LibGuides: Tips for LAB thesis supervisors: General information on theses

Public document

In principle, a thesis is a public document according to law (The Constitution of Finland §12.2; Publicity Act §1). The public nature of the thesis means that the metadata of the thesis are available, and the thesis is accessible directly or on request.

When a student uploads their thesis in the LAB’s open collection in Theseus, the metadata and the thesis are openly accessible online.
When a student uploads their thesis in the LAB’s restricted collection in Theseus, only the metadata and the abstract are openly accessible online. The thesis can be read in the Lahti and Lappeenranta campus libraries during customer service hours: on request, the staff will open access to the computer from which the thesis can be read. If a person interested in reading the thesis from the restricted collection cannot come to the campus library to read it, a thesis file will be sent to them by e-mail. This is a document request.

Accessibility

Accessibility means making online services as easy as possible for different people to use. The accessibility requirements cover a wide range of content and apply to the files contained in online services, including theses and dissertation files. The requirements aim to ensure that online content can be accessed by all people, even those with disabilities or assistive technology. Assistive technology is needed and used by people who have difficulty using information technology, for example because of sensory impairment, illness or cognitive difficulties. Assistive technologies are devices and software that help people to manage and use different devices, and to convey information about content. One example of assistive technology is screen readers. In addition to visible content, screen readers also provide the user with code annotations and information about structure, such as header levels or alternative text for images.

When writing a thesis, or at the latest when publishing it, the accessibility of the thesis file should be considered. Thesis accessibility guidelines page in Theseus explains what accessibility means, why a thesis should be accessible and how to make it accessible.

More information about accessibility:

Regional State Administrative Agency's website
Accessibility library on the Celia Guidelines website (only in Finnish & Swedish)
Finlex: Act on the Provision of Digital Services (306/2019) (only in Finnish & Swedish)

The use of library's e-resources in theses

Electronic material acquired for the LUT Academic Library is also protected by copyright. The terms of use vary depending on the material in question, as they are dependent on the agreements and terms of use agreed upon by the publishers. It is the responsibility of both the library and the users of the materials to comply with the terms of use for each material as defined in the licence agreements. These agreements define the rights and restrictions on access to the material in question. They apply, for example, to printing, digital copying, linking and referencing. For further information on access rights and restrictions to e-resources, please see the library’s guide.

LAB thesis guidelines

The LAB teachers’ thesis guidelines can be found on the LAB-intra: thesis Bachelor's degree and thesis Master's degree. The page also contains descriptions of LAB’s thesis processes, as well as guidance and other documents on thesis supervision for teachers.

(For students, thesis guidelines are available in eLAB.)

Useful links

Act on the Openness of Government Activities Thesis is a public document.
Policy component for open access to theses A thesis written in a public institution is, in principle, a public document. As such, the metadata of the thesis are available and the thesis is accessible directly or on request, for example, the thesis may only be read in the library. In addition, the openness of a thesis means that it is open and accessible online, free of charge.
Information on data protection (only in Finnish) Instructions made in co-operation by several higher education institutions. The package contains the most important data protection practices of the thesis, instructions and a timeline at which stage the data protection issues should be considered. In addition, there is an FAQ collected from higher education institutions. An article on the subject: https://www.kreodi.fi/arkisto/artikkelit/opinnaytetyon-ohjaajan-ja-datakouluttajan-tietosuojapaketti.html.
Opinnäytetyön Sopimusreppu (only in Finnish) "A thesis contract backpack" is a material prepared within the framework of a project funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. It contains the following documents: preface, thesis preparation form, thesis contract, general terms and conditions of the thesis contract, instructions for using and completing the thesis contract, material transfer agreement.The model documents are intended for free use by universities of applied sciences. The documents have been designed to take into account the principles of Open RDI and research ethics, as well as the requirements of data protection legislation, as far as possible. Each university of applied sciences can use the templates according to its own discretion and needs. However, it should be noted that if the models are only partially used or modified, it is absolutely necessary to consult a lawyer.
Recommendations by Arene The Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences Arene recommendations (scroll down for documents in English)
The library's thesis saving instructions to Theseus
Creating an accessible PDF/A file
Copyright and Creative Commons licensing
Thesis submission page in Theseus

Questions? Contact us.

If you have any questions, you can email us at theseus@lab.fi.