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
1
This 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
guide

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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 contents8
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 REFERENCING
10
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.
10
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 REFERENCING
12
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
12
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. BIBLIOGRAPHY
14
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.
14
See annex VI for example pages of bibliographies.

P a g e | 32
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

P a g e | 33
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

P a g e | 34
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.
15
Collins English Dictionary (2012)

P a g e | 35
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.

P a g e | 36
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

P a g e | 37
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.

P a g e | 38
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.

P a g e | 39
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.

P a g e | 40
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

P a g e | 41
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
16
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

P a g e | 43
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

Master's Thesis Manual (MTM) -Langegger Ramos Andreas (2012)

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