Subject area A: 'Scientific Work' deals with the consolidation of the skills necessary for the communication and presentation of research results, whether it's in the context of a lecture, a scientific article or a comprehensive monograph at the end of the doctorate. It also includes skills central to the organization and management of knowledge and to the assessment of the quality of scientific data and working methods.
Subject area A comprises four course units:
A 1 - Acquiring, organizing and processing knowledge
We live in a knowledge society in which new knowledge is constantly being produced. The acquisition of information and knowledge and the associated systematic processing and management of large amounts of knowledge and data are therefore a necessity for all scientists.
A 2 - Scientific cultures and scientific standards
Careful scientific work according to the standards of good scientific practice should be a matter of course for scientists. However, awareness of transgressions or violations is not always heightened. To avoid scientific misconduct and to better assess the quality of others' scientific research, it is therefore important to know how other disciplines reach their conclusions. Furthermore, it is necessary to reflect consciously on the ethical aspects of scientific work and to discuss them with colleagues.
A 3 - Scientific writing and publishing
Presenting results in writing is of paramount importance to scientists. However, the process from idea to finished paper is not always easy. Depending on the culture of the discipline, different types of texts are particularly important for graduate students. With journal articles, contributions to edited volumes or conference proceedings, but above all with their dissertation or dissertation-related papers, doctoral students position themselves in the academic community. Writing in English is particularly challenging. Not only must they be grammatically and orthographically correct. They also have to take into account the particularities of academic/scientific writing.
A 4 - Presentation and rhetoric
Preparing and presenting scientific content and research results is one of the central tasks of scientists. A successful presentation requires much more than technical expertise. In addition to the selection and preparation of content that is appropriate for the target audience, it is also important to be able to give a good oral presentation, to use supporting media, and to be confident in front of an audience. Presentations in English place additional demands on non-native speakers, both the presenter and the audience. In Unit A 4, doctoral students can practice their presentation skills, learn about the effects of body language, receive detailed feedback on their presentations, and get tips on how to present in English.