A student who has completed this course or acquired similar competence is able, in his/her own thesis or in other development project:

• gather relevant information and critically evaluate sources and reliability of the information
• describe the research process in a matter-of-fact and structured way and mark the sources appropriately
• use a method suitable for one's own thesis or project to gather and analyse data and working life information
• justify the choices made and make concrete development proposals
• apply ethical principles at all stages of one's own research or development work
• develop a topic for one’s own thesis
• identify the method options needed to complete one's thesis, and recognize the stages of Haaga-Helia's thesis process.

The course precedes the Bachelor´s thesis. During or after the course, the student registers for the thesis process in the Wihi-system.

Please see the learning targets. More detailed information of the content can be found in the implementation descriptions.

Assessment criteria - grade 1

The student
- Is able to find sources necessary for development and research work and masters reference techniques.
- Is able to write a research and development plan.
- Recognizes different research methods and ethical questions related to research work.

Assessment criteria - grade 3

The student (in addition to the previous)
- Is able to choose and apply suitable methods for gathering working life information.
- Can analyse information and data, and justify one’s choices.
- Can describe the research process and suggest concrete development proposals.

Assessment criteria - grade 5

The student (in addition to the previous)
- Is able to critically assess the reliability of information, analyses and research.
- Can apply ethical principles throughout one’s research and development work.
- Is able to assess development proposals and their implementation in working life.

When the implementation type of the course is contact, online or blended it is required that the student is present during those teaching hours that are marked in the study schedule. If you are absent more than 25 %, your grade will be lowered by one. If you are absent more than 50 %, the course is failed.