UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI. Faculty of Pharmacy Postgraduate Study Guide

Transcription

1 UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI Faculty of Pharmacy Postgraduate Study Guide

2 CONTENTS 1. Basic information of the degrees and the faculty Basic information on the doctoral studies Applying for the right to pursue a doctoral degree Faculty Office and student support services Faculty council and research Committee Doctoral schools and Doctoral programmes at the UH Registration and reinstatement of the right to study Student progress monitoring Internal Faculty communications Helsinki University library Flexible Study Right Scheme (JOO) Funding opportunities User account Induction to the Faculty TUHAT research database and HELDA PhD studies at the Faculty of Pharmacy Postgraduate degrees Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmacy) degree Doctor of Philosophy degree Licentiate of Philosophy (Pharmacy) degree Objectives of doctoral studies Major subjects of pharmacy degrees Choosing the field of research of the postgraduate studies Student supervision Supervisor s duties Follow up/steering group Content of studies Doctoral degree requirements Theoretical studies Compulsory studies Other studies in the student s own discipline Research related to a doctoral dissertation Doctoral dissertation

3 3.2 The structure of a doctoral dissertation Conference participation Travel arrangements and costs Participation fee Travel plan and travel expense report (for the UH employees only) Academic presentation Poster Academic presentations PowerPoint presentation Practical presentations tips Writing an academic article (by Piia Salo and Päivi Uutela) Important considerations in academic writing Structure of an academic article Language revision Submission of an article to a journal Finalising the dissertation, pre-examination and a permit to defend Format of the dissertation The dissertation completion grant and support for printing costs Preliminary examination of a dissertation and permission to defend it Permission to defend nominating opponent and custos Publishing the dissertation Public examination (defence) of the dissertation Doctoral candidate s duties Custos duties Opponent s duties Grading the dissertation Customs followed at the public examination Dress code Doctor s hat Postdoctoral party, Karonkka Graduating Doctoral degree Degree conferment ceremony, promootio Appendix 1, The rights and duties of supervisors and postgraduate students

4 Appendix 2, Supervisory expectations and responsibilities Appendix 3, Letter of reference Appendix 4, Letter to the editor Appendix 5, Letter to the editor Appendix 6, Letter to the editor 3 (corrections)

5 1. BASIC INFORMATION OF THE DEGREES AND THE FACULTY In this study guide there are information on the practices of conducting doctoral studies at the Faculty of Pharmacy. The international students are pursuing for a doctoral degree and therefore this study guide concentrates on the doctoral studies (other postgraduate degree granted by the faculty is the Licentiate degree). 1.1 BASIC INFORMATION ON THE DOCTORAL STUDIES The Faculty of Pharmacy offers the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmacy), Doctor of Philosophy and Licentiate of Philosophy (Pharmacy). Academic postgraduate studies are based on a Finnish Master s degree or overseas education qualifying the student for similar academic studies in the country in which the education was completed. Only in exceptional circumstances the right to pursue a doctoral degree may be granted to an applicant who is deemed to have sufficient knowledge and skills for postgraduate study even though she/he does not have a Master s degree. The majority of the doctoral students at the faculty work in a research groups. Therefore the applicants should write their research plan together with the group director or the professor in charge of the relevant discipline. Applicants should also discuss funding arrangements with their prospective supervisor before submitting their application. 1.2 APPLYING FOR THE RIGHT TO PURSUE A DOCTORAL DEGREE The right to pursue a doctoral degree and a membership in a doctoral programme are applied at the same time and are applied via an electric application form. There are four application periods in a year. In the autumn 2015 the application periods are: and In the spring 2016 the application peridos are in February and in April The faculty grants the right to pursue for a doctoral degree and the application is addressed to the faculty. The.application consists of 1. the application form 2. a research plan 3. a personal study plan 4. a certificate of the language skills The research plan is based on the choice of major subject and is drawn up with the supervisor s assistance if necessary. The length of the plan is 3-6 pages. A doctoral degree must be planned and supervised so that it can be completed in four years of full-time study. Students should discuss their personal study plan (e.g., the research timetable and the content of studies that support research work) with their supervisor when writing the research plan. In the study 5

6 plan there must be the names or at least the contents of the planned courses/studies and the approximate timing of the studies. The Faculty Office checks the qualification of the applicant. The relevant doctoral programme gives a statement of the applicant. Based on the programme s statement the Dean grants the right to pursue for a doctoral degree. The Faculty Office sends a letter to all the applicants to their home address. Further information: FACULTY OFFICE AND STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES Planning officer Maija Tiippana-Usvasalo is in charge of handling the applications and advising the postgraduate students.contact details: maija.tiippana@helsinki.fi, tel Department secretary Elisa Sippola is in charge in registering completed postgraduate studies to the student register and issuing degree diplomas. Contact details: elisa.sippola@helsinki.fi, tel The Faculty Office s mailing address: Faculty of Pharmacy, P.O. Box 56, University of Helsinki Visiting address: Viikinkaari 5, Biocenter 2, rooms 2065 and FACULTY COUNCIL AND RESEARCH COMMITTEE The Faculty Council appoints preliminary examiners for doctoral dissertations, decides on permission to defend a dissertation at a public examination and decides on the grading of doctoral dissertations based on the custos s, preliminary examiners and opponent s statements. The chair of the council is Dean Jouni Hirvonen and the secretary is the Head of Administration Leo Pyymäki. Composition and meeting timetable of the Faculty Council: The Research Committee of the Faculty of Pharmacy plans and coordinates the Faculty s interdisciplinary research projects and further develops the joint use of the Faculty s research equipment and facilities. The chair of the committee is Vice Dean Risto Kostiainen and the secretary Maija Tiippana-Usvasalo.. Composition and meeting timetable of the Research Affairs Committee DOCTORAL SCHOOLS AND DOCTORAL PROGRAMMES AT THE UH All the doctoral students of the University of Helsinki belong to one of the doctoral programmes. The applicant applies for a doctoral programme at the same time he/she applies for the right to pursue doctoral degree. 6

7 The doctoral schools at the University of Helsinki are: Doctoral School in Humanities and Social Sciences, Doctoral School in Natural Sciences, Doctoral School in Health Sciences and Doctoral School in Environmental, Food and Biological Sciences. The 32 doctoral programmes belong to one of the four doctoral schools. The doctoral students of the Faculty of Pharmacy may be a member of one of the following doctoral programmes: Doctoral school in Health Sciences: Doctoral Programme of Drug Research (DPDR), Doctoral Programme in Population Health (Doc Pop), Doctoral Programme in Integrative Life Sciences (ILS) and Doctoral Programme Brain & Mind (Brain & Mind). Doctoral School in Natural Sciences: Doctoral Programme in Chemistry and Molecular Science and Doctoral Programme in Materials Research and Nanosciences (MATRENA). UH doctoral schools and programmes: Faculty of Pharmacy doctoral programmes: REGISTRATION AND REINSTATEMENT OF THE RIGHT TO STUDY Postgraduate students must register annually as attending or non-attending students no later than 31 st August (or if that date falls on a weekend, no later than the following working day). All doctoral students who register as attending, must as part of the annual registration estimate how actively he or she is working towards the doctoral degree during the coming academic year. He or she must also provide an estimate on his or her activity in the previous year. The doctoral student and his or her supervisor estimate the full- or part-time status of the student s studies according to a four-tier scale: 0 25%, 26 50%, 51 75% and %. A doctoral student whose activity is % is considered to be studying full time. If a student, after having failed to register at the University by the due date, wishes to register as an attending or non-attending student by 31 st December of the same year, he/she must pay a reenrolment fee and present the receipt at one of the University s student service offices. Should a student wish to continue studies at a later date, the student must apply for readmission into the Faculty and must pay a degree-specific re-enrolment fee. For further information, please see Membership of the University of Helsinki Student Union is voluntary for postgraduate students. For further information about Student Union fees, see: STUDENT PROGRESS MONITORING The University of Helsinki has a system for the monitoring of postgraduate student progress. Progress monitoring is based on information in the Student Register and allows faculties to offer support and supervision to those postgraduate students whose studies are delayed. Monitoring applies to those University of Helsinki postgraduate students who were granted the right to pursue postgraduate 7

8 studies six or more years ago and who have yet to complete their postgraduate degree. Progress monitoring takes place each spring, when students who have not progressed appropriately in their studies receive a letter telling them what they need to do to retain their right to study. Postgraduate students at the Faculty of Pharmacy who are registered as having studied for six years or more must write a free-form application (one page) with an update of their personal study plan. The application has to include a list of accepted and submitted articles and the state of the studies. In the study plan there has to be estimation of the year of the dissertation and the studies must be possible to complete in three years. The plan must be approved and signed by the supervisor(s). The application is delivered to the Faculty Office and is handled in the Research Affairs Committee. The right to pursue postgraduate studies can be extended for no more than three years at a time. If the student is granted The Faculty Office informs postgraduate students of whether their new plan has been approved and their study right extended. 1.8 INTERNAL FACULTY COMMUNICATIONS The faculty s information channels are Flamma and faculty s own ing lists. Postgraduate students also have their own mailing list. To subscribe to it, please submit your address to Elisa Sippola (elisa.sippola@helsinki.fi). 1.9 HELSINKI UNIVERSITY LIBRARY The Helsinki University Library is Finland s largest multidisciplinary university library. It provides information and library services across a number of disciplines at four university campuses. The Library is available open to all and offers open access to the sources of scientific knowledge. The Library comprises the City Centre, Kumpula, Meilahti and Viikki campus libraries as well as centralised services. Viikki Campus Library's primary target groups are students and staff on Viikki campus. The Science Library's services are available for everyone who needs information in library's subject areas. For further information about the Viikki Campus Library and its services, see The Viikki Campus Library offers not only lending services, but also guidance and training in information seeking and retrieval as well as information and interlibrary lending services. Customers can use the library workstations and the fourth-floor reading rooms and group work facilities. All basic services are free, but reservations and interlibrary loans are charged according to a separate price list FLEXIBLE STUDY RIGHT SCHEME (JOO) Finnish universities have concluded an agreement on a flexible right to study. Within this agreement, also known as the Flexible Study Right Scheme (abbreviated JOO), students can primarily apply for the right to pursue studies that their home university does not offer. For further information about the online service (JOOPAS) associated with the Flexible Study Right Scheme, see Please note that each student is responsible for submitting information to the University of Helsinki Student Register about studies completed within the Flexible Study Right Scheme. Students must fill 8

9 in and submit an application form for the right to include studies completed outside the University of Helsinki as minor subject studies in their degree programme. The application form must be accompanied by a transcript of such studies FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES Funding for research and postgraduate studies should be arranged before applying for the right to study. Research funding opportunities can be discussed with the project director or the supervisor. Various foundations offer grants and scholarships upon application. Students can also apply for a place in a graduate school or doctoral programme or for an assistantship. Information about grants and scholarships: The University of Helsinki research and innovation services: UH own doctoral training positions Academy of Finland website: Council of Finnish foundations Finnish Cultural Foundation: USER ACCOUNT The IT Department s user account services handle all matters related to user IDs and passwords. For more information, see: INDUCTION TO THE FACULTY Postgraduate student s supervisor is responsible for providing orientation to their students and telling them about the division s and research group s practices. Postgraduate orientation must pay attention to whether the University employs the postgraduate student (usually as a doctoral student in a graduate school or doctoral programme) or whether he or she pursues studies under a grant or other funding. For the international postgraduate students there is information and a checklist in the University of Helsinki web-pages at: Guide for international researhers and visitors: The orientation material for new employees is in Flamma: 9

10 1.14 TUHAT RESEARCH DATABASE AND HELDA TUHAT research database is the tool for gathering information for reporting at the University of Helsinki. The researchers at UH must enter all their articles and other activities into TUHAT. Also the information on other scientific and social activities (e.g. positions of trust, articles in newspapers, evaluations) must be stored at TUHAT The researchers are in charge in storing their own information at TUHAT. Login address: The library will offer help and support in saving and handling articles and publications. The contact person at the Viikki Campus Library is Anna Laihanen tel ). TUHAT-contact person at the faculty is Maija Tiippana-Usvasalo tel Doctoral students may have their own TUHAT-profile. The request to create a profile should be sent to Maija. The Library maintains HELDA, the University of Helsinki s open digital repository of full-text materials produced at the University, including articles by researchers, publication series by departmental units, learning materials produced in the faculties, and research material as well as theses produced by institutes and departments. At the Viikki Campus Library HELDA -contact persons of the Faculty of Pharmacy are Päivi Jaakkola (paivi.jaakkola@helsinki.fi, tel ) and Katja Kunttu (katja.kunttu@helsinki.fi, tel ). 2. PHD STUDIES AT THE FACULTY OF PHARMACY 2.1 POSTGRADUATE DEGREES The primary postgraduate degree at the University of Helsinki is the doctoral degree. The postgraduate degrees offered by the Faculty of Pharmacy are the degrees of Doctor of Science (Pharmacy), Doctor of Philosophy and Licentiate of Science (Pharmacy). In the degree programmes in industrial pharmacy and in hospital pharmacy offered by the Faculty of Pharmacy, the Licentiate degree includes specialist training (only in Finnish). In other degree programmes that the Faculty offers, the doctoral degree should be the primary objective DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PHARMACY) DEGREE If a faculty of pharmacy had primary responsibility for a prospective postgraduate student s undergraduate education, the student is automatically considered qualified to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmacy) degree. If a prospective postgraduate student graduated from a discipline other than pharmacy, the student must demonstrate knowledge and skills in pharmaceutical research or must complete additional studies DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE If a faculty of pharmacy did not have primary responsibility for a prospective postgraduate student s undergraduate education, the student can pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree in the Faculty of Pharmacy. 10

11 2.1.3 LICENTIATE OF PHILOSOPHY (PHARMACY) DEGREE To complete a Licentiate of Philosophy (Pharmacy) degree, a student must complete the theoretical studies and to write a licentiate thesis in which the student shows profound familiarity with the research field and the ability to apply scientific research methods independently and critically. The professor in the major subject approves the topic of each Licentiate thesis. Profound study of the chosen specialist area, which is a requirement of postgraduate studies, mostly takes place within the confines of the research topic. A postgraduate student must be able to study literature independently in an effort to learn more about the chosen specialist area and to supplement his or her knowledge in disciplines related to the specialist area. 2.2 OBJECTIVES OF DOCTORAL STUDIES A doctoral dissertation and related research work are the largest and most significant parts of a doctoral degree programme. The total scope of a doctoral degree and the scope of a dissertation are not expressed in credits, but the theoretical studies included in the degree programme are. Doctoral studies must support dissertation work and provide the knowledge and skills required for a researcher s work and other demanding specialist work. Doctoral studies can be offered either as separate courses or by integrating them into dissertation work. According to Section of the Government Decree on University Degrees, the objective of scientific postgraduate education is that the student: 1) becomes well-versed in his or her own field of research and its social significance; 2) gains knowledge and skills needed to apply scientific research methods independently and critically and to produce new scientific knowledge within his or her field of research; 3) becomes conversant with the development, basic problems and research methods of his or her own field of research, 4) gains such knowledge of the general theory of science and of other disciplines relating to his or her own field of research as to enable him or her to follow developments in them; 5) gains good information and language skills of an expert and a developer in their own field internationally as well as internally The objective of postgraduate studies is to achieve a high level of knowledge at the frontline of research in a specialist area of pharmacy. To achieve this objective, a student must supplement his or her knowledge in disciplines related to his or her chosen specialist area. Postgraduate studies are research-oriented: their key objective is research work and the completion of a Licentiate thesis or a doctoral dissertation based on the research work. The requirements concerning presentation technique and particularly the handling of the topic are much stricter for Licentiate theses and doctoral dissertations than for specialist assignments and Master s theses. A postgraduate student must be able to supplement his or her knowledge independently in disciplines related to his or her specialist area as well as to study literature in an effort to learn more about the chosen specialist 11

12 area. Postgraduate degree requirements include applicable specialist courses and active participation in research seminars. Work in a Faculty research group may also be required. Postgraduate students must complete not only their own research work and related studies in the field of research, but also general studies as part of doctoral degree requirements. Such studies must include the philosophy of science, research ethics and international scientific activities, as well as other transferrable skills, such as leadership and management or university pedagogy (general guidelines for postgraduate degrees at the University of Helsinki, approved by the Senate in 2006). 2.3 MAJOR SUBJECTS OF PHARMACY DEGREES The major subjects of the doctoral and licentiate degrees: Biopharmaceutics Industrial pharmacy Pharmaceutical Biology Pharmaceutical chemistry Pharmaceutical technology Pharmacology Social pharmacy 2.4 CHOOSING THE FIELD OF RESEARCH OF THE POSTGRADUATE STUDIES If a person applies for the right to pursue postgraduate studies in the discipline which had primary responsibility for his or her undergraduate education, the person is automatically considered to have the knowledge and skills needed for postgraduate studies in that discipline. If a person applies for the right to pursue postgraduate studies in a discipline other than the one which had primary responsibility for his or her undergraduate education and if that person s additional studies have not provided him or her with the general knowledge and skills needed for postgraduate studies in the discipline, the person must demonstrate his or her knowledge and skills or must complete additional studies in the discipline. To demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed for postgraduate study, an applicant must obtain relevant statements from one or two teachers familiar with the discipline. If an applicant has deficient knowledge in a key area, the prospective supervisor or the professor in charge of the division or department determines those additional studies which the applicant must complete to be accepted as a postgraduate student. Such additional studies must usually be completed before starting postgraduate studies. Additional studies cannot be included in the personal postgraduate programme. 2.5 STUDENT SUPERVISION Each postgraduate student must be assigned at least one supervisor. To ensure supervision throughout dissertation work, it is recommended that each student have at least two supervisors. According to the Rectors Decision 82/2013 all doctoral students must also have a steering group. Doctoral programmes are in charge of the annual follow-up of their own students. 12

13 2.5.1 SUPERVISOR S DUTIES Special attention must be paid to supervision at the initial stage of postgraduate studies. Students must be provided with orientation to postgraduate studies and be guided in making good use of the available course offerings. Student integration into the scholarly community must also be promoted. The Faculty Council of the Faculty of Pharmacy has approved guidelines concerning the rights and duties of postgraduate supervisors and students, see Appendix 1 or: The student and the supervisor discuss of the faculty s guidelines. As an appendix 2 there is a form Supervisory expectations and responsibilities A supervisor and student should meet regularly to assess the student s progress. Students can make alteration to their study plan with supervisor s approval. If the student is changing her/his major or supervisors, such changes must be submitted for the Research Affairs Committee s approval. Postgraduate students themselves have primary responsibility for their progress and must inform their supervisor and the Faculty if their studies are considerably delayed for some reason (e.g., maternity leave, parental leave, work circumstances or other reasons). The changes in the supervision are accepted at the Research Committee. The proposal for changes is made in free form and it must be signed by the doctoral student as well as both the new and old supervisor(s) and the professor in charge of the major subject. The proposal should be delivered to the secretary of the Research Committee Maija Tiippana-Usvasalo FOLLOW UP/STEERING GROUP According to the rector s decision 82/2013 each doctoral student must have a steering of follow-up group regardless of funding. At the Faculty of Pharmacy there is from 1 to 4 members in the steering group of which at least one has to be outside the doctoral student's own research group. Doctoral programmes may have their own guidelines for follow-up/steering/thesis groups and the doctoral student has to follow their own programme s guidelines. 2.6 CONTENT OF STUDIES DOCTORAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS To complete a Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmacy) or Doctor of Philosophy degree, a student must complete 60 credit points of theoretical studies and write a dissertation and defend it at a public examination. Theoretical studies include: 1) The scope of general scientific postgraduate studies totals 5-20 credits. Such studies must include philosophy of science, research ethics and international scholarly activities. The studies can also relate to pedagogical training, scholarly communication, leadership and management as well as project work. 13

14 2) Postgraduate studies in the student s own research field and supporting disciplines must total credits. Theoretical studies in the student s own discipline include a compulsory preliminary examination or equivalent work (4 credits) as well as two presentation of the doctoral candidate s work (2 ects). The doctoral candidate and the supervisor(s) discuss together which theoretical studies are included to the doctoral degree THEORETICAL STUDIES COMPULSORY STUDIES Preliminary examination s (590381) objectives are to ensure that the postgraduate student has the basic knowledge of the research methods and techniques of her/his research area. Accordingly the preliminary examination helps the doctoral student to deepen her/his knowledge of the research field. It is recommended that the preliminary examination should be taken in the first year of doctoral studies. Preliminary examination may be an essay, literature review or an exam. More detailed information of how the preliminary examination may be completed in different major subjects is in Oodi. Written preliminary examination is arranged 4 times a year. Dates of the exams and enrolment in Oodi: Presentation of the dissertation research project I and II ( and ) support the doctoral student and give her/him a change to get feedback of the work during the studies. The follow up/presentation may be e.g. a follow-up group meeting, seminar lecture or a conference presentation. The doctoral student and the supervisor should agree together on the methods of the form of the presentation. The doctoral programmes may have their own conducts concerning follow up and the students have to follow their own programme s guidelines. The completion of the presentation is informed to the faculty office with forms designed for the purpose: OTHER STUDIES IN THE STUDENT S OWN DISCIPLINE Studies can also include undergraduate courses which the student has not included in his or her undergraduate degree programme. The studies can include courses completed in other University of Helsinki faculties or at other universities. Theoretical studies can include courses specifically designed for postgraduate students, advanced studies, seminars, participation in Finnish and international conferences or similar meetings as well as literature examinations, as follows: Students can be awarded at most 10 credits for participation in a conference or similar meeting. 14

15 The maximum total scope of literature examinations is 30 credits (includes preliminary examination, 4 ects). Academic articles or other scholarly works written and published after the undergraduate degree was completed can be included in postgraduate studies if the student has written the article or work on his or her own or is its first author. An academic article or work which is part of the student s dissertation or Licentiate thesis cannot, however, be included in postgraduate studies. Articles and other reported scholarly work can account for no more than 20 credits of postgraduate studies. 3. RESEARCH RELATED TO A DOCTORAL DISSERTATION 3.1 DOCTORAL DISSERTATION A doctoral dissertation is the highest-level academic thesis. Provisions applying to it are included in the Universities Decree (115/1998) and the decrees on degrees in various disciplines. A doctoral dissertation can be written and doctoral degree completed only at a university. A doctoral dissertation shall consist of peer-reviewed scholarly publications or manuscripts accepted for publication, as well as a summarising report on the said documents. According to the Rector s decision 79/2012 article based dissertation compiles typically of 3 to 5 peer reviewed articles. Articles not yet accepted for publication may also be included in the dissertation. A doctoral dissertation may also be a scholarly work in the name of the doctoral candidate alone and based on previously unpublished research results (a monograph). A dissertation may also take the form of another work that meets the appropriate scientific criteria, provided that the doctoral candidate s independent contribution to it can be verified. It is important that the language of the dissertation is correct. The language revision of the dissertation manuscript should be completed before it is sent to the pre-examiners 3.2 THE STRUCTURE OF A DOCTORAL DISSERTATION At the Faculty of Pharmacy a dissertation typically consists of 4-5 articles. Of these at least 3 must be published and the rest must be submitted. Article-based dissertations shall consist of scholarly publications dealing with the same research problem as well as a summarising report compiled by the doctoral candidate personally. The summarising report of an article-based dissertation shall present the background, objectives, methods, material, results, discussion and conclusions of the research. The summarising report shall be a balanced work based on the publications included in the dissertation and research literature. Article-based dissertations may include co-authored publications. The doctoral candidate s input into these shall be clearly demonstrable. One co-authored publication may be used in several dissertations by different authors. To determine the doctoral candidate s independent contribution to co-authored 15

16 publications, the doctoral candidate and his or her supervisor shall draft a report on the doctoral candidate s contribution to each publication. If the co-authored publication has been used in another dissertation, this shall be mentioned in the report. The doctoral candidate should deliver the draft of the report on his or her contribution also to the other authors of the publication. The doctoral candidate shall deliver the report to the faculty when submitting the dissertation for preliminary examination and to the preliminary examiners, opponent and custos at a later date. Parts of a doctoral dissertation Cover Title page List of abbreviations Abstract, one page summary of the dissertation research and its main results Acknowledgements Table of contents (with page numbers) Articles included in the dissertation Introduction Literature review Formulation of the research question and objectives Report on the materials and methods used Summary of the author s own results Discussion Conclusions and any future prospects Bibliography 4. CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION Conference participation always requires permission from the supervisor. Participation in scholarly conferences usually involves a poster or oral presentation. An abstract is first written and sent to the organisers. For detailed instructions on writing an abstract, see the conference website. The length of an abstract is usually about one A4 page. The abstract briefly explains what you have studied, why, and what your key results are. The last date of submitting an abstract is often approximately six months before the conference or meeting. 4.1 TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AND COSTS Students are advised to apply for a grant to cover their travel costs from e.g. their own doctoral programme or FOTY (Farmasian opettajien ja tutkijoiden yhdistys) The information on the FOTY grant is delivered by the faculty s ing list in April The University of Helsinki Chancellor s travel grant application period is in February. The doctoral schools are in charge of the Chancellor s travel grant. For more information see: 16

17 4.2 PARTICIPATION FEE Participants must often sign up and pay a participation fee in conjunction with submitting their abstract. Participation fees are usually lower for postgraduate students than for postdoctoral participants. To receive a discount, a postgraduate attendance certificate must be sent to the organisers. You can obtain an attendance certificate from Faculty Office from Departmental Secretary Elisa Sippola. You should take a copy of this confirmation with you to the conference just in case. 4.3 TRAVEL PLAN AND TRAVEL EXPENSE REPORT (FOR THE UH EMPLOYEES ONLY) Quidlines for travelling in Flamma: The travel plan is made before travelling in SAP and it has to be accepted by the superior before making other arrangements. A travel expense report must be submitted after the end of the trip based on information in the travel plan. For this purpose, all copies of all payments, including tickets, flight invoices, hotel accommodation, the conference fee, taxi fares and other conference expenses must be delivered to the faculty. For assistance in travelling and participation fees, please contact a travel contact persons The employees of the University of Helsinki should book their flights and hotel accommodation using the University s contractual travel agency SMT. yliopisto@smt.fi. The conference organiser s website often includes recommendations for hotels located close to the conference site. Before departure, please check that you have all the necessary vaccinations and documents (passport, visa, etc.). 5. ACADEMIC PRESENTATION 5.1 POSTER Instructions for making a poster are provided on the conference organiser website. Please allow a few days for your poster to be printed and ensure that the company is able to deliver the printed poster to you before your departure. You should also prepare hand-outs of your poster in A4 size to distribute at the conference. Please also take with you what is needed for affixing the poster in case the organiser does not provide this. Poster templates and University logos are in logodomain: ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS An oral academic presentation can be a seminar presentation, a conference presentation or a lecture. The presentation must progress logically and must be concise, describing only the key issues related to the research. The starting point for any presentation should be its target audience and what you 17

18 wish the audience to learn about the topic. Please prepare the presentation so that it is understandable to the target audience. The structure of an oral presentation differs from that of a scholarly article. The various areas of research must be presented as clear entities, and the transfer from one topic to another must be clearly expressed so that the audience is able to follow. Confidentiality issues, if any, must be taken into account, especially in cooperative projects or if unpublished material is presented. Structure of an academic presentation: 1. Introduction 2. Scientific background of the topic 3. Key hypotheses 4. Methods and test arrangements (in brief) 5. Results and conclusions The presentation begins with an introduction in which you briefly explain what you intend to talk about. You must also indicate the title and structure of the presentation during the introduction. The aim is to capture the audience s attention and introduce it to the topic. Your introduction should also take into account the rest of the conference or course programme. If the same topic has been discussed earlier during the conference or course, your introduction can be quite short. At the end of your presentation, please reiterate the main issue(s) and state whether your research was able to answer the questions posed at the beginning. The conclusions are the climax of your presentation and summarise the issues discussed. Please allow time at the end of your presentation for questions and answers. You should also prepare answers for the most likely questions. The structure and content of a scholarly presentation are described in the PowerPoint instructions (below). The PowerPoint instructions can be applied to presentations given using other or no software. 5.3 POWERPOINT PRESENTATION Although PowerPoint is a useful tool for scholarly presentations, you should be able to explain your research without it or any other aids. You should also prepare a back-up version of your presentation so that you can give it in case of technical problems. UH power point templates are in logodomain: Please write the main points of your presentation on PowerPoint slides: only one point per slide or view. Please avoid large tables etc. that are difficult to grasp at a glance. If possible, always use figures to present information (e.g., test arrangements, results and tables in graphs or similar). Keep in mind that everything shown on slides must be explained to the audience. Text and figures must be large enough for people to see without having to squint. A PowerPoint presentation can include special effects intended to stimulate or highlight, but excessive use of such features serves only to distract. You should thus carefully consider when to use special effects and should focus instead on presenting all key information as clearly as possible. 18

19 The structure of a PowerPoint presentation: 1. First slide: topic, speaker (organisation) 2. Introductory slide(s): background information, presentation structure (you can occasionally return to the structure slide as the presentation proceeds from one issue to another) 3. Test details 4. Results or key issues related to the topic Significance of the results/topic Justification of the results (Interim) conclusions 5. Summary Reiteration of the most important issues Acknowledgments (supervisors, associates, laboratory assistants) Clear ending 5.4 PRACTICAL PRESENTATIONS TIPS When giving a presentation, you should be yourself and let your personality show. Public presentations are challenging, but you will feel more relaxed if you have prepared and practised your presentation in advance. You should start by writing your presentation down on paper, although you should not take this paper with you to the conference or course. You can take notes with you instead. You should use spoken language and be prepared for the unexpected. Do not bother memorising your presentation. Academic language is grammatically correct standard language supplemented with the necessary specialist terminology. If necessary, explain difficult or rare concepts. Avoid excessive spoken language features in favour of general or standard language expressions that you are comfortable using. If you are giving a speech in a non-native language, please learn specialist terminology in that language and avoid difficult expressions that are unfamiliar to you. The ability to concentrate on the essential and ignore the near-inevitable small mistakes is a vital requirement for giving a successful academic speech in a non-native language. Anglo-American audiences, in particular, appreciate a natural, extroverted style of presentation and the speaker s ability to establish contact with the audience. Englishlanguage academic speech is active: speakers use the first person singular ( I, me, my ) when discussing their results, reflections and insights. Please learn in advance how to use equipment and technical aids. You should visit the presentation site in advance, as its size will affect both the font size of your slides/overheads and your use of voice. You should take a small break when you progress from one topic to another. If you are using slides (or other visual aids), please point to what you are talking about. It is also worth keeping in mind that the audience will be looking at the slides, not the speaker. But you must be turned towards the audience even when you are pointing at something on the screen. Please do not overrun your allotted presentation time. It is worthwhile to practice the presentation in advance. You must, however, be prepared for the fact that timetables may slip. As your audience does not know what you intend to say, it will not notice if you skip a part. You should also prepare for giving a shorter presentation than planned. If you notice during your presentation that you are speaking 19

20 faster than you expected, you can slow down the presentation by showing figures longer, taking small breaks or explaining figures and tables in more detail. 6. WRITING AN ACADEMIC ARTICLE (BY PIIA SALO AND PÄIVI UUTELA) When starting your research, please keep in mind that you intend to write an academic article on the results. You should examine beforehand the structure of academic articles in your field so that you know what results are required and how to write an article. The structure and content of an article naturally also depend on the topic and the journal to which you intend to submit your article. You can start writing an article even if some of the results are not ready. While reading the literature, you should make notes of what to write in the Introduction, for example. You should compile your results into tables and figures, as this makes it easier to see what laboratory tests are still needed. Writing is a process, and very few people can write perfect text straight away. Do not despair if your supervisor writes many corrections in the margins of your first draft, as this is part of the nature of process writing. Feedback is important because all writers become blind to their texts and thus fail to see their weaknesses and deficiencies. At the start of the writing process, you and your supervisor should determine the publication series (journal) to which the manuscript will be submitted. When determining the journal, you should find out its impact factor, that is, how often the journal publications have been cited Please thoroughly read the journal s instructions to authors, as these instructions will tell you in which format to write the article and how to indicate subheadings and references (numbers or names). You should use the RefWorks or EndNote software to document references. The Viikki Science Library provides staff training in the use of both software. For further information, see IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS IN ACADEMIC WRITING The passive voice is preferred in academic texts, but the first person singular can be used in the conclusions of a Master s thesis, for example. Facts must be clearly presented. An academic text must be logical, concise and consistent, and terms must be unambiguous. Your own results and conclusions must be clearly distinguished from those cited from the literature. You must present both the most important results and the most noteworthy exceptions. You must present the results (including weaknesses and uncertainties and their effect on the results) with absolute honesty. You must assess the novelty value of your research. Literature references must be comprehensive, and literature in the field must be studied carefully, with literature searches as far back in time as necessary. You must present structural formulas if possible. You should use the subject-verb-object word order and employ verbs to express things. Clauses should not be long. 20

21 Carefully consider the use of abbreviations. If a term appears in a text more than five times, it can be abbreviated. An academic article should be an attractive, logical story. 6.2 STRUCTURE OF AN ACADEMIC ARTICLE TITLE The title must correspond to the content and must express the article s main idea simply and succinctly. The title must be sufficiently informative, as it will be used in information searches. AUTHORS Name in the form it is usually used Name of the institute where the author works (or authors work) If the authors come from several institutes, the names of the institutes are indexed after the authors names. The exact address and telephone number of the person from whom an offprint can be requested Authors are those persons who have planned and completed the research and written the article, that is, the persons who have provided essential input into the theoretical/empirical part. Order of names: the person who has done/contributed most to the core of the research is cited first. The other authors are named in the order of their contributions. Persons of similar seniority who have contributed equally to the research can be cited in alphabetical order. The director of the research group is cited as either the first or the last author. The authors do not automatically include a person whose assistance was directly part of his or her work, nor do they include the head of an institute or senior colleagues who did not participate in the research. Each author is equally responsible for the content of the article. The order of names should be discussed with the supervisor. ABSTRACT Most important results Methods used A brief description of the benefits and possible applications of the results The abstract must provide a realistic view of the results presented in the article and must be independently understandable without the article. The abstract influences reader decisions on whether or not to read the article itself. No discussion INTRODUCTION WHY Why is the research being conducted, what is the problem being studied and how will it be solved? Provides an introduction to the work and is mostly written in the present tense A general presentation of the area of the topic in a few clauses 21

22 A description of what is known: a review of key literature to orient the reader and provide a scientific framework (e.g., what has been done so far to solve the problem) A description of what is not yet known: a presentation of the nature and scope of the problem studied, and justification for why we need to learn more Purpose and objectives: why the research is being completed, what are the problems and hypotheses, what can be solved? Research method used and reasons for choosing it Main results and conclusions Knowledge of the literature is important! MATERIALS AND METHODS HOW How was the research carried out? The methods must be described in such detail that a specialist can repeat the test; results should not be presented here. Should be presented in the same order as the results will be presented Aimed at specialists in the field Basic principle: say what was done, do not say what was not done The equipment and reagent manufacturers and their country and city of origin must be indicated. If using a previously published method, just describe the basic principle and give a reference. Chronological, logical order RESULTS WHAT use past tense Present the results; do not present the text of the experimental section or examine or interpret the results. This is the shortest but most important section, as it contains the new knowledge that you are contributing. Start with an overview of the tests conducted without repeating details. Results in numerical format The accuracy and reliability of the results as well as their statistical significance must be made clear. Results presented in figures and tables should not be repeated in the body of the text. The Results section should NOT include o negative results (allowed only in conjunction with positive results) o other researchers results DISCUSSION What does it mean: the meaning of the results This section can be presented either together with the results or separately. This section can determine whether the manuscript is accepted or rejected: o An erroneous interpretation can lead to rejection. o More likely, an inadequate discussion section conceals the true significance of the results (data). 22