Curricula

Objectives

The student is familiar with the various stages of the research & development processes supporting the thesis project, research/development approaches, as well as different data collection and analysis options. The student knows how to select the appropriate research & development approach and methods (data collection and analysis) for his/her own thesis project, apply them and justify his/her selections. He/she also has the ability to critically evaluate the reliability of the research/thesis, its strengths and weaknesses as well as the usefulness of the results. The student becomes acquainted with quantitative and qualitative research software applications.

EA-IV EUR-ACE Investigations/YHTTH Information management skills: The student is familiar with the various stages of the research & development processes supporting the thesis project, research/development approaches, as well as different data collection and analysis options. The student knows how to select the appropriate research & development approach and methods (data collection and analysis) for his/her own thesis project, apply them and justify his/her selections.

EA-EN EUR-ACE Engineering Analysis: The student is capable to apply knowledge and understanding to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems using established methods. He or she is able to utilize identification and positioning technologies and methods in engineering.

YHTOP Learning skills: The student can provide critical assessment of the reliability of the research and development work, its strengths and weaknesses as well as the applicability of the results.
The student is familiar with the ethical principles of research and development work.

YHTVI Communication skills: The student has mastered the practices and styles of investigative writing and observes the principles of grammatical correctness.

Content

Research process and its management (research design: research problem, research question, research approach, data collection and anaylysis methods, reliability check), thesis structure.

Qualitative research: qualitative research methods, data collection methods (observation, interviewing, document analysis), data analysis methods, reliability check, trials.

Quantitative research: data collection (survey questionnaire), measurement scales, sampling, data analysis methods.

Electronic information collection methods and statistical data applications.

Development and action research: methodological basis and applications.

Generic structure of the thesis, evaluation criteria and trial implementation of the completed project.

Learning materials and recommended literature

Kananen, J. 2015. Online Research for Preparing your Thesis. Publications of Jamk University of Applied Sciences 198.Kananen, J. 2011. Rafting Through the Thesis Process: Step by Step Guide to thesis Process. . Publications of Jamk University of Applied Sciences 114.Field-specific methodological literature.

Teaching methods

Lectures, information retrieval and applied learning assigments. Assignments in groups are based on Problem-based learning. In distance learning the assignments are done individually.

Exam dates and retake possibilities

Exam at end of course and two re-exams.

Alternative completion methods

Written test 30 % / on-line assignments 70 %

Student workload

Distance lectures max. 28 h, exercises and independent studies 107 h total 135 h

Further information for students

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Evaluation scale

Pass/Fail

Evaluation criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

1 (adequate)
The student is familiar with the stages of the research and development process. He/she knows how to retrieve research information pertaining to the field of research and development. The student is familiar with the key research and development methods and can describe their differences.

2 (satisfactory)
The student is capable of retrieving information pertaining to his or her field of research and development. The student recognises possibilities of application research and development methods.

Evaluation criteria, good (3-4)

3 (good) The student can independently find information pertaining to his or her field of research and development, and assess it in a critical manner. The student can select and use in his/her work the appropriate research and development methods. The student is familiar with the principles of research ethics.

4 (very good) The student can select the research and development technique and method appropriate for his or her research and development work, and apply them. The student can review the strength and weaknesses of his or her own work. The student is capable of acting in line with the principles of research ethics. The student can communicate the research and development plan in an analytical and objective way, both in writing and orally.

Evaluation criteria, excellent (5)

5 (excellent) The student is capable of retrieving extensive information pertaining to the research and development area, and is capable of critical assessment of the sources of information. The student can analyse differences between research and development methods and apply the methods to his or her work in an argumented manner. The student can analyse and assess the results and to critically review the strength and weaknesses of his/her own work.

Prerequisites

Sufficient exposure to the student's own professional field.