Choose one track. Master’s proposals target Spring 2027. Final scope and programme approval are agreed with the supervisor; bachelor scopes are suggested adaptations.
TRACK 01 · IMPLEMENTATION INCLUDED
Technical track
Develop a working solution and test whether it addresses the problem.
Possible research question
How do configurable information-sharing mechanisms affect coordination and understanding of privacy trade-offs in home care?
Suggested tasks
Read research on information sharing in home care and compare existing solutions.
Identify one problem faced by care coordinators and frontline staff.
Write a research question and define what the solution should do.
Create fictional home-care sensor data and define the needs of a few staff roles.
Build a tool that shares only the data each role needs and previews exactly what they will receive.
Compare it with sharing the same information with everyone. Check access rules and whether users have enough information for their tasks.
Explain what worked, what did not, and how the results compare with earlier research.
Evaluation, degree scope and deliverables
Study and evaluation
Compare the implemented solution with a fixed, one-size-fits-all sharing configuration. Combine reproducible technical tests with an appropriate empirical evaluation.
Correct enforcement of sharing rules
Completion of coordination tasks
Users’ understanding of information exposure
Degree scope
Bachelor’s
Implement a few roles and configurable sharing rules over synthetic observations. Test denied-access cases and coordination journeys.
Master’s
Compare sharing designs with relevant roles, examining coordination benefits and remaining privacy costs.
Background
Programming
APIs and access control
Interest in privacy and user research
Possible deliverables
A focused literature review, justified problem and research question
A working prototype with source code and setup instructions
A reproducible comparison and an appropriate study of use
A report explaining design lessons, results and limitations
TRACK 02 · NO IMPLEMENTATION REQUIRED
Non-technical track
Study existing systems, information or work practices. You do not need to develop software.
Possible research question
How do different home-care roles negotiate the information they need and the privacy costs of sharing it?
Suggested tasks
Read earlier studies of information sharing in home care.
Choose one problem and write a research question the study can answer.
Map information needs and sharing responsibilities across a few home-care roles.
Use interviews or workshops to discuss synthetic cases with different disclosure levels.
Analyse tensions between coordination, data minimisation and professional trust.
Analyse the interviews, observations or documents using a clearly described method. Look for disagreements as well as common patterns.
Explain the findings, compare them with earlier research and suggest practical improvements.
Evaluation, degree scope and deliverables
Study and evaluation
Use a bounded empirical study of information sharing in home care. Justify case selection, recruitment and the analysis method. Distinguish observed behaviour from participants’ perceptions; use triangulation or a comparison where it serves the research question.
Role-specific information needs and coordination gaps
Privacy trade-offs and governance recommendations
Evidence for the findings, conflicting cases and limits of the study
Degree scope
Bachelor’s
Study one case or a small set of existing materials. Agree the interviews, documents or scenario tasks with the supervisor. Describe the method, analyse the findings and give practical recommendations.
Master’s
Use a clear research question and relevant IS theory. Justify the cases, participants and analysis method. Explain what the findings add to earlier research and where they may apply. No software development is required.
Background
Literature review and academic writing
Qualitative or quantitative research methods
Interest in information sharing in home care; no programming prerequisite
Possible deliverables
A literature review and research question
A study plan and approved research material
An analysis supported by interviews, observations, documents or scenario results
A thesis with findings, recommendations and limitations
Scope and access
Use synthetic records. Agree roles and access boundaries with a domain reviewer; usability testing alone does not demonstrate privacy compliance. These implementation-related limits apply when developing or testing a technical solution. For a non-technical study, agree access to participants or existing materials early, use approved or fictional cases where appropriate, and distinguish perceptions from observed outcomes.
Agree access to data, participants or existing materials and any required ethics or privacy review before committing. A non-technical track needs a systematic study, not a working prototype.
Full academic proposal
Working topic
Privacy-Aware Information Sharing in Home Care
Brief outline
This proposal examines information sharing in home care in the work and information needs of care coordinators and frontline staff. The technical track combines a literature review and justified gap with requirements, design, implementation and evaluation of a bounded solution. The non-technical track investigates practices, experiences or organisational conditions through a systematic study of existing systems, documents or scenarios, without requiring implementation. Choose one track and agree the final research question, degree scope and contribution with the supervisor.
Programme fit
Information Systems. These are suggested research approaches, not a statement of confirmed programme policy. Agree the final title, track, degree scope and contribution with the supervisor and programme.
Shared research foundation
Review the literature; identify and justify a gap; formulate research questions; conduct a systematic study; analyse the evidence; explain the contribution relative to prior research and discuss limitations. The technical track additionally includes requirements, design, implementation and evaluation of an artifact.
