L-UNIVERSITA’ TA’ MALTA
MSIDA – MALTA
Il-FAKULTA’ TAL-LIGI
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UNIVERSITY OF MALTA
MSIDA – MALTA
FACULTY OF LAWS
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General Guidelines for a Masters Thesis Proposal
1. A dissertation should not be seen or treated as a necessary evil. Like
tests, assignments and exams, the dissertation is an integral part of the
studies you have voluntarily chosen to pursue. Do not forget that it
may constitute the only publication you shall leave behind you and
future students may consult it.
2. The dissertation should achieve at least these three inter-related
objectives :
a. to assist in the academic development of the student;
b. to be of academic utility to the Faculty and in some way to
society generally;
c. to assist in the advancement of knowledge.
3. A dissertation cannot simply narrate a given situation. A thesis is not
a narration, a review, an outline or a re-statement of facts or a
collection of other writers’ opinions. A dissertation involves original
research and must present a new approach or a new critical analysis
with fresh ideas.
4. It is often useful to address your dissertation proposal by formulating
your objectives in question form. One should ask: what new
conceptual or analytical target am I trying to achieve? What is my
objective in pursuing this line of study?
What new idea or
proposition shall I be able to achieve, show or prove in undertaking
research in this direction?
5. The Dissertation Proposal must specify clearly the Dissertation
Objectives which can be ONE of the following:
i) to prove or disprove a theorem in law or finance generally
based on the application of data or quantitative information
sourced by the student from a real concrete situation in Malta
or overseas. Hence to make the relevant conclusions
contrasting the theory/literature with actual practice as
evidenced by the data sourced.
ii) to apply an existing theorem or body of regulations/law from
finance and law to a practical situation or situations in Malta or
overseas based on the student sourcing actual qualitative or
quantitative data. Hence to make the relevant conclusions
contrasting theory/literature with actual practice evidenced by
the data or situations sourced by the student. .
6. The dissertation should identify the current literature concerning the
topic proposed for research, review it, and apply the current literature
to the actual situation or situations being analysed with clear
conclusions and possible recommendations for enhancement. Hence
the dissertation's most important part is its analytical content and not
its descriptive content.
7. The dissertation title proposed must reflect accurately the proposed
dissertation content and vice-versa. A dissertation whose text content
does not completely and accurately reflect the title forwarded will be
penalised.
8. The proposed dissertation's research methodology and approach should
be made clear in the dissertation: this means how will the research
needed to prepare the dissertation be carried out? (via literature review?
Using Primary, secondary or tertiary sources of literature? via a survey? opinion-based or
based on a scientific sample of the proposed population? Using which survey instrument
or instruments? etc)
9. The proposed literature review should constitute at least one chapter of
the dissertation proposed. The review of the existing literature should
not be limited to laws and regulations but must also include text books
citations, magazine and journal articles and material from reputable
web-sites on the internet. Also when using books and the internet you
SHOULD NOT copy material and state that the material copied is yours
but you have to quote or put down references. Plagiarism – whether
minor or substantial - is unacceptable as much as it is illegal.
10. The review of the literature must accurately reflect the title of the
dissertation, e.g. a dissertation title stating: "An Application of Basle
II's recommended liquidity management procedures within the two
largest local banks: Comparison, Analysis and Conclusions" must
have a literature review primarily covering "liquidity management in
banking" and not "Basle II".
11. These guidelines are additional to the University and Course rules
and guidelines. Students are expected to be aware of these
guidelines and to implement them.
12. Every part of the form below should be completed otherwise it will
not be accepted.