TECHNICAL GUIDELINES FOR WRITTEN WORKS

Transcription

1 TECHNICAL GUIDELINES FOR WRITTEN WORKS In line with the decision of the Senate of the University of Ljubljana s Faculty of Economics adopted on 10 December 2007, the Technical Guidelines for Written Works apply to all such works by Faculty of Economics students at all levels and in all programs (from the first undergraduate term paper to the doctoral dissertation). They also apply to student seminar papers. This revised version of these guidelines replaces the previous version of 10 March Types of Written Works Written works include the undergraduate final paper at the Business School, the undergraduate thesis in the undergraduate programs in Economics and at the School of Business and Economics, the specialist thesis, the master s thesis, and the doctoral dissertation. The undergraduate final paper is an independent written examination of a concrete problem from business practice with a proposal for its solution. The undergraduate final paper proves that a student is capable of addressing a practical professional problem in a thorough manner based on what has been learned at the Business School, during on-the-job training, and through independent in-depth study of the issues discussed in the undergraduate final paper. The undergraduate thesis is the result of students independent work, in which they address a specific issue in economics, business organization, or IT-management professionally (in terms of content and/or analysis and methodology). By writing and defending an undergraduate thesis, students prove that they are capable of addressing the selected issue in written and oral form based on what they have learned in the university program and through independent in-depth study of the issues discussed in the undergraduate thesis. The specialist thesis is the result of students independent professional and/or research work, which is usually oriented towards a critical assessment of reasons for, consequences of, and possible solutions to a selected business practice issue. The master s thesis is the result of students independent research work, through which they prove that they have mastered both their research area and academic research methods. The thesis must be designed such that it allows a high level of professional and analytical study of a selected professional issue or a clear development of an original academic research contribution by the student, using theoretical, empirical, or combined theoretical and empirical research methods. The doctoral dissertation represents an independent and original contribution in the dissertation s subject area. A doctoral dissertation proves that students are capable of actively operating as independent researchers in the area in which they earn their PhDs. The manner of registering topics, the administrative steps during the writing process, and the requirements that must be met upon submitting various written works for evaluation are governed by special rules available on the Final Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Zaključne naloge) page on the Študent-Net website. 2. Format Paper size and margins The text should be printed on white A4 paper ( mm). 1/19

2 To allow for binding, set the margins as follows: Inside margin 2.5 to 3 cm; Outside margin 2 to 2.5 cm; Top margin (above the text) 2 to 2.5 cm; Bottom margin (to the page number) 2 cm. If facing the problem with the correct alignment of the bottom margin, we use the following steps in the text editor: File -> Page Setup -> zavihek Layout -> Footer: (insert 2 cm) Left-align individual heading levels in the text and use justified alignment for the rest of the text. The inside title page, the first page of the Table of Contents, the first page of the main text, and the first page of the appendixes must be odd-numbered. Due to binding, please make sure that mirror margins are turned on for individual content sections of the paper (e.g., the Table of Contents if it is more than two pages long, the main text, and appendixes). Main text font size Write the main text (defined in the word-processing program as Normal or Body Text) in black, font size 12. Use the same font type for headings of tables and figures and the text in the tables and figures. Use font size 12 for headings and font size 10 for citing sources. Separate the headings of tables and figures, as well as the sources under the tables and figures, from the rest of the text by using italics and center alignment. Line-spacing As a rule, 1.2 line spacing is used throughout the paper. If the work is lengthy (e.g., a doctoral dissertation with more than 120 pages), single line spacing can also be used. Paragraphs, headings and subheadings of sections or subsections are separated by one blank line before and after. Font Do not use stylized fonts for computer formatting. Times New Roman is the most appropriate font. Bold, italics, and underlining Use boldface: When mentioning and defining a specific important concept for the first time A profession is defined as a job performed by people to obtain means to support themselves (Statistični letopis, 2001, p. 83). 2/19

3 To stress an especially important thought or detail Formally, UMAR is a government service whose director is directly accountable to the prime minister. According to the government resolution on the organization and scope of our office, we are ensured professional independence in selecting the methodology for analyses and predictions, and for interpreting the results. To visually separate individual important text elements in lists and descriptions. The data in the index numerator and denominator may differ in terms of the temporal, spatial, or effective definition (Ograjenšek, 2007, p. 12): Temporal definition: a piece of information from 2001 is compared with that from Such comparisons are most frequent in practice. Spatial definition: information on the price of a square meter of residential land in Ljubljana is compared with information on the price of a square meter in Maribor, Celje, Novo Mesto, Nova Gorica, etc. Effective definition: average monthly salary is compared for the commercial and non-commercial sectors. Italicize foreign words (including Latin). Loyalty schemes (Sln. programi zvestobe) have traditionally been conceptualized as a means to prevent consumers from switching to competitors; however, through the rapid development of information and telecommunications technology, the role they play in the process of collecting consumer information and establishing patterns of purchase behavior is becoming their main attraction (Ograjenšek, 2002, p. 1). Avoid the use of underlining. Front and end matter Front matter following the title page includes the following: A declaration of authorship including the name of the advisor and any co-advisor, and any limitations on public access to the work (all of these elements are found on the back of the inside title page); Separate tables of contents, tables, figures, and appendixes. Other types of front and end matter (e.g., errata, dedications, statements, acknowledgements, information on scholarship providers, information on members of the defense committee for the written work, the author s CV, etc.) are not permitted by the rules on writing written works at the University of Ljubljana s Faculty of Economics and are therefore not included here. Page numbering Page numbers should be centered at the page bottom. Begin numbering the initial front matter pages with the table of contents and lists. Assign the first page of 3/19

4 the table of contents the Roman numeral i; also use Roman numerals to consecutively number any lists of tables, figures, and appendixes. Start using consecutive Arabic numerals on the first page of the Introduction, and stop on the last page of the reference list. Also use Arabic numerals to number the appendixes, restarting the numbering from the beginning (i.e., from 1 onwards). Note: To avoid redundant half-empty pages, the text must run continuously from the Introduction to the Conclusion; in addition, the text and appendixes appear on both sides of the pages. If the work is extensive (e.g., a doctoral dissertation), individual sections can begin on a separate page to ensure that logically complete thematic sections are appropriately separated from one another in terms of layout. Numbering sections Do not number the Introduction, Conclusion, or Reference List. Introduction 1. Theoretical Premises for Examining the Phenomenon Studied 2. Company Presentation 3. Empirical Project Design Conclusion Reference List The same font must be used for the headings Introduction, Conclusion, and level-one headings. Number main-text sections and subsections using Arabic numerals using decimal style (note: do not place a final dot after any section number at any heading level). To make the format clearer and easier to read, use various font sizes (generally usually not larger than 14 pt) and capitalization format for various levels of headings. 2 LOYALTY SCHEME TYPES 2.1 Overview of Existing Types Types according to Hopf Characteristics of Hopf s types Note: The heading and subheading hierarchy must also be distinguished from the design of the Table of Contents. 4/19

5 Numbering levels To make the layout of the written work uniform, before you begin to write decide how many hierarchical levels you will use (usually no more than two are needed) and how you will format them. Regardless of what combination you choose (e.g., numbering for the first level and n-dashes for the second, or bullets for the first level and n-dashes for the second), use it consistently throughout the text. Numbers In general, use figures for numbers 10 and above and words for numbers below 10. Use figures for numbers below 10 if they are grouped with or compared to 10 and above (e.g., 6 of 23 companies), numbers before units of measure (e.g., 3 cm, 3 years), numbers used mathematically (e.g., 3%, the 3rd quartile, multiplied by 4), and numbers in series (e.g., Table 2, page 5). Use words for numbers that begin a sentence or heading, and for fractions (e.g., one fifth). Tables and figures Create the tables and figures (figures include photos, sketches, graphs, and so on) on your own (scanned tables and figures from other materials are not desired) and incorporate them into the text without disturbing its logical flow. These usually follow the paragraph that refers to them, creating the necessary referential connection. Table titles use headline-style capitalization. The first letter of each column heading should be capitalized. The numbers in all the rows should be logically (right-) aligned: the decimal dots and thousands separators (commas) in individual cells of the same column must line up. Unlike the rest of the text, center-align tables and figures. Table 5 shows the changes in the survey-based unemployment rate in Slovenia for the second quarter (both the total rate and the rates calculated separately for men and women) from 2002 to Table 5. Survey-Based Unemployment Rate* in Slovenia for the Second Quarter, Survey-based unemployment rate in % (men) Survey-based unemployment rate in % (women) Survey-based Year unemployment rate in % Note. * The survey-based unemployment rate is calculated using the ILO methodology ( Source: 2007 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Slovenia, Table If the table or figure is based on two or more sources, separate them with a semicolon. 5/19

6 Source: 2007 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Slovenia, Table 12.13; 2008 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Slovenia, Table If possible, print the table on one page. If the table is too large and must be broken up to fit onto two or more pages, write (table continues) in the bottom right corner of each page, and (continued) in the upper left corner of the next page. Print the entire table heading again on each page, numbering individual columns if necessary. Place table and figure titles above the tables and figures, consecutively numbering tables and figures separately. s Table Sex and Age Structure of Slovenian Owners of the Visa Classic Card Figure 1. Graphic Representation of the 2003 Sex Structure of Slovenian Owners of the Visa Classic Card MS Word enables automatic consecutive numbering of tables and figures, and automatic modification of the numbering sequence of tables and figures by using two simple commands: Insert/Caption and Insert/Cross-reference. Add a note (if needed; see example on previous page, with left alignment) and source (center alignment) under the table or figure. When citing the source it is not sufficient to cite only the author s last name, year, and page number; the work s title must also be cited. For online organization websites, cite the same website address as included in the reference list and the year (referring to the date on which the document was retrieved). s Source: M. Bruhn, Qualitätsmanagement für Dienstleistungen, 2004, p Source: Statistični letopis Republike Slovenije 2001, p. 292, Table Source: Prebivalstvo Slovenije po starostnih skupinah in spolu v letu 2008, 2009.* In this case, include the following in the reference list: Prebivalstvo Slovenije po starostnih skupinah in spolu v letu 2008 [Slovenian Population by Age Group and Sex in 2008]. Retrieved May 16, 2009, from Source: M Kariera zaposlitveni portal, In this case, include the following in the reference list: M Kariera Zaposlitveni portal [M career Employment portal]. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from If you create the table or figure yourself, do not cite a source. 6/19

7 Equations and formulas Write equations and formulas in italics outside the main text in independent lines. Use center alignment and number individual equation or formula consecutively. Refer to equations and formulas in the text by using their numbers in parentheses. Industrial production index Productivity index = (5) Employee index As equation (5) shows, the productivity index can be calculated by dividing the industrial production index by the employee index. Length The rules on individual types of works specify the permitted number of pages (see Table 1). Work Table 1. Permitted Length for Types of Works Permitted number of pages Business School final paper School of Business and Economics final paper Undergraduate thesis in the Economics program Undergraduate theses submitted for the Prešeren Award for at least 45 University of Ljubljana students Specialist thesis Bologna master s thesis Pre-Bologna master s thesis Doctoral dissertation 120 or more In exceptional cases, it is possible to exceed the permitted length of the final paper or thesis, but only with written permission from the advisor. Appendixes Appendixes usually consist of the following: An extensive summary of the basic findings in Slovenian (if the work is not written in Slovenian) A list of frequently used abbreviations A terminological glossary Extensive tables and figures Questionnaires used Computer data-processing printouts Subject indexes Other material 7/19

8 Consult your advisor on the appropriateness of using appendixes, their scope, and form; otherwise the length of the final paper or thesis may exceed reasonable limits. Separate the appendixes from the rest of the text with a separate page labeled Appendixes. Insert the Table of Appendixes after this page. Letter each appendix and give it an appropriate heading. Appendix A: List of Abbreviations Appendix B: Organizational Structure of Merkur d.d. Appendix C: Results of Consumer Data Processing Using the SPSS Analytical Software Package 3. Reference list A uniform list of references is a component part of any written work. Compile it from the beginning simultaneously with the text and in line with these guidelines, which follow the APA system for references. The reference list should include all of the works in print or online that are directly quoted or rephrased in the text. Do not include works you have read but do not quote directly or rephrase within the text in the reference list. The reference list follows the conclusion. List several works by the same author chronologically, starting with the earliest. When an author appears both as a sole author and, in another citation, as the first author of a group, list the single-author entries first. If two works by the same author are published in the same year, assign the suffix a to the publication year of the first work (e.g., 1998a) and b to the publication year of the second work (e.g., 1998b). Please note that last names containing van, von, de, and so on should be alphabetized accordingly: de Malloy under D, von Helmholtz and von Braun under V. Ignore articles (i.e., a, the) at the beginning of work titles when organizing works alphabetically. Use capital letters in foreign titles according to the rules of the language of origin. Italicize all titles of books, newspapers, journals, and volumes in which the articles cited in the written work were published. As a rule, use the following bibliographic details for single-volume works (i.e., books, treatises, research reports, brochures, textbooks, course packets, doctoral dissertations, master s, specialist, and undergraduate theses, etc.): Last name and initial of the author/authors or editor/editors (if you do not have this information, list the work s title alphabetically). Year of publication; if no year is given, use the abbreviation n.d. which stands for no date. Title of work (in italics). Edition (if given). Place of publication as given in the original document. If there are several places, only use the first one; if no place is given, use the abbreviation s.l. (sine loco). 8/19

9 Publisher (if there are several, only use the first one). List the following for newspaper and journal articles, and papers in collected volumes: Last name and initial of the author/authors. Year of publication. Title of the article. Title of the newspaper, journal, or volume in which the paper was published (in italics). For volumes, also the place of publication and publisher/publishers. Year and volume number (if labeled on the publication). Issue number (with newspapers and journals), and date with newspapers (e.g., Delo or Večer). Pagination. A selection of the basic APA solutions for listing bibliographic references is presented below; this will be supplemented on an ongoing basis according to students needs. Single-author book Kotler, P. (1994). Marketing management (8th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Blanc, I. (2003). Ravnanje projektov uvajanja novih izdelkov s primerov podjetja Žito Gorenjka [Managing projects to introduce new products. The case of the company Žito Gorenjka] Unpublished master s thesis, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Economics, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Book by two authors Ograjenšek, I., & Bavdaž, M. (2002). Primeri rešenih nalog iz ekonomske in poslovne statistike [s of problems with solutions in economics and business statistics]. Ljubljana: Ekonomska fakulteta. Book by three or more authors Lipičnik, B., Pučko, D., & Rozman, R. (1992). Ekonomika in organizacija podjetja [Economics and company organization]. Ljubljana: Ekonomska fakulteta. Several works by the same author in the same year Gregson, P. D. (2004a). Financial management. London: Consult. Gregson, P. D. (2004b). Advanced financial management. London: Consult. 9/19

10 Book chapter Capra, F. (1983). The systems view of life. In The turning point: science, society and the rising culture (pp ). London: Fontana Press. Chapter in an edited book Ograjenšek, I. (2008). Service quality. In S. Coleman, T. Greenfield, D. Stewardson & D. C. Montgomery (Eds.), Statistical practice in business and industry (pp ). Chichester, UK: Wiley. Journal article Prašnikar, J., Cirman, A., & Domadenik, P. (2001). Investment activities of Slovenian companies in the countries of former Yugoslavia. Economic and Business Review, 3(2), Note: The number 3 refers to the volume, and the number 2 refers to the issue of the journal. Note that both the title of the journal and the volume number are italicized. Klančnik, R.V. (2008). Vinski turizem po svetu [Wine tourism throughout the world]. Lipov list, 12(9/10), Note: The numbers in parentheses indicate that this issue of Lipov list is a double issue. Črnigoj, M., & Mramor, D. (in press). Determinants of capital structure in emerging European economies: Evidence from Slovenian firms. Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 45(1). Note: This article has not yet been published, but has been accepted for publication. Newspaper article Šoštarič, M. (2008, January 22). Slovenija prvič o kmetijstvu EU, doma pa težave s plačili [Slovenia first on EU agriculture, but payment difficulties at home]. Delo, pp. 1 and 3. Article in conference proceedings Mramor, D. (1991). Vpliv uvedbe borze vrednostnih papirjev na strukturo naložb podjetij [Effects of introducing a stock exchange on the structure of company investments]. Zbornik XXII. Simpozija o sodobnih metodah v računovodstvu in poslovnih financah (pp ). Portorož: Društvo ekonomistov Slovenije. 10/19

11 Article from an online periodical Ograjenšek, I. (2006, October 10). Programi zvestobe in varstvo osebnih podatkov porabnikov [Loyalty schemes and safeguarding user s personal information]. E-revir. Retrieved January 31, 2008, from Web document with a known author Bush, G. (1989, April 12). Principles of ethical conduct for government officers and employees. Executive Order No Pt. 1. Retrieved November 18, 1997, from html Publications by organizations (printed or posted online) Commission of European Communities (2006, February 8). Report on the Operation of Transitional Arrangements Laid Down in the 2003 Accession Treaty (from 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2006). Commission communication to the European Council, European Parliament, the European Economic and Social committee, and the Committee of the Regions. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities, Merkur d.d. (2007). Letno poročilo podjetja Merkur d.d. [Annual Report of Merkur d.d.]. Kranj: Merkur d.d. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. (2007). Statistični letopis Republike Slovenije 2007 [2007 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Slovenia]. Ljubljana: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. (2008). Prebivalstvo, Slovenija, 30. junij 2007 [Population, Slovenia, 30 June 2007]. Statistical Information. (No. 1, 9 January 2008). Ljubljana: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. (n.d.). Standardna klasifikacija dejavnosti 2002 [2002 Standard Classification of Activities]. Retrieved August 29, 2008, from cvn=1891 Note: The abbreviation n.d. in the last example stands for no date. Websites of organizations, associations, individuals, etc. M Kariera Zaposlitveni portal [M career Employment portal]. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from mercator.si/kariera Kdaj je uporaba avtorskih del prosta? [When is the use of copyrighted material free?]. Retrieved October 22, 2008, from 11/19

12 Internal publications of organizations Merkur d.d. (2008). Sistemizacija delovnih mest v podjetju Merkur d.d. [Job Classification at Merkur d.d.] (internal publication). Kranj: Merkur d.d. Online databases, encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc. Economics. (n.d.) In Encyclopædia Britannica online. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from Poslovna aplikacija [Business application]. (n.d.) In islovar. Retrieved January 12, 2009, from Television or radio broadcast Šterbucl, S. (Editor). (2008, January 31). Dnevnik [Television broadcast]. Ljubljana: RTV Slovenija. Note: the APA system requires the last name and initial of the producer or executive producer to be listed. Because only information on the editor or editor-in-chief is available in Slovenia, this guideline has been adjusted accordingly. CDs, video- and audiotapes, etc. Bergmann, P.G. (2006). Relativity. In The Encyclopaedia Britannica [CD]. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica. Lipičnik, B. (2004). Ravnanje z ljudmi pri delu. Skripta in vodnik po predmetu Človeški viri in ravnanje z njimi [Managing people at work. Course packet and guide for the class Human resources and management] [CD]. Ljubljana: Ekonomska fakulteta. Legislation Zakon o gospodarskih družbah [Companies Act]. Uradni list RS [Official Gazette of the RS] no. 42/2006, 60/2006 popr., 26/2007-ZSDU-B, 33/2007-ZSReg-B, 67/2007-ZTFI (100/2007 popr.), 10/2008, 68/2008, 23/2009; Odl. US: U-I-268/ Zakon o sodnem registru [Legal Register Act]. Uradni list RS [Official Gazette of the RS] no. 54/2007- UPB2, 65/2008. Obligacijski zakonik [Obligation Act]. Uradni list RS [Official Gazette of the RS] no. 97/2007-UPB1. 12/19

13 4. Language and writing style Basic requirements and guidelines The third-person point of view is generally used. Observe English grammatical and stylistic rules. Avoid the use of foreign words whenever possible. (For works written in Slovenian, it is often necessary to translate technical terms independently, especially when dealing with a new technical field of study or area of expertise that has not been yet appropriately treated in Slovenian literature. However, there are specialist dictionaries or translations of basic reference works available for many fields of study; more information and online links are available at the Written Works (Zaključne naloge) page on the Študent-Net website). In literary works, writers seek to make an impression by using a personal and idiosyncratic style of writing. This is avoided in professional texts. The same applies to excessive emotional outbursts and empirically unjustified evaluations typical of tabloid style. Keep a clear mind and critical distance for the issues addressed (identifying with the subject studied can quickly lead to bias). Avoid phrases such as as known, everybody agrees, everybody knows, and so on, as well as the use of passive form (e.g., it is concluded, it is analyzed, it is obtained, etc.). Write the text consistently in the present tense ( this demonstrates, this tests, this shows, this describes and not this has shown, this will test, etc.). Use identical expressions for the same items (e.g., companies must remain companies at all times; do not use companies and then randomly switch to organizations and corporations ). Failing to follow English grammatical and style rules may cause problems in communication with the advisor and even a rejection of the written work (at all levels, evaluators have the right to reject a work due to technical and linguistic flaws). You are therefore recommended to thoroughly consult with your advisor before submitting work for evaluation. The basic writing guidelines include clarity, comprehensibility, and conciseness. Lack of clarity is usually the result of unorganized ideas in the writer s head. Using overly long descriptions (verbosity) is uneconomical and time-consuming for both the writer and the reader; in addition, it often completely obscures the basic message. Abbreviations When writing about economics and business, it is almost impossible to avoid the use of abbreviations, although this is a double-edged sword from the stylistic point of view: Using too many abbreviations renders the text incomprehensible or makes it comprehensible only to a small group of experts. SURS, UMAR, BS, and SKEP are only some of the institutions in Slovenia that publish annual inflation rate assessments calculated on the basis of the CPI on a regular basis. If you do not use abbreviations, this makes individual sentences or even entire paragraphs unclear and too long. In addition to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, some other state institutions prepare annual inflation rate assessments based on the Consumer Price Index; these include the Office of 13/19

14 Macroeconomic Analysis and Development and the Bank of Slovenia. The Office of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development usually publishes these assessments in its Spring Report and Fall Report. Both publications are highly valued among professionals. In addition to these two institutions, the Office of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development also publishes a series of other works. A systematic overview of these is available at the website of the Office of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development. Overdoing it one way or the other is therefore not good; you must find a good balance. Sometimes you can replace the abbreviations with logical short forms of official terms or names. The Office of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (hereinafter: the Office) issues two publications that are highly valued among the professionals: the Spring Report and Fall Report. Naturally this is not possible if two institutions are mentioned in the same sentence and the short form Office could refer to both. In addition to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, certain other state institutions prepare annual inflation rate assessments; for example, the Office of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development. In this case, the use of abbreviations makes more sense; it can be assumed that the general Slovenian public knows many such abbreviations (MNZ, SURS, etc.) from the daily press. In explaining the meaning of abbreviations there are two options: Explain the meaning of an individual abbreviation where it first appears in the text. The publications issued regularly by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (hereinafter: SURS) include the Statistical Yearbook, the Monthly Statistical Overview, and Statistical Information. Explain the meaning of an individual abbreviation in a footnote when it first appears in the text (in practice, this option is avoided at the Faculty of Economics). The publications issued regularly by SURS 1 include the Statistical Yearbook, the Monthly Statistical Overview, and Statistical Information. 1 SURS stands for Statistični urad Republike Slovenije (Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia) If you use many abbreviations in the text, it is advisable to prepare a list of abbreviations with explanations, which can serve as an independent appendix to the written work. 5. Citing and copying (plagiarism) There is often a fine line between citation and plagiarism in written works, which students at all levels sometimes also find very difficult to understand. Instead of using their creativity to improve their personal research, they express this creativity by finding (and sometimes even buying) ready-made term papers that 14/19

15 were submitted and evaluated at their faculty or related institutions, or even works written by students at higher levels. There is no excuse for this activity. The same is true for word-for-word copying of works by other authors without citing the source; this is a clear example of plagiarism that is, stealing the intellectual property of another person, for which appropriate sanctions for individual program levels are defined by the applicable rules. In written works you must clearly and unambiguously distinguish your own text (i.e., thoughts, findings, ideas, data, illustrations, etc.) from that of another person or from other people s findings, data, illustrations, and so on. There are two options: 1. Logically summarize another person s text, findings, data, and illustrations in your own words when you cite the source. In this, you can use one of the following methods: Make a reference to the author s last name within the text and insert the year and (for ease of location) page number in parentheses (otherwise, APA does not require page references for nonquotations). This rule also applies when the work cited has two authors. If you cite a work by three, four, or five authors, list the last names of all the authors the first time you cite the work. In subsequent citations, only use the first author s last name followed by the Latin abbreviation et al. (et alii and others ), rather than listing the last names of all the authors. If you refer to a work by six or more authors, only use the first author s last name even when you first cite the work and add the Latin abbreviation et al. s Eco (2003, p. 46) believes that, ideally, the topic and advisor are chosen towards the end of the second year because at that time one is already familiar with what individual technical courses cover. According to Ograjenšek and Bisgaard (1999, p. 2), service quality is an important source of long-term competitive advantages for companies. Beauregard, Mikulak, & Olson (1992, pp. 9 13) present the articles of the leading authors on comprehensive quality management in greater detail.... This claim can thus be substantiated by the considerations of Beauregard et al. (1992, p. 35). If your reference list includes several works by the same author(s) in the same year, use lower-case letters (a, b, c) with the year to order the entries in the reference list. The following example refers to a situation in which three works by Umberto Eco published in 2003 are included in the reference list, in which the work cited comes second in the list. According to Eco (2003b, p. 46), ideally the topic and advisor are chosen towards the end of the second year because at that time one is already familiar with what individual technical courses cover. If you cite works by two authors with the same last name, also use their initials within the text. J. Smith (2003) and F. W. Smith (2005) believe that the process of writing a thesis is extremely exhausting. 15/19

16 If you do not refer to the author in the text, use the author s last name, the year, and page in parentheses at the end of cited text. Also follow this rule when citing two works or more than two authors. s Ideally, the topic and advisor are chosen towards the end of the second year because at that time one is already familiar with what individual technical courses cover (Eco, 2003, p. 46). Service quality is an important source of long-term competitive advantages for companies (Ograjenšek & Bisgaard, 1999, p. 2). The goal of any company must be to understand, control, and reduce product and process variability (Beauregard et al., 1992, p. 35). Note: When using the last names of two authors within the text, use the word and between the authors names: Ograjenšek and Bisgaard believe However, when you use their last names in parentheses, use the ampersand between the names instead (see the example above). Also follow this rule when referring to the last names of three, four, or five authors if they are only mentioned once within the text (if they are mentioned more than once, use only the first author s last name and the Latin abbreviation et al. in all subsequent citations). If you cite two or more publications in the same sentence or paragraph, order the relevant bibliographic references in parentheses the same way they appear in the reference list, separated by a semicolon. Ongoing study is the driving force that enables an organization in a restless and unsteady business environment to remain adaptable and flexible (Sorenson, 2003; Tucker et al., 2007). 2. If you quote another person s text word for word, you must use quotation marks; in this case, the text must be completely identical to the original and a page reference is required. If italics are used in the original, you must use them as well. If you omit a few words or sentences when citing a text, indicate this with ellipsis points. Do not use direct quotations in each paragraph because the written work must not turn into a collage of direct quotations from various works. Eco (2003, p. 46) says the following: I believe that ideally, you choose the topic (and the advisor) towards the end of the second year of your studies. At that point you are already familiar with various courses and... the situation in those courses, in which you have not yet passed your exams. For lists, cite the author within the accompanying text rather than in the last indent. Also follow this rule for listing works by two or more authors. of incorrect citation Potočnik distinguishes between the following: Desired product quality that is, properties that the buyer can evaluate before the purchase; Experiential product quality that is, properties that the buyer can evaluate only after the purchase or while using the product (2000, p. 161). 16/19

17 of correct citation Potočnik (2000, p. 161) distinguishes between the following: Desired product quality that is, properties that the buyer can evaluate before the purchase; Experiential product quality that is, properties that the buyer can evaluate only after the purchase or while using the product. Final papers, theses, and dissertations by others can be used as references only if you cite the original findings (e.g., findings of empirical studies). On no account can you use such works as a basis for your own critical literature review. If possible, avoid using secondary sources and try to find the primary source instead that is, the cited author s original work. If it is not possible to cite primary sources, follow the example below (note that Kotler s work is so well known that citing the secondary source is completely unacceptable in this case). of citing a secondary source Kotler (in Mohr, Webb, & Harris, 2001, p. 47) defines social responsibility as a systematic action of an institution towards maintaining and improving the welfare of consumers and society in general. Citing bibliographic references in footnotes is explained below. Note once more that the Faculty of Economics avoids the use of documentary footnotes containing bibliographic references. In citing electronic works by known authors, the same rules apply as for citing print sources. Because the pages in electronic books and articles are usually numbered, you can also refer to the specific page within your text. The issue of organizations as authors or corporate authorship occurs both in using printed publications and in citing electronic sources. These include: Legislation (for details on how to deal with the complicated system of Slovenian different versions of the same act see the Slovenian version of these guidelines). A selected organization s websites: An overview of points of sale is available at Mercator s website (Prodajna mesta, 2008). The company s website also provides access to Mercator s employment portal (M Kariera Zaposlitveni portal, 2009). Both interviews and surveys are classified as methods of primary data collection. To refer to information obtained through interviews and/or surveys within the text, either quote the answers from the interviews and surveys directly using quotation marks or summarize them. Include longer summaries or even full transcriptions (of records) in appendixes; these need not be included in the reference list. 17/19

18 6. Notes There are three types of notes: Documentary notes, which represent bibliographic references to the source from which the text or a thought is taken; the Faculty of Economics avoids these consistently; 1 Umberto Eco, Kako napišemo diplomsko nalogo [How to write a thesis, transl. of Come si fa una tesi di laurea]. Ljubljana: Vale-Novak, p. Explanatory notes, which define a technical term, explain an abbreviation, or refer the reader to one of the following sections of the work, and so on; s 1 Hagan (1994, p. 21) defines marketing specification as the starting point for planning and developing a new product and preparing the production specification. 2 SURS stands for Statistični urad Republike Slovenije (Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia). 3 This issue is discussed in greater detail in section three. Comparative notes, which refer the reader to other sources that discuss the selected issue. In literature one can find a number of alternative approaches to evaluating and selecting suppliers. They could be commonly referred to as rating models. By using them, a series of various performance indicators can be combined into a single performance score. 1 1 The basic problem connected with rating models is the subjectivity in both selecting the evaluation criteria and the evaluation itself, which is why various authors (cf. Roodhooft & Konings, 1997, pp ) propose more objective methods of evaluating suppliers; however, a more detailed presentation of these proposals exceeds the framework of this master s thesis. Although modern word processing programs enable easy insertion of notes either below the line on an individual page (footnotes) or at the end of the text (endnotes), the Faculty of Economics tends to avoid the use of endnotes and to reduce the use of footnotes to a minimum. Some instructors even believe that any kind of notes are completely unnecessary. You should include all the important material directly in the main text, and leave out material that is not relevant. Any notes should be footnotes, font size 10, justified alignment. 7. Final editing of the print version and preparation of the electronic version When doing the final editing of the print version and preparing the electronic version, follow the applicable rules referring to the preparation of the outside and inside title page, the binding style, and the number of copies you must submit to the appropriate office. 18/19

19 Additional explanations and guidelines can be found on the Written Works (Zaključne naloge) webpage. Be sure to read the applicable rules before you begin to write! Send any comments, suggestions, and additional examples that could help improve these guidelines to 19/19