My Master's Thesis Process at Aalto

Planning & Literature Review

In my opinion, the planning stage was the most challenging part as I had to decide the research topic, approach and research questions. Initially, I had multiple interesting topics in mind which, however, differed from each other quite significantly. In the end, I asked myself what topic I would enjoy the most researching and ended up having a clear answer. I would recommend to start thinking of possible topics early, and narrowing the focus area quite fast. Additionally, it is good to set timeline for choosing as otherwise it might take longer than expected. You can also commit to an approach even without being completely sure about it, to get started!

When considering the literature review, it is good to start skimming first, focusing on the abstracts and conclusions before deciding whether to read the full research papers. Furthermore, it is important to write down which articles you have read and the key findings on those to be able to identify how to use the sources in your work. Personally, I also found mind maps great as you can connect different topics visually and get a bigger picture about the themes.

Methodology & Data Collection

In this phase, the theory gathered in the literature review met reality through valuable insights and data. It also required me to analyse how to answer my research questions in the end. In this stage, I recommend receiving feedback early on regarding your methodology as it can be challenging to make corrections later on, for example to the methodological approach or your interview questions. Thus, it is good to communicate with your supervisor and send drafts to them to review your work. This can then save you a lot of time later on.

The data collection process was something I very much enjoyed. In this phase, I focused on my strengths as I had completed qualitative interviews also in my bachelor’s thesis a few years ago. Therefore, I found the discussions with my informants very valuable and was able to collect it efficiently, despite the wide amount of data collected. I recommend to leave enough time to go through the data early on, as it may bring further ideas and even enable relevant changes to the methodology if needed.

Writing the Findings & Submission

The writing phase was an interesting one as here I got to review and discuss the results of my work in detail. It was probably the longest part of the thesis as it required me to connect the previous research from the field to my data and analysis. Here, I found it beneficial to focus on smaller sections at a time and create a schedule to be able to spend enough time for each part. On the other hand, it is important to move on when needed. I also recommend having a thesis buddy to meet regularly with, to check in and stay accountable of the progress.

Finally, it is time to prepare for the submission and thus revise the thesis multiple times. In this stage, I recommend creating a checklist on issues to be completed and make sure you have enough time to review the formatting. It is also important to be able to let go of your thesis in the end, as otherwise it can keep you from submitting for a long time. Remember that the main thing is to get the work done, and learn from the whole process and your research!

Looking back, writing a thesis has not been just about research. It is also about managing your time and progress, as well as your own expectations for the final work. It is also important to find a system that works for you personally, have structure, and remember to be patient. Finally, you should take it one step at a time, and enjoy the process and your insights!

Elisa Pöyry

MSc Student at Aalto University School of Business