Generally, any documents composed by personnel at MCh needs to contain:

• author's name
• date of compilation
• page numbering

When compiling documents in MS Word, always use:

• font: Helvetica,
• size: 12 pt
• spacing: double spaced
• alignment: justify

For ease of orientation, the following naming conventions for compiled manuscripts are enforced:

• DOC file: YYYY_MM_DD_xy_#n_Vx.doc
• PDF file: YYYY_MM_DD_xy_#n.pdf
• figures only PDF: F_YYYY_MM_DD_xy_#n.pdf

Here, YYYY stands for year, MM for month, DD for day, xy is your initials, #n corresponds to manuscript number n, and Vx represents version x of the manuscript. Below is an example for a third version of a second manuscript compiled by Franz Kafka on 23.01.1900:

• DOC: 1900_01_23_fk_#2_V03.doc
• PDF: 1900_01_23_fk_#2.pdf

When saving references as PDF files, follow this naming convention:

• author_journal-abbreviation_year.pdf

This section covers general workflow when working on a publication manuscript, as well as how to approach manuscripts in work with external partners.

1. compile manuscript skeleton:
   • first page:
     • RQ answered or addressed by the manuscript
     • overall story in 5+1 sentences (hypothesis, experiments + calculations, observation, explanation)
   • second page:
     • title of the manuscript
     • authors
     • target journals for publishing
   • subsequent pages:
     • include all figures with a concise description of the key data
2. upload skeleton & send it by email to JMS
3. once the skeleton is agreed upon with JMS, draft the full paper:
   • format:
     • formatting: Helvetica 12 pt, double spaced, justified text
     • include figures, tables and captions in the text where they are discussed
     • figures formatted “In Line with Text”
   • always check spelling
   • printing:
     • in color
     • single page
4. first iteration:
   • upload manuscript & send it by email to JMS
   • upload PDF files of all references to sciebo
   • put unstapled printout with date stamp in blue plastic cover in JMS mail folder
5. subsequent iterations:
   • track changes with “Show All Revisions Inline” option
   • implement all changes from JMS and coauthors - if you do not like the suggested changes, implement them and add your comment
   • never delete comments from JMS
   • for printouts, always include previous versions
6. once the manuscript gets published:
   • send the final publication in PDF to Dr.-Ing. S. Münstermann with CC to G. Strauch and JMS
   • upload the final publication with full bibliographic details at RWTH Publications

This set of rules applies to all manuscripts that are being compiled in cooperation with persons outside MCh:

• there is only one version with comments from MCh
• prior to sending any iteration of the manuscript to external partners, JMS must approve it

The following rules generally apply when uploading your research articles to online platforms such as ResearchGate:

• upload only open access publication
• do not upload any non-open access publications

In case of the main seminar (Hauptseminar), mini theses or BSc and MSc theses:

• the advisor has to announce all their thesis projects before start to Dr.-Ing. S. Münstermann
• the paperwork (which differs for different study courses) has to be filled at least in copy with Dr.-Ing. Münstermann

• internship/student work (Studienarbeit): max. 30 pages
• BSc thesis: max. 30 pages
• MSc/diploma thesis: max. 60 pages
• PhD thesis: max. 120 pages

• focus: agreed RQs
• duration: 48 months
  • incl. teaching, service analysis, course administration, examination board, equipment responsibility etc.
• half-time research presentation for MCh and the external examiner
  • time limit: 30 min
  • try to answer these questions:
    1. What have you understood in the last 24 months?
    2. What do you still need to understand?
• publications as the main author:
  • min. 2 accepted as the thesis is handed in
  • min. (3-n_accepted) submitted
• grades:
  • mit Auszeichnung = with distinction ¹⁾
  • sehr gut = very good
  • gut = good
  • genügend = sufficient
• list of content

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