Theses

Photo: Torsten Silz

A bachelor's or master's degree is completed with a thesis in which the author demonstrates their ability to work independently in a scientific manner and works on their own topic in depth. In the teaching area of Data Science, work on our research fields is supervised in particular. We intend to cover basic research topics as well as applied research topics. On this page you will find some basic information about theses at the department.

In addition, please always refer to the currently valid examination regulations, which can be viewed on the faculty page under the respective courses of study.

  • Students can use our contact form to express their interest in writing a thesis in the chair of Data Science. In this way, we collect key data on the student's professional skills and motivation. Ideally, the student already has a topic proposal or an idea in which direction a thesis in our field should go.

    If both sides agree on a basic direction and concept for a prospective thesis, a first meeting is arranged in which we work out the topic together. On the basis of this, the student can prepare an exposé for their thesis. This defines the roadmap for the work to be done and already outlines the following topics:

    1. Motivation
    2. State of the research
    3. Planned methods
    4. Preliminary time schedule
    5. Optional: Cooperation with external companies
    6. Literature review

    contact form

  • Based on the exposé, the thesis can then be registered according to the requirements of the examination regulations. Here, too, it is an essential prerequisite that the expectations of the student and the chair match.

  • The graduate seminar of the Data Science chair is the essential platform for scientific exchange between the staff and the current thesis students. For this reason, each student gives an inaugural talk within the graduate seminar at the beginning of their thesis.

    Beyond the format of the graduate seminar, each thesis student is assigned a supervisor. In this combination, (i) the progress of the thesis can be constantly supervised, (ii) and problems as well as (iii) possible solutions can be discussed. Currently, the first reviewer of theses is usually Prof. Christian Beecks.

    Primary communication tool for the graduate seminar as well as any further communication with the supervisor of a thesis are video conferencing tools like Zoom or MS Teams.

  • The final thesis is submitted in accordance with the requirements of the examination regulations according to the deadlines stipulated therein.

    As a conclusion of the overall process, a final presentation takes place within the framework of the graduate seminar, in which the respective student presents the results of their work.

Recommended reading

  • Literature Review:
    • Webster J, Watson RT (2002) Analyzing the Past to Prepare for the Future: Writing a Literature Review. In: MIS Quarterly 26(2): xiii–xxiii. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4132319
    • Vom Brocke J, Simons A, Niehaves B, Niehaves B, Riemer K, Plafaut R, Cleven A (2009) Reconstructing the Giant: On the Importance of Rigour in Documenting the Literature Search Process. In: Susan Newell , Edgar A. Whitley , Nancy Pouloudi , Jonathan Wareham , Lars Mathiassen (Hrsg.) 17th European Conference on Information Systems, ECIS 2009, Verona, Italy, 2009. S. 2206–2217. ISBN:978-88-6129-391-5
  • Design Science Research:
    • Offermann P, Levina O, Schönherr M, Bub U (2009) Outline of a design science research process. In: Vaishanvi V, Purao S (Hrsg.) Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology - DESRIST ’09. ACM Press, New York, S. 1–11. doi:10.1145/1555619.1555629
    • Peffers K, Tuunanen T, Rothenberger MA, Chaerjee S (2007) A Design Science Research Methodology for Information Systems Research. In: Journal of Management Information Systems 24(3):45–77. doi:10.2753/MIS0742-1222240302
19.09.2024