This page describes the various phases of the writing process.

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Discovery Phase

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.

Data collection and analysis phase

When text production involves empirical work, time constraints often require decisions to be made early in the process about the data collection method and the research design. It may be necessary to make these decisions before one is even convinced of the goal of the work or before the research question has been precisely defined. The method of data collection is only one component. In addition, there are the processes that are necessary to make the data accessible to an evaluation, and of course the evaluation itself. These processes are an important factor for time planning that is often underestimated.

Strategies for dealing with the challenges

Examine:

• What knowledge do I have for the implementation of the method I prefer?

• How do I get the data I need? What channels are available to me? Qualitative studies often require people/institutions to talk to. Quantitative surveys need to be able to be disseminated/distributed.

• Am I able to prepare the data for analysis? For example, interview data usually needs to be transcribed to make it available for analysis.

• What software do I need to process my data? Am I familiar with these tools?

If possible, clarify these questions before you sign up for your thesis, for example. In writing consulting, we repeatedly deal with students who underestimate this phase in terms of its complexity and the time required.

Counseling

The Methodology Center at Leuphana University offers students a wide range of opportunities to expand their methodological expertise. This also includes an individual counseling offer.