Week Seven: Research Paper – List of potential research topics
To complete the Article Research Paper due in Week 7, please select a topic from the list provided below or from the chapter readings.
Financial Markets
Capital Allocation Process
Debt, Equity and Derivative
Securitization
Mortgage-backed securities
Federal Reserve Policy
Investment Fund
Regulation of Financial Institution
U.S. Stock Market
Financial Statements & Reports
Working Capital
Sarbanes-Oxley and Financial Fraud
Performance Evaluation
Return on invested capital
The Federal Income Tax System
Corporate Capital Gains
Financial Analysis & Financial Ratios
Common Size Analysis & Trend Analysis
Comparative Ratios & Benchmarking
Time Value of Money
Perpetuities & Annuities
What loans really cost
The Great Recession of 2007
Bonds Market
Credit Default Swaps
Sinking Funds
Determinants of Market interest rates
Bond Ratings
The term structure of interest rates
Bankruptcy & Reorganization
Financing with Junk Bonds
Investment Returns & Risk
What does investment risk mean?
Risk in a portfolio context
Diversification and Multi-Stock Portfolios
Capital Asset Principal Model
Bernie Madoff Story
The Efficient Markets Hypothesis
The Fama-French Three-Factor Model
Corporate Valuation and Stock Prices
Do stock values affect long term or short term cash flows?
Why are stock prices so volatile?
Financial options
Employee Stock Options
The Black-Scholes Option Price Model (OPM)
Taxes and Stock Options
The Weight Average Cost of Capital
Corporate Valuation and the Cost of Capital
Global Variation in the cost of capital
Managerial Issues and the Cost of Capital
Capital Budgeting
Capital Rationing
Risk Analysis in Capital budgeting
Risk Analysis
Project Valuation
The cash flow effect of asset purchases and Depreciation
Externalities
Tax Depreciation
Financial Planning
Implementing the Target Capital Structure
Economies of Scale
Conflicts between stockholders & Creditors
Conflicts between managers & shareholders
Monitoring and Discipline by the Board of Directors
Charter provisions and by laws that effect the likelihood of hostile takeovers
Using compensation to align managerial and shareholder interests
Capital Structure and Internal Control systems
Environmental Factors outside a firm’s control
Stock Repurchase
Tax Effect Theory
Dividend Irrelevance Theory
Empirical Evidence on Distribution Policies
The impact of Distribution on Intrinsic Value
The pros and cons of dividends and repurchases
Capital structure
Business risk and financial risk
Capital structure theory
Using the Black-Sholes Option Pricing Model to value equity
Managing the maturity structure of Debt
Supply Chain Management
Credit Policy
The cost of trade credit
Revolving credit agreement
Multinational versus domestic Financial Management
Exchange rates
Exchange rates & international trade
The international monetary system and exchange rate policies
Purchasing power parity
International Money and Capital Markets
Research Paper: This is a graduate course and students will be expected to research and write papers summarizing in their own words what they have found on current topics from the weekly readings. Research is a theoretical review of relevant literature and application of findings in the literature to a topic related to a specific industry, field, or business problem.
The research must be conducted using peer-reviewed trade or academic journals. While Blogs, Wikipedia, encyclopedias, course textbooks, popular magazines, newspaper articles, online websites, etc. are helpful for providing background information, these resources
are NOT suitable resources for this research assignment.
Please Note: The UC Library staff are very helpful with assisting students in using the UC Online Library journal database. Please contact them if you have issues. In addition, the
instructor has provided additional resources, including a research tutorial, in the “Course Resources” folder in the “Content” area of the course.
Assignment Requirements:
Choose a research topic from the chapter readings or from the list provided by your professor.
Research/find a minimum at least four (4), preferably five (5) or more, different peer- reviewed articles on your topic from the University of the Cumberlands Library online business database. The article(s) must be relevant and from a peer-reviewed source. While you may use relevant articles from any time frame, current/published within the last five (5) years are preferred. Using literature that is irrelevant or unrelated to the chosen topic will result in a point reduction.
Write a four (4) to five (5) page double spaced paper in APA format discussing the findings on your specific topic in your own words. Note – paper length does not include cover page, abstract, or references page(s).
Structure your paper as follows:
Cover page
Overview describing the importance of the research topic to current business and professional practice in your own words.
Purpose of Research should reflect the potential benefit of the topic to the current business and professional practice and the larger body of research.
Review of the Literature summarized in your own words. Note that this should not be a “copy and paste” of literature content, nor should this section be substantially filled with direct quotes from the article. A literature review is a summary of the major points and findings of each of the selected articles (with appropriate citations). Direct quotations should be used sparingly. Normally, this will be the largest section of your paper (this is not a requirement; just a general observation).
Practical Application of the literature. Describe how your findings from the relevant research literature can shape, inform, and improve current business and professional practice related to your chosen topic.
Conclusion in your own words
References formatted according to APA style requirements
Grading Criteria:
Content Knowledge & Structure (10 points): All of the requested components are completed as assigned; content is on topic and related to managerial finance, critical thinking is clearly demonstrated (few, if any, direct quotations from the source in the paper); scholarly research is demonstrated; topics and concepts gained from the assigned reading and/or from research is evident.
Critical Thinking (8 points): Demonstrates substantial critical thinking about topics and solid interpretation of materials and reflection.
Clarity & Effective Communication (8 points): Communication is clear, concise, and well presented; scholarly writing is demonstrated; grammar, sentence structure, writing in third person, and word choice is used correctly.
Integration of Knowledge & Articles (8 points): Articles used are current and relevant (preferably published within last five (5) years and MUST be from peer-reviewed journal article publications. At least four (4) peer-reviewed journal articles are examined and analyzed in the paper.
Presentation & Writing Mechanics (16 points): Cover page, headings, in-text citations, page citations (page number citations required for specific information such as dates, years, list of items from article, names, numbers, statistics, and other specific information), and references are properly formatted.
Responses to Other Students (10 points): Substantive responses provided to a minimum of four (4) other students. Responses must provide substantive and meaningful discussion of the content of the other student’s paper and provide comments on the topic; responses must be one (1) to two (2) paragraphs long with a minimum of three sentences per paragraph.
Please Note: Plagiarism will not be tolerated. The paper must be written in your own words.