Hints and references for the preparation of a seminar paper / bachelor- / master thesis

Transcription

1 Prof. Dr. Jochen Michaelis Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften Fachgebiet Geld, Kredit und Währung Hints and references for the preparation of a seminar paper / bachelor- / master thesis - Elements and sequence: The sequence should be: cover page, contents (index), (if included: list of figures, list of tables, list of abbreviations), text, references, last page is a hand-signed declaration that you composed the work independently by yourself. - Page numbering: The cover page does not carry any page number. Pre-text registers (table of contents, list of tables, figures, etc.) are numbered with capital Roman numerals. Beginning from the Introduction, page numbers are Arabic numerals, starting with the Introduction on page 1. - The cover page: University Kassel, title of topic, title of the class, name of the advisor, your name, , matriculation (enrolment) number, date of submission (In case of a Bachelor or Master thesis, the cover page should be created with regards to the exemplary cover page of the examination office) - Line spacing: 1,5; in footnotes 1-on-1 - Type size: 12, footnotes 10 - Font: times new roman - Margins: top 2cm, bottom 2,5cm, left 3cm, right 2cm - Break: full justification - Pages: Seminar paper (unless differently specified): 12 pages ± 10%, Bachelor thesis: 35 pages ± 10%, Master thesis: 45 pages ± 10%, Counted are only text pages; tables, graphs, references, etc. do not belong to the text. - How to structure the paper? The structure of the paper equals the list of content and has to be created in numerical order, meaning that all bullet points and text pages have to be numbered with Arabic numeral, starting at the first text page with 1. Consider that a main bullet point always has to have at least two sub bullet points. -1-

2 Please avoid a very detailed structure of your content and prepare with regard to the following rule: each bullet point should at least fill one page of text and even more. It is compulsory that the list of contents (index) includes all elements of the paper. Each mentioning in the list of contents has to have page references and all headings and paragraphs have to be listed in identical order within the text -2-

3 - Composition of the paper: The paper starts with an introduction, which introduces the main topic and issues of the following pages. If the author chose to set any priorities within the paper, it is to be mentioned within the introduction. The introduction ends by expressing the following structure of contents of the paper. The length of the introduction is max. one page for seminar papers and max. two pages for a Bachelor and Master thesis. The main part of the paper leaves room for working on the topic of the paper. The paper ends with a conclusion and/or concluding remarks. It should conclude the main outcomes and critically reflect the issue of the paper. The length of the conclusion is max. half a page for seminar papers and one / one and a half pages for a Bachelor and Master thesis. - Citation: Should be Harvard-Style and consistent throughout the paper. For example, the citation is at the end of a sentence or paragraph like (Author Year, page). E.g. (Gali 1999, S.5) or (Gali 1999, 5). External thoughts, notions and ideas have to be marked via citation and references! Missing references and citations are treated as plagiarisms and marked as failed (5.0)! Indirect quotations and analogous reproductions have to be verified through the use of references. Direct quotations should be avoided and have to be marked by quotation marks. They should only be used if not otherwise possible; but if used, obviously and incisively outline the author s intention. Please take for granted that the recipient of the paper has the level of knowledge comparable to a Master in Economics; hence consider that while citing. Accordingly, leave out any ancient wisdom taken from textbooks that can be taken for granted and as common knowledge. An example: You do not have to explain that technological progress ultimately creates new and additional employment while eliminating old employment. - Which literature to use? Appropriate literature is literature with an academic background. That is: articles out of professional journals, collected volumes, academic textbooks. Do not use lexica like Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon, e-lexica and such. They do not reflect appropriate references for citation! - References: All citations have to be sorted in alphabetical order, but only the cited sources. - Quantity of references: Benchmark for the quantity: one source per page. - How to set up the references? Textbooks and the like: Name, prename (Year): Title, poss. circulation, location. Example: Bosch, Karl (2003): Mathematik für Wirtschaftswissenschaftler, 14. Aufl., München. Collected volumes: Name, prename (Year) (Editor): Title, poss. circulation, location. Example: Wille, Eberhard (1999) (Editor.): Entwicklungen und Perspektiven der Sozialversicherung, Baden-Baden. -3-

4 Articles in collected volumes: Name, prename (Year): Title of the essay, in: Prename name of the editor (editor): Title, poss. circulation, location: pages. Example: Phelps, Edmund S. (1997): Wage subsidy programmes: alternative designs, in: Dennis J. Snower und Guillermo de la Dehesa (Hrsg.): Unemployment policy: Government options for the labour market, Cambridge: Journal articles: Name, prename (Year): Title of the essay, in: Title of the journal, Year or Volume (book number): page. Example: Zimmermann, Guido (2002): Steht das US-Leistungsbilanzdefizit vor einer Korrektur?, in: Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftspolitik, 51 (3): Working paper and discussion paper: Name, prename (Year): Title, discussion series, number of the paper. Example: Michaelis, Jochen (2002): Optimal Monetary Policy in the Presence of Pricingto- Market, Volkswirtschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge der Universität Kassel, Nr. 33/02. Internet sources: Name, prename (Year): Title, name the entire URL (date of search). Important: Name the entire URL Example.: Gramlich, Edward M. (2004): Budget and Trade Deficits: Linked, Both Worrisome in the Long Run, but not Twins, ( ). - Example for sources with multiple authors: Name, prename, Prename Name and Prename Name (Year):... Example: Burstein, Ariel T., Joao C. Neves and Sergio Rebelo (2003):... Hence, only insert an and before mentioning the last author, all others are separated through comma. - Example for multiple sources of a single author within one year: Mankiw, Gregory (2000a):... Mankiw, Gregory (2000b): - Figures: Figures have to be tagged with numbers, the title and the source. - Affidavit (insurance that you composed the work independently): Every seminar paper, Bachelor and Master thesis has to have the following document as its last page: I declare that this document has been composed by myself, and describes my own work, unless otherwise acknowledged in the text. All verbatim extracts have been distinguished by quotation marks, and all sources of information have been specifically acknowledged. It has not been accepted in any previous lectures or applications for a degree. Location and date, Signature. -4-

5 - How to hand in the paper? If you hand in a seminar paper, please hand in two printed versions as well as an electronic version (pdf- or word). If handing in a bachelor or master thesis, please comply with the rules and guidelines of the examination office. In case of any questions regarding the formal configuration of your seminar paper, bachelor or master thesis, please always contact your advisor! - Plagiarism: It is worth mentioning that each and every written and handed in paper / thesis at the chair is tested for suspicion of plagiarism with the help of a special software for plagiarism. If a work is identified as a plagiarism, it will be marked with a failed grade (5.0). Please find appropriate literature on how to write academic papers and on how to formally configure them in the following textbooks (unfortunately only in German): Rossig, Wolfram E. und Joachim Prätsch (2005): Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten, 5. Auflage, Bremen. Theisen, Manuel R.: Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten, neueste Auflage, München. (25 Wir AF 5025) Krämer, Walter: Wie schreibe ich eine Seminar- oder Diplomarbeit?, neueste Auflage, Frankfurt/Main u.a. (25 Wis CH 0053) Kassel, November