Once you have received your grade, you will have the opportunity to make an individual appointment with your supervisor to discuss your grade in more detail.

1. Substantive content, e.g.
   
   1. Theoretical foundation and delimitation of the topic
   2. Research question is derived from current literature and is answered at the end of the thesis on the basis of the findings and results obtained
   3. Understanding and application of terms, theories and methods
   4. Relevance and coverage of the topic
2. Independent argumentation, e.g.
   
   1. Degree of selection and integration of arguments
   2. Cogency of own conclusions
   3. Clarity of thought, intellectual coherence
   4. Critical reflection and discussion of own statements
   5. Justification for the choice of research method used
3. Literature base and literature analysis, e.g.
   
   1. Quantity and quality of the literature
   2. Topicality of the literature
   3. Internationality of the literature
4. Formal aspects, e.g.
   
   1. Orthography, punctuation, grammar
   2. Style/expression, comprehensibility
   3. Formal correctness of the citation style and design of the list of references
5. Organisation and transparency, e.g.
   
   1. Layout, structure, structure of the paper (weighting, proportions, logical consistency)
   2. Fine structure, thought process and organisation of the paper
   3. Concentration on essentials (do individual statements contribute to answering the research question?)
   4. Adherence to the content of the headings
   5. Use of indexes, footnotes, etc.
   6. External impression (appearance)
   7. Visual support (visualisation)

Abbreviations should be avoided in the running text. Common abbreviations (see Duden) such as etc., cf., e.g. ... can be used without problems. Specially introduced abbreviations should be used very rarely (put yourself in the reader's position).

The paper should use standardised symbols. If symbols from other sources are used, they should be adapted to the symbols used in the paper, while maintaining consistency of content (e.g. units of measurement, statistical symbols). This does not apply to direct quotations.

Tables and figures must be labelled with a clear description of their contents. If applicable, a brief explanation of the symbols used (regardless of their detailed explanation in the text) and of the notes added or taken over by the author must be placed directly below the figure.

Tables and figures must be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.). Each table and figure must be referenced in the text using the number (e.g. "Table 2 summarises the state of research on financial incentives").

Where entire illustrations (figures and tables) are taken from other sources without modification, the source is cited in the same way as in the text. The source of the figure or table used is then listed in the figure or table caption.

If a given figure is modified by the student (by omitting or adding content), a 'based on' should be added to the source citation. Of course, if the figure or table has been created by the student, the source citation is not required. Instead, the note "own presentation" should be added.

Abbreviations that are not explained in the Duden dictionary must be listed in the list of abbreviations as well as being mentioned in the text. The first time an unfamiliar abbreviation is used in the text, the word should be written out in full, followed by the abbreviation in brackets. The abbreviation should then be used consistently.

Please use Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, etc.) as page numbers for the lists at the beginning of the work.

The title page is counted as Roman I. However, the page number on the title page is negligible.
Arabic numbering (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) begins with the first page of text (i.e., the introduction).

For appendixes, use lower case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, etc.).

Templates for seminar papers and theses can be found here.

Freie Universität calls on everyone to do their part to ensure that the university is a place free of discrimination and one that embraces diversity. In this regard, students are also called upon to ensure that language is free of discrimination and embraces diversity. You can find more information here.

The American Psychological Association also offers a guide to unbiased language.

For seminar papers and theses in the field of marketing, it is generally recommended to use international journals that use an anonymous peer review process to ensure the scientific quality of the work.

Journals also vary in quality. Journal rankings help to assess the quality of journals. We recommend the VHB rating 2024 of the German Academic Association for Business Research.

Internet sources should be used very sparingly and selectively. In some cases, for example when dealing with current trends or statistics, they can be useful to support the relevance of a topic (e.g. news articles, company websites or Statista). However, internet sources should be avoided as evidence for definitions and theories or to illustrate the state of research.

Please provide a page number in the short citation for all direct and indirect quotations to ensure the transparency of your statements.

Exceptions apply if you are referring to an entire study. For example, you could write: "The results of Miller (2024) contradict the results of Meier (2023)".

The library of the Wiwiss faculty regularly offers training sessions for using Endnote.

The Faculty of Wiwis Library regularly offers finalist workshops (face-to-face or self-study) to prepare students for literature searches. Completion of the finalist workshop is mandatory for bachelor theses.

Citavi and Endnote can be downloaded for free from the Zedat portal. Zotero is an open-source application.

The use of reference management software (e.g. Citavi, Endnote) is not essential, but highly recommended. Using such a programme will save you time and reduce the likelihood of citation errors.

However, before submitting your thesis, you should carefully review your references to make sure that you have included all the information you need. You should also check that the formatting (e.g. capitalisation, italics) follows the citation guidelines.

The list of references (also known as the bibliography) contains all the sources used in the text. It is not necessary to categorise sources, e.g. monographs, journals and online sources.

The list of references lists the sources alphabetically by the author's surname. If there are several texts by the same author or team of authors, they are sorted chronologically. If there are several publications by the same author or team of authors in the same year, the individual sources are distinguished by the addition of lower-case letters in the alphabetical order of the title, e.g. Churchill, G. A. (1979a); Churchill, G. A. (1979b). This will be retained when citing in the text.

An overview of how to use APA citation style in the bibliography can be found here.

In German-language papers, the abbreviations "p./pp." for page(s) and "Ed./Eds." for editor are replaced by the German abbreviations "S." for page(s) and "Hrsg" for editor.

If you are quoting from a secondary source rather than the original source - which should always be used (!) - and the original source is no longer available, both sources must be cited. The original work is cited first, followed by the reference 'quoted from' and the source from which the reference to the original source comes. Here is an example of APA style:

Penrose notes: “it is never resources themselves that are the ‘inputs’ to the production process, but only services that the resources can render” (Penrose, 1959, pp. 24-25, quoted from Vargo & Lusch, 2004, p. 326).

Direct quotations reproduce the content of a source word for word. It is important that the quotation is placed in quotation marks. Indirect quotations take up the content of a source in your own words. No quotation marks are used here. The source must be provided for both direct and indirect quotations.
Examples of direct quotations:

• Sherry (1983), for example, differentiates between whether the gift-giving is altruistically motivated, i.e. “where the donor attempts to maximize the pleasure of the recipient” (Sherry, 1983, p. 160), or agonistically motivated, i.e. “where the donor attempts to maximize personal satisfaction” (Sherry, 1983, p. 160)
• Attitudes thus describe “the extent to which one likes or dislikes something – for example a product, company, or brand” (Tormala & Brinol, 2015, p. 29).
• Customer gratitude is “the emotional appreciation for benefits received” (Palmatier et al., 2009, p. 1).

Examples of indirect quotations:

• In an unstandardized interview, there is no fixed list of questions. Instead, the interviewer adapts his questions according to the course of the conversation. A standardized interview, on the other hand, follows a predefined list of questions (Mayring, 2002, p. 66).
• The last function of gift-giving mentioned by Belk (1979, pp. 104-105) is socialization.

Correct citation is the proof of scientific work. This means that references to existing literature are complete and understandable. It reflects both the honesty of the author and the ability to support an argument with appropriate sources. Whenever a foreign text or idea is used, it must be cited. This applies to both direct and indirect quotations.

In general, the Marketing Department recommends quoting from scientific journals and suggests the use of certain electronic databases as well as press and web sources for literature searches. A list of these can be found here. The two most important sources for literature research are electronic databases and library catalogues (e.g. university library). In addition, there are a number of other sources. The focus of the literature search depends on the topic.

Examples of electronic databases:

• Primo
• Business Source Premier (EBSCO)
• Web of Science

Search engines: e.g. Google Scholar

For seminar papers and theses in the Department of Marketing, you should use the American Psychological Association (APA) citation style. References are given as short citations directly in the text (not as footnotes). In any case, care should be taken to ensure consistency of citation throughout the paper.

If you use a reference management software (e.g. Mendeley, Citavi, Endnote, Zotero), you can set APA as your citation style. This will automatically use APA in the text and list of references.

A table of contents and a list of abbreviations, figures, and tables are required if the paper contains abbreviations, figures, and tables. A list of appendixes is not required.

Care should be taken to guide the reader well. This means that the reader should be able to understand the connections between chapters and that the central theme is clearly visible. This goes beyond a clear structure, appropriate tables and figures, and an appropriate style.

On the one hand, it can be helpful to state the objective of the chapter at the beginning ("The objective of this chapter is to define the term brand image") or to announce individual components ("First, the term X will be defined. This is followed by a description of the state of research..."). In addition, a bridge to the next chapter can be built at the end of a chapter.
The reader can also be guided between outline levels. For example, if Chapter 1 is divided into several subchapters, a brief overview of the components (e.g., subchapter 1.1 and subchapter 1.2) that make up Chapter 1 can be given directly below the heading of Chapter 1. This means that a good reader's guide briefly and concisely explains what the reader can expect in the whole of Chapter 1 before Subchapter 1.1. It is important that this section is short and concise and does not anticipate the content of the subchapter.

If you decide to guide the reader between outline levels, you should do so consistently. This means that you should provide this brief description of the following subchapters before each further subdivision and at all outline levels.

The outline format should follow a numerical order. At least two bullet points should be included at each level of the outline. If no subdivision is necessary (or possible), then no separate bullet point is required. Here is an example of a numerical outline format:
1. Introduction
2. The nature and significance of market research
3. Methods of market research

3.1 The research process

3.2 Determining the research design

3.3 Developing of measuring instruments

The numerical order makes it easy to interpret cross-references within the paper. For example, a reference to bullet point 2.1.3 means that the text passage identified in this way can be found in the third section of the first chapter of the second part. The numerical order theoretically allows for an unlimited number of subdivisions. However, for a seminar paper or thesis, a depth of three levels (e.g. 2.3.1) should not be exceeded. A subchapter should usually be at least one page long.

A statement of honor is required. You can find a template here:
Last Name:
First Name:
Matriculation number:

Declaration of Honor for Seminar Paper, Bachelor's Thesis or Master's Thesis:

I assure that I have written this paper independently and have used only the sources and tools provided. Furthermore, I declare that this work has not been submitted to any other examination.

My signature

1. Title page, with information such as name, matriculation number and e-mail address
2. Tables, figures and abbreviations
3. Introduction
4. Main body
5. Conclusion
6. List of references
7. Appendix (if applicable)
8. Signed declaration of honor

While the external structure provides a framework of chapters and subchapters, the internal structure refers to the organization within each chapter. The focus here is on the so-called "red thread".

On the one hand, this means that the logical sequence must be clearly communicated to the reader (e.g., through paragraphs or reader guides). On the other hand, it is important that the components of the text are meaningfully connected. According to Brink (2007, p. 143), meaningful connections include, for example, relationships of superordination, coordination, and subordination; contrast relationships; cause-effect relationships; end-means relationships; part-whole relationships; or before-after relationships. For example, one might meaningfully structure a research review on the concept of "customer satisfaction" by first addressing the causes of customer satisfaction and then discussing the effects of customer satisfaction.

The appendix contains extensive figures and tables that do not directly support the text and would interrupt the flow of the main text. For example, extensive statistical and data material, Stata outputs, questionnaires, and tables and figures not referenced in the text are included in the appendix. All tables and figures that are longer than one page should be included in the appendix.

For empirical studies, it is important that you submit your dataset as well as your paper.

For quantitative studies, you can attach the data as a Stata, Excel or CSV file. Please make sure that you submit the unmodified raw data set. In the paper, you should clearly describe the changes you have made to the data set (e.g. handling of missing values or speeders). You can also submit the corrected dataset. For datasets, you should always ensure that the variables are appropriately named. For larger datasets, it is also a good idea to save a list of variables for a more detailed description of the variables in another spreadsheet. Submitting a syntax file (e.g. Stata dofile or R code) is not mandatory, but may contribute to the comprehensibility of your analysis.

For qualitative studies, please include the transcripts (e.g. interview transcripts) either in the appendix of the paper or in a separate PDF file.

Theses must be submitted to the Examination Office by 23:59 on the day of submission.

Unless otherwise stated, seminar papers must also be submitted by 11.59pm on the day of submission.

Theses must be submitted to the Examination Office in electronic form in PDF format. A submission to the supervisor of the dissertation is not considered an official submission. Please also refer to the information provided by the Examination Office.

For seminar papers there are partly different regulations for the submission. Please check in advance in which format (PDF or Word) and through which channel (Blackboard or email) the work must be submitted.

The marketing department generally supports the transparent use of various AI tools because of the productivity and creativity gains they provide.

AI tools can be applied in a variety of ways. Here are a few examples:

In the interest of transparency, if artificial intelligence is used, a table should be provided in the appendix explaining the exact use and prompts. If the tool used offers the option of generating a link for tracking, this should also be provided. This is the case with ChatGPT, for example.

An example table can be found here:

Even if you have not used an AI tool, you should mention it in the appendix. In this case, it is sufficient to include the following sentence: "I did not use any AI tools to create this scientific paper."

Various Artificial Intelligences can provide false information about research topics or create their own sources, so the output should always be checked. In addition, biased content (e.g. discriminatory content) is sometimes produced, so the output should be viewed critically. In general, AI output is often a good starting point, but it needs to be critically reviewed and adapted.