Master's Thesis, Research Writing (3 cr)

Evaluation scale

Pass/Fail

Content scheduling

Scheduled course meetings:
- Mon 2.12. klo 17–18 Starting Webinar
- Wed 8.1. klo 17–18 Webinar: Feedback T1 + T2
- Wed 29.1. klo 17–18 Webinar: Feedback T3
- Wed 12.2. klo 17–18 Webinar: Feedback T4

Submit the pre-assignment (3–5 pages section of theoretical basis) to Moodle Sun 1.12.

Objective

The content of the course is specifically designed to support theses that serve the development and renewal of working life. During the course, the focus is on writing the theoretical basis of your own thesis.

You will gain the needed confidence in your research-style writing to be able to work on your thesis and write authentic, factual text based on published sources, follow the principles of scientific writing, and demonstrate your ability to write in accordance with the style manual designated by JAMK (Project Reporting Instructions/APA 7).

Content

The writing process
Structure of the thesis
Basic principles of citation
Argumentation
Narrative of the thesis

Materials

Liukko, S. & Perttula, S. 2019. Opinnäytetyön raportointi. Jyväskylä: Jyväskylän ammattikorkeakoulu. Ohjetta päivitetään vuosittain. https://help.jamk.fi/raportointiohje/fi/.

Teaching methods

Online implementation with a scheduled timetable, utilizing the Flipped learning method.

The student is responsible for studying the materials in the workspace, completing tasks using them, and receiving feedback primarily through collective feedback, with individual feedback also provided when necessary. The learning environment is the Moodle workspace, which will be accessible at the latest when the course begins. Guidance will be given in alignment with the lesson sequence in Zoom, with the link to the sessions announced on Moodle.

This course is designed for students who are writing their thesis in Finnish. Those who are writing in English should participate in the equivalent English-language course, Research Writing.

Students are required to attend the course once they have familiarized themselves with the source material of their thesis and are actively writing the knowledge base. To confirm this, students must submit 3–5 pages of the knowledge base of their thesis (not the research plan) as a preliminary assignment at the beginning of the study period. Throughout the study period, students will write, edit, and analyze the knowledge base of their own thesis under the guidance of the group following a shared schedule.

Please note that only students who have submitted the preliminary assignment will be officially enrolled in the course. Failure to submit the preliminary assignment by the deadline will result in the registration being removed from Pep without prior notification. In such cases, the student may register for another course implementation.

Exam schedules

The deadlines for submitting assignments and resubmission times are available in Moodle's workspace.

The preliminary assignment must be submitted by the deadline to begin the course.

Assignments 1 and 2 must be submitted by the deadline to proceed with the study period. Submitting assignments 1 and 2 on time indicates your commitment to following the Study Course schedule. Failure to submit tasks 1 and 2 by the deadline will result in removal of registration from Peppi, allowing the student to register for another session.

Student workload

Apart from the preliminary assignment, there are five learning tasks as follows:
Task 1: Examining the structure of a second YAMK-level thesis
Task 2: Evaluating the sources used in the thesis and participating in forum discussions
Task 3: Writing a section of thesis theoretical basis focusing on summarizing sources and using metatext
Task 4: Drafting the introduction to the thesis
Task 5: Self-assessment

Orientation and familiarizing oneself with the workspace: 10 hours
Webinars: 6-10 hours
Studying materials and completing assignments: 20-30 hours
Writing your own thesis database and analysis: 20-30 hours

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The course is marked as passed when all assignments have been completed and they demonstrate that the themes of the course have been studied and the learning materials have been utilized in the process.

Qualifications

You have completed the Research-Based Development course and Phase 1 of the Thesis Plan, which is described on the Thesis webpage in JAMK's Open Study Materials.

Further information

The evaluation process includes collective feedback, peer feedback, individual feedback, and self-assessment. Assessment is conducted based on competency goals.