Structure of the paper

Title Page

This is the first page of the work that has the following data:

• name of the educational establishment and the name of the department

• name and surname of the author

• title of the paper

• type: course paper/diploma paper

• name and surname of the supervisor (degrees are indicated before the name)

• consultant's name and surname and degree (if there is one)

• place and time of writing (eg Tallinn 2009)

Abstract in Estonian and English (only for diploma papers)

The corresponding table from 2009/2010 is used

Introduction

Introduction should contain the following:

• general introduction to the topic

• reasons for choosing the topic; the research question; the boundaries of the research topic

• aim(s) of the author (not more than three); hypothesis; tasks (3-5)

• overview of the already existing research on the given problem

• introduction of the structure and research methodology

• short introduction to the main sources of information (name 3-5 main authors)

At the end of the Introduction you may want to thank persons and organisations who have helped you in the research process.

Introduction as a title is not numbered. Length 1,5-3 pages.

Theoretical Part of the Research Paper

• Is divided into chapters and their subtitles that have to be at least 1 page (have to be titled).

• Gives a review of the given research question on the basis of relevant literature (theoretical background) together with assessment. Brings out problems that have been solved and which have not yet been solved.

• Refers to and presents the ideas and views of other authors in your own words.

• Direct quoting is used only in definitions and when it is important to retain the formulation of the ideas. Length of quotations is 1 or 2 sentences.

• All material is linked together with your own commentaries and views.

• At the end of the literature review one should form his own view of at least one paragraph.

• All direct quotes and references to an idea or a principle (information) without quotation have to be referenced by the author and the year of publication.

• Only one reference system can be used within one and the same paper:

o Referencing within the text – author’s name and year of publication are given straight after the direct or indirect quote, e.g. (Põld 1996).

When the sentence starts with reference to the author’s name, only the year of publication is included, e.g.:

P. Põld (1996) has emphasised that...

The sources without an author are referenced by the title and year of publication, e.g. (Child Protection Law 1992)

If Internet source does not have an author, the reference is the Internet address.

NB! When a book has more than three authors only the name of the first author is mentioned and abbreviation et al. (Latin et alii – and others). When in two or more paragraphs the ideas of the same author are refered to the name is only at the end of the last paragraph.

But when on the same page the next reference is to the same source then use abbreviation ibid. (Latin ibidem – in the same place). In the case of direct quotes the page number has to be added, e.g. (Mets 1995: 4).

Empirical Research (practical part of the paper)

• The second chapter has the title Purpose and Research Methodology where the research methods are listed, described and argued. The research question and the purpose of the study are brought out (in the same words as it is in the Introduction) and hypothesis and research tasks are formulated.

• The third chapter gives a thorough analysis of the research results. The results are presented as summaries, tables, and various charts that should be linked together with the author’s text which analyses, synthesises, compares the data, and makes generalisations. Very detailed and long tables and reports are added to the paper as appendices but they have to be referred to in the main body of the work. In the discussion the results of the research are compared with theoretical viewpoints and results of the earlier researches.

Tables and Charts

Tables are

• numbered;

• titled;

• the text has a reference to the table.

• The table is placed straight after the reference in the text (see Table 1).

Tabel 1. The number of children in different children’s homes

Children’s home	Goes to a mainstream school	Goes to a special school	Does not study or work	In detention
Centre of Infants with Special Needs
Kopli Centre
Mustamäe Centre
Lasnamäe Centre
Nõmme Centre

Charts are numbered

Every chart has a legend.

• Charts are framed

• The number of the chart and the legend are given under the chart’s frame

• The chart is referred to within the text (see Figure 1)

Conclusion

• 2-3 pages

• The conclusion is not numbered

• The conclusion is derived from the whole paper (including the theoretical and the practical part)

• No new facts are given

• No new questions or problems are raised

• No references to the text or to the literature

• The conclusion brings out the aims of the study, shows whether these were achieved or not and whether the hypothesis was proven or not

• Final conclusions are brought out; they are advised to be presented as theses

• Suggestions for the application of the research results are brought out

• The questions that arose during the course of the research and the questions that were left unanswered can also be mentioned, as well as the questions for further study

NB! Avoid conclusions and suggestions that are not derived from the current research.

Bibliography

Bibliography includes all sources that have been referred to in the text (and only those).

Books and articles are in the same list. If the same author has two or more works published in the same year then a letter is added to the year, e.g. Mets 2008a, Mets 2008b.

The list is given in alphabetical order of author.

Works in Cyrillic are also given in alphabetical order after the Latin alphabet list.

Works of the same author are given starting from the earliest year of publishing.

The following data is taken from the book ’s title page:

• author’s or editor’s (or authors’ or editors’) surname and full initials

• year of publication

• title and subtitle if it is included in the title page (do not abbreviate)

• number of the edition (e.g. 3rd edition.)

• place of publication (well-known place-names can be abbreviated) and the name of the publisher

For example:

Tulving, E. (1994). Mälu. Tallinn. Kupar.

Elango, A. (1984). Pedagoogika ajalugu. 2. parand. Ja täiend. Tr. Tallinn: Valgus.

Nilson, O., Karik, H., Saar, a. (1996). Loodusõpetuse õpetamisest 1. klassis: õpetajaraamat. Tallinn: Koolibri.

If there is no author then start with the title.

For example: Lastekaitseseadus. 1992. Riigi Teataja I, 28, 370.

The following data are used for articles:

• author’s or editor’s (or authors’ or editors’) surname and full initials

• year of publication

• article title

• title of the journal or newspaper and volume number or date

For example:

Tuulik, M. (2008). 130 aastat Peeter Põllu sünnist. Peeter Põllu päevad. Teaduskonverentsi Ettekannete kogumik V. Tallinn: TLÜ Kirjastus, 7-22.

Tõnso, T. (2000). Õppekavas on proportsioonid paigast ära. Õpetajate Leht 21. jaanuar, 6-7.

Veisson, M.(1997). Puuselaps ja tema perekond. Haridus 6, 24-29.

Internet material should be indicated by author’s name and initial, web site address, and date of visiting the site, e.g.:

• Rosental, M. (2001). http: //www.ut.ee/PS/haridus.html. 25.veebr. 2001.

· Lu, R. Y., Baert, H. (2001). Dynamics of mentoring to workplace learning in labour

Organizations. http://www.andragogy.net 23.mai 2006.

• Isiksuse omadustest (temperamenditüübid). (2005).

http://www.tpu.ee/editmode/akastruktuur/sotsiaal/doktorikool/Raavads.doc 5. märts 2007.

Unpublished material (letters, lecture notes, interviews, oral information) is listed separately in a section after the general list, e.g:

Korp, E. 2002 Tallinna Laste Turvakeskus. Manuscript.

Sooserv, G. (2003). Sotsiaalpsühholoogia. Loengukonspekt. TPS.

Appendices

• Appendices include material that is not directly connected to the work, but help to illustrate it – large tables and charts, photos, examples of texts.

• Appendices are numbered and referred to within the main part of the paper.

The list of appendices is given in the Table of Contents. Appendices are not included in the page count and are not numbered.