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Thesis Manual Research Master Social Sciences Graduate School of Social Sciences

May 2017

By: MSc Raphaël Wolf (alumnus RMSS) Dr. Oskar Verkaaik (programme director RMSS) Drs. E. A. van der Vlist (former study advisor RMSS)

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Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................... 3

2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................................ 3

3 THE THESIS PROCESS ................................................................................................................................................ 4

3.1 Deadlines and Entry Requirements ......................................................................................................... 4

3.2 Supervision ............................................................................................................................................................ 4

3.3 The Research Proposal .................................................................................................................................... 5

3.2.1 Choosing Your Topic and Problem Formulation .............................................................................. 5

3.2.2 The Research Proposal Requirements ................................................................................................. 6

3.4 Writing Your Thesis .......................................................................................................................................... 7

3.4.1 The Thesis Format and Length: Academic Journal Article ........................................................... 7

3.4.2 The Thesis Format and Length: Ethnographic monograph ......................................................... 7

3.4.3 Requirements of the monograph ............................................................................................................ 8

3.4.4 Assessment criteria monograph ............................................................................................................. 8

3.4.4 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 9

3.4.5 Writing the Argument ................................................................................................................................. 9

3.4.6 Methods .......................................................................................................................................................... 10

3.4.7 Conclusion(s) ............................................................................................................................................... 10

3.4.8 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................. 10

3.4.9 Quotes and Annotations .......................................................................................................................... 11

3.5 Thesis Assessment and Graduation ...................................................................................................... 12

3.6 PLAGIARISM ........................................................................................................................................................ 14

ANNEX 1: Thesis Assessment Form ....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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1. INTRODUCTION

The Research Master Social Sciences (RMSS) culminates in the writing of a thesis (24 EC). It is the final process for the completion of your Master’s degree and a test of your academic skills. The goal of the thesis is to prove that you have acquired sufficient academic knowledge, skills and insights to set up, empirically investigate and substantiate a clear, systematic argument. Indeed, the thesis is the capstone of the research profile you have been developing during the two years of the programme and should show your ability to conduct research independently.

The programme requires you to write the thesis in the form of an academic article, which would qualify for publication in an international, peer-reviewed academic journal. Alternatively students who have done fieldwork may opt for an ethnographic thesis.1 This means that there is no one good way of writing a thesis, because different journals adhere to different academic conventions. Moreover, the way the thesis is written up also depends on what your thesis supervisor expects from the manuscript.

Nonetheless, there are elements, requirements and conditions that the thesis should contain and satisfy in order to pass evaluation, irrespective of methodological track and choice of academic journal. This manual will specify these conditions. In addition, the manual also describes the thesis process and gives a general overview of what a thesis should consist of and how to write the document. 2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The thesis is a proof of competence. It should show that you have the ability to carry out independent and creative research, written up in a format which adheres to academic conventions. Through the thesis you demonstrate that, depending on the methodological track you have chosen, you can: Identify scientific and practical problems relevant to your thematic field of expertise and

formulate scientifically and socially relevant research questions on this basis. Translate relevant research problems and objectives into a relevant research design within

one’s own field of study Formulate a coherent argument within one’s own field of study from problem or hypothesis

definition to desired results and develop a substantiated point of view. Organise the research set-up, including research strategy and time planning. Conduct social-scientific research targeted to answering a delimited research question that

builds on a social or scientific research problem, using sound methodological principles and research techniques, so as to guarantee the reliability and validity of the data gathering and data analysis.

Draw conclusions from your own research and evaluate the choices made during the process in light of these conclusions.

Report the findings in a clear, systematic and reflexive way. Write an academic article, which would qualify for publication in an international, peer-

reviewed academic journal. These objectives are important, because they are translated into criteria of assessment for evaluating the thesis. The criteria will be discussed in the section on how the thesis will be assessed. As the pinnacle of the RMSS programme, the thesis objectives relate directly to all exit qualifications as laid down in the OER and the corresponding Dublin Descriptors.2

1 There is a separate manual available on writing an Ethnographic Thesis. For more information on the rules and guidelines for writing and Ethnographic Thesis in the context of the Research Master Social Sciences please have a look at www.student.uva.nl/ RMSS/ A-Z/ Thesis. 2 See article B2 in the Teaching and Examination Regulations of the Research Master's Social Sciences.

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3 THE THESIS PROCESS The thesis is worth 24 EC and is formally allocated to the second semester of the second year. However, the entire thesis process is longer and starts earlier in the programme, which is especially the case for those students doing fieldwork. 3.1 Deadlines and Entry Requirements There are several deadlines that you need to take into account regarding the thesis. At the start of the first semester of the second academic year of the Research Master’s Social Sciences the study advisor has registered all second year students for the course Thesis Research Master’s Social Sciences (24 EC) in SIS. Please do note that you can only start writing your thesis once you have passed all first year courses and participated in the Fieldwork or Internship.

Besides these formal entry requirements, the thesis proposal is a de facto requirement for starting the thesis project. For the first year students in the qualitative track and for those first year students doing fieldwork in the Mixed Methods track, student need a pass for the course Ethnographic Methods and Fieldwork Preparation3. The thesis proposal should be approved and the Research Proposal Form4 should be signed by the thesis supervisor, and handed in5 at studyadvisor-rmss@uva.nl before 3 September and before you leave for the field. This has also been specified in the Research Proposal Form and in the study manual. For the second year students in the quantitative track and for the second year students in the Mixed Methods track not leaving for fieldwork, the Research Proposal Form should be approved and signed by the thesis supervisor and the specialisation tutor before February 15th, 2019.

The deadline to hand in the thesis is the 17th of June 2019. Do note that this is a soft deadline, which means if students do not meet this thesis deadline, there will be no deduction in points of the final thesis grade or any other consequences. However, do note that after the first deadline, you do not have guaranteed right to supervision, which makes finishing the thesis in time essential. The deadline for the first resit is on August 17th 2019. If students are not able to complete their thesis before the deadline of the first resit or in case of a fail-result a well-motivated request for extension of the deadline for thesis submission should be filed to the Examinations Board, online (http://student.uva.nl/rmss/az/item/examinations-board--ids-resmas.html). 3.2 Supervision Your thesis supervisor will guide you through the process of conducting your research and writing the thesis. In the RMSS programme, you are responsible for finding a suitable thesis supervisor, which means that it is important to discuss what the both of you expect from the supervision process.

To find the right thesis supervisor, it is useful to see how your research interest links up with the research topics of the faculty members within the area of your specialisation. The specialisation tutor can be of help here by pointing out candidates based on your research interest.

Your thesis supervisor will be the one responsible for working with you throughout the process of the research (proposal) and writing the thesis. The thesis supervisor will give you advice (e.g. about relevant literature), motivate you and will make sure that you are progressing. If you are not progressing, your thesis supervisor will need to point you in the right direction and talk to you about how to prevent further delay.

It is important to openly discuss with your thesis supervisor your expectations about the thesis supervision. This mainly concerns how often you will meet and what you will discuss during those meetings: How often will your thesis supervisor read drafts and what kind of comments will the thesis supervisor give? How often will you meet and how long? When do you hand in drafts? After having agreed on a schedule of meetings and deadlines, make sure to

3 The thesis supervisor is responsible for finding a suitable second reader in consultation with the student. 4 http://student.uva.nl/rmss/az/item/thesis.html 5 Only the Research Proposal Form needs to be send to studyadvisor-rmss@uva.nl

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handing in your work in time, so your thesis supervisor is able to prepare properly for the meetings. Indicate which parts are new or revised to ensure the efficiency of the process.

To prevent disappointment, discuss your ambitions with your thesis supervisor during the first meeting. Your thesis supervisor can then accommodate his comments accordingly. 3.3 The Research Proposal The research proposal is the foundation of your thesis. It is important for the further progress of your research, because it forces you to think thoroughly about your topic, what aspect of that topic you want to investigate, how that can be translated into a concrete problem definition and research question, under whose supervision you will conduct your research, what methods you will use and what contributions you want to make to current debates about your topic.

Therefore, writing a good research proposal takes time. It is an iterative process of rethinking, revising and calibrating the different components of your research design. It must be specific and concrete enough to provide you with a basis to work upon, as well as flexible enough to deal with contingencies and changes during your research. Moreover, the proposal is also instrumental to convince a faculty member to be your thesis supervisor by presenting your ability to conduct the research properly.

It is therefore useful to start thinking about your research topic early on in the programme. Consider, for instance, whether a Thematic Elective or an Reading Course can help you further explore your research interest before writing the research proposal and starting the thesis project.

3.2.1 Choosing Your Topic and Problem Formulation The research proposal starts with choosing a specific topic and narrowing it down to a concrete research problem and question. In other words, it is the process of translating the topic or research interest into a specific research problem that can be investigated. Both choosing a topic and the subsequent problem formulation can be a challenge.

When choosing your topic there are two important considerations. On the one hand, it is important that the topic and research problem are not too broad. Time is an issue here, because you have to complete the thesis in one semester. It may help to link your thesis project to on-going research within the programme groups of the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR). This enables you to benefit from the expertise and knowledge of the staff at the UvA in order to identify possible avenues for narrowing down your topic to a specific research question. The specialisation tutor can help you with this by pointing out relevant faculty members based on your research interest.

On the other hand, it is important you choose a topic that is of interest to you, because you will be dealing with the topic for several months. With a lack of motivation you face the risk of having a hard time writing and completing the thesis (in time).

The crucial part of the thesis proposal is the problem formulation. This entails a specification of the topic and makes clear what your thesis will discuss or what you will be researching. In other words, it should be clear what the aim of the thesis is and why it is worth investigating. In addition to these considerations, the problem formulation generally consists of a research question and a number of sub-questions derived from the central research question. The questions should be phrased in a way that it is possible to answer them within the scope of the thesis.

The delineation of the topic and the problem formulation should be done within the broader perspective of the research area. It should be clear how the research will contribute to on-going debates, which means that it is important to do a thorough literature review to see what has already been done.

Formulating a clear and concise research problem in advance will streamline the subsequent process of research, as subsequent theoretical and methodological choices tend to flow from a

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well-defined research problem. Therefore, do not rush this problem formulation. Although your research questions may evolve during the writing process, they will become more concrete.

3.2.2 The Research Proposal Requirements A good research proposal reads like a roadmap that specifies the necessary steps to answer the research question in an academic fashion. It will not only help to think about the structure of your arguments, but also about the problem definition and related research questions, the theoretical and analytical framework, the purpose of data collection, how to accomplish this, what methods to use to analyse the data and within what timeframe you plan to complete all these different steps.

This means that there are a few necessary elements that each thesis proposal must contain. The proposal should include: A provisional title of the thesis. A brief introduction in which the topic and aim of the thesis are described. This requires a

justification of the topic in terms of academic and societal relevance (why is this topic worth inquiring into? Why is this way of looking at the topic relevant for the broader field in which the thesis is embedded?).

A preliminary formulation of the problem, which outlines the specification of the topic through the main research question that will be answered in the thesis. The problem definition can be sharpened by answering the following questions: Can your problem be analytically reduced to a series of smaller problems? What steps do you need to follow to answer your research question? The research question should capture the entire scope the research you are planning to do for the thesis.

A theoretical framework, which consists of a brief literature review of relevant theories and concepts. Relevance means that the review should have a function within the overall argumentation structure, i.e. the theoretical framework needs to support the problem definition and provide the theoretical levers to investigate the research question. It needs to guide you when you are confronted with difficult decisions about how to handle difficult data or how to proceed with the analysis.

A short research design, in which the nature of the data collection and data analysis is specified. This entails stating explicitly how the methods of data gathering and analysis will contribute to answering the research question in their specific way (why these methods and not others?). This will ensure the consistency between the different elements of the thesis project, especially between the problem formulation and the methodology.

Optional: A preliminary table of contents in which the different sections and subsections of the thesis are outlined. It is important to try to substantiate each section and subsection by giving a short statement on what will be discussed. It will help you structure further the research and drafting process by making you aware of logical flaws in the argument you will pursue.

Optional: A preliminary bibliography. It is important to distinguish between primary sources (policy documents, newspaper articles etc.) and secondary sources (traditional source material like academic journals and books). This will indicate the extent of empirical material used in relation to the theoretical material.

A timetable which indicates what tasks will be carried out, when they will be carried out and in what timeframe. It is essentially a working schedule that is a reference point during the research process and the writing process. It is important to set deadlines, as well as to save room to deal with contingencies like delays. There are always unexpected events that will require changing bits and pieces of the original schedule. It is therefore useful to revise the initial timetable in dialogue with your thesis supervisor.

A budgetary overview in order to keep track of your earnings and spendings related to the fieldwork project.

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Note that for those students doing fieldwork in the Qualitative and Mixed Methods track, the requirements for the research proposal might slightly deviate from what is specified above. What the specific requirements are for this fieldwork proposal will be discussed thoroughly in the Ethnographic Methods and Fieldwork Preparation (9 EC), in which the students will receive counselling and feedback on how to write a proper research proposal before going into the field.

3.4 Writing Your Thesis After completing the data gathering and parts of the data analysis, the writing of the thesis begins. Before doing so, discuss with your thesis supervisor the main findings and ideas that you have developed during your research. Take into consideration whether you have the necessary information and if there are any holes in it. If so, discuss with your thesis supervisor possible ways to overcome this problem. In case you find it difficult to start writing, go back to your proposal and try start building your thesis from there. The thesis is either an academic journal article or an ethnography.

3.4.1 The Thesis Format and Length: Academic Journal Article If you choose the format of an academic journal article, the manuscript should be of a length between 7,000 and 15,000 words, and should be written in accordance with established formats of the chosen journal(s) within the disciplinary and thematic field that fits the research topic. After consultation with thesis supervisor and/or specialisation tutor students can write an ethnography instead. A thesis should at least include the following elements: Title page, specifying the title, subtitle (if applicable), your name, you UvA ID number, the

name of the programme, the name of your supervisors and the date and place of submission. Abstract. Introduction. Body of the thesis, which is divided into sections and subsections, i.e. theoretical

framework, methodology and data analysis. Conclusion, in which the theoretical and empirical findings come together and are

presented and discussed. Bibliography. Annexes (if applicable).

3.4.2 The Thesis Format and Length: Ethnographic monograph The monograph is usually written on the basis of the fieldwork material but may also, in exceptional cases, be based on a literature survey. Although there is no one-way of composing a good monograph, the basic organization of the monograph can be as follows:

1. Introduction, (approx. 10 pages) including sections on the following: • An introduction to the topic and research question: what is the empirical and/or theoretical issue at hand? • Elaboration of relevant theoretical debates as discussed in the theoretical section of your research proposal. • The relevance of the topic for ongoing academic and/or public debates • A brief discussion of your methodology and reflection upon the research.

2. Three to four central chapters (approx. 45 pages in total) in which the central argument of the monograph is developed. In these chapters the research findings are presented and discussed in such a way that they contribute to the main argument of the monograph. Depending on the topic and the nature of the research, chapters can be organized around:

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• Introduction to the 'field' (setting), including secondary literature on regional or historical issues • Case studies or analyses of events • Interviews and key-informants • Other empirical data and discussions

3. Conclusion (approx. 5 pages) which: • Briefly summarizes the central questions and research findings • Discusses the central argument • Elaborates upon the scope of the argument and its relevance for public concerns, theoretical debates, or further research.

3.4.3 Requirements of the monograph 1. The monograph must be based on the student’s own original material. This material is collected ‘in the field’. Alternatives to fieldwork may include: a study of source material, a museum internship or a practice-oriented internship (provided there is an independent research component resulting in an independent report). 2. The monograph has a maximum of 25.000 words (approx. 60 pages), broken down into different chapters and sections. The bibliography must contain a minimum of 15 titles. 3. The content of the monograph can have a theoretical character or a more ethnographic/empirical character. 4. The monograph contains the formulae on plagiarism as formulated by the combined Examinations Board of the Research Masters Social Sciences, International Development Studies, Urban Studies and the Master International Development Studies. signed by the author of the monograph. 5. The monograph is written in the English language and starts with a summary of the argument (max 1 page) in English. 6. The monograph must furthermore meet the following criteria: a) It should define a clear research question followed by a presentation of the relevant empirical/theoretical material, an analysis of that material and a conclusion. b) It should provide a clear substantiation for the guiding theoretical principles and research method chosen. c) It should show a clear progression in the argumentation and a conclusion that corresponds to and answers the research question. d) Quotes must be reproduced free of error, literature cited in the text must correspond with the bibliography and the bibliography itself must be compiled in conformity with the prevailing guidelines. It is carefully edited on spelling and formulations. Theses that do not meet these requirements or exceed the maximum length will not be considered for examination.

3.4.4 Assessment criteria monograph A monograph should include at least the following elements: • Title page (title, and if applicable subtitle; your name; UvA ID number; the name of the program; the name of the department (= GSSS); the name of your thesis supervisor and second reader ; date and place of submission). • Table of contents. • Introduction. • Body of the monograph (divided into chapters, in which the theoretical framework is presented, the research method is explained, the argument is elaborated and the research results are analyzed). • Conclusion (where your theoretical and empirical findings come together). • References (footnotes, endnotes or references in the text). • Bibliography.

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3.4.4 Introduction Always try to keep your introduction concise. Whatever your choices, the introduction

should always have a clear statement of what the research problem is, why it is relevant (theoretically and/or socially) and how you are planning to develop your argument(s). Try to argue why you have chosen a particular approach and not an alternative route. Always remember the larger theoretical framework which your particular research is part of.

The introduction should tell the reader straight away what the thesis is about. This can be done in many different ways. You can directly tell your reader, or you can do it in a more playful way, by starting with an anecdote, a citation or anything else that leads to the subject, and then state the problem that you want to deal with.

Central Concepts: Give a short explanation of your approach and try to argue why this approach has been taken and not an alternative route. Why have specific aspects been left out? What does explain the focus of the thesis? How is it situated in the field? What are the central concepts?

Problem Formulation: Formulate the overarching problem that needs to be solved. This may be a scientific problem (e.g., clashing theories, or theories clashing with (lack of) empirics) and/or a societal problem. Explain the relevance of this problem: why does it need to be solved? Note that the claim that a phenomenon or relationship ‘has not been studied yet’ is often a necessary but never a sufficient precondition for a good research problem: an infinite number of possible relationships have not been researched, and often with good cause.

Research questions: Your research questions should follow directly from the problems you identified before. State your questions and sub-questions clearly.

Method: If you do not plan to have an extra “method-chapter”, you can also describe the methods used in the introductory chapter although usually the methodology is presented in a separate chapter.

Do not use the introduction to describe in a lengthy way what you have not done and why. This is not interesting to the reader and is therefore a waste of space.

3.4.5 Writing the Argument You should strive for a systematically elaborated argument. Problem formulation, literature review, theory and empirical results should be understandably and usefully related to each other. The thesis should have a clear line of argumentation, with explicit “thinking steps” and clear and logical transitions from one paragraph and section to the next.

In the body of your thesis you should generally include a literature and theoretical review where you present what other researchers have said about the topic of your work. In this review you can express which problems arise from existing approaches or subscribe to one. Always remember that your work should try to expand existing knowledge; if you only present other people’s ideas without critically overthinking them, your work will be incomplete. Try to be creative, and although it is not expected from you to develop a completely new theory, the originality of your arguments is crucial. In all cases, theories have to be clearly portrayed in a way that shows understanding of your topic. Theoretical choices have to be accounted for.

Another important part of your thesis is the presentation of your findings and its analysis. Here you are expected not only to present the data you gathered during your research period, but also how the data is gathered and analysed or processed. You also need to clearly indicate how the data can be linked to the theoretical section of your thesis/research.

Always try to keep your reader interested and guided. Present your arguments in a cohesive and organised manner. Because you have been working on your thesis for a long time your arguments might seem very clear to you, but remember that you are writing for others. An interested reader should be able to understand your work despite the fact that (s)he may not be a specialist in the subject.

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3.4.6 Methods Your research methodology should ideally speak from the research problem you want to solve, and the state (availability) of theories to deal with this problem. Explain this relationship. In your methods paragraph, lay down your approach in sufficient (if need be: vivid) detail and explain choices you made. Ensure that the reader is able to understand and replicate your approach, choices, and sources.

3.4.7 Conclusion(s) After the portrayal of the arguments and results of the research come the conclusions. Here the questions asked in the problem formulation are explicitly answered. In the case that you posed hypotheses, this is the place to present whether the research results confirm or refute these. No new empirical information is introduced here. In addition, you may consider answering the following questions: How far are the research results generalizable to other cases than those researched? How do the research results relate to the findings and conclusions of other authors? Where

do results match, where do they differ, and how is this explained? What has the research added to the theoretical or empirical knowledge about the topic at

hand? What future line of research does your work open? Depending on the aim of the thesis, it may also be valuable to provide an answer to (one or more) of the following questions: What does the research say about the adequacy of the methods followed and the materials

chosen? Can any methodological recommendations for future research be derived from this? How could future researchers do a better job?

Which policy recommendations can be made on the basis of the research? Which predictions can be made on the basis of the research?

3.4.8 Bibliography An academic work should always include a bibliography where you list all the sources. The list should be ordered alphabetically following the authors’ surnames. Articles from web pages without listed author should be included in the end. In the case that the document and/or web page comes from an organisation without listing the authors, the name of the organisation is considered the author. Although there is no one correct way of doing it, here are some examples of complete bibliographical references according to different sources: Books: Surname author, first name or initials, (year of publication), Title of book (publisher, place of publication). Example: Ignatieff, Michael, (1999), The Warrior’s Honour: Ethnic War and the Modern Conscience, (Random House, London).

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Book chapters: Surname author, first name or initials, (year of publication), “Title of article”, in name(s) of editors, Title of book, (publisher, place of publication). Example: Salomons, Dirk, (2003), “Probing the successful application of leverage in support of Mozambique’s quest for peace”, in Jean Krasno, Donald Daniel and Bradd Hayes (eds.), Leveraging for Success in United Nations Peace Operations, (Greenwood Publishing Group, Wesport). Magazine articles: Surname author, first name or initials, (year of publication), “Title of article”, in Title of journal, Vol., No., pages. Example: Fogg, Richard Wendell, (1985), “Dealing with Conflict: A Repertoire of Creative, Peaceful Approaches”, in The Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 330-358. Newspaper articles with author: Surname author, first name or initials, 9year and date of publication), “Title of the article”, newspaper (and section) name) Example: Rijn, T. van, (2007, 27 April), “PvdA party leadership steps down.” The Hague Amsterdam Times. Newspaper articles without authors: Newspaper (and section) name, year and date of publication, “Title of the article.” Example: The Hague Amsterdam Times (2007, 27 April), “Early dry conditions cause widespread fears.” Web page with author: Surname, first name or initials, (year of publication), Title of the article, complete URL and date you visited the site. Example: Carr, S.J. (1999), The last glacial maximum in the North Sea. http://www.brookers.ac.uk/charion/fakewebsite. (visited on 13 May 2004) Web page not listing the author: Title, date, complete URL and date you visited the site. Example: Global warming and its effects on Antarctic Coast. (2003), http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/story_13583.asp (visited on 25 June 2004) Web page from an organisation, not listing the author: Name organisation, title (if known), (date (if known)), complete URL and date you visited the site. Example: Universiteit van Amsterdam, http://www.uva.nl, (visited on 5 May 2007)

3.4.9 Quotes and Annotations Annotation is the mentioning in your text of the source from which you have taken a quote, information or ideas. It is preferred that you use the ‘Harvard Method’ of in-text annotation. In this style, you add between brackets the author’s surname, year of publication, and page number(s) from which your quote or idea(s) came from. When using annotations and quotes in your papers and thesis, make sure it is always clear to the reader who is speaking, you the writer

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or another author you are referring to or are quoting. Even though you are required to use sources in your thesis it should be clear that in your thesis you need to state your argument! So, a good written paper and thesis is not just a repetition and listing of quotes from others. Try to say things in your own words as much as possible, but keep indicating where your ideas have come from. Integrate earlier work theoretically rather than summing up mini-summaries each article. If there is only one author, the annotation should be: (Becker, 1987: 66). If there are two authors: (Long & Jones, 2004: 89-94). More than two authors: (Lyons et al, 2001: 45). If you are referring to a text on a website from an organisation or another publication of an organisation without an author listed, the organisation is generally considered to be the author: (UvA: website 2007) Generally a quote longer than three lines should have smaller margins than the general text. For example:

World politics today is a matter of life and death –not just for soldiers or citizens in the path of war, but for the whole human race. Nuclear holocaust remains a continual threat. At a less apocalyptical level, world politics has a daily impact on the lives of people throughout the globe: political forces and decisions affect patterns of international trade, investment and production (Keohane, 1986 : 1).

If you want to add something or slightly modify the quote you can do it between brackets. And if you want to cut some part of the quote you add three points. For example:

World politics today is a matter of life and death … for the whole human race. Nuclear holocaust remains a continual threat. At a less apocalyptical level, world politics has a daily impact on the lives of people [by modifying economic structures] throughout the globe (Keohane, 1986 : 1).

If your quote is shorter than three lines, you can place it as part of the main body of your work, in that case you do not have to use italics but start and finish the quote with inverted commas. For example: Neorealist analysts usually centre their explanations of international relations in the sphere of security and force. As Keohane states in his work, “world politics today is a matter of life and death” (Keohane, 1986: 1). While acknowledging the importance of Keohane’s argument, this thesis will present an alternative approach that will consider security and force as well as other variables including principles and values. In any case, all kind of documents that have been sources of quotes for your work should be included in your bibliography. In the case of our example the bibliographical note should be: Keohane, Robert. (1986). “Realism, Neorealism and the study of World Politics”, in Keohane, R. (ed.) Neorealism and its Critics. (Columbia University Press, New York).

3.5 Thesis Assessment and Graduation

The quality of the final Master’s thesis is assessed by the thesis supervisor and a second reader. The final mark is determined by the thesis supervisor and the second reader after an oral exam in which both examiner and the student discuss the thesis. The thesis supervisor and the second reader use a standard assessment form (see Annex 1), which is determined in advance and also specifies the final grade. Make sure you have in mind the criteria specified on the form when writing the thesis. In general, these are the criteria for judging the thesis; 1. Research Question(s): Clarity, originality, motivation and relevance.

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Problem formulation: clarity and precision, originality, argumentation and delineation; how is the problem definition operationalized?

Purpose and relevance of the research: is the purpose of the thesis clear; does the research have scientific and/or societal relevance?

2. Literature review: Clarity, depth and comprehensiveness. Knowledge of the topic of the thesis, partly shown in the way and extent to which the

literature is used. Build-up of the argument: systematic elaboration of the problem definition, logical

consistencies, interrelatedness of separate parts of the thesis, clear line of argumentation, well-founded conclusions.

3. Arguments and claims: Clarity, consistency and creativity Scientific insight: how are theories and methodologies used, justification of

theoretical assumptions, description and application of theoretical concepts (consistency in use).

4. Research Design: Clarity, relevance, quality. Quality of the research: way of material collection, accounting for methods used and

choices made regarding research design, analysis of data. 5. Empirical execution: Clarity, relevance of empirical research design, execution.

Quality of data and observations Conditions under which the research was conducted Issues of ethics and reflexivity

6. Conclusions: Clarity, relevance, consistency. Build-up of the argument: systematic elaboration of the problem definition, logical

consistencies, interrelatedness of separate parts of the thesis, clear line of argumentation, well-founded conclusions.

7. Writing, readability and style. Controllability: precise references, correct quotation, complete bibliography. Language: precision, clarity, readability. Style: layout, spelling, punctuation, clear structure, headings, etc.

8. Process: Measure of independence, timeliness, etc. Measure of independence in achieving points mentioned above. Measure of creativity in achieving points mentioned above.

Students who hand in the final version of their thesis ultimately before the first deadline are able to graduate at the start of September 2019.6 Students who hand in the final version of their thesis later will either graduate in October 2019 or later. If the re-sit deadline cannot be met, a motivated request for extension of the thesis deadline needs to be send online to the examinations board: www.student.uva.nl/ RMSS/ A-Z/ Examinations Board, before consulting the study advisor. The final version of the thesis should be handed in in hardcopy to both your thesis supervisor and your second reader. A digital copy needs to be send to the Registrar’s Office (registrar-gsss@uva.nl). The thesis supervisor decides upon the final grade of the thesis in consultation with the second reader. Both fill out and sign the thesis assessment form [see Annex 1] and send it ultimately on 14 July 2019 to registrar-gsss@uva.nl in order for you to graduate on time. On the programme website (http://student.uva.nl/rmss/az/item/graduation-cas-mas-ids-resmas.html) you can find the planned graduation dates per academic year, along with the concomitant deadlines for handing in the thesis. The diploma application starts by filling out the (online) graduation form that can also be found

in the A-Z list. The filled-out form should be sent to registrar-gsss@uva.nl. The deadline for

handing in this form is is six weeks before the intended graduation date. The programme

6 Note that the graduation dates are still to be determined. Students do not have to remain registered as a student at the UvA in order to graduate/ to be able to attend the graduation ceremony.

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administration may invite you to drop by the office to check your grades. You may also request

an appointment with the programme administration yourself if you want to check your grades in

SIS or have questions about the procedure.

To start the graduation process, follow the steps that are listed at the A-Z of the student website.

The graded version of your thesis should be handed in digitally on Blackboard, so it can be

checked for plagiarism. The Thesis uploaded should be a Word or PDF file.

The diploma application will be finalized once all your grades, including the grade for the thesis,

are registered in SIS.

In case you don’t wish your thesis to be published in the online thesis database of the University

Library, please mention this in the comment.

If you have any questions about the procedures you can contact Iris Vuurmans (phone: 020-

5252646; email: registrar-gsss@uva.nl).

In case you will not be able to complete your Thesis before 31 August 2019 at the latest, please

register yourself again in Studielink for the RMSS programme before 1 September 2019! If you

don’t, your grade cannot be booked and your diploma cannot be processed. If you are not sure

you will finish in time, register yourself again to be sure. You will have to pay extra tuition fees if

you have to register for another (part of the) academic year.

3.6 PLAGIARISM According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, to plagiarise is to take the work or an idea of someone else and pass it off as one’s own. This means that if you copy, paraphrase or translate materials from websites, books, magazines or any other source in your thesis without giving full and proper credit to the original author(s), you are committing plagiarism. If you do so, you may be facing the possibility of expulsion from your programme and the University of Amsterdam, not to mention having to live with the reputation of dishonesty.

The fair use of evidence from primary and secondary sources is the basis of academic discourse. The abuse of this fairness undermines the very nature of scholarly research. Plagiarism is a form of theft and fraud and should be avoided at all costs. If you find yourself in doubt about quotation or correct use of a source, it is always a good idea to provide full information. Your thesis supervisor or specialisation tutor can help you if you have doubts.

The manuscript of the Thesis will be electronically checked for plagiarism.

On the programme website you can find more specific information on the rules and

regulations regarding plagiarism and academic fraud (http://student.uva.nl/rmss/az/item/plagiarism-and-fraud.html).

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ANNEX 1: Thesis Assessment Form

Name student: Studentnumber:

Thesis title:

Course code: 75250042XY ECTS: 24

Ephorus %: Date:

Date:

Grade:

This form has been filled in by: Name thesis supervisor: Signature:

Name second reader: Signature:

The thesis is evaluated on the basis of eight aspects. Underneath each aspect, special points of attention are listed. Each aspect separately (thus not each point) receives a score on a scale of 1 to 10, whereby 1 is very poor and 10 excellent. The final grade of the thesis is based on the eight separate scores. However, some components weigh more than others. Please make sure you include the justification of the scores in the assigned text boxes. The supervisor and second reader/supervisor may opt to fill in the assessment form together or a separate form each. A copy of the signed assessment form(s) should be submitted to the Registrar of the Graduate School Social Sciences (registrar-gsss@uva.nl).

1. Research question(s): Clarity, originality, motivation and relevance

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. Literature review: Clarity, depth and comprehensiveness

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3. Arguments and claims: Clarity, consistency, and creativity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4. Research design: Clarity, relevance, quality rererelevance.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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5. Empirical execution: Clarity, relevance of empirical research design, execution.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10

6. Conclusions: Clarity, relevance, consistency.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7. Writing, readability, and style.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8. Process: measure of independence, timeliness, etc.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Remarks