Research and Development Methods
| Structure Type: | Study unit |
|---|---|
| Code: | MS00BP17 |
| Curriculum: | IDKJ 2025K |
| Level: | Master of Engineering |
| Year of Study: | 1 (2025) |
| Semester: | Spring |
| Credits: | 5 cr |
| Responsible Teacher: | Uusi-Kakkuri, Piia |
| Language of Instruction: | Finnish |
Courses During the Year 2025
| Impl. | Group(s) | Study Time | Teacher(s) | Language | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3001 | DKJ2025-I, EVS2025-1, HY2025-1, HY2025T-1, HYA2025K-1Y | 2025-01-07 – 2025-05-22 | Pertti Aula, Anne Wargelin, Hanna Erkinheimo, Suvi Isohella, Mari Mäkynen, Päivi Rajala, Piia Uusi-Kakkuri, Riikka Lehesvuo, Toni Lustila | Finnish | 2024-12-01 – 2025-01-13 |
Taking the course in advance? See the courses during the academic year 2024-2025.
Learning Outcomes
After completing the course, you will possess an understanding of the principles and methods of research and development activities. You will have the ability to acquire reliable information from diverse sources and critically apply the principles of scientific writing in your own research and development work. You will master key methodologies and fundamental aspects of research and development, enabling the judicious selection and reasoned application of methods in your own research or development projects. Upon completion of the course, you will be able to utilize research ethics principles and apply guidelines for good scientific practice when planning and conducting research and development activities. You will clearly identify the various phases of research and development activities and be capable of planning your own thesis process accordingly.
Contents
• Information retrieval process; search topic, search planning, search execution, evaluation of search results, selection, and utilization of sources.
• Principles of scientific writing, Writing guidelines at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences.
• Philosophical approaches to science, Research strategies; qualitative and quantitative, Research methods; data collection & data analysis, Development methods; participatory approaches.
• Introduction to research ethics principles; plagiarism, use of artificial intelligence, authorship, conflicts of interest, Ethics in research planning; research environment, data collection, data management, collaboration planning (confidentiality), Ethics in implementation phase; reporting.
• Research and development process; Familiarization with the topic, research planning, research execution, and reporting, Thesis process at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences; Wihi software for the supervision and management of thesis projects, publishing options.
Mode of Delivery / Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
Independently conducted exercises and thesis project plan.
The course is primarily conducted as independent study at one's own pace online. At the end of the course (research and development process), there are time-bound, individually arranged meetings with the supervisors specializing in their respective fields.
Assessment Criteria
Passed/Failed.
Further Information
Language(s) of instruction: English and Finnish; completion language(s): English and Finnish.