Information about bachelor/master thesis seminar
Important deadlines
Submission of diploma thesis 26. 4. 2019 (final correct version)!
Submission of bachelor thesis 10. 5. 2019 (final correct version)!
The first meeting of bachelor/diploma seminar
The purpose of the first meeting is to discuss the topic, content and references of your thesis. In order to do so please prepare the following information:
The title of your thesis. The title should correspond with the content of your thesis (you will submit) and with the topic listed at Possible Topics for Bachelor Theses or at Possible Topics for Master Theses. The title should be specific, however, the more specific the title is the more you will be limited in the future during elaboration.
Content of your thesis, i.e. you should specify the headings of three chapters (excluding introduction and conclusion chapters). Usually the first chapter is theoretical and third chapter is application/empirical. The second chapter can be both empirical and practical. The headings have to describe clearly the (future) contents of the chapters (i.e. they have to correspond to the content).
Three references. You should provide three references (books), which you will follow during elaboration of your thesis. It is necessary to select scientific books connected to the topic of the thesis (think about obligatory and recommended literature in the classes). The books should be current, i.e. they definitely cannot be written before year 2000. You do not have to buy the books – you can borrow them in the university library or obtain them from the internet. At Google Books there are plenty of appropriate books, which are accessible online (not the whole book, but much of it). Another source of information is Amazon. Please bring the references (i.e. not the books, just the references to it!) in format required by Guidelines on Principles for Elaboration of Final Theses.
From these information we will create the assignment which will be signed by a dean and head of department. After the submission of the assignment it becomes obligatory for you (i.e. you have to follow this assignment during elaboration of your thesis), thus pay attention to it and think it over carefully. Moreover, I will require you to provide me the contacts: cell phone number (for case of emergency, i.e. postponed meeting, etc.), contact e-mail (i.e. the e-mail you regularly check). Please read also the formal and factual requirements for the thesis! See the link to Guidelines on Principles for Elaboration of Final Theses at Bachelor and Master Theses. If you have any doubts or questions we can discuss them during seminar.
Consultations during your writings of the thesis
Always schedule the consultation by e-mail in advance. In the e-mail specify what you want to consult and propose date and time of meeting (propose few options which fits you). If you want me to check the text of your thesis, you must send it to me by e-mail in electronic form and deliver it also printed. I will correct the printed version, which will take me some time, then we can meet and discuss the errors and my recommendations. Moreover, send me also the file with calculations (probably the Excel file) by e-mail. Note that to read your thesis it will take me some time – if I am free and the text is short it takes me few days, but note that if I am not free or the text is long (the whole thesis) it can take me even few weeks!
You are also responsible for the language correctness of your text. If the text is not readable or written by poor English, I cannot read it and I will return it to you back as an unread!
Some general advises
The e-mail to a teacher is formal communication and should always contain: salutation, body and closing. See this link for explanation and helpful advises and this picture for the example how not to write an e-mail. Of course, there must be specified subject line! Moreover, it is polite to include the previous conversation in the e-mail. Thus do not write a new email, but reply to the previous conversation. The new text is written at the top of the e-mail, while below is the previous conversation.
Before asking a question always consult your question with Google, Wikipedia etc. For example: before asking what is consolidated financial statement you can ask Google. I have no time to explain you everything and you are supposed to work independently. Thus, first try to get the answer and only after that ask (if you are not able to get the answer). Don’t be lazy!
Put all the financial statements and all your computations in one excel file (spreadsheet/workbook). In this file there can be multiple sheets, for instance, in the first sheet you can put all the financial statements, in the second you compute vertical and horizontal analyses and in the third the ratio analysis, etc. However, the best practice is to put everything in one sheet, so it is easier to check the links.
You should calculate all the items, which are the sum of other items, as an equation in excel. (e.g. the total assets is the sum of all assets or non-current assets plus current assets) write all the computations as the formulas referencing to the correct cells in the correct sheet. Only by this way I can check your computations. I am not going to calculate it myself and then check the results.
Some more specific advises
Do not start the sentence with variables! For instance: "r stands for returns." should be replaced for "Variable r stands for returns".
Do not start the sentence with number or quotation marks!
All variables must be in italics.
Each English sentence has to have subject and verb! See e.g. http://www.really-learn-english.com/sentence-structure.html. This rule is really important.
Do not use the following words and phrases in your thesis: some; of course; can be; as everyone knows; well,...; . Use them only when it is really necessary.
Do not write in future tense in your thesis, e.g. do not use will. Write the whole thesis in presence tense.
Equations must be written in Equation editor or MathType. Equations mus be numbered and they must be part of the sentence. See some common errors and their corrections in the file wrong equaitons below.
Each table and its caption and source must fit in one page, you cannot divide the table to two pages. The same holds for figures and charts.
Write shorter sentences. It will make your text easier to understand even if there are typos and grammar issues.
After each comma (",") or dot (".") you write a space (" "). Not before them.
Variablerare returns .We can distinguish profit ,loss or zero change.Variable r are returns. We can distinguish profit, loss or zero change.
Checklist (not only) before the submission
You are supposed to submit the printed thesis in two pieces. In one piece there is an assignment with original signatures. In the second piece there is the photocopied assignment.
The thesis must be also uploaded into Edison. The format of the file must be PDF/A and there have to be all the signatures (assignment, declaration of independent elaboration, declaration of utilization of results). You can insert them as the picture.
The printed and electronic version must be completely the same. Check the formulas/equations!
The numbering of the pages starts at the contents page, which is page 3!
The last numbered page is the List of abbreviations.
Annexes are numbered separately, i.e. each annex starts with the page 1. List of the Annexes is not numbered.
Bibliography is alphabetically sorted.
There are all references or citations from the text of the thesis listed in the bibliography. Each item listed in the Bibliography is utilized (cited or referenced) in the text of the thesis. You can google the difference between citations and references.
The format of items in bibliography is in line with the guidelines.
The goal of the thesis is explicitly stated in the introduction chapter and is fulfilled.