HSI501 Master's Project (Autumn 2022–Spring 2023)

• be able to assess current problems in the introduction and use of ICT in the health-, care- and welfare services.
• be able to assess the consequences of the use of ICT in the health-, care- and welfare services and demonstrate an understanding of the changes in work life, research, and teaching that the increased use of ICT entails.
• be able to apply theoretical knowledge and relevant scientific methods on a chosen problem
• be able to apply important research principles to the planning, implementation, and development of a project.
• be able to critically assess the ethical considerations that need to be considered in the implementation of a research project.

The master’s thesis constitutes an important part of the study programme and should be an independent piece of scientific work in the chosen specialisation.

Topic: The starting point for the thesis should be a specific area in the health-, care- and welfare services where ICT plays a significant role. The topic should be chosen in close cooperation with the appointed supervisor.

Types of assignments, size, and form: The master’s thesis must be submitted in the form of either a) a monograph or b) an article-based master’s thesis consisting of a manuscript in a format which is publishable in a recognised international journal with peer review as well as an integrative chapter. If the article-based format is chosen, the integrative chapter should comprise 7,000 to 10,000 words. The length of the monograph should be approximately 20,000 words. Please refer to the course brochure and master’s handbook for further information.

The master’s thesis may be a free-standing piece of work or be included as a limited but independent part of an ongoing research project.

The master's thesis will normally be carried out individually or in groups of up to three students.

Project plan: The students are required to write a detailed project plan (research protocol) for the master’s thesis. The project plan should give a brief account of the project’s theoretical and empirical foundation, topic area, problem, methodology, data processing, type of analysis, research-ethical considerations, timeframe, and budget. The project plan must be completed and approved by the supervisor by a given deadline. Please refer to the course brochure.

Supervision is a compulsory part of writing the master¿s thesis and must be planned so that the students are in touch with their supervisor in all parts of the research process. Ten hours of supervision are compulsory. Parts of the supervision will take place in groups. A contract of supervision is made with the faculty.

During the work with the master¿s thesis the students will participate in seminars where presentations with feedback make up part of the work requirements. Attendance and participation at various stages of the work process are compulsory. The course has an expected workload of 1,080 hours.

• Participation requirements for compulsory seminars and supervision must be met.
• All preceding courses in the programme must be passed.

Please refer to the course brochure.

The master's thesis can be completed individually or in groups of up to three students. The master's thesis is assessed by an internal and external examiner, and the student (s) receive a graded assessment on the master's thesis. The grade can be adjusted by one grade after an individual adjusting oral exam.

Please refer to the guidelines in the master’s handbook.