Designing the layout

The layout – in other words the page design of your paper – should be clear and functional.

• Font and font size: Use a simple font, e.g. Times New Roman or Arial.
• Captions: All tables, equations, figures, and schemes must be numbered in the order in which they are mentioned in the text; examples: “Table 1”, “Figure 1” – It is best to use the automatic captioning function of your word processor. All figures and tables must be introduced in the text.
• Use abbreviations and acronyms sparingly but consistently. At the first mention, the full term must also be given.
• Nomenclature, symbols, units: The rules and recommendations of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the International Union of Biochemistry (IUB), and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) should be followed. Furthermore, the DIN EN ISO 80000 must be observed.

Formatting the document

• Italic type is used for symbols of physical quantities, but not for the corresponding units, e.g.: T for temperature, stereochemical descriptors (cis, E, R), locants (N-Methyl), symmetry and space groups (C_2v), and prefixes as in “tert-Butyl”, but not for Latin expressions such as “in situ”.
• The stereochemical descriptors D- and L- as well as the terms molar (M) and normal (N) should be written in small caps.
• Oxidation states should be written in small caps in parentheses when the element name is written out, and as superscript when using the element symbol; example: iron(II) resp. Fe^II; iron(III) resp. Fe^III.
• Formulas of coordination compounds must be written in square brackets (IUPAC rule).
• For axis labels, units are separated by a slash; e.g. T / K. The ordinate is labeled perpendicular to the axis. An arrow indicates the direction of increasing values, e.g. on coordinate axes or next to labels.

Specifying chemical formulas

You should label chemical formulas consecutively with formula numbers (Arabic numerals, bold, and not in parentheses). Alternatively, you may label them as figures:

• Common abbreviations such as Me, i Pr, s Bu, and Ph may be used, but consistency is important.
• General substituents should be denoted as R¹, R² or R, R‘.
• The spatial arrangement of substituents must also be indicated.

Extensive reaction conditions should be listed in the legend.

Creating tables

The following general rules apply to tables:

• Tables should have a descriptive heading and be divided only by three lines (header, neck, and footer lines).
• Tables with only one or two columns, or columns with only one or two entries, should be avoided.
• For footnotes in tables, lowercase Latin letters in square brackets are used.
• All tables must be numbered in the order in which they appear in the text.

The word “table” must always be written out in full.

Labeling figures

The coordinate axes (horizontal axis: abscissa; vertical axis: ordinate) must be labeled with their quantities (in italics) and units, e.g.: λ / nm→.

The ordinate should, if possible, be labeled perpendicular to the axis, and the quantities or the axes should be indicated with an arrow.

The arrow always indicates the direction in which the numerical value of a quantity increases.

• A general or calculated relationship between quantities should be shown in the diagram as a solid line (Figure 1).
• Measured values, on the other hand, should be shown as data points without connecting lines (Figure 2). Exception: spectra.
• If the trend between measured points is important, it should be represented by a physically meaningful fitting function (Figure 3 and Figure 4). However, this function must be based on a theoretical relationship.
• Each figure must have a descriptive caption that briefly conveys the content of the figure.

Literature: DIN German Institute for Standardization e. V.: Graphical representation in coordinate systems, Beuth Verlag GmbH, Berlin 1973 (DIN 461).

Labeling equations

Equations must be numbered consecutively and referred to in the text.

The variables used must be explained in the text.

Specifying physical data

The qualitative and quantitative description of states and processes is done using quantities that describe measurable properties.

Every value of a quantity (e.g. measured value) can be expressed as the product of a numerical value and a unit.

Example:

Quantity value = numerical value • unit (quantity value = {quantity value} • [quantity value])

U = 5 V (U = {U} · [U])

G = 3 kJ mol-1 (G = {G} · [G])

Literature:
DIN German Institute for Standardization e. V.: Quantities, Beuth Verlag GmbH, Berlin 1998 (DIN 1313).
DIN German Institute for Standardization e. V.: Quantities and units – Part 1: General, Beuth Verlag GmbH, Berlin 2009 (DIN EN ISO 80000-1).

Frequently asked questions

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A few basic layout rules

No matter which option you choose: When it comes to the layout of a paper, opinions often differ. If your lecturers (or later publishers or companies) provide fixed requirements for font, font size, line spacing etc., you should follow them. However, you are often allowed and encouraged to express your personal style. In doing so, you should know a few rules for professional typesetting:

• The text should be consistent in its design features.
• Avoid extravagance and excessive individuality.
• The body text should use a standard font size. Fonts that are too large or too small are hard to read and appear unprofessional (“page padding” or “eye candy”). With 12 pt on DIN A4, you are on the safe side.
• Serif fonts (e.g., Times New Roman) are easier to read in print than sans serif fonts (e.g., Arial) and should therefore be preferred. For online texts, the opposite applies: sans serif fonts such as Arial or Calibri are recommended.
• Resist the temptation to use multiple fonts and many different font sizes (except in headings). This makes the layout appear cluttered and unprofessional. If you value professionalism, select a maximum of two base fonts (e.g., Times for body text, Arial for headings). Use this chosen font and its italic version for the entire paper. Other forms of emphasis (l e t t e r s p a c i n g, bold, ALL CAPS, or small caps) should be used sparingly and consistently.
• Underlining ruins the appearance of a page and is a no-go in typesetting.

The layout – that is, the external form of the paper – should serve readability!

Recommendations for the Faculty of Social Sciences

We recommend using a font such as Times New Roman for the body text in 12 pt, and Arial or Calibri for headings. In general, margins of 2–2.5 cm at the top, bottom, and left, and 3–3.5 cm on the right (for corrections) are advisable, as well as a line spacing of 1.5 lines. You can align your text either left or justified. Enable hyphenation.

Frequently asked questions

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Scientific papers

In scientific papers, the focus is on the experiment.

In scientific papers, this section is called: “Materials and Methods.” Using practical experiments, you develop your solution based on the theory presented, describe the methodology used, and explain and justify the practical implementation of the task. This includes describing and explaining the materials used (e.g. chemicals and their origin, CAD system, simulation system, equipment) and the approach, experimental setup, or software tools used.

You justify your decisions by answering the following questions:

• Why did you set up the experiment in this way and not differently?
• Why are you using these materials?

You can sometimes refer back to the introduction if you have already described the framework conditions there.

This section also describes the experimental conditions and the execution of the experiment. You can use research literature here to compare your own methodology and materials with other experiments, but above all to support the justification of the chosen methodology and materials through literature.

If the description of previous experiments has already been given in the theory section, you can omit it here.

Objective: Describe materials and methods in such detail that the work could be reproduced based solely on this description.

Development theses – requirements and needs analysis

In development theses, this section is called: “Requirements.” Here you determine the conditions and desired goals of the actual development.

In engineering as well as in the software and hardware fields, this often leads to a classic requirements engineering process. The depth to which this is carried out depends on the task and objectives of the work. Sometimes the problem is trivial; sometimes a consistent and thorough requirements engineering process is a main part of the work.

In doing so, list not only the processes but also the insights gained, and justify them.

Often, as part of the needs analysis, you will identify different approaches, development models, software used, and frameworks employed.

You justify your decisions by answering the following questions:

• Why did you use this environment (desktop, client/server, mobile, web service), this software, and these frameworks?
• What alternatives exist, and why was no other chosen?
• Which questions, personas, and user stories help to best reflect the intended purpose?

You can sometimes refer back to the introduction if you have already described the framework conditions there.

Objective: Describe the environment and methods in such detail that the work could be reproduced based solely on this description.

Software-related theses

In software-related theses – whether in classical engineering or in information technology – this section develops the (theoretical) design through analyses of possible problem areas. This can also include analyzing the relationship between the interface and the user, any design/usability considerations, or the general structure of the complete system to be developed.

In many development projects, this is the most important part, as it conveys abstract information about the actual work.

If it turns out during development that certain basic circuits, libraries, frameworks, interfaces etc. are needed, these can be introduced at the beginning of the chapter. If, however, they are important for the problem analysis, they should be included in the “Needs Analysis” section.

In the “Implementation” section, you then address the practical realization of these considerations.

The exact structure depends heavily on the specific work. Not all development steps should be listed; instead, explain and justify the more complex relationships of the work – often best illustrated by short examples.

If, during development, an approach turns out to be a dead end, this should also be addressed in the work.

Complex errors can also be presented, although briefly. Please always formulate objectively, because even with a sober style, readers can imagine that you must have been quite frustrated at that point.

Objective: The complexity of the development, the effort, and the completeness of the implementation should be assessable. The rough structure of the overall system should now also be clear.

The development of the solution is, depending on the type of work, a mandatory part of The Structure of a Thesis in Engineering and Natural Sciences.

Frequently asked questions

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Before the concept: the briefing

Especially if you are creating a bachelor’s thesis for a client, you first need a detailed briefing before you can start with a conception.

If you do not have clients but design your bachelor’s thesis according to your own specifications, you set these specifications and the goals of your thesis yourself. To do this successfully, you should develop your ideas in detail. The more precisely you think through the background of your ideas, the easier it will be to create the briefing.

You should clarify the following points in your briefing:

• What is the idea?
• What are the goals – what should be achieved?
• Who is the target audience?
• Is there a budget?
• What other requirements are there from clients? e.g.: deadlines, design specifications, implementation, etc.
• What expectations are there for your work?

Once you have written down your briefing, you can derive most of your concept from it.

Contents & structure of your concept

Here is an overview of the points your concept must include, in the correct order:

If your bachelor’s thesis is a concept, for example, for an app that you do not develop yourself, you will essentially create a concept for the concept in the “Conception” module.

Writing the concept

Essentially, in your concept you must answer the following:

What are you designing, why, in what way, for whom, and with what functions?

Make sure you follow the common rules of argumentation as closely as possible. If you make a claim about why your work e.g. could sell well or be successfully realized, you must also prove this claim – preferably with serious and citable sources. This does not include Wikipedia, but e.g. official statistics from Statista.

Also, do not forget to mention the limitations of your work and where you might seek help if necessary. If you are e.g. writing a novel, it is not automatically expected that you will also design the book cover yourself.

You do not have to know or be able to do everything. But you must know what you do not know – and where you can get support.

So, be transparent, open, and honest. This is what will truly make your concept authentic!

References & citation style

A concept is also an academic paper – and academic papers require that you indicate the sources of all information and ideas that do not originate from you.

Through appropriate wording in your text, you must make clear what is your own work, what was specified, and what information and quotes you have taken from elsewhere.

Clarify with your current lecturers in the “Conception” module which citation style you should use.

In the Design Faculty, it is usually recommended to use continuous footnotes. To do this, mark your quote in the text with an endnote directly at the end of the quote – this can also be in the middle of a sentence – and write the full reference in the footer of your document.

At the end of your concept, you must include a bibliography. This must be arranged alphabetically, not in the order in which the sources appear in the text.

Important further information on citing, the different types of quotes, and the bibliography can be found in this article: Why do I have to cite?

Formal requirements & submission of your concept

It is usually expected that you submit your concept printed and bound, with a title page, a final page, a table of contents, and incl. page numbers. If necessary, you may also have to submit a CD.

Clarify with your current lecturers in the “Conception” module what formal requirements are expected, whether you have to submit a CD or similar, what the data carrier should contain if applicable, and by when you must submit your concept at the latest.

Plan enough time to prepare your concept for submission after writing it! This includes, among other things, revising it, proofreading it, getting text feedback if necessary, printing, and binding it.

The criteria for evaluating your concept

To determine your grade in the “Conception” module, your examiners will evaluate your concept according to the following criteria:

• Formal aspects: Requirements, format, references, spelling, and punctuation.
• Structure: Complete and with a clear lead?
• Argumentation: Valid and proven?
• Text: Realistic, credible concept?

Frequently asked questions

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