Dissertation Guidelines

Dissertation Guidelines

How to prepare a dissertation that excels in substance and style

MSc. Business and Economics, SKEMA Business School

Maurizio Iacopetta

Search of a topic

The search of the topic is often the most difficult part. Those of you who attended the course of Research Methods have already tackled this part. Obviously, you have to like the topic. If you do not, you will not write an interesting dissertation. Reading books and articles related to a subject you have recently studied is a way to find a topic. It is helpful ask to your professors for reading suggestions. As you continue your search, write down some questions that are discussed in the literature. For instance, if you are interested in studying the rapid economic growth of China, you will find articles that pose the questions of how long rapid growth may last, why it exploded in the last thirty years, or whether China’s growth is a source of difficulties for U.S. industries. Keep in mind the answers given by the authors. Your disagreement with an answer, or some inconsistency in the answers you find in the literature, could be the triggering factor that pushes you to define the subject of your dissertation. Once you have found a precise subject, formulate a written hypothesis: “Individuals who speak more than two languages, on average, earn a wage premium of at least 10% over those who speak only one language,” or “In the pharmaceutical industry, the value of the target firm drops after the announcement of a merger”.

The hypothesis must neither be too obvious nor too difficult to verify. It must be formulated in a way that you need to use some of the techniques you are learning or you have learned during your MSc. If your hypothesis requires the use of data, make sure that these data are accessible, and that you can elaborate and interpret them within a reasonable amount of time. If plan to collect your own data make a budget of time and expenses. You can apply to one of the...