Honesty and transparency are required from all scientific research, including the theses of the Universities of Applied Sciences. Anyone must be able to check the methods used in the collection and analysis of data as well as the use of sources. Healthy criticism of sources and checking the reliability of the knowledge is the researcher’s moral responsibility.
The Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences have common recommendations for a thesis process which is ethical and corresponding to good scientific practice. Students are required to become familiar with the instructions Ethical recommendations for thesis writing at Universities of Applied Sciences and Ethical guidelines for thesis work – Student's checklist and Supervisor's checklist (Arene, 2020) in the studies preparing for the thesis. The recommendations are based on the legislation and the scientific community’s international and national, research-ethical principles, definitions of policy, and recommendations. The instructions also include clear rules of conduct for dealing with suspected plagiarism.
The Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK has drawn up guidelines for research integrity and for handling alleged violations of research integrity (Finnis National Board on Research Integrity, 2023). Universities of Applied Sciences are also committed to following this guideline. According to the guidelines, universities are responsible for dealing with allegations of infringement against theses at Master's and Master's level.
Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences has established its own internal process and guidelines for reseach integity in SeAMK's theses. The process is based on the national research integrity process, but has been simplified. With its own guidelines.
The Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences have agreed to observe the instruction The Finnish code of conduct for research integrity and procedures for handling alleged violations of research integrity in Finland (2023) by the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity (TENK).This instruction defines, what good scientific practice is, how suspected breach of it is dealt with, as well as the Universities of Applied Sciences are obliged to provide training in research ethics for its students, teachers, and other experts used by them. The Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences have also agreed to observe the ethical instructions for research in humanistic, social and behavioural sciences by TENK and to arrange the ethical preliminary assessment of research in accordance with the recommendations (Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK, 2021). The aim of the instructions is to promote good scientific practice and to prevent scientific fraudulence at all organisations conducting research, including the Universities of Applied Sciences.
SeAMK has an Ethical Committee tasked with the ethical preliminary assessment of humanistic non-medical research and with guiding the ethical development of this research. The ethical committee convenes whenever necessary (Seinäjoen Ammattikorkeakoulu, 2018.) In matters to be submitted to the Ethical Committee, contact Research Manager Seliina Päällysaho, the secretary of the committee.
The thesis is also checked with the Turnitin anti-plagiarism software. The Turnitin conducts a textual comparison and produces a report, based on which the teacher recognises the possible illegal quotation of sources. For the procedure of the Turnitin check and the instruction for the student, visit SeAMK Intra.
For a study related to an external organisation or company, a research permission is needed. The research permission is applied for with a free-form letter and/or the practice of the organisation or company in question is observed. It is advisable to define in the research permission the consent to the use of the data and the storage of the data. In addition, the participants in the study are asked their consent to the study, and the maintenance of the anonymity of the research subjects is specified.
If the research subjects are students or staff of Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences, the research permission procedure of SeAMK is observed. A research permission, applied for with an e-form is needed for all studies related to Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences.
Research-ethical questions are also widely addressed in the research literature (See, e.g., Kuula, 2011; Mäkinen, 2006).