Please note: The introduction will be held on Tuesday, October 14th, 14-16pm in lecture hall 3.01.H10 (directly above the mensa) as a joint session with the course "Budget consolidation strategies for local government". The Chair of Public and Nonprofit Management will present its curriculum of research and practice-oriented seminars. Alternatively, there will be an introductory ZOOM-session on Thursday, October 16th, 10-12am.
Participation in the introductory session, either in person or via ZOOM, is mandatory for course admission.
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies is reshaping how public sector organizations deliver services, engage with citizens, and manage urban infrastructure. From smart traffic systems and predictive maintenance to AI-powered chatbots and data-driven policymaking, these innovations offer unprecedented opportunities to enhance efficiency, responsiveness, and transparency in public administration. Are you interested in the dynamics of digital transformation in its various facets and want to understand how public sector organizations are managing AI in order to provide better services to citizens? If so, come to our seminar, where you will have the opportunity to address these questions in a structured way.
This advanced research methods course will provide an overview of the 'world of possibilities' in systematic literature reviews. The seminar enables students to understand basic purposes and approaches of different types of systematic literature reviews and to apply them properly to their own individual research topics. While a literature review is part of any research project, including a master's thesis, systematic literature reviews have emerged as a form of scientific inquiry and stand-alone research projects. They encompass "a class of research inquiries that employ scientific methods to analyse and synthesize prior research to develop new knowledge for academia, practice and policy-making" (Kunisch et al., 2023, p. 5). Thus, systematic literature reviews can play a crucial role in advancing scientific knowledge.
Following the joint seminar sessions, which will provide you with the necessary theoretical and methodological knowledge, you will conduct your own literature review in small groups. The lecturer will support and assist you in this process. At the end of the semester, the results will be presented to the class in the form of an academic conference and compiled into a term paper.
If you have any questions about the seminar, please contact Nicolas Drathschmidt or our student assistants.
It is preferable (but not mandatory) for applicants to have some familiarity with public management.
To pass the course: five assignments (among others: exposé) - will be specified.
Module examination: a presentation, and term paper draft ("memo") and term paper (systematic literature review) - group work
