Best Open Knowledge Thesis award

Open Knowledge Finland ry annually awards the Best Open Knowledge Thesis of the previous year. We hope the award encourages students to conduct research in one of the many aspects of open knowledge, thus adding to the scientific knowledge of us all.

The topic of the Best Open Knowledge Thesis must be connected to the general theme of open knowledge. There are no limitations on the study programme or subject area for the thesis. It may relate to open knowledge in many ways, for example: ict, processes, legal, business, systems, social studies, culture, design, communications. The thesis can contribute to the advancement of open data, open scientific methods, open education, or other forms of open knowledge.

For a thesis to be considered for the award, the following qualifications must be met:

• The thesis has been accepted in a Finnish university or university of applied sciences (ammattikorkeakoulu).
• The thesis is a master’s thesis or comparable, or any higher level.
• The thesis has been accepted during the previous calendar year with a minimum grade of “good”.
• Open licensing is preferred in evaluation, and the thesis must be publicly available at the time of judging.

The prize for the Best Open Knowledge Thesis is a 500 € scholarship, a diploma, as well as speaking opportunities in OKFI’s events.

Candidates for the award are submitted by any suitable staff member of a Finnish higher level educational institution, often a thesis supervisor. They are encouraged to agree with the student to submit the thesis for the award.

Candidate submissions

Submissions for Best Open Knowledge Thesis award 2022 are open until May 19th 2023

The following information will be needed:

• Candidate’s name and contact information
• Institution, faculty, department, study programme and the degree
• Institution representative’s name and contact information (usually the person filling in the form)
• Thesis title, summary, and a web link to the full text thesis
• A brief justification for the award (one to two paragraphs)

Link to submission form: https://forms.gle/QT1S2S7Fitg89Kg89

Any inquiries may be sent (either in English or Finnish) to thesis-award (at) okf.fi.