You should carefully survey the literature to select a paper you are interested in. Try to do some preliminary steps in the intended directions to see whether your ideas are feasible. You can discuss your ideas with VGSF faculty and visitors (guest professors or presenters at the research seminar). There are many opportunities for such discussions (e.g. after the meetings of the finance reading group, the research seminar, or after courses).

During the semester, meetings with the faculty and colleagues are arranged where you will present your ideas.
Based on the feedback obtained during those meetings, you can redefine the topic and the scope of your paper. This should lead to an elaborated written proposal (which should also serve as the basis for the paper). Give a brief survey of the relevant literature. Focus your presentation such that the faculty can give substantive feedback to your proposal. You can also raise specific issues that you would like to discuss with the faculty.

After the summer you have to hand in a first draft of your paper. A week thereafter you have to present your paper in a meeting (maxi-conference). You will have about 40 minutes for your presentation! The paper will be read by (i) your supervisor, and (ii) another faculty member. They will give you feedback and specify anything left to be done before you can hand in the final version of your paper. The final draft should be handed in by October 31. 

The purpose of this course is to replicate and/or extend one or several papers (or selected aspects covered in there) published in major finance or economics journals.
For theoretical papers you should consider a significant extension or respecification of the analysis in the underlying paper(s). If you do an empirical paper you can include additional variables, change the formulations, use a different estimation procedure, use a different sample, etc. You may also want to combine theoretical and empirical work.
The focus is twofold: do a thorough and careful analysis and write it up properly. Both of these tasks are equally essential. Have in mind that your paper should be suitable to be sent to a conference or journal. Make use of the writing tips by Thomson, Stulz, Karpoff and Cochrane mentioned below. Allocate enough time for collecting data, writing programs or estimating models.

Individual consultations with your advisor and other faculty members.

W. Thomson, 1999, A young person’s guide to writing economic theory, Journal of Economic Literature, 37(1), 157-183.

René Stulz: Tips for authors (http://www.univie.ac.at/rof/tfa.html)

Jonathan M. Karpoff: “Some Writing Style Suggestions” (http://www.wu.ac.at/usr/or/geyer/files/Jonathan_Karpoff_Writing_tips.pdf)

John Cochrane: “Writing Tips for PhD Students” (http://www.wu.ac.at/usr/or/geyer/files/John_Cochrane_phd_paper_writing.pdf)

D.J.C. Smant: “Tips for writing assignments / term papers (http://people.few.eur.nl/smant/teaching/werkstuk.htm) and

“Suggestions on Academic Study” (http://people.few.eur.nl/smant/teaching/studietips.htm)

-- have a look at the checklist for critical reading of academic literature on that page!

• Writing style and exposition

 

• Structure and quality of presentation

 

• Ability to respond to questions from the audience

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