In general, product theses consist of a practical product (with documentation) and an associated written presentation. Some degree programmes also require an oral defence. The framework for the thesis and demands regarding the scope and nature of the individual parts are described in your academic regulations.
The practical product must have a clear academic nature, but must differ from the classical thesis/monograph in its form. It will typically be designed for receivers who are not supervisors or examiners, and intended for use outside the examination situation, for example in educational, institutional or communication-related contexts.
The purpose of the associated written presentation is to show that you can link relevant theory, design processes/methods and the product and demonstrate such links. The written presentation will often introduce the academic issue which the product is intended to address. It will also discuss the theories and methods on which the understanding of the issue and product is based.
Decisions regarding which type of product the thesis may contain, how your work should be divided between the individual parts, and how the individual parts are linked and should be related to each other depend on an academic assessment which is carried out in collaboration with your thesis supervisor and in accordance with your academic regulations.
At the end of this document, there is a list of examples of product theses from various degree programmes which you can use for inspiration if you are in doubt about what a product thesis can contain.
How are the individual parts weighted in the assessment?
An overall grade is awarded for each individual part. However, degree programmes vary in terms of the weight attached to various parts of the product and how the assessment of the product is included in the overall assessment of the thesis. In most cases, the product is assessed in terms of its academic significance and its coherence with the written part of the thesis, but not in terms of its quality as a product. Here, too, it is important to read the academic regulations carefully and discuss this with your supervisor.
"Is a language test the solution? Developing and testing a language test as a working tool in preparing the individual learning plan in Danish as a second language"
- Education: Scandinavian languages and literature
- Product: The product of this thesis is a language test for evaluating students for whom Danish is a second language.
- About the Master’s thesis: The student contacted a language centre to discuss the needs which the thesis might cover. As a result, the thesis dealt with the development of a language test which the language centre needed as a tool in connection with the evaluation of the linguistic strengths and weaknesses of its students. The student writing the thesis developed the test, implemented it and tested its usefulness as a working tool.
"Gammel Estrup for children. Digital historical narratives as a form of museum communication with a view to developing children’s awareness of history"
- Education: History
- Product: The product of this thesis is a digital expansion of the existing presentations of history at Gammel Estrup – the Manor Museum – designed for children in particular.
- About the Master’s thesis: The product consists of a digital guided tour covering ten websites containing presentations of history in the form of texts and illustrations. In the museum’s physical exhibition, there are ten 2D bar codes which can be scanned with a smartphone or tablet to open the relevant website. Based on historical and educational reflections, the student examined and explored the tools and aids which museums can use to present Danish cultural history to children. The student approached the Gammel Estrup museum director to present thoughts and ideas about a digital history presentation project. The framework for the product was decided in collaboration with the museum’s director and communication staff.
"Translating Francophone Maghreb literature into Danish"
- Education: French language, literature and culture
- Product: The product is a translation of selected chapters of a novel written by the Moroccan author Driss Chraïbis: "La Civilisation, ma Mère".
- About the Master’s thesis: The student includes language theory, translation theory and literature theory in working with the translation. This is also reflected in the associated written presentation, which describes the student’s thoughts, choices and solutions during the translation process – in terms of both general language and cultural differences between French and Danish, and concrete, stylistic translation elements in Chraïbis’ novel.
"Telemedicine, empowerment and patient diversity – an anthropological examination of the experiences of COPD patients involved in a telemedicine treatment process"
- Education: Anthropology
- Product: The product is an evaluation report entitled "Evaluating the chronic illness funding pools".
- About the Master’s thesis: The student wrote the report during a previous work placement at the Horsens Regional Hospital. It focuses on COPD patients’ experiences of being involved in a telemedicine treatment process with a view to evaluating and benefiting from the experiences gained in a telemedicine project (TeleKOL) conducted by the Horsens Regional Hospital since 2010.
"Editorial guidelines – a study of music presentation on DR’s P6 Beat after the introduction of playlists"
- Education: Media studies
- Product: This is a journalistic product in the form of a radio programme in the DR P1 format known as Klubværelset.
- About the Master’s thesis: The programme, which is called "Editorial guidelines", examines music presentation on DR’s P6 Beat and presents the student’s conclusions following analysis and discussion in the written presentation. The analysis, whose purpose is to study the nature of music presentation, is based on qualitative interviews with stakeholders who have a variety of perspectives regarding music presentation on DR’s P6 Beat. The interviews not only form the empirical basis of the academic study, but are also used in the radio product as journalistic sources. As one of the important parts of the product, the student developed some interview guides to ensure that the data collected could satisfy both needs. The thesis includes not only theory of an academic/cultural nature which forms the basis of the study, but also journalistic theory used in designing the journalistic product.