Writing is a major part of your studies in different ways. You take notes during presentations or lectures, jot down your thoughts when reading for your classes, write down key terms taken from the material before a test, write comments explaining what you have read for yourself to improve your comprehension, and draft texts of your own.

Much like with reading, it’s important to have a general idea of what you want to achieve when you are writing. This depends on what you are being asked to do and what your intention is as you go about your work. What is your contribution, other than fulfilling a certain requirement to get the desired qualifications?

Learn about the type of text and presentation form required at your department or institute and familiarize yourself with the standards that apply to scholarly or scientific texts in your specific discipline.

General points:

  • It is apparent when reading an academic text how the knowledge depicted in that text was acquired. It needs to be evident whether these are your own thoughts, or what you are referring to. It needs to be apparent to whom, which texts, or which studies you are referring, and you need to provide a methodological basis for the process of arriving at insights.
  • You have to be objective, drawing clear distinctions between judgments and value statements and presentation of scholarly or scientific statements.
  • You need to make the academic context clear. Situate your work on a topic within the context of the knowledge existing in your discipline. This also highlights your own position. Your task is like that of a moderator: Whom do you invite to the specialist discussion, and how do you create connections between the different statements?
  • Your language must be clear and concise. This means you need to define key terms and know and apply the terms customary in your subject.

The following assessment criteria are often relevant to the evaluation of written work. These can vary from one discipline to the next. Be sure to pay attention to instructions from your teachers.

Content and structure: topic, methodology, balanced organization, logic, clarity, creativity, depiction of connections, relevance of work, completeness, selection of literature and processing of literature relevant to the topic, factual correctness, use of specialized terminology

Reflection: critical examination, further thought, independent assessment, ability to differentiate

Formalities: spelling, expression, citations, sources, consistency, layout

See the Self-care section for information on dealing with writer’s block. The Workshops and advising section presents points of contact where you can turn whenever you want personal advice and support.


  • Keine Stichwörter