RESEARCH TOPICS IN FINANCE

Task: Prepare a literature review of a research topic within the finance subject area.

Topic - Finance Research area: Industry sentiment and stock returns.

Consider the research question- Which will be used on the dissertation.

Some Advice -

Coursework must be submitted by 2pm on the submission deadline. One electronic copy must be submitted via TurnitinUK on Learning Central. Note that late submissions will be given a mark of zero.

You are advised that, in addition to the main body of the essay, you should include a cover sheet (available from Learning Central), an introduction (containing the aims and objectives of your essay), a conclusion, and a full (and accurate) list of references. Furthermore, use double-spacing, the 12 point Times New Roman font (section headings should be in a larger bold Times New Roman font), and the Harvard style of referencing. Finally, before you submit the final version, check your spelling and punctuation and make sure you have followed the correct conventions.

Failure to heed this advice may result in a lower mark. Please note that your word count should exclude the cover sheet and the reference list. If the number of words used is more than 10% above or less than 10% below the required length then the essay will be awarded a lower mark. Failure to supply an accurate word count will also result in a lower mark. You are also advised to think carefully about the following:

1. Choose an area that is of interest to you and is in the finance subject area. It is also recommended that you choose an area of interest to potential supervisors in the Accounting & Finance Section.

2. Remember, it can be used in your dissertation subject to rephrasing, restructuring and further work.

3. Use good quality journals only.

4. Use thematic structure if required.

5. Try to identify areas of controversy/debate (e.g., are markets efficient?; is the CAPM valid?; what are the determinants of capital structure?, etc.).

6. It is not just a book-list or bibliography - it is a critical assessment of the published material relating to the chosen research topic.

7. It is not a list summarising one paper after another (synthesise and blend material).

8. It is not a summary of a topic - it is a review of the literature pertaining to a particular area of research in finance.

Once you have decided on your research topic, a good starting point for your essay would be to try to identify a relevant sample of academic papers (from good quality journals) upon which to base your essay. For a good collection of papers (including papers of a recent vintage), see the advanced search option in the JSTOR website. Note also that working papers (pre-published papers) can be referenced; see the SSRN website for further details. However, be cautious of using too many pre-published papers as their quality is more difficult to assess in comparison to papers published in high quality journals (only high quality journals form part of the JSTOR collection). The key is to base your essay on a good quality sample of the relevant literature.