At the beginning of the thesis

• familiarizes himself with the thesis instructions
• acquires a subject for the thesis and has it approved
• makes an agreement on a cooperative thesis project together with the Oulu University of Applied Sciences and the client
• draws up a plan for the thesis
• draws up a schedule for the preparation of the thesis, monitors it and modifies it if necessary
• if you are doing your thesis in a group, please agree in advance the working rules and the division of labor
• keeps in contact with the supervisors as agreed and discusses possible changes in the work with them
• has the material intended for external distribution (for example questionnaire forms) approved by his supervising teacher
• participates in possible seminar work
• is responsible for the outcome of the work
• documents the work according to the reporting instructions
• assesses his thesis and his thesis process
• requests feedback on the thesis from the client
• submits the finalized thesis with all attachments to the teachers and reports the approved thesis into Theseus
• writes a maturity test

• is responsible for the practices related to theses
• approves the subject of the thesis and the implementation plan
• nominates the supervising teachers
• signs the thesis cooperation agreement
• arranges possible thesis seminars
• guides the learning process and ethical choices and gives help in problem situations at guidance discussions, supervisors’ consultation hours and seminars
• informs the student and the client how to act if the background material for the thesis contains confidential material
• assesses the thesis and the maturity test

The library reviews the metadata of the thesis before it is saved into Theseus.

• participates in the definition of the objectives of the work together with the student and the supervising teacher
• signs the thesis cooperation agreement
• promotes the advancement of the thesis process by providing the student with required information and material and supervises the process from the client organization’s perspective
• provides written feedback on the thesis

Introduction

• The introduction introduces the subject of the thesis to the reader. The introduction briefly describes the background of the choice of subject and the viewpoint, purpose and function of the thesis and the methods used. It introduces the core concepts and briefly the frame of reference or theoretical foundation of the thesis.
• The author of the thesis may establish the topicality and importance of the project, the benefits of the work to the client or to the professional field and its significance to his own professional development.

Theoretical foundation, theory

• In this section the student describes the theoretical foundation he has used in the thesis and its application to practice. It is important that a connection is established between these aspects.

Description of development/research task, empirical results and process

• In the thesis the research material and methods must be described so accurately that an expert in the field can assess their reliability.
• The development/research task is the most important and most extensive part of the report, because the results and conclusions are built on it. Its title must reflect the content and nature of the thesis.

Results and conclusions

• The publication of the results and outcomes of theses varies depending on the development/research task undertaken. The results may also be organized in different ways. One recommended method is to present the main results so that they answer the questions asked in the definition of the development/research task.
• The conclusions are drawn from the results obtained in the thesis and they are considered in relation to the starting point of the development/research task. In the conclusions the used theoretical foundation is reflected against the empirical results. The conclusions show how the thesis has changed or increased knowledge in the development area and how the results can be utilized in practice.
• It is advisable to pay special attention to the way the results and conclusions are presented, since it is the part of the thesis that is of most interest to the client.

Discussion

• In the discussion the author analyses the subject of the thesis and its execution, as well as ethical questions. The results of the thesis are compared with the questions presented in the determination of the research task and new questions that have arisen during the writing process are analyzed.
• In the discussion the author presents his own comments and views on the development/research task.

References
Appendices

Article-based reporting is a suitable option for theses dealing with particularly relevant or future-oriented topics that are of interest to the great public. Demonstrating your competence in an article can provide valuable visibility that may help with further studies, for example. The thesis can comprise one or several professional or scientific articles introducing the results of your research or development project. The publication channels are determined in a personal guidance discussion so that they are relevant in the professional field and suit the nature of the project. If an article is co-authored by several people, the thesis-writer’s personal, independent contribution must be clearly indicated. Introduction, conclusions and reflection are written for the thesis, as well as the article(s).

Introduction, conclusions and reflection

• Defining the objectives, theoretical background and methods of the article(s) and assessing the significance and usability of the outcomes upon publishing. The actual results are left in the article because the results published in the article must be unpublished. If the thesis contains several articles, this section also includes a description of how they are connected to each other and what kind of entity they form.
• If there are several writers, their contribution is clearly specified in the design, implementation and writing of the thesis.

The article(s)

• Articles are written according to the instructions of the publication channel as professional journal expert article (D), publication in Oamk Journal – RDI Publications of Oulu University of Applied Sciences (D), scientific peer-reviewed article (A), scientific non peer-reviewed article (B) or other applicable publication (E). For A and B publications, one article is sufficient. More than one is required for publication categories D and E. An article can only be offered to one publishing channel at a time and results must be unpublished. The publishing channel must have an editorial board.
• If there are several students, their names are listed in alphabetical order. The supervisor is marked as the last writer.
• The manuscript of an article may be accepted as a thesis before it is published. In this case, the thesis to be published in Theseus mentions the publication channel to which the article has been offered. The results of an article or the article script will not be saved in Theseus, because the results published in the article must be unpublished.
• If the article(s) has been published before saving the thesis in Theseus, the report will include the bibliographic information of the article.

References
Appendices

Portfolio-based reporting is a good option for students strongly committed to the professional field. The student builds a portfolio of works produced during the studies. Work products created outside the degree programme can also be included, as long as they are relevant for the professional competence and meet other requirements. The work products can also be in formats other than writing, but they must nevertheless be documented. The set of works is bound together using a theoretical basis, and this will form the thesis entity. The portfolio is based on planned and pre-defined research theses/questions and chosen research methods.

Introduction

• The introduction describes the background of the chosen topic/topics and explains the need for such work. It can also include background information on the author’s interest in the topic. The research theses/questions are also presented in this section.

Theoretical basis for the topic

• Introducing the theoretical basis that binds the chosen topic and works: previous research, reviews and recommendations.

Presentation of the portfolio works

• Describing and analysing the works included in the portfolio, the processes of selecting, planning and implementing each of them, as well as their applicability in the professional field.
• Describing the applied research and development methods. In addition, the connection between the works and the theoretical basis, as well as their professional relevance, are explained.

Conclusions and reflection

• In this section, the author reflects on the portfolio thesis as an entity, critically assessing the thesis, its applicability, the development path entailed in it, and further study or research possibilities. The reflection section also includes the possible feedback from the client and a critical analysis of the author’s personal learning process.

References
Appendices

Diary-based reporting is a good option for students working in tasks required for the degree. In addition to the diary, the thesis report includes a theoretical background that features a development perspective applied to the chosen topic(s). The diary can be written on a topic- or week-specific basis, for example. The thesis report contains reflection, ideas and conclusions by the author.

Introduction

• The introduction describes the background of the chosen topic(s) and explains the need for such work. It can also include background information on the author’s interest in the topic. The research theses/questions are also presented in this section.

Description of the current state

• Introducing the employer company and work environment
• Outlining the company’s stakeholders and their interests
• Describing the workplace’s competence requirements
• Describing the author’s task and its competence requirements
• Describing and explaining the author’s stage of professional development and development needs
• Describing the chosen topic and relevant theoretical background: core theoretical and professional concepts based on researches, reviews and recommendations.

Purpose and objectives

• Specifying the research theses/questions, the purpose of the thesis and learning objectives
• Time-span covered in the diary
• Diary reporting plan (topic-based, weekly and/or daily)
• Diary reporting contents plan (development ideas)

Description of work tasks and learning as diary entries

• Describing issues encountered at work, reflecting them against the theoretical background
• Introducing good practices for the resolution of the above-mentioned situations, reflecting this against the theoretical background
• Assessing different practices, reflecting their suitability for the author’s line of work or developing alternative practices

Reflection

• In the conclusion and reflection section, the author reflects on the diary thesis as an entity, critically assessing the thesis, its applicability, the development path entailed in it, and further study or research possibilities. The reflection section also includes the possible feedback from the thesis commissioner and a critical analysis of the author’s personal learning process.

References
Appendices