Smith College German Majors Research Skills

WRITING INTENSIVE CLASSES

Students who have taken writing intensive classes should already have learned the following skills:

to define and articulate the need for information and identify a variety of types and formats of potential sources for information beyond the web search engine
[AT THE VERY LEAST – students will be able to identify and locate the two most appropriate types of information needed to complete their assignment.]
to articulate and apply initial criteria for evaluating both the information and its sources
[AT THE VERY LEAST – students will be able to distinguish between popular and scholarly materials in a variety of formats such as books, periodical literature, and websites.]
to acknowledge and cite the sources used in conducting research for an assignment using an acceptable style guide
[AT THE VERY LEAST – students will be able to locate the appropriate style guide and emergency online help.]

These skills may be regarded by all students as a base for further study. Help is available through the Neilson Library Reference Department's Ask a Librarian options.

WHAT SHOULD GERMAN MAJORS LEARN AND IT WHAT CLASSES?

GER 100

By the time they complete GER 100, students should

be able to understand the various elements of individual entries in a German-English / English-German dictionary
be aware of the supplementary materials available in such dictionaries (for instance, lists of strong verbs)
be able to produce German characters (ä, ö, ü, ß) in MS Word

GER 200/220

The emphasis here should be on using skills the student has already mastered in English (use of a dictionary, word processing, and basic online searches), but refining them for German Studies. This includes such things as: German Spellcheck, etc., in MS Word; online dictionaries, and also reputable German-English and German-German dictionaries.

Students should achieve appropriate technological proficiency to be able to use German-language electronic dictionaries and word processing software: MS Word, LEO
Apprentice scholars need to maintain a flexible vocabulary which will allow them to alter initial search strategies which prove unsuccessful as well as to understand, support, or refute an argument
Students should be able to perform basic searches of and cite German websites

Specific Texts/Links:		Call Number/Access
German English Dictionaries
	Oxford Duden German Dictionary	ref PF 3640 .O94
	PONS (Collins German-English/English-German) Dictionary	ref PF 3640 .C68
	LEO	http://dict.leo.org
German-German Dictionary for non-native speakers:
	Duden Deutsch als Fremdsprache (Manheim, 2005)	ref PF 3670 .D82 2002
German-German Dictionaries
	Duden Universalwörterbuch (with CD-ROM)	on order
	Brockhaus-Wahrig deutsches Wörterbuch	ref PF 3625 .B7 1980
Basic German news websites
	Yahoo Deutschland	http://de.news.yahoo.com/
	Google News Duetschland	http://news.google.de/
	Sueddeutsche.de	http://www.sueddeutsche.de
	Perlentaucher.de	http://www.perlentaucher.de
MS Word (German Spellcheck)

GER 221/222

At this level, students should familiarize themselves with basic American academic resources, while at the same time they begin to specialize their research methods to reflect a deeper engagement with German Studies. By the end of GER 222, students should

demonstrate mastery of skills required for GER 200/220 (outlined above)
be able to locate scholarly sources, becoming skilled users of standard databases such as (but not limited to) the Five College Library Catalog, WorldCat, MLA International Bibliography, and J-STOR
be able to acquire materials using Interlibrary Loan
submit a bibliography of primary and secondary sources that accords with a recognized style manual (Chicago Manual of Style or MLA)
create a bibliography using RefWorks
have become familiar with scholarly German dictionaries, knowing when and how to use them
know key contact personnel in library: Bruce Sajdak, Martin Antonetti, Karen Kukil
be able to cite secondary sources accurately and honestly

In addition to the resources listed above, students in GER 221/222 should be familiar with the following:

Specific Texts/Links:		Call Number/Access
Scholarly German Dictionaries
	Deutsches Wörterbuch/ Von Jacob Grimm und Wilhelm Grimm	ref PF 3625 .G72 or click here
	Duden, das grosse Wórterbuch der deutschen Sprache and other Duden in 12 Bánden	ref PF 3625 .D823 1923
Style Sheets
	Chicago Manual of Style	Style Manuals & Citation Guides
	MLA Handbook	Style Manuals & Citation Guides
*Writing Papers: A Handbook for Students at Smith College*		Jacobsen Center
Resources in the Five College Libraries		Five College Library Catalog
WorldCat, MLA Bibliography, and more resources found on the Smith College Libraries German Subject page...		http://www.smith.edu/libraries /subject/german.htm
RefWorks		Log in to RefWorks
Smith College Libraries Contacts
	Bruce Sajdak, Reference Librarian	bsajdak@email.smith.edu
	Martin Antonetti, Curator of Rare Books	mantonet@email.smith.edu
	Karen Kukil, Assoicate Curator of Rare Books & Reference Archivist	kkukil@email.smith.edu

GER 227/230

The research skills necessary for GER 227/230 resemble those learned in GER 221/222, though because knowledge of the German language is not required, German resources may be beyond the scope of many students. Still, one can expect that students will, by the end of GER 227 and GER 230, be able to

locate scholarly sources, becoming skilled users of standard databases such as (but not limited to) the Five College Library Catalog, WorldCat, and MLA International Bibliography, and J-STOR
submit a bibliography of primary and secondary sources that accords with a recognized style manual (Chicago Manual of Style or MLA)
create a bibliography using RefWorks
determine the historical context of a topic using basic and scholarly reference sources

In addition to the resources listed above, students in GER 227/230 should be familiar with the following:

Specific Texts/Links:	Call Number/Access
Dictionary of Literary Biography	ref PN 451 .D53
Deutsche biographische Enzyklopädie, (CBE)	ref CT 759 .D48 1995
Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism	ref PN 81 .J55 2005
Oxford Companion to German Literature	ref PT 41 .G3 1997
Deutsche Literaturgeschichte von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart (Metzler)	ref PT 85 .M3 1991
Kindlers Neues Literaturlexikon	ref PN 41 .K54 1988
Brockhaus Enzyklopádie	ref AE 27 .G672 or click here
Kritisches Lexikon zur deutschsprachigen Gegenwartsliteratur (KLG)	ref PT 155 .K7

GER 300+

Advanced German majors at the seminar level should master the research skills necessary to make an original contribution to the field of German studies. This requires that students be able to contextualize their claims within current scholarly discourse, drawing upon quotable and reliable resources and presenting their arguments cogently.

Beyond the skills required in GER 200/220 and GER 221/222, students should

know how to identify the standard scholarly editions of major writers and to distinguish these from less reliable print or online sources
be able to identify the credentials of an author whose work they are citing
be able to put scholarly sources into historical context
through the use of book reviews, review articles, and citation databases, be able to defend their use of scholarly materials by evaluating the reception of such works by others in the profession
be able to apply their skills in using literary databases such as MLA International Bibliography to resources in related disciplines such as Philosophy, Religion, History, Film, the Performing Arts, and others as necessary

IN WHAT WAYS WILL STUDENT SKILLS BE ASSESSED?

Students completing work on a paper at the 200 level should submit a bibliography in which primary and secondary sources listed reflect the use of the online catalog, at least some scholarly journals through the use of MLA International Bibliography. Students should be prepared to defend the credentials of authors cited if asked.

In 300 level seminars in German students should routinely cite both supportive and oppositional arguments from primary and secondary sources in papers including book reviews or other articles found through the use of footnotes or citation indexes. The seminar paper might include an annotated bibliography in which students are asked to indicate the source of their citation and its relative value to the argument within the paper.

ETHICAL ISSUES

An 'ethical use of information' means to make a clear distinction between received knowledge and the production of new knowledge. The incorporation of the work of others into his or her own must comply with such distinction. Therefore, every written and/or oral work in the discipline must clearly state its source, if it has any.

September 22 , 2006

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Last Updated: June 11, 2008



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