master's thesis manual (mtm) -langegger ramos andreas (2012)

Master’s Thesis Manual (MTM)

Your Guide to an Independent and Successful Written Work of Your Own

MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMME IN BALTIC SEA REGION STUDIES

MTM – YOUR GUIDE TO AN INDEPENDENT AND SUCCESSFUL WRITTEN WORK OF YOUR OWN

Publisher

Author

MDP in Baltic Sea Region Studies at University of Turku Horttokuja 2 20014 University of Turku, FINLAND Tel. +358 (02) 333 6671 http://balticstudies.utu.fi/

Written by Andreas Langegger Ramos (MA) under the guidance of the Academic Director of the Master’s Degree Programme in Baltic Sea Region Studies Dr.Soc.Sc Markku Jokisipilä

“The proper and immediate object of science is the acquirement, or communication, of truth…”

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Definitions of Poetry, 1811

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TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS

APA Style - Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

CMS Style - The Chicago Manual of Style

Dr.Soc.Sc. – Doctor of Social Sciences

MA – Master of Arts

MDP – Master’s Degree Programme

MLA Style - The MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (2008) published by the Modern Language Association of America.

MTM – Master’s Thesis Manual

PCC – Personal Calling Card

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GLOSSARY

Abstract: The Abstract also known as the Summary Page of any written document can be seen to belong to the introductory section at the very beginning of your document. It gives a short insight into your research by representing the key points of your report in a very concise manner. It usually is the page to follow your title page and is meant solely to give an overview of the topic treated within the document in question and nothing else!

Appendix: It is commonly referred to as being a document attached to the end of any written work such as a book or an article. The main function of an Appendix consists of providing the reader with vital information that does not form the central idea of your thesis work, but that essentially contributes to building up the main content of the document in question.

Bibliography: The Bibliography is an alphabetical list that contains all the different source material used in an article, research paper or other publications. Commonly the bibliography appears at the end of a document and is the divided into different sections (primary & secondary literature, electronic resources and other audio-visual material) depending on the source material used in the document. (See also pages

Conclusion: The conclusion of any written document is what brings the logical train of thought pursued within said document to an end. In it new findings of any research conducted or topic discussed will be juxtaposed to old findings. Moreover, a conclusion contains a concise and analytical interpretation of the possible implications that your findings might have for future research on the topic in question.

Glossary: A Glossary is a list of terms listed in an alphabetic order containing definitions of terms in a particular domain of knowledge. A Glossary can appear both at the beginning or the end of a document providing clarification of terms related to a particular field of study.

Introduction: It is the sales pitch of your thesis work with which you want to advertise your research to your potential audience. As the name itself already implies an introduction is placed at the beginning of any written work. Its function can be described to be descriptive in nature. It states the overall purpose and goals of the document in question and summarizes its scope in brief in as to allow its readers to gain an overview of the topic under discussion.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism in its simplest form refers to unlawfully borrowed material from other sources or more precisely; literary theft. It usually tends to happen in cases where someone appropriates itself of a third party’s contribution without crediting the author(s) of the original sources in question. It is considered to

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represent a severe infringement on the academic principles and regulations of any institution of higher education and will be met with punitive measures.

Sources: When engaging in conducting research, writing an article or a book usually researchers and authors refer to readily available material to back up their claims and strengthen the arguments represented in their writings. This material is commonly referred to as source material and appears in the bibliography of any written article or research paper. Occasionally sources are also made available to the reader the in the document’s text’s footnotes.

Table of Contents: It appears in research papers books and other publications before the introductory section of the document in question. Its aim is to give its readership an overview of the different chapters and topics treated in a paper. In it the beginning and ending of chapters is clearly marked and thus it serves to support the logical structure of the document and makes it easier for the reader to browse through the document without getting “lost in information” within the document.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS……………………………………………………..I

GLOSSARY…………………………………………………………………………II

FOREWORD……………………………………………………………………….VI

1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………...5

2. MASTER’S THESIS ”A PROJECT DEFINED BY TIME”………………………..6

2.1. What it is and What it is not?................................................................................7

2.1.1. Why do it?................................................................................................9

2.1.2. Master’s Thesis “Your Personal Calling Card” (PCC)………………...9

2.2. How to Choose a Topic - Where to Start?.........................................................10

2.2.1. Concentrating Your Focus……………………………………………11

2.2.2. Theoretical Background……………………………………………....12

2.2.3. Methodology………………………………………………………….13

2.3. Description of the Supervising Process.………………………………………14

2.4. Plagiarism……………………………………………………………………..15

2.4.1. Different Forms of Plagiarism………………………………………...16

2.4.2. Consequences………………………………………………………….17

3. YOUR FINAL RESEARCH REPORT……………………………………………18

3.1. Structure………………………………………………………………………..18

3.1.1. Introduction……………………………………………………………20

3.1.2. The Research Process………………………………………………….22

3.1.3. Conclusion……………………………………………………………..24

3.2. Language, Quoting & Referencing…………………………………………….25

3.2.1. Linguistic Form………………………………………………………..26

3.2.1.1. Language Use & Text Linkages…………………………………..27

3.2.2. Referencing in the Text………………………………………………..28

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3.2.2.1. The MLA style of referencing…………………………………….29

3.2.2.2. The CMS (Chicago style) of referencing…………………………30

3.2.3. Bibliography…………………………………………………………..31

3.3. The Overall Format of your research report…………………………………...32

3.3.1. Margins………………………………………………………………..35

3.3.2. Page Numbers…………………………………………………………36

3.3.3. Font Size………………………………………………………………37

3.3.4. Final Remarks – Prologues, Epilogues and Prefaces…………………38

4. THE TOOLS………………………………………………………………………..39

4.1. Resources……………………………………………………………………...40

4.1.1. Primary Literature……………………………………………………..40

4.1.2. Secondary Literature…………………………………………………..41

4.1.3. University Database List in brief……………………………………...42

4.1.4. Internet “The free Encyclopaedia”…….……………..…………….….43

5. “TIME” – Your Fluctuating Currency……………………………………………...44

6. THESIS APPROVAL, PRINTING AND GRADING……………………….……48

7. FINAL REMARKS………………………………………………………………...51

8. REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………..53

8.1. Electronic References…………………………………………………………53

APPENDIX

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UNIVERSITY OF TURKU Faculty of Humanities

LANGEGGER RAMOS, ANDREAS: Master’s Thesis Manual – Your Guide to an Independent and Successful Written Work of Your Own

Master’s Thesis Manual 53 pp, 41 pp. appendix Baltic Sea Region Studies August 2012

FOREWORD1 Welcome to your personal copy of the Master’s Thesis Manual and all of its different parts and bits. This guide has been designed to provide you with the best support and guidance possible when it comes to writing your first own research report. We understand that there are just as many different ways to approach this subject as there are Faculties, disciplines and study programmes available at our University. Consequently, we have compiled the single most important aspects concerning your upcoming research report in order to effectively guard against possible misunderstandings, confusion and any kind of misleading assumptions regarding the research, structure, style and linguistic appearance of your thesis work. However, as you continue working your way through this guide you will find that a lot of the guidelines, rules and regulations stated in this manual also form part of the common practice of other disciplines. Moreover, you might have already worked on a master’s thesis before and be accustomed to a different set of guidelines and procedures. Therefore, we feel that a general introduction to the governing methods and principles within our programme can help you maximize your efforts while working on your report. Notwithstanding, this manual will provide you with the tools and knowledge required to perform this task in the most effective way possible. Furthermore, because we are an interdisciplinary study programme our focus is per se not confined to one single approach. Instead, we want to encourage you to find your own methodological and theoretical approach to your thesis work within the governing framework and principles of our Master’s Degree Programme. As a student of the Master’s Degree Programme in Baltic Sea Region Studies this manual is of particular interest to you. In it we have included a large list of suggestions, explanations and general guidelines all accompanied by example pages in the annex section of this guide. Moreover, this manual itself has been written and structured in a manner that closely resembles the structure of a Master’s Thesis. With the exception of the following chapters in this guide on “2.2. How to Choose a Topic – Where to Start”, “2.4. Plagiarism” and “3.3. The Overall Format of Your Research Report”, the rest of this manual can be considered to represent a road map to guide you securely to the finish line of your final product; your own Master’s Thesis. However, keep in mind that the above mentioned chapters in particular do not leave any room for interpretation, but are to be seen as a minimum standard that must be reflected in your thesis work. Although we consider all of the chapters in this manual to be of equal importance, these chapters in particular should not be neglected! Of course we recommend you read the entire Master’s Thesis Manual so that you would be able to proceed the best way possible with your research.

KEYWORDS:

ABSTRACT, BIBLIOGRAPHY, MASTER’S THESIS, METHODOLOGY, PLAGIARISM, RESEARCH, REPORT, GUIDE, MLA, CMS, REFERENCES 1This section serves to give you a general idea of how the Summary Page of a Master’s Thesis done within our programme looks like. Moreover, keep in mind that the length of the text in this section is normally only half the length of the above text. However, for explanatory purposes we have added some additional lines and have used a smaller Font Size. Note as well that an abstract never contains any footnotes and is written in the same font size as the rest of your document (Times News Roman 12).

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1. INTRODUCTION

A thinker sees his own actions as experiments and questions – as

attempts to find out something. Success and failure are for him

answers above all.

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900) German Philosopher

This chapter will introduce you to the thesis manual and how to make the

best use of it in terms of planning, writing and finalizing your first own

scientific work. After going through the manual you will have a better and

more precise understanding of the requirements and implications that such

a process entails. Whether or not you have worked on your Bachelor’s or

Master´s thesis before, this manual will provide you with new information

and / or complement your pre-existing knowledge on how to write your

final report. Moreover, this guide will help you to become aware of your

scientific faculties and apply your skills in a structured and confident

manner. The manual is structured in such a way that it can be read from

the beginning to the end or you can simply look-up the parts you feel you

require more information in. This guide can be regarded as a “road map”

that can assist you in channelling your efforts on the really important

aspects of the project you are about to undertake. However, it is important

to keep in mind that in the end nobody else than you yourself are the

author of your own thesis work and thus responsible for the core process.

Please keep in mind that you will not get more out of this manual than you

are willing to contribute yourself. Discovering your own scientific

personality can be fun and does not need to be much more painful than

necessary.

Encountering obstacles while engaging in such a task is natural and

therefore you should not feel desperate if at this point you either have no

idea what to write about or your work does not always proceed as

expected. As mentioned above, thesis writing by definition is a process as

much as it demands exchanging and communicating your ideas in thesis

seminars and overall with your supervisor/s on a constant basis. Therefore,

the main contribution of this manual is to set your focus, skills, time and

energy on the most important questions of your work in order for you to

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have a first fulfilling experience on your journey to scientific self-

awareness. However, before you dive into this manual it is important to

keep in mind that there is no one single recipe on how to engage in thesis

writing and thus what you will read in the following pages is by no means

irrevocable or final, but rather represents a nice set of tools against

possible pitfalls to enhance your writing and ensure a fruitful outcome.

2. MASTER’S THESIS “A PROJECT DEFINED BY TIME”

“When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that

something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he

states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.”

Arthur C. Clarke – Clarke’s first Law

Contrary to popular believe, a Master’s thesis is possible! It will be one

among many of your future projects to come during your whole academic

career and otherwise. It is a significant amount of work and it will require

of you to sacrifice one or two things out of your daily routine for a certain

period of time. And this, however unlikely it may seem at this point, is the

good news; your project has an expiration date that will be set by no one

else than you. However, to arrive at such a date it is in your best interest to

start engaging in a first draft of what a possible topic for your work could

look like when written out on paper. It is advisable that you choose a topic

you yourself are interested in and that also fits the academic framework of

the programme. In any other case you will find yourself entrapped in an

ideologically sound but far too wide world to be possibly captured on

paper in the form required by our Degree Programme.

At no point should you start doubting yourself or your ideas as writing a

thesis also encompasses fresh and innovative approaches. Instead, look at

the possible scope of your ideas and the available resources as first

indicators as to whether or not your preliminary sketch is feasible. Have

the courage to try something new and keep in mind that you can and

should seek guidance from your supervisors. As experienced researchers

they are able to provide you with valuable advice on how to best proceed

with your own research. Remember that as a display of the knowledge you

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acquired in the programme over two years a thesis forms an important part

of your academic studies. Yet, it is by no means an entire “life’s work”

and thus you should not let it grow to big on you in your mind. Moreover,

a thesis can serve as your own personal “calling card” that might help you

get faster if not easier to where you want to go. If you already have a clear

picture of where you will be after you graduate it is worth the while to

consider engaging in a topic relevant to your own, personal future career

plans. In the chapters below we will discuss in more detail what you are

expected to do and we will give you a first outlook on what a possible

thesis could / should look like. With that in mind we will proceed to

explore how to come across information, construct sound arguments and

argument in a manner that combines your skills for information retrieval

with the theoretical and practical aspects of the topic of your choice.

2.1. WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT

“Shall I refuse my dinner because I do not fully understand the

process of digestion?”

Oliver Heaviside (1850-1925) English physicist

If you have written an essay before you have already come close to

understanding what is meant by conducting scientific research. A Master’s

Thesis in this sense will teach you and make you aware of the process of

“scientific digestion”. Technically you can think of a thesis to represent an

extended version of an essay; yet, it is not a doctoral dissertation. This

distinction is important for it defines the scope, time frame and structure

of your work. Usually, however, a Master’s Thesis comprises 60-80 pages

and is first and foremost intended to give you the opportunity to

familiarize yourself with one specific area of particular interest to you. At

the beginning of any such task it is normal an desired that you have

questions, but rest assured that just as easy as you have questions

mushrooming in your mind right now, the answer will present itself to you

while you digest the information you research. Nonetheless, the full

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process will start to unfold only once you start the writing process, but

more on that in the following chapters below.

Furthermore, apart from being a requirement of any Finnish degree

programme, a Master’s Thesis will equip you with the tools to

independently retrieve information from various different sources and

teach you to develop a critical attitude towards whatever source material

you may encounter in the future. A Master’s Thesis represents the final

work with which you as a student conclude your advanced studies in our

as well as other Degree Programmes in Finland and it is worth 40 credits.

Final written works - master's theses, diploma theses, licentiate theses and

doctoral dissertations - comprise the central requirements of university

degrees. They are intended to be guided written demonstrations. The

licentiate thesis and doctoral dissertation aim to produce novel insights and

information. The master's thesis or diploma work aim to teach the student

the process of writing a scientific thesis and utilising sources and materials

in the proper way. They also introduce the student to the relevant central

work practice within the field of science and to utilised methods of critical

thinking. The aims also include learning ethically accepted courses of

action. (translation)1

Moreover, a thesis requires of you to be written according to the

governing scientific standards of our Faculty. It is by no means a simple

summary of facts and the topic you choose should be one not yet that

widely researched. However, although 60 pages allow you to engage in a

broader discussion with your topic and research questions, you will find

that you will arrive rather sooner than later at your limitations. Thus, it is

recommended that you keep your work concise and with the eyes on the

price. After all, if you so shall desire it you may follow up on your

Master’s Thesis at a later stage while writing your doctoral dissertation for

instance.

1 The Finnish Council of University Rectors' recommendation for the principles to be

used in the guidance and evaluation of Master's and diploma theses, background memorandum, March 28, 2002 In: Tammi, K et al. (eds.), 2011, A Practical Guide for Thesis Writers. 11

th revised edition, Uniprint, Turku.

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2.1.1. WHY DO IT?

There is a rather large selection of different Faculties and study

programmes at our University. And even though they differ in content

they all aim at providing their students with the skills to be able to perform

well and apply themselves effectively in everyday life. Moreover, given

the fact that learning is a lifelong process a University education can teach

you only so much. Especially after your graduation you will notice that it

is more than ever up to you to stay on top of your skills. However,

knowing how to deal and confront information coming from various

different sources and to recognize and identify said resources will be the

true richness you will take with you once you leave the academic

environment. In addition, a Master’s Thesis aims at sharpening your

attention to detail and will introduce you to common practices and

methods through which to engage in content analyses and production.

2.1.2. MASTER’S THESIS “YOUR PERSONAL CALLING CARD” (PCC)

Depending on your own future career plans you can make use of a

Master’s Thesis in terms of being an entrance ticket into both the

academic world and the labour market. If you are interested in a specific

topic that is also relevant to our Programme and you managed to organize

yourself an internship, you can of course use the latter experience to build

your thesis around. Notwithstanding, this is as well an excellent

opportunity for you to demonstrate your expertise in a very particular field

that can proof to be of great value in connection with your future career

perspectives. Suffice it to say that your topic can highlight your interest,

knowledge and personal input in a way that can lead to you gaining easier

access to what you envisioned for yourself.

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2.2. HOW TO CHOOSE A TOPIC – WHERE TO START?

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data.

Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) British physician and novelist.

In the same manner you approach every other project you also need to

plan your Master’s Thesis carefully. Take it seriously from the beginning

in order to avoid the need to revise or change your topic entirely at a later

stage in the process. Begin your work by browsing through topics that are

of personal interest to you. The more you already know about a specific

topic the better for the overall report when it comes to research and

particularly when putting pen to paper. There is absolutely no need to rush

this process as this works for every person in a very different way.

Moreover, you should not engage in a competition with your fellow

students when choosing a topic, but instead consider above all else your

interests, the programme framework and most importantly time to be the

decisive parameters defining your project. Furthermore, it is always

helpful to recall that there are absolutely no limitations on where to draw

your inspirations from. Some students set out to browse through the essays

they have been writing during their years of study in the programme while

others browse articles and / or journals. As good a starting point is of

course also always the internet and particularly Wikipedia2 with its vast

number of freely accessible articles and resources. In addition, think about

the scope of your project at all times and do not lose sight of where you

are headed in the bigger scheme of your work. Pose yourself constantly

the very key questions to help you select a good and fruitful topic. Ask

yourself; am I really interested in this topic? Is it feasible? Are there

enough sources to support my work and advance my research on said

topic? If you can answer all of these questions with yes, it is already a

good first indicator that you can now proceed with gathering material and

studying it more profoundly and concentrated. Also, keep a constant line

of communication open to your supervisors and your study colleagues at

2 For more detailed information on the use and application of electronic resources see

chapters 4.1.3. University data base in brief and 4.1.4 Internet “The free Encyclopaedia” in this guide.

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the obligatory thesis seminars and outside of them. This will help you

develop a clearer focus of what you are about to do and alert you of

possible incoherencies in regards to your future research report . More

importantly, this way you will be able to make a course correction in time

should it be needed. Lastly, remember also to keep your topic simple and

precise as it is better to say something relevant about a small issue than to

try to embrace the world!

2.2.1. CONCENTRATING YOUR FOCUS

At the end of your first year in our Degree Programme you will take part

in what is known as the Seili-seminar. This seminar is organized on a

yearly basis in order to get you started with your thesis work. It is

obligatory for all students and aims at giving you as a participant the

possibility to engage in a first discussion about your preliminary topic

with staff being present to offer feedback. The seminar usually represents

the second phase in the entire process and serves mostly to carve out your

focus on the topic of your choice3. It is precisely when you visualize your

topic on paper to yourself and the audience that you set in motion a first

process of scientific digestion4. Once you have managed to find yourself a

suitable topic you want to work on, it is crucial that you start narrowing it

down and define as specific as possible your main aims through research

questions. However, do not lose yourself in this task as having too many

research questions is just as unfruitful as having too few. Following this

step you will be presenting your research field to the other programme

members in form of a research plan. This research plan that you will be

presenting at the seminar will form the backbone of your project. In it you

will do a first sketch of what you will be researching and in what way,

why you are researching this specific topic and what methods you propose

to use. You will address these questions among other things through

research questions but also by doing a preliminary sweep of the readily

3 For more detailed information on how to choose a topic see chapter 2.2. How to

Choose a Topic in this guide. 4 For further clarification please see chapter 2.1. on What it is and what it is not in this

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available research material on your topic. In the end you should be able to

give the audience a concise but detailed outlook of your research strategy

while summing up the main points of your specific area of research. You

should also be able to spot your place in between the research that has

already been done and the potential research to be still conducted in this

field. Once you are able to do that and to summarize in a few sentences

what you are researching then you can start locking your sights. However,

keep in mind that as long as you conduct research and are processing the

information you come across, your project will be an open project. This

entails that in the end you might end up with something you did not quite

know to anticipate in the beginning. Nonetheless, this is not a tragedy, but

an integral part of research. In the words of Albert Einstein; “If we knew

what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?” In

the same way you should not get discouraged if you are not yet able to see

your whole project from the first letter to the last full stop. Remember at

every turn you take that you subscribed yourself to a process. And a

process, apart from being timed, needs to evolve in order to take its final

shape.

2.2.2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

When you engage in writing your final research report research questions

are a nice way to get you started. In addition to helping you concentrate

your focus your research questions can provide you with valuable

information on the approach you will take when it comes to carrying out

your study. Moreover, as your research will logically be building up on

other researchers’ contributions it makes only sense that you start taking

an interest in the dominating literature of your field. This way you will get

a more detailed overview on your own topic and it will help you determine

the starting point of your own project. Furthermore, it will also be of

interest to your readership to know about the literature preceding your

research. Firstly, the more your readership knows already about what it is

that you are doing, the better they will be able to understand and follow

your research. Secondly, it will help your readership to better classify your

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contribution and maintain an overview of the topic you are treating. The

better you establish the link between what you are currently doing and

what has been done in the past, the easier it will be to connect your topic

to the current flow of events taking place within your area of research. Of

course it depends on the topic you decide to investigate whether you will

take one approach or the other. However, every field has its own flagship

publications that serve as a starting point for further reference and are

indispensable when it comes to defining your research. The more

multifaceted your topic the more difficult it becomes to stick only to one

single field. Therefore, it is only natural that you also consider other

publications relevant to your subject. Nonetheless, you should have the

key publications listed in your research report. This way you signal to

your readership that you know your topic and hence it will help you build

up trust between you as an expert in your field and your audience. In

annex IX of this guide we have provided you with lists on key

publications concerning various different fields represented in our MDP.

We advise you strongly to take these publications under consideration

as they will help establish the future nucleus of your research report!

2.2.3. METHODOLOGY

Once you have decided on a topic and started to get to know the central

literature within your field, you will be able to proceed with planning on

how to go about collecting the data that you will be evaluating in your

research report. Depending on the kind of research you are aiming for you

will be able to have a more theoretical or practical approach or even a

combination of both. Nonetheless, in time you will come to see what

approach is the most suitable for your research report. However, keep in

mind that in the same way you introduce your readership to your

theoretical background you will also have to familiarize them with your

methodology. In other words, you will have to offer your audience an

overview on how you collect and evaluate the data that you use in your

report. Both the theory and the methodology you use are integral parts of

your research report that will define the approach of your thesis work and

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guide your readership through your report. There are many different ways

on how to go about your business in regards to collecting and evaluating

data. You will be able to make use of literature, audio-visual material and

electronic databases, conduct interviews or even make use of polls and

questionnaires. The sky is the limit here. Yet, it is useful to concentrate on

one approach at a time as it is really time consuming to prepare your

method carefully in order to obtain the best and most reliable results

possible. Usually your topic and thus theory will guide you automatically

in the direction of one concrete method for your research report.

Therefore, if you are not able to determine your methodology at the very

beginning of your work it should not discourage you or keep you from

continuing to carry out your research. In most cases the methodology of

your research report crystallizes when you have already worked for a

longer period on your thesis. This is also the reason why patience will be

one of the most important virtues you will have to acquire and learn to

concede yourself during the entire duration of your thesis work.

2.3. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPERVISING PROCESS

While writing your research report you will have the chance to benefit

from the vast knowledge your supervisors can provide you with. You can

rest assured to find guidance on every step of the way with the opportunity

to discuss your ideas and progress with you supervisors. Every student is

assigned two supervisors which in addition to assisting you with your

thesis will also be responsible for evaluating it. Every student will benefit

from the support of the Academic Director of our MDP and will have a

second supervisor functioning as the active thesis advisor in close relation

to the student’s topic. You can either ask a suitable person from within or

outside academia to act as your second supervisor or our MDP will assign

you a suitable candidate to fill this role. In our MDP we are relatively

flexible which is why supervisors to our students have also come from

outside academia not holding a professorship, not functioning as lecturer

or being involved in academia in any other way. However, we do see to

the fact that your supervisor is familiar with the proceedings in academia

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and has prior experience in regards to the working procedures on a thesis

or doctoral dissertation. This shall be the only requirement from our side

that we want you to keep in mind when looking for a suitable thesis

advisor. Please do not forget to discuss and inform your Academic

Director about your choice and otherwise keep a constant channel of

communication between you and your supervisors open.

2.4. PLAGIARISM

“My books need no one to accuse or judge you: the page which is

yours stands up against you and says, "You are a thief.”

Marcus Valerius Martial (Epigrams bk. I, ep. 53)

Plagiarism in its simplest form refers to unlawfully borrowed material

from other sources or more precisely; literary theft. Whereas it is

necessary that you do conduct research in connection with your thesis

work, it is also expected of you to uphold certain ethical and moral

standards. A thesis work is meant to be your first independent contribution

to science demonstrating your own input and skills. Everyone who has

engaged in this task before knows that such a project cannot possibly be

the end result of a single person’s intellect alone. On the contrary, as the

word “re-search” already does imply, a thesis naturally builds on research

preceding your own. Therefore, it is only normal that you make use of the

readily available knowledge. However, to appropriate yourself of another

person’s contribution without crediting the researcher / author in question

is a clear breach of all ethical and moral standards within the MDP as

much as it represents a violation of the governing regulations within the

scientific community and therefore the University of Turku as well. It falls

mainly within your responsibility to ensure that the line between your own

contribution and the borrowed ideas of other researchers’ remains clearly

visible to the reader at all times. When including material foreign to your

own original thought in your work in form of a direct quotation for

instance, it must be made recognizable as such. You can either express this

by putting the original wording in quotation marks or by presenting it in

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italic in a separate passage in the text with the appropriate reference to the

author in question5.

2.4.1. DIFFERENT FORMS OF PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism can be manifested in a work in very different forms. It is

mostly when the line between your own contribution and what you

borrowed from other researchers gets blurry that a situation of possible

plagiarism may arise. Very often you as a student also might engage

involuntarily in plagiarism by improperly referencing to original sources

in your text or by carelessness and irregularities in your approach.

Therefore, in order to help you better help yourself we want to make you

aware of some of the most common incidents encountered in this and

similar types of text production. In the following paragraph we want to

present you with examples of what is referred to as plagiarism so that you

can associate something concrete with said term. Plagiarism is commonly

identified as but not limited to:

The inclusion of quotations or the exact same wording of other

authors’ texts in part or in full into your own work without

proper referencing or no referencing at all to the original

sources.

Appropriating yourself of other authors’ contributions by

slight modification of their original texts. For instance

changing the word order or entire words without proper

referencing or no referencing at all to the original sources.

Copy-pasting material in part or in full from the internet

without proper referencing or no referencing at all to the

author, the news outlet, the article, journal or any other

sources responsible for the original text production you make

use of.

5 For more detailed information on referencing techniques and citations see chapter 3.2

Language, Quoting and Referencing in this manual.

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The direct translation of texts foreign to your own thought in

part or in full without proper referencing or no referencing at

all to the original texts in their original linguistic form.

Collusion or misrepresentation – To represent the fruits of

cooperation with other authors and / or researchers in part or

in full entirely as your own without proper referencing or no

referencing at all to the corresponding counterparts of the

contributions in question.

To include any kind of written, visual, audio-visual material in

any form in part or in full into your work that is not originally

your own without proper referencing or no referencing at all

to the original sources.

2.4.2. CONSEQUENCES

Any case of plagiarism will be considered an attempt to fraud which will

be dealt with according to the standard University procedures in place. If it

can be proven that you as a student are guilty of plagiarism it can have

severe consequences for you and also for whomever else might have been

involved and helping you out. In the most severe of cases the punishment

can be the suspension of your study rights for an entire year. In other cases

you might receive a written warning after which, if you do not comply,

you will be suspended. However, any decision is case dependent and the

final word on it rests with the Rector of the University of Turku. In

addition, plagiarism can come to light even years after your graduation.

And even though it does legally fall outside the University’s statute of

limitations it can cause harm to your reputation and thus your career.

Depending on the case in question your work can be rejected and the title

you obtained can be revoked as a consequence of your actions.

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3. YOUR FINAL RESEARCH REPORT

“One never notices what has been done; one can only see what

remains to be done.”

Marie Skłodowska-Curie (1867-1934) French-Polish physicist and chemist

In this chapter we want to give you an overview of how you can arrive at

the desired structure for your thesis work. Even though the final outlook of

your work is largely also dependent on the choice of your discipline, our

study programme and Faculty, there do exist some general guidelines to be

observed. Therefore, the structure we are going to present you with in the

chapters below will serve to give you an idea of what the most essential

elements are that your thesis work should contain. To further clarify our

explanations that accompany each of the subsequent chapters we will

include example pages of successfully completed thesis works within the

framework of our MDP in the appendix of this manual. However, should

you still feel the need for further clarification after having carefully

studied the material presented within the pages of this guide, please do not

hesitate to recur to your supervisors who will be more than pleased to

assist you in more detail whenever necessary.

3.1. STRUCTURE

For the things we have to learn before we can do, we learn by doing.

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, II03a, 32-3. In Jonathan Barnes (ed.), The Complete Works of Aristotle (1984), Vol. 2, 1743

If you already know what you are going to research and in what way then

this step should not result all too difficult for you. In case that your work

did not yet fully unfold in front of your eyes it will do so once you get to

work more concentrated on your final report. Nonetheless, it should come

as no surprise at all that every decent report does come with an abstract6,

6 See annex II for example pages as well as the respective pages of the manual itself.

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a title page7 and a table of contents

8 in the very beginning. These first

passages into your work, albeit short, are of crucial interest to the reader.

They represent a constant point of orientation for your potential readers to

consult whenever necessary. This way anyone to read your text will be

able to navigate your work faster and more thoroughly. More importantly,

the reader can gain a first glimpse into the structure of your thoughts that

will help him or her to better contextualize in their minds what you have

been working on so hard to bring to paper. In addition, it can be very

useful to complement these first insights with a list of figures, tables and /

or abbreviations9 in your report. This way you enable the reader to better

identify and appreciate the data you have been using in the subsequent

chapters of your work. Note that the above mentioned lists are usually

placed before the general introduction in your work, but it is not

uncommon to place them at the end of a report either. Lists such as these

are by no means obligatory, yet they are very useful to have so that anyone

reviewing your text does not need to interrupt the reading process for

longer than necessary, but instead can quickly consult the lists containing

the core terminology, abbreviations and other material central to your

report.

Moreover, it is common practice to start off every scientific work with an

introduction to the topic in question. In the introduction you will outline

to the reader what it is that you are doing and why. This way the reader

will be able to better understand and order the information the body of

your work contains. However, we recommended that you keep the

introduction short and up to the point, since you will be able to

contextualize your main points later in the various different chapters of

your report. Furthermore, you will have the chance to summarize and

emphasize your findings in the conclusion that will serve to round up your

Master’s Thesis. However, in this context it is good to recall that both a

good introduction and a good conclusion are just as vital to your work,

since both will give your report a stronger visibility and back up your

research. The main rule of thumb is always; the clearer it becomes to the

7 See annex I for example page as well as the respective pages of the manual itself.

8 See annex III for example page as well as the respective pages of the manual itself.

9 See the introductory section of this manual pp. I-III.

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reader what you are all about in your research report, the better it reflects

on your overall work.

Once you have successfully managed to establish a final outlook through

the conclusion of your report you can proceed to conclude your thesis with

a bibliography and if necessary also with appendices. Both the

bibliography and the appendices are two different sources of information

providing the reader with valuable insights into your source material for

further research and / or clarification. Start compiling the bibliography

from the very beginning and it will save you a lot of time at a later stage in

the process. In it you will list the entire material you have made use of in

your thesis. As for the appendices, they are particularly useful to showcase

information you refer to often in your work. This way you give the reader

direct access to the very same core information that you have had at your

disposal at the time you compiled your report. This will not only enforce

the overall footing of your report but also strengthen considerably your

argument. In Appendix III under the section Appendix at the end of this

guide you will find an example page depicturing a table of contents of a

completed thesis. This example page will further illustrate how your future

thesis could be constructed and what sections it contains. However, if you

like you can also go back to the beginning of this guide to refer to its table

of contents page as another possible structure. The bottom line here is; no

matter what approach you choose, stick with it! In any other case you will

end up confusing yourself and your readers.

3.1.1. INTRODUCTION

Whatever it is that you do, in whatever way and in whatever style, you

need to present it to the public in a manner that gives it the possibility to

get acquainted with the fruits of your efforts in a rather quick and efficient

way. This applies to artists in the music business as much as to authors,

painters and researchers. The better you construct the bridge between your

work and your prospective readers, the better the odds for your research

report in general and for you to get your arguments across. It works best if

you picture the introduction to be the sales pitch of your thesis work with

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which you want to advertise your research to your potential audience. If

you think about it for a little while you will notice that, you, better than

anyone else, knows what the advert for your product needs to be. After all

you are the one who has the most intimate and dominant connection to

your own work. And since you know the best qualities of your end product

you will also know how to compile these in an informative, purpose

oriented and motivating way. Your reader in that sense is not only your

customer, but your muse, your critic and your biggest fan. Because

although you might be writing about a topic from an angle more or less

desirable to the one of your readers, it is up to you to hook them up to your

project. Then they will enjoy the ride even though you are driving your

thesis forward with an image that is not necessarily of their choosing.

Furthermore, it is important that you inform the reader about the intentions

you pursue with your research. Above all you need to tell your readers

why what you are doing is important and in what connection it stands to

current and preceding research in this particular field. Keep in mind that

your readers might or might not have a background in the topic you

discuss in your thesis work. Therefore, it is crucial that you contextualize

your research through the main questions driving it. Additionally, it is also

useful and necessary to not only discuss what you are going to be treating

in your research but to also limit your scope to one particular area of

interest. Setting boundaries is important to both you and your readers. It

will give you peace of mind in the sense that you will be able to better

concentrate your focus on what really matters in your research. For the

reader, on the other hand, it is good to know what he can and cannot

expect from your work. Finally, as long as you have not completely

finished writing all other parts of your research report, your introduction

will naturally appear to be a construction site in progress. This of course

has to do with the fact that you are still adding information that also needs

to be voiced in one way or another in your introduction. Therefore, it is

common practice to worry about your introduction at the very end of the

process. However, this does not mean that you could not start writing on

your thesis by compiling a preliminary introduction with your ideas about

your report to be. On the contrary, doing so might even help you in

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concentrating your focus and maintaining your specific angle throughout

your research.

3.1.2. THE RESEARCH PROCESS

The core process of your research report will largely consist of and be

dominated by everything discussed above and in the chapters below.

However, in order for you to implement the information you have come

across and the one you are about to receive, you need to be familiar with

certain customs and procedures. Therefore, in this chapter we will present

you with the parts and pieces that essentially shape the inner life of your

research report.

At this stage of the process you have arrived at a juncture where the

decisions you are further going to take will be crucial to the overall

progress of your research report. Henceforth, it will be of great importance

that you proceed throughout your work in a sound and logical fashion.

This implies that you base your decisions on the suitability and

requirements of your topic. Stick with the approach you have chosen in

the beginning in order to conduct your research successfully. However,

keep in mind that there is no one single recipe on how you should engage

in writing your thesis work – top-down approach or vice versa. Not even

the very manual you are reading right now has been compiled in any

chronological order. The reason for this is that ideas do not know anything

about chronological procedures. You get ideas when you get them. This is

what makes thesis writing a creative process that needs its own space to

evolve. Therefore, the key then is to follow the idea that is freshest in your

mind and start to develop it for as long as the impetus lasts. This way you

may gain new insights and conclusions that are likely to stimulate the

work on your report further. So you see that the progress on your report is

eventually dominated by the idea that takes hold of your mind at a certain

point in time, rather than by the dogma of a chronological working

process. Therefore, and in order for your thesis to represent a coherent

entity in the end, we suggest you focus on the things you can control; the

interplay between the theoretical and methodological parts of your

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research report is one such area. Although it might be difficult at times to

draw the line between the former and the latter, it is important to recall

that both build up on one another. In this sense the theoretical approach

you take will also define to a great extend the methodology that best fits

your research report. And the better you embed the theoretical and

practical parts of your work into your methodology, the better the

interplay of all your research report’s segments. Another area to constantly

keep track of is your use of language. It will be your primary tool when it

comes to implementing your theoretico-methodological approach. The

linguistic form of your thesis work will be a defining element to either

weaken or reinforce the outreach of your argumentation and thus the

credibility of your overall research. Keep in mind that language will be the

prime carrier of your thoughts and the instrument to make yourself heard

throughout your entire research report. Therefore, it is just as important to

polish your linguistic skills as it is necessary to have a logical approach to

your case study. In some completed thesis works with very well performed

research and interesting approaches, bad use of language has unfortunately

led to a considerable decline in the overall grading. That is why we

recommend you reserve yourself the time to double check and update your

linguistic output at all times. Once you are completely sure you are done

writing your thesis, it is advisable that you hand it over to a native speaker

to proof read your text.

Furthermore, it is common knowledge that the longer and more time you

spent with your own writing, the greater the possibility that things get

overlooked. When this happens it is also commonly referred to as

“becoming blind” to your own text. Consequently, the likelihood of you

leaving involuntarily grammatical mistakes behind in your text increases.

In the worst case scenario the reader might even encounter contradictory

information in your research report. Therefore, it is always good to also

hand your finalized draft over to someone not directly related to your

research in order to avoid such perils. Last but not least, we want to

remind you of the existence of two different writing, referencing and

quoting styles used in our Master’s Degree Programme. One of which is

the MLA-style of referencing and the other one is known as the Chicago-

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style. Usually the choice of your topic and your discipline prescribe you

stick to a certain style. However, since we are an interdisciplinary study

programme we are somewhat more flexible in this regard. Nonetheless, it

is very important that you, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES, make use of

both styles within one and the same report. In a later chapter in this guide

we will introduce you to the styles mentioned above in more detail and

explain their importance to you as a researcher.

3.1.3. CONCLUSION

A conclusion is what rounds up your research report. Once you arrive at

this phase of your project you will have concluded your research. As the

word itself already suggests a conclusion refers to the chapter in which

you will summarize and identify the achievement of your investigation. In

fact, the conclusion and the introduction, as mentioned above earlier, are

the two parts of any written project that your potential readers will

approach first. This is because on the one hand these two chapters give a

summary of what you are researching and on the other hand they tell your

readers whether or not your research falls within the scope of their

interests. However, unlike the introduction the conclusion of your report is

not a simple summary of facts. On the contrary, it should contain a concise

and analytical interpretation of the possible implications that your findings

might have for future research on the topic in question. Moreover, keep in

mind that in order not to blindside your readership you should not present

them with any new information in your conclusion. Transparency should

be the ultimate goal you pursue in your research. Therefore, your readers

need time to evaluate your findings. However, this is only possible if you

keep to your particular research field and to the corresponding findings

discussed in earlier chapters of your report. Furthermore, it is common

practice to give a brief outlook on the future research possibilities within

the field of your research. This way you will find it easier to place your

own research in between the one preceding yours and the one to come

thereafter. Lastly, it is useful to draw a link between the framework of

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your work and the current day realities. This might give further weight to

your research and even present prospective future researchers with the

incentive to continue research in this particular field.

3.2. LANGUAGE, QUOTING & REFERENCING

The finest language is mostly made up of simple unimposing words.

George Eliot (1819 -1880) English novelist, translator and journalist

A very important part of your research consists of you ensuring that your

writing does not become an obstacle that would impede your readers from

following your argumentation. Language and form are valued highly in

scientific research and your text therefore needs to be as clear as possible

in order for your results to become as transparent as possible to your

audience. Moreover, it is worth while keeping in mind that your

readership will form its first impression of your work in part by evaluating

your use of the English language and the underlying style. It is thus up to

you whether this turns out to be either a very thorough and appealing or a

rather mediocre first impression. In case of the latter, it will not likely

create any further incentive for your readership to continue studying your

work even though you might have performed excellent research worth the

while. Thus, consistency in your style and language is just as important as

consistency throughout your argumentation and overall approach.

Therefore, in our programme we encourage the study of different

languages but aim especially at amplifying your skills in English academic

writing from the very first day of your studies with us. A good command

and profound knowledge of the English language is indispensable in

today’s academic world and the labour market. Consequently, in the

subsequent chapters we will familiarize you with the different styles of

writing, quoting and referencing used in our programme.

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3.2.1. LINGUISTIC FORM

The minute you start writing on your thesis you are well advised to keep

your readership in mind at all times. As you proceed within your work you

will be confronted with several different tasks at once. Consequently, it

might very well happen that your attention gets divided between

producing a clear, understandable and unambiguous text and the research

process itself. Even though at this point you need not worry about

producing any finalized text, the earlier you start concentrating on the

form, style and expressive nature of your text, the easier it will be to

correct it later on. Your readers should not need to spend much time

deciphering confusing text but should instead possess the freedom to fully

concentrate on the material you present them with. Therefore, the more

conceptual or complicated the matter at hand, the easier you should go on

your readership in terms of your linguistic output. Remember, the more

fluid and coherent your text production already is at the early stages of

your work, the better for your readership and the less work for you at a

later point in time. Moreover, you should constantly browse your text for

incoherent and disconnected sentences, paragraphs or entire chapters.

Having any of the aforementioned in your text can have very dire

consequences when it comes to following and understanding your

argumentation. However, at this stage you do not need to know from the

very beginning where exactly each of your sentences is going to be placed

in your thesis. Therefore, you should not be too hasty with pushing the

delete button on every sentence you dislike either. Instead, it is advisable

you use seemingly useless sentences in your text as personal notes or

references to your own ideas until you find proper use for them. When the

time comes you will know with what parts to proceed in your text and in

what way. Furthermore, we cannot stress enough how important it is that

you write down on paper every single idea you get the minute it occurs to

you. Do not postpone this step for later as you will get tired during the

entire time you work on your thesis and might be prone to forget one thing

or the other! Therefore, if you do not want to be sorry later on, take the

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time to locate your ideas and eternalize them for yourself with a few

strokes on the paper or on your computer desktop. Lastly, we want to give

you a few words of advice on language use and how to link different

phrases with one another within the same paragraph in a clear and

structured manner.

3.2.1.1. LANGUAGE USE & TEXT LINKAGES

Firstly, assuming that what you write is of course connected to the overall

argumentation of your work, there are several options at your disposal that

permit you to join your ideas and sentences together to fit the logical

structure of your text. A very popular way to do this is by making use of

so called binding words (e.g. therefore, moreover, henceforth…). Binding

words not only link different ideas and sentences in your text with each

other but also have the pleasant side-effect that they enhance the overall

form of your report. However, if you are carless in your wording the

opposite can occur just as easily. Therefore, we want you to keep in mind

at all times that your choice of words is a very delicate matter and it is in

fact the only way for you to ensure your final report upholds a certain

linguistic standard. The positive side to this feature of the process is that

you are the one in control of the quality of your writing. And since writing

is already an art in and of itself it can further serve as a testimony of your

expertise in your research field. As a rule of thumb it can be observed that

the more fluent your text is, the clearer the subject is to you as a

researcher. And the more comfortable you feel, the better the reader will

be able to follow in your steps with you guiding them through the different

stages and chapters of your report. Secondly, there does exist another

popular way to mark the end of one thought and the beginning of another.

Text breaks are usually the means by which this is achieved. As you might

have noticed by now, the text you are currently reading is structured not

only in several chapters but also divided into various different paragraphs.

This has been done in order to allow you as a reader to identify the

different logical units of the text. In this way you can better work them in

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your mind to one coherent whole. After all, this is what this manual is

striving to create for you; an overall coherent picture of the process you

are about to undertake. Last but not least, in a scientific text production

there is absolutely NO PLACE WHATSOEVER for the use of colloquial

or vulgar language, unless explicitly stated otherwise and agreed upon

with your supervisors. The outcome of your work should reflect a dynamic

text that progresses in a fluid and logical manner throughout the different

paragraphs and chapters of your research report.

3.2.2. REFERENCING IN THE TEXT

In the chapter above 3.1.2. The Research Process we already gave you a

quick peek into the two different referencing styles used in our MDP; the

MLA- and the CMS style of referencing. You will come to see that both of

the styles in question do indeed have more similarities than features to

distinct them from one another. More importantly, both of the styles serve

to bring some kind of structure and order into the way you present your

readers with information in your report. There is no “righter” or less

favoured style. There is solely a different approach to highlighting what

source material you have been using. Technically speaking both styles

only emphasize different elements of the source you are referring to.

Therefore, we encourage you to choose the style you consider to be the

most appropriate for the research you are conducting. Suffice it to say, the

style that you pick is the style you will have to stick with during the

duration of your entire scientific journey. However, note that the

similarities the styles share can result confusing if you do not pay enough

attention to detail. Therefore, in the subsequent chapters we will introduce

you properly to the customs of both styles in order to enable you to

distinguish them from one another. This way we ensure you do not drown

in despair when confronted with the necessity to refer to your source

material. Since our MDP forms part of the Faculty of Humanities of the

University of Turku we will start by reviewing the MLA style of

referencing. Moreover, in the corresponding chapters below we will

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provide you with concrete examples showing you exactly how to

implement both styles separately.

3.2.2.1. THE MLA STYLE OF REFERENCING10

The MLA style of referencing is considered to be an “in-text” citation

style commonly used within the Humanities.11

What this means is that

unlike the CMS style the MLA advances the sources you make use of

right beside the text that you paraphrased or quoted. In this way the

readers are provided with instant access to the source material in question.

However, there is a certain procedure to be observed in regards to the

usage of this style. It is namely common practice to have in-text citations

after the quote but before the period. However, in the text the quote itself

is presented to your readers in quotation marks. The citation, on the other

hand, appears in parentheses and is advanced by the name of the author

and completed with the corresponding page numbers that directly refer to

the quote in your text. Note that there is no comma to separate the author

from the page number. In addition, you can also have so called block

quotes in your text. Block quotes are usually made use of in cases when

your quotations exceed four typed lines. However, unlike with the above

mentioned method of quoting, this time the text you quote does not need

to be in quotation marks. Instead, your quote is intended by approximately

1 or 2 cm from the left margin. Moreover, should you use two or more

quotes consecutively in your text out of the same source material; it is

enough if you only mention the page number without the author.

Nonetheless, if you use other sources in between you have to cite them

according to the criteria mentioned above. In regards to the usage of

footnotes you need to keep in mind that they are only used for further

clarification of facts mentioned in your text. When you use the MLA style

of writing you should not make use of footnotes for citations. Instead, you

use for citations the appropriate steps as described above.

See annex IV for example pages with further explanations. 11

See also: Yale College Writing Center (2011) Why Are There Different Citation Styles? (http://writing.yalecollege.yale.edu/why-are-there-different-citation-styles)

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3.2.2.2. THE CMS (CHICAGO STYLE) OF REFERENCING12

The CMS or Chicago style of referencing has, as the name already

suggests, its origins in the style of referencing used at the University of

Chicago. Since it uses footnotes to communicate the source information

used in your text to the reader, it is considered to be the counterpart to in-

text citation styles such as the above mentioned and the APA-style. The

CMS style of referencing is very popular in historical research for it

allows a bit more flexibility than the other styles.

It even invites the mixing of formats, provided that the result is clear and

consistent. For instance, the fifteenth edition of The Chicago Manual of

Style permits either footnotes or in-text citation styles; it provides

information on in-text citation by page number (like MLA style) or by

year of publication (like APA style); it even provides variations in footnote

style, depending on whether or not the paper includes a full Bibliography

at the end.13

Moreover, since historians also work a lot with multiple primary source

material that might call for additional explanatory remarks, footnotes offer

the perfect platform to expand on any specific parts of your text. This way

the reader can focus entirely on the material they are presented with

instead of getting distracted by the information concerning the source

material. Therefore, it does not really matter whether you use in-text

citation styles or footnotes for this purpose. What matters is that you show

consistency in the application of either the former or the latter. However,

there are also limitations to the flexibility of the CMS School of citation.

For instance, you cannot present sources in certain parts of your report in

footnotes and in other parts as in-text citations. Furthermore you will have

to decide between presenting your sources in the footnotes or in the

“Notes” section at the end of each chapter. Both ways are possible, but

only the use of one method at a time is allowed. The same goes for when

See annex V for example pages with further explanations. 13

See also: Yale College Writing Center (2011) Why Are There Different Citation Styles? More Notes on Chicago Style Footnotes. (http://writing.yalecollege.yale.edu/why-are-there-different-citation-styles)

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you cite your sources. Whether you cite them the MLA style with author

and page, the APA style with author year and page or the CMS style with

author, book title and page number, it does not really matter. Important is

the consistency within your report and we cannot stress this point often

enough!

3.2.3. BIBLIOGRAPHY14

Naturally the bibliography of your research report cannot be viewed as a

separate entity detached from whichever style you might have ended up

using. On the contrary, your bibliography has to reflect clearly the same

style you have hopefully been using throughout your thesis work. In it you

will have to name all source material be it academic journals, books,

internet sources, pictures or audio-visual material of any other kind.

Unless you chose to use a Notes section to accompany your footnotes as

mentioned in the previous chapter, you are required to compile all the

source material in your footnotes again to resemble a final index of your

sources in alphabetical order. However, because this task might turn out to

be a rather exhausting and difficult one when performed only after you

completed the writing process, it is advisable you update the list

simultaneously while writing on your report. List every single source you

use right away in your bibliography and you will end up with a very

thorough and accurate bibliography. Additionally, it will save you a lot of

time and energy that you will be able to relocate entirely to the revision

and proof reading of your research report. Notwithstanding, you have to

point out in your bibliography what kind of source material you are

referring to. The best way to do this is for instance to have separate

sections within your bibliography for primary and secondary literature as

well as for internet sources. Keep in mind that your thesis work does not

end with the Conclusion. The bibliography is a crucial and indispensable

part of your work and thus your thesis formally ends with the last

reference entry in your list of references.

See annex VI for example pages of bibliographies.

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3.3. THE OVERALL FORMAT OF YOUR RESEARCH REPORT

Style is as much under the words as in the words. It is as much the

soul as it is the flesh of a work.

Gustave Flaubert (1821 – 1880) French novelist

Thus far we have provided you with know-how on the structure, linguistic

form and the theoretical background concerning your future final research

report. In this chapter we will proceed to hand you the framework within

which you are to present your facts and which you are to use to dress your

thoughts with on paper. This entails amongst other things that you take

care of the symmetrical, coherent and scientific appearance of your

research report throughout your entire work. You commence this step

from the very beginning and carry it out by implementing the minimum

guidelines concerning the distance of your text to all four margins of your

page, the spacing of your text as well as the font size of your writing. In

addition, we will introduce you to the exact functions of the headers and

footers of your page and make you aware of how to correctly number the

different parts of your thesis work including tables, glossaries, table of

contents, the abstract and appendices. Moreover, we will present you with

the final shape your title page, your abstract and bibliography ought to

have. Please, read the instructions of this chapter carefully as they will

have an impact on your work, final grading and define how well your

readership will be able to follow your argumentation! Furthermore, all

regulations stated within this chapter are official University regulations

and they are final! With this in mind we will open up the subsequent

paragraphs by reviewing what your research report MUST NOT contain

in its Title Page.

Title Page

In earlier chapters in this manual we have already highlighted the

importance of the introduction and conclusion of your work. However, we

have not yet referred to your title page. You may or may not be a visual

artist; nonetheless, there is no place for any such experiments on your

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cover page. The title page should contain a title that refers as precise as

possible to the content of your work. In this context it is also worth

keeping in mind that the connection of your title to your overall research

will have an impact on your final grade. In case that your title should only

barely reflect your research your grade will automatically reflect that fact.

Moreover, on the bottom of your cover page the nature of the work you

are doing; namely a Master’s Thesis, your name, the name of our

University, Faculty and our study programme, month and year of

completion of your work should be reflected, and NOTHING ELSE!

This information must be at the bottom of your title page and aligned to

the right. Do not include your student number, your current home address,

your marital status or any other personal information other than the one

related to your studies as described above! Your title shall occupy the

middle of your cover page and be centred. Do not use an excessively big

font size, yet make your title appear to be a title with its respective

subtitle. Remember to provide a visible distinction between what is your

title and what your subtitle.

Summary Page

The Summary Page or Abstract gives a short insight into your research by

representing the key points of your report in a very concise manner. And

when we say concise, we mean concise. Your summary page should not

be longer than 300 words and the line spacing is to be 1. There is no

need to contextualize anything here. The Abstract is the page to follow

your title page and is meant to give an overview of your research report

and nothing else! You will be able to annotate anything further in your

Introduction.

In the Foreword of this guide we have already provided you with an

example of how your Abstract will look like. You begin your summary

page by adding on top of the page the information in regards to our

University and the Faculty. Only your name and the full title of your

research report will appear on the same line. Thereafter, you will add

additional information on the nature of the research that you are

conducting; e.g. Bachelor’s Thesis, Master’s Thesis or Doctoral

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Dissertation. On the same line as you put the aforementioned data you will

record the exact page numbers your research report contains and

separately the page numbers that your appendix consists of. Last but not

least, you will name our MDP and below it you will indicate the month

and the year in which you finalized your thesis to be printed. Do not forget

to write down the keywords that refer to your work in case that your work

should be made available in our electronic database.

Appendices

The word appendix has its origins in the Latin language and in general it

refers to any part of a finite document “that is dependent or supplementary

in nature or function”15

. Consequently, even a bibliography, an Index or

for that matter any kind of attached tables, glossaries or abstracts can be

considered to be additions to the original texts and thus Appendices.

Indirectly this is the case and it is still being made visible by numbering

the various parts of the document differently. However, nowadays an

appendix is commonly referred to as being a document attached to the end

of any written work such as a book or an article. The main function of an

appendix consists of providing the reader with vital information that does

not form the central idea of your thesis work, but that essentially

contributes to building up the main content of your research report. Most

commonly the appendix has no page numbers at all and instead is divided

into different sections at the end of your report. This is best being done by

inserting in the header of the appendix the name and number of the

appendix in question for every single document belonging to it. For

instance, you may have several appendices attached to your document. In

this case you name all the pages belonging to one and the same appendix

with the corresponding name e.g. Appendix I, Appendix II, Appendix III

and so on and so forth.

Collins English Dictionary (2012)

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3.3.1. MARGINS

Every text possesses not only a structure but a visual format that generates

comfort and trust within your readers. Additionally, it gives your work

integrity by providing your audience with a fixed skeleton of your

research report. The visual format of your work forms thus an integral part

of your Master’s Thesis. Through it you reveal to your readership much

more than you might think at first. For instance, in the same manner that

clothing speaks volumes about the people who wear them, the way you

present your report to your readership will reflect on you in one way or

another. In the words of the American Poet Robert Frost; “Style is that

which indicates how the writer takes himself and what he is saying.” You

could argue that the margins of your document are partially eye-candy,

which is not entirely false. However, margins serve, as mentioned above,

to represent the skeleton of your work as much as they ensure that none of

your text gets misrepresented in your bound copy of your final report.

Therefore, in Appendix VII we have laid out detailed instructions for the

dimensions of your margins as well. These measurements are valid for

your entire document! They are as follows; Top: 2,5 cm, Left: 4cm,

Bottom: 1,5 cm and Right: 2cm. It is best if you apply these

measurements right from the start to your document so that you do not

need to make any unnecessary readjustments at a later stage. These

dimensions are not just a suggestion from our side; they are set in stone

and must be reflected in your work! Failure to comply with these

instructions may result in parts of the text in your work getting lost or

unrecognizable when bound together to a hardcopy. Consequently, this

might lead to you having to make a reprint of your thesis work which will

cost you additional time and money. Therefore, in order to avoid having to

take any additional measures afterwards, we strongly recommend you

define the margins of your document before you even start writing.

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Line Spacing

Your document consists of various different sections that require each a

different representation within your research report, since they fulfil

different functions. The valid Line Spacing for the main body of your

work is 1,5 regardless of any Referencing Style you might have chosen.

The only exception to the rule is your Summary Page which ought to have

a Line Spacing of 1. All other tables and glossaries follow the Line

Spacing as outlined above for the main body of your text.

The Footer and Header of Your Text

Unlike the Footer in this manual which contains a graphic and footnotes,

the one in your research report is only allowed to have comments or

references. In addition, it is also very common to place the page numbers

of your document on the bottom right corner of your page. However,

occasionally the page numbers are also placed at the top right corner of

your document. Nonetheless, as far as the Header of your Master’s Thesis

is concerned it is to remain empty with perhaps the exception of the page

numbers as mentioned above.

3.3.2. PAGE NUMBERS

We cannot stress enough the importance of page numbers within your

thesis work. When it comes to defining the beginning and ending of

different sections in your report, page numbers are an invaluable tool.

Therefore, what kind of page numbers you use for different sections

within your report does matter. Although some of the things stated in this

subchapter may seem obvious to you, experience has shown that it is

always useful to repeat the things that one deems to be familiar with.

Therefore, we will introduce you to the method you are to apply in your

document by starting to review the very basics of page numbering. To

begin with, your Title Page as well as your Summary Page do not contain

any page numbers at all. Both pages, albeit being an integral part of your

research report, first and foremost form part of the overall layout and aim

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at giving an overview, a first brief glimpse into your work. This means

that while Cover Page and Abstract certainly are strongly related to your

work, they do not constitute the most crucial part of your work by

themselves. Secondly, any other section that precedes the formal

introduction to your research report is to be rendered visible as a separate

entity from the main body of your work. In order to achieve this the best

way possible you use roman numbers. Thirdly, the main body of your

work starts formally with the introduction and ends with the last entry in

your bibliography. Everything that falls in between abstract and appendix

(meaning the body of your work) is to be numbered with Arabian

(common) numbers. Last but not least, everything in the appendix is not

numbered at all. It might be that certain parts of your appendix already

come with page numbers; however, should this not be the case you DO

NOT ADD ANY PAGE NUMBERS to them.

3.3.3. FONT SIZE

Throughout your document you are to use TIMES NEWS ROMAN with

FONT SIZE 12. Under no circumstances should you begin switching font

fizes or text format in the middle of your text. The only exceptions to the

rule are the titles of your chapters and subchapters as well as the contents

of your footnotes and your quotations. However, occasionally it is also

enough to have the titles in your research report appear in bold instead of

changing their font size. In regards to your footnotes, your writing editor

normally tends to provide you already with the adequate text format and

font size. In case it does not the font size for your footnotes is to be Calibri

10. In addition, it is important to make sure that your footnotes and the

line break marking the beginning of your footnotes are aligned to your

overall text. The latter is a common mistake that often goes by unnoticed

after having been writing for a longer period on your thesis.

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3.3.4. FINAL REMARKS – PROLOGUES, EPILOGUES AND PREFACES

A Master’s Thesis is your very first independent contribution to science

and thus first and foremost a project intended to train your writing skills

and sharpen your attention to detail. Nonetheless, we understand that when

confronted for the first time with the set of various different requirements

that this process entails – as outlined in this manual - it is only natural that

some things at a certain point in time might escape your sight. Therefore,

we will use the opportunity to conclude this chapter by further reminding

you of the formalities common and uncommon to a Master’s Thesis.

As a student who is writing on their final research report you can consider

yourself being an “academic trainee”. You learn how to research and

digest the information you have come across by writing it out on paper in

form of a thesis work. In addition, you familiarize yourself with the

academic practicalities, principles and ethical standards that such a report

requires of you. The knowledge you acquire during this process will help

you get a first foothold in the academic world as well as enable you to

handle information in the labour market in a much more confident and

elaborate manner. Therefore, and in order to help you perform at your

best, we want to direct your attention to another matter that a lot of

students are unaware of at the time they write their final research report;

the usage of Prologues, Epilogues and Prefaces. Unlike to a Doctoral

Dissertation a Preface is not common to a Master’s Thesis. It might be a

custom in other countries but in the Finnish academic environment this is

not the case. Nonetheless, as we are an international and interdisciplinary

study programme we accept it if you want to include a Preface into your

work. However, Prologues and Epilogues must not be present in your

research report! These are usually reserved for literary works, possibly

Doctoral Dissertations and other published works.

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4. THE TOOLS

I think the hard thing about all these tools is that it takes a fair

amount of effort to become proficient.

Bill Joy (1954 – present) Computer Scientist

Whenever you conduct research you use material readily available to

enhance your own thought through it. This is a natural and inevitable step

in order to be able to come up with information of your own. Therefore,

whenever you engage in research you are also involved in the production

of new material that somebody else might be able to use in their quest for

knowledge. This makes you essentially a craftsman. If successful, and like

a blacksmith does, you present your readers with a new tool they can make

use of in their efforts to expand on their horizons. However, first of all you

will have to learn what the tools at your disposal are and how to make the

best use of them. Suffice it to say, no one masters anything without hard

work. And for an aspiring future researcher such as yourself, the tools

mentioned above consist amongst other things of various different

literature. However, when we speak of “literature” we have to take into

account that we live in a digital age. Therefore, a lot of the material you

will be using might be present in a traditional printed form as well as on

several different internet databases. You can make use of any type of

material be it printed, recorded, filmed, digital or any other kind of

sources. Yet, you should know how to use and how to include these

sources properly into your text. The more transparent your research report

and the use of your source material in it appear to be, the better the overall

resonance on your work. Therefore, in the subsequent chapters we want to

introduce you to the resources commonly referred to and made use of in

scientific publications today.

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4.1. RESOURCES

To be thrown upon one's own resources, is to be cast into the very lap

of fortune; for our faculties then undergo a development and display

an energy of which they were previously unsusceptible.

Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790) a renowned polymath

As you proceed with writing your way through your final research report

you also learn to process information according to the potential that your

source material holds. Thereby, you become aware of how to retrieve any

kind of information effectively and to classify it in accordance with your

research. In this way you maximize your own capacity by developing your

faculties further in order to save you energy and time in the future when

conducting further research. In addition, you become accustomed to the

fact that there are many different ways to handle information as well as to

analyze and produce new content. However, in order to help you with

content identification and classification the way it is naturally done in the

academic environment, we have compiled the subsequent chapters below

to provide you with a short overview of the most common source material

used in scientific works. Nonetheless, it is worth while keeping in mind

that in the end the true resources you make use of are the capabilities you

possess to marry up the tools at your disposal in a way that creates new

persuasive content. The key of this process lies within your ability to be

critical with the information you retrieve while expressing yourself in a

simple, yet objective manner.

4.1.1. PRIMARY LITERATURE

Due to the various disciplines and schools in existence it is not at all self-

evident as to what kind of material can be considered primary or

secondary source material. Depending on the perspective we assume and

the way we use the sources in question, a primary source can become a

secondary source and vice versa. The main aim of classifying sources in

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this context thus is to determine their independence and reliability16

. This

is of particular interest in scholarly works that aim at producing new

insights while maintaining a certain degree of objectivity. However, there

do exist certain guidelines that might help you determine what type of

source material you are using. Below we present you with a few well

known definitions commonly encountered when attempting to classify

source material:

In the humanities, a primary source could be defined as something that

was created either during the time period being studied or afterward by

individuals reflecting on their involvement in the events of that time.

In the social sciences, the definition of a primary source would be

expanded to include numerical data that has been gathered to analyse

relationships between people, events, and their environment.

In the natural sciences, a primary source could be defined as a report

of original findings or ideas. These sources often appear in the form of

research articles with sections on methods and results.17

Moreover, in historiography primary sources have a longstanding

tradition and have been used to track down the origin of historical

ideas. However, in scientific literature the publication of an author’s

original work containing new data, results and theories is what is

deemed to be a primary source.

4.1.2. SECONDARY LITERATURE

In contrast to primary source material secondary sources are the ones that

give an account of a happening through someone else than the person who

has originally experienced the event. Therefore, in the humanities for

instance, newspapers, magazines academic journals as well as peer-

reviewed articles are considered to be secondary sources.18

However, what

Kragh, Helge (1989). An Introduction to the Historiography of Science. Cambridge University Press. p. 121. 17

Lafayette College Library (2008) Primary Sources: What are They? 18

Note that the terms secondary literature and secondary sources are used interchangeably in this text.

P a g e | 42

is important to keep in mind is that the classification of source material

can vary and is defined as much by time as by the way a source is being

used. Notwithstanding, over time what is considered primary can also

become secondary due to newly undisclosed information. This is mostly

true for historical research that builds heavily on archived source material.

4.1.3. UNIVERSITY DATABASE LIST IN BRIEF

In order to help you out with your research in the best way possible the

University provides its staff and alumni with a vast shared electronic

database list. The databases contained in this list are invaluable for

research and include many lists, books and scholarly articles. More

importantly, the database is provided to you free of charge for as long as

you remain alumni with the University of Turku. Therefore, it would be a

waste not to include this database in your research efforts. Consequently,

we will devote this chapter to familiarizing you with the University’s

common database list and showcase how to make the best use of it.

However, keep in mind that since the University’s webpages are

continuously being updated, the path that we point out to you here might

be invalid by the time you read this chapter. Nonetheless, we are confident

that with a little effort on your behalf you will manage to arrive at the right

place on your own in the future as well. Yet, before you can take

advantage of the resources available within the University’s database list,

you first need to have an idea of its location and what is required of you in

order to be able to initiate your research with its support. Firstly, and as we

already pointed out above, you need to be registered with our University

and have a valid UTU-account. Independently on whether you use your

home computer or a University computer, you will at least have to log in

once in order to initiate a search within the database of your choice. Login

credentials are required of you because the databases provided to you by

the University of Turku under normal circumstances would be for

commercial use only. However, the University of Turku has a standing

agreement with the contractors of these databases that allows all its staff

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and alumni the use of its electronic resources for free. Secondly, go to the

homepage of the University of Turku (www.utu.fi) and henceforth follow

the path as shown below; Library/Resources/Electronic Resources/Data

Bases/Journal Data Bases in Nelli. By now you should be at the wbesite

called Database List. Click on the In English link on the top right corner

of the page in case that your page is not already in English. If you are not

using the University computer network but instead are browsing to the

path above from your home computer, then the next step for you to take is

to log into the site using your credentials. Thereafter you will be able to

commence searching for databases in the University’s database list and

within the database of your choice you will be able to browse for various

different articles. However, for our Master’s Programme we recommend

two databases in particular; Academic Search Premiere (EBSCO) and

Jstor. These two databases contain a lot of scholarly articles as well as

high quality peer-reviewed-articles. In some cases you can even download

the articles from the databases in question for later printing.

4.1.4. INTERNET “THE FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA”

In addition to the Tools and resources we introduced you to in the chapters

above, the Internet itself is probably the largest electronic library in the

world. And by all means you should not miss out on its offerings and

make use of such free resources as Google Scholar and Wikipedia – to

mention just two out of numerous databases out there. Yet, when making

use of the diverse databases available on the net, it is wise to be cautious.

Wikipedia in particular is a database that is not always as transparent as it

appears to be. While there is no doubt that there is a vast quantity of useful

information amongst the free Encyclopaedia’s articles, Wikipedia’s main

strength is also its weakness. Wikipedia’s richness derives first and

foremost from its community or to be more precise its active members in

particular. It is mostly due to their continuous contributions and efforts to

maintain the database up-to-date that Wikipedia is one of the largest free

electronic databases ever to have been created. However, this fact is also

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Wikipedia’s problem. Even though the articles in Wikipedia are constantly

reviewed it is a well-known fact that there do also exist articles whose

sources are either improperly cited and / or omitted entirely. Therefore, it

is not always possible to trace the contents and origins of the articles in

question. Nonetheless, we do not want to discourage you from using this

Encyclopaedia. On the contrary, we think that Wikipedia is a very good

starting point for you from which to draw your ideas and inspirations

from. Yet, it would be unwise to rely primarily on this database for the

reasons described above and because your work is supposed to be

composed of scientific research and is not to resemble a recollection of

different thoughts and biographies. However, independently of the source,

article or Encyclopaedia you make use of, the most important thing is to

be critical and analytical toward the material you encounter.

5. TIME – YOUR FLUCTUATING CURRENCY

Work is hard. Distractions are plentiful. And time is short.

Adam Hochschild (1942 until present) journalist and author

As with everything you do in life you also have to allocate time to

conducting your research. For some it might be good news that it is

entirely up to them to see to it that they plan their thesis work by

themselves. For others, however, the lack of “stress” and / or “pressure”

can transform into a motivational problem. Whatever your viewpoint on

this issue might be, DO NOT PANIC! First of all you do not have the time

to panic and secondly there is absolutely no need to feel discomfort since a

process is ALWAYS subject to individual progress. Therefore, it is useless

to compare your progress to the one of your colleagues since you have

different visions and ambitions concerning your thesis works and future

career perspectives to begin with. In addition, individual progress – as the

word already implies – comes in all shapes and sizes. In other words,

progress is mostly about you having the time to give yourself the time you

need. This is a precondition for you to be able to allocate your time where

it is needed the most. Even though this might sound a bit strange to you at

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this point, you will come to see that in order to use time effectively you

will first have to understand and value your own time. Therefore, in this

chapter we want to direct your attention towards the importance and

meaning of time to you personally and in relation to your final research

report within the framework of our MDP. Once we have arrived at a

common variable of time we will then proceed to take a look on how to

maintain your edge while engaging in scientific research. Moreover, we

will present you with a few techniques on how to best maintain a steady

level of motivation and how to connect both your time and motivation to

best suit your workload. This way we hope to be able to take away some

of the fears you might have had at an earlier point in time while reading

this manual or while attending the obligatory master’s seminar of our

Programme. Nonetheless, we want you to keep in mind that what works

for some people might not necessarily work for you or vice versa.

Therefore, we invite you to share your methods, techniques – whatever

works best for you – with your study colleagues. You might even receive

some fresh input yourself. We recommend that you always balance your

time between leisure, pleasure (time as a resource) and work (time as a

tool). However, it is important that you do not deceive yourself in the

process.

In chapter 4. The Tools we have introduced you to all the tools and

resources at your disposal except the one that we are treating here; TIME.

And because time is so much more than solely another resource, we have

reserved this chapter to reflect upon its most important aspects within the

framework of this manual. Therefore, let us start to approach this subject

together by reflecting upon the different aspects of time in relation to your

research report.

To begin with, time is your personal currency that you alone hold the

control over. And even though we would love to be able to say that you

have a limitless supply of it, the truth is unfortunately that time within the

framework of our programme is limited as well. However, while you

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study with us you can and should use your time in diverse ways. Yet, in

order to be able to do so it is important that you become aware of the

diverse applicability of your time budget. Therefore, it is useful to keep in

mind that whenever you spent time pursuing activity I you will face an

imbalance in your time budget concerning activity II. The latter activity

will thus logically and inevitably fall shorter on your time scale as

opposed to activity I. However, you can circumvent this peril by treating

time as both a resource and a tool. In this way you can best prevent your

personal time from getting distorted and becoming a limiting factor to the

progress of your thesis work. Moreover, it is useful to keep in mind at all

times that as soon as you start using time either as a resource (personal

time) or a tool (work) you engage in a transaction. Therefore, your skills

in balancing out your time budget will largely define the progress and

quality of your research report.

Your Fluctuating Currency

Too much spending on both ends of your time budget can have harmful

effects on both your work (quality) and yourself (burnout). In order for

you to maintain a high level of motivation and arrive at a reasonable

outcome concerning your research, it is recommendable you keep your

time budget in balance. In part this involves that you reward yourself

whenever you make progress and give yourself the time to recharge your

batteries by doing something that you enjoy in between. On the other

hand, however, you should avoid getting distracted by social networks,

news outlets or other attractive sources on the internet that might consume

too much of your time and attention. And most importantly, do not

deceive yourself! Do not waste time with reading things that are not

specifically related to your research. Some students fool themselves

unintentionally into thinking that they are working on their thesis. They

start reading interesting material that is somehow related to their topic just

to discover in the end that it is of no use for their actual research report. In

cases such as these it is not uncommon that your time budget might start to

suffer from “inflation”. As you will have to double your efforts for the

time you have lost browsing the wrong material, your time constraints will

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start tightening their grip ever stronger around your progress.

Consequently, you will have to invest twice as much time into your

research report to arrive at the same results as compared to when you

started out. In the end you will have much less time to yourself what may

contribute to rising stress levels and discomfort in you. At the same time

this “new” situation you find yourself in might very well have an impact

on the quality of your contribution. However, there are numerous ways to

ensure you do not get distracted and a look into the thesis archive of our

Master’s Degree Programme more than proofs this to be true. And in order

to let you successfully become part of our archive we want to share some

advice with you in the subsequent chapter on the “how to?”.

Methods and Techniques on Time Management

First and foremost you will have to find yourself a place where you can

concentrate and put your energy to the task at hand. For some this place

might be at home, for others in the University and again others prefer to sit

in libraries or coffee houses. It does not really matter what place you come

up with as long as it allows you to be productive. Yet, you are well

advised to keep in mind always that you are not writing a doctoral

dissertation nor a bible or anything else. You are engaging in writing a

Master’s Thesis and thus you are an “academic apprentice”. Do not let

your project overwhelm you. Remember that there are hundreds of

thousands of students who have done this successfully before you and so

will you! If we look at the requirements for your graduation they might

seem far out of reach at first. However, if we break them down you will

see that there is actually nothing really fearful about them. To write 60

pages in one year can be translated into 30 pages in 6 months which makes

5 pages a month, 1,25 pages a week and effectively ¼ of a page a day.

And if the winds happen to be gracious on any particular day of your

scientific journey, you will write most certainly more than just ¼ of a page

a day. Seen in this light; It’s not too much to ask now is it? Moreover, you

can speed up your process by giving yourself deadlines and making them

public to your friends and professors. In this way you will have a specific

day to keep you going unless you want to fail your deadline, the people

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you told it to and eventually yourself. Lastly, and we cannot stress this

often enough, talk to people in the same situation as you and exchange

ideas with them. And do not forget to treat yourself every once in a while.

This is important for your morale and your motivation. Remember, you

are neither a slave nor a machine. You are a human being and privileged

to have the possibility to learn how to express yourself in a proper,

scientifically sound manner at our University.

6. THESIS APPROVAL, PRINTING AND GRADING

When one has finished building one's house, one suddenly realizes

that in the process one has learned something that one really needed

to know in the worst way - before one began.

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900) German Philosopher

Once you have arrived at this stage with your thesis work you will have

done most of the work already. However, as we have mentioned in earlier

chapters it is now up to you to initiate the proof reading of your research

report. After you have verified that your thesis is in order and all the

different chapters and paragraphs are finalized you can consider being

done with the writing and proof reading process. Now you will have to

concern yourself with getting two bound copies of your research report

that you will leave with the office of the Faculty of Humanities of our

University. However, we will discuss this in more detail in the paragraph

on Printing below. For now suffice it to say that this can turn out to be a

costly process if you did not familiarize yourself with the instructions

handed out to you in this manual. Therefore, we suggest you take your

time to review your work carefully and ensure that it does comply with the

minimum requirements as stipulated in this guide. However, even though

you might have finalized your thesis you are not yet done with the entire

process. Only once you have written and successfully passed the maturity

test will you have brought the entire process to an end.

P a g e | 49

Printing

Usually before you engage in signing up for the maturity test you will first

hand in two bound copies of your thesis work at the office of the Faculty

of Humanities. However, you cannot make these copies appear to be

whatever you might have envisioned for them. Although you have certain

liberties such as the color of your bound copy, there are strict regulations

on the layout that your copies must reflect. ONLY the Master’s Thesis

spine bears lettering taking reference to the author and the year that the

Master´s Thesis in question was finished in. Any other part of the cover of

your thesis work cannot contain any kind of text whatsoever! Moreover,

your research report is to be printed in such a way that only one side of the

page contains text. Under no circumstances should the back of any page

within your report contain any kind of text. Remember also to bring a

separate copy of your thesis abstract to be handed in together with

your two bound copies of your research report at the Faculty office. If

you fail to comply with these guidelines your bound copies will likely

be rejected by the Faculty.

There are several different binderies and printing houses that are

specialized in printing thesis works, for instance, Kluutti Oy

(www.kluutti.fi), located in Lemminkäisenkatu 14-18 B, and Suomen

Yliopistopaino Oy Uniprint (www.uniprint.fi) situated in Kasarminkatu 2,

Turku. However, you can choose any other printing house as well. The

various binderies differ mostly in the different prices each of them charges

for the job.

What is a maturity test?

The maturity test is an examination that will be based on you research

report. It will serve to proof your understanding of the topic you treated in

your thesis work. Moreover, it will as well demonstrate your capability to

express yourself appropriately using proper academic English. The

examination will consist of two or three open questions related to your

research report. You will answer to only one of the questions presented to

you. Your answer will have to be 4 pages long and has to be given as an

P a g e | 50

essay style answer. However, do not forget that you are to use only every

other line of the examination paper while writing your answer and please

leave a small margin to the outer side of your paper. This way the person

correcting your paper will have better legibility and will be able to leave

comments on the side of your examination paper. The language used in

the examination will be English. Nonetheless, Finnish students do have the

possibility to write their maturity test in their native language shall they

choose to do so. Because the maturity test is to a large extent a

demonstration of your communicative skills we recommend that you take

your time to think your answer through. You will have more than

sufficient time to answer the question of your choice so that there is

absolutely no need to rush the examination. Take a sheet of paper to gather

your thoughts and try structuring your answer before you start writing

down your final answer on a clean sheet of paper.

Grading

The grading of your thesis work will be performed by both of your

supervisors of whom at least one is your active thesis advisor. In their joint

statement your supervisors will comment on your work and let you know

your final grade. The grading of a Master’s Thesis at the University of

Turku is performed using the scale as presented in annex VIII. Within the

same document you will also find more detailed information in regards to

the criteria and requirements for obtaining a particular grade. Finally,

according to University regulations you have the right to appeal the

decision made in regards to the grading of your thesis work. Should you

feel it necessary you will have the possibility to appeal the decision made

within 14 days of having received the results of your final evaluation for

your review. After the time period stated above the decision becomes

permanent.

P a g e | 51

7. FINAL REMARKS

In this manual we have provided you with the most essential information

in regards to how to engage in writing your first own scientific research

report. If you made your way through to this chapter you will hopefully

have gained by now a basic understanding of what a Master’s Thesis is

and what it consists of. More importantly, you will now have knowledge

about and access to the tools our University and MDP offer you. This way

we hope to facilitate your work and make the discovery of your scientific

personality an enjoyable journey towards your graduation from the

Programme. However, we want to remind you of the fact that knowing

something does not mean that you actually are familiar with the

practicalities until you do not start to apply what you know in practice.

Because we know that every beginning is hard we have included a lot of

example pages into the APPENDIX section of this manual. Moreover, the

guide itself has been written in such a way as to closely reflect the form,

style, language and principles common to a Master’s Thesis. Therefore,

we encourage you to consult either the entire manual or browse the

different sections you feel you need more information in again. However,

you should in any case get familiar with the minimum standard to be

reflected in your thesis work. Thus we want to remind you once again of

the chapters that you must not neglect, under no circumstances; “2.2. How

to Choose a Topic – Where to Start”, “2.4. Plagiarism” and “3.3. The

Overall Format of Your Research Report”. Of course we recommend you

take the entire manual under consideration to achieve the best outcome

possible. However, the chapters above in particular do reflect a minimum

standard that must be reflected in your thesis work! In addition, we want

you to keep in mind that this manual does represent a road map to point

you into the right direction, rather than a bible or final word. Therefore,

and with the exception of the chapters mentioned above, this guide as a

whole offers you one possible example of how to structure your research

report and of how to start the process of your “scientific digestion”19

There is thus a lot of room left for your own creative input. However,

For further clarification see chapter 2.1. What it is and what it is not in this manual

P a g e | 52

should you have any further doubts or enquiries at any particular moment

in time; we encourage you to seek advice from your supervisors. With

their vast experience as researchers you can rest assured that they will

provide you with the advice necessary to overcome any obstacles in your

way. Lastly, we want to remind you of the fact that any exceptions to the

rule that you might come across in this manual serve solely explanatory

purposes. In order to keep this guide as concise as possible we had to

make occasional changes to the layout, font size etc. on certain pages of

this guide as needed. In your research report, however, there is no room

for such exceptions. And now, set sail sailor and may the winds be

gracious to you during your entire journey!

P a g e | 53

8. REFERENCES

Kragh, Helge (1989). An Introduction to the Historiography of Science.

Cambridge University Press. p. 121.

8.1. ELECTRONIC REFERENCES

Collins English Dictionary (2012)

(http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/appendix?showCook

iePolicy=true) (Last seen 24th

of July 2012)

Lafayette College Library (2008) Primary Sources: What are They?

(http://library.lafayette.edu/help/primary/definitions) (Last seen 24th

July 2012)

The Finnish Council of University Rectors' recommendation for the

principles to be used in the guidance and evaluation of Master's and

diploma theses, background memorandum, March 28, 2002 In: Tammi, K

et al. (eds.), 2011, A Practical Guide for Thesis Writers. 11th revised

edition, Uniprint, Turku.

(https://intranet.utu.fi/en/units/tse/studying/Documents/PGTW.pdf ) (Last

seen 24th

of July 2012)

Yale College Writing Center (2011) Why Are There Different Citation

Styles? (http://writing.yalecollege.yale.edu/why-are-there-different-

citation-styles)

(Last seen 24th

of July 2012)

Der Anderen Worte

Zur Informationsverwirklichung und Informationstransmission

bei audiovisuellen Inhalten am Beispiel des Filmes

Pro-Gradu-Arbeit

Andreas Langegger Ramos

Universität zu Turku

Institut für Sprach- und Translationswissenschaften

Deutsche Sprache: Übersetzen und Dolmetschen

April 2011

Annex I

Annex II

Annex III

Angeli 1

Elizabeth L. Angeli

Professor Patricia Sullivan

English 624

14 December 2008

Toward a Recovery of Nineteenth Century Farming Handbooks

While researching texts written about nineteenth century farming, I found a few

authors who published books about the literature of nineteenth century farming,

particularly agricultural journals, newspapers, pamphlets, and brochures. These authors

often placed the farming literature they were studying into an historical context by

discussing the important events in agriculture of the year in which the literature was

published (see Demaree, for example). However, while these authors discuss journals,

newspapers, pamphlets, and brochures, I could not find much discussion about another

important source of farming knowledge: farming handbooks. My goal in this paper is to

bring this source into the agricultural literature discussion by connecting three

agricultural handbooks from the nineteenth century with nineteenth century agricultural

history.

To achieve this goal, I have organized my paper into four main sections, two of

which have sub-sections. In the first section, I provide an account of three important

events in nineteenth century agricultural history: population and technological changes,

the distribution of scientific new knowledge, and farming’s influence on education. In the

second section, I discuss three nineteenth century farming handbooks in connection with

the important events described in the first section. I end my paper with a third section that

offers research questions that could be answered in future versions of this paper and

Page numbers begin on and with page 1. Type your name next to the page number so that it appears on every page.

Your name, the course number, the professor’s name, and the date of the paper are double-spaced in 12-point, Times New Roman font. Dates in MLA are written in this order: day, month, and year.

Titles are centered and written in 12-point, Times New Roman font. The title is not bolded, underlined, or italicized.

Blue boxes contain directions for writing and citing in MLA style.

Green text boxes contain explanations of MLA style guidelines.

The introduc-tory paragraph, or introduc-tion, should set the context for the rest of the paper. Tell your readers why you are writing and why your topic is important.

The thesis is a clear position that you will support and develop throughout your paper. This sentence guides or controls your paper.

If your paper is long, you may want to write about how your paper is organized. This will help your readers follow your ideas.

The thesis statement usually is the last sentence of the introduc-tion.

MLA requires double-spacing throughout the document; do not single-space any part of the document.

Annex IV

Angeli 2

conclude with a fourth section that discusses the importance of expanding this particular

project. I also include an appendix after the Works Cited that contains images of the three

handbooks I examined. Before I can begin the examination of the three handbooks,

however, I need to provide an historical context in which the books were written, and it is

to this that I now turn.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The nineteenth century saw many changes to daily American life with an increase in

population, improved methods of transportation, developments in technology, and the

rise in the importance of science. These events impacted all aspects of nineteenth century

American life, most significantly those involved in slavery and the Civil War, but a large

part of American life was affected, a part that is quite often taken for granted: the life of

the American farmer.

Population and Technological Changes. One of the biggest changes, as seen in

nineteenth century America’s census reports, is the dramatic increase in population. The

1820 census reported that over 10 million people were living in America; of those 10

million, over 2 million were engaged in agriculture. Ten years prior to that, the 1810

census reported over 7 million people were living in the states; there was no category for

people engaged in agriculture. In this ten-year time span, then, agriculture experienced

significant improvements and changes that enhanced its importance in American life.

One of these improvements was the developments of canals and steamboats,

which allowed farmers to “sell what has previously been unsalable [sic]” and resulted in a

“substantial increase in [a farmer’s] ability to earn income” (Danhof 5). This

If there is a gramma-tical, mechanical, or spelling error in the text you are citing, type the quote as it appears. Follow the quote with “[sic].”

When using headings in MLA, title the main sections (B-level headers) in a different style font than the paper’s title, e.g., in small caps.

The paragraph after the B-level headers start flush left after the headings.

Use another style, e.g., italics, to differen-tiate the C-level headers from the B-level headers. The paragraph continues directly after the header.

Headers, though not required by MLA style, help the overall structure and organiza-tion of a paper. Use them at your instructor’s discretion to help your reader follow your ideas.

Use personal pronouns (I, we, us, etc.) at your instructor’s discretion.

The headings used here follow an A-, B-, C-level system to break the text into smaller sections. The different levels help organize the paper and maintain consistency in the paper’s organization. You may come up with your own headings as long as they are consistent.

Annex IV

Angeli 3

improvement allowed the relations between the rural and urban populations to strengthen,

resulting in an increase in trade. The urban population (defined as having over 2,500

inhabitants) in the northern states increased rapidly after 1820.1 This increase

accompanied the decrease in rural populations, as farmers who “preferred trade,

transportation, or ‘tinkering’” to the tasks of tending to crops and animals found great

opportunities in the city (Danhof 7). Trade and transportation thus began to influence

farming life significantly. Before 1820, the rural community accounted for eighty percent

of consumption of farmers’ goods (Hurt 127). With the improvements in transportation,

twenty-five percent of farmers’ products were sold for commercial gain, and by 1825,

farming “became a business rather than a way of life” (Hurt 128). This business required

farmers to specialize their production and caused most farmers to give “less attention to

the production of surplus commodities like wheat, tobacco, pork, or beef” (Hurt 128).

The increase in specialization encouraged some farmers to turn to technology to increase

their production and capitalize on commercial markets (Hurt 172).

The technology farmers used around 1820 was developed from three main

sources: Europe, coastal Indian tribes in America, and domestic modifications made from

the first two sources’ technologies. Through time, technology improved, and while some

farmers clung to their time-tested technologies, others were eager to find alternatives to

these technologies. These farmers often turned to current developments in Great Britain

and received word of their technological improvements through firsthand knowledge by

talking with immigrants and travelers. Farmers also began planning and conducting

1. Danhof includes “Delaware, Maryland, all states north of the Potomac and

Ohio rivers, Missouri, and states to its north” when referring to the northern states (11).

In-text citations occur after the quote but before the period. The author’s/ authors’ name/s go before the page number with no comma in between.

Insert the footnote directly after the phrase or clause to which it refers.

Footnotes should be double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, and indented 0.5” from the margin.

Use footnotes to explain a point in your paper that does not quite fit in with the rest of the paragraph.

Annex IV

Angeli 4

experiments, and although they lacked a truly scientific approach, these farmers engaged

in experiments to obtain results and learn from the results.2 Agricultural organizations

were then formed to “encourage . . . experimentation, hear reports, observe results, and

exchange critical comments” (Danhof 53). Thus, new knowledge was transmitted orally

from farmer to farmer, immigrant to farmer, and traveler to farmer, which could result in

the miscommunication of this new scientific knowledge. Therefore, developments were

made for knowledge to be transmitted and recorded in a more permanent, credible way:

by print.

The Distribution of New Knowledge. Before 1820 and prior to the new knowledge

farmers were creating, farmers who wanted print information about agriculture had their

choice of agricultural almanacs and even local newspapers to receive information

(Danhof 54). After 1820, however, agricultural writing took more forms than almanacs

and newspapers. From 1820 to 1870, agricultural periodicals were responsible for

spreading new knowledge among farmers. In his published dissertation The American

Agricultural Press 1819-1860, Albert Lowther Demaree presents a “description of the

general content of [agricultural journals]” (xi). These journals began in 1819 and were

written for farmers, with topics devoted to “farming, stock raising, [and] horticulture”

(12). The suggested “birthdate” of American agricultural journalism is April 2, 1819

when John S. Skinner published his periodical American Farmer in Baltimore. Demaree

writes that Skinner’s periodical was the “first continuous, successful agricultural

periodical in the United States” and “served as a model for hundreds of journals that

2. For the purposes of this paper, “science” is defined as it was in nineteenth

century agriculture: conducting experiments and engaging in research.

Titles of published works (books, journals, films, etc.) are now italicized instead of underlined.

If you delete words from the original quote, insert three ellipses with a space between and after each one.

Transitions connect paragraphs and unify writing.

Body paragraphs have these four elements: a transition, a topic sentence, evidence, and a brief wrap-up sentence.

Notice how this paragraph begins with a transition. The topic sentence follows the transition, and it tells readers what the paragraph is about. Direct quotes are used to support this topic sentence.

Notice how this paragraph ends with a brief mention of print sources and the next paragraph begins with a discussion of print informa-tion.

Annex IV

Angeli 5

succeeded it” (19). In the midst of the development of the journal, farmers began writing

handbooks. Not much has been written on the handbooks’ history, aside from the fact that

C.M. Saxton & Co. in New York was the major handbook publisher. Despite the lack of

information about handbooks, and as can be seen in my discussion below, these

handbooks played a significant role in distributing knowledge among farmers and in

educating young farmers, as I now discuss.

Farming’s Influence on Education. One result of the newly circulating print information

was the “need for acquiring scientific information upon which could be based a rational

technology” that could “be substituted for the current diverse, empirical practices”

(Danhof 69). In his 1825 book Nature and Reason Harmonized in the Practice of

Husbandry, John Lorain begins his first chapter by stating that “[v]ery erroneous theories

have been propagated” resulting in faulty farming methods (1). His words here create a

framework for the rest of his book, as he offers his readers narratives of his own trials and

errors and even dismisses foreign, time-tested techniques farmers had held on to: “The

knowledge we have of that very ancient and numerous nation the Chinese, as well as the

very located habits and costumes of this very singular people, is in itself insufficient to

teach us . . .” (75). His book captures the call and need for scientific experiments to

develop new knowledge meant to be used in/on/with American soil, which reflects some

farmers’ thinking of the day.

By the 1860s, the need for this knowledge was strong enough to affect education.

John Nicholson anticipated this effect in 1820 in the “Experiments” section of his book

The Farmer’s Assistant; Being a Digest of All That Relates to Agriculture and the

Conducting of Rural Affairs; Alphabetically Arranged and Adapted for the United States:

The paragraph ends with a wrap-up sentence, “Despite the lack . . .”, while transi-tioning to the next paragraph.

Annex IV

Angeli 6

Perhaps it would be well, if some institution were devised, and supported

at the expense of the State, which would be so organized as would tend

most effectually to produce a due degree of emulation among Farmers, by

rewards and honorary distinctions conferred by those who, by their

successful experimental efforts and improvements, should render

themselves duly entitled to them.3 (92)

Part of Nicholson’s hope was realized in 1837 when Michigan established their state

university, specifying that “agriculture was to be an integral part of the curriculum”

(Danhof 71). Not much was accomplished, however, much to the dissatisfaction of

farmers, and in 1855, the state authorized a new college to be “devoted to agriculture and

to be independent of the university” (Danhof 71). The government became more involved

in the creation of agricultural universities in 1862 when President Lincoln passed the

Morrill Land Grant College Act, which begins with this phrase: “AN ACT Donating

Public Lands to the several States and Territories which may provide Colleges for the

Benefit of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts [sic].” The first agricultural colleges formed

under the act suffered from a lack of trained teachers and “an insufficient base of

knowledge,” and critics claimed that the new colleges did not meet the needs of farmers

(Hurt 193).

3. Please note that any direct quotes from the nineteenth century texts are written

in their original form, which may contain grammar mistakes according to twenty-first

century grammar rules.

Block quotes begin on a new line, are double-spaced, and are indented 1” from the margin. Do not use quotation marks. The citation information (author name and page number) follows the quote’s end punctua-tion.

Use block quotes when quotations are longer than four-typed lines.

Periods occur before the end quotation mark if the citation information is given already in the sentence.

Annex IV

Angeli 7

Congress addressed these problems with the then newly formed United States

Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA and Morrill Act worked together to form

“. . . State experiment stations and extension services . . . [that] added [to]

. . . localized research and education . . .” (Baker et al. 415). The USDA added to the

scientific and educational areas of the agricultural field in other ways by including

research as one of the organization’s “foundation stone” (367) and by including these

seven objectives:

(1) [C]ollecting, arranging, and publishing statistical and other useful

agricultural information; (2) introducing valuable plants and animals; (3)

answering inquiries of farmers regarding agriculture; (4) testing

agricultural implements; (5) conducting chemical analyses of soils, grains,

fruits, plants, vegetables, and manures; (6) establishing a professorship of

botany and entomology; and (7) establishing an agricultural library and

museum. (Baker et al. 14)

These objectives were a response to farmers’ needs at the time, mainly to the need for

experiments, printed distribution of new farming knowledge, and education. Isaac

Newton, the first Commissioner of Agriculture, ensured these objectives would be

realized by stressing research and education with the ultimate goal of helping farmers

improve their operations (Hurt 190).

Before the USDA assisted in the circulation of knowledge, however, farmers

wrote about their own farming methods. This brings me to my next section in which I

examine three handbooks written by farmers and connect my observations of the texts

If a source has more than two authors, use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.”

Annex IV

Angeli 8

with the discussion of agricultural history I have presented above.

Note: Sections of this paper have been deleted to shorten the length of the paper

CONCLUSION

From examining Drown’s, Allen’s, and Crozier and Henderson’s handbooks in light of

nineteenth century agricultural history, I can say that science and education seem to have

had a strong influence on how and why these handbooks were written. The authors’ ethos

is created by how they align themselves as farmers with science and education either by

supporting or by criticizing them. Regardless of their stance, the authors needed to create

an ethos to gain an audience, and they did this by including tables of information,

illustrations of animals and buildings, reasons for educational reform, and pieces of

advice to young farmers in their texts. It would be interesting to see if other farming

handbooks of the same century also convey a similar ethos concerning science and

education in agriculture. Recovering more handbooks in this way could lead to a better,

more complete understanding of farming education, science’s role in farming and

education, and perhaps even an understanding of the rhetoric of farming handbooks in the

nineteenth century.

The conclusion should restate the following: your topic, your topic’s importance, your thesis, and your supporting points.

You may end your conclusion with a call for action or future research possibilities. You might also include what this would add to your topic’s field.

The conclusion “wraps up” what you have been discussing in your paper.

Because this is a B-level header, the paragraph is not intended.

Annex IV

Angeli 9

Works Cited

Allen, R.L. The American Farm Book; or Compend of American Agriculture; Being a

Practical Treatise on Soils, Manures, Draining, Irrigation, Grasses, Grain,

Roots, Fruits, Cotton, Tobacco, Sugar Cane, Rice, and Every Staple Product of

the United States with the Best Methods of Planting, Cultivating, and Preparation

for Market. New York: Saxton, 1849. Print.

Baker, Gladys L., Wayne D. Rasmussen, Vivian Wiser, and Jane M. Porter. Century of

Service: The First 100 Years of the United States Department of Agriculture.

[Federal Government], 1996. Print.

Danhof, Clarence H. Change in Agriculture: The Northern United States, 1820-1870.

Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1969. Print.

Demaree, Albert Lowther. The American Agricultural Press 1819-1860. New York:

Columbia UP, 1941. Print.

Drown, William and Solomon Drown. Compendium of Agriculture or the Farmer’s

Guide, in the Most Essential Parts of Husbandry and Gardening; Compiled from

the Best American and European Publications, and the Unwritten Opinions of

Experienced Cultivators. Providence, RI: Field, 1824. Print.

“Historical Census Browser.” University of Virginia Library. 2007. Web. 6 Dec. 2008.

Hurt, R. Douglas. American Agriculture: A Brief History. Ames, IA: Iowa State UP,

1994. Print.

Lorain, John. Nature and Reason Harmonized in the Practice of Husbandry.

Philadelphia: Carey, 1825. Print.

Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862. Prairie View A&M. 2003. Web. 6 Dec. 2008.

The Works Cited page begins on a new page. Center the title “Works Cited” without underlining, bolding, or italicizing it. If there is only one entry, title this page “Work Cited.”

If a print source does not list a publisher and you can infer who the publisher is, place the publisher’s name in brackets.

MLA no longer requires URLs in the Works Cited. Instead, you must write “Web” before the date of access in the entry. This serves as the entry’s publication marker.

MLA now requires all sources to have a publication marker. For example, books receive the marker “Print” after the citation.

The Works Cited page is a list of all the sources cited in your paper.

Annex IV

Angeli 10

Nicholson, John. The Farmer’s Assistant; Being a Digest of All That Relates to

Agriculture and the Conducting of Rural Affairs; Alphabetically Arranged and

Adapted for the United States. [Philadelphia]: Warner, 1820. Print.