THESIS

The objective of your thesis is to develop your ability to apply knowledge and use selected methods to solve tasks in working life, as well as your readiness for independent expert work. The theses of our university of applied sciences are working life-oriented and develop working life, which helps you establish connections with working life. The thesis may also be multidisciplinary, in which case the authors may come from different programmes or fields.

Thesis working teaches you to:

• identify, determine and solve working life tasks
• acquire and manage information needed for the task
• work independently in a responsible manner and cooperate with different parties
• manage processes
• assess one’s own actions and develop them
• report one’s own work both orally and in writing.
• A UAS thesis (15 credits) may be a:
  
  
• development or other plan
• product development
• event
• project
• tool or working method
• artistic work
• study/survey of the field with development suggestions
• literature review
• diary
• portfolio

Regardless of the thesis topic and implementation method, a written report must be prepared on the thesis. Examples of theses completed at our UAS can be found in Theseus, which offers theses and publications of universities of applied sciences online.

When we talk about research ethics, we mean acting ethically and following responsible and correct practices.

At Lapland University of Applied Sciences, both staff and students are committed to complying with the guidelines of the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK.

The ethical starting points of thesis work are examined in more detail in your own field’s methodological studies.

The key ethical principles related to the thesis and your own activities as a thesis author are the following:

Disqualification

Disqualification refers to whether you have a relationship with the subject matter, its parties or persons otherwise affected by the decision in the matter that may compromise your impartiality. In terms of disqualification, it is enough that impartiality may have been objectively deemed compromised.

Commission agreement

The UAS’s theses are working life-oriented and develop working life, and thus cooperation with professional life is carried out throughout the entire commissioned thesis process. A cooperation agreement between three parties, i.e. the commissioner, the UAS and the student, containing the main rules for thesis work, is always made before starting a thesis. There must always be a written commission commitment for a commissioned thesis.

Preliminary ethical assessment or research permit

As soon as the topic and method of implementation of the thesis have been determined, it is advisable to consider the ethics of the work with the supervisor, if necessary, and whether preliminary ethical assessment and/or research permits are required. If the thesis is planned to be implemented in a way that falls within the scope of preliminary ethical assessment, e.g. through medical or human science research, the student will apply for preliminary assessment from the Ethics Committee together with their supervisor

Sometimes a research permit is also required. Some organisations wish to apply for a permit using their own form, but if such a form is not available, you can use Lapland UAS’s own research permit form.

If you study matters related to the personnel and/or students of Lapland UAS, you always need a research permit, which you apply for from the principal.

Processing of personal data (data protection)

Personal data refers to information describing a natural person, their characteristics or their living conditions which can be identified as relating to them, their family or their household. The definition of personal data includes personal data that can be used to identify a person directly, but also data that can be used to identify a person indirectly (tenk.fi).

Read Lapland UAS’s Data protection and thesis guide

 

Public nature of the thesis

A thesis to be evaluated is always public, unless it is confidential under laws concerning publicity or other matters. A thesis can only be kept confidential in very exceptional cases. Confidentiality must always be based on a clear legal provision (Act on the Openness of Government Activities, section 24, 621/1999). This may be the case, for example, for a thesis about preparing for exceptional circumstances, or equipping or placing armed forces. The theses are published in Theseus, which provides UAS theses online. It is good to discuss the publicity of the thesis with the commissioner already when negotiating the commission.

Ethical use of information

• The ethical use of information involves the correct marking of source references. You can find instructions for this on the library’s website. The correct marking of source references is taught early on in the planning stage.
• If you utilise ready-made images, patterns or other similar material in your thesis, always check the copyrights related to them. In Kopiraittila Academy, you can learn the basic concepts of copyright, such as what rights copyright gives to the author and when a permission is needed to use works.
• In the planning stage of the thesis, you can already read the ImagOA guide, for example, where you will find information about the use of images and the Creative Commons (CC) licenses.

 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism refers to presenting the text or idea of another person in one’s own written work in such a way that the source is not expressed. In this case, the text and ideas contained therein are considered to have been created by the student themself. Plagiarism is prohibited by copyright law. At Lapland UAS, all theses are subject to a plagiarism check using the Ourginal plagiarism detection system.

In addition to plagiarism, good scientific practice also defines the broader concept of usurpation. Usurpation refers to the unauthorised presentation or use of another person’s research result, idea, plan, observations or material in one’s own name.

 

Suspected fraud

If the author of the thesis has violated good scientific practice, this will be reported in writing. The matter will be handled in accordance with degree regulations and ethical principles

More information about the TENK checklist for students and instructors

Examples of good sources for examining the ethical basis of your thesis are:

• The Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences, Arene, has compiled recommendations for UASs on ethical and good scientific practice in the thesis process. The recommendations are based on legislation and the scientific community’s international and national ethical research principles, guidelines and recommendations.
• UASs have also committed to comply with the Responsible conduct of research and procedures for handling allegations of misconduct in Finland guidelines (TENK 2012) of the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity (TENK). TENK is an expert body of the Ministry of Education and Culture that promotes good scientific practice, prevents scientific fraud, and promotes debate and information about research ethics.
• On TENK’s pages, you can also find more information on preliminary ethical evaluation, for example
• In addition, Arene has published ethical guidelines for theses. After reviewing them, you will be able to identify some of the ethical premises related to your own thesis.
  

Theses published at the UAS must be accessible. The Act on the Provision of Digital Services (306/2019) contains the requirements of the European accessibility act. It also applies to UAS theses. In Theseus’s instructions you will find an accessibility checklist, which summarises the main points about creating an accessible thesis. For the thesis report, you will find good instructions on the accessibility of the Word file (e.g. tables and Alt texts of images) in Theseus.

Accessibility refers to the promotion of equality and means that the online service is easily accessible to all. An accessible online service can be used regardless of any disabilities: For example, a person with impaired hearing needs subtitling for videos, but a student travelling in a rush hour bus also benefits from subtitling. An accessible thesis’s PDF file can be accessed by the visually disabled and the print-disabled via screen reader software, for example. There are a few things to consider when creating a PDF file to make it accessible.

Information literacy and information retrieval guidance is part of RDI studies in different degree programmes. These provide guidance on how to determine the need for information, the different channels for searching for information, and source criticism.

During the planning and implementation phases of your thesis, you can also make information retrieval guidance appointments at the library.

You can also find field-specific databases, as well as information source and database guides, on the library’s website.

Written reporting of the work should be started as early as possible as the work progresses. Thesis reporting is a writing process, not a one-time event. Start writing at the beginning of the thesis project, and work on your text throughout the process. Follow Lapland UAS’s reporting guidelines. In some cases, the entire thesis report can also be prepared in accordance with the commissioner’s instructions. Agree on this in advance with the instructors. The work is returned for comments to the instructor and any commissioner’s representatives in accordance with the agreed schedule.

Reporting and references

Regardless of the topic and method of implementation, you must report your thesis in writing. Use Lapland UAS’s template for reporting the thesis. Good text progresses consistently, and is precise and understandable. In reporting, particular attention should be paid to carefully justifying your claim. The thesis text is your own text, in which you also refer to the ideas of others by marking the sources in accordance with the instructions. Direct copying of text is plagiarism and is therefore not allowed. All theses are checked with plagiarism detection software, which identifies plagiarism by searching the reports for similarities with texts submitted to the system.

The reference guidelines of Lapland UAS instruct you to mark source references correctly from the beginning.

Reporting methods

There are various methods for reporting in writing, for example:

• a traditional report
• a diary (in bachelor studies)
• a portfolio (in bachelor studies)
• an article collection

Regardless of the reporting method, the text should indicate:

• the thesis’s subject matter and premises
• the purpose, goal and limitations of the work
• work-related methodological and other choices with justifications
• a description of work implementation with justifications
• the outcome of the work
• an assessment of the reliability and ethical foundations of the work
• a reflection on one’s own learning process

The UAS’s MONT reporting practices are described in Moodle.

Reporting support

Regular written reporting of the choices and observations you make during the implementation phase will contribute to the progress of the work. Both the communication teacher and the supervising teacher provide advice on reporting issues.

Seminar work is part of the thesis process. As far as seminar work is concerned, degree programmes have different practices. You will receive more detailed instructions for seminar work from your thesis supervisor.

Seminar work is an essential form of thesis guidance. Structuring your own work and providing arguments to others contribute to your learning. By preparing well for seminars you will advance your own thesis process. In addition to the instructor’s feedback, you will receive peer guidance from other students. It is also possible to discuss the commissioner’s feedback about the work during seminars.

The seminar will address issues raised by employees, peer reviewers and supervisors together. The peer reviewers shall be appointed in accordance with the practices of each degree programme. Agree and hand over the seminar presentation and possible material in good time to the instructor and peer reviewer for review.

Well planned is half done, also in a thesis. Planning the work carefully will help you complete the thesis process. During the planning stage:

• If you are preparing a commissioned thesis, agree on the thesis with the Lapland UAS and the commissioner, and draw up a commission agreement.
• If necessary, prepare a research permit application and obtain the necessary permits.
• Create a topic presentation and submit your topic for approval (Wihi). The thesis coordinator approves your topic and appoints an instructor for you.
• You will draw up a thesis plan.
• You will participate in the seminar of the thesis planning phase in accordance with the practice and schedule of the degree programme.
• Prepare the knowledge base for your thesis and describe the research methods you use

Choosing a topic for a thesis based on working life

The planning of the thesis begins with the selection and delimitation of the topic. The key things are familiarisation with the phenomenon, obtaining and processing information, and the justification of the selected topic. The topic should be closely linked to the development of the student’s own personal competence, work, career or work community. The topic could also create new knowledge on a larger scale in the field. For example, discuss possible topics with your own organisation. Lapland UAS projects can also offer interesting topics.

Commission agreement

In connection with a thesis, there must always be a written commission agreement between the student, the commissioner and the educational institution. The commission agreement is created as three copies, one for the student, one for the UAS and one for the commissioner. If you need a research permit for your work, tick the relevant section of the commission agreement.

• Thesis commission agreement
  
• Thesis commission agreement, external funding
  

The thesis is started by creating a topic presentation in Wihi. The instructor coordinating theses will review your topic presentation and add at least one supervisor to the work on behalf of the UAS. Once the topic presentation for your work has been approved, you will be allowed to start working on your thesis.

The thesis topic must be closely related to the theme of the training, the competencies it seeks and the student’s work. The topic proposal is prepared for the approval of the topic, for the seminar group as a basis for discussion and for the student for further work.

The topic presentation is a preliminary thesis plan which shows what, why, how and when will be done.

Information to be completed in the Wihi topic proposal

The Lapland UAS has prepared guidelines for the use of Wihi.

Background information about the authors/author

• Name of the thesis in Finnish (can be changed in the graduation phase)
• Name of the thesis in English (can be changed in the graduation phase)
• Orientation option, i.e. your own degree programme. Be specific and use the official name of the degree programme, so that the coordinator can identify and process the topic proposals for their own degree programme.
• Planned start and end date of the thesis project
• Type of thesis (functional, research-based, diary, etc.)

Description of the work content, goal, and result.
Detailed description of the work content of the work, goal and desired outcome. Explanation of what the outcome of the work will be in practical terms. In the case of a diary-type thesis, description of the main tasks here

Description of the significance, utilisation of the work results
Explanation of who needs the result and for what purpose, as well as the benefits during the use of the finished result. In the case of a diary-type thesis, a description of the key competences required.
Planned tools (hardware, software, etc.)

Planned working methods (methods, practices, etc.)

Commissioner information (may be preliminary)

• Commissioning organisation
• Contact person
• Telephone
• Email

Abilities
The possibilities of the student to carry out the proposed work. List of advanced professional studies completed by the student before starting the thesis, at least the RDI studies supporting the suggested thesis. Any other studies or work experience that support the thesis.

Depending on the way the training works, you will present your topic as instructed by your degree programme.

During the planning phase, a plan will be drawn up for the thesis and the related development process, including background, purpose, objectives, approach, method choices, description of the implementation process, process and output evaluation plan, ethical and reliability assessment, schedule and possible costs. If the thesis has more than one author, the division of tasks related to the thesis is defined. The plan is handled through Wihi, i.e. the student returns the plan to the instructor for comments. Other communication related to thesis work is also carried out in Wihi.

Thesis plan structure

Introduction

• Presenting and justifying the thesis topic
• Introducing the connection between the topic and the student’s degree programme, and the development of working life and the region.
• Describing the practical problem or development need of the commissioner
• Justifying the choice of topic from different perspectives, based on literature references

Purpose, objectives and questioning

• Presenting the purpose of the thesis as precisely as possible (in one sentence)
  
• Defining the goals of the thesis (what the thesis is useful for and for whom) and what can be achieved with the thesis
  
• Asking a question or questions based on the purpose and objectives of the work, which the thesis aims to answer

Knowledge base (create titles that describe the content)

• Appropriate knowledge base for the completion of the professional field and development task:
  
• Defining the concepts relevant to the topic and the chosen perspective
  
• Describing the operating environment of the development task
  
• Presenting the knowledge base of the thesis, which provides an overview of previous studies, theses and literature on the topic
  
• Presenting and justifying the acquisition of material and its methods
  
• Demonstrating and justifying the connection between the thesis theory and the methodical part
  
• Describing the research or development method used for the thesis
  
• Presenting and recording the division of responsibilities if the thesis has more than one author

Methodological implementation

• Describing and justifying the research or development method used for the thesis
  
• Presenting the desired results, the development plan or other output and their reporting

Ethical foundations and reliability

• Describing the ethical foundations of the thesis and how they are taken into account
  
• Describing the factors affecting reliability

Timetable and required resources

Data management plan, if applicable

A data management plan will also be created for the thesis plan if data is collected from data providers. A data management plan describes how the data is acquired, where it is stored, how it is used, how it is stored, and what happens to it when the thesis is completed. More information on the data management plan can be found, for example:

• In the guidelines of the Academy of Finland
  
• The data archive’s data management planning guidelines

When the plan meets the criteria, the instructor approves the thesis plan in Wihi. Peppi then automatically logs the completion of 5/10 credits from the planning phase. Depending on the degree programme, the plan can also be presented in a plan seminar to receive peer feedback. You will receive more detailed instructions from your supervisor or your degree programme.

Thesis agreements at the planning phase

• Commission commitment (bachelor’s)
  
• Commission commitment (master’s)
  
• LUC common research permit application form

During the implementation phase:

• You will complete your thesis in accordance with the commission and your thesis plan.
  
• You will accomplish your task with the methods and/or tools you have chosen to achieve the desired outcome. The implementation phase requires regular and sustained work, during which ups and downs may occur. The original plan is not always realised as such, but with creative problem solving and appropriate, justified choices, you can reach the finish line. Evaluate and monitor the development process: the process may also include a re-valuation of the objectives and operating practices of the development activities
  
• The instructors will guide and support the progress of your work according to the programme-specific process in Wihi or Moodle.
  
• Regular and spontaneous interaction with the instructors and the commissioner will help you carry out your work.
  
• Negotiate any changes with the instructors
  
• Document the work in accordance with the UAS’s thesis reporting guidelines.

You will receive a study credit when you and the instructor assess that you are ready to start the thesis’s finishing phase.

In the finishing phase, you will

• submit your written report for review
  
• present your work verbally
  
• complete a maturity examination
  
• complete a self-assessment
  
• receive feedback from the commissioner
  
• receive an assessment of your work
  
• archive your work
  
• publish your work.

Once you have done all this successfully, you will receive finishing phase credits and a final assessment.

The thesis report goes through Ourginal plagiarism detection. This will happen automatically after you submit your paper to Wihi for assessment.

Ourginal is a plagiarism detection system that identifies the plagiarism of documents, such as a thesis. Once the thesis has been sent to Ourginal for analysis, the system compares it to three different source types: internet sites, publishers’ material such as books, dictionaries and scientific articles, as well as material sent by students, which has been archived in the Ourginal database as source material. The result of the comparison is an analysis report, which reveals not only the similarities between the compared documents, but also the percentage of similarities.

The result of the Ourginal analysis is expressed as a percentage. The percentage refers to the percentage of your thesis that Ourginal found a match for elsewhere. Please note that no direct conclusions can be drawn from this percentage: When Ourginal finds many matches, you need to review the report and the source references carefully with the support of a supervisor. You will always see the result of the Ourginal analysis yourself, and the instructor will contact you if the result is abnormal.

Different fields of education have their own seminars to present the completed theses. In addition, the thesis can be presented in common seminars if the work is completed early, for example.

Presentation seminars in your own field of education

• The completed work is discussed in the presentation seminar, which can take the form of a webinar.
  
• The seminar is an open and public event.
  
• The student sends their thesis to the supervisor and peer reviewer at least one week before the final seminar.
  
• The student invites the commissioner to the final seminar.

Common presentation seminars for master’s theses

One’s own thesis can be presented in common seminars if the work is completed early, for example.

• The presentations of master’s theses are webinars organised through Adobe Connect.
  
• You can register for an interim seminar or present the completed work at common events.
  
• Please register no later than two weeks before the presentation. Indicate the peer reviewer if already known.
  
• The presentation mode link is indicated in the list of presentations scheduled for the day in question.

Seminar progress

The thesis presentation seminars follow the following structure:

• opening of the event
  
• presentation of the work (about 20–30 minutes)
  
• peer review (about 10–15 minutes)
  
• possible speech of the commissioner
  
• general discussion
  
• instructor feedback
  
• end of the event

Preparation of a seminar presentation

The focus of the presentation is on presenting the results and outputs of the thesis/ development task and evaluating the thesis process. The presentation should preferably be supported by illustrations. The presentation describes:

• the summarised knowledge base, data acquisition and methodological choices of the thesis
  
• the results of the work

Peer review and discussion

After the presentation, the peer reviewer will evaluate the thesis. The peer reviewer evaluates the thesis and does not criticise it. The peer reviewer prepares a few critical questions and gives an overall assessment of the work. After the peer reviewer’s speech, there is an eventual speech by the task commissioner and general discussion. Finally, the work instructor gives spoken feedback on the work with regard to the purpose, goal and scope of the work

A UAS bachelor’s thesis requires a compulsory maturity examination. According to the Government Decree on Polytechnics (1129/2014) and its Section 8, “For the degree, the student must write a maturity test in the field of his/her thesis that demonstrates familiarity with the field and command of the Finnish or Swedish language. The university of applied sciences makes the decision on the maturity test where the student is not required to possess the language skills referred to in Section 7(1).” The purpose of completing a maturity examination is to demonstrate your familiarity with the topic of your thesis and your mastery of your mother tongue (your school language).

• You can register for a maturity examination when your thesis is in the finishing phase.
  
• The maturity test can be an essay that a student writes on a subject given by a teacher, or a media release.
  
• The maturity examination is completed within a set time in Moodle or EXAM
  
• Follow the instructions provided by your degree programme when registering and completing the examination./li>

 

Completing a maturity examination in EXAM

The Lapland UAS uses the EXAM system to complete a maturity examination. Use instructions have been prepared for the system. Completing a maturity examination in EXAM: the maximum text length is 600 words or 4,500 characters.

In some situations, the maturity test is written electronically in Moodle: font Arial, pt 12, line spacing 1,5, paragraph division displayed as an empty line between paragraphs, length of the text 1,5–2 pages.

Media release

The maturity test is a media release presenting the topic of the thesis. Write a maturity test as a media release in accordance with the practices of the UAS. The maturity examination is evaluated on a scale of pass – fail. If a student has completed their school education abroad or in a language other than Finnish or has been allowed to take the maturity test in a language other than the degree programme’s language of instruction, the expertise group manager will make the decision about the maturity test language.

Evaluation of the maturity examination

The contents of the maturity examination is verified by the teacher instructing the thesis and its linguistic form by the communications teacher. The maturity examination is evaluated on a scale of pass – fail. The evaluation focuses on the following:

Content (assessed by the instructor)

• The content demonstrates command of the subject and the process.
• The content addresses the core issues concerning the title and topic.
  
• Correctness and reliability of processing

Text (assessed by the communications teacher)

• Intelligibility (e.g. independence of the text = the text is intelligible even if the reader has not seen the thesis, argumentation)
  
• Consistency of the structure and processing (overall structure of the text, division into paragraphs, titling)
  
• Correctness of the style (formal style) and language (e.g. spelling).
  

In accordance with the degree regulations of Lapland UAS, theses are public documents, and their appendices may contain other public or non-public documents related to the thesis. The existence of attached material must be verified in the public part. Only the public part can be taken into account when evaluating the thesis.

Your work will be evaluated by the content instructor(s) and language instructor. In addition, you may receive an assessment from the commissioner of your work. The thesis assessment covers competencies required for the thesis, i.e. learning skills, innovation competence and written reporting.

The assessment is based on assessment criteria that you can find separately for bachelor’s and master’s programmes. In addition, the student fills in a self-assessment form and asks the commissioner for feedback using the feedback form. The thesis is evaluated on a scale of Excellent (5), Good (4 or 3), Satisfactory (2 or 1) or Rejected.

Sub-areas and focus of the evaluation (bachelor)

The assessment shall be based on evaluation criteria.

Learning skills: (40%)

• the objectives and scope of the work
• the knowledge base and justifications, concepts and definitions, use and quality of sources
  
• methods and practices/tools
  
• planning
  
• time management
  
• ethics and reliability.

Knowledge of innovation: (40%)

• cooperation skills
  
• accomplishment of an expert task
  
• creative problem-solving and development of working methods
  
• outcome/output
  
• usability of results/outputs
  
• oral presentation

Written reporting (20%)

• The assessment subjects will be assessed on a scale of Excellent (5), Good (4 or 3) or Satisfactory (2 or 1), which will form the overall grade.

 

Evaluation subareas (master)

The assessment shall be based on evaluation criteria.

Request for rectification

According to the degree regulation, a student dissatisfied with the grading of their study attainment may request the teacher who performed the evaluation for rectification within 14 days of the publication of the grading results. The student has the opportunity to submit a written rectification request to the board of examiners within 14 days of receiving a written response from the teacher in question. The request for rectification is submitted to Lapland UAS’s board of examiners.

Once the supervising teacher has given you permission to publish your thesis in electronic form, you can publish it in Theseus, the online publishing service of the UASs. Instructions for publishing a paper on Theseus. You can find publishing instructions in Lapland UAS’s Theseus guide. Also remember to hide the contact information shown in any attachments.

Converting the thesis into a PDF/A file

The thesis is saved as a PDF/A file before saving it to Theseus according to the instructions. PDF/A is an ISO standardised file format for long-term retention and archiving, which Theseus uses to store theses and publications, so a regular PDF file is not sufficient.

Other publishing channels

The most significant theses can also be published in publication series B or D of Lapland University of Applied Sciences. The publication process is launched with the student’s consent by the instructing teacher. The final decision on adoption to the publication series and its level is made by the publication workgroup of Lapland University of Applied Sciences.
If the thesis was commissioned, the student hands over their work to the commissioner.
The most successful theses can also be published in the publication series B or D of Lapland UAS. The publication process is initiated by the instructing teacher with the student’s consent. The final decision on adoption to the publication series and its level is made by the publication workgroup of Lapland University of Applied Sciences.

When your thesis has been evaluated successfully, you will need to archive your thesis. The student must save an electronic version of their thesis in pdf format to the YKSA archive service in accordance with the instructions of the archive department. You can find archiving instructions on the YKSA archive service’s website.

A student cannot obtain a degree certificate until they have archived the approved version of their completed thesis.
The theses stored in the archive can be browsed using various search functions.

If you wish, you can bind the thesis for yourself, for example:

• Student Union Rotko
  
• Rovaniemen insinööriopiskelijat RovIO ry
  

Thesis binding

• Thesis binding – Student Union ROTKO
  
• Theseus – Publication archive of UASs

 

Evaluation of the thesis

Bachelor

• Commissioner’s evaluation form
  
• Student’s self-assessment form
  
• Assessment criteria
  
• Instructions for the examination board
  
• Lapland UAS’s request for rectification

Master

• Commissioner’s feedback – Master’s degree programme
  
• Student’s assessment of thesis work
  
• Thesis peer review form
  
• Evaluation of a master’s thesis
  
• Media release instructions
  
• Instructions for the examination board
  
• Lapland UAS’ request for rectification