On this page you will find general information on writing a thesis at our department as well as current topic suggestions. You are also welcome to submit your own topic suggestions, as long as they fit in with our research and teaching focus. Theses are accompanied by a colloquium in which methodological and content-related questions can be discussed on an ongoing basis.

The guidelines set out in the book Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten im Wirtschaftsinformatik-Studium by Bergener, Clever and Stein (2019) form the basis for the preparation of theses at our department. Please read through this book.

You can find a detailed overview of the thesis writing process for the Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics and the WING degree programmes here.

By writing a scientific (final) thesis, you as a student should demonstrate that you are able to independently answer a relevant question in business informatics using scientific methods.

In addition to developing interesting results in terms of content, it is also important to fulfil some formal requirements of academic work. A scientific approach, a meaningful line of argumentation (structure), but also the identification of adopted sources and content are particularly important in order to design the work in accordance with these requirements. Of course, correct spelling and an appealing design are also part of the preparation of a (good) scientific paper.

When planning a scientific (final) thesis, a special focus should be placed on the following four core aspects:

1. Formulating the field of action and the title of the thesis
2. Formulation of the research question
3. Selection or design of the research method suitable for answering the research question
4. Structure of the thesis

For both Bachelor's and Master's theses, you can submit your own topic suggestions or choose from the topics and specialisations currently on offer. Theses in co-operation with companies are also possible, provided they meet scientific standards.

If you are interested in writing a thesis supervised by our department, you will first develop some ideas against the background of these four core aspects, which we will take up in a planning meeting and develop further with you. If you have your own idea for a topic, please contact us stating your degree programme and your topic idea. We will then contact you to organise a planning meeting to discuss the specific design of your thesis.

As soon as we have agreed on the design and supervision of your thesis, please prepare a two-page synopsis after the planning meeting, which will be used for the detailed planning of your thesis. We will then check the synopsis and hold a further consultation with you. In most cases, you will need to revise your synopsis in order to develop a clear and reliable roadmap for your work.

If your exposé reflects this goal-oriented approach, you will present it at our colloquium for final theses. As we cover part of the supervision service via the colloquia, regular participation in this fortnightly event and at least one interim or final presentation of your thesis in this context is mandatory.

A good scientific paper can be recognised by a suitable title that sums up the problem in a few words. The nouns used in the title are key words that define the framework of the work and should also be found later in the outline. In addition to the field of action and subject of the work, the title should also include a reference to the research method used. To prevent the title from becoming too long, it can be helpful to divide it into two parts according to the following pattern: "Field of action of the thesis - objective and research method of the thesis" (e.g. "Digitalisation of maintenance processes in the automotive industry - A case study on the process of plannable maintenance at Alpha AG").

A research question should state the aim or scientific contribution of the work as precisely as possible.

A research question typically consists of a set of questions if the core of the work is a knowledge objective (e.g. What factors influence the customer experience in city centre retail?). If the aim of the thesis is (mainly) the design of a so-called IT artefact, a design objective should be stated instead, from which the IT artefact to be designed emerges (e.g. the aim of the thesis is the development and evaluation of a mobile application for mobile coupon promotions in city centre retail).

The research method is to be selected in such a way that the previously posed research question can be answered meaningfully and reliably. Research methods are diverse and can also be combined with each other, provided that this serves the development of the results. Some methods include the design of IT artefacts (design science research), action research/action design research, surveys, case studies, data analyses, literature analyses and conceptual research.

The structure of the thesis is based on the research question being investigated and the selected research method. A logical and self-contained structure is therefore reflected in a formally and logically sound organisation. When subdividing the chapters, it is important to ensure that a subsection (e.g. 1.1) is followed by another subsection (e.g. 1.2). A basic framework, which can or must be adapted according to the chosen field of action and the chosen research method, can be organised as follows:

Chapter 1: Introduction (as a further development of the synopsis)

• Identifies the subject area of the thesis and establishes an initial reference to the literature
• Illuminates its importance on the basis of empirical data
• Describes the need for research or the research gap in the literature
• States the research question/objective expressis verbis.
• Shows the structure of the work to answer the research question or to achieve the design goal

Chapter 2: State of research

• Refers to relevant previous work and discusses its relevance for the own work actively or critically scrutinising it. In particular, the state of research in the chosen focus areas of the thesis should be determined and summarised. Among other things, this is necessary in order to emphasise the own contribution of the thesis.
• Provides a technical and terminological basis for the following chapters of the thesis. The terms introduced are therefore to be used consistently.
• The state of research is reflected as specifically as possible so that exactly those concepts are presented and discussed that are relevant for the further argumentation of the thesis.

Chapter 3: Research method

• Outlines in detail the cognitive/design process used to answer the research question/achieve the research objective.
• Places the chosen research method in the context of the relevant literature on the chosen research method so that it becomes clear to what extent the chosen approach is valid.

Chapter 4: [Own results]

• Presentation of the relevant own results of the thesis
• Represents the main part of the thesis
• The structure of this chapter is in line with the previously defined research method. This therefore provides the structure for the development of the author's own results.

Chapter 5: Conclusion and outlook

• Reflects on the work and its contribution (content and scope) to answering the research question or design objective stated in Chapter 1.
• Generalises your own results as far as possible. If you have written your thesis in collaboration with a company, you should also discuss the applicability and usefulness of the results for other companies and thus detach yourself from the context of your use case.
• Emphasise the limitations of the work so that the actual contribution can be clearly outlined. Limitations are therefore helpful in order to be able to emphasise your own contribution and are by no means to be regarded as "shortcomings" of the work.
• Motivates the need for further research on the basis of the results contributed by the work and its limitations.

A core aspect of scientific work is the correct handling of the sources used. In particular, it should be shown which results have been achieved in the work itself and which findings have been taken from other people's previous work. Any content that is not attributable to your own work must therefore be labelled in accordance with the applicable citation rules. This includes both the literal citation and the analogous adoption of statements. An active approach to the available literature demonstrates both a good embedding of the results in the literature and a substantial contribution of one's own.

Template for written work

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Microsoft® Word DOCX
• LaTeX

(The use of these templates is mandatory)

Applications for Bachelor's theses at our chair are accepted until 31 August for the following winter semester and until 28 February for the following summer semester. This deadline applies to enable better planning and supervision for you. Master's theses are exempt from these deadlines - you can contact us all year round if you are interested.

You can find the latest advertised topics here.

You are also welcome to contact us with your own topic suggestions if they relate to our research and teaching specialisations. It is also possible to write a thesis in cooperation with a company.

You can find further tips and advice for theses here.

The processing time is six months for Master's theses and three months for Bachelor's theses. Please allow approximately eight weeks for the review process. It is your own responsibility to submit your thesis on time (e.g. for timely enrolment in the subsequent degree programme). Please refer to the examination regulations of your degree programme for the exact procedure and the applicable deadlines.

Master's theses should generally be approx. 80 pages long, Bachelor's theses approx. 40 pages, seminar papers and student research projects approx. 20-25 pages (in each case without outline, references and appendices). Unless otherwise agreed, a tolerance of +/- 10 per cent applies.

If your examination regulations provide for a second examiner, please contact your preferred second examiner in good time. The second examiner must be specified when registering the thesis.

Theses can be written in German or English. The spelling and grammar rules of the new spelling system apply. Please use the format template for theses provided by us.

The submission of theses at our department includes a bound print copy as well as a digital submission (by e-mail or on a data carrier), which contains all unpublished sources (Internet pages, unpublished documents) and other material as well as an electronic form of the thesis.

There are a number of software tools that support literature management, time management or structuring of the research process. The use of tools depends on your personal way of working. Please decide for yourself which tools are most suitable for you.

A. Literature management: Tools are available to support and organise the work with the sources used. Some of the tools also include functionalities for literature searches and project management.

B. Structuring the research process: Mind maps can be suitable for structuring the research process. In addition to commercial tools, there are also freely available tools.

C. Time management: Project planning tools can be used to plan, control and monitor milestones and progress up to submission.