As an opponent, your goal is to contribute to the understanding of the seminar topics and provide constructive feedback to improve the quality of a seminar paper. To do this, you:

  • Critically examine one seminar paper and its corresponding presentation.
  • Ask questions that help the audience understand the topic of the paper.
  • Ask questions and give comments that help the author improve the paper.

More concretely, your tasks are as follows.

Before the seminar presentation day:

  1. Read the seminar paper that you have been assigned to oppose.
  2. Prepare a few questions that you hope to get answers for during the presentation.
  3. Take a few notes regarding how the paper could be improved.

During the seminar presentation day:

  1. Listen to the presentation of the paper you have been assigned to oppose. Take note of questions already answered in the presentation. Take note of new questions arising during the presentation.
  2. After the presentation, you will be the first to ask questions and comment. Thank the presenter and give a short comment about what you thought was most interesting in the paper and presentation. Then ask your most important questions, with follow-ups if needed. Finally, give a short comment about how you think the paper could be improved.
  3. Participate in the open discussion.

You should also give feedback to all presentations using the quick feedback form.

Your work as an opponent is included in the seminar grading. A good opponent asks insightful questions and makes insightful comments that are constructive and could help to improve the paper. An unsatisfactory opposition is one where it is apparent that the opponent has not read the work or the questions and comments are very general and unspecific.

Last modified: Friday, 3 December 2021, 8:58 AM