Thesis Writing ClinicsLaajuus (5 cr)

Objective

Writing Clinics steer the gradual production of a Master’s Thesis text and aim to guide the student through the writing of Master’s Thesis report.

Producing a Master’s Thesis text implies creating specific discourse of a Thesis, clear logic, explicit formulation of GATEs, and clearly communicated research text of discriminately different parts of the Thesis.
Writing Clinics utilize both the group guidance (face-to-face, as teaching input and practical training in workshops) and individual (face-to-face and virtual) guidance of students.

Writing Clinics also address the difficulty of writing a post-graduate report in a foreign language (English) through guidance and feedback to the student’s foreign language skills. Six feedback loops enforce coherent and explicit writing.

Content

Writing Clinics consist of six deliveries and feedback loops of Master’s thesis text:

First written delivery - for the Master’s topic approval.
It includes written description of business challenge, objective and outcome, coupled with a brief description of the case company and project background. It corresponds to the first draft of Section 1. Introduction.

30% version - delivered as output of GATES 1-2.
It includes productions of improved Section 1. Introduction and Section 2. Method and Material (research approach, data collection and analysis methods, research design, validity and reliability considerations) and includes 15-20 pages.

50% version - delivered as output of GATE 3.
It includes productions of Section 3. Current State Analysis () and improvements to Section 1-2 based on earlier feedback. 50% corresponds to 30-40 pages of text.

70% version - delivered as output of GATES 4-5.
It includes productions of Section 4. Existing Knowledge and Conceptual Framework and Section 5. Building Proposal as well as improvements to Sections 1-3 based on earlier feedback. 70% corresponds to 50-60 pages of text.

100% version - delivered as output of GATES 5-6.
It includes productions of Section 6. Validation of Proposal and Section 7. Discussion and Conclusions (), as well as improvements to Sections 1-5 based on earlier feedback. 100% corresponds to 60-70 pages of text.

Final version - delivered as output of GATE 7.
It includes the final gradable text of the Master’s thesis, with full apparatus for publishing (abstract, preface, lists of acronyms/tables/figures, appendices, corrected reference list and verified in-text references) based on earlier improvements.

Qualifications

Bachelor's Thesis completed and three years of work experience.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The course work meets with more than three of the six criteria well. The assignment shows satisfactory performance in the rest of the criteria.

The following criteria are used for assessing the IM Master’s coursework (workshop involvement, discussion, written assignments).
•The student shows an understanding of the relevant course content in relation to the contents of Master's Thesis.
•Student texts demonstrate an understanding of the source/article content and an ability to select, interpret and justify key messages in a grounded manner.
•The student shows interconnections between the proposed concepts and current business practice, showing abilities of reflection, evaluation and discussion.
•The student shows professional initiative, active participation and responsibility
• The student shows the ability to collect valid knowledge for his/her topic from outside the course sources by using scholarly search tools, by questioning current business practice and by practicing source critique.
•Student assignment is written in line with academic writing practice and instructions for Master’s Thesis, using the Harvard Referencing system, with references both in the text as well as reference list. The texts are written in coherent, fluent English.

Further information

Assessment criteria, approved/not approved.