MASTER''''S THESIS HANDBOOK University of Helsinki, Dept. of Forest Ecology, Dept. of Forest Economics, Dept. of Forest Resource Management

ofForest Resource Management Compiled and translated from "Ohjeita pro gradu -tutkielman kirjoittajille Metäsekologian laitos" and "Tieteellisten kirjoitelmien kirjoitusohjeet Metsäekono

MASTER'S THESIS HANDBOOK

University of Helsinki, Dept of Forest Ecology, Dept of Forest Economics, Dept ofForest Resource Management

Compiled and translated from "Ohjeita pro gradu -tutkielman kirjoittajille (Metäsekologian laitos)" and

"Tieteellisten kirjoitelmien kirjoitusohjeet (Metsäekonomian laitos)" by Meeri Pearson, 1.12.06, updated

April 2014 by Outi Orenius

2.3.2 Summary of Previous Research 5

2.3.3 Defining the Research Topic 5

4.1 Citing References in the Text 12

4.2 Citing Tables and Figures in the Text 13

2 Abstract Form

3 Example of Abstract

4 Example of Table of Contents in Forest Ecology, Tropical Silviculture Thesis

5 Example of List of Symbols, Acronyms, and Abbreviations

6 Example of Table of Contents in Forest Ecology, Tropical Silviculture Thesis

7 Example of Table of Contents in Forest Ecology, Tropical Silviculture Thesis

8 Example of Table of Contents in Forest Resource Mgmt., Forest Mensuration

Thesis

9 Example of Table of Contents in Forest Economics Thesis

10 Example of Table of Contents in Forest Economics Thesis

1 Master's Thesis

1.1 In General

The purpose of the Master's thesis is to train the student in the following areas:

1) independent and systematic research work

2) research methods used in the concerned discipline

3) use of references

4) scientific presentation

5) written expression

The thesis is made in one's major subject The chosen topic should deal with a

scientifically relevant problem in the concerned discipline The goal is for the student tolearn skills, which he/she may utilize after graduation in practical professional duties or

o Summary of previous research on the topic (theoretical framework)

o Defining the research topic

o Research objectives, research questions, hypotheses

· Material and Methods

· Results

· Discussion

· Conclusions

· References

The thesis should be written in English and of good linguistic form Good written

expression is precise, proceeds logically, and terms and concepts are used as they arecommonly known Grammar and spelling should comply with the rules of the Englishlanguage in the context of scientific writing Differences in terminology and conceptsshould be explained and justified; uncommon and new concepts should be defined Thewritten and printed appearance of the thesis is a reflection of the student's professionalproficiency: to make a good impression, it should be done well

Good scientific text is characterized by the student's own creative contribution Thus, thetext should not only consist of a collection of thoughts presented earlier by others Thestudent should take a critical stance towards his/her references He/she should assess thecredibility of different sources and data, as well as determine just how similar previous

1.2 Types of Theses

Many Master's theses are comprehensive research reports, which include research

results They typically follow the structure Introduction Material & Methods Results Discussion - Conclusions - References Master's theses may also be literature-basedresearch reports, which both analyze and synthesize existing literature on a particularforest sciences related problem The structure of such a literature review is generallymore flexible than that of a traditional research report Thus, the above-mentioned

-structure is often adapted for the purposes of a literature review type of thesis

The Master's thesis is a printed and bounded monograph, which in addition to the primarytext includes a title page, abstract, table of contents and appendices It may also containacknowledgements, lists of symbols, notations, abbreviations, acronyms, figures, tables,and terminology For an example, see Appendix 5

2 Structure of the Master's Thesis

· Research objectives (what was studied and why)

· Research approach (was it experimental work, field inventory,

methodology research, literature review)

· Methods used

· Main research results

· Main conclusions

The abstract does not contain citations, tables, or figures Results which are not presented

in the actual thesis should not be included in the abstract

The length of the abstract should not exceed one page and should be typed on a made form available atforms on the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry website Theabstract should be attached at the beginning of the thesis (after the title page but beforethe table of contents) See the examples in Appendices 2 and 3

ready-2.3 Introduction

The purpose of the introduction is to arouse and maintain the interest of the reader (bait,hook and reel in, so to speak) In it one should explicitly and logically introduce theresearch problem and phrase the research question(s) For clarity's sake, the structure ofthe introduction is generally divided into four parts:

1 Background of Research

2 Summary of Previous Research

3 Defining the Research Topic

4 Research Objectives

2.3.1 Background

In the beginning of the introduction, the research topic is presented and the background

of the research described It is essential to tell what particular forest science or forestryproblem area the research is concerned with, as well as explain why the chosen topic isimportant, significant, and timely

2.3.2 Summary of Previous Research

The objective is to pull together previous research findings presented in scientific

literature on the chosen topic Such a literature review forms the theoretical basis (=

theoretical framework) of the intended research A clear and concise summary of

previously published domestic and international literature demonstrates that the studenthas adequately read up on the research topic

2.3.3 Defining the Research Topic

By reviewing previous research findings, it is then possible to reveal the gaps in presentknowledge, which one's own research intends to fill At this stage, one can disclose thequestions which were raised by the literature review The research is then defined tofocus on the desired problem area One should not tell about all prior topic-related

research findings, rather one should concentrate on those which are most relevant to one'sresearch objectives It is worth "saving" a portion of previous research findings for theDiscussion

2.3.4 Research Objectives

At the end of the introduction, the research problem and objectives are clearly defined.Such objectives should be both ambitious but nonetheless achievable Special attentionshould be paid to formulation of research objectives, for it is one of the most vital parts ofthe thesis

2.4 Material and Methods

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the methods used for collecting the necessarydata to solve the research problem Additionally, the means (models) for sorting,

processing, and managing collected data should be described The description of datacollection should be comprehensive enough to ensure repeatability based on the giveninformation Models should be described accurately to allow their suitability to be

assessed The chapter should answer the following questions:

· What does the data consist of?

· How was sampling carried out?

· What was measured?

· How were measurements made (and with what kind of accuracy)?

· What methods and tools for data analysis were used?

· How representative is the collected data?

In experimental work, research material, experimental design, and data analysis methods(i.e statistical models) should be described in detail The description of the experimentaldesign should include answers to the following questions: What is being explained and

by which variables/factors? Which variables are constant? How have rogue variablesbeen measured? How has randomization been done? As far as models are concerned, onemust explain how measured and/or otherwise controlled variables have been incorporatedinto the model

In inventory-type research, the sampling population is reported, the sampling designexplained in detail and the quality and scope of the data described It is also necessary todetermine how the sampling design has been taken into consideration when analyzingresults

In forest economics research, data is often based on existing statistics Thus, in this

chapter the empirical equivalents of used variables are presented, as well as potentialmodifications of the original data and the study period (i.e quarterly data 1982/1-

1995/4) Also, the empirical analysis method used is described (time-series econometrics,panel data econometrics, input-output models, factor analysis)

2.5 Results

In this chapter, the essential research results are presented in a logical manner The

collected data should be condensed, presented clearly and elucidated using tables, figures,etc Present silvicultural, ecological, biological, econometrical etc results rather than testresults or your statistical know-how Analysis results and statistical parameters should,however, be presented in great enough detail to permit the assessment of the validity andreliability of the analyses The research results should be based on the analyses and

measurements made in the study in question, and answer the questions posed in thesection Research Objectives It is also wise to report negative results should such arise Inthis chapter, the student refrains from comparing his/her own results with previous

research findings It is beneficial if answers to the research questions posed can be easilyfound in the results.

2.6 Discussion

Here, the theoretical discussion presented in the Introduction is utilized and elaborated onfurther The student compares his/her own study results with previous research findingspresented in literature It is absolutely essential to tell of new findings and to what extentthe results are consistent or conflicting with earlier findings The goal is to create a

synthesis of one's own findings and previous ones

Furthermore, the research objectives, chosen approach, and methods are critically

evaluated (the plusses and minuses!) The aim is to show which aspects of the studysucceeded well or sufficiently enough, and where there is still room for improvement.The representativeness of data and the possibility for generalizing results should also beexamined: how well does the data represent the studied population and the phenomena to

be explained Reservations regarding the interpretation of results are also brought

forward Thus, the Discussion is a link to both the Research Objectives paragraph andMaterial and Methods chapter

2.7 Conclusions

The purpose of this chapter is to formulate the most important research results into clear,concise conclusions Furthermore, the student considers how the obtained research resultscan be utilized in forest sciences and forestry, and makes recommendations concerninghow the employed research methods may be applied or developed for further studies.Additionally, one can offer insight on what related questions were left outside the

framework of the study This chapter is evidently linked to the beginning of the thesis, inwhich the research topic and problem were described

3 Format

3.1 General Guidelines

The pages should be numbered consecutively starting with the number one (on the firstpage of the Introduction) Appendices should not be numbered in the same way, ratherthe number of each appendix is placed on the top right corner of the page and they arenumbered consecutively (i.e if there are three appendices: Appendix 1, Appendix 2,Appendix 3) In case you wish to print your thesis, you should do it on A-4 Left marginsare min 25 mm for soft covers and 40 mm for hard covers, right, top, and bottom margins2.5 cm The font should be Times New Roman, size 12 Text should be one and a half-spaced (1.5) Paragraphs should be separated by a blank line The first sentence of aparagraph should not be indented Enough space should be left before and after titles,

3.2 Cover and Title Page

The title page includes the title of the work (situated in the middle of the page) Thestudent's major subject/specialization line, followed by the name of the University,

department, month and year, and name of the student should be found on the lower

margin of the page Please note, that the text on the title page and the cover of the thesisare generally identical copies of each other See the example below

Performance of Pinus sylvestris after forest fires in Southern Sweden

Thesis submitted for a M.Sc degree in Forest Ecology and Management

3.4 Chapter Titles and Table of Contents

Chapters and subchapters are numbered consecutively (i.e 1, 1.1, 1.1.1, 2, 2.1, 2.2, 3 ).Titles of chapters should be placed at the top of the page and boldfaced Subheadings can

be italicized (and boldfaced) Avoid using more than three heading levels For examples

of the Table of Contents -page in theses representing different major subjects, please seeAppendices 4 and 6-10

3.7 Tables and Figures

The purpose of these visual aids is to supplement and clarify the text, and not the otherway around Tables and figures and their text should be made exhaustively, so that theycan be easily interpreted (without relying on the body text) Table and figure text iswritten single-spaced

3.7.1 Tables

Tables are numbered consecutively Table titles are situated at the top of the table Ifsymbols or abbreviations are presented in the table, they should be explained below thetable as footnotes Tables should be spacious and clearly titled Generally vertical lines(partitions) are not used in tables All tables should be uniform in style One may use adifferent font and font size in tables and table text than in the body text For example:

Table 1 Peatland location and general characteristics

§ Cellulose in peat was identified after H2SO4 pre-treatment, hydrolysis and quantification by gas chromatography (Comont et al 2006).

† Total organic element in peat, performed by combustion at 1100°C with a CNS-2000 LECO apparatus, on dried and crushed samples (Comont et al 2006).

156 3.8 (-3.3, 19.7) 694 9.4±14.5(-32/36) 141±30 4.1± 44.7±16.4 55±2 1.5±0.4 0.227±0.045 Middlemuir Moss

(UK)

57°36N -2°9W

110 12.0 (1.4, 20.5) 1109* -14±14 (-51/-6) 147±87 4.3±1.1 65.8±35.2 54±5 1.5±0.2 0.395±0.037 Baupte

(FB)

49°17N -1°21E

4 10.3 (4.5, 16.0) 890 -58±7 (-95/-15) 121±32 5.5±0.4 14.8± 3.1 21±2 2.4±0.2 0.500±0.053

Le Russey

(FR)

47°18N -6°79E

867 6.6 (-1.4, 15.2) 1417 -11±7 (-26/0) 119±40 ± 47.6±26.1 27±4 2.0±0.4 0.028±0.047

La Chaux d’Abel

(CH)

47°10N -6°57E

1040 4.1 (-4.4, 13.5) 1463 -16±7 (-41/-4) 101±53 4.9±0.6 45.1±26.0 22±6 2.3±0.6 0.074±0.045

3.7.2 Figures

Figures (including diagrams, photographs, and illustrations) should be explicit and

symbols and text easily distinguishable Unnecessary special effects should be avoided

i.e three-dimensionality, horizontal lines, frames, shading Figures can be grouped into aset, which is comprised of numerous, related figures

Figures are numbered consecutively Figure titles are placed below the figure One may

use a different font and font size in figures and figure text than in the body text For

example:

Fig 2 C and N microbial dynamics over the chronosequence (n=7, P<0.05) of regenerating cutover

peatlands (left) and plant communities (right), for detailed abbreviations, see Table 3 Histograms with different letters are statistically different (non parametric multiple test comparison at P<0.05).

a a

c

b c

b c b

0 200 400 600

c

a

3.8 Scientific Names

When using scientific nomenclature, refer to the most recent, reliable sources Scientificnames (latin names of species) are italicized, except in the Reference list The scientificnames of the most common species are not generally mentioned

4 Citations and References

4.1 Citing References in the Text

In the thesis, it should become evident which thoughts and ideas are the student's ownproduction and which ones are based on previous research findings If text is not cited, it

is assumed to be the intellectual product of the student

Attempt should be made to use original works, publications, research reports etc.,

because the writer's original message may become blurred when using second-handsources However, if the original work cannot be found or finding it requires undue effort,cite such sources as described in Item 1 below under "list of examples"

Normally the citation is placed at the end of the sentence before the period In principle, aparagraph should not be written based entirely on one source; it is the same as copyingearlier text and ignoring the student's own creative contribution However, if it is deemedabsolutely necessary, a paragraph based on one citation should be cited by placing thecitation after the period of the last sentence of the paragraph If several different

paragraphs refer to the same source, the citation is made by starting the paragraph serieswith an explanatory clause i.e "If not otherwise mentioned, the information in the

following paragraphs is from Johnson (1985)."

Personal communication may also be cited Personal communication can be personalinterviews, letters, memos, emails, non archived messages from discussion groups andbulletin boards, telephone conversations etc When citing a personal communication try

to provide as exact a date as possible and include initials with surname The cited sourcesshould also be listed under References For example:

D B Duck (personal communication, April 1, 2002) estimates that

B S Wilson, (personal communication, March 25, 2003) believes that University ofAuckland students will find exceptional careers

or ( L Golder, personal communication, July 27, 2002)

When citing electronic sources, one should pay special attention to the quality and

reliability of the sources Such material should be assessed in the same way as traditionalmaterial

For references in the text, the name-year system is used:

"Allen (1994) has shown " or "It has been shown (Allen 1994) "

Allen and Jones (1990)

Allen et al (1996)

(Allen 1988, Smith 1991, Jones 1994)*

(Handbook of forest 1991)**

* When reference is made to several publications, arrange them in chronological order.

** Where a publication has no known author or editor, the first 2-3 words of the title are quoted (followed by three dots), together with the year of publication The term "Anonymous" must not be used.

Below is a list of examples:

1 If you refer to a source quoted in another source you cite both in the text:-e.g A study by Smith (1960 cited in Jones 1994) showed that Population growth puts immense stress on natural resources

in developing countries (Jackson 1999 cited in Jefferson 2000).

2 If there are two authors the surnames of both should be given:-e.g Matthews and Jones (1997) have proposed that…

3 If there are more than two authors the surname of the first author only should be given, followed

by et al.:-e.g Office costs amount to 20% of total costs in most business (Wilson et al 1997)

4 If the author’s name occurs naturally in the sentence the year is given in parentheses:-e.g In a popular study Harvey (1992) argued that we have to teach good practices…e.g As Harvey (1992, p.21) said, “good practices must be taught” and so we…

5 If the name does not occur naturally in the sentence, both name and year are given in e.g A more recent study (Stevens 1998) has shown the way theory and practical work interact e.g Theory rises out of practice, and once validated, returns to direct or explain the practice (Stevens 1998).

parentheses:-6 If a number of publications produced by the same author(s) during the same year are cited in the text, they are distinguished from each other with the letters a,b,c, etc.: (Lähde 1990a), (Lähde 1990b)

7 When citing a specific passage in a book/monograph, the citation should include page numbers i.e (Kakkuri et al 1974, p 57); this does not apply to research articles!

4.2 Citing Tables and Figures in the Text

All tables, etc should be referred to in the text The reference is placed in parentheses atthe end of the sentence before the period i.e "The mean annual increment exceeds

removal via cuttings in Finland (Figure 1)" When reference is made to a table, etc withinthe sentence, no parentheses are used i.e "The values in Table 1 describe "

4.3 Listing References

References are listed after Conclusions (but before Appendices) They are placed in

author Publications with more than two co-authors follow those with only one or twoauthors In addition, note the following:

– If a publication has no obvious author or editor, the publication is listed in alphabeticalorder of its own title

– The standard number, ISBN in books, or STRN in reports, should be given for sources

of low circulation at the end of the reference

– No italics are used in the reference list

Please consult the examples below:

Order of References

Smith, C 1996 Aspen Timber 77(4): 369–384.

Smith, C 1997 Silver birch Timber 78(1): 17–23.

Smith, C & Allen, A 1995 Scots pine Forest Management 15(1): 5–9.

Smith, C & Harris, B 1993 Scots pine Forest Management 13(2): 105–119.

Smith, C., Harris, B & Allen, A 1990 Sawn goods Timber 71(2): 131–140.

Smith, C., Allen, A & Harris, B 1995 Sawn goods revisited Timber 76(3): 231–240.

References to Internet Sources

Author's /Editor's surname, initials OR name of event/site Year Title of document (if applicable)

[online/internet site] (Edition, if applicable) Place of publication, Publisher (if ascertainable) Available at/from: URL [Cited/Accessed Date] i.e.

Johannesburg summit 2002 2003 [Internet site] United Nations, Division for Sustainable Development Available at: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org [Cited 5 Feb 2003].

Holland, M 2004 Guide to citing Internet sources [online] Poole, Bournemouth University Available from: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/library/using/guide_to_citing_internet_sourc.html [Accessed 4 November 2004].

Newspaper Article

Author’s surname, initials (or newspaper title) Year of publication Title of article Title of newspaper, Day and month (or issue and year), Page number/s and column number (if applicable) For example:

Independent 1992 Picking up the bills Independent, 4 June, p.28a.

Muurinen, H 2006 Traipsing through Old-Growth Forests of Komi University Magazine 12/2006 p 28.

26-Kurki, E 2003 Metsäalan perustutkinnot eivät vedä nuoria Metsälehti 16/2003 p 4-5.

No Author / Anonymous

Please note, that such references are placed in alphabetical order in the reference list as normally.

Finnish Statistical Yearbook of Forestry 2000 2000 Finnish Forest Research Institute Gummerus Printing Press Inc Jyväskylä p 217-230.

CD-ROMs and DVDs

This section refers to CD-ROMs which are works in their own right and not

bibliographic databases.

Author's surname, initials Year Title [type of medium CD-ROM].

(Edition) Place of publication, Publisher (if ascertainable) Available from:

Supplier/Database identifier or number (optional) [Accessed Date] (optional).

e.g.

Hawking, S.W 1994 A brief history of time: an interactive adventure [CDROM].

Crunch Media.

Conference Paper

Contributing author’s surname, initials Year of publication Title of

contribution Followed by In: Surname, initials of editor of proceedings (if

applicable) followed by ed in parentheses ( ) Title of conference proceedings including date and

place of conference Place of publication: Publisher, Page numbers of

contribution e.g.

Silver, K 1991 Electronic mail: the new way to communicate In: Raitt, D.I.

(ed.) 9th international online information meeting, 3-5 December 1990 London.

Oxford: Learned Information, 323-330.

Saastamoinen, O 1987 Multiple use and Forest 2000 programme Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Scandinavian Society of Forest Economics, Porvoo, Finland, May 1987.

Map

Originator’s surname, initials (may be cartographer, surveyor,

compiler, editor, copier, maker, engraver, etc.) Year of publication Title, Scale.

(should be given normally as a ratio) Place of publication: Publisher e.g.

Mason, J 1832 Map of the countries lying between Spain and India,

1:8,000,000 London: Ordnance Survey.

Unpublished Sources

Spud, I H 1999 Contrastive analysis: A comparison of Pig Latin and English Unpublished manuscript.

Nala, A 1998 Teaching vocabulary: Evidence from research in Pig Latin Unpublished manuscript,

Brigham Young University, Provo, UT.

Roosevelt, F 1997 Childhood acquisition of Pig Latin by native speakers of English Manuscript submitted

for publication.

Personal Communication

Surname, initials Year Personal communication, date Title, profession, where employed, country For

5 Master's Thesis Process

Making your Master's thesis is a challenging but fruitful process Here is the process in anutshell (see also Appendix 1):

1 Choosing a subject area that interests you and will be able to dedicate an entire year(and some ) to

2 Appointment of supervisors and getting acquainted

3 Thesis supervision agreement

4 Making your research plan

5 Data collection

6 Data analysis

7 Writing your thesis

8 Submission and evaluation

9 Getting your thesis printed (if a paper copy is needed Check with your professor!)

10 Maturity essay

In step 1, you should consider what particular aspect of your studies interests you.

If you don't know or have difficulty deciding, you are encouraged to discuss with staff,other students or professionals to find out what tickles your intellectual being Once youhave decided on your general area of interest, contact the responsible professor (of thediscipline) of the department to discuss your ideas and plans further Sometimes thesisopportunities are advertised in the department (bulletin board, e-mail), and these aretypically initiated by firms, research institutes etc Sometimes it is possible to get

involved in an on-going project at the department In any case, ask the responsible

professor You may also suggest your very own thesis topic, although it is generallyharder to get financial backing, but not impossible, however

Step 2: With your professor you will discuss your plans further, and a supervisor (in

addition to your own professor) within your own department or from the outside (i.e theFinnish Forest Research Institute) will be appointed The supervisor appointed by theprofessor is often the one who is guiding your thesis work in practice (i.e data

collection) Once the necessary supervisor(s) have been appointed, you are ready to makeyour research plan under their supervision and by using their feedback

Step 3: It’s highly recommendable that the student and his/her instructor sign a thesis

supervision agreement The form can be found at thefaculty’s web site

Step 4: The research plan is an important step It is worth devoting enough time to make

a good research plan, in order to save time and effort and avoid problems later on A wellarticulated research plan is the freeway to rather painless data collection The structure ofthe research plan resembles that of the actual thesis, so it is worth keeping in mind to savetime The research plan should include the following points:

1 Introduction

· Background and Previous Research

o scientific and practical

o domestic and international

· Defining the Research Topic

o time

o place

o What phenomena will be studied?

· Research Objectives

o What questions are you trying to answer?

o What is the purpose of the study?

o hypotheses

2 Theoretical Framework (if not included in the introduction)

· essential concepts

· theory/model

3 Material and Methods

· How will data be collected?

· How will data be sorted, processed, and analyzed?

· Implementation of study:

· timetable

· resources

· support persons

· other factors, elements

4 Predicted and/or Preliminary Results

Step 5: Once your research plan is accepted by your supervisors, you are ready to collect

your data Data may be collected at different times of the year and for different lengths oftime depending on the major, thesis topic, and the location(s) where data is being

collected Often data is collected during the summer months Be precise, careful, andconscientious!

Step 6: Upon finishing data collection, one must process data and analyze the results.

This involves interpreting the collected data, formulating models, making statisticalanalyses etc Data is put into visual form: tables, figures etc which will later be used inthe actual thesis to reflect relevant findings

on the results and consider the implications in order to formulate conclusions Writingyour thesis IS a process; it requires many rough drafts, corrections, revisions, regularfeedback from supervisors, rewriting, sometimes distance, and plenty of patience andperseverance Please keep in mind that the longer the process drags on, the harder it getsand the more time and effort it wastes: a two month break can mean considerable timerefreshing oneself with collected data However, short breaks (a week or so) are useful,for they can shed new light on your work and give you a new perspective (and new

brilliant ideas!) Be active in contacting your supervisors Don't always wait for them tocontact you

Step 8: As of August 1st 2014, the thesis are submitted electronically at E-thesis Studentsmust use the service to submit the final version of their Master’s thesis for assessment.Once submitted, the thesis cannot be amended or revised unless the student withdraws it

from assessment Before depositing the Master´s thesis via e-thesis student must contact the professor in charge in advance.

The digital thesis process -system allows the students to submit electronic Master’s thesisfor examination, assessment,Urkund and with the permission of the student, publication

on the net The electronical system is a part of the E-Thesis Service which is used in theUniversity Library

All second-cycle theses are inspected by Urkund when they are submitted for

examination as of 1 August 2014 Urkund is a part of the digital thesis process in whichstudents return their theses via E-thesis

Before the final submittal the student must convert thesis into pdf-file Please familiarizeyourself with theprocedure in advance After converting the text into a suitable file modeyou can deposit your Thesis via E-thesis Proceed toE-thesis

At this point, the evaluation process begins Grading of your thesis is based on the

opinions of two examiners, both of which are Doctors Typically, one is your professorand the other an outsider (someone who is familiar with the topic but has not been

involved in your work and is not from the department) appointed by your professor Yourprofessor is in charge of handling this matter; the student does not have to do anythingbut wait for the grade It normally takes at least a month or so The examiners assess thequality of the following areas: formulation of research questions, research approach,introduction and literature review, material and methods, the combining of theory andempirics, results and their presentation, discussion and conclusions, clarity and

finalization, maturity of work Each of the above mentioned areas is graded by eachexaminer on the following scale: 1, 1+, 2-, 2, 2+, 3-, 3, where 1 is the lowest acceptablegrade, and 3 is the best possible grade See faculty’s forms for assessing the thesis

Together the examiners propose the final grade to be given based on their individualreviews Notification is then sent to the student and the faculty council, who then

formally ratifies the thesis at their nextmeeting The student has the right to object to theproposed grade before the matter is handled in the faculty council The grading needs toreach the Faculty office at least 1,5 weeks before the meeting In general it takes approx