When it is time for a student of finance to begin work on his dissertation, the first problem that he is confronted with is the topic that he has to choose. There is so much information written on financial topics every day that it is hard for him to select a subject that has not already been discussed in some detail. Unless the student wants to run the risk of submitting a rehashed version of something already published, he should think long and hard about what he wants to write about. The best way of avoiding plagiarism is to focus on a current theme, a burning issue that is making a lot of news at the moment. One might even consider writing on the way the economic environment is expected to transform in the future. While choosing the topic it is essential to review all the literature published on the chosen topic like books, web content, magazines, journals, white papers and other published dissertations. The student not only gets a lot of help with his research, but he also avoids rewriting published work.
It is a common misconception that finance is full of numbers, calculations and formulas. It is not. Yes, finance does have its fair share of mathematical work, but there is also plenty of writing to be done. It is easy for a student of finance to fall into the trap of overloading his report with numbers and formulas. While a certain amount of calculations is unavoidable, it is far more important to interpret those formulas and explain what they mean. Numbers by themselves have no meaning unless they are used in relation to something. It is in the interpretation that the use of language becomes very important. In dissertations every word and every syllable has to be used accurately to derive the right meaning.
Even a narrow topic in finance requires extensive research and study. There are many variables to be measured and several points to be looked into. It is important not to pick a topic that is too vast in scope. The student might find that he is unable to fit all the research material into the boundaries of his report. Even a simple and small question in finance might require a long answer. The student should also ensure that he explains all complex terminology and financial jargon adequately in his report.