Stockholm Business School

Stockholm University
Autumn 2017

Study Guide Bachelors Degree Thesis in Business

Administration, 15 hec

Introduction
When writing a bachelor thesis, you need first of all an idea about something that you believe
would be worth studying. Then you need an empirical phenomenon that from a certain point of
view may be considered problematic. And finally you must find a field of research where scholars
have explored matters that in some sense or another relate to the idea and problem you intend to
study. Using your idea and empirical interest as a starting-point, you begin acquainting yourself
with such previous studies. The purpose of linking your study with prior research is to define the
theoretical context and scholarly framework within which it should be understood, and to provide
a set of theoretical tools with which you may both formulate and study a problem, as well as
analysing the material you manage to dig up by your empirical research.

A problematisation is scientifically relevant to the extent that it is well linked to prior research
within a particular research field. This is the reason why it is so important to read up on the
research made within the field, which relates to the issue to be studied. It is on the basis of the
reading of prior research (mainly articles in peer-reviewed academic journals; but also
dissertations and other research-based literature) and the connections you make between these
readings and the empirical practice you intend to study, that you formulate your thesis
problematisation. A scholarly problem is thus not formulated directly on the basis of a practical
problem, entirely independent from the theory or research on the area, but is rather the result of
an interconnection between a practical problem and relevant, adequate research or theory.

To start your thesis work, you begin with obtaining and reading scholarly articles related to the
research problem that you are interested in. This way you will gain an understanding of what has
been done within relevant parts of the field. When you find that you have a good understanding of
the current state of knowledge who has written about what and why, what has been discussed,
debated, what conclusions have been made, which are the dominant theories, what kind of studies
have been made (qualitative / quantitative) et cetera then you begin writing about it. The text
you produce at this stage will later be the literature review part of your thesis. When writing your
literature review, remember to never lose the connection to the problem you intend to study,
since it is the problem, how it is worded, that determines which parts of the theory or previous
research to be treated in your literature review.

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Your literature review should also include a review of the theoretical toolbox you intend to use
when you analyse the empirical data, the empirical results of the business practice on which you
base your essay, namely, the material data, interviews, statistics et cetera you collected to
further study the more practical aspects of the problem. These analytical tools consist, in other
words, of those parts of previous research that are suitable to describe, analyse, and (critically)
evaluate the data from your empirical study in relation to the problem you have formulated.

The aim of all research is to produce new knowledge, to contribute to the field of research and/or
problem area being studies. A bachelor thesis focuses on the latter, to make a knowledge
contribution to the problem area being studied, and in particular on the scientific approach and
methodology on the basis of which such theoretical contributions are produced. Your focus is in
other words as much on the knowledge contribution, the actual research results, as on how
scholars think, reason and go about to produce this knowledge.

For your thesis project, this means that, for example, you can take on a problem that a company
or an organisation is struggling with, trying to come up with a solution or to reason about how to
behave in order to overcome a problem as long as you ground the thesis problem, the research
question the thesis poses, in previous research within your area of interest and analyse the
empirical data you collected and studied with theories borrowed from this earlier research. You
then finish the thesis by trying to link the results of your own empirical study with the previous
research, in order to address the problem, the research question and the purpose you have
formulated for your thesis.

About the course outline

The course outline consists of five sections. AC make up the formal instructions of the course.
Section D contains instructions for the thesis idea paper, the preparatory assignments and review
assignments that are included in the course, as well as for thesis structure and content. Included
is also a recommended word count for the different sections and chapters of the thesis. Section E
provides miscellaneous information.

A. General information
Course content
The distinctive feature of a bachelor thesis is its focus on the theory of science and within a
particular subject area.

The Bachelors Degree Thesis course consists of the following main components:
- theoretical and empirical studies within the field of business administration
- studies of research method and the philosophy of social science
- writing and presentation of preparatory assignments, peer review reports and bachelors
thesis

Intended learning outcomes

The overall aim of the course is for the student to practice thinking, working and writing
scientifically as well as to practice applying theoretical concepts and perspectives to a problem
grounded in previous research.

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Intended Learning Outcomes

The overall aim of the course is for the student to practice thinking, working and writing
scientifically as well as to practice applying theoretical and methodological concepts and
perspectives to a problem grounded in previous research.
The intended learning outcomes are based on the requirements on knowledge, skills and
approach drawn up for the Bachelors Degree in the System of Qualifications of the Higher
Education Ordinance, supplement 2.
After completion of the bachelors thesis, the student should be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

1. Independently develop and formulate a problem firmly rooted in previous research
within the main field of the study.

Competence and Skill

2. Critically discuss, evaluate and apply theories and concepts to a literature review, to the
problematisation process and to the analysis of empirical data.
3. Discuss, account for and state the reasons for the choice of research approach and
research method.
4. Demonstrate accuracy and rigor in terms of scientific akribi, academic formalities and
specified time frames.

Judgement and Approach

5. Make a serious attempt to produce a theoretically and empirically grounded contribution

to knowledge.

6. Evaluate ones own work and its contribution to knowledge with respect to scientific,
societal and ethical aspects.

Course structure
Workload
The course consists of workshops, seminars, individual tutorials and a significant portion of self-
study on the part of students. Assessment for the course will be continuous and carried
throughout the different activities of the course.

The course workload comprises 400 hours equivalent to 15 ECTS (40 hours per week equivalent
to 1,5 ECTS).

Lectures, seminars, workshops and individual supervisory sessions

1. Inspirational subject-introductory lecture designed to provide you with ideas for potential
and relevant thesis projects. The lecture is organised and given by each section/sub-topic:

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 Management, Marketing, Accounting or Finance. See the schedule on the courses
webpage.

2. Workshop: Problematisation

3. Lecture: Get started , Academic Writing Service

4. Upload your thesis idea paper to FastReg/Forum, on the specified location defined by
each sub-topic/section: Management, Marketing, Accounting or Finance.

5. Course introduction. A first meeting with your supervisor. Information about course
structure and schedule. Participants present their thesis idea papers. Problem discussion.

6. Tutorial: Problematisation. You and your supervisor discuss the problem you have
formulated as well as ways to study it theoretically, empirically and methodologically; as
well as how to formulate an appropriate aim or purpose and make a knowledge
contribution.

7. Lecture: How to use sources, Academic Writing Service.

8. Workshop: Literature study and theoretical framework. A workshop on how to write a

literature review; and how to account for concepts/theories/theoretical tools/models
which are used to analyse your empirical data.

9. Workshop: Methodology and analysis. A workshop on how to design an empirical study

and how to account for the method used when producing/gathering the required data.

10. Midway seminar. You and your peers review each others midway reports.

11. Tutorial: Midway discussion. The supervisor provides feed-back on the draft you
presented at the midway seminar. You discuss the introductory chapter, the literature
review and your empirical study (from a practical, methodological and author
perspective).

12. Workshop: Data analysis, conclusions and knowledge contribution. Workshop on how, on
the basis of the thesis analytical parts, you should do to draw conclusions; and produce
the thesiss contribution to knowledge.
13. Final seminar. You and your peers review each others final drafts.

14. Tutorial. The supervisor provides feed-back on the draft you presented at the final
seminar. Together you make the final decisions about the remaining work to be done on
the thesis as well as make sure that you are ready for the upcoming examination.

Preparatory assignments, individual reviews and verbal reviews

In addition to writing your thesis, you will complete four preparatory assignments, 2 individual
review assignments and two verbally presented review assignment (detailed instructions are
provided in section D). All assignments are uploaded to FastReg/Forum.

Preparatory assignments (one assignment per thesis group is to be handed in)

1. Thesis idea paper. A first attempt to formulate the focus and idea of the thesis. A
predefined form to be filled out can be downloaded from the course website.

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 2. Problematisation. A paper that more specifically defines what the thesis will be about
(problem) and why (aim) as well as what you hope to achieve with your study (research
contribution).

3. A midway report including an introductory chapter, literature review and a chapter on

methodology (the mentioned chapters should be nearly finalised).

4. A final draft should be a nearly finalised thesis.

Individual review assignments (one assignment per student should be handed in)
1. Review of another students midway report.

2. Review of another students final draft.

Verbal review (one review per thesis group, based on the individual reviews)
1. Verbal review of another students midway report.

2. Verbal review of another students final draft.

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Planning Schedule
For an overview of how the course is planned in regards to seminar, supervision and writing
activities, a course overview is presented below. Please note however, that your supervisor
is in charge of and constructs the schedule for your particular thesis group.

WEEK ACTIVITY OUTCOME MISC.

40 Inspiration lecture, per section

41 Sprkverkstan lecture: Get started. 10/10 15:00-

All students 17:00,
Wallenberg

41 Workshop: Problematisation, per

section

42 Upload in FastReg/Forum, system Idea paper (template) Deadline

open Oct 16, at 09:00 Oct 19, at Oct 19, at
13:00 13:00

Handledare tilldelas

43 Sprkverkstan lecture:Using sources. 31/10

All students 10:00-
12:00,
Wallenberg

44 Course Introduction w supervisor Extended idea paper

45 Workshop: Literature studies and

theoretical framework, per section

45 Tutorial Problematisation

46 Workshop: Methodology & data

analysis, per section

48 Midway seminar Midway report Review &

Opposition

49 Tutorial Midway report

49 Workshop: Conclusion and knowledge

contribution, per section

50-51 Final seminar Final draft Review &

Opposition

1 Tutorial Final draft

2 Uploading & examination, system Final thesis Deadline

open Jan 8, at 09:00 Jan 11, at 13:00 Jan 11 2018,
at 13:00

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Education coordinators
For administrative issues concerning the course, please contact:

Management: Lotta Sondell (lotta.sondell@sbs.su.se).

Accounting: Toivo Lepp (tle@sbs.su.se).

Finance Doris Rehnstrm (dor@sbs.su.se).

Marketing: Helena Flinck (hf@sbs.su.se).

B. Examination
The main part of the examination focuses the finished thesis, supplemented by a lesser part based
on peer reviews. The assessment tasks are weighted in relation to their importance to the overall
course assessment. The results from the assessment tasks are added up to a final course score that
is translated into a final grade.

Assessment task
The course contains two weighted assessment tasks:

1. Two individually written peer reviews and two verbal oppositions on a course colleagues
thesis manuscript: assesses intended learning outcomes 16; constitute 20% of total
course points.

2. The writing of a thesis: assesses intended learning outcomes 16; constitutes 80% of total
course points.

Grading
After completion of the course, students will receive grades on a scale related to the intended
learning outcomes of the course. Passing grades are A, B, C, D and E. Failing grades are Fx and F.
A grade Fx can be completed for a grade E.
The thesis course comprises 0100 course points. Receiving a final passing grade requires 50
course points and 50 points from assessment task 2. The scale for the final grade is tied to fixed
score intervals: A: 90-100; B: 80-89; C: 70-79; D: 60-69; E: 50-59; Fx: 45-49; F: < 45.
All assessment tasks are assessed on a 100-point scale. Each assessment task is awarded 0100
points. The score for a single assessment task is the number of points multiplied by its percentage
weight, and the combined total of score points for all weighted assessment tasks for the course are
added up to a final score between 0 and 100 which then translates into a corresponding final
course grade between A and F.

The student is responsible for completing the courses assessment tasks: that a sufficient amount
of course points is earned and a passing course grade is obtained.

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A passing grade (AE) in the course is obtained when a student has achieved 50 course points
and 50 points from assessment task 2.

A failing grade (Fx or F) in the course is obtained when a student has not achieved 50 course
points:

If 4549 course points are achieved, a grade Fx is obtained, which can be completed for a
grade E within 3 semester weeks after receiving instructions from the examiner. If the
complementary task is not completed within this time limit, the course grade Fx is
confirmed, implying that the student must re-register for the course and that previously
acquired course points are forfeited. Note that first-time registered students have priority
access to the thesis groups.

If < 45 course points are achieved, a grade F is obtained, implying that the entire course
must be retaken and that previously acquired course points are forfeited.

Re-registration implies that:

1. Supervision is provided within the scope of available resources
2. First time registered students have priority access to the allocation of the supervisors.

Students receiving a passing grade may not retake the examination or complete the thesis to
attain a higher grade. A passing grade may not be turned into a failing grade upon the request of a
student.

Assessment areas, assessment criteria and levels of performance

To assess students performance in the courses nine assessment tasks, a number of assessment
areas (expressed as abilities) and assessment criteria with associated quality levels have been
defined, of which three are used in assessment task 1 and six in assessment task 2.

Assessment Task 1: Individual peer review and opposition

Assessment task 1 is examined by the supervisor.

Assessment area 1: argumentative ability

Assessment criterion: ability to logically and on scientific grounds argue for the thesis
merits and shortcomings.

The performance level is specified in the range of 0 100 points.

80-100 points: The argumentation is consistently logical, coherent and convincing, with
excellent scientific evidence and reasoned positions.

59-79 points: The argumentation is mainly logical, coherent, and to some degree
convincing, with good scientific evidence and chiefly reasoned positions.
< 59 points: The argumentation is only partly logical and coherent, not convincing, and is
deficient regarding scientific evidence and reasoned positions.

Assessment area 2: critical ability

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 Assessment criterion: ability to critically reflect on and evaluate the different parts of the
thesis.

The performance level is specified in the range of zero 100 points.

80-100 points: Assumptions, relationships and conclusions are thoroughly

problematised, meticulously analysed, discussed and evaluated from multiple important
perspectives.
59-79 points: Assumptions, relationships and conclusions are adequately problematised,
sufficiently analysed, discussed and evaluated from more than one perspective.

< 59 points: Assumptions, relationships and conclusions are inadequately problematized,

poorly analysed, discussed and evaluated from mainly one perspective.

Assessment area 3: constructive ability

Assessment criterion: ability to give constructive and quality enhancing critique of the
reviewed thesis.

The performance level is specified in the range of zero 100 points.

80-100 points: Highly applicable arguments and criticism are presented in a well-defined
and purposeful manner; possibilities for improvement are creatively explored and
carefully developed.

59-79 points: Applicable arguments and criticism are presented in a clear and purposeful
manner; possibilities for improvement are mainly well explored and developed.

< 59 points: Arguments and criticism are presented in a less clear and purposeful
manner; possibilities for improvement are explored to some extent.

Assessment Task 2: Thesis

Each of the following five assessment areas includes a critical-constructive ability to relate and
evaluate from different theoretical perspectives and with distance and self-awareness evaluate
ideas, beliefs, opinions and approaches; and independently think, research, experiment, decide
and create.
All assessment areas are assessed according to a 100-point scale. Each assessment area will be
given 0-100 points. The points from each individual assessment area is multiplied with its
percentage weight and the total points for all assessment areas are summed up to a course point
between 0 and 100, which will be translated into a corresponding grade between A and F.

The weight factors are as follows:

1 Ability to problematize 0-100 points x 20%

2 Theoretical awareness 0-100 points x 20%

3 Methodological awareness 0-100 points x 20%

4 Analytical ability 0-100 points x 30%

5 Structure and consistency 0-100 points 5%

6 Style, language and formalities 0-100 points 5%

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Assessment area 1: ability to problematize

Assessment criterion: ability to rationalize, discuss, formulate and motivate a problem

both theoretically and empirically to subsequently identify the research question and/or
derive relevant hypotheses to finally formulate a purpose and a contribution to
knowledge.

The performance level is specified in the range of 0100 points.

80-100 points: The introductory chapter is excellently organised and executed as

expressed through a very nice flow of ideas that borrows from beyond the immediate
disciplinary boundaries. The theoretical and practical issues are clearly identified,
critically discussed and evaluated in a very effective and creative way by relying on
empirical facts and research. The chapter concludes with very clear and appropriate
formulations of problem, research question/hypothesis, purpose and knowledge
contribution.

59-79 points: The introductory chapter is satisfactory organised and executed as

expressed in a nice flow of ideas. The theoretical and practical issues are clearly
identified, discussed and evaluated in an effective and creative way by relying on
empirical facts and research. The chapter concludes with clear formulations of problem,
research question/hypothesis, purpose and knowledge contribution.

< 59 points: The introductory chapter is not coherently organised and executed, as
expressed in an inappropriate flow of the ideas. The theoretical and practical issues are
not properly identified and discussed and empirical facts and research are barely present
or missing. The subsequent problem, research question/hypothesis, purpose and
knowledge contribution lack foundation.

Assessment area 2: theoretical awareness

Assessment criterion: ability to critically pursue theoretical arguments and justifiably use
theoretical concepts when problematizing, when evaluating previous research, and when
developing a theoretical framework relevant to the research question or hypotheses
underlying the thesis.

The performance level is specified in the range of 0100 points.

80-100 points: The literature review is excellently organised and executed. The study
identifies and presents key literature and theoretical materials and is thoroughly
connected to seminal studies in the field. The theories are discussed and evaluated in a
critical-creative way and in dialogue with research both within and across disciplines. The
literature review debouches in a vigorous conclusion that grounds and legitimises the
problem, the research question/hypothesis and purpose of the thesis.
59-79 points: The literature review is satisfactory organised and executed. The study
identifies and presents suitable literature and theoretical materials with reference to
some important studies in the field. The theories are discussed and evaluated in a fairly

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 critical and creative way. The literature review debouches in a conclusion that grounds
and legitimises the problem, the research question/hypothesis and purpose of the thesis.

< 59 points: The literature review is insufficiently organised and executed. The study
barely identifies appropriate literature and theoretical materials and makes only brief and
inadequate reference to relevant studies in the field. The few theories presented are
inadequately criticized and evaluated. The literature review lacks a conclusion that
grounds and legitimises the problem the research question/hypothesis and purpose of the
thesis.

Assessment area 3: methodological awareness

Assessment criterion: ability to systematically pursue scientific, methodological, research

ethical and source critical reasoning; and to apply these in practical research as well as in
writing.

The performance level is specified in the range of 0100 points.

80-100 points: The methodology chapter is excellently organised and executed. The
research design is clearly stated and the specific qualitative or quantitative paradigm is
ontologically and epistemologically justified. The methodology is satisfactory and
logically derived from the thesis research question/hypothesis and purpose. The different
stages of the methodology are clearly specified and related logically and the specific
methods used to produce/collect the data are fully explicated.

59-79 points: The methodology chapter is satisfactory organised and executed. The
research design is adequately stated and the specific qualitative or quantitative paradigm
is to some extent ontologically and epistemologically justified. The methodology is
satisfactory derived from the thesis research question/hypothesis and purpose. Some of
the stages of the methodology are clearly specified and related logically and the specific
methods used to produce/ collect the data are satisfactory explicated.

< 59 points: The methodology chapter is unsatisfactory organised and executed. The
research design is not stated and the specific qualitative or quantitative paradigm is not
appropriately ontologically and epistemologically justified. The methodology is to a great
extent divorced from the thesis research question/hypothesis and purpose. The different
stages of the methodology are not clearly specified. The relation to the specific methods
used to produce/ collect the data are not logical and lacks explanation.

Assessment area 4: analytical ability

Assessment criterion: ability to rely on relevant and appropriate methods of analysis to
make sense of the data collected, to apply and engage theoretical ideas, concepts, and
reasoning with the findings from the analysis of empirical data when discussing and
concluding towards the production of and contribution to knowledge.

The performance level is specified in the range of 0100 points.

80-100 points: The process by which the data is analysed and interpreted is excellently
presented. The results from the analysis logically address the problem of the thesis
research question/hypothesis and purpose. When applicable: the support or rejection of
hypotheses are very clearly demonstrated and related theoretically. The results are

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 presented in an excellent manner and debouche in a sharp and completely logical
conclusion derived from the analysis/interpretation of the available data. The limitations
to the thesis are clearly identified and point toward possible avenues of research. The
conclusion clearly provides a contribution to the existing knowledge in the area studied.

59-79 points: The process by which the data is analysed and interpreted is satisfactory
presented. The results from the analysis address, with certain exceptions, the problem of
the thesis research question/hypothesis and purpose. Where applicable: the support of
rejection of hypotheses are demonstrated and somewhat theoretically related. The results
are presented in a satisfactory manner and debouche in a clear and mostly logical
conclusion derived from the analysis/interpretation of the available data. The limitations
to the thesis are subsequently identified but the avenues for further research are
somewhat forced. The conclusion provides a certain contribution to the existing
knowledge in the area studied.

< 59 points: The process by which the data is analysed and interpreted is not satisfactory
presented. The results from the analysis barely address the problem of the thesis research
question/hypothesis and purpose. Where applicable: the support or rejection of
hypotheses is not clearly demonstrated and detached from the theoretical framework.
The results are not presented in a satisfactory manner and do not debouch in a
conclusion derived from the analysis/interpretation of available data. The limitations to
the thesis are barely or not identified and the avenues for further research absent. The
conclusion provides little or no contribution to the existing knowledge in the area studied.

Assessment area 5: structure and consistency

Assessment criterion: ability to express oneself in writing, presenting a clear scientific

text with all required parts included, be able to organize the text and to have a clear
disposition.

The performance level is specified in the range of 0100 points.

80-100 points: The thesis is very well written and organized. All required parts of a
scientific text are being represented. The argumentation is efficiently structured and the
text has an excellent flow, red thread, theoretical foundation and is flawlessly scientific.
59-79 points: The thesis is satisfactory written and organized. All required parts of a
scientific text are being represented. The argumentation is satisfactory structured and the
text has a good flow, red thread, an adequate theoretical foundation and is satisfactory
scientific.

<59 points: The thesis is unsatisfactory written and organized. All required parts of a
scientific text are being represented. The argumentation is unsatisfactory structured and
the text misses a good flow, red thread, an adequate theoretical foundation and is
unsatisfactory scientific.

Assessment area 6: style, language and formalities

Assessment criterion: ability to show stringency in the language, to use the correct
formalities, (paragraph, citations, source references, literature list etc.), that spelling,
grammar and syntax are correct and be able to master scientific precision.

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 The performance level is specified in the range of 0100 points.

80-100 points: The thesis is written in an excellent academic language. The chosen words
and concepts express the right meaning and are facilitating the comprehension of the
text. The writing is clear, precise and without redundancy. Formalities are correct and
consistently used. Grammar, interpunctuation and spelling is throughout correct and
consistent. Great consideration has been taken to scientific precision.

59-79 points: The thesis is mainly written in a good academic language. The chosen
words and concepts express with precision, the right meaning and are increasing the
comprehension of the text. Grammar, interpunctuation and spelling is throughout correct
and consistent. The writing is clear, precise and with some redundancy. Formalities are
adequately used. Consideration has been taken to scientific precision.

<59 points: The thesis is mainly written in an inadequate academic language. The
language is colloquial and makes reading and comprehension hard. Grammar,
interpunctuation and spelling is inconsistent. The writing is unclear and with
redundancy. Formalities are inadequately used. Poor consideration has been taken to
scientific precision.

Grading Criteria
The following grading criteria designate the qualitative demands made upon the students
collected course performance, and that reflects the degree to which the student meets the learning
outcomes. A higher grade-level presupposes the abilities at lower levels.

A (Excellent)
The student demonstrates ability to evaluate and relate to the content of the course from a
comprehensive, critically reflective perspective, as well as to transfer and apply insights in new,
meaningful contexts.

B (Very Good)
The student demonstrates ability to, from an overarching and coherent perspective of the field,
understand and use concepts to explain how different aspects of the course relate to each other,
interconnect and become meaningful.
C (Good)
The student demonstrates ability to discuss the content, tasks and complex issues dealt with in
the course from several well-developed but mainly independent perspectives.

D (Satisfactory)
The student demonstrates satisfactory ability to discuss the content, tasks and complex issues
dealt with in the course in a way that, albeit in-depth and elaborate, is decidedly one-dimensional.
E (Sufficient)
The student demonstrates sufficient ability to discuss the content, tasks and complex issues dealt
with in the course in a way that is decidedly one-dimensional.

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Fx (Fail)
The students knowledge, skills and abilities display minor flaws, overall or in significant parts.

F (Fail)
The students knowledge, skills and abilities display major flaws, overall or in significant parts.

Submission of theses for examination

Before submitting your thesis for examination, you have the possibility to have it checked for
plagiarism, which you do yourself by uploading it to FastReg, the Forum that your supervisor has
created for this purpose.

To submit your thesis for examination, upload a pdf file to FastReg, under the link Theses. You
should also paste your thesis abstract into FastReg; mark within which business study subject it
was written; if it was written with a qualitative or a quantitative methodology; and if you agree to
it being published in the schools digital thesis library and thus made accessible through our
website (concerns theses receiving the grade A or B). The thesis is then automatically checked for
plagiarism.

The section leader appoints examiners.

Period of submission

Monday January 8th, 2018 at 09.00 Thursday January 11, 2018 at 13.00.

Grading report
The thesis examiner will give notice about the grade and a brief comment on your thesis no more
than three weeks after the thesis has been submitted for examination:

15 working days after the submission period is over.

Supplementation and correction of a graded thesis

The thesis examiner may ask you to supplement or correct your thesis before completing the
examination and grading process.

Supplementation

Should the examiner find that your thesis work, due to shortcomings either in some essential part
or as a whole, does not fulfil the requirements for a grade of E, the thesis will be graded Fx. In this
case, you will have the option to supplement your thesis in order to receive a grade of E. The
examiner will give instructions as to what supplementation is needed for a passing grade when
notice about the grade of Fx is given. The supplemented thesis should be submitted to the
examiner (uploaded to FastReg) within three semester weeks from when notice about the grade is
given. If you do not hand in a supplemented thesis, the grade Fx will be converted into a grade of
F, and you will have to retake the course and write a new thesis with a new supervisor.

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Correction

When notice about the grade is given, the examiner may give instructions about small corrections
needed in the thesis. For example, this could be corrections concerning one particular area of
assessment. This would be corrections that are necessary, but that in the examiners assessment
will not influence the grading of the thesis. In such a case, the examiner will give a preliminary
grade as well as instructions about what correction is needed. The corrected thesis should be
submitted (uploaded to FastReg) no later than three semester weeks after notice about the grade
has been given. The preliminary grade is made permanent when the examiner has approved the
corrected thesis.

What happens if the thesis obtains the grade F?

When a thesis obtains the grade F (< 45 course points) the student must re-register for the course,
whereupon previously acquired course points are forfeited. First-time registered students have
priority access to the thesis courses group registration.

When you have been re-registered for the course, the following applies:

Your supervisor must be someone other than the one who supervised your previously
failed thesis.
You follow the course under the same conditions as first-time registered students.
Your new thesis is assessed according to the whole grading scale A - F.
When writing your new thesis, you may revise and reuse text materials from your
previously failed thesis.
To reuse text material from your previously failed thesis is not considered to be self-
plagiarism.

Filing and distribution of completed theses

Student theses are public documents and should as such be accessible to the public under the
principle of public access to official documents. Therefore, when the examiner has given notice
that your thesis work is completed and examined, the thesis will be forwarded as a PDF file to the
digital archives of the School of Business. One copy will also be printed and archived. On request
from the public, it will be given out digitally or as a paper copy.

Should your thesis be graded A or B it will be published in our digital theses library and available
through our theses webpage, as long as you gave your permission for publication when you
uploaded the thesis to FastReg.

If privacy or discretion is essential to protect human or legal persons identity, or sensitive

information about the studied organization, you can anonymise the studys data. If the thesis in
whole or in part is of such a nature that an anonymization is not sufficient, it is possible that the
parties the organization in question and the department (in accordance with the Swedish
principle of public access to official records) establish a confidentiality agreement regarding

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which parts of the finished and archived thesis that may be removed from public view. For further
information, contact our Education Support Office: eso@sbs.su.se.

Regardless of what grade you have received, you can request yourself that your thesis is published
in DIVA (Academic Archive On-line). This can be done when your thesis is completed and
examined. Through DIVA, it will be available on, among other websites, uppsatser.se. Before
your thesis is published in Diva, the DIVA administrator at the School of Business will check to
see that your thesis fulfils the formal requirements for publication.

Registration of grades and examination date

Grades are registered in FastReg and Ladok when the examination process is completed. The
examiner sets and reports the examination date.

Extra examination date

If your thesis is not completed during the current semester, there will be an extra opportunity for
examination:
Monday March 7th, 2018 at 09.00 Thursday March 10th, 2018 at 13.00.

Please note that theses examined on this extra examination date will, as a rule, not be graded A or
B.

Explanation and reassessment of grades

Grading decisions cannot be appealed; this follows from chapter 12, sections 2 and 4 in the Higher
Education Ordinance. Consequently, there is no authority within the School where you can appeal
such decisions.

However, a student can request that the examiner reviews the grading decision. Depending on the
grounds for the request, it may be appropriate to start by emailing the examiner and request a
justification of grading. The examiner is obliged to justify, verbally or in writing, the grading. A
justification is based upon the grading and assessment criteria, and describes the extent to which
the students performance corresponds to the intended learning outcomes.
The examiner shall amend a typographical error, miscalculation or similar oversight concerning a
grade (Higher Education Ordinance, chapter 6, section 24). Furthermore, if an examiner finds
that a decision on a grade is obviously incorrect owing to new circumstances or for some other
reason, he or she shall change the decision if this can be done quickly and easily and if it does not
mean lowering the grade. (chapter 6, section 24). According to the Administrative Procedure Act
(section 26), however, an examiner can alter an obviously incorrect decision even when it is to the
students disadvantage. Before such a rectification is made, the student should normally be given
the opportunity to express an opinion.

The formRequest for Review of Grade: Thesis can be obtained from the Director of Studies at
the Student Services.

C. Formalities

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 The language of instruction is English or Swedish.

As a rule, the thesis is written in groups of two.

During the thesis course students have the right to demand three individual (per thesis)
tutoring 30 minutes.

Your thesis should reference at least 10 scholarly articles published in peer reviewed
academic journals, i.e. articles written by researchers within your field of study and
relating to the issue that your thesis is focused on. If you are not sure what a peer
reviewed academic journal is, check the database for information, or google the journal to
check its website. ABS Academic Journal Quality Guide (which you may find on our
Swedish website: Studentwebben/Uppsats/Formalia) offers a variety of such journals
within different sub-disciplines.

The thesis may comprise a maximum of 15 000 words (excluding abstract/summary,

table of contents, notes, references and appendices).

I you do not complete the thesis work on time you are not entitled to additional
supervision time. You are however always entitled to have the thesis work assessed at
subsequent examination sessions. Therewith, you lose the possibility to get a higher grade
than C.

It is not possible to change supervisor during the course. A student wishing to change
supervisor must reregister for the next thesis course and upon availability enrol in a
thesis group.

Preparatory assignments and review assignments are uploaded to the course forum in
FastReg. This is also where you will find current information about the course, lecture
notes and an e-mail function that allows you to reach your fellow students. Please make
sure that you have updated your e-mail address.

There are a number of different systems of referencing for example APA, the Harvard
Referencing System and the Oxford Referencing System. Choose the system that suits you
best, educate yourself about how the system works and how it is used for different kinds
of sources. Once you have decided on a system, use it consistently throughout your thesis.

You decide which typeface font size, spacing, et cetera to use let readability and
aesthetics decide. Do not hesitate to be generous with the white surfaces in the margin,
header and footer. They offer the reader relief and breathing space. For example, there is
rarely any value in repeating your name and the title of the essay in all the headers.
You shall adapt and use the cover page (front and back) available on the course webpage.

A thesis in Swedish should have one abstract in Swedish and one in English. A thesis in
English should have an abstract in English only.
Cheating, prohibited cooperation and plagiarism

According to the Higher Education Ordinance (chapter 10, section 1), disciplinary action
may be invoked against students who by the use of prohibited aids or other means
attempt to deceive during examinations or other forms of assessment of student
performance. Plagiarism is a form of cheating or deceit. The ordinance covers all types of

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 graded work, such as written examinations, take-home examinations, quizzes and written
assignments, as well as unauthorized collaboration in connection with such work.

Plagiarism refers to the deliberate use of someone elses work, regardless of whether this
work has been published, and passing it off as your own without marking quotations or
indicating the source. Self-plagiarism refers to the deliberate use of self-written text for
another course without marking quotations or indicating the source.

Plagiarism involves:

o paraphrasing (a restatement of the meaning of a text or passage using other words)

someone elses text without referencing the original;

o paraphrasing or rewriting someone elses text and referencing the original, but
where the rewrite is non-existent or too close to the original;

o reusing other students work, e.g. seminar assignments, take-home examinations,

essays or papers without referencing the original;

o reusing self-written text, so-called self-plagiarism, without referencing the

original;

o using text from articles, books, websites or other types of documents available on
the Internet without referencing the original;

o translating a text from one language to another without referencing the original.

The School of Business uses the text comparison tool Urkund to verify the originality
of graded texts. Because of this, students should regularly and according to academic
practice carefully reference their use of their own and other peoples sources.

The mandatory originality check is performed by the student, by running the last
version of the thesis in Urkund in Fastreg Forum, before the thesis is uploaded for final
examination, see instructions in Fastreg, under the tab Examination.

Reading list
The reading list scholarly books related to the subject, articles from academic journals and
literature on methodology is established in agreement with the supervisor.
Recommended Reading

Bryman, Alan (2012) Social Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bryman, Alan and Bell, Emma (2011) Business Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford
University Press

Farquhar, Jillian Dawes (2012), Case Study Research for Business. London: Sage.

Swanborn, Peter (2010), Case Study Research, What, Why and How? London: Sage.

D. Instructions
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Below are instructions for the different types of preparatory and review assignments that are
included in the course. Assignments should be uploaded to FastReg Forum upon completion.
Included also are instructions for the thesis structure, its content and a word count guide for
different sections and chapters.

Thesis idea paper

The first course assignment is the thesis idea paper. You (and your colleague, if applicable) briefly
draft the idea you have for your thesis work. The aim of this assignment is twofold. You make a
first attempt to focus your thoughts on the upcoming research project, at the same time your
paper will serve as the basis for appointing your supervisor. The thesis idea paper should address
the following questions:

What do you intend to study? What is your idea?

Is it possible to formulate a research question within the framework of this idea?

Why is a study of this particular idea or problem so interesting?

How do you intend to study the problem theoretically?

How to you intend to study the problem empirically?

What method do you intend to use?

If you have a preference, please also state your wish to be appointed a particular
supervisor (there is no guarantee that you will be assigned this supervisor).

Download and fill out the predefined form for the thesis idea paper from the course
webpage.

Upload the thesis idea paper on FastReg, on the courses Forum. Instructions for where to upload
the thesis idea paper and the deadline for this are to be found on the course webpage. Please
observe that no idea papers that are uploaded after the specified deadline will be accepted!

Word count guide: 250 words.

Problematisation
Rooted in the articles you have read and the empirical observations you have already made, you
should try here to clarify the issue or problem you intend to take on in your thesis.

To problematise means to put your research interest into context academically, to relate your
research interest to previous research, to translate what may be a problem of practical interest
only, into a problem of knowledge (We lack knowledge of this practical problem), that is to
say, into a problem firmly rooted in what we already know through prior research, previously
produced research. A problem is always formulated in relation to prior research which also
means that prior research becomes part of the problem to be studied.

The problem the thesis addresses can be translated into an overall research question (a genuinely
asked question to guide the study) or into a statement (a postulate, a belief or a guess about the
state of things that the study could confirm) a qualitative thesis or a quantitative hypothesis. A

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research question or a hypothesis can be expressed on the practical level, provided that the aim of
the thesis connects the problem to previous research.

Does your overall research question/hypothesis consist of a number of dimensions that can each
be expressed in concrete and researchable sub-questions or hypotheses that you intend to study
empirically/theoretically? If so, these research questions can be useful and function as guides
when you organise your literature review and your empirical study thematically.

In this assignment you begin to more clearly define the problem you intend to study in your
thesis. This should be done on the basis of the articles read and on any preliminary empirical
studies already conducted. When working with this assignment, the following question may be of
help:

What is the problem, what is it that you find particularly interesting to problematise?

Have others problematised this or similar problems before you?

What kind of problem are you dealing with? Does it concern?

o finding a solution to a problem?

o answering one or more questions?

o bringing into focus something a questions, a problem, an aspect, a perspective

that in your opinion has been neglected or marginalised?

o discussing something that has not previously been discussed in the way
intended?

For whom is this a problem? Consider that something that for practical reasons may seem
like an important issue, is not necessarily a problem suitable for scientific study in a
thesis.

Is it possible to formulate the problem as a research question?

Is the problem empirically researchable?

Closely connected to the questions above, is of course the aim of your thesis work, what you
intend to accomplish with your study. In other words: Why choose this particular problem? What
do you want to achieve or examine with your thesis work?

How would a research aim or purpose that addresses your problem read? It is important
to be as precise as possible; that is to say, you should not simply talk about deeper
insights or more thorough knowledge, but rather describe how and in what way you
attempt to provide new knowledge to the practice you are studying. In other words, you
should address the aim of the thesis by, in relation to previous research, express the
practical knowledge contribution you intend to produce in and through your study.

Please upload your problematisation to FastReg Forum.

It is recommended the paper comprises 5001000 words.

The thesis structure and content

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Acknowledgements

Here you may thank anybody you feel has helped you in the production of the thesis.

No word count limit, but usually a single side.

Abstract

An abstract is a short summary of the whole thesis. It should make the reader want to learn more
about the work you have done. Include a short sentence or two on each of the following: the
problem; why its important; how you are informing the problem (in other words, which theories
are you using to better understand and make sense of it?); what kind of study did you do? what
were the most important (one or two) key findings?; what are they key implications (one or two)
for the practice you have studied.

Recommended word count: 200250.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements x

Abstract x

1.0 Introduction x

1.1 Sub-heading 1 x

1.2 Sub-heading 2 x

1.3 Et cetera. x

2.0 Literature Review x

3.0 Research Design x

4.0 Empirical presentation, Analysis and Findings x

5.0 Discussion and Critical Reflection x

6.0 Conclusion x

7.0 Limitations of Research x

References x
Appendices x

No word count limit.

Chapter 1: Introduction
In general, an introduction chapter should contain three things:

1. An introductory description of the problem that you argue needs to be addressed.

2. A brief account of previous research, of what has already been studied within your field of
research.

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 3. A short statement about what you hope to achieve by writing the thesis its contribution
to knowledge.

When introducing the topic of your thesis, you should anchor your key arguments and statements
in prior research, in theoretical contributions already made within your particular field of research.
By doing so, you give your study a solid academic framework and thereby undisputed scientific
legitimacy. This means that you have to prepare yourself by reading relevant articles published in
scholarly peer reviewed academic journals and make references to these in your text already in the
introductory section, ensuring thereby that your readers understand that what you are proposing
is not simply your own opinion, but observations made also by other researchers within your or
neighbouring fields.

When discussing, narrowing down and formulating your research problem, your research question,
again make sure, that what you are proposing or advocating is somehow supported by references
to prior research within your particular field. If you have posed a research question to express your
problem (as opposed to arguing for and trying to prove a thesis) ask yourself: is this question really
followed by a question mark, or does it rather come out as if we already know the answer?
Furthermore, ask yourself whether your problem, your overall research question, should be broken
down into sub-questions to be further investigated in different sections of your text. In short, there
should be no doubt concerning what your thesis is all about, the problem you are trying to handle,
and that this problem is based on your knowledge of previous research.

Then state the purpose, objective or aim of your thesis, a statement answering the question: why is
this particular problem so important to study? Stated otherwise, what do you hope to achieve in
and through your thesis? What knowledge do you intend to contribute to the problem area, the
practice you are studying?

A purpose answers the question: why this problem, what are you trying to achieve by formulating
this particular research question? The formulation of the studys knowledge contribution is a
specification of the aim or purpose which points directly to what you want to achieve, what
knowledge and insights you want to be able to contribute to the practice you have studied. An
appropriate title for this section of the thesis, in other words, would be: Aim and knowledge
contribution.
Describe briefly the research approach philosophy of science and methods used in the thesis,
making sure the reader grasps what kind of thesis, scientifically speaking, you have written.

Recommended word count for chapter 1: 10001500

Chapter 2: Literature Review

A literature review should contain an account of and a critical assessment of the main research
published within your field of study (mainly as presented in peer-reviewed academic journals,
books and reports), and/or of research from other fields if that research relates to your own in
relevant ways. When performing a literature review you choose literature relevant to the problem
you wish to study and your research aim; you critically analyse and assess the literature you have
chosen its ideas, concepts, claims, arguments, theories and methodologies in relation to your
intended study; and you try to position your own study in relation to this literature.
The literature review should thus explain where the research within your field of interest
currently stands and it should create a context and a basis for your intended study. The literature

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also points out the parts the idea, the concept, the model in the previous research you studied,
which you will use later in your work, when analysing the empirical data.

The literature review should make an account of and critically assess the main research published
within your field of study. It could also include research from other fields if that research relates
to your own in relevant ways. In a literature review, therefore, it is not sufficient to only relate
what has been said or done within the chosen field of research, leaving the reader to draw her/his
own conclusions about the value and meaning of the literature you have presented.

In the literature review, as a rule, you treat two aspects of the literature you have studied, prior
research within your area of interest and the theoretical framework you are using.

Previous research
Under this heading you give an account of and critically assess the theories which provide
a certain perspective on the complex of problems (research question/hypothesis) you are
trying to deal with and the purpose your are trying to achieve in and through your thesis;
and which furthermore ground, motivate and hence legitimise the thesis problematiza-
tion. It may be wise to structure this section thematically, on the basis of the thematic
dimensions which from the point of view of the thesis problematization and stated
purpose seem necessary to cover.

Theoretical framework
In this section you describe those parts or elements of the previous research you studied
and which intend to use when analysing and interpreting your empirical data. These are
the tools, in the form of ideas, concepts, analysis models and interpretative frameworks
that constitute your theoretical framework that is, the thesis conceptual apparatus.
These are also the theories, concepts and models you use to write up the knowledge
contribution of your thesis.

The first step in writing the literature review is to choose texts relevant to your own research and
which gives a representative view of the state of knowledge within your area of interest. The
literature review may be structured in the following way:

Introduction
Present the main idea and subject of the thesis and identify the problem, the general research
question/hypothesis and the research aim. Following that, formulate and introduce the themes
with which you have categorised the chosen literature. The aim of the introduction is to bring a
clear focus or storyline to the literature review with which the themes can be linked together into
a theoretical story or account.

Literature survey
Go through the prior research of your area of interest its ideas, concepts, claims, arguments,
reasoning, theories, methodologies, conclusions, presuppositions thematically with the purpose
of providing a solid theoretical grounding for your study.

Conclusion
Summarise previous research, the current state of knowledge in your area of research; the
literature, in other words, which grounds and motivates your research question/hypothesis, and
thus points out the practical knowledge gap that your study addresses. Make sure the conclusion is

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consistent with the problematisation (problem, research question and purpose) in the introductory
chapter. The literature review, with the conclusion as arrowhead, constitutes the scholarly basis
that legitimises your problematisation.

Theoretical framework
In this section you describe those elements of the previous research that are used for analysing the
empirical data. These elements ideas, concepts, analysis models and interpretative frameworks
constitute your theoretical toolbox, that is to say, the conceptual apparatus of your thesis. These
are also the theories, concepts and models you use to write up the knowledge contribution of your
thesis.

Recommended word count for chapter 2: 35004000.

For further directions, take a look at the following links:

http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-writing/literature-review

http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/ReviewofLiterature.html

Chapter 3: Research Design

In this chapter you should describe and motivate your studys research design; that is to say, the
research approach (philosophy of science) and method (how you collected your empirical data)
used in your thesis. When writing this chapter, start by asking yourself overall questions like: How
do we go about studying the problem or research question we formulated? What sort of data are we
looking for? The latter question depends on what type of knowledge you intend to produce. If you
are interested in producing general, statistically significant knowledge, universal truths, that is to
say, to prove something, you should focus on collecting quantitative data? If you are more
concerned with discussing a problem, to consider a question you think has not been thought
through enough by scholars or practitioners, then you should concentrate on collecting data of a
more contextual, even singular type, individual knowledge and experience. Why? Since the purpose
of qualitative studies is not to prove this or that, but rather to make people think, to create
awareness, point out alternative interpretive possibilities, produce meaningfulness where there
seems to be none.

The chapter should comprise three parts. 1) in the first you state briefly the problem (what is
studied?) and the purpose (why is this problem studied?) of the study and what you hope to
contribute (for what is the problem studied?); 2) in the second you account for the scientific
perspective used in the study; and 3) in the third part you describe and explain your choice of
method, how the empirical data were gathered.

Problem (Research Question/Hypothesis), Purpose and Contribution

The choice of research approach and method is closely connected to, dependent on and follows
from the studys problem and purpose on what you are studying, on what you want to achieve in
and through you study, connecting thereby the purpose of the study to its potential knowledge
contribution. Therefore, start this chapter by stating once more the problem and purpose of your
study and how this affects your choice of scientific perspective and method.

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Then it is time to operationalize, translate into practice your problem, overarching research
question or main hypothesis, to formulate sub-questions, investigative questions / sub-hypotheses,
questions/hypotheses which will allow you to examine more thoroughly the different aspects or
dimensions of the overarching problem, research question or main hypothesis.

These are sub-questions or sub-theses that you use in order to be able to effectively gather your
empirical (primary and secondary) data as well as conducting for example archival or certain
historical studies. When working with sub-questions/sub-hypotheses, make sure you are in full
control over how, to what dimensions of the overall problem, research question or main hypothesis
they relate, so that you understand whether or not, by the end of day, you investigate what you have
set out to investigate.

Scientific Perspective
Describe and motivate the kind of scientific study you will be conducting, the scientific perspective
or research paradigm used in your study. This commonly involves an account of the ontological,
epistemological and methodological suppositions implied by your perspective. Or in more
mundane terms, if you intend to carry out a qualitative study, then you should address the question:
what does it mean to study a phenomenon from a qualitative perspective? If on the other hand you
intend to carry out a quantitative study, you instead address the question: what does it mean to
study a phenomenon from a quantitative perspective? Then you should motivate why precisely this
is the proper research approach, why this is a particularly well-suited scientific perspective for this
study.

Method
Describe how your particular study will be conducted and why, your motive for choosing this
method; what sort of data or empirical material you need to be able to study in order to handle and
solve the overall problem formulated in your thesis; and the method best suited for achieving your
purpose, reaching your goal (survey, case study, field observations, ethnography, netnography, in-
depth interviews, archive studies, discourse analysis, et cetera).

Source critical consideration

Souce criticism is a critical review of the theoretical and empirical source material used in the thesis,
in which an assessment of the credibility of these sources is made.

Research ethical reflection

Social science research involves people, which is why particular considerations must be taken into
account during both the research process itself as in the handling of its results. Being ethically
responsible for the research you are conducting, you should make sure to familiarise yourself with
the fundamental ethical principles governing social science research. Here is a very good starting
point for such a reflection:
http://www.vr.se/inenglish/ethics.4.69f66a93108e85f68d48000116.html and
http://codex.vr.se/en/index.shtml.

Recommended word count for chapter 3: 20002500.

Chapter 4: Analysis & Findings

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In this chapter you present and analyse your data. When analysing your empirical results, make
sure that the theoretical tools, that is to say, the concepts and analytical models you accounted for
and described in the literature review are actually put to use. In other words, all analytical work
must be theoretically grounded.

Firstly, if you conducted a quantitative research project, explain the tools or techniques used to
analyse the data and provide an indication of how the findings address the hypotheses. It is
common to preface a statistical findings section with a section on descriptive statistics.

Conversely, if you conducted a qualitative study, it is useful to explain how you arrived at the themes
you use in the findings section. In other words, explain in more detail how you analysed the data.
If you held interviews, how did you decide what was important and what wasnt? Did you transcribe
any, or part, of the interviews? How did you arrange the data into groups? In short, how did you
make sense of the interview data?

The second, main part of this exercise is a straight reporting, by thematic headers, of the findings,
followed by theoretically grounded analyses of each theme. If quantitative, you must report
statistical findings for each of the hypotheses/themes tested and demonstrate an accurate use of
appropriate statistical models. If qualitative, you must present your interview findings thematically
actual interview quotations to support your interpretation of what was being communicated by
participants in the study.

You should feel free to quote extensively from the interviews italicize and indent your quotes to
make them stand out in the body of your text. Also remember, if confidentiality is important, to
anonymise the data in order to protect the identity of participants.

Recommended word count for chapter 4: 35004000.

Chapter 5: Discussion & Critical Reflection

This chapter should take its starting point in the study's overall research question or main thesis
and continue from there by inserting the findings from the thematised analyses in the previous
chapter into a new and coherent context in which it may be reconnected to the theories in the
literature review, in an effort to yield a result on the basis of which the formulated thesis problem
as a whole may be addressed and resolved.

Use this section to critically analyse the findings and consider their meaning from both a theoretical
and practical perspective.

What critical learnings are to be taken away?

What did the theory tell us about the findings and, importantly, do the findings tell us
anything about theory?

How do the findings inform your research question? Do they answer our question or satisfy
our exploration?
How are theory and analytical results constructively connected in order to cross-fertilise
each other?
Does this cross-fertilisation tackle the research problem? Does it answer the research
question? Does it provide you with the opportunity to meet the studys purpose?

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 Are you able to, on the basis of a creative coupling of theory and analytical results, produce
an evaluative theoretical and/or practical contribution to knowledge?

How do you value your thesis and its knowledge contribution from a societal perspective?

Recommended word count for chapter 5: 10001500.

Chapter 6: Conclusion

Now it is time to tie the whole thesis up. Start once more from the thesis problem formulation,
research question and objective, summarise the key findings of the research and emphasize their
significance to the production of the thesis (practical and, where possible, theoretical) knowledge
contribution.

You may identify some aspects of the research that raise further questions, in which case you might
suggest further research in these areas or, at the very least, suggest caution when adopting certain
of the proposals.

Recommended word count for chapter 6: 5001000.

Chapter 7: Limitations of Research

This is a short section where you reflect upon possible flaws or limitations in the research. This can
be as simple as drawing attention to the choice of method, the limited span of the thesis, a limited,
non-representative sample size, a partiality on the side of you as researcher and author.

Recommended word count for chapter 7: 250.

References

There are a variety of reference systems such as APA, Harvard and Oxford. Select the system that
suits you the best, learn about its structure and functions, how it deals with different types of
references; and then use it correctly and consistently.

The references section should be written in alphabetical order, with no particular distinction
between for example books and scholarly papers.
Interviews are referenced throughout the text with footnotes and should not be included in the
references section.

Further information can be found at the following links:

Oxford: http://www.deakin.edu.au/current-students/study-support/study-
skills/handouts/oxford-docnote.php

Harvard: http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm

APA:
http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/guides/APA%20format%20referencing%20for%20psychologists.pdf

The references section does not count towards the word count.

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Appendices

The amount of appendices and their scope should be strictly limited and have a bearing on the
thesis scientificity, its creation process, content, readability or the like. As a rule, transcribed
interviews should not be accounted for in an appendix. Supervisors and examiners could, however,
demand to get access to your empirical data, such as a recorded or transcribed interview. Under no
circumstances may the thesis appendices become a repository for written material that do not fit
anywhere else, or that you do not know where to put, or find difficult to dispose of.

A thesis, the body of the text, should be able to stand on its own, should not be dependent on one
or more appendices for its comprehension and examination.

Texts in the appendices are not covered by the thesis word count limit.

Further preparatory assignment and review assignments

Midway report

You have now come quite a long way in your thesis work but the project is far from completed. At
this point, there are a number of reasons for producing a well-structured and coherent midway
report:

It is an opportunity to really think your thesis through, collect parts or aspects of your
work that may up to this point have been only loosely related to each other, structuring
them and giving them a form that will give you an idea of what your completed thesis will
look like.

Your student peers will use your midway report as the basis for giving you constructive
criticism and useful advice for the completion of your work.

It is an opportunity for your supervisor to get a good idea of what your work is about and
possibly step in with ideas, suggestions or criticism. Neither you nor your supervisor
would be particularly happy if your thesis received vitally important criticism in the final
stages of your work. This is, therefore, a checkpoint of sorts, where your supervisor tries
to pinpoint any issues in your text or your research process that you will need to address.
The midway report should include:

A nearly completed introductory chapter.

A nearly completed literature review.

A nearly completed chapter on methodology.

An outline of the rest of the text, e.g. a list of headings where you under each heading
draft the content of the section. Please note that the sections following the chapters listed
above need not be completed. A headline and a comprehensive description of what the
section will cover is enough.

Please upload your midway report to FastReg Forum.

Individually performed peer review

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In addition to your own thesis work, you are to write two individually performed peer reviews
where you critically review the work of one of your student peers. This process of reviewing each
others work will run parallel to your work on your own thesis. The review process is a dialogue
between you and your student peers where you learn from each others knowledge and
experience. The purpose of the review work is for you to practice and refine your ability to
critically review the writing of others. It will also improve the quality of your thesis as well as the
theses of your peers.

When you write a review, where you critically review texts written by one of your peers, remember
that you have only one task: to do whatever you can to help to improve the quality of the thesis
you are reviewing. That is to say:

being critical is always to be critical and constructive to both expose any weaknesses in
the work being reviewed AND to be creative and constructive.

Review outline:

1. Begin with the title and name of the author.

2. Write a very brief summary of the reviewed paper, to demonstrate that you have
understood it correctly.

3. Describe your opinion of the strengths of the paper.

4. Explain what, if anything, is lacking, vague, not expressed clearly enough, etc.

5. Write down your main criticisms and your suggestions for improvements. This could
include

o the (implicit) assumptions the text is based on;

o the introduction;
o the problem;
o the research questions;
o the research aim;
o rhetorical shortcomings;
o the discussions on methodology or philosophy of science;
o the choice of theory or how the theory is used;
o analyses made in the work;
o results/research contribution.

Feel free to quote the author to back up your criticisms.

6. Write down minor comments having to do with formalities such as references, footnotes
or typing errors. Please be careful and state page references accurately.

7. Conclude your review with some closing remarks and recommendations.

Please upload your review to FastReg Forum.

Final draft

A thesis handed in for final review and examination should be suitable for review. This means it
should be a completed text; no sections should be missing a basic text which after having been
reviewed and received feedback from the supervisor, may need to be slightly edited or corrected.

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Be aware of the need for scientific accuracy and the need in academic writing to properly
reference your sources.

Please upload your final draft to FastReg Forum.

E. Miscellaneous
How to retrieve e-articles at the Stockholm University Library (SUB)
SUB has an excellent range of databases, e-journals and e-books, well worth exploring properly.
Here follows a principal instruction for how to use the SUBs databases and e-journals to retrieve
relevant and useful scholarly articles for your thesis.

Searching Databases
- Go to www.sub.su.se
- Select In English in the upper right corner.
- Log in using your university account.
- Choose Databases AZ or E-journals AZ.
- Choose/search database or e-journal.
- Type search words into the database; or search for articles in the e-journals archives.

Examples of databases
Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier, Cambridge Journals Online, De Gruyter
Online, EBSCO Multiple Database Search, EconLit, Emerald, Google Scholar, HighWire, JSTOR,
Literature Resource Center, Oxford Journals, Project Muse, ProQuest Social Science, SAGE
journals Online, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library.

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