Valtiotieteellisen tiedekunnan kirjasto

Instructions for filling out the thesis abstract form
These are instructions for writing, saving and printing the abstracts required for master’s and licentiate theses.  The abstracts are accessible in Helda,  the digital archive of the University of Helsinki, after the thesis has been accepted and the library has edited the abstract .

Please Note! The Faculty of Social Sciences has separate instructions for doctoral dissertation abstracts.

Planning the Contents

It is recommended that you write your abstract first with a wordprocessing or editing program. Thus it is easily copied and pasted into the thesis abstract form. Do not use hyphenation in your abstract.

The abstract should be a description of the contents of your thesis. It should include the subject and object of the research, the methods used and the most significant results and the main references. The abstract should be a separate whole that is understandable without having read the thesis. You should use complete sentences and the accepted terminology of your field. You cannot present facts or results that are not included in the thesis, nor should it include any quotes or references. The recommende word count is 350-500.

The requirement for a master’s thesis is an abstract written in the same language as the thesis. For licentiate theses you are required to include an abstract in English. So if the licentiate thesis is not written in English you need to include both an abstract in the language of the thesis and another in English.

If your  thesis is written in another language than Finnish or Swedish it is recommended  that you also include an abstract in one of these languages.

In the keyword box you should write only one keyword per line.

Filling out and editing the abstract form

First read the instructions below carefully and then open the abstract form.

1. First choose the language of the abstract by clicking on one of the flags.
2. Write your first name and your surname in the name boxes and click Begin.
3. Please Note! Write down the code at the top of the page. You need it if you need to correct or add something to the form.
4. Fill out the form as extensively as possible. Below the boxes you can find instructions. If you need additional advice contact the Social Science Library. Click Save after you have filled out the whole form.
5. You can preview the abstract form by clicking the preview link (the title of your thesis). If you need to return to your abstract to change or add something click Edit.

Please Note! If you want to continue filling out the form later, do not submit the abstract to Helda. Instead click Quit. You can return to your abstract form by using the code you copied from the start page of the abstract.

6 .If you need to you can fill out the form in an additional language by clicking on ’Add Finnish version’ or ’Add Swedish version’. Thus you will get an abstract form, where  you can save and edit what you have written the same way as in points
4 and 5.

Submitting your abstract to the digital archive and printing it

7. After making sure your abstract and  any versions in other languages are correct and that you have filled out all boxes, you should deposit your abstract in Helda by clicking Submit.

Please Note! Your abstract is not immediately available in Helda. Your thesis has to be accepted and further processing done in the library.  

8 .After submitted your abstract to Helda click ’Printable PDF’, which will open your abstract form as a PDF file. If you have filled out different language versions, there will be a separate PDF file for each. Print the abstract(s) or save the file(s) for later printing. With each copy of your thesis that you submit for evaluation you should have a printout of your abstract form(s).

If you for some reason are not able to submit your abstract to the digital archive you need to submit it again. Remember to print it too.  If  there is a direct error in your abstract after you have submitted your thesis for evaluation it is recommended that you send a corrected version of the abstract to the Social Science Library.

If you have problems in filling out, printing or submitting your abstract form you can contact the  Social Science Library (phone 191 23362 or 191 23786).

MA - 22.12.09