Cinema and Human Rights SS 2011

Info note on how to write a seminar paper

The following note shall provide a brief summary of points to bear in mind when writing the seminar
paper. It will cover obligatory formal requirements as well as recommendations on the structure of
the paper, the language of academic writing, and sources for literature research. Further sources on
academic writing are provided at the end of the document.

Formal requirements for the seminar paper

line spacing 1,5 pt font size 12 pt

font Times New Roman alignment justified (blocked)

page margins
left 2,5 cm right 2,5 cm
top 2,5 cm down 2,0 cm

number of pages 10 pages (not more; not less)

The number of pages does not include the title page, the table of contents or bibliography.
Page numbering starts on the first page of the introduction.

When writing a seminar paper, make sure that you use your own words. A seminar paper should be
an individual piece of work. Those parts which are directly taken from a source have to be quoted in
hyphens; indirect quotations as well as ideas, concepts etc. taken from another author have to be
referenced properly. Citing is an intrinsic part of academic writing and there is nothing wrong if a
paper includes a high number of footnotes!
There is a number of different ways how to reference literature. In general, it is not decisive
which method of citation you are actually using as long as it is applied consistently throughout the
paper. For the sake of simplicity and for the purpose of this seminar, however, it is recommended
(but not obligatory) to adhere to the method as provided in the attached sheet. Be reminded that
copy/paste-“writing” will not be tolerated (plagiarism). Software checking for copy/paste-parts may
be used when grading the papers.

Structure of the paper

A seminar paper normally comprises the following parts: i) title page, ii) table of contents,
iii) introduction, iv) body (content itself), v) conclusion, and vi) bibliography.

i) Title page
The title page shall include the name of the seminar as well as the current semester, the title of the
paper as well as your name and matricle number.

ii) Table of contents

The table of contents is an essential part of the paper. It shall not only include the name of the
chapters but also the page numbers. Furthermore tables covering the used abbreviations as well as
included figures are mostly included. When using abbreviations in the text, it is important to spell
them out when applying them for the first time and to include the abbreviation in brackets,
i.e. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). At all later instances, it
suffices to use the abbreviation.

Note: Microsoft’s word provides a function for the automatic creation of the table of contents
(Formatvorlagen/style sheets).

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iii) Introduction
The importance of the introduction can not be overemphasised. A good introduction conveys clearly
why the topic you are writing about is relevant, what question you exactly try to answer (research
question/hypothesis) and how you want to come to an answer (methodology). In the introduction you
set out the red line along which the paper will develop, and give the reader an idea of what to expect
on the coming pages. There is no standard way of how to structure an introduction, but in general it
contains the following parts:
The first part of the introduction normally presents the context of your topic and guides the
reader to the specific focus of your paper. Elaborate its relevance and make the reader interested.
The second part contains the research question – the question which you actually want to
answer in the paper. The research question is the linchpin of your work. It has to be formulated as
precise as possible and should not leave any ambiguity. By formulating your research question you
set the overall scope of your paper and define with which aspects of the wider topic you actually will
deal with and with which aspects you will not deal. Make the reader understand why it is important
to answer this question. When choosing your research question, be aware that your paper should go
beyond the mere description or repetition of already established facts. The paper should have a
strong analytical aspect which makes it an individual piece of research.
The third part of the introduction demonstrates how an answer to the research question shall
be reached. This is done by presenting in brief the main methodology to be used and by outlining the
structure of the paper. Show how each of the following chapters contributes to an answering of the
research question. Furthermore, it is also helpful to state the major sources (books, primary sources
etc.) to which you will refer.

After having read the introduction, the reader should know what the paper is about, which question is
to be answered, and what he or she can expect in the body of the paper.

iv) Body (content itself)

The body, comprising the various chapters, constitutes the actual work of your paper. Evidently, the
number and structure of chapters will vary from paper to paper. Throughout the piece, the reader
must be able to distinguish between what are facts and what is the author’s own personal evaluation
and opinion of these facts. Decent academic work also reflects those arguments which are in
contradiction to the author’s own position. These counter-arguments have to be convincingly
challenged instead of omitted or downplayed.

v) Conclusion
The conclusion is much more than a few closing paragraphs. In a nutshell, the author recapitulates
the purpose of the paper, the research question and the result which has been obtained in the body of
the work. The conclusion repeats the answer to the research question, the core statement, in very
clear terms. Like two brackets, the introduction and the conclusion hold the content of the paper
together. By reading only the introduction and the conclusion of a paper, the reader should be
actually in a position to understand what the paper was dealing with, which question had been raised,
and what the final answer had been. The conclusion may also include the recommendations for
further research.

vi) Bibliography
The bibliography includes every source which has been referenced in the text. Books, articles etc.
which have not been referenced in the text are not to be included in the bibliography. Sources have to
be ordered alphabetically by the family name of the first author. If several publications of one author
are included, start with the most recent one (date of publication).

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Language
It is evident that a paper should be free of orthographic or grammar mistakes. Do not rely too much
on the spell checker, but take your time to thoroughly read your text several times. Non-native
English speakers may consult with native speakers. Although it is the content of your paper which is
of primary importance, orthographic or grammar mistakes jeopardize its overall quality. Whether
you use American or British spelling is not important. However, you should not mix them.

Try to be brief and clear. In general it is better to use several short sentences instead of one long.
Long sentences frequently make the text less readable or lead to ambiguities. It often happens that
the author writes something different than what he or she actually wants to convey. Short sentences
are more suited to ensure that a message is formulated in clear terms. Further ways of how to remain
clear and readable is the use of the active instead of the passive voice as well as the use of verbs
instead of nouns. It is clearer to write “The judge decided…” instead of “The decision was made by
the judge…”; similarly, it is clearer to write “concluded” instead of “reached a conclusion”.1

Paragraphs are the building blocks of your paper. It is recommended that each paragraph only
expresses one idea, which is normally expressed in the first sentence. The following sentences
explain and underpin the point raised. Paragraphs should be logically connected. A smooth transition
between paragraphs can be achieved by using transitional words, i.e. in addition, on the other hand,
then, likewise, or however.

Literature Research
A seminar paper is an academic piece of work and should build on academic sources such as
academic journals, books or primary sources (i.e. treaties). Wikipedia is not a scientific source. It
might be a helpful source to get a first idea on a certain topic; however, it does not provide any
guarantee for scientific accuracy. You therefore have to check and cite the relevant sources. Useful
internet sites to find literature are:

 Electronic Journals Library at the University of Vienna -

http://rzblx1.uni-regensburg.de/ezeit/fl.phtml?bibid=UBWI
 Electronic Resources of the University of Vienna -
http://www.ub.univie.ac.at/english/electronic_resources.html
 Univ. Pittsburgh - http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/
 Google Scholar - www.scholar.google.com

Note: On how to access electronic journals, please have a look at http://www.ub.univie.ac.at/info-

ezb/elektronische_zeitschriften.html. Off-campus you may have to access the library catalogue via
univpn.univie.ac.at.

Recommended sites on academic writing are:

 Central European University, Online Writing Resource, online at
http://www.ceu.hu/caw/resources [accessed on 13 March 2010]
 The Owl (Writing Lab at Purdue University) - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ [accessed on 13
March 2010]
 University of Toronto (Advice on Academic Writing) –
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice

1
For more examples see Volkokh, E. and Tanford, A.J. “How to write good legal stuff”, 2001, online at
http://www.law.indiana.edu/webinit/tanford/reference/how2write.html

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 Volkokh, E. and Tanford, A.J., “How to write good legal stuff”, 2001, online at
http://law.indiana.edu/instruction/tanford/web/reference/how2writegood.pdf [accessed on 13
March 2010]

And finally…
Do not expect that you can write a seminar paper within one weekend. Should you experience any
difficulties do contact the teaching staff. If you come only one day before the deadline, there will be
most likely not enough time to incorporate any suggestions or corrections.

Contact:
Roland.Schmidt@univie.ac.at
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, Vienna

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