Managing Doctoral Research
Preliminary!
Spring 2011

http://lipas.uwasa.fi/~ts/opas/intd.html



The name of the course:

Managing Doctoral Research. An intensive course for doctoral students.

Venue: University of Vaasa
Course language: English
Code: LASK4003
Credit units: Not relevant, since best seen as part of the actual doctoral dissertation process.^*)
Required: Participation (no other mode available)
^*)For the students of other disciplines than accounting and finance a potential crediting is at your own supervisor's discretion assuming complete attendance. A potential suggestion is 3 cu.

Organizing teachers:

• Prof. Timo Salmi 
• Prof. Sami Vähämaa

Registration:

The doctoral students interested taking this course in 2011 are asked to register for the course to prof. Timo Salmi preferably by email starting the 1st of March, 2011. Please include for the lecturers' bookkeeping what your major discipline is. Also include your affiliation (your affiliation and university).

Timing in 2011: To be confirmed later.

• 24.5.2011 (week 21): 10-18. Salmi; University of Vaasa, Tervahovi building, Xxxx
• 25.5.2011 (week 21): 10-18. Vähämaa & Salmi; University of Vaasa, Tervahovi building, Xxxx

Course outline:

An intensive course for doctoral students.
(Particularly suited for doctoral students at the initial phases of their research work.)

The course is open and suited for all doctoral students of accounting, finance, and other business economics disciplines in Finland, and the doctoral students of all the faculties at the University of Vaasa in any major. Even if the dissertation examples to be used are from accounting, finance, and operations research the theme of the course is generic and thus meant for neophyte doctoral students regardless of the particular research field.
 
The doctoral students of accounting and finance at the University of Vaasa please note: All doctoral students in accounting and finance at the University of Vaasa who are in the beginning phases of their doctoral studies, or who have not participated on a corresponding course, are required to take "Managing the Doctoral Research". Please contact Prof. Timo Salmi, if necessary, for more information on this requirement.

• Day one: Practical aspects of doctoral studies. Adopting a project management approach to one's own dissertation process. Lecturer: Timo Salmi
• Day two:
  1. Advice on conferences participation, publishing scientific research results in refereed journals, dissertation publication strategies, and of library database searches. The postdoctorate job market.
  2. Analyzing a given doctoral dissertation. Lecturer: Sami Vähämaa together with Timo Salmi.

Course objectives:

1) Managing the Doctoral Research covers "Practical Aspects of Doctoral Studies". It is to introduce the doctoral candidates to the realities of doing scientific research and to give practical advice on the process of taking a doctorate. The part is based on the various practical aspects of lecturer's own dissertation process and the long-standing experience on thesis tutoring.

2) To strengthen the students' knowledge of the scientific community and research publication strategies.

Literature; Practical aspects of doctoral studies (The first day):

A highly recommended acquisition: Davis, Gordon B. and Parker, Clyde A (1997). Writing the Doctoral Dissertation. A Systematic Approach. Second edition. Barron's Educational Series, Inc. First edition 1979. [info]

Source material: Sternberg, David. How to Complete and Survive a Doctoral Dissertation. St. Martin's Press, 1981. [info]

Source material: Gothoni, Rene. How to Survive in Academia. Yliopistopaino. Helsinki University Press, 1996. (Also available for the Finnish students as: Oletko neuvoton. Lohdutuksen sanoja opinnäytteen laatijalle.) [info]

Recommended readings on accounting and finance methodologies in particular. The students in other disciplines should try to identify corresponding material in their own major. If need be, seek the advice of your thesis advisor for the appropriate similar material in your field.

1. Smith, Malcolm. Research Methods in Accounting. SAGE Publications, 2003. [info]
   
   
2. Ryan, Bob, Scapens Robert W., and Theobald, Michael. Research Method and Methodology in Finance and Accounting. 2nd edition. Thomson, 2002. (First edition 1992.) [info]
   
   

Additional literature references and material will be provided on the lectures.

Literature; Research analysis and developments with accounting and finance as the example field (The second day):

A doctoral dissertation: Schadewitz, Hannu. Financial and Nonfinancial Information in Interim Reports; Determinants and Implications. Doctoral Dissertation. Acta Universitatis Oeconomicae Helsingiensis A-124. Helsinki 1997. Five pcopies available at Tritonia. Please share rationally, if in short supply. Now also available on the net from eDiss - HSE dissertations.

The participants must prepare in advance a written analysis report of the above doctoral dissertation for the lectures. Take your analysis report with you to the lectures for discussion instead of sending it to the lecturers. In particular, following aspects should be considered in the written report. (Please note. This is above all about the skill of being able to read and understand the general structure of scientific research in any field, even if some details of the dissertation might be specialized.)

1. What makes this research a doctoral thesis?
2. What kind of research strategy choices have been made:
   • the subject
   • the method
   • the data
   • the execution
3. Place yourself in the role of the thesis opponent. Take a stand about
   • the merits
   • present a constructive criticism

Links to the transparencies for Salmi's lectures

The material is under some revision for 2011
 
  Name, place, time and principal readings of the course (010) The 2010 version
  Main Issues of the Doctoral Dissertation Management lectures (020)
  Goals of the Doctoral Dissertation process (021)
  Statutory Dissertation Requirements (030)
  Deductive-Empirical Method of Scientific Enquiry (040)
  Induction and deduction (041)
  Quantitative research process in accounting and finance (070)  
  The Structure of Scientific Research [to aid to describe dissertations] (050)
  Economic disciplines in connection with related fields (080)  
  Old Example Sources on General Principles of Research (090)
  Popularized literature of another scientific discipline (100)
  More current sources on the General Principles of Research etc (110)
  The locus of responsibility (120)
  Stages of the Doctoral Process (130)
  Finding the Research Topic; Some Tips (140)
  A True Example of Getting Started with Thesis Research (150)
  Characteristics of a Good Dissertation Topic (160)
  Doctoral Thesis Bogus Avoidance Test (170)
  Characteristics of a Good Dissertation Topic, A Further View (180)
  How to Analyze a Scientific Paper (190)  
  Topic Analyses (200)
  The Dissertation Proposal, i.e. Research Plan (210)
  On the Literature Search (220)
  Real-life Practice of Dissertation Work (230)
  The Essence of Time Management (320)
  An Example of Notebooks and Binders Actually Used (240)
  A Database Example (250)
  Writing the Research Results (260)
  Checklist for Dissertation Writing back from 1975 (270)
  Different Finnish Views on Dissertation in Accounting and Finance (280)
  Another List of Dissertation Requirements (290)
  Standard contents of a dissertation (300)
  Example Abstract, Contents, and Research Problem; Salmi
  Example Yli-Olli, Contents, Abstract

  Prof. Salmi's Reviews of Research and Doctoral Dissertation Advice Guides
  Prof. Salmi's personal list of readings into popularized science
  Readings for doctoral students doing case study accounting research (310)
  Kasanen, Lukka & Siitonen (1991) on the constructive approach (330)
  Journals in Accounting, Finance and OR for Research (A list by Prof. Salmi at the University of Vaasa)
  Tritonia, Academic library, Vaasa.

  Prof. Vähämaa's PowerPoint slides for the 2nd day in pdf format. The 2010 version.
  Tohtoreista lisäarvoa yrityksille. Acatiimi 9/05
  Helsingin Kauppakorkeakoulun tohtorit työelämässä
  Prof. Kari Lukka: Opinnäytetyöskentelyn tarkoitus
  Trochim, William M. (2006). The Research Methods Knowledge Base, 2nd Edition.