The Finnish Journal of Business Economics 4/1978, 393-401.
The impetus to writing this memorandum was given by the relatively
lively debates at the Helsinki School of Economics in the early
spring to 1977. In my opinion it is imperative that a doctoral
candidate in business economics be forewarned about the differences
prevailing in the views on scientific contribution and subject
selection in Finland.
In the selection of the subject of a doctoral thesis the rationality
of the topic choice and the question of scientific acceptability
should, in my opinion, be separate. By rationality of topic choice I
mean here what is rational for the doctoral candidate's career
development (academic opportunities seem increasingly limited), for
attracting financing, and other similar factors. Although I
certainly think that it is highly advisable for a doctoral student
to take rationality into account carefully, I am not prepared to
accept it as a criterion of scientific acceptability.
It is generally agreed that the concept of contribution is central
in measuring the scientific acceptability of doctoral dissertations
(as well as any scientific research). If the scientific contribution
is measured by the novelty to a relevant circle of Finnish
discussants only, as has been proposed by two Finnish professors of
accounting, Finnish research of international standards is unlikely
to emerge in fields utilizing this "nationalized" measure of
contribution.
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