The outline is the common thread of every scientific paper and makes it easier for the reader to understand by giving them a logical overview right from the start. I have supervised well over 100 theses, so I have been able to gain extensive experience through this and through my work as a reviewer for scientific journals. For this reason, I recommend that students strictly adhere to the following example:
Sample Outline
1. Introduction
1.1. Problem statement and objectives
1.2. Method of investigation
2. < Theoretical framework >
2.1. < Thematic basics >
2.2. < Basics of the justifying scientific theory >
A first overview of business management theories can be found in the article “Theoretical Foundation”.
2.3. < Linking Chapters 2.1. and 2.2. >
3. < Elaboration of the topic >
3.1. < Deepening the content from 2.1. with concrete reference to the topic >
3.2. < Topicality of the topic >
3.3. < Transition to empiricism/practical example (case study) >
4. < Empiricism/practical example >
4.1. < State of research >
4.2. < Data and methodology >
4.3. < Hypotheses/research questions >
4.4. < Critical discussion >
4.5. < Research limitations >
5. Conclusion and outlook
For a detailed example topic including notes on the individual chapters, please click here. Please note that the WORD template is the official template from the “Scientific Work” module. However, even this is not always 100% compliant with the guidelines!
Chapter Titles
Chapter titles are often not meaningful. The meaningfulness is important because the outline has a recognizable common thread and the reader has understood the essential aspects and intentions by reading the outline. For orientation, I recommend a look at my publication “Critical Analysis of Credit Risks of Asset Securitization – Analysis of a Securitization Transaction of Volkswagen Financial Services” (click here to access) to get inspiration for your own outline.
Another important point in this context is that you should avoid generalizations. “Theoretical foundation” or “Empiricism” are not sufficient, as your reader cannot directly imagine anything by this. So, when naming it, always ask yourself the following questions: Theoretical foundation of what? What kind of empiricism? …
“The theoretical foundation”, “The problem of the work”, etc. – That really reads badly! For this reason, you should avoid any articles at the beginning of a chapter title. Or would you search the internet for “The problem with sustainability”? Probably not, so pay attention to short, meaningful but also concise names that you yourself would search for on the net at Google etc.
Notes for Seminar and Bachelor Theses
In a seminar or bachelor thesis, the empirical chapters are not absolutely necessary. However, the structured literature analysis is also a method that must be described accordingly within the framework of the work. However, this does not have to be as extensive as shown in the previous example.
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