1.4 IMPLEMENTATION OF STUDY

1.4.1 Compiling the sample

When compiling the population of the study, all Masters of Science in Engineering, Licentiates and Doctors graduated from the University who had included Biomedical Engineering in their degree programme as a long or short professional subject were identified from TUT database. Between the academic year 1976-77 and the end of the academic year 1996-97, 275 TUT students had included Biomedical Engineering in their degree programme. Of these 275 students, six were foreign persons who had attended the International Graduate School of Ragnar Granit Institute, whereas three were persons who had completed a postgraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering but whose first degree was other than Master of Science in Engineering.

The sample of students who had included Biomedical Engineering in their Master’s degree amounted to 272 persons. With regard to them, a detailed investigation was carried out concerning the starting date of the Master’s degree programme, graduation date and professional subjects included in the degree programme, on the basis of the TUT student register and archives.

For the postal questionnaire study, the current addresses of all persons included in the study were checked from the national address information telephone of the Population Register Centre. Of the students of the International Graduate School, only two persons’ current addresses could be determined. Both were sufficiently fluent in the Finnish language for the purposes of the questionnaire study, and they were included in the study. In addition to four persons who had attended the International Graduate School, the addresses of three other persons selected for the study could not be retrieved (two had forbidden disclosure of their information and two lived abroad, address unknown). Consequently, the sample of the postal questionnaire study finally amounted to 267 persons, accounting for 97% of the initial population.

1.4.2 Questionnaire

The aim was to design the questionnaire so as to make it as easy as possible to fill in. It was also possible for the respondents to return the questionnaire anonymously in order to avoid disclosure of identity. Prior to actually posting the questionnaire, it was tested by a group consisting of the Institute’s personnel and persons employed in industry. The questionnaire was subsequently revised according to suggestions made by the group members. The english translation of questionnaire is appended to this report (Appendix 6).

1.4.3 Timing and replying

The compilation of the population and the investigation concerning the study records of the persons included in the population was started on 1 April 1997. The postal questionnaire study was conducted between June and September in 1997. The questionnaire accompanied by a covering letter was sent to all the 267 persons selected for the study on 10 June. A prepaid return envelope was included with the letter. The respondents were asked to return the questionnaires by 22 June. A repeat posting was conducted on 15 July. Since the questionnaire study was conducted during summer months, it was decided to conduct a second repeat posting on 21 August. With each repeat posting, the questionnaires were sent to all persons other than those who had returned the questionnaire specifying their names. Prior to the first repeat round, 119 persons had returned the questionnaire (45% of the sample). The first repeat posting produced 52 additional replies (19% of the sample), and the second round further increased the number of replies by 36 (13% of the sample). By comparing the questionnaires returned on the repeat rounds with those received initially, it was noted that one person had replied twice. Consequently, a total of 206 eligible questionnaires was returned, corresponding to 77% of the sample for the postal questionnaire study and 75% of the study population.