Instructions for the Commissioner

A thesis at Humak is a relatively in-depth and demanding development project carried out in collaboration with working life. It is guided by research-based principles, which help gather reliable information to support development. Besides producing knowledge, the purpose of the thesis is to make a concrete improvement to the commissioner’s activities.

The tangible output of the thesis can take various forms—for example, a working model, strategy, guide, service, product, an implementation plan, or a set of well-justified development proposals. It may also involve renewing a working method or adapting it to a new environment.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.The commissioner appoints a contact person to work together with the student and the thesis supervisor to define the goals and plan the process.

A cooperation agreement is made between the commissioner, the student, and the supervisor. This agreement sets out the roles, responsibilities, conditions, and rights related to the thesis process, including supervision and publishing. The commissioner’s representative signs the agreement digitally. The student is responsible for submitting the agreement to the system and collecting all the required signatures.

The student is responsible for completing the thesis and for its results. Humak is responsible for supervising the thesis and for evaluating it. The supervisor ensures that the goals and methods of the thesis are appropriate in scope and content, and meet the academic requirements.

The commissioner’s representative supports smooth execution of the thesis from the organization’s perspective. This includes offering the necessary practical support related to thesis activities.

• If a research permit is required from the commissioner or another relevant body, the commissioner will assist the student in applying for it, if needed.
• If the thesis involves participation from the commissioner’s staff (e.g., workshops, data collection, testing), the commissioner is expected to motivate and allow voluntary participation during working hours.
• The commissioner agrees to provide the student with relevant background information about the organization necessary for the thesis.
• The commissioner also supports data collection, for example by sharing student-created surveys with networks, customers, or internal stakeholders.
• The commissioner is expected to respect the agreed timeline and respond to the student’s messages in a timely manner.
• Toward the end of the process, the commissioner gives the student feedback on the success and usability of the thesis in the organization. This feedback is not a formal evaluation but is meant to help the student reflect on the usefulness of their work and output.

The commissioner is not expected to guide the student in writing the thesis report, nor are they involved in grading the thesis.

The intellectual property rights to the thesis and its outputs belong to the student. The commissioner may freely make use of the results, information, and development proposals produced in the thesis. As a good practice, the student should always be appropriately credited when their work is used. 

If the commissioner intends to use the thesis outcomes for commercial or large-scale purposes, or if there is a need to transfer ownership or make significant modifications, a separate agreement must be made between the student and the commissioner.

“Data” refers to the material collected by the student for the thesis—this may include, for example, survey responses, observation matrices, or interview transcripts. If the data collected forms a personal data register, the student is considered its controller and is responsible for secure handling and storage of the data. Unless otherwise agreed in advance, the student destroys the data and any registers after the project is completed.

If the commissioner wishes to use the data after the thesis is completed, this must be agreed upon before data collection begins. In such cases, ethical and appropriate practices must be followed, including clear prior communication with participants about the entire data lifecycle and its intended use. If personal data is transferred, it must comply with personal data legislation.

Although commissioning a thesis is not necessarily subject to a fee, it is considered good practice to compensate the student for well-executed work. The compensation can reflect the value of the thesis outcome to the commissioner. Any other costs related to the thesis should be agreed upon between the student and the commissioner. The principle is that the student should not incur additional expenses due to the thesis project.

The thesis is publicly accessible in full. It is published either in the open or restricted collection of the Theseus online repository, and one copy is archived electronically by Humak. A restricted thesis is not openly available online, but it can be read through other channels. The default is open access unless there are strong reasons to restrict availability.

All parties involved — the student, commissioner, and supervisor — are expected to keep confidential any sensitive information and documents shared during the thesis process or related discussions, unless permission is granted to use them.

Humak may mention the commissioner’s name in its communications, unless it has been explicitly agreed that the name should not be disclosed.