Tips for Conducting Research in German Studies Undergraduate Programs

RESEARCH RESEARCH IN GERMAN IN GERMAN STUDIES: TIPS FOR UNDERGRADUATES TIPS FOR UNDERGRADUATES STUDIES: Brooke Brooke Kreitinger Kreitinger, Ph.D. , Ph.D. Department of Languages, Literature and Department of Languages, Literature and Cultures (German) Cultures (German) The University of North Carolina at Greensboro The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

SO YOU WANT TO CREATE SOME KNOWLEDGE SO YOU WANT TO CREATE SOME KNOWLEDGE.... take it seriously take it seriously figure out where your interests lie figure out where your interests lie make it relevant to your life make it relevant to your life planning to go to graduate school? planning to go to graduate school? Know what research entails beforehand! Know what research entails beforehand!

CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN GERMAN STUDIES CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN GERMAN STUDIES What is German Studies? What is German Studies? Language (and Language (and foreign language foreign language instruction) + Literature Literature and and film + film + Culture Culture instruction) + = INTERDISCIPLINARY! = INTERDISCIPLINARY! Germanists Germanists use a variety of approaches and theories: use a variety of approaches and theories: linguistics, second linguistics, second language acquisition language acquisition theory literary theory, film theory literary theory, film theory women s women s and gender and gender studies, feminist theory studies, feminist theory psychology psychology, sociology, history, geography, economics, , sociology, history, geography, economics, politics natural natural sciences even! sciences even! theory politics, philosophy, , philosophy, religion religion

HOW DO HOW DO GERMANISTS GERMANISTS ENGAGE ENGAGE UNDERGRADS IN RESEARCH? UNDERGRADS IN RESEARCH? Research Research projects for Research Assistants German Embassy supported projects and Embassy supported projects and contests On- -site research: study abroad programs site research: study abroad programs UNCEP http://www.uncep.org/ http://www.uncep.org/ Grants to to conduct research conduct research abroad DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Fulbright Bundestag Internships (International Parliamentary Scholarships) Summer Programs (DAAD, Goethe-Institut, etc.) projects for courses/independent projects courses/independent projects Assistants Research German contests UNCEP On Grants abroad

HOW DO I GET STARTED? HOW DO I GET STARTED? come come up with an idea up with an idea t talk alk to your to your professors professors what do they work on? Can you work with what do they work on? Can you work with them? them? ask how ask how you might be able to work further on a you might be able to work further on a topic might be able to investigate a might be able to investigate a work of literature/film in more depth work of literature/film in more depth visit visit with a research librarian with a research librarian figure out which databases and journals are central to German Studies r read ead scholarly articles scholarly articles become familiar with academic discourse become familiar with academic discourse a attend ttend academic presentations academic presentations and conferences c collaborate! ollaborate! e.g. social bookmarking, shared bibliographies topic or how you or how you and conferences

WHAT DO I DO WITH MY RESEARCH? WHAT DO I DO WITH MY RESEARCH? UNCG Research Expo UNCG Research Expo ( (Annual) Undergraduate Annual) Undergraduate Conferences Presentations or poster sessions Maybe some Maybe some grown grown- -up Southeastern Women Studies Association (SEWSA) Women in German (WIG) Undergraduate journals Undergraduate journals Organize your own conference Organize your own conference! ! Conferences up conferences? conferences?

MARKETING YOUR RESEARCH AND SKILLS MARKETING YOUR RESEARCH AND SKILLS Revise your work = writing sample for applications to grad. school Revise your work = writing sample for applications to grad. school A Articulate what your unique contribution is. What is original about your idea? rticulate what your unique contribution is. What is original about your idea? Translate the variety of tasks you do in researching into the language of a Translate the variety of tasks you do in researching into the language of a resume, i.e. soft skills resume, i.e. soft skills critical thinking skills I can engage with a topic from multiple perspectives and test my own thinking and argumentation against the ideas and arguments of others. I can synthesize and analyze diverse ideas in a coherent argument = I can connect dots well in writing to uncover information about the bigger picture. writing and organizational competencies resourcefulness

WEBSITES Grants for research abroad Grants for research abroad BundestagInternships http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/bundestag/international/exchange/ips/ Fulbright http://us.fulbrightonline.org/#&panel1-2 DAAD https://www.daad.de/en/index.html UNC Exchange Program http://www.uncep.org/ Undergraduate Conferences for German Studies Undergraduate Conferences for German Studies Moravian College & Lafayette College: http://home.moravian.edu/public/conferences/germanStudies/ Wesleyen: http://www.iwu.edu/german/conference/ Undergraduate Journal for German Studies Undergraduate Journal for German Studies The The Kennesaw Kennesaw Tower Tower https://commons.kennesaw.edu/kennesawtower/content/ddr- erziehung-der-ansicht-von-christa-wolf-der-geteilte-himmel

IMPORTANT DATABASES AND JOURNALS FOR GERMAN STUDIES MLA MLA International Bibliography, Academic Search International Bibliography, Academic Search Complete Complete German Quarterly German Quarterly New New German German Critique Critique Women in German Yearbook Women in German Yearbook Monatshefte Monatshefte German German Life and Life and Letters Letters German German Studies Studies Review Review Unterrichtspraxis Unterrichtspraxis