Instructions for Writing a Thesis for the Master’s Degree
Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences 2013
FOREWORD
The present instructions for writing a thesis are applied by all the Master’s Degree programmes of Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences. The instructions are based on the legislation on Master’s Degrees issued by the universities of applied sciences (A 15.5.2003/352), the Degree Regulation of Seinäjoki University of Ap-plied Sciences (2012) as well as the guidelines commonly accepted at a national level by the Council for the Development of Master’s Degrees in Universities of Applied Sciences. When needed, the instructions are complemented by degree programme specific instructions.
In writing the thesis, in the use of sources and citations, as well as in the use of references, the Instructions for Written Work (2013) shall be observed.
SISÄLTÖ
FOREWORD ... 2
SISÄLTÖ ... 3
1
MASTER’S DEGREE THESIS ... 4
1.1 General description and extent of the thesis ... 4
1.2 Aims of the thesis ... 5
2
THE THESIS PROCESS ... 7
2.1 Description of the thesis process ... 7
2.2 Choice of the subject of the thesis ... 9
2.3 Beginning of the thesis project: from subject analysis to a working plan ... 9
2.3.1 Subject analysis ... 9
2.3.2 Working plan ... 10
2.4 Implementation and supervision of the thesis ... 11
2.5 Completion of the thesis and graduation ... 12
3
WRITING THE THESIS ... 16
4
EVALUATION OF THE THESIS ... 18
5
PUBLICITY AND COPYRIGHTS OF THE THESIS ... 19
SOURCES ... 20
APPENDICES ... 21
1 MASTER’S DEGREE THESIS
1.1 General description and extent of the thesis
The general objectives of the Master’s Degree are stated in the Government De-cree on Universities of Applied Sciences (A 15.5.2003/352, 7a §). According to the Decree, the studies leading to the Master’s Degree shall provide the student with the following knowledge and capabilities:
– Such wide and deep knowledge of the field in question that is necessary for the development of working life, as well as theoretical knowledge re-quired for working in demanding expert and leading positions in the field in question
– A profound view on the field in question, its position in working life and social importance, as well as the ability to follow and analyze research knowledge and the development of professional practices in the field in question
– Ability to lifelong learning and continuous personal professional develop-ment
– Good language and communication skills, required by working life – Skills required by international interaction and activities
Also the general goals of the thesis process are described in the Decree. Accord-ing to the Degree, the aim of the thesis is to demonstrate the ability to apply re-search knowledge and to use selected methods for analyzing and solving prob-lems of working life, as well as to improve the student’s skills for independent ex-pert work.
Consequently, Master’s theses are, by nature, R & D tasks originating in working and economic life. The extent of the thesis process is 30 credit units, representing an important part of the 60 to 90 credit-unit Degree. The thesis process occupies an important part in the Master’s Degree, and it is started at an early stage of the studies.
The thesis is primarily a professional development project supporting the student’s personal professional knowledge and the development of their expertise. It is based on the definition of a topical suggestion for development or problem in work-ing life, and is implemented in cooperation with workwork-ing life, primarily with the stu-dent’s own workplace. A workplace is not necessary if a commissioner and a suit-able subject can be found for the thesis. The thesis can be done in the private or the public sector, a project organisation or another organisation. The thesis can also be connected with the student’s own business activities. The results of the thesis are exploited in real working life situations, and also its assessment is based in part on needs of working life. Therefore, in addition to personal profes-sional development, the thesis also supports the activities of organisations. The-ses can provide a contribution to the development of working and economic life in the region at a more general level, too.
The thesis project can also be connected with the research and development ac-tivities pursued by the University of Applied Sciences. In case the thesis is imple-mented in an R & D project of the University of Applied Sciences, the student shall act as a real developer in the project, and the project shall involve working life con-tacts.
1.2 Aims of the thesis
The aim of the thesis that the student
– develops skills for the introduction of a research-based approach in the work community and, at the same time, develops new working methods – develops their data acquisition and information seeking skills
– becomes acquainted with the most recent national and international re-search data on their own field of study
– improves their written and oral expression skills
– deepens their critical thinking and problems solving skills
– finds the problem to be solved independently and is able to assess the functions of the process and the background community
– improves their project management, leadership, evaluating and organis-ing skills
In the Bachelor’s Degree thesis, the focus lies on the application of knowledge, e.g. in the form of suggestions for measures, while, in the Master’s Degree thesis, it lies on the production of new knowledge and on the practice-oriented evaluation of the utility of knowledge produced. In the thesis process, the student is responsi-ble for the progress and success of the project. In the project, the focus is on the command of core professional competence and methods, working life orientation, and the applicability of the results to practice. In addition to writing the thesis, also the ability to manage and to coordinate plays a key role in the thesis process. The process also requires the ability to procure and assess information, the ability to organize the project and to manage its implementation, the ability and willingness to solve problems and to assess the solutions made, as well as skills in the presentation of the results of the thesis in the written and oral forms.
As a rule, the Master’s Thesis is implemented as an individual task. In the case of pair and group work, the contribution by each student shall be demonstrable. Each student’s contribution is assessed separately.
2 THE THESIS PROCESS
2.1 Description of the thesis process
Writing the thesis is started as soon as the student starts their studies. The thesis may relate to a topic mentioned by the student while applying to study. The aim of studies in research and development methodology is to prepare the student for the command of approaches and methods needed in the thesis process. Another aim is to improve the student’s skills in observing and analysing the development of research knowledge in their field of study.
Table 1 resumes the stages of the Master’s Thesis project and the outcomes of each stage. The content, requirements and schedule are detailed in instructions provided separately for each Degree Programme. The progress of the thesis pro-cess is also described in the flow chart in Appendix 1, included in the Quality Man-ual of SeAMK.
Table1. Stages of the Master’s Thesis process.
As a rule, the thesis seminars take place on days during which classroom teaching is provided. At the seminars, the other members of the group act as opponents.
STAGE CONTENT OUTPUT
BEGINNING Initial discussion Individual work Supervisory sessions
Choice of the topic and initial definition of the subject of thesis
Subject analysis and approval of the subject Appointment of the supervisor(s)
Making an agreement and a possible request for a research permission Subject analysis Commission agree-ment Research permission PLANNING Individual work and possible initial semi-nar
Making, presentation and approval of the
work-ing plan Working plan
IMPLEMENTATION Individual work Supervisory sessions
Data and material collection Pre-analysis of the material
Specification of the aim and definition of the Master’s thesis
Follow-up of the progress of the thesis process
Reports on progress
CONCLUSION
Final seminar
Completion of the thesis
Urkund check
Final seminar /closing session
Oral presentation of the thesis. Urkund report Completed thesis EVALUATION AND GRADUATION
Evaluation by the supervisor and a representa-tive of the commissioner
Writing the Maturity Test
Saving the thesis in Theseus
Grade
Maturity Test
2.2 Choice of the subject of the thesis
The subject area of the thesis varies according to the needs of the commissioning organization / working life and the student’s interest. As a rule, the thesis should be connected with the student’s professional tasks and deepen the student’s pro-fessional expertise. When choosing the subject, special attention should be paid to the student’s knowledge in the subject matter and practical skills to implement the thesis. The student should have genuine interest in the subject as an entity de-manding perseverance, organizing skills, independent work and interaction.
Options and opportunities to choose the subject of the thesis are plentiful. What is essential is that the subject is based on the definition of a real problem and is im-plemented in close cooperation with the commissioner. When choosing the subject of the thesis, the student shall discuss with the supervisor of the thesis. A very nar-row subject or simple approach and /or technical implementation may result in dis-cordant views between the student and the supervisor on how demanding the the-sis is and on its evaluation. The thethe-sis is a demonstration of expertise in the con-text of the Master’s Degree and, when choosing the subject, challenging tasks im-proving one’s own expertise should be sought. The subject of the thesis is ap-proved by the Senior Lecturer / Head of Programme in charge of the Master’s De-gree programme.
2.3 Beginning of the thesis project: from subject analysis to a working plan
2.3.1 Subject analysis
The first step of the thesis process is the written subject analysis. In the subject analysis, the following issues are dealt with in a concise way (2–3 pages):
– Research problem / development task. – Importance of the study / development task.
– Key written sources and previous studies (preliminary list) – Research approach, methodology and material
– Possible ethical questions related to the thesis and necessary permis-sions
The teacher-supervisor of the thesis is assigned at the subject analysis stage. Re-spectively, the student seeks in the commissioning organisation a named person who will act as the commissioner’s representative in the thesis process and partic-ipate in its evaluation. A written agreement on the thesis is made with the commis-sioner (Appendix 2). The student sees to it that a commission agreement is made and delivers a copy of it to the commissioner and the supervisor.
The student shall make a request for research permission if required by the com-missioner of the study or another background community. The request permission shall be accepted by the teacher supervising the thesis and the representative of the commissioner of the thesis.
2.3.2 Working plan
The subject analysis is followed by a more extensive, written working plan. It is a 10 to 20-page presentation. It is the description – made by expanding the subject analysis – of the aim, the key methods used and their theoretical grounds, the tools used, as well as of the connection between the subject and the commission-er’s development project. The content of the working plan is described in more detail in Appendix 3.
The thesis can be connected to a development project implemented by its com-missioner in the following ways, either in part or in whole:
– The commissioner’s development project may be so extensive that it can-not be chosen as the subject of a thesis in whole. In such a case, the commissioner’s development project shall be described in the working plan in its entirety and the position of the student’s thesis subject within the project shall be specified.
– The commissioner’s development project may include various subpro-jects. The thesis may be one of these subprojects of the development project or it may contain parts of more than one subprojects.
– The commissioner’s development project is, as a whole, the same as the thesis. In such a case, some matters can be transferred directly from the commissioner’s project plan to the working plan of the thesis. When nec-essary, the commissioner’s project plan can be attached to the working plan of the thesis.
The working plan is delivered in writing to the Head of Education or to the already appointed supervisor. The working plan is presented at a seminar attended by students, the supervising teacher and the Senior Lecturer in charge. The supervi-sor of the thesis either approves the plan as such or requires specifications, addi-tions or changes to be made to it.
2.4 Implementation and supervision of the thesis
The student cannot start the actual writing of the thesis until the working plan has been approved. The key issue at this stage of the thesis project is the student’s own contribution and methodical approach.
At the beginning of the thesis project, it is also possible to arrange an initial meet-ing, attended by the student, the supervisor of the thesis and the representative of the commissioner. The aim of the meeting is to make sure that all the parties have understood the implementation of the thesis in the same way and that all the es-sential matters have been written into the working plan. Important practical issues to be agreed on beforehand also include the reimbursement of costs, compensa-tions and copyright quescompensa-tions.
Writing the thesis consists of numerous stages and problem solving challenges. The student is the owner of this learning process and in charge of it. The student is responsible that the content of the thesis meets the requirements of the commis-sioner and that also the research-related evaluation criteria of the thesis are met as well as possible (Appendix 5). When defining the content of the thesis, the stu-dent is supported by a supervisor assigned by the commissioner. The teachersupervisor of the thesis supports the thesis process as a whole and pro-vides supervision in research methodology questions.
The systematic use of supervision is essential for the progress of the thesis. The aim is that the supervising teacher and the student discuss the progress of the development task at regular intervals. It is recommendable for the student to seek individual supervision as early as the planning stage of the idea of the thesis. The student shall make an appointment for supervision with the teacher on their own initiative.
In individual supervision, the student shall pose problems related to their thesis and solutions options the student wishes to discuss with their supervisor. The su-pervision of the thesis is commentatorial and advisory activity, aimed at clarifying the student’s own ideas. The aim of the supervision of the thesis is not to correct details or to do things instead of the student. The supervisor gives their views on e.g. the structure, problem definition, content and methods of the thesis. The stu-dent shall utilise research literature and feedback from the supervisor inde-pendently. Ultimately, it is the student themselves who decides on the choices they make in their thesis.
If necessary, it is possible to provide also group supervision when, for instance, several students have a subject of the same kind. In group supervision sessions, the application of theory periods to the thesis project is dealt with, problems relat-ed to the thesis process are discussrelat-ed together, and solution options are sought. Students can bring their own tips to the group supervision session, e.g. literature, or talk about practices they have found to be good.
The Master’s Degree student plays a leading role in discussions relating to the thesis. Consequently, the student shall be prepared to report on their progress actively as well as to make questions about things on which the student wishes to receive a comment from their supervisor.
2.5 Completion of the thesis and graduation
The thesis is presented at a final seminar, which can be attended by, among oth-ers, the representatives of the commissioner, supervising teachers and other Mas-ter’s Degree students.
In the seminar presentation, the focus is on the objectives of the thesis and the results achieved. The student shall also present the methods used in the thesis process. The seminar can also include the demonstration of e.g. a product, service or software developed. In their presentation, the student shall assess critically but constructively the merits and the possible targets for development of their thesis. The knowledge and skills demonstrated are taken into account when determining the total grade of the thesis.
Upon the termination of the Master’s Thesis process, the student hands in their thesis and possible other work / documentation to the supervisor for assessment. The thesis is also checked using the Urkund anti-plagiarism program. Urkund checks the use of source literature, producing a report showing the possible unau-thorized use of text context.
After the check, the supervisor may ask for corrections. Having made the correc-tions, the student delivers their thesis in duplicate to the supervisor. One of the copies remains in the archives of the educational unit. In addition to the copies delivered to the supervisor, the thesis is also delivered to the commissioner as agreed.
When the supervisor has given their permission, the thesis is saved in the The-seus Electronic Library. Theseus is the nation-wide electronic library of the Finnish universities of applied sciences, which publishes both theses and other publica-tions of universities of applied sciences. When saving their thesis in Theseus, the student must approve the terms of use of the database. When doing this, the stu-dent assures all the copyright issues are in order and gives their University a gra-tuitous permission to publish the thesis in the electronic library. The Creative Commons licence system, which allows regulating the terms of use of electronic publications, is used in electronic publishing. Creative Commons licencing can be applied if the author is the sole owner of the copyright of the work.
In theses published electronically in Theseus figures and photos can be used elec-tronically if you have the permission of the author or copyright to the pictorial mate-rial used (e.g. your own photos and figures). The Ministry of Education and the Culture has paid, as of 2012, the collective digital licence fee of Kopiosto –
Copy-right Society for the use of digital material by universities and universities of ap-plies sciences, which allows the use of scanned material and of material freely available on the Internet. Pictorial material used must be reported and scanned material stamped by Kopiosto – Copyright Society. However, the collective licence does not allow you to copy or scan material the use of which has been forbidden by the copyright holder.
Pictures can be freely taken from sources stating explicitly that they are copyright-free. If there is a mention of the publication of the material with the transfer of copyright through the Creative Commons licence, the pictorial material can usually be used. Yet, it is advisable to check the definition of the CC rights for each case separately. For more information about the rights allowed by the CC licence, visit the web page of Creative Commons.
Also pictorial collages compiled of copyrighted material require, as a rule, the per-mission of the copyright holders of all their parts (see previous paragraph), or the material used shall be covered by the collective digital licence of Kopiosto – Copy-right Society.
In case the commissioner has not given the permission to publish the work elec-tronically, the work is delivered to Seinäjoki Academic Library. The copy delivered to the library shall be uncased and unpunched, with loose pages, and its title page shall be black and white. The thesis is cased in by the library, where it can be bor-rowed.
The student can register for the Maturity Test after they have submitted their thesis for final examination. The Maturity Test is arranged as prescribed in the Degree Regulation of Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (2012). At the Maturity Test, the student demonstrates their knowledge in the field of their thesis and their language skills. At the Maturity Test, the student writes about a subject assigned by the supervisor. In case the student has received their education in a language other than Finnish or Swedish, the Head of Programme can agree with the student on taking the Maturity test in another language. The subject matter of the Maturity Test is evaluated by the supervisor and its linguistic form is checked by an expert, i.e. a teacher of the Finnish language and communication. If the Maturity Test is
taken in another language, its linguistic form is checked by a language teacher. The Maturity Test is either approved or failed. The reasons for failing shall be stat-ed to the student.
3 WRITING THE THESIS
Writing the Master’s Thesis is about the development, deepening and extension of the student’s expertise, as well as about demonstrating this expertise. When writ-ing the thesis, attention shall be paid both to content and structure. The back-ground, methods, results and conclusions shall be structured into a logically ad-vancing and justifiable entity. For a model on the structure of the final report, see Appendix 4.
As a rule, the thesis is written in the language used in the Master’s Degree stud-ies. The ability to express oneself is an important part of expertise, and this is why also the linguistic form and layout of the text need to be paid attention to from the beginning. The presentation shall be a consistent and coherent entity. The lan-guage used shall be universal and unambiguous.
Another important aspect is the evaluation of the quality of the source literature used in the thesis. The most advisable sources include primary sources as well as the most recent national and international professional and scientific articles relat-ed to the field. Data acquisition skills are one of the expert’s tools and part of re-search and development know-how. The sources referred to reflect the author’s command of the key sources in their own field and their conversance with the sub-ject.
Seinäjoki Academic Library has good collections of material needed for writing a thesis, both in printed and electronic form. Plari, the collection database of the li-brary, provides a good starting point for information search. Through the network services of the library, the user also has access to other databases, e-books and e-journals, as well as to special materials. The network services are available on the web of the University of Applied Sciences and, through a remote-use service, also outside the web, e.g. on a home computer. Information about the data acqui-sition opportunities can be obtained on courses in information search, on the www pages of the library, or consulting the personnel of the library.
Honesty and transparency is required from research and development, including the theses of the University of Applied Sciences. Source references are used to
distinguish between the writer’s own thinking and information gathered from else-where. What is writer’s own creation and what is text based on other sources should be evident for the reader at every moment.
Plagiarism and failing to mention a source is an offence against copyright. In the use of sources, one should bear in mind that sources are not quoted as such, but the facts and ideas included in them are presented in the writer’s own words. The use of the methods applied in the collection and analysis of the material and the use of sources shall be verifiable by anyone. Healthy criticism of sources and the verification of the trustworthiness of the data are the moral duties of the writer of the thesis.
The theses are checked using the Urkund anti-plagiarism program. Urkund checks the use of source literature, producing a report showing the possible unauthorized use of text context.
The Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity has published the guide Re-sponsible conduct of research and procedures for handling allegations of miscon-duct in Finland (2012) The instructions are aimed at promoting good scientific practice and preventing dishonesty in all organizations involved in research, in-cluding the universities of applied sciences. Seinäjoki University of Applied Sci-ences is committed toobserving these instructions.
In the writing of the thesis, the use of sources and citing as well as in the presenta-tion of the source literature, the Instrucpresenta-tions for Written Work (2013) shall be ob-served.
4 EVALUATION OF THE THESIS
In the evaluation of the Master’s Degree Thesis, a five-point scale (1 to 5) is ap-plied, 5 being the best grade. The evaluation criteria are presented in Appendix 5. In general, the following aspects are evaluated:
– Choice of the subject of the thesis
– Command of the theory and the methods – Results
– Management of the process – Written and oral reporting
The supervisor of the thesis assigned by the University of Applied Sciences, who asks for a report from the representative of the commissioner, decides on the evaluation. If necessary, the thesis is also assessed by another teacher. The eval-uation focuses on both the output itself and the process.
The representative of the commissioner evaluates the outcome of the thesis pro-ject, the benefits achieved and the progress of the process from their own point of view as well as makes a statement about it for the teacher-supervisor (Appendix 6). The evaluation by the representative of the commissioner is taken into account when the final grade of the thesis is decided on.
5 PUBLICITY AND COPYRIGHTS OF THE THESIS
The thesis is a public document after it has been delivered for grading. However, the thesis may include business secrets or other information that the commission-er wants to be kept classified. Such matcommission-erial shall be left out the public thesis. Also the supervising teacher has an obligation of secrecy related to confidential infor-mation. If necessary, a separate collage complementing the thesis can be made of the classified information for exclusive use by the commissioner.
The purpose of the publicity of the thesis is to allow the use of the thesis in teach-ing and workteach-ing life. Publicity also gives more legal protection to the author, e.g. in the grading of the thesis.
The theses are published electronically in Theseus, the electronic library of the Finnish universities of applied sciences. Specific instructions about the electronic publication of a thesis can be found on UAS’s intranet. If the commissioner of the work does not allow its publication in Theseus, the work is delivered as a paper copy (uncased and with loose pages) to the library of the educational unit, where it can be borrowed.
It is advisable to take up the question about the copyrights of the thesis with the supervisor before starting the thesis process. The copyrights of a thesis imple-mented as a commission shall be written into the written agreement between the commissioner, author and the unit of the University of Applied Sciences. When agreeing on yielding the rights of use, the scope of the rights yielded shall be specified with care. If the question is about a common project between various theses, the yielding of the rights of use must be done separately for each thesis.
SOURCES
A 15.5.2003/352. Valtioneuvoston asetus ammattikorkeakouluista. [Online docu ment]. [Ref. 1.7.2010]. Available at:
http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kokoelma/2003/20030060.pdf. (in Finnish)
Degree Regulations. 2012. [WWW-document]. Seinäjoki University of Applied Sci-ences. Accessible on the intranet of SeAMK, at:
http://intra.epedu.fi/Opiskelijaintra_(SeAmk)/Opiskelijapalvelut/Tutkintosaanto_j a_jarjestyssaannot.iw3
Instruction for written work. 2013. [WWW-document]. Seinäjoki University of Ap-plied Sciences. [Ref. 30.6.2013]. Available on the intranet of SUAS:
http://intra.epedu.fi/Opiskelijaintra_%28SeAmk%29/Opiskelijapalvelut/Opinnayt etoiden_ja_kirjallisten_toiden_ohjeet.iw3
Responsible conduct of research and procedures for handling allegations of mis-conduct in Finland. 2012. [WWW-document]. Helsinki: Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity. [Ref. 5.5.2013]. Available at:
B Teaching / Learning process B1 Degree teaching process
B1.4 THESIS (BACHELOR AND MASTER)
Chief supervisor of the process: Vice President
UAS coordination of the process: Team for heads of the degree programme and Thesis work group Person in charge in the faculty: Thesis supervisor(s)
The process illustrates the thesis writing process for bachelor and master degree programmes at Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences For more information, contact Jouni Niskanen, tel. 020 124 5007 or 040 830 1130.
Descriptions of the tasks for the participants involved in the process:
Information systems ‐ Library materials
‐ Urkund
‐ Theseus database
‐ Winha
Interest groups
‐ provide topics for the thesis
‐ sign a Thesis Agreement with the student
‐ give statement for the evaluation of thesis if they so wish
Student
‐ acquires information, chooses and defines the thesis topic
‐ makes a thesis plan and possible Thesis Agreement with an employer
‐ participates in seminars
‐ analyses, writes, prints, checks style, seeks supervision
‐ submits the thesis to Urkund on supervisor’s request
‐ takes the maturity test and performs self evaluation
‐ saves the thesis to Theseus (the electronic library of the Finnish Universities of Applied Sci-ences ) after having permission from the supervisor
‐ receives a grade for the thesis
‐ satisfied with the grade given
‐ not satisfied, then makes a request for rectification
Supervisor(s)
‐ supervises the student in all stages of the thesis writing process
‐ responsible for ensuring that the language form corresponds to the standard practices in the faculty
‐ request Urkund-revision
‐ checks and evaluates thesis, checks language form and gives permission for Theseus-saving
Thesis work group
Rectification process
Student ‐ not satisfied with the grade, then makes a request for rectification to the lecturer who gave the grade
‐ receives a decision from the head of degree programme
‐ not satisfied with the given decision, then makes a request for rectification to the Board of Examiners
‐ receives a decision from the Board of Examiners, but can no longer request rectification
Head of degree programme ‐ processes request for rectification together with the lecturer who gave the grade and makes a decision about it
Appendix 2. Thesis agreement
Appendix 3. Content of the working plan of the Master’s Thesis
Chapters of the working plan of the thesis
Key content of the chapters
Background of the thesis
- Situation in the enterprise / organization
- Situation on the market / in the operational envi-ronment, etc.
- Themes occurring in literature
Aims of the thesis
- To be derived from the background of the thesis - Principal aim of the thesis
- Subproblems (allowing to reach the principal aim) - Importance of the thesis: who will benefit and how?
- Limitation of the subject: what will be included and excluded
- If necessary, reference to separate project plans Theoretic background
of the thesis (frame of reference) - Field, key concepts and relationships between them
Plan for action
- Key measures: what needs to be done?
- If necessary, reference to possible separate pro-ject plans
Possible research methods
- In case the thesis requires to carry out a study / studies
- Character of the knowledge needed: o What method(s) and why
o From whom o How (in practice)
o Planning for the analysis of the material
- If necessary, reference to possible separate pro-ject plans
Resources needed
- Human and infrastructural resources needed - If necessary, reference to possible separate pro-ject plans
Structure of the thesis
- First draft of a table of contents at the title level - If necessary, reference to possible separate pro-ject plans
Schedule
- Integration of the measures
- If necessary, reference to possible separate pro-ject plans
Publication
- What kinds of versions will be written on the re-port?
- Information plan / for whom?
- Discussion about the publicity/secrecy of the (dif-ferent parts
of) report
- Where will the different reports possibly be pub-lished?
Appendixes
- Possible separate project plans - Other supplementary material needed
Appendix 4. Content of the final report of the Thesis
The structure of the thesis may, for instance, be the following:
1. Introduction
2. Presentation of the commissioner
3. Description of the project
a. explicit description of the aim b. schedule, resources
4. Frame of reference
a. if a new application area, it can also be presented b. presentation and evaluation, problems, scope
5. Methods and tools
6. Change of the product / process / operations model
7. Description of the implementation of the thesis a. most important portion, several chapters b. description of the implementation and result c. working method
APPENDIX 5: Evaluation criteria for the Master’s Degree Thesis
Evaluation criteria
1–2 fair 3‐4 good 5 excellent
Subject: degree of difficulty, command, limitation, structu-ration, presentation of the aim/task/problem
- The choice of the subject demonstrates the student’s own creativity or inventiveness only in a limited way; the subject is not demanding and results in only limited new solutions and/or knowledge.
- The choice of the subject is clearly insufficient; the subject has not been limited and structured adequately.
- The presentation of the aim/task/problem of the thesis is done in an unclear, insufficient and superficial way, without clear justifications.
- The subject is demanding and clearly brings about new solutions, knowledge and/or skills, but the choice of the subject does not demonstrate particular creativity or inventiveness.
- The student knows the subject area well either in theory or in practice, and has been able to limit and structure the subject adequately. - The presentation of the aim/task/problem of the thesis is done clearly, logically, and with justifica-tions.
- The choice of the subject demonstrates particu-lar creativity or inventiveness; the subject is topical, more demanding and labour consuming than usual, as well as generates new solutions, knowledge or/and skills to an exceptional de-gree.
- The student knows the subject area very well both in theory and in practice, and
has been able to limit and structure the subject with considerable skill.
- The presentation of the aim/task/problem of the thesis is done with great clarity, logic, and with accurate justifications.
Implementation:
Theoretical back-ground, sources, methodology
- The (theoretical) frame of reference is insuffi-cient, poorly formulated and does not include the student’s own summaries, conclusions, etc. The key concepts and the relations between them remain unclear and the connection between the frame of reference and the aim/task/problem of the thesis remains unclear.
- The (theoretical) frame of reference demon-strates predominantly only superficial acquaint-ance with Finnish and international source mate-rial on the subject, and the use of this source material is insufficient and uncritical.
- The choice of the (working/research) method is not successful and justified sufficiently. The mastery of the method presents evident flaws.
- The (theoretical) frame of reference is mainly correctly formulated, including summaries, con-clusions etc. made by the author themselves. The key concepts and the relations between them are presented clearly and the connection between the frame of reference and the aim / task / problem of the thesis is obvious. - The (theoretical) frame of reference demon-strates acquaintance with Finnish and interna-tional source material on the subject, and the use of this source material is skillful and critical - The choice of the (working/research) method was done adequately, with “standard solutions”. Its use is seamless and justified, and demon-strates a mastery of the method.
- The (theoretical) frame of reference is formu-lated with considerable skill on the basis of the source material, through summaries and conclusions made by the author themselves, taking the aim/task/problem of the thesis into account consistently. The key concepts and the relations between are brought forward with great clarity.
- The (theoretical) frame of reference demon-strates thorough acquaintance with Finnish and international source material, and the use of this source material is most skillful, critical and rele-vant.
- Alternative (working/research) methods were considered, and it resulted in a correctly selected and justified solution. The mastery of method demonstrates particular skills and creativity.
Evaluation criteria
1–2 fair 3‐4 good 5 excellent
Results:
achieve-ment of the goal, importance of the results, further action
- The aim/task/problem remains unsolved in some aspects.
- Discussion and conclusions are scarce or par-tially lacking; the connection of the results with the frame of reference remains unclear, and the results do not have noteworthy practical or theoretical importance.
- Discussion about the applicability of the results and further action/development needs is scarce.
- The aim/task/problem ischiefly solved, without any major shortcomings
- Discussion and conclusions are pertinent; the results have a connection with the frame of reference of the thesis and have practical and/or theoretical importance.
- Discussion about the applicability of the results and further action/development needs is rele-vant.
- The aim/task/problem is solved completely, without any shortcomings
- Discussion and conclusions are profound and justified. The results have a clear connection with the frame of reference of the thesis and have considerable practical and theoretical im-portance.
- The author has a clear idea about the applica-bility of the results and further action / develop-ment needs.
Process manage-ment: as a whole, schedule, seminar work
- The management of the thesis process as a whole presents some flaws, such as the lack of independence and problem solving, difficulty keeping to the schedule, problems with limiting the subject and consequent deviations from the subject, etc. Focusing on the aim/task/problem of the thesis is not successful.
- The thesis does not demonstrate independent, critical and creative thinking from the author. The development and manifestation of expertise remains unclear.
- The student does not participate actively in seminars and discussions taking place in them. The student is not able to deliver on time reports the content of which has been agreed on. The presentations have not been prepared, and the student is not able to discuss their reports in an adequate way.
- The thesis is a limited, concise and well-managed whole, which has been implemented mainly independently and within a reasonable time. There are practically no deviations from the subject, but the thesis focuses on the aim/task/problem.
- The thesis demonstrates independent, critical and creative thinking from the author.
- The student participates actively in seminars and discussions taking place in them. The con-tent of reports presented corresponds to what has been agreed on and they are by delivered on time. The presentations are well prepared, clear and focus on essential aspects. The stu-dent is able to discuss their reports in an ade-quate and clear manner.
The thesis is a limited, concise and well-managed whole, which has been implemented mainly independently and within a reasonable time. There are practically no deviations from the subject, but the thesis focuses on the aim/task/problem.
- The thesis demonstrates independent, critical and creative thinking from the author.
- The student participates actively in seminars and discussions taking place in them. The con-tent of reports presented corresponds to what has been agreed on and they are by delivered on time. The presentations are well prepared, clear and focus on essential aspects. The stu-dent is able to discuss their reports in an ade-quate and clear manner.
- The thesis demonstrates notable independent, critical land creative thinking, as well as an ex-cellent problem solving ability and expertise in the field from the author.
- The student is especially active participating in seminars and discussions taking place in them. The content of reports presented corresponds to what has been agreed on and they are by delivered on time. The presentations are very well prepared, clear, and illustrative and focus on essential aspects. The student is able to discuss their reports in an adequate and clear manner.
Evaluation
criteria
1–2 fair 3‐4 good 5 excellent
Reporting:
struc-tural clarity, lan-guage and layout
- The structure of the report presents evident flaws, e.g. with the order, number and balance of chapters. The thread of the thesis is difficult to find, the argumentation is incoherent, and, for this reason, the thesis is difficult to read. Some necessary passages are lacking.
- The linguistic form, readability, clarity and lay-out of the report present major flaws.
- The structure of the report is clear, consistent, relevant and balanced. The thread of the thesis is present throughout the work, ideas run smoothly, and, therefore, the thesis is easy to read. All the necessary passages can mainly be found in the thesis, and in an adequate order. - The linguistic form, readability and layout of the report are flawless.
- The structure of the report is very clear, con-sistent, relevant and balanced. The thread of the thesis is present throughout the work, and, therefore, the thesis is easy to read. All the nec-essary passages can be found in the thesis, and in an adequate order.
- The linguistic form, readability and layout of the report are excellent.
Appendix 6. Evaluation of the Commissioner/Representative of the Partner Organi-sation Concerning the Thesis Practices and Thesis Work