APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION OF PAPERS

Can only final-year students participate in the TDK? How many credits must be earned to take part?
The TDK is not tied to credit completion, and students from any year of study can participate. In fact, it is highly recommended that students begin their research as early as possible in their university career!

Can a TDK paper only be written individually?
No, papers can be co-authored by multiple students; there is no maximum limit on the number of authors. In this case, the application process is as follows: One author must fill out the "Application" form. They will then receive an email containing a link to the co-author registration portal. By sharing this link, other students can register as co-authors for the existing topic via the Co-author Registration page.

Can a student enter with more than one paper?
A student has the opportunity to submit multiple entries, even by co-authoring one submission and writing another individually.

Can a graduation thesis or dissertation be submitted for the TDK?
Submitted or defended graduation theses cannot be entered into either local or national students' association conferences. Furthermore, a Bachelor's (BA/BSc) thesis defended during undergraduate studies cannot be used to participate in the TDK during a Master's (MA/MSc) programme either.

Only one supervisor can be specified on the application interface. What should I do if I have multiple supervisors?
One supervisor must be registered on the portal in the designated manner. Please send the names of any additional supervisors to the TDT Secretary so they can be included in the event programme and records.

What should I do if my supervisor's name does not appear on the list of academic staff on the TDK application portal?
Please send a message to the TDK Administrators at tdk@sze.hu, and we will add your supervisor to the list.

How should students from the Faculty of Arts fill out the application form if they do not have an abstract?
The "Topic Title" should be the title(s) of the work(s) to be performed, and the "Topic Description" should specify the section they will participate in and, if applicable, a description of the accompaniment. Please note: Progression to the OTDK can be achieved through musical performance, singing, and music composition. However, in the national round, a written description of the concept behind the performing arts piece must also be submitted and presented.

Can I amend my submitted application?
Once submitted, applications can only be corrected through the administrative interface. In the event of any issues, please email the TDK Administrators at tdk@sze.hu. The title of the paper cannot be modified except to correct typographical errors.

How do I know if my application was successful?
All applicants will automatically receive an email notification confirming their electronic registration at the email address registered in the Neptun system.

How can my supervisor approve my application?
You must select your supervisor during registration, which ensures that the lecturer receives an automated message regarding your application. The supervisor can then accept or reject the entry using the buttons provided in the email notification.

What are the requirements for the abstract?
The abstract should be a brief, concise summary of the paper, not the opening paragraph of the introduction. The length of the summary must be a minimum of 1,300 and a maximum of 2,000 characters, including spaces. 

Does the TDK paper need to be submitted in printed form?
It is not necessary to submit the TDK paper in a printed format.

I cannot upload my paper, what could be the problem?
The paper and any potential appendices can only be uploaded in specific formats: the submission must be a PDF file, and attachments must be compiled as a ZIP file. In both cases, there is a size limit of 6 MB per file. If the paper contains numerous images and consequently exceeds the size limit, the file size can be reduced by lowering the DPI (resolution) value, or the document may be split and uploaded as two separate files.

How do I know if my paper has been successfully uploaded?
Upon a successful upload, the documents will appear in the list under the "My Uploaded Files" label.

Can I modify the contents of my TDK paper after winning participation in the OTDK?
Unfortunately, if you want to change the content of the thesis, you must start again at the local round with the improved thesis, and then you must obtain OTDK authorization again. However you are permitted to fix typo-s and change the formatting of your TDK paper. 

PARTICIPATION AND RESULTS

How are the section allocations determined? Based on the applications received, the faculty and departmental TDK coordinators arrange the section schedules, ensuring that papers within similar thematic areas are grouped together. A section requires a minimum of 3 submissions to go ahead. If too few or too many papers are received for a specific subject area, a given paper may be reassigned to a different section.

Who sits on the panel of judges? Following the finalised section allocations, the TDK coordinators invite colleagues with expertise in the respective topics to serve as panel members. When selecting judges, we ensure that, as far as possible, every subject area is professionally represented. Each panel also includes a student representative.

Can I only attend the Conference as a competitor? Of course not; the event is open to the public, and spectators are warmly welcome to attend the presentations!

What should I do if I applied for the Conference but failed to finish my paper by the deadline? If your paper is not completed in time, or if you change your mind for any other reason, please notify the TDT Secretary so that we can adjust the schedule and programme accordingly.

How much time is allocated for presenting the paper? Students have a maximum of 15 minutes for the oral presentation of their papers. Following this, the academic staff on the panel and the student representative will have the opportunity to ask questions.

How much time is allocated for the performance of works by students from the Faculty of Arts? The performance must be a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 20 minutes long.

Is it compulsory to use an official university or faculty PowerPoint background for the presentation? No, the background and format of the presentation can be chosen freely. It is also possible to create a Prezi.com presentation. In this case, please inform the TDT Secretary so we can check whether the necessary software is installed on the computer you will use during the Conference.

How are the rankings decided? The rankings achieved in each section are determined by that section's panel of judges. The reviewers receive the papers before the conference and score them on an evaluation sheet based on specific criteria, as well as raising questions and adding comments. The score sheets can be viewed the week following the conference at the office of the TDK Administrators at tdk@sze.hu.

The presentation is evaluated by the section panel, who score it according to the specified criteria. Led by the section chair, the panel tallies the points received for both the paper and the presentation to determine the final rankings.

A maximum of 1/3 of the presented papers may receive a ranking, and no more than 50% can receive an award (the difference being made up by special prizes).

How can I find out about the results?
On the day of the Conference, the presentations are followed by a formal awards ceremony. Participants and attendees can find out about the schedule and venue via the tdk.sze.hu website, the TDK Facebook page, or the event programme booklet. The results will also be uploaded to the tdk.sze.hu website within a few days of the Conference.

How will I know if the panel has recommended me for the OTDK?
Recommended students will receive an email notification in the days following the Conference, and the official list will also be published on the tdk.sze.hu website.

How many credits are awarded for TDK participation or for winning a prize?
Students do not receive credits automatically, except if they have enrolled in the subject titled "Innovation and Research Communication" during that semester and have presented their paper to fulfil its specific course requirements.

Do students who achieve a ranking in the local round receive a monetary prize?
Depending on the number of presenters in each section, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, as well as special prizes, may be awarded, all of which entail a cash prize. Whilst part-time, distance learning, and students who have already obtained their pre-degree certificate (absolutorium) at the time of the TDK registration can achieve a ranking, they are not eligible for cash prizes! The prizes are paid by the University via bank transfer, based on the details registered with the Student Administration Office.

Does winning a prize automatically grant the right to participate in the OTDK?
Rankings and the right to compete in the OTDK are independent of one another. Students can enter the national competition based on the panel's recommendation; therefore, those who did not place may still be granted progression rights. Conversely, it is possible that a ranked student is not recommended for the OTDK by the panel. The order of rankings is primary in decision-making. Any OTDK nomination that deviates from the official rankings must be justified in writing by the panel.

Do I need to write a new paper for the OTDK?
The paper submitted to the national round must be completely identical in content to the work presented in the local round; only formatting corrections in line with the relevant section call may be made. If you wish to make substantial changes to the content of the paper, you must enter the local round again with the revised work and re-qualify for the OTDK.

ELECTIVE SUBJECT

What are the requirements for completing the subject?
The requirement for completing the course is the preparation and presentation of a students' research society (TDK) paper OR a study published in the proceedings of an international conference OR a paper published in a Q-rated scientific journal.

How can I enrol in the subject?
Enrolment takes place during the standard course registration period, but the process differs from other subjects. You must find a supervisor and inform them that you wish to take the course. Any further administration will be handled by your supervisor with the assistance of the faculty TDT leaders.

Is attendance at contact hours required to complete the subject?
No, the courses are consultation-based and can be completed without any mandatory classroom contact hours.

When is the best time to enrol in the subject?
The student should enrol in the course during the specific semester in which the academic or research work is expected to be fully completed.

How can I find further information about the course completion requirements?
The completion requirements for the courses can be found on the subject data sheets available on the ttr.sze.hu platform.

How does the assessment take place?
Assessment is based on a five-grade scale (1–5). Alongside the submission of the publication, plagiarism clearance and copyright declarations must also be attached to the final paper.