RESEARCH IN GERMAN STUDIES:
TIPS FOR UNDERGRADUATES
Brooke Kreitinger, Ph.D.
Department of Languages, Literature and Cultures (German)
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
SO YOU WANT TO CREATE SOME KNOWLEDGE....
 take it seriously
 figure out where your interests lie
 make it relevant to your life
 planning to go to graduate school?
Know what research entails beforehand!
CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN GERMAN STUDIES
What is German Studies?
Language (and foreign language instruction) +
Literature and film +
Culture
= INTERDISCIPLINARY!
Germanists use a variety of approaches and theories:
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linguistics, second language acquisition theory
literary theory, film theory
women’s and gender studies, feminist theory
psychology, sociology, history, geography, economics, politics, philosophy, religion
natural sciences even!
HOW DO GERMANISTS
ENGAGE UNDERGRADS IN RESEARCH?
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Research projects for courses/independent projects
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Research Assistants
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German Embassy supported projects and contests
On-site research: study abroad programs – UNCEP
http://www.uncep.org/
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Grants to conduct research abroad
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DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)
Fulbright
Bundestag Internships (International Parliamentary Scholarships)
Summer Programs (DAAD, Goethe-Institut, etc.)
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
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come up with an idea
talk to your professors – what do they work on? Can you work with
them?
ask how you might be able to work further on a topic or how you
might be able to investigate a work of literature/film in more depth
visit with a research librarian
 figure out which databases and journals are central to German
Studies
read scholarly articles – become familiar with academic discourse
attend academic presentations and conferences
collaborate!
 e.g. social bookmarking, shared bibliographies
WHAT DO I DO WITH MY RESEARCH?
• UNCG Research Expo
• (Annual) Undergraduate Conferences
• Presentations or poster sessions
• Maybe some “grown-up” conferences?
• Southeastern Women Studies Association (SEWSA)
• Women in German (WIG)
• Undergraduate journals
• Organize your own conference!
MARKETING YOUR RESEARCH AND SKILLS
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Revise your work = writing sample for applications to grad. school
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Articulate what your unique contribution is. What is original about your idea?
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Translate the variety of tasks you do in researching into the language of a
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
 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
 Moravian College & Lafayette College:
http://home.moravian.edu/public/conferences/germanStudies/
 Wesleyen: http://www.iwu.edu/german/conference/
Undergraduate Journal for German Studies
 The Kennesaw Tower https://commons.kennesaw.edu/kennesawtower/content/ddrerziehung-der-ansicht-von-christa-wolf-der-geteilte-himmel
IMPORTANT DATABASES AND JOURNALS
FOR GERMAN STUDIES
MLA International Bibliography, Academic Search Complete
German Quarterly
New German Critique
Women in German Yearbook
Monatshefte
German Life and Letters
German Studies Review
Unterrichtspraxis