Research ProcessLaajuus (5 cr)

Learning objectives

The purpose of the course is to acquaint students with scientific research method and scientific writing. Besides contact teaching, the course involves plenty of independent work. Every student will plan and carry out an independent IT-related research project: choose a topic, plan a timetable, apply the chosen research method, and present the results in a written academic report and an oral presentation. In the course of the Writing Business Report, oral presentation skills and the genre of academic writing will be briefly recapitulated. Students are also required to peer-review each other’s assignments. Students are to revise their written documents during the course, if necessary, after the lecturers in charge of the course and a peer student have reviewed them with comments.

Contents

Research methods
Research process
Research reporting
Recap of academic writing and presentation skills

Lähtötaso ja sidonnaisuudet muihin opintojaksoihin

English 2 (recommended)

Implementation methods, demonstration and Work&Study

Lectures
Exam
Written assignments:

- Research topic
Topic proposal for research
- Research plan
A short description of the chosen topic and preliminary sources
Planning a timetable for the research
- Research report: a 15 20-page-long document in the format of an academic research report
Introduction
Theoretical background
Research method
Results
Discussion
Conclusions

Assessment criteria - grade 1

Student is able to write a report with at least:
- Good source material
- References to sources (in every paragraph)
- No major errors in solving the research problem or terminology
- Logical organization
- Proper layout / structure

Assessment criteria - grade 3

Student is able to write a report with (in addition to previous ones):
- Successful scoping
- Results correspond to the topic
- Critical analysis where necessary
- Reasonable conclusions based on the research
- The research problem is reasoned
- Good abstract

Assessment criteria - grade 5

Student is able to write a report with (in addition to previous ones):
- Well organized and logical overall structure of the paper
- Discussion between the sources
- Organized and logical proceeding of the research

Learning materials

Haaga-Helia Thesis quidelines
Nicholas Walliman. 2011. Research Methods, the basics. Routledge. Abingdon.
Other material will be announced during the course