diff --git a/modules/stream_filter/dash/xml/DOMHelper.cpp b/modules/stream_filter/dash/xml/DOMHelper.cpp
index 52f97dd126f08fc036a86f379eb43767f3a98659..3abbf39aebc47bd2a698c3be3dfc889f15f51e7c 100644
--- a/modules/stream_filter/dash/xml/DOMHelper.cpp
+++ b/modules/stream_filter/dash/xml/DOMHelper.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 using namespace dash::xml;
 
-std::vector<Node *> DOMHelper::getElementByTagName      (Node *root, std::string name, bool selfContain)
+std::vector<Node *> DOMHelper::getElementByTagName      (Node *root, const std::string& name, bool selfContain)
 {
     std::vector<Node *> elements;
 
@@ -41,20 +41,20 @@ std::vector<Node *> DOMHelper::getElementByTagName      (Node *root, std::string
     return elements;
 }
 
-std::vector<Node *> DOMHelper::getChildElementByTagName (Node *root, std::string name)
+std::vector<Node *> DOMHelper::getChildElementByTagName (Node *root, const std::string& name)
 {
     std::vector<Node *> elements;
 
     for(size_t i = 0; i < root->getSubNodes().size(); i++)
     {
-        if(!root->getSubNodes().at(i)->getName().compare(name))
+        if( root->getSubNodes().at(i)->getName() == name )
             elements.push_back(root->getSubNodes().at(i));
     }
 
     return elements;
 }
 
-void                DOMHelper::getElementsByTagName     (Node *root, std::string name, std::vector<Node*> *elements, bool selfContain)
+void                DOMHelper::getElementsByTagName     (Node *root, const std::string& name, std::vector<Node*> *elements, bool selfContain)
 {
     if(!selfContain && !root->getName().compare(name))
     {
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ Node*           DOMHelper::getFirstChildElementByName( Node *root, const std::st
 {
     for(size_t i = 0; i < root->getSubNodes().size(); i++)
     {
-        if( !root->getSubNodes().at( i )->getName().compare( name ) )
+        if( root->getSubNodes().at( i )->getName() == name )
             return root->getSubNodes().at( i );
     }
     return NULL;
diff --git a/modules/stream_filter/dash/xml/DOMHelper.h b/modules/stream_filter/dash/xml/DOMHelper.h
index 775b8f34ba089c89f4d3f95960bf22844d1e669b..97bb89754de2d0103b5d6d74881ee58217fddd34 100644
--- a/modules/stream_filter/dash/xml/DOMHelper.h
+++ b/modules/stream_filter/dash/xml/DOMHelper.h
@@ -37,12 +37,12 @@ namespace dash
         class DOMHelper
         {
             public:
-                static std::vector<Node *> getElementByTagName      (Node *root, std::string name, bool selfContain);
-                static std::vector<Node *> getChildElementByTagName (Node *root, std::string name);
+                static std::vector<Node *> getElementByTagName      (Node *root, const std::string& name, bool selfContain);
+                static std::vector<Node *> getChildElementByTagName (Node *root, const std::string& name);
                 static Node*               getFirstChildElementByName( Node *root, const std::string& name );
 
             private:
-                static void getElementsByTagName(Node *root, std::string name, std::vector<Node *> *elements, bool selfContain);
+                static void getElementsByTagName(Node *root, const std::string& name, std::vector<Node *> *elements, bool selfContain);
         };
     }
 }