Faculty of Economics and Management
Chair of Innovation Economics
Guidelines
Theses & Term papers

1. General information
In general, theses should be written in English. German might be possible if the supervisor
agrees in advance. Three printed copies, one electronic copy (as a pdf-file saved on a USBstick), the database from the reference manager of your choice (Citavi licenses are provided by
the University), and the raw and processed data should be delivered on time to the examination
office.
1.1 Length
Master theses should be no longer than 70 pages, Bachelor theses no longer than 40 pages (not
counting cover sheet, table of contents, appendices and bibliography).
Term papers are written for seminars or projects during advanced studies. They usually serve
as preparation for a Bachelor or Master thesis. A term paper is usually written by an individual
student. The length of term papers will be set within the respective course.
1.2 Your topic selection process
Students can apply for topics that are published on our website or with topics selected/developed
by themselves. Students that decide for given topics should directly approach the responsible
researcher by mail indicating their chosen topic and providing a current CV and transcript of
records.
2. What defines academic writing – Fundamentals of academic writing
 A strong, precise research topic
 Comprehensible and transparent work
 Reference to theory
 Novelty and contribution to current research (e.g., development of a new model and the
creation of verifiable hypotheses)
A comprehensive introduction to academic writing can be found here:
 Online guide to academic writing (Leeds University):
https://library.leeds.ac.uk/skills-writing
 Academic writing guide – City University of Seattle:
http://www.vsm.sk/Curriculum/academicsupport/academicwritingguide.pdf
 Academic Writing: A Guide to Tertiary Level Writing:
http://owll.massey.ac.nz/academic-writing/academic-writing-e-book.php
3. Project planning and time management
3.1 First draft
 Get an overview of available literature
 Select promising articles/journals/books etc.
 Develop an understanding for the research topic and determine aims
 Write an exposé (2 pages) including an outline and time schedule to be handed in to the
advisor before registration at the examination office.
3.2 Final draft
 Make a time schedule
 Make a systematic search for literature according to specifications
 Work on the content of the research topic
 Write the paper; make appendices, illustrations, tables etc.
 Review and correct
 Layout and print
4. Systematic literature search and selection
4.1 Documenting the literature search and selection process
The process of literature search and selection should be documented comprehensibly.
Therefore, the search strategy has to be documented in your thesis, and the selection of any
literature justified. The following information should be supplied: which database was used;
search terms and other criteria used to narrow the search. Additionally, the quality of journals
used should be considered. Several indicators and rankings exist, e.g., the VHB-Journal ranking
or H-indices.
The results of the search must be processed (in addition to the above) by adequately selecting
items according to the relevance to the research topic. The time consumed by the literature
search should not be underestimated.
What to remember while examining literature: What is the current state of research? What is its
basis? Where is the discussion leading? Which solutions already exist to my problem? Critically
reflect on what you read (i.e., gaps, generalizations, contradictions, etc.) Does the text contain
any solutions/ideas, which could be helpful in my research?
4.2 Analyzing literature
 What does it contribute to the field?
 What can it contribute to my research?
 Which position does the author take? Does (s)he criticize?
 Which sources are quoted? Are they relevant to my research?
5. Structure of the paper
5.1 Table of contents
The table of contents should reveal which topics are relevant to solving the research problem,
which relevance each aspect of the problem has and how they relate to each other.
Each section must have at least two entries. Excessive sub-sectioning is not encouraged; three
levels are sufficient in most cases.
Reviewing the table of contents: Are all the sections relevant to the research topic? Are the
headings descriptive of the contents? Does each section contain roughly the same amount and
depth of subsections? Do all subsections correspond to their section? Is the order of the sections
logical?
5.2 Basic elements of academic papers/theses and their functions
Cover page
Table of contents
Assurance of academic integrity
List of figures and tables (where applicable)
List of abbreviations (where applicable)
Introduction
 Importance and relevance of the topic
 Research topic, aims, and research gap/problem
 Structure of the paper
Literature review/Conceptual framework
 Definition of essential terms and concepts
 Theoretical framework
 The current state of research
 Critical analysis of existing literature
Main section
 Methodology/methods
 Analyses
 Results
 Findings
 Discussion
Conclusion
 Concentrated description of the most important results
 Limitations of the paper
 Conclusions and ideas for future research
Bibliography
Appendix (where applicable)
 Search strategy and its results
 Summary of literature
 Unwieldy figures/tables
Page numbering: The first page of the paper is the cover page. The table of contents and further
indexes before the actual text are to be numbered using Roman numerals. The pages in the text
should be numbered using Arabic numerals. Footnotes can be numbered sequentially.
Appendices must be numbered with Roman numerals. They represent a continuation of the
introductory indexes and should be numbered accordingly.
5.3 Important things to remember
 Write for the target audience
 Raise interest (even academic papers can tell a good story!)
 Preserve clarity (formal structure, illustrations and models, clear goals, transitions)
 Precision and depth (do not incorporate too many ideas, focus on some and follow them
consciously and accurately)
 Consistent use of terms (only use terms the way they were defined)
 Consistent and justifiable arguments (use literature to back your arguments!)
6. Referencing
Only use the APA citation style. For all details with respect to the proper use of the APA
citation style, please refer to the APA documentation.
The use of a citation software such as Citavi or Endnote is mandatory. A free license of Citavi
can be obtained with your TU-Account. Introductory courses to Citavi and the proper use of
referencing styles regularly take place in the university library. Use original sources when
possible, i.e., do not cite a citation!
Important: All ideas adopted literally or contextually from others must be made visible in the
text. Internet sources are acceptable but the internet address (URL) and the date it was accessed
must be provided. However, the main source of information should be articles published in
peer-reviewed journals.
7. Figures and Tables
Figures from other sources may be inserted unchanged or modified. If the figure has been
modified the caption must read “Based on…”. Abbreviations that are defined in a dictionary
should not be included in the list of abbreviations in the preface. A list of figures and tables is
mandatory if the thesis contains figures or tables.
8. Proofreading
Gaining some distance from your work can be beneficial, so leave plenty of time for
proofreading. Often a printed version is helpful when proofreading. Make sure to find someone
in advance who will read the paper, correct mistakes, and check and discuss its content.
Readability can be heavily impeded by mistakes in spelling and grammar. Therefore, we
recommend examining your work repeatedly and carefully. Academic work should exhibit a
high standard with regards to the content but also the language. Colloquial terms and phrases or
subjective wording that show the writers lack of distance to a given topic should be avoided.
Adequate wording, however, does not mean the text must be complicated or difficult to read
and understand.
9. Assurance of academic integrity
Bachelors and Masters theses must contain an assurance of academic integrity that states the
creator worked independently using only the sources named. Additionally, the paper must not
be presented to any other examination panel. The assurance of academic integrity is to be signed
and placed after the table of contents. It must have the fol
lowing wording:
Eidesstattliche Erklärung
Hiermit erkläre ich Eides statt, dass ich dir vorliegende Arbeit selbstständig und ohne unerlaubte
fremde Hilfe angefertigt, andere als die angegebenen Quellen und Hilfsmittel nicht benutzt und
die den benutzten Quellen wörtlich oder inhaltlich entnommenen Stellen als solche kenntlich
gemacht habe.
_____________________ _______________________
Place, Date Signature
10. Formatting
 Format: DIN A4; pages should be printed one-sided using an established word
processor
 Margins: 1 inch each
 Text: Times New Roman (12 points), or Arial (11 points), justified, 1.5 line spacing
(single-spaced inside tables)
 Heading: first-level headings 14 pt bold (spacing: 18 pt before, 12 pt after), secondlevel headings 12 pt bold (spacing: 12 pt before, 6 pt after), third-level headings italic
and 12 pt (spacing: 6 pt before, 6 pt after)
 Paragraph: 6 point gap
 Page numbering: The title page is not numbered. The tables of contents and lists of
figures and tables or lists of abbreviations are numbered with Roman numerals. The text
and bibliography are numbered with Arabic numerals and appendices with A1 etc.
 Footnotes: Times New Roman (10 points), or Arial (9 points), justified, single-spaced
 Figures and Tables that take up one page or more should be placed in the appendix.
Smaller figures and tables can be shown in the running text.
 You may scarcely use bold or italic font in order to emphasize.
11. Examples for bibliography and cover pages
Bibliography
Blind, K., Petersen, S. S., & Riillo, C. A. (2017). The impact of standards and regulation on
innovation in uncertain markets. Research Policy, 46(1), 249-264.
Blind, K., Pohlisch, J., & Zi, A. (2018). Publishing, patenting, and standardization: Motives and
barriers of scientists. Research Policy, 47(7), 1185-1197.
Dosi, G., & Nelson, R. R. (1994). An introduction to evolutionary theories in economics. Journal
of evolutionary economics, 4(3), 153-172.
Gauch, S., & Blind, K. (2015). Technological convergence and the absorptive capacity of
standardisation. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 91, 236-249.
Grosse, M. (2018). How User-Innovators Pave the Way for a Sustainable Energy Future: A Study
among German Energy Enthusiasts. Sustainability, 10, 4836.
Kayser, V., & Blind, K. (2017). Extending the knowledge base of foresight: The contribution of
text mining. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 116, 208-215.
Rogers, E. M. (2010). Diffusion of innovations. Simon and Schuster.
Wiegmann, P. M., de Vries, H. J., & Blind, K. (2017). Multi-mode standardisation: A critical
review and a research agenda. Research Policy, 46(8), 1370-1386.
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITÄT BERLIN
Faculty of Economics and Management
Chair of Innovation Economics
Master/Bachelor Thesis
– insert title here –
Second supervisor: xxx
Faculty of Economics and Management
Chair of Innovation Economics
[Date]
By:
Last name, First name
Address
Phone: (XXX) XXX
E-Mail: XXX
Course of studies: XXX
Semester: X
Student ID: XXXXXX


What Students Are Saying About Us

.......... Customer ID: 12*** | Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Honestly, I was afraid to send my paper to you, but you proved you are a trustworthy service. My essay was done in less than a day, and I received a brilliant piece. I didn’t even believe it was my essay at first 🙂 Great job, thank you!"

.......... Customer ID: 11***| Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This company is the best there is. They saved me so many times, I cannot even keep count. Now I recommend it to all my friends, and none of them have complained about it. The writers here are excellent."


"Order a custom Paper on Similar Assignment at essayfount.com! No Plagiarism! Enjoy 20% Discount!"