The Research and Writing Center
What is The Research and Writing Center?
The Research and Writing Center is a FREE center for all students studying English who want to improve their research and writing skills.
Sometimes it can be difficult to decide on a research question, to know where to find secondary sources, or to recognize what one should read. The tutors at The Research and Writing Center are trained to help students narrow down a topic and a research question, to use online databases and catalogues, and to determine the importance and reliability of sources.
Even when the research has been completed, good writing is a process that involves writing, receiving feedback from peers and instructors, and revising. The Research and Writing Center is a place for students to come and get that feedback and – very importantly – not be told what to do next, but to be asked intelligent questions by their tutor which lead them to understand for themselves where their weaknesses lie and what they need to do next. Students who want to come to The Research and Writing Center will meet one-on-one with a trained and qualified tutor who will help them revise their writing on their own and give them ideas for further resources they can use to improve their skills. The tutors will help students become independent readers and writers by being able to identify their weaknesses and make a plan for improving them.
Students are encouraged to come to The Research and Writing Center at ANY point during the writing process -- whether you are still trying to figure out what your question is and what to read or you have already written your first draft, you can come to The Research and Writing Center and discuss your ideas with a tutor.
Who are the tutors at The Research and Writing Center?
Mirjam Gronbach, born in Gppingen, spent her teens in foreign Nordrhein-Westfalen and returned to the beloved Swabian home pastures of Tbingen in 2006 in order to study English and Theology. Feeling like Rory in Gilmore Girls, she spent one year studying abroad at Yale University in New Haven (CT, USA). Since then, she has been addicted to Coca Cola, enjoys singing in the Gospel Choir, and loves to hang out with friends from all over the world.
Teresa Jordan grew up in the small town of Donzdorf, right in the middle of Stuttgart and Ulm and, staying true to her Swabian roots, started her studies in Tbingen in 2008. She is studying English and Catholic Theology and is hoping to pass on her passion for the English language to many students in the near future.
Katharina Luther was born in Berlin and grew up in the northern part of Germany. Katharina fell in love with the English language and literature during a high school year abroad in South Carolina (USA) in 2003/2004. She has continued her affair ever since studying English in lovely Tübingen and working as a TA at the charming Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva (New York, USA). Likewise, Katharina has an almost absurd passion for contemporary American poetry, reading, writing, coffee, wine, and anything related to karaoke.
Jan-Moritz Mildenberger might speak a different ‘language’ because he comes from Bühl (Baden). But no worries, you will still understand him. He has been studying English and German in Tübingen (Swabia) since 2010. During his time abroad in Brisbane (Australia), Florida (USA), Oklahoma (USA), and Vancouver (Canada), he experienced different cultures, different people and different lifestyles. This made him fall in love with the language, the sports, and the food. Writing a paper isn’t a piece of cake, but baking a cake isn’t either. However, whenever you are finished, it will be a masterpiece.
Carola Saalmüller was born and has basically lived in Southern Germany all her life. A general interest in the United States was turned into true love with a nation after her first and to the day only trip to Gainesville, Florida. In 2009 she began her B.A. studies in English, with a focus on American Literature and Culture, and Rhetoric in Tübingen. She is fascinated by American fiction and non-fiction literature, especially from war-periods, and hopes to follow her passion one day in returning to the United States.
Gregor Schönfelder, born and raised in Saxony, came to Tübingen to study economics. After having figured out that maths doesn’t quite like him, he slightly changed directions and is now studying German, English, and French. He spent some time abroad in India and as a Teaching Assistant in England, bringing home with him a love for international cooking. He also has a passion for languages and enjoys hiking and biking all over the place.
Sara Wallsworth grew up just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in a small city called Waukesha. During her undergraduate studies at Lawrence University she spent a semester in beautiful Freiburg, where she fell in love with Germany. After receiving her B.A. in Linguistics and German, she returned to Germany as an English Teaching Assistant in Eislingen with the Fulbright Commission. She is now working on her M.A. in English Linguistics in an attempt to stay in Germany forever. A true product of her Midwestern raising, you might notice that she is often a bit louder and friendlier than the average student.
Can I just leave my paper with a tutor and come back later to pick it up?
Absolutely not. We believe that good writing is a process, and the entire purpose of The Research and Writing Center is to give students an opportunity to work through that process with someone else. While this may not be the 'quick fix' students are looking for, we believe that sitting down and discussing the ideas and writing will be much more worthwhile in the long-run.
This sounds great -- how can I make an appointment?
To make an appointment, use our easy scheduling system, WCOnline. Go to http://www.rich75.com/uni.
If it is your first time making an appointment with WCOnline, register for a free account.
If you have already used WCOnline to make an appointment with the Writing Center, log in and set up your appointment.
Note: This is the only way to make an appointment with the Writing Center! We are not using the old Writing Center email address anymore. Please use WCOnline to schedule your appointments with the Writing Center. If you have trouble setting up your account, or if you have any questions about this system, please contact Shawn Kemp (shawn.kemp(at)uni-tuebingen.de).
ALL appointments (scheduled appointments and open hours) last approximately 30-40 minutes. If you need to spend more time with your tutor discussing your writing, you can always schedule a follow-up appointment with him/her.
What should I bring with me when I go to The Research and Writing Center?
The assignment from your professor/instructor
A copy of the current draft you are working on
Any drafts and notes you have been using to write your text (pre-writing)
Primary and secondary materials
Class notes
Feedback from fellow students
It is very helpful and the tutors there are very nice. It is very helpful to have the chance to talk to somebody about the essay and realize your own mistakes. It is really a big help
Meine Tutorin hat mir gezeigt, dass es möglich ist sich von Text und Strukturen zu lösen und mich auf meinen Essay und meine Meinung zu konzentrieren.
The tutor could answer all my questions and offered also to write an email every time I need help.
Ich würde jederzeit wieder in das Writing Center gehen, nicht um meine Aufsätze korrigieren zu lassen, denn das wird dort nicht gemacht, sondern weil ich noch lange nicht mit meinem Schreibstil zufrieden bin.
Talking about the essay makes everything more clear, and then it was easier to write or correct it at home.
The tutors tell you also what your problems are and what you should / can work on to improve, and in my case it helped me. The tutor was very nice and helpful. We discussed what was wrong with my essay and found out some general rules. The tutor also gave me some interesting ideas how to rewrite the essay. The hints were very important.
Das Writing Center ist eine tolle Möglichkeit für Studenten um individuelle Beratung und viel Unterstützung zu bekommen.
I highly recommend the Writing Center for those who are not really sure how to write term papers, conduct research and find appropriate sources or writing an essay. Evaluating sources is the most important issue and there you can practice.
