Issues concerning the preparation of thesis are covered by the Internal Regulations of the MSc:
- The assignment of a graduate diploma dissertation (GDD) is possible after a student has attended and been successfully examined in all courses of the IPGS.
- The GDD is required to be independent, original, have a research character and be prepared in accordance with the specifications posted on the website of the IPGS.
- After a student has submitted a request, mentioning the proposed title of the diploma dissertation and the name of the supervisor, which is accompanied by an abstract of the proposed dissertation, the SC designates the supervisor and the three (3) members of the examination committee, one of whom is the supervisor. The graduate diploma dissertation could be written in Greek or English.
- The title of the dissertation may be modified, provided the student has submitted an application to the SC of the IPGS, and the supervisor has consented to it. This application should be accompanied by a short justification of why the title should be modified.
- For the approval of a dissertation, the author must present it before his three-member examination committee. The minimum pass grade has been established as 6/10.
- It is mandatory that graduate diploma dissertations, after their approval by the examination committee, are posted on the Digital Repository “PERGAMOS”, in accordance to the decisions of the Senate of NKUA.
Format of the thesis:
- Cover Page
- Table of Contents
- Table of abbreviations, if abbreviations are used
- Index of tables, maps, images
- Abstract / Keywords
Main part, structured in individual chapters
- Introduction
- Purpose of the research
- Literature Review
- Methodology
- Systemic Geopolitical Analysis
- Geopolitical Model
- Conclusions – Geostrategic Synthesis
- Bibliography
- Annexes (if appropriate)
Technical characteristics of the postgraduate thesis:
- Page size: A4
- Font: Times New Roman. Font Size: 12 pt (footnotes: 10 pt)
- Length: 15,000 words. These limits exclude footnotes, bibliography, abstracts and any appendices (e.g. datasets, texts, figures, etc.).
The Introductionis intended to inform the reader about the main points and the aim of the paper and includes the following:
a) The subject of the paper and the scientific field in which it belongs. It is necessary to refer to previous relevant works and research and to critically approach them in order to clarify the reasons for the choice of the topic and the necessity of the specific work (whether it covers a gap in the relevant literature, to what extent it is original, etc.).
b) The purpose and the research questions/assumptions of the work.
c) The methodology of the work (e.g. literature survey, theoretical or other texts that have been used as guides).
d) The basic structure of the work (the individual topics to be developed in the chapters of the main body of the work). In the chapters of the main part of the thesis the topic is developed in sub-chapters, the number and structure of which depends on the subject matter of the thesis.
The chapters focus on specific points that are necessary for a complete and comprehensive approach to the topic. It includes a review of the literature, a critical analysis and synthesis of the available theoretical and research data, an analysis of the research methodology, and an analysis of the data and evidence collected.
The Conclusion summarises the main points and conclusions drawn from the results of the chapters in the main body of the paper. In addition, it is possible to make suggestions for possible future work and additional research in this thematic area.
The Bibliography includes all the works (ancient sources, dictionaries, monographs, edited volumes, studies, articles, conference proceedings, etc.) used in the preparation of the thesis.
The citation shall be in accordance with the bibliographical reference system identified by the supervisor.
The thesis must be the product of personal research and effort, creatively utilizing pre-existing literature on the thesis topic. References to the literature (print or online) must be clear and thorough. It is not permissible to reproduce, either verbatim or paraphrased, ideas drawn from other studies or texts without attributing their source. When this happens, the thesis is a product of plagiarism.
Research ethics: The following ethical rules are followed during the preparation of the M.D.E: The work is carried out under the responsibility of the student. The student agrees with the supervisor on how to cooperate and monitor his topic. He takes into account and studies the instructions of the supervisor, but avoids mechanistic application. The student is expected to devote considerable time to:
- studying the Greek and foreign-language literature relevant to his topic
- the discovery and processing of any kind of material relevant to the subject, especially ancient sources
- the editing and final writing of the thesis.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is not acceptable and constitutes serious disciplinary misconduct for members of the academic community. Specifically, article 23 of the General Internal Regulations of the Universities of Applied Sciences (Government Gazette 220/A/3.11.2008), states that "disciplinary offences for members of the Board of Directors or the Board of Governors, the Board of Directors or the Board of Governors, the Board of Governors or the Board of Governors, the Board of Governors and other auxiliary and temporary teaching and training staff of the Universities of Applied Sciences, as well as for undergraduate and postgraduate students or students and doctoral candidates, constitute a violation of the applicable provisions of the legislation governing higher education institutions, violation of the decisions of the institution's governing bodies and violation of the rules of conduct to be observed by members of the academic community in order not to disturb the democratic functioning and the prestige of the higher education institution and its staff.
Plagiarism is considered to be the intentional or unintentional copying, verbatim or paraphrased, of parts of a text (regardless of size) from any printed (e.g. articles, books, newspapers, journals, papers of other students) or electronic source without full bibliographical reference to the source from which they were taken. Plagiarism is also considered to be any interference by a third party in the content or structure of the work (without reference) or the assignment of the writing of the work to a third party.
Plagiarism is a serious breach of academic ethics and entails sanctions, which, depending on the severity of the misconduct, which the AC considers, may range from the zeroing of the specific paper, failure in the course, up to the final deletion of the student from the register of graduate students of the Department. The above applies to assignments in specific courses and Dissertations. Plagiarism can be partial (copying part of a text without clear indication of its origin) or total (copying the entire source).
Indicative forms of plagiarism are listed below:
- The verbatim copying of part or even the entire intellectual work and its presentation as the author's work.
- The copying of the text or part of it without the use of quotation marks or without an appropriate bibliographical reference.
- The literal translation and appropriation of foreign texts/paragraphs/translations in Greek.
- Copying illustrations, drawings, pictures, photographs or other visual material without proper bibliographical reference.
- Self-plagiarism, i.e. the recycling-reassembling of the author's older works and presenting them as new independent works.
Please note that it is the individual responsibility of the student to follow the rules of academic ethics in order to avoid practices that constitute plagiarism. The aforementioned Regulations on Research Ethics also apply to the academic work carried out in the context of the seminars of the MSc, with the necessary modifications regarding the scope of the work (which is determined by the lecturer).
