Guidlines for Writing a Thesis

8/2/2019 Guidlines for Writing a Thesis

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Research Topic

AreaofInterest: There are a number of students who had already identified their area ofinterest by the time they come to Thesis Class. But for those who dont, it was agreed that

the first task for Thesis is identification of students area of interest. Any one or

combination of some of the following uniform structured steps would be taken to help

students identify their interest area.

o Gradetemptation: This strategy is for the extreme type of students who have noidea of thesis and have not even identified their area of interest. Grades obtained

in the relevant course would be ascertained. The course in which they got

maximum grades would be chosen. Thereafter they would be further brainstormedabout some specific chapters of the course. The chapter which stimulates them the

most would be chosen as their area of interest.

o Previous Research Oriented Courses: Previous Research Oriented Courses likeSIM, QTIA & ARM can also be helpful in identifying Area of Interest

o Work Experiences: Working students can be asked to reflect on their job & workexperiences. They can be asked to think critically & reflect at any practice or

process at their jobs, which, they feel is not delivering results and should be

improved/ changed. This is something which has maximum chances of

stimulating students and helping them identify their areas of interest.

o Marketable: Students can be asked to identify any area which they feel willmake them & their CV more marketable for job hunt.

o Promotion/ Growth at jobs: Areas which can help students get a promotion atpresent jobs or help them grow professionally can be chosen to write thesis.

o Feedback from Corporate world: It was also discussed that the needs & wantsof corporate world can be identified as the areas of interest. Students can be asked

to write thesis on the themes or gaps identified by corporate world obtained

through formal & informal channels. It was informed that such has been the

practice in the past as well.


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o Google Scholar Research Contextualization: It was also decided that theresearch given at Google Scholar can be contextualized in our local Pakistani

conditions and thesis can be written on such topics.

o Projects from Corporate World: Students can also be asked to write thesis onprojects of corporate world.

In developing your topic, you should ask yourself the following questions:

o What is my general area of research?o What have scholars and practitioners written about this topic?o Where will I find the evidence?o Do I have confidence in the validity of my sources?o Can I complete the research and writing by the established deadlines

For example

Topic 1: Impact of Recent Global Recession on Pakistan Economy

Topic 2: Agriculture, Manufacturing and Services Sectors Growth and KSE Capitalization

Abstract

You must include a Thesis Abstract (maximum 250 words) to be placed after your Table of

Contents page. It should summarize the topic, the hypothesis or research question, research

methods, major themes and concepts, and the findings and general policy conclusions. The

abstract should not be confused with your introduction. The abstract is a summary of what you

have done, whereas the introduction generally tells the reader what you plan to do.


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Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1Introductiona) Chapter I begins with a few short introductory paragraphs (a couple of pages at most).

The primary goal of the introductory paragraphs is to catch the attention of the readers

and to get them "turned on" about the subject. It sets the stage for the paper and puts your

topic in perspective. The introduction often contains dramatic and general statements

about the need for the study. It uses dramatic illustrations or quotes to set the tone. When

writing the introduction, put yourself in your reader's position-would you continue

reading?

OR

b) The introduction chapter of your dissertation or thesis is the one in which you provide allof the basic information that the reader will need to understand the dissertation which is

to follow. Such things as the background of your research, how you came to research

your topic, what your topic is and how it relates to the world around it, and what kind of

general principles and methodology you will be using to research your topic and evaluate

your hypothesis, are all aspects of what you will cover in the introduction chapter.

To start writing your introduction chapter, come up with a simple one sentence summary

of the goal of your research. The reader will come to the first chapter of your thesis

expecting a statement of purpose. This statement should tell the reader what the topic of

the research paper is and what you hope to achieve.

OR

c) The introduction section of the manuscript informs the reader of several items andusually begins with a general focus of the research or review being done and ends with a

more specific, narrow focus. Hypotheses should be clearly stated, and variables should be

defined. Overall, the introduction section of the manuscript should set the stage for the

reader. The introduction section does not receive a label. Instead, the title of the

manuscript should be typed and centered at the top of the page, with the actual text


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beginning after it. The introduction section should start a new page. The methods, results,

and discussion sections do not start new pages and should immediately follow from the

previous section.

More specifically, the researcher should try to address the following aspects in the

chapter of introduction:

1. Why is this particular topic being researched?2. What is the significance of the topic?3. Explaining the context of the research problem4. Where is the research conducted and why?5. Aims and objectives of research study6. Research question and hypotheses

1.2BackgroundNext, you can talk about the background of the study. How did you choose the topic? What kind

of greater historical context does the research that you are engaged in exist within? You may

want to talk about any related experiments or research that specific people have done in the past,

including landmark research cases which are related to the topic at hand. This gives the reader a

sense of how your research fits into the greater scheme of things, and lets the reader compare

what you are about to present to the research which they may or may not already be familiar with

from leading figures in the history of the field.

a) Problem StatementTo write your problem statement, briefly answer these questions:

- What is occurring?

- Who is affected and to what degree?

- What could happen if the problem is not addressed?

- What should be occurring?


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Example of a Problem Statement

The Socio-economic impact of Traffic congestion in Pakistan

Over the past 10 years the traffic situation in Karachi has also become acute. Statistics show thatcars are imported in huge numbers into the country every year. And since we have maintained

the same number of roads since independence with no other means of transportation, e.g Tram,

Metro or Rail etc., the problem therefore could not be over emphasized.

The increase in the number of cars in Karachi, and lack of decentralization of facilities has

giving rise or highlighted a looming problem, which if not addressed will affect not only the

economy and social life, but development and productivity. The problem is Traffic congestion.

If this problem is not addressed in the next five years to 10 years, this situation will be so

alarming that cars would not be able to move from east to west and north to south in the city. The

effect on the economy, in terms of man hours lost, transportation, and productivity would be

disquieting.

Therefore there should be an immediate plan to address this issue if a critical situation is to be

addressed in the future.

Research Questions

Q1. What are most economical means of transportation in Karachi?

Q2. How can the efficient transportation plan improve the social life and productivity?

OR

b) Problem StatementThe statement of the problem is the focal point of your research. It is just one sentence (with

several paragraphs of elaboration).


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You are looking for something wrong.

or something that needs close attention.

or existing methods that no longer seem to be working.

Example of a problem statement

The frequency of job layoffs is creating fear, anxiety, and a loss of productivity in middle

management workers.

While the problem statement itself is just one sentence, it is always accompanied by several

paragraphs that elaborate on the problem. Present persuasive arguments why the problem is

important enough to study. Include the opinions of others (politicians, futurists, other

professionals). Explain how the problem relates to business, social or political trends by

presenting data that demonstrates the scope and depth of the problem. Try to give dramatic and

concrete illustrations of the problem.

Purpose

The purpose is a single statement or paragraph that explains what the study intends to

accomplish. A few typical statements are:

The goal of this study is to...

... overcome the difficulty with ...

... discover what ...

... understand the causes or effects of ...

... refine our current understanding of ...

... provide a new interpretation of ...

... understand what makes-successful or unsuccessful

Significance of the Study

This section creates a perspective for looking at the problem. It points out how your study relates

to the larger issues and uses a persuasive rationale to justify the reason for your study. It makes


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the purpose worth pursuing. The significance of the study answers the questions:

Why is your study important?

To whom is it important?

What benefit(s) will occur if your study is done?

Limitations

Limitation identifies potential weaknesses of the study. Think about your analysis, the nature of

self-report, your instruments, and the sample. Think about threats to internal validity that may

have been impossible to avoid or minimize.

Limitations are often imposed by time and budget constraints. Precisely list the limitations of thestudy. Describe the extent to which you believe the limitations degrade the quality of the

research

Delimitations

Delimitation addresses how a study will be narrowed in scope, that is, how it is bounded. This is

the place to explain the things that you are not doing and why you have chosen not to do them,

the literature you will not review (and why not), the population you are not studying (and why

not), the methodological procedures you will not use (and why you will not use them). Limit

your delimitations to the things that a reader might reasonably expect you to do but that you, for

clearly explained reasons, have decided not to do.


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Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1 Literature Review

The literature broadly refers to information relevant to your topic of interest. Such works may

deal specifically or more generally with your topic of interest. While such information may be

obtained from a variety of sources, including books, journal articles, reports, etc., the focus is on

scholarly published materials. As source material it can be categorized as a:

Primary source:Original research from journals, articles or conferences, original materials such as

historical documents, or creative works such as art or literature.

Secondary source:Evaluations, reviews or syntheses of original work

Tertiary source:Broadly scoped material put together usually from secondary sources to provide an

overview, e.g. a textbook.

A literature review may be presented as a paper on its own, or it can be contained as an integral

part of an article, research proposal, research report or dissertation. It describes, compares,

contrasts and evaluates the major theories, arguments, themes, methodologies, approaches and

controversies in the scholarly literature on a subject. It also connects compares and contrasts

these arguments, themes and methodologies etc., with the concerns of a proposed piece of

research. The literature review is:

not an annotated bibliography

not a summary of each of your sources listed one by one

notjust a descriptive summary of the historical background to your topic

In a literature review, your central focus is examining and evaluating what has been said before

on a topic, and establishing the relevance of this information to your own research. You may also

identify what has not been said in the literature on a subject.

We are going to discuss here two different ways to do Literature Review.


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a) Literature Review by 5 CsSince a literature review is information dense, it is crucial that the work is intelligently structured

to enable a reader to grasp the key arguments with ease:

Cite:First of all, students should keep focus on the primary literature.

Compare:They will compare the various arguments, theories, methodologies, approaches and

findings expressed in the literature: what do the authors agree on? Who employs

similar approaches?

Contrast:They should discuss the contrast of various arguments, themes, methodologies,

approaches and controversies expressed in the literature: what are the major areas

of disagreement, controversy and debate?

Critique:Students have to identify which arguments are more persuasive, and why? Which

approaches, findings? methodologies seem most reliable, valid, or appropriate, and

why?

Connect:Lastly, they will connect the literature to their own area of research and

investigation: how does researcher/student own work draw on/depart

from/synthesis what has been said in the literature.


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Example of the Literature Review

The Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan1

1. Cite:An extensive set of determinants has been examined in the literature on the determinants of

corporate tax of Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Numerous empirical studies

[Agarwal (1980); Gastanaga et.al. (1998); Chakrabarti (2001) and Moosa (2002)] on the

determinants of FDI lead us to select a set of explanatory variables that are widely used and

found to be significant determinants of FDI. For example [Markusen and Maskus (1999); Lim

(2001); Love and Lage-Hidalgo (2000); Lipsey (2000) and Moosa (2002)] highlight how the

domestic market size and differences in factor costs (e.g. Tariff, Taxes and exchange rate) can

relate to the location of FDI.

2. Compare:

Many researchers have studied the impact of specific policy variables on FDI in the host

countries. These policy variables include openness of trade, tariff, taxes and exchange rate.

Gastanaga, Nugent, and Pashamova (1998) and Asiedu (2002) focus on policy reforms in

developing countries as determinants of foreign direct investment inflows. They find corporate

tax rates and degree of openness to foreign direct investment to be significant determinants of

FDI. Similarly many recent models highlight the effect of tariffs on FDI within the context of

horizontal and vertical specialisation within MNEs [Ether (1994, 1996); Brainard (1997); Carr,

Markusen, and Maskus (2001)].

3.

Contrast:.

The labor cost which is one of the major components of the cost function, it is mentioned that

high nominal wage, other things being equal, deters FDI. This must be particularly true for the

1Mohammad Nishat and Anjum Aqeel(2004),The Pakistan Development Review 43 : 4 Part II pp. 651664


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firms, which engage in labour-intensive production activities. Therefore, conventionally, the

expected sign for this variable is negative. The studies that find no significant or a negative

relationship of wage and FDI are: [Kravis and Lipsey (1982); Wheeler and Mody (1990); Lucas

(1993); Wang and Swain (1995) and Barrell and Pain (1996)]. There are other researchers who

have found out that higher wages do not always deter FDI in all industries and have shown a

positive relationship between labour costs and FDI [Moore (1993) and Love and Lage-Hidalgo

(2000)]. Because higher wages indicate higher productivity, hi-tech research oriented industries

in which the quality of labour matters, prefer high-quality labour to cheap labour with low

productivity.

Froot and Stein (1991) claimed that a depreciation of the host currency should increase FDI into

the host country, and conversely an appreciation of the host currency should decrease FDI.

Similarly, Love and Hidalgo (2000), also acknowledge that the lagged variable of exchange rate

is positive which indicates that a depreciation of the peso encourages US direct investment in

Mexico after some time. Contrary to Froot and Stein (1991); Campa (1993), while analyzing

foreign firms in the US puts forth the hypothesis that an appreciation of the host currency will in

fact increase FDI into the host country that suggests that an appreciation of the host currency

increases expectations of future profitability in terms of the home currency.

Empirical studies indicated a negative relationship between taxes and the location of businesses

[Newman and Sullivan (1988); Gastanaga, et al. (1998); Billington (1999); Shah and Masood

(2002) and Campa (2002)]. On the other hand Carlton (1983); Hines and Rice (1994) and Hines

(1996) found no support on the impact of taxes on FDI. Interestingly, Swensen (1991)

empirically finds a significant positive effect of taxes on inward FDI

4. Critique:For foreign investors the fiscal incentives and taxation structure is very important. The tax rate

affects the profitability of investment projects. Therefore foreign investors seek locations where

taxes are low. Various tax break regimes are often offered to multinationals as an incentive to

attract FDI inflows.


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5. Connect:Since the objective of this study is to find out the Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment

(FDI) in Pakistan. So, there is an extensive empirical literature on determinants of inward FDI

emphasises the economic conditions or fundamentals of the host countries relative to the home

countries of FDI as determinants of FDI flows. This literature is in line with many researchers,

which suggests that it is the locational advantages of the host countries e.g., market size,

currency and differences in factor costs (e.g. tariff and taxes etc.) can relate to the location of

FDI.

OR

b) Literature Review- Literature review is the systematic study of all existing work that is relevant to the

research.

- Literature review helps the researcher ascertains the extent to which previous researchaddressed the problem at hand.

- Literature review also guides the adoption of a different and better methodology forinvestigating the problem than that earlier planned by the investigation.

- During the literature review, the researchers understanding of the issues involved isbroadened.

- Literature review grants the researcher and awareness of the range of appropriateinstruments available for data collection.

Try to answer the following questions.

- What's been done in this topic area to date? What are the significant discoveries, keyconcepts, arguments, and/or theories that scholars have put forward? Which are the

important works?

- Are there any gaps in the research? Are there areas that havent been looked at closelyyet, but which should be? Are there new ways of looking at the topic?

- Are there improved methodologies for researching this subject?- What future directions should research in this subject take?- How will your research build on or depart from current and previous research on the

topic? What contribution will your research make to the field?


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Chapter 3: Methodology

3.1 Quantitative Research

- Quantify the relationship between two or more variables.

- Analysis of numerical data.

In quantitative research your aim is to determine the relationship between one thing (an

independent variable) and another (a dependent or outcome variable) in a population.

Quantitative research designs are either descriptive (subjects usually measured once) or

experimental (subjects measured before and after a treatment). A descriptive study establishes

only associations between variables. An experiment establishes causality.

For an accurate estimate of the relationship between variables, a descriptive study usually needs

a sample of hundreds or even thousands of subjects; an experiment, especially a crossover, may

need only tens of subjects. The estimate of the relationship is less likely to be biased if you have

a high participation rate in a sample selected randomly from a population. In experiments, bias is

also less likely if subjects are randomly assigned to treatments, and if subjects and researchers

are blind to the identity of the treatments.

In all studies, subject characteristics can affect the relationship you are investigating. Limit theireffect either by using a less heterogeneous sample of subjects or preferably by measuring the

characteristics and including them in the analysis. In an experiment, try to measure variables that

might explain the mechanism of the treatment.

According to Gay, L. R., & Diehl, P. (1992), we can, further divide into four types of study like

Descriptive, Correlational, Experimental and Causal Research.


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Research Design

Cause-Effect

Relationship?

Independent variable

manipulated?

Relationship

Prediction?

Current Condition?

1) Descriptive ResearchAim: Observer/Describe about current situation

Types of Descriptive Research

i) Case StudiesAnalysis of a single person or event/object

ii) Observational ResearchReport the behavior of individuals or groups

iii) Survey ResearchStructured/Unstructured questions to assess the people beliefs and attributes

Interviews/Discussion

Phone/mail survey etc.

Experimental

Casual-Comparative

Correlational

Descriptive

Historical

Adopted From: Gay, L. R., & Diehl, P. (1992).Research Methods for Business and Management.

Singapore: Macmillan Publishing Comany, P 19.

Yes

Yes

Yes

NO

Yes

NO

NO

NO


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How to do

i) Measures of Central TendencyMean Median and Mode etc

ii) Measures of Statistical VariabilityVariance, Standard deviation and Range etc

iii) Measure of Distribution ShapeSkewness, Kurtosis and Chi Squared Goodness of Fit

2) Correlational ResearchThe purpose of correlational research is to discover relationships between two or more variables.

Types of Correlational studies

i) Observational Researche.g.; class attendance and grades

ii) Survey Researche.g., living together and divorce rates

iii) Archival Researche.g., violence and economics

How to do

i) Correlation analysisIn finance, the correlation between two securities is a statistical measure of the relationship

between the price movements of the two securities. This relationship, which is expressed by what

is known as the correlation coefficient, is represented by a value within the range of -1.00 to

+1.00. A correlation coefficient of +1.00 indicates that two securities move in the same direction

at all times. A correlation coefficient of -1.00 indicates that two securities move in the opposite


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direction at all times. A correlation coefficient of 0 indicates that the price movements are totally

random.

Table 3.1 Correlation Table

Predictor Variable Criterion Variable Correlation to Use

Interval (Continuous) Interval (Continuous) Pearson

Real Dichotomy Interval (Continuous) Point Biserial

Ranking Ranking Spearman rho for 20 or more

rankings

Ranking Ranking Kendalls tau for less than 20

rankings

ii) Regression analysisRegression analysis includes any techniques for modeling and analyzing several variables, when

the focus is on the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent

variable. More specifically, regression analysis helps us understand how the typical value of the

dependent variable changes when any one of the independent variables is varied, while the other

independent variables are held fixed.

3) Experimental ResearchExperiment research is collecting evidence to show the effect of one variable upon other if an

experimenter manipulates the Independent variable. For example; sleep deprivation causes an

increase in reaction time to visual signals. Here amount of sleep is an independent and reaction

time is a dependent variable. In an experiment, there are two groups; one is an experiment and

other is a control group.


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Completely Randomized Design (CRD) and Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) are

mostly use in quantitative research.

4) Causal ResearchWhen the values of one variable produce the values of the other variable, the relationship is a

causal relationship.

Concept:

If X causes Y, then, changes of X happened first then followed by changes of Y.

This implies, X predicts Y and Y can not predict X.

Hypothesis:

H0: X does not cause Y

H1: X causes Y

In doing causal analysis, sometimes, we would like to know whether changes in a variable will

have an impact on changes other variables. To find out this phenomenon more accurately, we

need to learn more about Granger Causality Test (1969).

Purpose of Research

The purpose of research may be organized into three groups based on what the researcher is

trying to accomplish-explore a new topic (Exploratory), describe a social phenomenon

(Descriptive), or explain why something occurs (Explanatory). Studies may have multiple

purposes (e.g.; both to explore and to describe), but one purpose is usually dominant.

Time Dimension in Research

An awareness of time dimension can help you read and conduct research because different

research questions and issues incorporate time in different ways. Some studies give a snapshot of

a single, fixed time point and allow you to analyze it in details. Other studies provide a moving

picture that lets you follow events, people, or social relation over period of time. Quantitative


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research is divided into two groups: a single point in time (Cross-sectional research) versus

multiples time periods (Longitudinal research).

Systematic Measures

Measures (Instruments) are systematically created before data collection and are standardized.

Data should be in the form of number (Interval or Ratio) from precise measurement for

quantitative research.

Data

Sampling

In general, probability sampling is preferred by quantitative researchers because it produces a

sample that represents the population and enables the researcher to use powerful statistical

techniques. The types of probability samples are: Simple random sample, Systematic, Stratified,

and Cluster sample.

Hypothesis

Now tell the reader what your hypothesis is, as well as your basic reasons for believing in the

hypothesis. How does your knowledge of the reality of the field make you lean towards one

hypothesis or another? Explain to the reader how you will be able to prove or disprove the

hypothesis that you set out with through the course of your research. Talk about any particular

relevant issues that could affect the course of the research, or any basic questions or problems

that people might have regarding the topic and how you will go about your research process. Try

to anticipate how people will react to your hypothesis and make sure that you are able to start

your research on a strong heading.

The simplistic definition of the null is as the opposite of the alternative hypothesis, H1, although

the principle is a little more complex than that. The null hypothesis is a hypothesis which the

researcher tries to disprove, reject or nullify. The null' often refers to the common view of


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something, while the alternative hypothesis is what the researcher really thinks is the cause of a

phenomenon.

For Example

H0: Inflation has insignificant impact on Karachi Stock Exchange.

HA: Inflation has significant impact on Karachi Stock Exchange.

Model

Statistical Technique

Variable Description

Documents

Guidlines for Writing a Thesis