How to find a thesis topic?

Idea for the broader topic comes from, for example,
•previous courses
•previous literature (research gap in the literature)
•topical issues advertised in business magazines and news
•Practical work experience or course assignments
•Commissioned by a firm (but beware thesis is a scientific piece of work!)
Most importantly, consider your interests!
Use Business Source Complete (EBSCO) or Scopus, or Web of Science to find previous research articles about the topic related to your interest(s). Google scholar can be helpful, but google scholar also shows you many bad quality scientific work (beware!)
Read Financial Times, Business Week or other magazines (including Finnish magazines) to come up with the idea.
Talk to other seminar leaders before choosing one seminar leader
Choose your topic as soon as possible to graduate faster!

Some more hints on the topic

üConsider the scope: Do not have a very broad topic that you cannot scientifically study! Do not have a very narrow topic where the answer will be obvious!
üConsider whether you can study the issue scientifically and within the time frame of a master thesis:
üCan you find some theory or framework to support your study?
üCan you study the topic in a scientific way, with the time and resources limitations?
üFor qualitative thesis: - will 10-12 interviews of max. 1 hour be enough?
üFor quantitative study: - look at the databases we have access to, think whether you can have all the variables, when hand collecting data think about the time you will need
üDo not create a consulting report that is not scientific enough?
üQualitative study: What could be your case company / case companies?  Think about access & confidentiality of data. As a researcher you need to think independently rather than confirming your sponsors!
üQuantitative study: look at the existing literature to find models and variables!

Journals to start looking: 

Journals: qualitative thesis

Scientific journals in accounting:      

1. Management Accounting Research (UK), 2. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 3. The European Accounting Review, 4. Journal of Management Accounting Research (US),  5. Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal,

6. Qualitative Research in Accounting and Management, 7. Critical Perspectives on Accounting,  8. British Accounting Review 9. Accounting Forum 10. Financial Accountability and Management 11. Journal of Accounting and Organizational change 12. Qualitative Research in Accounting  and Management etc.

Other interesting scientific journals:

 1. Academy of Management Review, 2. Academy of Management Journal, 3.Strategic Management Journal, 4. Organization Studies, 5. Journal of Management Studies,  6. Journal of International Business Studies, 7. Administrative Sciences Quarterly, 7. Long Range Planning, 8. Journal of business ethics, 9. Journal of Management  9. Academy of Management Annals, 10. British Journal of Management 11. Organization Studies 12. Human Relations etc.

More ”managerial”  journals:

1. Harvard Business Review, 2. California Management Review etc.

Magazines

1. Financial Times, 2. Business Week, 3. Science, 4. Nature, 5. Finnish magazines etc.

Use ABS Journal Guide Ranking and look for ABS4*, ABS4, and ABS3 journals in Accounting and Ethics-CSR-and-Management

ABS journal list: https://charteredabs.org/academic-journal-guide-2018/

Journals: quantitative thesis

•Journal of Accounting Research
•Contemporary Accounting Research
•The Accounting Review
•Journal of Accounting and Economics
•Accounting, Organizations and Society
•Review of Accounting Studies
•Auditing: A journal of theory and practice
•European Accounting Review
•International Journal of Accounting
•Accounting and Business Research
•Behavioral Research in Accounting
•Abacus
•Accounting Horizons

•Journal of Financial Economics
•Journal of Finance
•Review of Financial Studies
•Review of Finance
•Management Science
•Journal of Corporate Finance
•Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis
•Corporate Governance: An International Review
•Journal of Banking and Finance

Use ABS Journal Guide Ranking and look for ABS4*, ABS4, and ABS3 journals in Accounting, Economics and Finance

ABS journal list: https://charteredabs.org/academic-journal-guide-2018/


Viimeksi muutettu: torstaina 25. maaliskuuta 2021, 16.25