The official objective of a thesis is to develop and demonstrate the ability to apply research data and use selected methods to analyse and solve problems in working life. In a bachelor’s thesis, you will increase your skills and demonstrate that you can apply your knowledge and skills in practice as an expert. In a master’s thesis, you will demonstrate your ability to perform demanding expert work independently. The scope of a thesis leading to a UAS degree is 15 credits, or about 400 hours’ work, except for the Bachelor of Engineering, Construction Site Management degree, which is 10 credits, or about 270 hours’ work. The scope of a master’s thesis is 30 credits and corresponds to approximately 800 hours’ work. Working on a thesis develops a student’s professional knowledge and skills, a progressive and research-based working approach, and cooperation, interaction and networking skills. Thesis work involves research and development method studies and seminar work. Other studies included in the degree also support the thesis work. A thesis can be completed either as individual work, with a partner or as a small group of students. A thesis can also be completed in multidisciplinary groups formed by different fields of education. A multidisciplinary master’s thesis (MONT) has its own process, which is described in more detail in Moodle. Each thesis has a supervisor appointed by the University of Applied Sciences. In accordance with the topic, more than one supervisor and a possible stakeholder/work community representative can also be appointed for the thesis. Completing a thesis is always a process that proceeds through certain stages. A thesis consists of three phases:
Common guidelines and practices have been compiled on these pages, ranging from topic selection to publication. In addition to these guidelines, different degree programmes may also have their own procedures, which are presented in programme-specific meetings and in Moodle.
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Before starting your thesis, please familiarise yourself with the ethical principles and accessibility of the thesis, and make use of the information seeking and reporting instructions from the outset. You can also browse the theses already completed in your field using Theseus.
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:
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 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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:
Well planned is half done, also in a thesis. Planning the work carefully will help you complete the thesis process. During the planning stage:
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.
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.
The Lapland UAS has prepared guidelines for the use of Wihi. Background information about the authors/author
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)
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.
Introduction
Thesis agreements at the planning phase
During the implementation phase:
In the finishing phase, you will
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
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.
Seminar progress The thesis presentation seminars follow the following structure:
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:
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).
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.
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.
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)
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.
The assessment shall be based on evaluation criteria. Learning skills: (40%)
Knowledge of innovation: (40%)
Written reporting (20%)
The assessment shall be based on evaluation criteria.
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.
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.
If you wish, you can bind the thesis for yourself, for example:
Bachelor
Master