Article Research

Research Paper – List of potential research topics
To complete the Article Research Paper, 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:
i. Choose a research topic from the chapter readings or from the list provided by your
professor.
ii. Research/find a minimum at least four (4), preferably five (5) or more, different peerreviewed 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.
iii. 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).
iv. Structure your paper as follows:
a. Cover page
b. Overview describing the importance of the research topic to current business and
professional practice in your own words.
c. Purpose of Research should reflect the potential benefit of the topic to the
current business and professional practice and the larger body of research.
d. 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).
e. 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.
f. Conclusion in your own words
g. References formatted according to APA style requirements
Grading Criteria:
 Content Knowledge & Structure: 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 assignedreading
and/or from research is evident.
 Critical Thinking: Demonstrates substantial critical thinking about topics andsolid
interpretation of materials and reflection.
 Clarity & Effective Communication: Communication is clear, concise, and well
presented; scholarly writing is demonstrated; grammar, sentence structure, writing inthird
person, and word choice is used correctly.
 Integration of Knowledge & Articles: Articles used are current and relevant (preferably
published within last five (5) years and MUST be from peer-reviewed journalarticle
publications. At least four (4) peer-reviewed journal articles are examined and analyzed
in the paper.
 Presentation & Writing Mechanics: 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.
Please Note: Plagiarism will not be tolerated. The paper must be written in your own words.