You can find useful resources on this webpage that can help with your academic writing. Note, however, that you must always follow the instructions as stated in your course syllabus and/or given to you by your teacher or supervisor.
Essay or Thesis
You need to use the "Template for Degree Thesis" if the course/module you are taking has the words "degree thesis" in its title and/or if is coded G1E, G2E, A1E or A2E (this will depend on the level and the type of degree).
If you are taking a vocational programme (yrkesprogram) that leads to a vocational degree (yrkesexamen – midwife, engineer, teacher, social worker, nurse, specialist nurse), then the course will be called “Examensarbete för … (name of the specific profession)”.
If your course includes an essay (uppsats), then use the essay template.
Find the templates using the information on our website: Templates for Students
Before You Start
Processing of Sensitive Personal Data
Dalarna University limits the processing of sensitive and highly protected personal data to student projects at the advanced level, with some exceptions. Exceptions may be made in individual cases where the examiner determines that processing such data is necessary for you, as a student, to fully benefit from your education. This decision has been made to reduce the risk of incidents involving personal data and to ensure that the university complies with data protection regulations.
Research Ethics Council (FER)
In student projects involving people and/or personal data, you are required to conduct an ethical self-review. Your project may need to undergo an ethical review process. Applications for review should be submitted to the Research Ethics Council (FER).
Security, Storage and Transfer
If your work contains personal data, then you need to consider security requirements in terms of the type and amount of personal data and the way it will be processed. Requirements are stricter when it comes to sensitive personal data and when personal data needs to be transferred over the internet (for example, a web survey). Before the start of your study, you need to conduct a risk analysis that is documented – for example, in the description of the method for the study.
Students can store collected data on the university central storage system (the H: or home directory on your computer). This is recommended when you are processing sensitive personal data. There, data is protected and a back-up copy is made. When storing locally on a computer or on mobile devices such as a mobile phone or USB, you must ensure that the personal data is protected and that you make a back-up copy.
Rules for storing digital information at Dalarna University (pdf/Swedish text)
Work In Progress
Processing of Personal Data
Many research projects, student projects and placement reports involve the processing of personal data. All such processing must comply with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). More information and advice as well as guidelines on how to comply with these at Dalarna University can be found in the checklist (note this document is currently only available in Swedish):
Checklista för studentarbeten som behandlar personuppgifter (docx)
If you will process personal data, you must notify the data protection officer.
Report of personal data processing in student works
References and Copyright
Reference style manuals can help you with your academic writing and make you aware of what you need to do to avoid plagiarism. There are also programs that can help you reference correctly. The Swedish Copyright Act (1960:729) explains what to think about when you are copying text so as to protect both your work and that of others.
Completed and Approved Work
Personal Data
When you have completed your work and received a grade for it, you should let your informants know about your research results. You are responsible for ensuring that any empirical material/source material (such as surveys, audio recordings, video footage) is destroyed. The source material you use in your work must be preserved if you plan to rework your essay for publication.
Behandling av personuppgifter – ändring och avanmälan
Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet (DiVA)
Essays, degree theses (examensarbeten) of 90/120 credits, or equivalent (previously C level and above) must be archived and preserved in DiVA. If you do not want to publish your degree thesis in full text, an archive copy must still be stored in DiVA. Essays of 60 credits or equivalent (up to the former B level) are not archived in DiVA. They are stored in the university learning management system (learning platform) and can be destroyed after five years.
For the thesis to be published in full text in DiVA, the student as author must provide their consent. You do this when you fill out and submit the university thesis template.
If your degree thesis is not available in full text in DiVA, then contact publexarb@du.se to consent to its publication.
If you have questions about this subject, contact support@du.se.