2 management - School of International Business and ...

Günter Lehmann
1 DESCRIPTION
1.1 REQUIREMENTS
The author should show in his work that he is capable to work on and present a problem or issue
on his own using scientific and practical knowledge and methods. The focus for this is on advanc-
ing knowledge.One expects from any scientific work that it contributes to the advancement of
knowledge, and therefore shows originality (Eco, U.: 2005). This means that the advancement
of knowledge does not automatically develop a new theory (which does not take place often), but
allows for:
– discovering connections between already-known facts,
– transferring known facts to new or changed conditions,
– verifying knowledge that was previously unsecured,
– establishing objections to knowledge or knowledge gaps,
– recognizing new issues or
– reasoned literary criticism.
Originality, in the sense of originality of scientific work, is not related to the use of one's own
legal writings which varies from the rules, nor of terms which only the author understands; rather,
it consists (for example) of:
– finding one's own way in using data and establishing assumptions,
– representing the results obtained and the methodology and information gained as well as
– specifying the terms used.
The requirement of publication generally applies to scientific work. Goethe insisted in his »Max-
ims and Reflections,« »The Germans, and not only the Germans, possess the gift to make the
sciences inaccessible.« Therein lies a common problem – namely making statements about sci-
entific results in code, so that it is inaccessible or difficult to access for the professional public. It is
therefore incorrect to describe science in abstract and formal terms. The psychologist Otto Kruse
(2004, p. 72) correctly said: »Science is primarily a social activity« And he added that science
only begins with the publication of our thoughts. This means, however, that thoughts should no
longer be seen as private, but rather as a social task to gain knowledge. This also takes courage.
Science requires courage to think independently, as well as the courage to make the results
of one's thoughts public; i.e. to make them available to the public through communication.This
means that the author must involve the public in a scientific work – at whatever level – through
communication, and should take the following to heart:
80