Course objectives:
This course will introduce students to the reading and research skills required for their academic studies. Students will also be introduced to different research strategies and learn how to use bibliographical databases, academic libraries, reference works, and various kinds of print and online sources. They will learn how to to compile bibliographies and format them according to standard academic conventions. We will also discuss different ways of using sources in academic work (e.g. paraphrase, summary and verbatim citation) and how to steer clear of plagiarism.
Course requirements:
There will be homework to help you prepare for the individual sessions. Please take your homework seriously to make sure that you get the maximum out of this class. You will also have to take a self-guided audio tour of the university library and of the English Department Library
Assignment:
The major (graded) assignment of this course consists in a written exam (pen and paper) which will take place during our last regular session.
This course is designed for 1st and 2nd semester BA-students.
PO 2018 students:
Please be aware that you need to pass Academic Skills before being allowed to register for exams belonging to the third semester of the 2018 BA-Programme und that you cannot register for the 2nd semester exam in ”Foundations of Linguistics and Literary and Cultural Studies II” unless you have passed or are registered for Academic Skills.
PO 2025 students:
Please be aware that you need to pass Academic Skills before being allowed to register for any courses belonging to the third semester modules of the 2025 BA-Programmes.
This course introduces students to academic "dos and don'ts", researching and writing term papers. The course will mainly take the format of short class exercises and group activities. We will mainly base our coursework on the MLA Handbook. Please consult https://owl.english.purdue.edu/ to familiarize yourself with the MLA Handbook and academic best practices. A detailed course description, course materials and assignments will be uploaded in a course folder on Learnweb during the semester break. The folder will be updated regularly as the course progresses. To access the folder visit https://www.uni-muenster.de/LearnWeb/learnweb2/ and log in with your university credentials. Search for the course title and unlock the folder with the password "academic"
- Lehrende/r: Anna Rapp