diff --git a/src/main/java/at/ac/uibk/gitsearch/service/dto/SearchResultsDTO.java b/src/main/java/at/ac/uibk/gitsearch/service/dto/SearchResultsDTO.java
index 1eec244eac9a6cebbdd43c045b1f7b1c39179f29..400e079db043268a9e3029a6f0fca8cebad5bb02 100644
--- a/src/main/java/at/ac/uibk/gitsearch/service/dto/SearchResultsDTO.java
+++ b/src/main/java/at/ac/uibk/gitsearch/service/dto/SearchResultsDTO.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package at.ac.uibk.gitsearch.service.dto;
 
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Objects;
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonFormat;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonIgnore;
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ public class SearchResultsDTO {
 			this.externalName = externalName;
 		}
 
-		private String externalName;
+		private final String externalName;
 
 		@JsonValue
 		public String getExternalName() {
@@ -74,27 +75,13 @@ public class SearchResultsDTO {
 		public boolean equals(Object obj) {
 			if (this == obj)
 				return true;
-			if (obj == null)
-				return false;
-			if (getClass() != obj.getClass())
-				return false;
+			if (!(obj instanceof Person)) {
+			    return false;
+            }
 			Person other = (Person) obj;
-			if (affiliation == null) {
-				if (other.affiliation != null)
-					return false;
-			} else if (!affiliation.equals(other.affiliation))
-				return false;
-			if (email == null) {
-				if (other.email != null)
-					return false;
-			} else if (!email.equals(other.email))
-				return false;
-			if (name == null) {
-				if (other.name != null)
-					return false;
-			} else if (!name.equals(other.name))
-				return false;
-			return true;
+			return Objects.equals(this.affiliation, other.affiliation)
+                && Objects.equals(this.email, other.email)
+                && Objects.equals(this.name, other.name);
 		}
 	}