Scientific Writing
On this page, you will find information and recommendations on academic writing that apply to both seminar assignments (seminar papers and essays) and theses.
General Information
On this page, we present key basic rules for academic writing as well as selected formal requirements for good scientific practice. In addition, seminar-specific requirements regarding content and methodology apply.
For more information on the state examination thesis at the Chair of School Education / Media Education, please visit the page Theses.
Guidelines on formatting, structure, and citation for theses will soon be available in the “Guidelines for Writing Academic Papers” (german language).
FAQ
The topic should generally be situated within the field of educational science and relate to the significance of technology or media for individuals or society. Please note that topics specifically related to subject-specific pedagogy ordinarily can not be addressed in the seminar assignment or the thesis.
To identify a topic, it is helpful to review the seminar content as well as the literature discussed and recommended in the seminar. In addition, in-depth literature research is essential to understand the current scholarly discourse and to contribute to it. For your literature review, use relevant literature databases in the fields of educational science, media education, and pedagogy, or relevant publications from the social and cultural sciences. We recommend, for example, the *Zeitschrift für Medienpädagogik* or the *Fachportal Pädagogik*.
It is also recommended that you take advantage of the advisory services offered by the instructors and your advisors .
To begin with, you should first develop a research interest or formulate a research question. This allows you to narrow down the topic and adopt a focused approach to your academic work. A prerequisite for both the research interest and the research question is a preliminary literature review. The goal of this work is to develop and defend, in a systematic and intersubjectively verifiable manner, a scientifically grounded position based on the literature and, where applicable, collected data.
Compared to a traditional seminar paper, an essay has fewer formal requirements. The essay does not need to be divided into (sub)chapters. Nevertheless, the basic principles of academic writing—such as citing sources and constructing arguments based on academic sources—must be followed.
See "Guidelines for Writing Papers" (available soon, german language)
We recommend using theopen-source software "Zotero." In addition, programs such as "Citavi," for which a license is required and which can be obtained through TU Dresden. An overview of reference management software can be found on the SLUB Dresden website. Reference management software helps you organize your references, cite sources correctly according to style guidelines, and create bibliographies.
The recommendations in the TUD's guidelines on gender-inclusive language apply.
You can use generative AI as a tool to support your writing process. TU Dresden takes an open stance toward the use of AI applications, as long as you maintain your independence and contribute your own work.
TU Dresden provides information and resources on the use and handling of AI in the context of academic work. The following pages serve as a guide:
Academic Dishonesty: “The unmarked or unauthorized (= not permitted) use of aids—including answers or results generated using AI-powered text-generation tools such as ChatGPT—constitutes academic dishonesty under examination regulations. An act of cheating occurs when a student falsely represents their work as an independent and legitimate examination performance, even though unauthorized or undisclosed aids were used.” (Rödel, 2025).