The Sibelius Academy Postgraduate Guidelines define the written component as follows:
The demonstration of proficiency includes a written component which may consist of either a monograph-format thesis or at least one peer-reviewed research article. The written component may also be multimedia in form. The written component forms a coherent research project when taken together with the other components of the demonstration of proficiency.
The written component also contains a summary which provides a report of the goals and framework of the complete demonstration of proficiency, the functions of its components and how they interrelate, along with a review of the results and a discussion of the significance of these results. If the written component is a monograph, the contents of the summary are included in the monograph. If the written component is in article form, the summary is a report separate to the written component, unless the description is included in one of the articles.
The written component within the Arts Study Program need not follow the model of a traditional research publication where it is possible to create a format for the component that better serves its goals and those of doctoral level artistic training. However, it cannot be fully realised without an adequate textual component that opens up the subject matter to artistic practitioners and the academic community. The indicative length of the textual part of the written component is approximately 60–100 pages (not including annexes).
One example of a different way of presenting a thesis is an ‘exposition’ (ekspositio), as explained below by Teemu Mäki:
In an exposition, the relationship between the other ingredients and text is richer, whereas in a traditional (text-based) article, the other ingredients are only there to illustrate points made in the text.
Teemu Mäki’s full text can be found here (in Finnish): http://ruukku-journal.fi/viewpoints/-/blogs/mika-ihmeen-ekspositio-
Part of planning a written component also involves choosing the right language and style in which to write it. No specific directions are given about this in the Sibelius Academy guidelines. Such choices should be made at the research plan stage, and depend on a number of factors being considered regarding the possible extra meanings that using a particular language will bring. For example, you should think about the ways of communicating that have already been established in your field; the terminology usually used; whether it is the best language to communicate naturally with your tutor or advisory group; about how comfortable you actually feel expressing yourself in that language; not to mention the potential readership.
A good rule of thumb when it comes to planning a written component is to remember that it is less about the researcher or artist’s personality, and more about the research task itself. In practice, this means establishing the key goal of the written component (and the doctoral degree), and spelling this out in writing – comparable to defining and answering the research question in scientific research. The research task can be approached by asking what it is you actually want to learn during the course of your artistic doctoral degree. This should lead to an answer that shows how it will benefit the wider community and not only your own artistic and/or academic career. With this in mind, you should not simply be thinking about how it will “enrich my means of artistic expression”. Indeed, keeping the wider perspective in mind is also vital when it comes to finding funding and employment, and it is worth remembering that the written component is often the only physical trace that remains after completing the degree.