- General Terms
The requirements have been developed in accordance with the Regulation on Graduation Examinations at the University . The document envisages single requirements set by the University for the contents, design and defense of the graduation papers at the University The specific requirements for graduation papers in each sector are stipulated by the board of the study program and the council of the faculty. Faculties are allowed to determine the requirements for the graduation papers only in the matters that are not specified in this document.
- Choice of the theme for the graduation paper and the stages of its elaboration
2.1. Within the time-frame stipulated by the faculty, students submit an application addressed to the person authorized by the dean of the faculty, the head of the academic structural unit (department, section) or the director of the study program (see Annex No.1) on the choice of the theme which has been coordinated with the prospective advisor of the graduation paper. The advisor, by signing the application, expresses the consent to act as an advisor of the graduation paper on the topic chosen by the student.
2.2. The themes of the graduation papers are approved by the head of the academic structural unit (department, section) or the director of the study program not later than:
2.2.1. 10 weeks before the deadline of submitting the paper in bachelor and professional study programs;
2.2.2. 20 weeks before the deadline of submitting the paper in master study programs. 2.3. In case the theme of the paper is not approved, the head of the academic structural unit or the director of the study program provides the student with the response giving justified
reasoning and sets a deadline for submitting a new theme.
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2.4. The titles of students’ graduation papers (in the Latvian and English languages), as well as the advisors and opponents are approved by the order of the dean not later than one week before the defense of the paper.
2.5. The stages of elaboration the graduation paper are determined by the faculty.
- The structure of the graduation paper
3.1. The graduation paper consists of the following parts that must be placed in the following:
3.1.1. title page;
3.1.2. annotation, key words;
3.1.3. table of contents;
3.1.4. list of symbols;
3.1.5. introduction;
3.1.6. sections and subsections;
3.1.7. results and discussion;
3.1.8. conclusions;
3.1.9. acknowledgements (upon author’s choice);
3.1.10. literature and sources used;
3.1.11.annexes;
3.1.12. documentary page.
3.2. The volume of the graduation paper and its separate sections are determined by the faculty. The necessity for the sections indicated in paragraphs 3.1.4. and 3.1.11., as well as the necessity for the discussion depends on the specifics of each paper.
- Contents of the graduation paper
4.1. The title page must be drafted in accordance with the sample (see Annex No. 2).
4.2. The annotation is written up in the Latvian and English languages. Upon coordination with the director of the study program, it is possible to prepare also an additional annotation in any other official language of the European Union. The annotation comprises the information on the subject matter, as well as the aims and objectives of the research, and a description of the results obtained. The volume of the annotation shall be up to 850 characters, including spaces.
4.3. Key words give insight into the theme of the paper, as well as in the results and methods used. The recommended number of the key words is from 4 to 8. The list of the key words is placed right after the annotation of the paper.
4.4. The table of contents starts with the list of symbols, in case there is no such a list, it starts with the introduction, titles of all sections and subsections according to the order of their numeration by indicating the respective page number. The pages are numbered by the Arabic numbers. At the end of the table of contents, there is the list of literature and sources used. The Annexes are numbered separately by the Arabic numbers. The sample of drafting the table of contents is enclosed in Annex No. 3.
4.5. In case there are several abbreviations used in the paper, they are listed on a separate
page.
4.6. The introduction contains information on the choice of the theme and the topicality of the subject matter and includes the following:
4.6.1. the problems researched and hypothesis made;
4.6.2. the aims and the objectives of the paper;
4.6.3. the methods of research used;
4.6.4. the sources of facts depicted in the paper;
4.6.5. the structure of the paper.
The faculty may envisage additional requirements for the contents of the introduction.
4.7. The plot of the graduation paper consists of the sections and subsections. This part comprises the analysis of the problem and the description of the research made by the student. It is possible to draw the conclusions at the end of each section.
4.8. The section of results contains the information about the most significant results obtained and compares them to similar other types of research and evaluates the compliance of the results with the problems pointed out and the hypothesis.
4.9. The discussion can be made as a separate section. In case the discussion has been pointed out separately, the section of results includes information only about the most significant results and attention is focused on the topicality of the problem and its regularity, but the analysis of the research is moved to the section of the discussions.
4.10. The closing conclusions differ from the conclusions at the end of each section (if such have been made by the author); the closing conclusions are more general and provide the recommendation on the solution of the problem researched, as well as point at the further directions of the research. It is recommended to structure the conclusions of large volume research.
4.11. The acknowledgement is made to the persons who have provided organizational or financial assistance in collecting materials, as well as provided methodological advice and moral support in the elaboration of the paper.
4.12. In all cases when any other author’s work or ideas, as well as previously elaborated by the author him/herself, are used in the graduation paper, as well as work, it is necessary to make a reference to these sources. The requirements for indicating bibliographic references and sources of literature, which are used in the paper, are laid down by the faculty in compliance with the standard of the description of the source of information that is accepted in the respective sector.
4.13. If it is necessary, several supplementary materials can be placed in annexes. In most cases they are intermediate results, illustrations, samples of questionnaires, maps, descriptions of appliances and equipment and etc. The requirements for designing the annexes are set by the faculty.
4.14. Documentary page (see Annex No. 4) includes:
4.14.1. title of the paper, name of the faculty;
4.14.2. confirmation of the author that the paper has been elaborated individually, and the fact that only the indicated sources of literature have been used in the paper, as well as that the electronic copy of the paper corresponds to the printout;
4.14.3. the approval of the advisor if the paper can be recommended for defense;
4.14.4. the note of the person in charge of receiving the paper;
4.14.5. information about the opponent (name, surname, position, scientific degree);
4.14.6. the date of the session of the Commission on the graduation examinations and the number of the minutes.
- Technical design of the graduation paper
5.1. The graduation paper shall be elaborated in correct standard Latvian language. The use of other languages can be permitted for:
5.1.1. the students from foreign countries;
5.1.2. the students of language and culture study programs;
5.1.3. in cases stipulated by the normative regulations.
5.2. The paper is made in computer layout on A4 format pages, which are printed on one or both sides depending on the requirements of the faculty. The size of letters of the text is 12 points, recommended font is Times New Roman, the size of letters of the titles of the sections is 14 points, spacing between the lines is 1.5. The indents from the sides of the page must be the following: 30 mm on the left side, and 20 mm on the right side and 20 mm on the top and the bottom side.
5.3. A new paragraph is started with 1 cm indent. Each section is started on a new page. Pages must not end with the title. The titles of the sections are printed in upper case but the titles
of subsections in lower case (except for the first letter), in bold. The dot is not used at the end of the title. There is a two-space distance between the title and previous text. The pages are numbered on the bottom of the page, in the middle, by the Arabic numbers, starting with the page that follows the title page.
5.4. Each chart must have a consecutive number and a title. The charts are numbered within the framework of each section, in Italic, on the top left corner above the chart. For example, Chart 2.3. – the first number is the number of section, but the other is the consecutive number of the chart in this section. The title of the chart is placed above the chart in bold; the size of the letters is 11.
5.5. The pictures includes drawings, photographs, schedules, diagrams and other illustrations of work. Under the picture, there is the consecutive number of the picture indicated in Italic, for example, Picture 2.1., and title in bold; the size of the letters is 11. The number of the picture consists of the number of the section and the consecutive number of the picture. The dot is not used after the title (see Annex No. 5).
- Preparation of the electronic version of the graduation papers
6.1. The electronic copy of the graduation paper, including the annotations in the Latvian and English languages, is converted by the student in PDF (Portable document format) format and uploaded in the Informative System of the University of Latvia (LUIS), by using the password given by LANET. Annotations are copied or written in the fields indicated by LUIS.
6.2. Converted copy is saved under the file name which consists of student’s name, surname and the number of student’s ID card, for example: Berzins_Janis_BJ93010. The file name does not contain diacritic marks (prolongation marks, softening marks and sibilant marks).
6.3. The graduation paper is uploaded and saved in one file; the size of file must not exceed 50 MB.
- Submitting of the graduation paper
7.1. Students prepare the graduation paper in two bind, computer printed copies and an electronic copy. One copy of the graduation paper is made in hardcover bind. The other copy is bind in the manner stipulated by the faculty. The text on the cover must be drafted in compliance with the sample (see Appendix No. 6).
7.2. Students submit the graduation paper to the advisor, who indicates in the documentary page if the paper could or could not be recommended for defense and confirms it with the signature. if the advisor does not recommend the paper for defense, there is a written opinion prepared by the advisor and submitted to the person authorized by the dean.
7.3. If the advisor does not recommend the paper for defense, the student shall have the right either to remake the paper or to submit the paper for defense without any changes.
7.4. Students submit the final, computer-printed copies of the graduation paper that have been signed by the advisor to the person authorized by the dean of the faculty in due time but not later than one week before the set date of defending the graduation paper. After the due date, graduation papers shall not be accepted.
7.5. Before submitting computer printed version of the paper, the student uploads the electronic copy of the paper in LUIS system pursuant to the requirements set in paragraph 6 of this document. Until the moment of submitting printed version, the student shall have the right to upload the electronic copy repeatedly.
7.6. Students confirm with their signature that the printed version correspond to the electronic copy to the submitted printouts in the documentary page of the graduation paper. In case the graduation paper contains a commercial secret (in compliance with the signs of a commercial secret stipulated by Section 19 of the Commercial Law), the student has to submit an application to the dean of the faculty not to publish the paper. The advisor of the paper puts the resolution on the paper. The student submits the application signed by the dean together with the graduation paper to the person authorized by the dean.
7.7. When accepting the graduation paper, the authorized person by the dean checks if the electronic copy of the paper has been uploaded in LUIS, registers the date of defense and confirms the receipt of the paper with the signature on the documentary page. In case the dean of the faculty has permitted not to publish the paper, the person authorized by the dean makes a respective note in LUIS.
7.8. The electronic copies of the paper are available to the advisors, opponents as well as to the commission of the graduation examination.
7.9. The person authorized by the dean submits the paper for revision to the opponent and ensures the possibility for the students to get acquainted with its review before defending the paper not later than 24 hours before the defense of the paper. The number of opponents is set by the faculty.
- Evaluation of the graduation papers
8.1. The defense of the graduation papers takes place in an open session of the graduation examination commission. In case the advisor of the graduation paper is the head of this commission, the meeting is chaired by the deputy head of by any other member of the
commission during the defense of this graduation paper. The procedure of the defense is laid down by the faculty.
8.2. The evaluation of the graduation papers takes place in close session of the graduation commission after hearing all students planned on the agenda of that particular day. The students are informed about the evaluation by ensuring the confidentiality.
8.3. In the evaluation of the graduation paper, the following aspects are taken into consideration:
8.3.1. quality of the paper (topicality of the theme, analysis of the opinions gained in previous research, innovation);
8.3.2. the report of the author (ability to concentrate at scientific level and to introduce with the arguments on the research made, to formulate conclusions and to indicate further areas of research);
8.3.3. the answers on the questions of the commission and the ability to discuss.
8.4. It is possible to set additional criteria for the evaluation of the graduation papers; these criteria are approved by the council of the faculty on the basis of the proposal received from the board of the respective study program.
- Storage and archiving of defended graduation papers
9.1. After defending the paper, hardcover bind copy of the paper is stored in accordance with the filing nomenclature of the University of Latvia; the other copy is returned to the student.
9.2. Successfully defended papers are collected in the bibliographic data base of graduation papers in the library of the University of Latvia in the system of IS ALEPH by ensuring the bibliographic description, classification and adding an electronic link to the description.
9.3. The bibliographic data base of graduation papers in the library of the University of Latvia is available to all internet users in the system of IS ALEPH. Full-text versions of the papers, except for the versions that are approved by the dean of the faculty for not publishing, are available by using the password and user’s name issued by LANET.
- Transitional provisions
10.1. The aforementioned requirements come into effect as from 06.02.2012.
10.2. The requirements shall not be applied to the graduation papers that are no defended but have been submitted by 06.02.2012.
- ANNEX
2nd year student
name, surname
Student ID No.
APPLICATION
Please, confirm the topic of my Master’s thesis:
“__________________________________________________________”.
Proposed title of Master’s thesis
Suggested supervisor of the Master’s thesis:
____________________________________________________________.
name, surname, academic degree, employer, position