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: [email protected], tel Department secretary Elisa Sippola is in charge in registering completed postgraduate studies to the student register and issuing degree diplomas. Contact details: [email protected], 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 ([email protected]). 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 ([email protected], tel ) and Katja Kunttu ([email protected], 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. [email protected]. 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

23 Novelty value: What results does this article contain that have not been previously published? A demonstration of how the results and their interpretation correspond to those published previously Assessment and questioning of other researchers work, if necessary Extensive examination: no text from the experimental or results section, which must be referred to only Critical attention to and presentation of issues that influence the results; uncertainties and sources of error must be highlighted by the author. Explanation of negative results Basic principles, relationships and generalisations that the results illustrate Exceptions, poor correlations, weaknesses and unclear issues must be indicated. Theories to explain the results: why are the results what they are? You yourself must also discuss the significance of the results and frankly consider the work's theoretical implications and possible practical applications (i.e., how can the results be used?). Conclusions expressed as clearly as possible A summary of the evidence for each conclusion Suggestions for further research CONCLUSION Did things turn out as you hypothesised at the beginning? What is the significance of the work or your own insights? Conclusions based on the results Future ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Acknowledge those who participated in some way in producing the results, but who are not the work s authors (e.g., language revision, test assistance and advice); obtain permission from the persons involved. Thank the funders. REFERENCES All literature cited in the article The required abbreviations for journal series must be used; pay special attention to the documentation of references (full stops, commas, brackets, italics etc.). Sources actually used must be listed; if you have read only an abstract, this must be indicated in the list of references. Reference to the latest review articles is recommended (Introduction). Reference to old publications only if there is good reason Reference to credible publications only, unless the purpose is to refute the results presented in the article in question Credible references References to very old abstract books are not recommended; if the authors have not published an article on the results, they are not necessarily reliable. 23

24 TABLES Each table must have a title (Table 1: ) placed above that table. Each table must include explanations of what the various numbers etc. in it mean. Avoid repetitions (e.g., units) in the rows of a table. The body of the text must include a reference to each table, but information in a table should not be repeated in the body of the text FIGURES Each figure must be accompanied with a caption (Figure 1: ) usually placed below the figure. The figure and its caption must be understandable as such. Symbols must be of sufficient size to be clearly visible in the final version. A figure is often clearer than a table for presenting information. 6.3 LANGUAGE REVISION When you have completed the latest version of your article, you can send it to the University s Language Services for language revision. Please complete the form designed for the purpose, available at SUBMISSION OF AN ARTICLE TO A JOURNAL Before submitting a manuscript to a journal for publication, please check that the terms that you have used in the manuscript correspond to the journal s instructions to authors. Journal websites contain detailed instructions on article submission. You can often submit your article electronically via the Internet or by , including the body of the text and the tables in one file and the figures in another (each figure on its own page and the captions compiled on one page). Your article should be accompanied by a cover letter (see example letter in Appendix 4), usually submitted both electronically and in hard copy. If you have any requests concerning the possible reviewers or referees of your manuscript, please make them in the cover letter. Once you have submitted the article, you must wait for the journal s comments. Many articles are returned to their authors, who must then submit them to several other journals before they are accepted for publication. Some articles are never accepted for publication. Sometimes an article is accepted without corrections, but usually referees require at least some changes. The author may even have to conduct additional laboratory measurements before the journal agrees to publish the article. You must politely answer each comment by a referee, indicate whether you have made the changes suggested by the referee or explain why you have not made the suggested changes. The journal assigns a code to each manuscript, and you must always mention this code when submitting corrected versions. Once all corrections have been made, the manuscript, a response to the referees comments and a new cover letter (Appendix 5) must be submitted to the journal s editor-in-chief. At this stage, figures are usually submitted in separate TIF files, for instance. If the journal accepts a corrected article, it sends a proof version of the article to the author. Please read the proof carefully, preferably comparing it word-for-word with the submitted manuscript, for proofs often contain errors. You must correct all errors in the proof, since they cannot be corrected at a later stage. You should also pay attention to the layout and clarity of figures. You usually have only a 24

25 few days to read the proof version. If you have made any corrections, please submit them following the journal instructions (see example letter in Appendix 6). At this stage at the latest, the journal will ask each author to sign a Copyright Transfer Agreement, which may be submitted both electronically (scanned) and by regular post. 7. FINALISING THE DISSERTATION, PRE-EXAMINATION AND A PERMIT TO DEFEND 7.1 FORMAT OF THE DISSERTATION The dissertation cover must include at least the following information: Title Author's name Phrases Faculty of Pharmacy and University of Helsinki Year and place of printing and ISBN (often on the back cover) requesting an ISBN: publisher is the University of Helsinki unless the dissertation is published in some other institute s research series In addition, if the research unit, doctoral programme, graduate school or publication series so requires, the cover may include other information, such as the following: Name of the research group, doctoral programme or graduate school Name of the publication series The inside of the cover is usually blank. The title page of the dissertation must include at least the following information: Title Author s name Phrases Faculty of Pharmacy and University of Helsinki Phrase Academic dissertation Phrase To be presented for public examination with the permission of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Helsinki in [place], on [date] at [time]. The reverse side of the title page must include at least the following information (and the institutional affiliations of the mentioned): AND Supervisors Members of the steering group (concerns only doctoral students started in 2014 or later) Pre-examiners Opponent Custos 25

26 ISSN/ISBN (printed and PDF) Place of publication of an electronic version (see: Place and year of printing On the following pages (no page numbers) there should be the following information: The table of contents. An article-based dissertation must feature a list of the articles or article manuscripts which are included in the dissertation. This list must also show the publication status of each article or manuscript. In addition, the fifth page must present, either in writing or in a table, the author s input in any co-authored publications and possible copyrights/publication rights. Abstract 7.2 THE DISSERTATION COMPLETION GRANT AND SUPPORT FOR PRINTING COSTS The dissertation completion grant is intended for the work required on a dissertation manuscript before it is submitted for preliminary examination. The completion grants are administered at the Doctoral Schools. The decision on whether to award a grant is made by the director of the school. Applications may be submitted throughout the year. Further information: A doctoral candidate can apply for financial support for dissertation printing costs. The maximum amount per person is the amount that the doctoral candidate has used to cover the expenses of printing the dissertation, up to 250 euros. Further information: PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF A DISSERTATION AND PERMISSION TO DEFEND IT Once a dissertation manuscript is complete, the doctoral candidate submits it to the Faculty for approval. The Faculty Council decides whether to grant the candidate permission to defend the dissertation at a public examination. For this purpose, the Faculty Council asks at least two experts - preliminary examiners - to provide a statement on the dissertation manuscript. Preliminary examiners must have the qualifications of docent or equivalent academic qualifications. When selecting the preliminary examiners, special attention is paid not only to their expertise, but also to their independence in relation to the dissertation. The preliminary examiners must be appointed from outside the Faculty. One of the preliminary examiners can, however, be appointed from within the Faculty if there are special reasons to do so. An external preliminary examiner cannot have a valid fulltime employment relationship with the Faculty. The supervisor of the dissertation in question or a person who has co-authored publications together with the dissertation writer cannot be named as preliminary examiner. The Faculty Council appoints the preliminary examiners based on a proposal made by the professor in charge of the discipline. The preliminary examiners may be appointed only if the doctoral candidate has completed all theoretical studies (60 ects). The dissertation manuscript must be submitted to the major subject professor and the Faculty Office before appointing the examiners. The form Proposal for preliminary examiners and the dissertation manuscript have to be delivered to the office at least one week before the Faculty Council meeting. The proposal form has to be delivered on paper to 26

27 Maija Tiippana-Usvasalo and the manuscript in PDF form to the address: The doctoral candidate may object to the selection Proposal for preliminary examiners form: k%c3%a4rin_esitarkastajat.pdf The Faculty Office sends the pre-examiners guidelines of preliminary examination. The doctoral candidate submits the dissertation manuscript to the preliminary examiners her-/himself within two weeks and notify the office of the date of the delivery. This is because the office is in charge of monitoring the examination process. In case corrections have been made to the manuscript after delivering it to the office earlier, the candidate has to deliver the same version of the manuscript to the office they are sending to the pre-examiners. If a dissertation consists of previously published articles and a summarising report, all these must be submitted. In addition, dissertations involving co-authored publications must be accompanied by a report of each author s input. The preliminary examiners study the manuscript and write a statement on it, recommending that the candidate be given permission to defend the dissertation publicly or that he or she be denied such permission. This statement must be submitted within two months. The pre-examiners also give their perception on the grading of the dissertation with a separate form. After the preliminary examination, the doctoral candidate must make the suggested corrections and additions, if any. The suggested corrections should be discussed with the supervisor. The corrections must be made before the preliminary examiners write their statement concerning permission for the public defence of the dissertation. If a doctoral candidate ignores suggested corrections, he or she should prepare to justify that decision to the opponent. The Faculty Council decides on permission for the public defence of the dissertation based on the preliminary examiners statements. Before the Faculty Council makes its decision, the doctoral candidate is provided the opportunity to object to the preliminary examiners statements. A permission for the dissertation s public defence is not usually granted if postgraduate studies have not been completed and duly entered in the Student Register. The Faculty of Pharmacy pays the pre-examiners a fee. More detailed information on pre-examination: PERMISSION TO DEFEND NOMINATING OPPONENT AND CUSTOS The Faculty Council appoints the opponent and custos based on a proposal by the professor in charge of the discipline. Only after the opponent and custos are appointed the doctoral candidate is allowed to defend the dissertation in public. The doctoral candidate may object to the selection of the opponent. Form Proposal for opponent and custos : k%c3%a4rin_vastav%c3%a4itt%c3%a4j%c3%a4.pdf After receiving permission to defend the dissertation at a public examination and before the actual examination takes place, the doctoral candidate must make the dissertation available for public viewing for at least ten days. This means that the University Main Building s senior porter posts the 27

28 title page of the dissertation on the University s official noticeboard and delivers a dissertation copy to the Main Building student service office for public viewing. If the dissertation is completed just before the deadline, the doctoral candidate may apply to the Faculty Dean for permission to display the dissertation to the public only for five days. This application must be submitted to the Faculty office before the ten-day period set for public display begins. After the permission to defend is granted the Faculty Office informs the doctoral candidate by post. At the same time the doctoral candidate is sent information on e.g. distributing the dissertation. Having been granted permission for the public defence of the dissertation, the doctoral candidate submits the manuscript to a printing house for printing. The Faculty Office informs the opponent of the appointment by . The faculty pays opponent a fee. The doctoral candidate is in charge of the arrangements of the public defence. The faculty recommends Töölö Towers for the accommodation of the opponent: PUBLISHING THE DISSERTATION Doctoral candidates must fill in the electronic University of Helsinki E-thesis dissertation form in: at least three weeks before the public examination of the dissertation at the latest. The purpose of the dissertation form is to integrate the collection and storing of all information on dissertations as well as their abstracts. Currently the information is used by the electronic publishing service E-thesis, by the University Communications Department and also by the University calendar of events. The dissertation copies intended for the University Chancellor and Rector must also be submitted to the senior porter. First, however, the manuscript must be submitted to the National Library of Finland. The manuscript must arrive at the library at least seven days before the first date of public viewing of the dissertation. The doctoral candidate may publish the doctoral dissertation either as an electronic publication or as a printed publication. In addition to the dissertation copies printed for the doctoral candidate's own use or for sale, the candidate must print 50 copies to be submitted to the University for free. Of these, 16 copies are submitted to the Faculty of Pharmacy office at least 10 days before the public defence. University of Helsinki distribution guidelines: When asking for offers from the printing houses note that some printing houses take care of the delivery as well. The doctoral candidate is in charge of the costs of the delivery of the dissertation before and after the public defence. To summarize, the following items should be delivered to E-thesis before publishing the dissertation on the E-thesis website: The electronic University of Helsinki dissertation form three weeks before the public examination of the dissertation at the latest, The dissertation as a PDF file two weeks before the public examination 28

29 A signed copy of the publishing agreement two weeks before the public examination. 8. PUBLIC EXAMINATION (DEFENCE) OF THE DISSERTATION Current legislation requires that each doctoral dissertation be defended at a public examination open to all. The public examination is not a mere formality, but rather demonstrates that the doctoral candidate the future doctoral degree holder is able to defend his or her work, justify his or her arguments and respond to criticism and questions. The provisions of both the Universities Decree and the University of Helsinki regulations concerning examinations, the grading of completed studies and the Board of Examination Appeals are applied to the examination and approval of doctoral dissertations and Licentiate theses. The University web page provides further information about matters related to the public examination. 8.1 DOCTORAL CANDIDATE S DUTIES The doctoral candidate s duty is to ensure that the arrangements for the public examination are completed properly and promptly. The doctoral candidate must agree with the opponent and the custos on the date and place of the public examination and must contact the University s facility booking service to book an auditorium for the examination. Public examinations are usually booked for Wednesdays and Fridays, starting at 12 o clock, and for Saturdays, starting at 10 o'clock. Please note that all public examinations actually start at a quarter past the allotted hour ( academic quarter ). To ensure sufficient time for communications, at least four weeks must pass between the date when permission for a public examination was granted and the date of the examination itself. At least three weeks before the public examination, the doctoral candidate must submit information about the dissertation to University Communications, using a form: The Faculty Office must be informed of the date and place of the public examination 8.2 CUSTOS DUTIES The custos is a Faculty professor that the Faculty Council appoints to supervise the public examination and serve as the doctoral candidate s and the discipline s representative. The custos is usually a professor in the discipline that the dissertation represents. The dissertation supervisor can also serve as custos. The custos receives no fee or other financial remuneration. Before the public examination, it is the custos s duty to agree with the doctoral candidate and the opponent on the language(s) used at the public examination. As the chair of the public examination, the custos opens and concludes it and assigns turns to speak. Once the doctoral candidate has presented his or her work, the opponent is assigned the first turn to speak, after which it is the Faculty representative's turn. The custos then gives the floor to others at his or her own discretion. The custos s duty is to ensure that the doctoral candidate is able to respond to each comment and that the speakers do not digress from the topic. If the public examination takes several hours, the custos decides on and informs those present of a break to be held. 29

30 The custos makes a grade proposal to the Faculty Council based on the preliminary examiners and the opponent s statements. 8.3 OPPONENT S DUTIES Opponents must have the qualifications of docent or equivalent academic qualifications. Usually each dissertation is assigned one opponent, but cross-disciplinary dissertations, in particular, are often assessed by two opponents. An opponent must be independent in relation to the work discussed and cannot have co-authored publications together with the dissertation writer. The examination of a doctoral dissertation is a two-stage process: first, the dissertation is examined in a preliminary examination, and then, at a public examination. As a dissertation defended at a public examination has passed a preliminary examination by at least two external experts and as the Faculty Council has subsequently granted permission for its public defence, it is very rare that a dissertation is rejected after its public examination. It can happen, however. At the public examination, the opponent presents his or her statement on the dissertation. The Faculty Council officially approves the dissertation after the public examination. At the public examination, the opponent also discusses the status and significance of the dissertation topic in the field of science, thus providing an overview of the work completed. The opponent then proceeds to examine the whole dissertation from its title and sources to its methods and conclusions. The opponent can use no more than four hours for this examination, and the doctoral candidate can respond to the opponent s comments and defend his or her choices and results. After the public examination, the opponent submits to the Faculty Council a reasoned written statement on the dissertation, proposing that the dissertation be approved or rejected. The opponent gives their perception on the grading of the dissertation with a separate form. The written statement must be submitted within six weeks of the public examination. The opponent s statement is sent to the doctoral candidate before the Faculty Council discusses it. The doctoral candidate uses a form designed for the purpose to inform the Faculty that he or she does not object to the opponent's statement and the proposed grade. The doctoral candidate is also entitled to object to the statement and grade before the Faculty Council meeting in which the matter is first discussed. In such cases, the approval of the dissertation is postponed to the next Faculty Council meeting. This also takes place if one of the Faculty Council members submits a reasoned written statement proposing that the dissertation be rejected. For the subsequent handling of the matter, the doctoral candidate can submit a written response to the Faculty within two weeks of the decision of postponement. 8.4 GRADING THE DISSERTATION Before a dissertation is graded, the doctoral candidate can respond to the opponent s statement. A dissertation cannot be accepted at a Faculty Council meeting before the doctoral candidate has submitted to the Faculty Office a written statement indicating that he or she has seen the opponent's statement and does not object to it or the proposed grade. 30

31 Dissertations are graded only in the sense that they are either approved or rejected. However, dissertations that are of exceptionally high quality may be approved with distinction. The custos can propose the dissertation to be approved with distinction only in the case that both pre-examiners and the opponent have unanimity of on the degree. The decision to approve a dissertation is usually not made until theoretical studies have been duly approved and entered in the Student Register. 8.5 CUSTOMS FOLLOWED AT THE PUBLIC EXAMINATION The doctoral candidate, the opponent and the custos address each other politely at the public examination. Terms of address such as 'distinguished and honourable ("Distinguished opponent, Sir/ Madam ) can be used. However, no special phrases or expressions need be used. The formalities of the examination can be discussed beforehand together with the custos. The terms of address presented below are examples from traditional public examinations. The public examination begins when the participants enter the auditorium and the audience rises. The doctoral candidate enters the auditorium first, followed by the custos and the opponent, in this order. The custos introduces the doctoral candidate and the opponent and opens the examination by saying, for example: As the custos appointed by the Faculty, I declare this public examination open. The audience then sits down. The candidate stands to deliver his or her introductory lecture (lectio praecursoria) of at most 20 minutes. In the lecture, the candidate introduces his or her dissertation and the research methods used. The introductory lecture may begin, for example, with the following words: Mr/Madam Custos, Mr/Madam Opponent, ladies and gentlemen. The lecture is usually given in the language of the dissertation. After the introductory lecture, the candidate turns to the opponent and says: Mr/Madam Opponent/Professor/Dr NN, I now call upon you to present your critical comments on my dissertation. The opponent then stands up to make a short statement about the scientific status and significance of the dissertation and about other general issues. After the statement, the opponent and the candidate take their seats. In the actual examination, the opponent discusses the dissertation, commencing from its title and proceeding to the methods, sources and conclusions. The candidate responds to the comments made, defending his or her choices, conclusions and results. The opponent can spend at most four hours on the examination, since sufficient time should be reserved for questions from the audience. If the examination is likely to take a long time, the custos can interrupt it by announcing a break. At the conclusion of the examination, the opponent and the doctoral candidate stand up. The opponent then makes a final statement and (usually) announces that he or she will propose to the Faculty that the dissertation be accepted. The doctoral candidate remains standing to thank the opponent. After thanking the opponent, the doctoral candidate asks the audience to make comments and pose questions: If anyone present wishes to make any comments concerning my dissertation, please ask the custos for the floor. The custos ensures that the doctoral candidate has the opportunity to reply to each comment and that the comments do not digress from the topic at hand. Finally, the custos stands up to announce that the examination is completed. The total amount of time spent on it cannot exceed six hours. The custos and the opponent carry their doctor s hats when leaving the auditorium in the same order in which they entered: the doctoral candidate leaves first, 31

32 followed by the custos and the opponent. The audience must not applaud or cheer during the public examination. Congratulations will be extended to the doctoral candidate once he or she has left the auditorium and has had the opportunity to thank the opponent and custos. Doctoral candidates are sometimes given flowers and gifts after the public examination. Candidates should make advance arrangements for their transportation or should agree with the guests that flowers and gifts, if any, be delivered directly to the candidate's home address. 8.6 DRESS CODE Men usually wear a tailcoat and a black waistcoat at the public examination. They can also wear a dark suit, clerical attire or a military uniform. When wearing a tailcoat, black socks and shoes (not patent leather) should be worn. A white pocket handkerchief should not be worn with a black waistcoat. Women wear a long-sleeved, high-necked short black dress or two-piece suit. Hats and prominent jewellery must not be worn. The University also stocks some doctoral gowns, which may be reserved from the porter of the Unioninkatu side of the Main Building, tel Foreign opponents can use the gown of their own university or can borrow one from the University of Helsinki. The doctoral candidate, the custos and the opponent should decide on the dress code. There are no guidelines for the audience dress code at the public examination. As the examination is public, it is open to everyone. It is thus perfectly acceptable to attend the examination in everyday clothing. However, guests invited by the doctoral candidate usually wear a dark suit or other more formal clothing. 8.7 DOCTOR S HAT The doctor s hat is a mark of rank traditionally worn at academic conferment ceremonies by persons to be conferred a doctorate or an honorary doctorate. Nowadays, persons who have not participated in a degree conferment ceremony can also wear a doctor s hat. The hat is personal and is not usually lent to others. Together with a doctor s sword (if any), a doctor's hat provides the doctoral degree holder with a mark of his or her academic rank. The doctor s hat symbolises academic freedom to its owner. Doctor of Philosophy graduates from the Faculty of Pharmacy can attach the Doctor of Philosophy lyre emblem to their hat, while Doctor of Science (Pharmacy) graduates have their own lyre emblem. The hat-maker obtains the lyre emblem. The hat is a top hat with a hard brim and a tall crown. A doctor's hat is made to measure using a specialised tool known as a conformateur. The size and shape of the skull are measured to ensure that the hat fits correctly. The lyre emblem is attached to the centre-front part of the crown. The price of a doctor's hat in 2012 is approximately EUR The hat is worn in some academic celebrations, such as degree conferment ceremonies and (by professors with a doctoral degree) at the University s opening ceremony. At the public examination of a dissertation, the custos and the opponent use their doctor s hats. Doctoral degree holders can also take their doctor s hats to a postdoctoral party where the hats are often placed on a separate sidetable. 32

33 Doctor s hats can be bought from the following hat-makers: Hattuliike E.R. Wahlman: Hattuateljee Lyoléne ( Harvest EB and Melanders Hattfabrik ( 33

34 8.8 POSTDOCTORAL PARTY, KARONKKA After the public examination of a doctoral dissertation, the doctoral candidate can offer coffee and other refreshments or can invite the opponent and the custos to lunch. A postdoctoral party ( karonkka in Finnish) can be arranged in the evening. The postdoctoral party marks the end of the dissertation process and is arranged by the doctoral candidate to thank the opponent, the custos and others who contributed to it. Nowadays, doctoral candidates may invite friends and family along with members of the academic community to this party. As formal decisions on the doctoral dissertation are not made until the conclusion of the public examination, invitations to the postdoctoral party were traditionally not sent in advance. In the past, the doctoral candidate contacted the opponent before the public examination to enquire whether the doctoral candidate could make dinner arrangements, and after obtaining a positive response, the candidate "hinted" at the successful outcome to the guests to be invited. Nowadays doctoral candidates send invitations in advance. Permission to defend the dissertation at a public examination, given by the Faculty, is sufficient indication of the quality of the dissertation. The doctoral candidates themselves formulate the wording of their invitations, but it is recommended that the invitations contain information on the dress code, especially if the doctoral candidate prefers the guests not to wear tailcoats and evening dresses, as is the custom, or wishes to suggest alternative styles of dress. In addition to the opponent and the custos, the invitees to the postdoctoral party should include professors working in the field of the dissertation and others who have aided in the dissertation work. The persons who ask questions or make comments at the public examination were previously invited to the celebration, but, according to an unwritten rule, they are not to accept the invitation. The postdoctoral party can be arranged at home, in a restaurant or in the facilities of a student association ( osakunta ) or one s own department. Men usually wear a tailcoat and a white waistcoat (a black waistcoat at the public examination), while women wear an evening dress. The doctoral candidate wears a black evening dress. The traditional colour used in academic celebrations is black, but other colours have also become common. Instead of a tailcoat, men may wear dark suits, in which case women wear a short formal dress. Should the doctoral candidate wish the guests to wear some other style of dress, this should be stated in the invitation. The doctoral candidate is the host or hostess of the party and the opponent is the guest of honour, seated immediately to the right of the doctoral candidate. If there are two opponents at the public examination, they are seated on both sides of the doctoral candidate. The next guest in the seating order is the custos, seated to the left of or opposite the doctoral candidate. The other guests then follow, usually in the order of their academic achievements. The doctoral candidate offers food, drinks and possibly other forms of entertainment to the guests invited to the postdoctoral party. The candidate starts by welcoming all those present before dinner is served. Speeches are made after the meal when coffee has been served. The doctoral candidate thanks the opponent and others who have aided in the work. The opponent's answer is usually lightheartedly dignified rather than too solemn or formal. Next, the custos may address those present. After this, other guests may speak in the order in which they were mentioned in the doctoral candidate s address. If the doctoral candidate wishes to thank his or her family members, this should be done at the conclusion of the candidate s address. 34

35 9. GRADUATING 9.1 DOCTORAL DEGREE Once a dissertation has been approved, the Faculty issues a doctoral degree diploma to the student. This is not done automatically; instead, the student must submit a diploma application to the Faculty Office. A diploma can be obtained about two weeks from the date of the dissertation s approval and the diploma application's submission. Forms related to doctoral degree: DEGREE CONFERMENT CEREMONY, PROMOOTIO Master s and doctoral graduates are awarded the right to use their academic insignia during a solemn ceremony for the conferment of degrees. Such insignia include a Master s ring and a doctor's hat and sword. Participants have two alternatives: they can participate in either all the related functions or only the ceremony itself (and its rehearsals). It is also possible to participate in absentia, in which case the person's name and other details are cited in the conferment register and he or she is awarded the right to use the appropriate academic insignia. The conferment committee delivers conferment diplomas to those who participated in absentia after the ceremony has taken place. Doctoral graduates from the Faculty of Pharmacy can participate in the conferment ceremony of the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Philosophy. This faculty includes the faculties of arts, science, pharmacy, biosciences and behavioural sciences. All graduates from these faculties whose degree was accepted before the date of the Faculty of Philosophy conferment ceremony can participate in that ceremony. The Faculty of Philosophy conferment ceremony takes place when a ceremony was also arranged 50 or 100 years earlier. 35

36 APPENDIX 1, THE RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF SUPERVISORS AND POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS The rights and duties of supervisors and postgraduate students Approved by the Faculty Council in 2007 Senate guidelines on postgraduate supervision On 8 June 2006, the Senate of the University of Helsinki approved general guidelines according to which each postgraduate student must be assigned at least one supervisor. Attention must be paid especially to supervision at the outset of postgraduate studies. Postgraduate students must be acquainted with postgraduate studying, guided in making the best use of course offerings and supported in their integration into the academic community. Students must receive regular supervision when they pursue studies related to their research work and postgraduate education. General supervision guidelines These general supervision guidelines are followed in all faculties on the Viikki Campus. If necessary, faculties and departments can issue more specific instructions. The general guidelines are intended to support cooperation between postgraduate students and their supervisors. Both postgraduate students and their supervisors have rights and duties, which should be discussed at the start of a supervisory relationship. Personal study plan (postgraduate study plan) Prospective postgraduate students must write a personal study plan (PSP, or HOPS in Finnish) and update it with their supervisor through postgraduate studies. The personal study plan must encompass a research and postgraduate study plan as well as supervisory arrangements. The personal study plan and its changes are accepted by the supervisory professor, the supervisor(s) and the postgraduate student, and the plan is confirmed according to faculty procedures. Appointment of supervisors The professor in charge of the discipline is appointed as supervisory professor. Each student is assigned at least one supervisor when the student is granted the right to pursue postgraduate studies. The supervisory professor can also serve as a supervisor. At least one of the supervisors must be a professor or docent or have equivalent academic qualifications. The other supervisors must hold at least a doctorate. If more than one supervisor is assigned, the role of each must be agreed together with the student. The Faculty also recommends that a monitoring group be set up to support the student. Supervisory relationship The supervisory relationship begins with the drafting of the personal study plan. At this stage, the supervisor and the student agree on guidelines for their cooperation. They also agree on the dissertation objectives and timetable, the practical implementation of supervision, degree studies and 36

37 other issues crucial for the progress of postgraduate studies. The student and the supervisor can later clarify their supervisory relationship with a written agreement. The rights and duties of a postgraduate student - Commits to independent, critical and long-term work - Has the right to be assigned a supervisor who supports the student s independent work - Has the right to receive supervision and assistance in issues related to studies and research from the supervisory professor and the supervisor(s) - Is responsible for the progress of studies, keeping the supervisor(s) up-to-date on the research work and updating the study and research plan each year - Must register at the University as an attending or non-attending student each academic year The rights and duties of a supervisor - A supervisor commits to long-term and regular supervision and the promotion of the student s research work. - Supervisors agree on the mutual distribution of duties. - During the drafting of the research plan, the supervisor must take into account that the student must be able to complete the doctoral degree and related studies in four years of full-time study. - The supervisor must have sufficient and equal time for all students. - The supervisor meets each student regularly and treats all equitably. - The supervisor guides the student in research-related practices (research ethics, research plan, scientific conferences, publishing etc.). - The supervisor supports the student s integration into the academic community. - The supervisor discusses research funding with the student. - The supervisor ensures the continuity of his or her students supervision under changing circumstances. - The supervisor ensures the quality of a dissertation manuscript and its suitability for preliminary examination. Problems In the case of a problem arising that cannot be solved, a student and/or a supervisor can contact the supervisory professor or the vice-dean in charge of research affairs. A supervisory relationship can be terminated in writing upon the initiative of either a postgraduate student or his or her supervisor. If a postgraduate student has been assigned more than one supervisor or a supervisory group, any changes in supervision can be carried out within existing supervisory arrangements or by appointing a new supervisor according to faculty practices. 37

38 APPENDIX 2, SUPERVISORY EXPECTATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES Student Supervisor(s) Date Please read both statements under each item below and indicate your own view on a scale from 1 to 5. Both the student and the supervisor should complete the form on their own and then discuss the results. 1. The supervisor is responsible for defining the scope of the research. The student is responsible for defining the scope of the research. 2. The supervisor decides on the research methods used. The student decides on the research methods used. 3. The supervisor should draw up a research programme and timetable for the student. The student should draw up a research programme and timetable for him- or herself. 4. The supervisor should draw up a study programme and timetable for the student. The student should draw up a study programme and timetable for him- or herself. 5. The supervisor should guide and advise the student concerning the research and study practices of, and opportunities at, the University of Helsinki and the relevant division. The student is responsible for finding out about the research and study practices of, and opportunities at, the University of Helsinki and the relevant division. 6. A warm, open and encouraging supervisor/student atmosphere is important for a successful supervisory relationship. A personal and encouraging atmosphere is unwise because it can hinder the objectivity of both the student and the supervisor during supervision. 7. The supervisor should provide emotional support and encouragement. Personal guidance and support are not the supervisor s tasks. 8. The supervisor should insist on regular meetings with the student. The student should decide when to meet with the supervisor. 9. The supervisor should regularly check that the student is progressing as agreed. The student should work independently without reporting where and how his or her research hours are spent. 10. The supervisor should require regular written work reports to ensure that the student s work is on track. The student should decide when to report on his or her work. 11. The supervisor should aid the student in writing the article/dissertation if necessary. Writing the article/dissertation should be solely the student s task. 12. The supervisor is responsible for ensuring the quality of the manuscript/dissertation. The student is responsible for ensuring the quality of the manuscript/dissertation. Arrangements: Meeting arrangements: Frequency of meetings: Translation into Finnish and modification of Sari Timonen s original version (Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology) by Piia Salo 38

39 APPENDIX 3, LETTER OF REFERENCE Professor Liisa Meikäläinen University of Helsinki Faculty of Pharmacy Division of Pharmaceutical Knowledge P.O. Box 56 (Viikinkaari 5E) University of Helsinki Tel [email protected] To the Emil Aaltonen Foundation LETTER OF REFERENCE Peter Postgraduate, Master of Science (Pharmacy), has asked me to write a letter of reference for a grant application to the Emil Aaltonen Foundation. The objective is to use the grant to cover the costs of participation in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Fair & Exhibition. This international conference will be held in Nice, France, from 12 to 17 June 200x and its participants will be experts from various fields of pharmaceutical research. The conference is an excellent opportunity for a young scholar to meet people working in the same field and receive feedback on research work. Participation would benefit Peter Postgraduate s doctoral dissertation in I have supervised Peter Postgraduate's dissertation work for the past three years, and his work has progressed successfully and on schedule. I warmly recommend that you award a grant to him. Helsinki, 1 February 20xx Liisa Meikäläinen Professor 39

40 APPENDIX 4, LETTER TO THE EDITOR 1 Professor Matti Meikäläinen Division of Pharmaceutical Knowledge Faculty of Pharmacy P.O. Box 56 (Viikinkaari 5) FIN UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI Tel: Fax: [email protected] Helsinki, 14 June 200x Editor John Smith Analytical Chemistry Department of Chemistry, Venable and Kenan Laboratories University of Chapel Hill USA Dear Sir, Enclosed, please find our manuscript entitled "Analysis of XXX ". I kindly request you to evaluate it with a view to possible publication in Analytical Chemistry as a research article. In this work we introduce a novel ultra thin-layer chromatography-atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (UTLC AP MALDI) method. UTLC MALDI Thus far, the combination of thin-layer chromatography and MALDI mass spectrometry has been based on the use of HPTLC plates and vacuum MALDI time of flight mass spectrometry. In this study, we have shown that We suggest the following names of qualified reviewers: Professor N. N. (Contact details) Professor M. M. (Contact details) Professor H. H. (Contact details) Yours Sincerily, Professor Matti Meikäläine 40

41 APPENDIX 5, LETTER TO THE EDITOR 2 Professor Matti Meikäläinen Division of Pharmaceutical Knowledge Faculty of Pharmacy P.O. Box 56 (Viikinkaari 5) FIN University of Helsinki, Finland Tel: Fax: [email protected] Helsinki, 25 August 200x Professor John Smith Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 10 Kingsley Drive Cheadle Stockport Dear Professor Smith, Thank you for the referees comments regarding our manuscript Analysis of acetylcholine in micro dialysis samples by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (RCMS m/s E472). The comments were valuable and helped us improve the manuscript considerably. We hope that the revised version of our manuscript will be acceptable for publishing in Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. We thank you in advance for your concern and look forward to hearing your decision on our manuscript. Please find enclosed the corrected manuscript and figures. The corrections have also been sent by . Yours sincerely, Professor Matti Meikäläinen

42 APPENDIX 6, LETTER TO THE EDITOR 3 (CORRECTIONS) Dear Ms Moore, Thank you for the proofs of our manuscript Analysis of acetylcholine and choline in micro dialysis samples by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (RCM2160). We have read the proofs carefully, and our proof corrections are listed below. Page 2, lines 63 65: The amount of hydrates in the salts is missing. It should be CaCl 2A2 H 2O and MgCl 2A6 H 2O. In addition, the city and country are missing in the address of KCl. It should be KCl (Riedel-deHaën, Seelze, Germany). Page 2, line 74: The city and country in the column address are missing. It should be (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany). Page 3, lines 16-17: The peaks (m/z =146 and 160) seen in the mass spectra are not M+H of acetylcholine and choline, because these compounds are tertiary amine cations and are not protonated. The sentence should read as follows: The molecular ion of IS (m/z = ) or acetylcholine (m/z = ) were used as references. Page 3, line 80: Nicon should be Nikon. Page 6, line 46: The parenthese (before RSD) should be removed. Yours sincerely, Professor Liisa Meikäläinen Division of Pharmaceutical Knowledge Faculty of Pharmacy P.O. Box 56 (Viikinkaari 5) FIN University of Helsinki, Finland Tel: Fax: [email protected] 42