Public access to and publication of master’s theses

Master’s theses included in second-cycle (master’s) degrees are public documents. Public access to them is based on the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), with which the University must comply in all its operations. The University and its teachers do not have the power to decide on public access to theses contrary to the above Act.

Public access to theses means that the University must make theses available to anyone upon request.

As a thesis supervisor, you should ensure that students know about public access to theses in advance. When drawing up a thesis plan and supervising a thesis, supervisors must also ensure that the choice of thesis topic and material is not contrary to the principle of public access without acceptable grounds.

Public access to theses also includes their abstracts.

Because a thesis becomes public immediately after its assessment and approval at a meeting of the faculty council, degree programme steering group or grading committee, the thesis must include no secret information. Students can include secret information in the background material, which is not part of the thesis to be assessed.

The Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999) contains provisions on secret official documents. Secret information includes information related to private business or commercial activities or a private individual’s health, assets, political convictions or family life.

It must be noted that students cannot include secret material in thesis appendices or abstracts. The thesis supervisor has the right to gain access to secret background material, but must ensure that such material is not included in the thesis itself. The thesis examiner conducts their assessment based on the student’s written thesis, which must not include secret information. The examiner is not entitled to access secret background material.

It is the supervisor’s duty to advise and instruct students in issues related to the data protection of research material, such as its anonymisation.

Students may request that the publication of their thesis in the open publication repository Helda be delayed. A need for delayed publication (embargo) may arise, for example, if a thesis has been written in a research group and is closely related to research to be published later. A thesis whose publication has been delayed is still public, and access to it must be given to anyone requesting it.

The dean will decide on the embargo, and its maximum duration is one year.

The University is committed to the premise of open science and research and, as part of implementing this openness, aims to make theses available electronically. Students are separately asked to permit the electronic publication of their theses. Supervisors should acquaint students with the basics of open science and research and encourage them to publish their theses electronically.

Abstracts for master’s theses are published in the Helsinki University Library’s open publication repository Helda. After the approval of theses, students are also asked for permission to publish their theses in Helda. If permitted, their theses will be made openly available and assigned a permanent web address.

Master’s theses are archived permanently. Helsinki University Library is responsible for archiving and providing access to theses approved at the University of Helsinki.

Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999; unofficial English translation)

Rector’s Decision HY/3220/00.00.06.00/2021, 21 June 2021: Guidelines for degrees and studies at the University of Helsinki