Study Guide

Objective

Bachelor’s thesis (300503312; 15 cr) is part of a module called Researching and Developing Work Practices in the Global World, worth of 30 cr. The other course of the module is called Research and Development Skills (300503412; 10cr). These two courses form the studies of the 5th semester, and it is meant that you as a student concentrate on the studies of this module and do not take any other courses during 5th semester. A third course,project management (300503212) belonging to this module is already studied on 4th semester. Bachelor’s thesis is a research and development project which aims at developing the region and its actors. Bachelor’s thesis is divided to three parts. They are:3005033121 Conceptual Basics 5cr3005033122 First Draft of the Report 5cr3005033123 Final Report, Oral Presentation and Maturity Test 5crThese parts are organized in turns with the parts of the Research and Development Skills course. The parts of that course are3005034121 Research and Development Plan 5cr3005034122 Methods 5cr300503212 Project management 5crFirst, you take the project management course during the second year of studies. Then, during the fifth semester you have, in this order the different parts of research and development skills course and the bachelor's thesis course.Research and Development PlanConceptual BasicsMethodsFirst Draft ReportFinal Report, Oral Presentation and Maturity TestObjectivesStudents understand what the research process is, and of what parts it consists of.Students know the different stages of project type working from earlier courses and can utilize that knowledge during this course.Students are able design and carry out R&D- projects to companies or other type of organizationswith justified research approachesStudents learn to report orally and in written the results, give constructive feedback to other students and profit from the feedback received.Students can search for, and critically read and interpret information.Students can, if needed, outsource R&D- projects during his/her professional careers.

Content

Research process as a whole, including basics of different research approachesQualitative, quantitative and/or process methodsProject schedulingAcademic writingGetting to know some area of international business and being able to show that for example by providing the reader with the conceptual basis of the study or with a literature review including a figure summing up the relevant concepts s/he is going to use in the bachelor’s thesis (=theoretical framework).Implementing the plan of a R&D-project decided earlier during the Research Plan-course (300503412) and reporting its results orally and in written ContentsResultDeadline Informing to studentsKick-off of the Bachelor’s Thesis project15th Jan 20xx Choosing of the topicsFilling in the formulas and giving them to the heads of specialization1st March 20xx Allocating the supervisorsHeads of specialization allocates the supervisors to students30th March 20xx First meetingSupervisor organizes a meeting15th April 20xx at the latest PlanResearch and development plan including the scheduling15th Sept 20xx - supervisor has 10 days to give feedback to students Conceptual basis of the studyConceptual basis or literature review + theoretical framework21st Oct 20xx - supervisor has 10 days to give feedback to students MethodsCollecting and utilizing data or data acquisition and data analysis15th Nov 20xx - supervisor has 10 days to give feedback to students Interim evaluation report1st draft o the project report1st Dec 20xx ­- supervisor has 10 days to give feedback to students Final reportingFinal report in Theseus Oral presentation and discussions Maturity test15th Dec 20xx – supervisor has 10 days to give feedback to students

Location and time

The student chooses between different schedules (trains 1-2), with different deadlines for the rest of the thesis train.
The first train is a speed train with a tight schedule.

Materials

Xamk thesis regulations.

Teaching methods

Scheduled track:
Based on the feedback received on the first draft version, the student develops the text further into a version, which is assessed. There are two deadlines to submit the version to be assessed, depending on the train 1-2 the student has agreed with the supervisor. The student may still get correction requests for the work to be published and needs to make the required changes..
After that the thesis is filed and published.
The thesis is orally presented in a thesis seminar. The student needs to register to the relevant seminar of his/her train 1-2. The student needs to act as an opponent to a thesis of a student colleague.
The maturity test is written. The maturity test includes writing an essay based on the thesis. It is assessed by both the main supervisor as well as the language lecturer.

Independent track:
The student chooses between different schedules (trains 1-2), with different deadlines for the rest of the thesis train.
The second train is a slow train with a more relaxed schedule.

Blended track:
The student chooses between different schedules (trains 1-2), with different deadlines for the rest of the thesis train.
The first train is a speed train with a tight schedule.

Completion alternatives

The student chooses between different schedules (trains 1-2), with different deadlines for the rest of the thesis train.
The second train is a slow train with a more relaxed schedule.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

See separate Xamk thesis assessment criteria.

Further information

The final version of the thesis needs to be sent to URKUND and for the language check to the language lecturer. The relevant methodology lecturer will assess the methodological part of the thesis.

ulla.puustelli@xamk.fi
Thesis supervisors.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Student gets a grade (1-5) of all the parts of this course. In addition to that, s/he gets oral and/or written feedback from own supervisor, method and language teacher and from other students.

Assessment methods and criteria

See separate Xamk thesis assessment criteria.
Assessment covers the thesis (to be assessed version), oral presentation and acting as an opponent.