Introduction to scientific work (LV 140020)
Topics
All our topics can be found in the following PDF file.
List of topics EneSys 2024
(3.6 MB)
Goals
As a student, you will have mastered the basics of scientific work. You will be able to plan, structure and carry out scientific work and present your results orally and in a poster.
Part of this course is to create a poster. The poster is a medium that is used at professional conferences, for example, to present research results in a concise form. At poster sessions, several researchers present their posters at the same time. The audience looks at the posters and engages in conversation with the presenters. This also distinguishes the poster from other forms of publication such as a specialist article, which readers read on their own. A poster is often the occasion to enter into a deeper conversation about the content. You can find examples of conference posters in the corridors of the chairs. The purpose of creating the poster is not only to familiarize you with this form of presentation, but also with the procedures of a writing process and thus prepare you for writing further papers during your studies.
Task
Your task is to create a poster based on an internship at one of the ETIT chairs, which you will present at a poster session for students and lecturers at the end of the semester. The completion of preparatory tasks and the participation in face-to-face events serve as support for the preparation. The goal is for your fellow students to get a concrete idea of your internship through your poster, and thereby also gain insight into the projects of the chairs. This includes that you
- present the task of your project,
- develop a structure for the poster,
- select information,
- develop text and illustrations, and
- design the poster graphically.
Criteria for the poster
The following criteria will apply to the poster (including during interim feedback and grading):
- The poster fulfills its function (clear presentation of a specific issue).
- The problem/issue is clearly identifiable.
- The method is adequately explained.
- Key aspects of the topic of the internship are addressed.
- The individual aspects are presented in a technically correct and complete manner (in the context of a poster).
- The individual aspects make a contribution to the problem/question.
- The structure of the poster is comprehensible and coherent.
- Appropriate sources are used.
- The relationship between text and illustrations is meaningful and clear.
- The poster is accurate in terms of:
- Use of technical language
- Spelling and grammar
- Formalities (layout, citation, bibliography)
Process
You will be assisted in the overall design of the poster by the supervisor(s) of your internship and Dr. Janelle Pötzsch ("Schreibmaschine", branch of the Writing Center "Schreibzentrum" in Engineering) through
- an introductory session,
- accompanying and preparatory tasks in Moodle,
- a poster workshop,
- interim feedback from your supervisor(s), and
- materials for designing and revising your poster after this feedback.
The introductory session is compulsory for all students, regardless of the start date of the internship to be agreed at a chair. You will receive an overview of the various chairs and the internships on offer.
The Moodle assignments accompany the practicum and prepare for the poster workshop. You will deal with aspects such as focus, structure and content of the poster as well as the design of illustrations. The assignments are to be worked on continuously during the internship and uploaded to Moodle. In the poster workshop, you will continue to work with the materials you have already created in this way and develop your poster from them.
The poster workshop picks up on this preparation and is the first opportunity to design the poster and draft content. In the process, you will create a first version of your poster and short talk for the poster session.
You will receive feedback on this version from your internship supervisor(s). During this feedback process, you will receive feedback on the content and structure in a personal meeting and learn what has already worked well and what you should change. Use this feedback to revise the poster.
The following material in the Moodle course also supports you throughout the process:
- Template that explains the content of a poster
- Examples of posters that can help provide an idea for structure and general design
- Information on formal aspects of the poster
- Materials for criterion-guided revision
The Poster Session
At the poster session, you will display your poster for fellow students and faculty. In a two-minute presentation, you will present the key aspects of your poster to interested persons and answer questions.
Questions
If you have any questions about the whole process you can contact Dr. Janelle Pötzsch (schreibmaschine@rub.de).