Description
The discovery phase begins with the decision to want to write and submit a text (at any point in time). This can be the attendance of a seminar, in which the examination performance is a term paper, or the decision to complete the studies and to tackle the thesis, or the intention to want to do a doctorate. The decision marks the beginning, because at this moment the intellectual debate of a project begins, of which the result is a text.
The intellectual debate encompasses various areas and can be outlined with the following questions:
- What do I want to write about? In other words, determine the topic.
- What aspect do I want to investigate? In other words, develop the question.
- In which ways can I or do I want to deal with the topic and the question? In other words, determine the method.
These questions usually cannot be answered at the beginning of the process. Their elaboration is part of the working process. This means that scientific work involves building up knowledge about the subject matter, which must then be objectified. This combination of knowledge generation and knowledge representation characterizes scientific writing and makes it so difficult. It is easier to write something well thought out than something that is still unclear to oneself.
In the discovery phase, it is necessary to think broadly in order to grasp the topic and locate it in the discourse. Contrarily, there is a need to hone in on the focus to develop a workable question. Dealing with these opposing currents is the challenge. The type of writer is influential here, as architects like to commit too quickly, while adventurers resist committing, squirrels collect a lot but don't want to develop a plan, and decathletes spend a lot of time trying different paths.
Strategies for dealing with challenges
Examine:
- What helps me frame my ideas in a way that makes them tangible to me?
- What is the difference between a topic and a question?
- How can I develop a research question?
You may use anything that helps you to cope with the demanding intellectual work. This includes using all the linguistic resources you have. Allow yourself to think in all types of language. The point of the finding phase is not to formulate in the target language of the text. You will be much faster if you feel comfortable thinking than if you build up additional requirements here. In the end, it will benefit the text more.
Counseling
SOURCES
Knorr, Dagmar (2016): Modell „Phasen und Handlungen akademischer Textproduktion“. Eine Visualisierung zur Beschreibung von Textproduktionsprojekten. In: Ballweg, Sandra (Hrsg.): Schreibzentrumsarbeit: Theorie, Empirie, Praxis. Frankfurt/Main u. a.: Lang [Wissen – Kompetenz – Text; 11], 251–273
How to cite this wiki page
Knorr, Dagmar (2020): The Writing Process: Discovery Phase. Wiki "Schreiben im Studium | Academic Writing". Leuphana University Lüneburg. <https://lehrwiki.leuphana.de/display/SWCRessourcen/Discovery+Phase>