After successful completion of the course, students are able to

• distinguish and understand different fields in the research of business informatics,
• assess which research methods are suitable for which problems,
• recognize when a research method is not suitable for a problem,
• describe and apply the steps necessary to carry out a particular research method,
• select appropriate research methods for a given problem,
• assess the suitability of a research method for a given problem,
• analyse and criticise research methods chosen in research, and
• configure a research method suitable for their diploma thesis, taking into account recognized research approaches.

Introduction to the interdisciplinary research field of business informatics

• design-based methods
• empirical-quantitative methods
• empirical-qualitative methods
• data-driven methods
• formal-analytical methods

The presentations by lecturers on the various research methods are as follows:

• Presentations of the relevant methods
• Discussion of these methods
• Seminar paper on applying these methods

194.078 is a mandatory course of the Master Business Informatics, but who should attend this course:

• Students who have already started to work on their master thesis (and have not done this course  before)
• Students who begin to work on their master thesis during this winter term
• Students who intend to work on their master thesis in the upcoming summer term (but are about to fix a topic in November/December).

Who should NOT attend this course

• Evidently, students who did already pass this course
• Students who do not have a topic for their master thesis by this December.

Note that there will be a course on research methods each winter and each summer term.

Short tests following the presentation of the methods.

Seminar paper on the use of research methods in the context of one's own master thesis.

Topic of Master Thesis needs to be fixed until this December at the latest.