• Code: INS2TF010
• Extent: 6 cr (162h)
• Timing: 4th semester 
• Language: English
• Level: Professional Studies
• Type: compulsory

Learning outcomes

The purpose of the course is to acquaint students with different research methods 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. Students are also required to sum up the developments of their research project in a follow-up report. In the course of the Writing Business Report, oral presentation skills and the genre of academic writing will be briefly recapitulated. Students are to revise their written documents during the course, if necessary, after the lecturers in charge of the course have reviewed them with comments.

Course contents

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

Seminar documents: 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
• Seminar paper: a 15 20-page-long document in the format of an academic research report
• Introduction
• Defining the Concepts
• Empirical part
• Conclusions
• Research report: A follow-up report of the research process

Teaching and learning methods

Contact hours 40 h
Independent work 79 h
Self-assessment of learning 1 h

Teachers responsible

Markku Somerkivi, Pasila

Eija Hansén, Pasila

Juha Pispa, Pasila

Course materials

To be announced during the course

Modes of assessment and their weights

• 35% class room participation

• 35% class attendance (3 sessions out of 5 is minimum for passing grade).
• 30% in class assignments

The self-assessment of learning assignment does not impact your grade. The assignment is the same for all courses/modules and your answers will be used also for course/module development. The assignment is completed online in WinhaOpaali.