Research and Development (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Content scheduling

Webinars Spring 2025:
- Introduction: Week 3, 2 hours (January)
- Q&A and Guidance: Week 6, 1 hour (February)
- Q&A and Guidance: Week 10, 1 hour (March)
- Q&A and Guidance: Week 14, 1 hour (April)

Participation in the introductory session is also a confirmation of your enrollment in the course. During the introductory session, the first learning tasks will be assigned. The course will end on May 19, 2025.

Objective

Purpose of the course
The purpose of the course is to familiarise the student with the basics of development and research activities and support the writing of the bachelor's thesis.

Course competences:
Ethical competence
Internationalisation and communications competence
Learning and information management competence

EUR-ACE accredited degree programmes
Investigations and information retrieval
Engineering practice
Communication and team-working

Course learning outcomes
As a student, you are familiar with the different stages involved in research and development processes supporting your thesis, the required approaches to research and development and the most common options for data collection and analysis. You are able to choose a development or research approach and methods (data collection and analysis methods) that are suitable to your thesis. You are familiar with JAMK’s thesis process and are able to prepare a thesis topic proposal and plan in which you justify the methodological choices you made. You are familiar with the research ethics governing thesis preparation and act in accordance with it and the principles of good scientific practice.

Content

Research process (research setting: research problem, research question, research approach, data collection and analysis methods, reliability review, open science)

The generic structure of a thesis, evaluation criteria and exercises on evaluating completed theses

Research ethics and good scientific or artistic practice

Integrative literature review
- Problem identification, location of studies, data collection from individual studies, evaluation of the studies and data analysis

Qualitative research:
- the most common qualitative data collection methods, analysis methods, reliability review

Quantitative research:
- data collection (existing or self-collected data, questionnaire), measuring scales, sampling, data analysis methods (indicators, direct distribution, cross-tabulation, statistical tests, reliability of results)

Research-based development
- setting development problems / questions, choosing development methods, data collection and analysis, assessing the reliability of research and development activities

Preparation of a thesis topic proposal

Materials

The course's Moodle learning environment will open on 6.1.2025.

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.

Yin, R. K. 2018. Case study research and applications : design and methods. Los Angeles: Sage.

Teaching methods

NOTE: The first and only introductory webinar is mandatory. If a student does not participate in it, they will be removed from the course. In case of a justified reason for absence, the responsible teacher must be notified in advance before the aforementioned webinar. A substitute task, which is accepted and entitles participation in the course, will be assigned to replace attendance.

Zoom-guidance times on a monthly basis based on individual needs.

Information retrieval and applied learning tasks. Through problem-based learning, students have tasks to solve. Some learning tasks are done in groups and some individually.

The responsible and transparent use of AI applications is encouraged in this course. Instructions for using artificial intelligence can be found in chapter 3.2 (https://help.jamk.fi/raportointiohje/fi/3-kirjoittamisprosessi/tekoalyn-kaytto-oppimistehtavissa-ja-opinnaytetyossa/) of the thesis reporting instructions.

Exam schedules

The course does not include any formal exams.

Completion alternatives

You can complete the course by combining study and work, by studification. Agree on studification of the course with the lecturer in charge of the course. For more information on studification, see the degree regulations and study guide.

Student workload

- online contact sessions 5 learning work hours
- learning tasks 85 learning work hours
- studying the course material ans literature 45 learning work hours.

Total 135 learning work hours.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Adequate 1
The student is familiar with the steps involved in the development and research process. They know how to obtain research knowledge concerning their own area of development or research. The student knows some key research and development methods and is able to describe the differences between them. The student is familiar with the ethical principles and principles of good scientific practice related to the thesis. The student acts in compliance with them.

Satisfactory 2
The student is able to obtain knowledge concerning their own area of development or research. They recognise possibilities for applying development and research methods. The student is familiar with the ethical principles and principles of good scientific practice related to the thesis. The student acts in compliance with them.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Good 3
The student is able to independently obtain and assess knowledge concerning their own area of development or research. They are able to choose a development or research method suitable for their thesis. The student is familiar with the ethical principles and principles of good scientific practice related to the thesis. The student acts in compliance with them.

Very good 4
The student is able to independently obtain and critically assess knowledge concerning their own area of development or research. The student is able to choose a development or research approach and method suitable for their thesis and justify their choice. The student is familiar with the ethical principles and principles of good scientific practice related to the thesis. The student acts in compliance with them.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Excellent 5
The student is able to obtain knowledge concerning their area of development or research and is capable of source criticism.
They are able to analyse the differences between different development and research methods and justify the choice of development or research methods for their thesis. The student is familiar with the ethical principles and principles of good scientific practice related to the thesis. The student acts in compliance with them.

Further information

Assessment Methods:
Reflective self-assessment, peer feedback, continuous feedback, and overall course evaluation based on learning tasks and a proficiency test.