jats:sec<jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Purpose</jats:title>jats:p– This paper identifies the activities to be undertaken by students during short industrial placements. The purpose of this paper is to obtain a better understanding of what students do during their placements and provide a framework that supports both teaching and learning. This research focuses on a masters-level programme that contains a series of four, two week industrial placements where groups of two students work on a real and significant issue for the host company.</jats:p></jats:sec>jats:sec<jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Design/methodology/approach</jats:title>jats:p– A framework, developed from literature, describes a placement in terms of 17 high-level activity groups. A multi-stage action research method was applied to test the framework and develop a more detailed level framework. This used insights gathered from students, tutors and researchers on all 80 placements undertaken during the 2012-2013 academic year.</jats:p></jats:sec>jats:sec<jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Findings</jats:title>jats:p– The 17 high-level activity groups and their configuration in the framework were confirmed. For the 12 process activity groups, 64 activities were identified and included into a detailed level framework. For the five through-placement activity groups some specific activities were captured and further work remains to capture the others.</jats:p></jats:sec>jats:sec<jats:title content-type="abstract-heading">Originality/value</jats:title>jats:p– These complex industrial placements can now be described consistently to students, companies and tutors using an evidence-based framework. Literature searches have not identified any other equivalent research-based frameworks. Other HE programmes also use similar industrial placements and this framework will provide a basis to support these and add to the body of knowledge in work integrated learning.</jats:p></jats:sec>