200192 SE Fachliteraturseminar (2020S)

AIMS
In this seminar, you will learn to read, understand, integrate and critically reflect on scientific papers, practice in writing and structuring scientific texts, and develop a first concept for your bachelor thesis.
More specifically, you will:
• Learn how scientific papers are structured, and practice in seeing this structure
• Learn to critically read and extract the “main message” from a research paper
• Learn to summarize and reflect on scientific papers and to integrate different perspectives on the same topic (in oral presentations and short written essays)
• Learn to develop an own research question motivated by existing literature

TOPICS
In the seminar, we will discuss a number of research papers on a range of socio-affective phenomena and their biological basis, with a focus on experimental studies with a biological/neuroscientific emphasis. Topics include:
• Stress and how it is modulated by social and psychological factors
• The effects of music on brain and body
• Effects of social interactions on mind and body
At the end of the seminar, you will develop a first concept for your bachelor thesis, which will have the form of a research proposal. The topic can be based on the research papers provided, but it is also allowed to come up with a topic of your own choice which lies outside of the range of above-mentioned topics.

CONTENTS OF THE SEMINAR
The first part of the seminar will consist of plenary sessions in which groups of students will present a research paper, a complementary paper, and a short research idea.
You will also hand in 2 short essays, on which you will receive written individual feedback.

In the last part of the seminar, you will work on a first individual thesis concept in small thesis groups of 4 students. In small-scale meetings with the teacher you will receive personal feedback on your concept. This first concept will not be evaluated or “count” for the Scientific Reading Seminar grade, but serves as a preparation for the subsequent bachelor thesis seminar.
In the bachelor thesis seminar in WS2020, you will continue working in regularly meeting thesis groups on further developing, structuring, and writing your thesis.