioning the source in the references is not enough; showing the quote in the
respective paragraph in the paper is absolutely necessary. Plagiarism means taking
respective paragraph in the paper is absolutely necessary. Plagiarism means taking
somebody else´s ideas or words and use them if they were one´s own and therefore it is a
somebody else´s ideas or words and use them if they were one´s own and therefore it is a
major offense against existing rules and conventions. According to the rule of the
major offense against existing rules and conventions. According to the rule of the
department conference students who are guilty of plagiarism cannot get a certificate in the
department conference students who are guilty of plagiarism cannot get a certificate in
respective seminar and have to attend a new seminar. In contrast to that, the consequences
the respective seminar and have to attend a new seminar. In contrast to that, the
of such an offense are much more draconic at US colleges and universities, e. g.: the
consequences of such an offense are much more draconic at US colleges and universities,
students have to cancel their registration and are not allowed to finish their studies.
e. g.: the students have to cancel their registration and cannot finish their studies.
3.1.
Mentioning Sources in the Text
In principle you should always mention the sources within the text — that means you do
not use footnotes (in those you point to information about the content, short excursions,
etc.) but you rather mention the name of the author(s), the year of publication and if you
quote literally you add the page number(s).
3.1.1.
Examples for Paraphrases
a. Rogers (1994) compared reaction times...
9
b. In a recent study of reaction times (Rogers, 1994)...
c. In a recent study of reaction times, Rogers (1994)
describes the method... Rogers also found...
If you refer to the same source within a paragraph several times you only have to
mention the year of publication once; you can omit it the second (and third) time.
d. In his overview of individual differences in second
language acquisition, Ellis (19994, pp. 467-560) is
concerned with...
If you refer to longer passages you should quote the page numbers by using pp. in
front of the page numbers. Important: APA does not have the equivalent to the
German Seite 12f. (= page 12 and following, i. e. 12 and 13) and S. 12ff. (= Seite
12 and the following pages that are not further specified); instead of this, you
always have to mention the exact page numbers, e. g. pp. 12-13 or pp. 12-17.
e. Mitchell and Myles (1998) present the most influential
theories of...
f. In an overview of the most influential theories of
second language acquisition (Mitchell & Myles, 1998)...
If you refer to texts that have been written by two authors you always have to
mention both names. The two names are connected with an “&.”
g. Wasserstein,
Zappulla,
Rosen,
Gerstman,
and
Rock
(1994) found...
Wasserstein et al. (1994) found...
If a text has been written by three, four of five authors you have to mention all of
them referring to their text for the first time. Afterwards you only have to write
down the first author followed by “et al.” which stands for the other authors.
h. Several studies (Johnson, 1991a, 1991b, 1991c; Sing,
1983, in press-a, in press-b)...
If you refer to several studies in parenthesis by the same authors you separate the
years of publication with commas. Texts published by the same author in the
same year are distinguished by adding a, b, c, etc. to the year. If you refer to
several authors in parenthesis you have to present them in alphabetical order,
10
separated by semicolons. The information “in press” refers to texts where you
know the place of publication but you do not know whether it has been published
yet.
3.1.2. Examples for Quotations
a. She stated, “the `placebo effect` ... disappeared when
behaviors were studied in this manner” (Miele, 1993,
p. 276), but she did not clarify which behaviors were
studied.
You use double quotation marks (above!) to mark a quotation; you have to
include the page numbers in the information on the quotation using p. or pp. (with
more pages). If the passage itself contains double quotation marks you have to
replace those by simple quotation marks in your quotation (in this case: “placebo
effect” in the original becomes `placebo effect` in the quotation). If you omit
single words, parts of sentences of whole sentences in your quotation you have to
clarify this by inserting three omission dots. Important: The omission must not
change the meaning of the original at all.
b. Miele (1993) found that “the `placebo effect,` which
had
been
verified
in
previous
studies,
disappeared
when [only the first group´s] behaviors were studied
in this manner” (p. 276).
If you want to include a quotation into the syntax of your own text you may
change the capitalization of the first letter in the quotation as well as the
punctuation at the end of the quotation without having to mark it. If you include
an explanation of your own in your quotation you have to put it in brackets [ ].
c. Miele (1993) found the following:
The “placebo effect,” which had been verified in
11
previous studies, disappeared when behaviors were
studied
in
behaviors
added],
this
were
even
manner.
never
when
Furthermore,
exhibited
reel
again
[sic]
the
[italics
drugs
were
administered. Earlier studies (e. g., Abdullah,
1984;
Fox,
1979)
were
clearly
premature
in
attributing the results to a placebo effect. (p.
276)
Quotations that are longer than 40 words are separated from the continuous text
by a paragraph and an indentation; such “block quotations” are not framed by
quotation marks! If you want to put special emphasis on a part of the quotation
you indent it and add “italics added” or “emphasize added” in brackets. You also
have to copy printing or spelling mistakes in the original but you can mark them
as such by adding “sic” in brackets. If you quote German texts who still use the
old spelling you have to copy this in your quotations.
d. As Wyatt (1984) puts it, “the term `computer-assisted
instruction` itself is suggestive of only one role for
the
computer,
exemplified
in
drill-and-practice
and
tutorial materials” (p. 4; cited in Levy, 1997, p. 81).
If you want to include a sentence that contains a quotation in the original text (in
the example above the author uses a quotation by Wyatt which he found in Levy´s
book) you always have to mention the original source (in this case: Wyatt). To
this information you add “cited in” and the publication in which you found the
quotation.
3.1.3. Online Sources
If you refer to sources on the internet in your paper you have to mark them in the same
way as described before. However, a lot of the documents available on the internet have
no pagination, that means the pages are not numbered or they do not mention a year of
publication and thus have to be quoted in a special way.
12
As far as this is concerned there are the following instructions:
a. In order to quote from texts that do not have any pagination you mention the
heading of the respective paragraph in the references followed by the number of
the paragraph within this section.
Example: In order to refer to the third paragraph in the section Classroom
implementation in an article by Cunningham from the year 2002 you can use the
following quotation:
(Cunningham,
2000,
Classroom
implementation,
para. 3)
Important: You must not quote the page numbers that are printed on the pages that
come out of your printer when you print something from the internet because they
vary according to the setting of the software!
b. Quoting texts that do not have a year of publication you have to use “n.d.” (= no
date) instead of the year. Example:
(Simpson, n.d., Results, para. 4-7)
In general you have to check whether the online sources you would like to quote
are reliable and whether their scientific quality is adequate.
3.2.
References
In the references you have to enumerate all publications which you refer to in your paper
(and only those, thus no additional ones) in alphabetical order of the author’s names
according to the following examples:
a. Monographs
Levy, M. (1997). Computer-assisted language learning.
Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Gass,
S.,
&
Mackey,
A.
(2000).
Stimulated
recall
13
methodology in second language research. Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum.
Warschauer, M., Shetzer, H., & Meloni, C. (2000).
Internet
for
English
teaching.
Alexandria,
VA:
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
You indent the title of the book. If the monograph was written by several authors
you have to make sure that you put the commas and the “&” in front of the last
author correctly. You conclude the information by naming the place of
publication, colon, and the name of the publishing house.
b. Editions/ Anthologies
Timm, J.-P. (Ed.). (1998). Englisch lehren und lernen.
Didaktik des Englischunterrichts. Berlin: Cornelsen.
Kallenbach, D., & Ritter, M. (Eds.). (2000). ComputerIdeen für den Englischunterricht. Berlin: Cornelsen.
You can distinguish the information about editions/ anthologies from that about
monographs in that you add “(Ed.)” and “(Eds.)” respectively behind the name of
the editors.
c. Essays in Editions/ Anthologies
Butzkamm,
W.
(1998).
Fremdsprachenlernens
(Ed.),
Englisch
und
lernen
Zehn
–lehrens.
und
Prinzipien
In
lehren.
J.-P.
des
Timm
Didaktik
des
Englischunterrichts (pp. 45-52). Berlin: Cornelsen.
Pusack, J. P., & Otto, S. K. (1997). Taking control of
multimedia.
In
M.
D.
Bush
&
R.
M.
Terry
(Eds.),
14
Technology-enhanced
language
learning
(pp.
1-46).
Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Company.
If you refer to single essays in editions/ anthologies you have to mention them
explicitly in the references. You do not indent the title of the essay (in contrast to
the title of the book), and the information about the page numbers for the essay
has to follow the title of the book.
d. Essays in Scientific Journals
Lynch,
T.
(1998).
Theoretical
perspectives
on
listening. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 18,
3-19.
In this case you indent the title of the journal and the year. You do not include
“pp.” in front of the information about the page numbers.
Felix,
U.
(2002).
constructivist
The
approaches
web
in
as
a
vehicle
language
for
teaching.
ReCALL, 14 (1), 2-15.
A lot of the journals add as well the edition in the year (in this case: 1) besides the
year itself (in this case: 14).
e. Essays from an Online Scientific Journal
Blake, R. (2000). Computer mediated communication: A
window on L2 Spanish interlanguage. Language Learning
& Technology, 4 (1), 120-136. Retrieved January 27,
2001, from http://llt.msu.edu/vol4num1/blake
Besides presenting the common information about essays from scientific journals
it is necessary to mention the last date you actually looked at the document as
well as to mention the exact internet address in online scientific journals.
f. Other Online Documents
McAniff, J. J. (1996). Microworlds: Tech connections
15
for the K.I.T.E.S. teacher. Retrieved July 13, 2001,
from
http://www.ed.uri.edu/SMART96/middle/JJMhtml/
jjmprolhtml
Mention the author and the year of publication whenever it is possible. If there is
no author mentioned, start with the title of the document. If there is no
information about the year of publication, replace this by “n.d.” (= “no date”).
You will find further information about how to quote online sources under
http://apastyle.org/elecref.html
4.
Criteria for Research Papers in Basic and Qualification Modules
4.1.
Criteria for Research Papers in Basic Modules
In a research paper for a basic module the focus is on the presentation of the secondary
literature that has been compiled. In this case the scientific work is the process of
connecting the different aspects of the topic in a logical and coherent way.
The size of a paper in a basic module (considering the instructions concerning formatting
above) depends on the number of students who write the paper (see table below). You
will not count the title page, table of contents and references! If several students write one
paper together you have to name the different authors of the respective sections in the
table of contents. Please note that the coherence of the paper will be taken into account in
the evaluation of a group work. In addition, you, as a group, should agree on how to write
the paper. You should talk about the amount of secondary literature intended to use with
your instructor.
number
of module 5a
students
1
2
3
4
10 p.
16 p.
21 p.
28 p.
module 5b
module 14a
module 14b
15 p.
26 p.
33 p.
44 p.
15 p.
24 p.
30 p.
40 p.
20 p.
34 p.
45 p.
60 p.
Students are allowed to deviate from these instructions by 10%.
16
4.2.
Demands for Research Papers in Qualification Modules
In contrast to research papers in basic modules it is not sufficient to only present the
literature you have compiled in a qualification module. The focus should be rather on the
application of knowledge you have gained from the secondary literature regarding a
specific problem. Here are a few examples:
a. In your presentation you deal with quality criteria for tests; at first you present the
relevant literature in a logical and coherent way. In the second part of your paper
you check some of the present texts with regards to them taking into consideration
the quality criteria.
b. Out of the context of a seminar about cooperative learning in the English class
you developed the following question: Is there a connection between the learning
styles of the students and them being ready to communicate in the English
language in peer or group work phases? To accomplish your goal you should do
the following: First you present the relevant literature (about learning styles as
well as about communication in cooperative learning forms) in a logical and
coherent way. Then formulate your thesis concerning a possible connection.
Afterwards try to prove your thesis argumentatively with the help of existing
research results based on your own experiences and the use of logical thinking.
c. Furthermore, instead of applying the hermeneutic approach (as described in b.)
that is to a large extent based on logical argumentation it is also possible — and in
many cases more “exciting” — to approach the problem empirically. This entails
the student collecting data and trying to formulate an “answer” on the basis of
this. In the example mentioned above you could document some peer work phases
in a school class or in a university seminar. Furthermore, you could relate the
interactions that are happening with the results of a learning style questionnaire.
Important: Please read the leaflet about empirical research papers! (Leaflet only
available in German, soon to be published in English)
Important: Please agree upon the question that you would like to work on with your
instructor!
17
The size of a paper in a basic module (taking the instructions concerning formatting
mentioned above into account) depends on the number of students who write the paper
(see table above). You do not count title page, table of contents and references! If several
students write one paper together you have to name the different authors of the respective
sections in the table of contents. Please note that the coherence of the paper will be taken
into account in the evaluation of a group work. Agree with each other about how to write
the paper. You have to talk about the amount of secondary literature you should use with
your instructor.
Please note: If you write a paper in a qualification module it is not enough to just refer to
the secondary literature that is listed on the seminar curriculum.
5.
Hints How to Find Adequate Secondary Literature
The instructions above show that you have to deal thoroughly with topical and relevant
secondary literature. Practice independent research of secondary literature early in your
studies. For your research there are the following options:
•
references and syllabus of the seminar
•
the (extensive) reserve shelves in the library
•
reading lists with basic literature for different topics on the homepage of British/
American studies: Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Foreign
Language Research
•
the OPAC of the university library: researching monographs and editions/
anthologies (includes no journal articles!)
•
the online databases FIS-Bildung, ERIC, MLA and PSYNDEX: researching
monographs, editions/ anthologies and journal articles (!!!). The databases can be
used from the university network starting on the homepage of the library; ERIC is
available freely on the internet, too: http://www.eric.ed.gov/
Hint: You will find a list of journals that are highly relevant for Foreign Language
Research on our homepage. (http:www.uni-kassel.de/flul)
•
You can also access the large number of electronic journals available on the
18
university network from your home computer. In order to access the journals you
have to connect to the library website via the “extft” (extern full tunnel) profile of
the VPN client, which is available for downloading at the homepage of the ITService
Center
of
the
University
of
Kassel
(http://cms.uni-
kassel.de/unicms/index.php?id=sw-download). You will find the electronic
journals
on
the
library
homepage
(http://www.ub.uni-
kassel.de/digitale_bibliothek.html) by clicking on “Elektronische Zeitschriften”.
•
If a book or a journal is not available in Kassel, you can also research in the
catalogues of the University of Göttingen: http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de.
Students from Kassel have to pay 5 Euros in order to use the library there.
Alternatively you can order secondary literature via interlending.
•
In the meantime there are a lot of high-quality information offers on the internet; a
list of freely accessible online journals as well as links to other useful websites. If
you research via Google it is very important that you check the quality of the
source. You can find important hints that concern the evaluation of internet
sources under http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/webeval.html.
Wikipedia articles should only be used for getting a general gist of the topic and
further bibliographic references. Quoting Wikipedia, however, is not possible for
several reasons.
19
Evaluation criteria for research papers in “Teaching English as a Foreign Language
and Foreign Language Research/ Intercultural Communication”
The following overview of evaluation criteria is supposed to serve you as a check list
when you are writing a paper. Please also note the additional information on the
following page!
Language:
• correctness, adequate style, meaningful usage of technical
terms
• neutral and not judging formulations in reference to persons
(e. g. concerning gender, ethnic group, disabilities or
sickness)
Formalities:
• margins, font, layout, etc.
• meaningful usage of tables and graphs in order to explain
complex concepts
• size of the paper (see table in 4.1.)
Correct Quotations:
• in the text
• in the references
Abstracts:
• German and English version, altogether should entail 300
words at the most
• summary of the essential statements of the paper
• overview about the structure of the paper
Introduction:
• “What?,” “Why?,” “How?”
• framing the topic
• (preliminary) clarification of the terms that are central to the
paper
• overview regarding the structure of the paper
Main part:
• inner logic (“thread of argumentation”), coherence,
meaningful subdivision
• dealing with the secondary literature:
o technically correct
o thorough clarification/ definition of central terms
o reference to “important” authors
module module
5a/b
14a/b
5%
5%
15%
10%
15%
15%
5%
5%
15%
15%
30%
10%
35%
5%
15%
15%
20
o adequate size (after talking to the instructor)
o topical German and English literature (1990 and
more recent)
• critically dealing with the compiled literature, including own 5%
thoughts, independent argumentation, “originality,”
“innovativeness”
Conclusion:
15%
• precise summary of the argumentation and the core
statements of the main part
• explicit answering of the questions developed in the
introduction
• individual evaluation of the new knowledge, conclusions,
outlook
15%
15%
Further advice:
a. In all the categories mentioned above there are higher demands for research
papers in qualification modules than for research papers in basic modules.
b. If you plan on writing an empirical research paper please have a look at the
separate leaflet.
c. You are obliged to hand in every research paper both in the printed version as
well as in an electronic version (complete data file on DVD, CD-ROM or via
email (.doc/.rtf/.pdf format)!
d. Students have to add a module certificate to their paper that has been signed by
the instructor.
e. Students fail to get a certificate for their paper if
•
there are major errors in your command of written English
•
you did not stick to the formal instructions laid down for research papers.
f. Every research paper is graded as follows:
•
100 — 96% = 15 points
•
95 — 91% = 14 points
•
90 — 86% = 13 points
•
85 — 81% = 12 points
•
80 — 76% = 11 points
•
75 — 71% = 10 points
21
•
70 — 66% = 9 points
•
65 — 61% = 8 points
•
[...]
The points are equivalent to the following grades:
15/14/13 points = “A”
12/11/10 points = “B”
9/8/7 points
= “C”
6/5/4 points
= “D”
3/2/1 points
= “E”
0 points
= “F”
A research paper with 4 or less points will not account for a certificate.