Term paper

Purpose

The purpose of a scientific term paper is to document and communicate self-gained scientific insights of the student about the subject of the class. Therefore, a term paper requires more than a reproduction of material from the literature. It requires a critical discussion of the literature and the adoption of a position.

Topic

It is encouraged that students propose the topics of their paper. The topic of the term paper needs to be related to the subject of the course and needs my approval.

Submission

The term paper needs to be submitted as paper copy. You can send it to me by mail or hand it directly to our secretary Dagmar Dörge (G29-009). The paper should include a page, which contains the following:
  1. Your legal name
  2. Your student id (Matrikelnummer)
  3. The declaration: "I declare that I completed this term paper independently and used only these materials that are listed. All materials used, from published as well as unpublished sources, whether directly quoted or paraphrased, are duly reported."
  4. The date and your signature

Deadline

The submission deadline is 31.3.2017.

FAQ

  1. How many pages do I need to write? -- There is no fixed number. The goal of writing a term paper is not to fill a certain number of pages with words, but to document and communicate self-gained scientific insights (see above). The length of the paper needs to fit its topic. Talk to me when in doubt.
  2. What belongs in the bibliography? -- The bibliography usually contains exactly the papers you have referenced in your text. Do not include papers you have not used. Ensure that you explicitly mark and reference all materials that you quote or paraphrase; otherwise you commit plagiarism.
  3. What is plagiarism and how do I avoid it? -- See here.
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