Organized biannually in 16 disciplinary sections, the national Scientific Student Associations’ Conference (OTDK) is the largest academic event in the country. It gives an outstanding opportunity for talented and creative young people to introduce themselves in the scientific life.

Applications from the following disciplinary sections are open at our Faculty:

• Arts and Art Sciences Section
• Section of Humanities and the Section of Pedagogy, Psychology, Andragogy, and Library Science Sections
• Teaching and Learning Methodology and Knowledge Technology Section 
• Social Science Section
• Human Sciences Section

Did you know?

It is not a requirement that a student should apply only with a research topic that is related to their field of study. Consequently, in case you are doing any kind of research on another topic, you can enter with that topic too. In addition, a student may apply with more than one paper, or as a co-author of a paper written by more than one student.

Important: It is not necessary for you to compete at the Scientific Student Associations’ Conference (OTDK) with your research, but participation in conferences and discussions organized by the Associations is a criterion for entry, as only the papers proposed there are qualified for the national round.

Why should you apply?

What is quite certain: with a participation at the Scientific Student Associations’ Conference, you can only win. Just a few reasons to participate:

• You can expand your number of professional contacts.
• You get the opportunity to have a publication for the first time in your life.
• Your research will be evaluated by external experts.
• OTDK placing is an advantage for MA and PhD admissions.
• You can start your scientific career. In fact, many of your instructors started their careers with a TDK paper.

Application process

To prepare for the next OTDK due in April 2023, each Scientific Student Association at the Faculty will hold its discussion meetings in the second half of November or the first half of December 2022. If you want to apply, you should be aware of the application process now.

1. Topic selection

Is there a topic or field of science that you are particularly interested in? Something you would like to research? Choose a topic that not only interests you, but  would be happy to present your research on. If you do not have an idea of your own, but would like to do some research, take a look around at the university whether what kind of Scientific Student Associations (TDK) and workshops exist that can help you decide.
 
2. Supervisor selection

If you have a topic, find out which teacher or researcher could help you write your academic paper. Some people choose the other way around: they first pick a sympathetic mentor, who inspires them, and with whom they can work well, and then choose a research topic for themselves.

3. Research

Find out all about your topic, dig deeper into it, prove your hypothesis, or find out whether you started out with a misconception. Do your own research: one that has never occurred to anyone or one that supports the theories of others.

4. Research paper

Writing a research paper is a longer process. The academic paper is usually a 20-30-page-long publication that includes both research findings and methods. It is worth starting with checking the content and form requirements of the section you want to apply for. Your supervisor can help with the issue.

5. Apply for institutional TDK

Institutional or faculty scientific student conferences are held in all Hungarian higher education institutions every six months or annually.
For more information about TDK conferences held at the Faculty of Humanities of ELTE, and the application process, contact the senior lecturer of your department or institute, or if you do not know what to do, contact the head of the Scientific Student Association, Balázs Nagy: tdk@btk.elte.hu

6. Participation

This is a very exciting event: you can finally present your research, and listen to how far other students have got with their own works. Members of the evaluating committee, faculty instructors and researchers provide opinions, scores, and advice on how to proceed with your research. If you are not recommended to attend the Scientific Student Associations’ Conference, you should also continue working on your research, and improve for your next institutional TDK.

7. OTDK registration

In order to register for the OTDK, you must register in the OTDT online system: https://online.otdk.hu/ After the TDK conference, you will receive a link to your e-mail address with your login details.

8. Uploading your paper and selecting a section

After the institutional TDK, upload your paper to the online system, and select the section that fits you the best out of the 16. Ideally, you have already done this, and you have prepared your field work according to the requirements of the selected section, so you do not have to change or shorten it, etc.

9. Application for the OTDK

Only those who have participated in the institutional TDK, and have been nominated for promotion and have uploaded their application to the online system in time can enter. The entry period runs from September of each even-numbered year until the entry deadline for that section.

10. Participation in the OTDK

Some advice: if you are already at the OTDK, you should be present throughout the 2-3 days of the conference. Listen to the lectures of your peers, and get acquainted with others during the departmental meetings or other programmes. Actually, this is the best part of the OTDK.