DoD Master’s Thesis Seminar 2024-

Participating in the thesis-related activities:

• Participate in the Thesis Seminar sessions and thesis clinics organized by the department and/or programs/majors.

Completing Part 2:

• Work to complete Thesis Part 2 according to the plan described in Part 1. 
• If you are doing a production, do the production. If you are conducting a research-through design project, do that. If you are doing an interview study or co-creative workshop to collect qualitative data do that. 
• Do the data analysis; check materials from the Design Research course and work with your supervisor and advisor to identify the most relevant analysis methods.
• Work with your advisor, and, if/when needed, ask for support from the supervisor. 
• The Part 2 document that you need to submit must describe your methods (how you did the research and/or production), the insights you found during your analysis, and a preliminary discussion of these findings in relation to your research aims, approach, and topic. The Part 2 document also includes the parts submitted in Part 1 - the topic framing, aims/research questions, background, and methodological framing – that can be updated if some elements are changed from the previous submission.
• Part 2 of the thesis is equal to 10 ECTS or 270 hours of work. 
• Part 2 is submitted as a written document according to the program/major's instructions and or based on agreement with the supervisor.

Part 2 submission format

• Part 2 submission document includes:
  • Title page:
    • Student name, student number 
    • Provisional title
    • Supervisor
    • Advisor(s)
  • Table of Contents:
    • Presents the content of the thesis, maximum three levels in depth (levels 1, 1.1, and 1.1.1)
  • Introduction (~3 pages): 
    • What is this thesis about? Why have you chosen this topic? What is its significance, and what are its aims? What could this thesis contribute to debate and practice in your field of design?
    • Updated from Part 1 submission
  • Theoretical background (~4-10 pages): 
    • Combine the Background and Theoretical/conceptual framework from the Part 1 submission
    • Review of this topic. What do we know already? What angles, conceptual frameworks, and methods have been used? What is the current state of knowledge?
    • How do you approach your topic? You can draw on previous literature on the topic, or argue for a different approach.
    • What theoretical or methodological frameworks do you ground your work in?
    • Updated from Part 1 submission
  • Methods (~2-4 pages): 
    • How did you carry out the research work? How did you do the research?
    • How did you collect/make your material? 
    • How will you treat/analyze it?
    • Updated from Part 1
  • Description of the artistic/design production (if relevant) (~4-10 pages):
    • How did you make the production? Describe the process of making.
    • Describe your production, e.g., the collection, the design, the service. 
    • Use words, pictures, figures, and other material so that the reader can understand your process and production.
  • Findings/Results (~3-6 pages):
  • Analysis of your data.
    
  • Present your findings (e.g. from interviews, workshops, questionnaires, etc.) in a clear and organized manner. Use tables, charts, or graphs to illustrate key data points and substantiate your reasoning by grounding your findings in the raw data/material for your thesis.
    • Provide relevant context and explanations for the data. Discuss patterns, trends, and any significant observations, e.g. organizing data into themes.
  • Discussion (~4-6 pages):
    • The discussion section interprets the meaning of the results, puts them in context, and explains why they matter. The discussion can include a conceptualization of the findings and abstraction level of analysis.
      
    • Discuss the implications of your findings in relation to your research question and/or aims. 
    • Compare your results with existing literature and theories. 
    • Address any limitations or challenges encountered during the field study: what impacted your research? what would you do differently next time and why? would another research approach be better for studying this topic? what aspects did you leave out and why?
    • Avenues for further research: how can this topic be studied further? what are the remaining or new unanswered questions about your topic?
  • List of references
    
• Part 2 submission format:
  • 20-60 pages (approx. 400 words/page, minimum = 8000 words, maximum = 24000 words)
  • Use the font Times New Roman or equivalent, 12 points, 1,5 spacing.
  • Include visual material if/when needed.
  • Use proper academic text and style. 
  • Use APA referencing style for in-text citations and the List of References.

After submitting Part 2:

• Your supervisor will evaluate the Part 2 submission according to the Evaluation criteria described in the ARTS Master's Thesis Guide 2022, see Appendix 2 (also in the table below).
• If no changes are needed to pass Part 2, you will directly receive 10 ects. Your supervisor will give you some feedback on your submission.
• If your Part 2 submission is not sufficient according to the evaluation criteria, your supervisor will inform you what changes you need to make to pass Part 2.

Evaluation Criteria for Part 2 (from ARTS Master's Thesis Guide 2022, Appendix 2):