Bachelor thesis in Economics
NAA303
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General Information
Time plan
Suggested topics/areas
Useful points
Additional Sources
General Information
NAA303
• Two students per thesis
• Groups work under supervision
• The work will be presented and also defended
against other groups
• Empirical and/or theoretical
• Plagiarism will be controlled!!!
(http://www.urkund.se/)
• Period: early April-early June
Time Plan
NAA303
• February - March: Data and literature searching
(Library); dates are not decided yet (1 hour for all
students, max 15-20 students)
• Febr 16: Methodology seminar (R1-302, 14-16)
• March 30: Obligatory meeting (R1-302, 14-16)
• By April 9: Groups should deliver a short paper (4-5
pages) to their supervisor and discuss it. Provided that
it is accepted, they will continue. If students feel
comfortable about their subject, and in order to save
time, they should try to collect data (if they need),
order books & articles, and start thinking about the
aim, the limitations and the methods they plan to do.
Time Plan
NAA303
• April- early May: Groups work hard with their
thesis!!!
• By early May (w.19): A first draft of at least 2/3 of
the theses should be clear, and discussed
individually with the supervisor. Bad work will be
stopped at this stage.
• May 27-28: All groups are responsible to controll
their theses for plagiarism! Discussion groups
should be decided and all groups are informed.
• May 29: (before lunch!!!) All groups must send
their theses to everyone else.
Time Plan
NAA303
• Final seminars: June 3 (9 -16 preliminary)
• At the latest, 7-8 days after the final seminars,
students correct all remaining mistakes and
formalia and send their corrected thesis to the
department; otherwise they will not be credited
with points!!!
• A writen opposition should be sent to the
examinators as well.
• Theses which need more time should be reworked during the summer and graded in
August/September.
Suggested topics/areas
NAA303
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Labour Economics
Macroeconomics
Microeconomics
Industrial Economics
Finance/Investments
Environmental Economics
Economic Growth
Suggested topics/areas
NAA303
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Theses either theoretical, empirical (econometric) or both
Even a very good (and recent) review of a topic
Length ?: Fonts 12; double space
If it is a recent, critical review of a topic, about 18-20 pages of
Pure Text, with very few formulas and no Tables or Graphs,
which are equivalent to 30 lines of pure text
• With a few own Tables and/or Graphs, about 25 pages; with
”borrowed” Tables or Graphs, about 30 pages
• With most formal styling (i.e. using higher Maths preferably
from non-textbooks) approximately 15 pages.
• If you have many Tables and Graphs you can put them in
Appendix (does not count). But, upper limit, inclusive
Appendix and References is 40 pages!
Useful points
NAA303
• Check old bachelor theses.
• Use the Internet to find articles, data and other
relevant information.
• You are supposed to find extra material, from more
”scientific” journals or books, and avoid
”newspapers”, or ”unknown” sites.
• Explain the difficult parts, but not ”easy” or ”basic”
economic arguments. Give good references of
standard books instead for ”easy” parts.
• BE HONEST & CAREFUL WITH PLAGIARISM!
Useful points
NAA303
• State the AIM of the thesis and concentrate on
that!!! NOT MANY AIMS or OBJECTIVES!!!
• Be aware of the limitations of the thesis and all implicit
or explicit assumptions or conditions you need.
• Be consistent with your arguments.
• Come back to the aim of your thesis and ask yourselves if
you achieved what you have promised to do!
• Remember that you do not write for yourselves, but for
others, who have approximately the same knowledge
and backround. Try to express the arguments, the
analysis, the method etc as clear as possible!
Additional Sources
NAA303
• The Harvard System of References
http://www.lisa.sbu.ac.uk/helpsheets/hs
30.pdf, or
http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/ref.ht
ml
• Use an elegant style, number all Tables,
Graphs and Pages consistently.
• How to test for plagiarism
http://www.urkund.se/, or Google!
Evaluation
NAA303
• All ECTS marks apply.
• The final mark is weighted by at least 80% of the
Thesis itself, by at most 10% of its presentation and
defence and by at most 10% of the discussion of
another thesis and active participation in all
seminars.
• Notice that the version presented during the final
seminar counts. Moreover, no marks will be given,
unless a final improved and corrected version has
been sent to the supervisor/examinator.