Introduction to the Honors Thesis
This Honors Thesis Handbook was developed to encourage students to write an Honors thesis that extends students’ work in a specific research project or creative endeavor. This handbook is designed to provide you with helpful information and pointers that will simplify – and de-mystify – the process of writing an Honors thesis.
You should read this information carefully before you begin the process of developing an idea for your Honors thesis. Keep it handy between now and your thesis completion. If you have a question about the Honors thesis – what the deadlines are, what the thesis should look like, what you can do if something goes wrong – look back through the Handbook. Chances are the answer to all your questions are in here. However, if you have a question that is not answered in this Handbook, please contact the Honors College.
The Thesis Handbook should also be helpful to your thesis committee, as the Handbook contains information about the expectations not only for students, but also for thesis committee members. We encourage you to share the handbook with them.
Why write an Honors Thesis?
For students who are intent on making the most of their Honors education, the Honors thesis serves as an academic capstone experience. Students on the Presidential Honors or Distinguished Honors track are required to complete a thesis. An Honors thesis offers the following benefits:
- An opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty mentor in your major on a project that will enhance your research, creativity, and writing skills.
- Integration of knowledge in a project of your own choice.
- Self-awareness, as you engage in an independent project that can help clarify your academic interests and career goals.
- The reward of rising to a unique, intellectual challenge.
- Recognition on your official transcript and diploma and at the Honors Commencement Ceremony.
- Enhancement of graduate school and employment opportunities.
Who writes an Honors Thesis?
Students on the Presidential Honors or Distinguished Honors tracks are required to complete a thesis. In addition, students who wish to get the most out of their education or who wish to personalize a component of their education will opt to write an Honors thesis. It is strongly recommended that students who are interested in attending graduate school to earn a Ph.D. write an Honors thesis.
General Guidelines
Students and their committee should remember that the Honors thesis is the product of meaningful research and advanced investigation/creation over multiple semesters. The thesis manuscript is the culmination of a student’s course of study and should be a document of pride for the student, the committee, and the academic program. The Honors thesis should be substantial in scope and result in original findings, new creative work, or a new understanding of a problem or issue. Projects that resemble term papers, literature reviews without significant analysis and synthesis, or single-semester capstone projects will not satisfy Honors expectations.
Students should approach the development and execution of the thesis with utmost care and should be prepared for multiple rounds of revisions before submitting the manuscript to the Honors College, to ensure that the final product meets the expectations of the chair, and the Honors College.
While the thesis chair will serve as the student’s primary guide through the research and writing process, the Honors College has certain requirements with regard to responsible conduct of research, scope of project, and manuscript formatting.
If you would like to complete an Honors Thesis you must first submit the Thesis Declaration form found on the Honors College website under “Forms and Documents” to notify the Honors College of this intention
Basic Requirements for the Honors Thesis
Listed below you will find the essential elements involved in writing an Honors thesis. Each of the essential elements listed here is described in greater detail later in this handbook.
- You must have a thesis committee chair. This should be someone with a terminal degree in their field (usually a Ph.D., although possibly an M.D., J.D., or M.F.A.).
- You must have two additional thesis committee members. One of these will be appointed by the Dean of the Honors College to serve as an external member of the committee.
- Like thesis chairs, thesis members should have a terminal degree in their field. Your members should be familiar with the Honors Thesis process and agree to the timeline. It is your responsibility to provide them with the handbook/link and to discuss requirements and timelines with them. Exceptions to this requirement will be made on a case-by-case basis with demonstrated need and the approval.
- Complete the Proposal Defense Form found on the Honors College website under “Forms and Documents”.
- You must have your thesis proposal approved by your three-member Thesis Committee prior to beginning data collection. This will occur during the Proposal Defense.
- Students must submit their completed thesis according to the deadlines in order for the thesis to count toward Honors graduation requirements.
- The steps involved in filing your thesis are:
- Re-write the thesis until your chair and two members agree it is of Honors quality.
- Submit the Thesis Defense Request Form
- Publicly defend your completed thesis
- Complete the signature page with your committee
- Email the complete, approved, thesis with signature page to the Honors College ([email protected]) by the last day of finals
- What is an Honors Thesis?
- Getting Started
- When should I start my thesis?
- Finding a Thesis Topic and a Thesis Chair
- What if the person who knows most about my topic does not have a terminal degree?
- How do I approach a potential Thesis Chair?
- Do I have to do the thesis in my major?
- Is it okay to re-work an old paper or project?
- How do I find my thesis committee members?
- How do I approach potential thesis members?
- Responsibilities Involved in the Thesis Chair/Student Relationship
- Responsibilities Involved in the Member/Student Relationship
- Content of the Honors Thesis Proposal
- Miscellaneous Concerns
What is an Honors Thesis?
The Honors thesis is a respected hallmark of an Honors degree. The thesis project provides the opportunity for a student – in close consultation with an expert member of the faculty – to define and carry through a line of research or a creative enterprise appropriate to the conclusion of a serious and substantial undergraduate program of study. There are three forms of the Honors Thesis, and students may choose from the thesis type that best fits their scholarly and professional goals. These forms are: Traditional Research Thesis, Creative Research Thesis, and Applied Research/Design Thesis.
The Honors thesis is a large research (or creative) project that can be pursued successfully in two to three semesters as part of a normal undergraduate course load. We expect that the Honors thesis will exemplify the standard in its ideas, methodology, accuracy, clarity, reasoning, and presentation.
Traditional Research Thesis
In a traditional thesis, students conduct discipline-specific research and write an honors thesis. The traditional research thesis is popular for students applying to professional or graduate schools and students entering professions in which research and written communication skills are prioritized. The length and scope of the thesis varies by discipline, but the final project will exceed the length of a paper written for a specific course and will reflect a sustained, year-long research project. The thesis may build on previous research completed for a class, but it must do so in significant and substantial ways under the direction of the thesis chair.
The thesis represents ORIGINAL work. A research thesis tackles a problem or part of a problem that others have not yet addressed adequately or completely or it approaches the problem in a new way. Library research into what others have done is an essential first step, but a research-based Honors thesis goes beyond this to include your own insights, ideas, and/or collection of data. What distinguishes an Honors thesis from a research paper that might be written for a regular, upper-division, 3-credit course is the necessity for you to go beyond what others have written and to think critically about the topic at hand, to bring your own ideas to bear on the topic, and/or to collect and report on new information that expands knowledge in your academic discipline. An Honors thesis is not, however, a Master’s thesis or a Ph.D. dissertation and should be, correspondingly, smaller in scope. An Honors thesis is a substantial piece of work, both in terms of effort and length. Writing the thesis involves a cycle of writing, receiving feedback, and rewriting, etc. Students who write an Honors thesis never turn in a single draft and have it approved by all their committee members. Instead, they work as apprentices through the process of writing scholarly work and write multiple drafts. The ultimate goal is to do excellent work and write an excellent (and original) paper.
Creative Research Thesis
A creative research thesis involves research and a creative project, usually in the fine or media arts. Examples include choreographing a dance, preparing a character performance, creating a documentary, composing a musical performance, or writing a collection of short stories. The thesis manuscript includes the final product or a link to the final product, as well as a research-informed explanation of the product and a reflection of the process that situates the project within current scholarship. The length and scope will vary by discipline, but the thesis will represent thorough research that highlights the artist’s choices and informs the viewer’s understanding of the creative product in significant ways.
Although a creative project can form the basis of a thesis, it is not the complete thesis! To be accepted as an Honors thesis, a creative work must be accompanied by a written analysis. This written analysis should include: (1) an introduction in which the student explains what they chose to do and what their personal and academic goals were in attempting the project; (2) the creative work itself or a brief written description of the creative piece (if it is not in text form); and (3) a reflective evaluative section in which the student evaluates the results of the project. The introduction should address questions such as why the student chose the particular approach used, why the student selected the particular work or works to be performed or created, and what the student hoped to gain or learn in doing the project. The evaluative discussion should address how the student met or failed to meet the original goals of the project and what the student would do differently (or the same) if they were to attempt the project again.
Applied Research/Design Thesis
An applied research/design thesis allows students to research and design a product or process of practical use within their discipline. Applied research/design is popular for students in team-based fields such as engineering, marketing, and health-related disciplines. The thesis includes the project information, as well as a research-informed explanation of process and product design and application that situates the project within current scholarship. The length and scope will vary by discipline, but the final project will represent thorough research and a thoughtful product that significantly exceeds work typically completed for an individual class. Students who are part of a research team must also write about their individual role in creating the product.
Students employ an approach to the Honors thesis that is appropriate to their particular field of study. For example, a student in the sciences most often does a project that involves laboratory research; a student in the humanities most often does library research, combined with critical analysis; a student in the social sciences might conduct survey research, a laboratory study, a case study, or content analysis; a student in the fine and performing arts typically produces a creative work. No particular approach is required. You and your committee determine the methods and approach to the project. It is difficult to anticipate all the variations of projects that may be undertaken to qualify as an Honors thesis. If you and your chair are unsure whether your project is acceptable, you or they should contact the Honors College.
Whatever type of thesis you choose to do, it is essential that you select a topic that truly interests you. A topic that does not engage you will quickly become boring and onerous, a task unpleasant to both you and your chair — becomes a task soon avoided, and unlikely to be completed.
Getting Started
When should I start my thesis?
The sooner you start, the better off you will be. In most cases, however, students are not ready to start their Honors thesis until they have completed at least 60 hours. Students in highly technical fields may need additional coursework before they have enough background to do a thesis in their field.
Students should begin planning for the thesis no later than the beginning of their junior year (four semesters before graduation) and should ideally begin their thesis by the middle of their junior year (with three semesters left before graduation). Students in the sciences and social sciences typically need to start earlier than students in the arts, business, education, and humanities, as they often have to master experimental techniques before they can begin their own project. One problem with waiting to begin in the senior year is that you run the risk of delaying your graduation if problems arise with the completion of your thesis.
Finding a Thesis Topic and a Thesis Chair
The biggest fear most students have when they consider doing a thesis is that they will be unable to find a topic. While finding a topic can be difficult, the more research you do and the more you talk to others, the more likely you are to find a topic that suits you. Keep in mind that you do not have to develop the topic all on your own! Doing a thesis is similar to finding a position as an apprentice. Your thesis chair has a great deal more experience in developing new research ideas than you do. Make sure to use your thesis chair and other faculty members as a resource.
Selecting a topic and selecting a thesis chair are inextricably linked. Some students identify a topic first and then use that to help guide them to a chair. Others identify a chair first – a faculty member with whom they have a good relationship – and then use that relationship to guide them to a topic.
Ideally, your topic will be something that interests you already – perhaps something you have learned about in a course, something you have read, or even a hobby. When you have an idea for a project that interests you, then you should find a chair with interest and expertise in that area. If you are not familiar with the specialties of faculty in your discipline, you can contact the Honors College and request assistance in how to identify a faculty member whose interests match or overlap with yours. While identifying a topic on your own is wonderful, you should be prepared for faculty members to tell you that your understanding of the field is naïve or that your topic is too broad or unmanageable. You should also be prepared for some faculty members to tell you that, while your idea is very interesting, they cannot serve as your chair because your project is not closely related to their research specialty. When you develop a topic completely on your own, you may have difficulty finding a chair who is willing to work with you.
Not having a topic in mind does not mean that you cannot do a thesis. Students who do not have a topic in mind have one advantage: they will not have their ideas rejected – although they may be more likely to end up with a project that is not as interesting to them. If you do not have a topic in mind, it can be useful to find a chair first. You can approach a faculty member whose course interested you and ask him or her for assistance in developing a topic. Often, that faculty member will help you develop a project that fits with his or her line of research. If you have a general subject area in mind (e.g., social psychology, physiology, modern literature, business ethics), you can ask the Honors College to help you identify faculty members who have interests in those areas. You can then approach those faculty members to ask for assistance in developing a topic.
It is often easier to choose a chair than it is to choose a topic. You should choose your chair by taking into consideration both the faculty member’s expertise in an area that interests you and the potential for you to develop a close working relationship with that faculty member. One of the most rewarding aspects of completing the thesis is developing a personal and intellectual relationship with your thesis chair. Think about a professor whose classes you have particularly enjoyed or a professor you have gotten to know during office hours or in other contexts outside the classroom. Even if that professor turns out not to be the right chair because his or her research area does not match your interests, they can often help direct you to an appropriate chair. In addition, the original faculty member will be someone whom you want to consider asking to serve as a member on your thesis.
A thesis topic should be neither too broad nor too narrow. It will probably take time for you to cut the problem down to feasible proportions. Keep in mind that this project will not be the last word on your topic. Either you or others will follow up on the ideas you address in your thesis. Most original thesis topics need to be scaled down before they become manageable and you can make adjustments at any point in the process. It is up to you and your thesis committee to set the boundaries for your project. You and your committee will need to agree on everything from the number of books you will read, the number of participants or observations, the expected length of the finished work, etc. You may change your mind on these points as the project progresses, but it is helpful to begin by defining these items in advance.
As you explore options for thesis topics, keep in mind that the most important factor in completing an Honors thesis is your interest. You need to enjoy what you propose to study. You need to take ownership of the project. Nothing will hinder your progress more than working on a thesis that does not interest you. How do students get into that situation? Often by having a professor persuade them to do something that does not really interest them. Thus, we strongly advise you to pick a topic that interests you.
What if the person who knows most about my topic does not have a terminal degree?
In some very rare instances, students have received approval to work with a thesis chair (or member) who does not have a terminal degree (e.g., a PhD, JD. or MD). If you believe that there is an ideal thesis chair (or member) for you but that individual does not hold a terminal degree, you can request permission to work with that individual from the Honors College. You must be able to demonstrate that this individual has special expertise that others at Tarleton do not have.
How do I approach a potential Thesis Chair?
Approach potential thesis chairs with as much confidence as you can muster and as much information as you can gather. How you approach a potential thesis chair may depend on how certain you are that the professor in question is the right chair for you. If you are certain you want that individual for a chair and know what topic you want to pursue, you can go in, introduce yourself as a member of the Honors College, explain that you want to complete an Honors thesis, and explain what topic or topics interest you. If you think you might want that professor for an chair but are not certain what topic you wish to pursue, you can introduce yourself as a member of the Honors College, explain that you wish to complete an Honors thesis, indicate that you would be interested in working with him or her, and ask the professor if they has a project that you might be able to work on. Flattery can be useful (e.g., “I decided to approach you because I really enjoyed your Physiology class and I felt that I would be interested in research in physiology and would enjoy and benefit from the opportunity to work with you.”). If you do not have a personal acquaintance with the potential thesis chair, you may also ask the Honors College to assist you with contacting the faculty member.
When you approach a potential thesis chair, be as prepared and informed as possible, both about the thesis experience and your potential chair. If your potential chair has no experience mentoring an Honors student, be prepared to refer him/her to this Handbook. You want to appear organized, responsible, and thoughtful. You should always do as much research as possible on a potential thesis chair’s line of research! Go to the library or look on the internet and read several of the potential chair’s most recent papers. Not only will you look more intelligent and more professional if you have read several of your potential chair’s papers, but reading the papers is a good way for you to find out if you find the work interesting. Keep in mind that finding a thesis chair may take time. You may need to approach many different individuals to discuss their work before you find both a topic and a chair that feel right to you.
Do I have to do the thesis in my major?
You do not have to complete the thesis in your major or with a faculty member from your academic discipline. Honors students sometimes complete their thesis in the field of their minor. Working across disciplinary lines is a great way to contribute to and generate new scholarly conversations in a variety of fields. Keep in mind, however, that faculty are more likely to agree to work with a student who is majoring in their own academic discipline. Typically, you need to “speak” the language of the discipline to do work in that discipline. Examples of this from other universities include:
- an accounting major who wrote a novella that focused on a businessman’s ethical challengers;
- an English major who wrote a plan for an after-school program for at-risk youth in a small town;
- a communication major who developed a proposal for preventing HIV/AIDS among inner-city, homosexual males;
- an economics major who wrote about the myth of the hero’s journey, as depicted in comic books; or
- a chemistry major who wrote a paper in which he analyzed the scientific claims of Holocaust deniers.
Is it okay to re-work an old paper or project?
A thesis that builds on and further develops work you have already done can be a fine piece of work. Many students have developed thesis topics out of papers they completed for Honors Contracts or for upper-division courses. What is not legitimate is simply to recycle, with minor additions or changes, a paper or papers already completed and submitted for a grade. A student who proposes to add a different introduction or a longer conclusion or more examples or illustrations to an already existing paper is certainly not proposing anything that can be considered the capstone of an Honors education.
How do I find my thesis committee members?
Once you and your thesis chair settle on a topic, you will need to select an additional member for your thesis committee – with your chair’s help. The two members should be individuals who can help you in the completion of your project. It is best to choose members whose expertise adds to the knowledge that your thesis chair provides. You can also choose someone whom you know will nurture you and help you deal with the stress involved in doing a complex project. While it is okay for you to suggest your own members (e.g., a faculty member with whom you have a good relationship), you should always ask your thesis chair how they feel about specific members – and monitor your thesis chair’s response closely. You do not want to choose a member who does not get along with your thesis chair! In addition, the Dean of the Honors College will appoint a member of the Honors Advisory Council to serve as the third member of your committee. This member will typically be someone outside of the field who can bring a different perspective to the project.
Like the thesis chair, members should hold a terminal degree (Ph.D., M.D., J.D., M.F.A.) in their field of expertise – unless they have unusual expertise in a field. If you or your chair feels someone without a terminal degree is an ideal candidate for your thesis committee, you may contact the Honors College to argue your case.
How do I approach potential thesis members?
Although your thesis chair should help you identify your additional committee member, it is your responsibility to ask the member if they are willing to serve on your thesis committee. Unless your thesis chair offers to do so on your behalf, you will be expected to approach your potential member to ask them to serve on your committee. Once again, you should be prepared before you approach your potential members. It is a good idea to write up a one- page description of your topic and approach.
You can then email this description to your potential member or drop it off to them along with a request to serve as a member on your thesis committee and a time-line that specifies when you plan to complete the written portions of your thesis. Explain to the potential member that you value their input and assistance.
Responsibilities Involved in the Thesis Chair/Student Relationship
Your thesis chair should be willing to meet with you on a regular basis. As soon as your thesis chair has agreed to work with you, these meetings should begin and should continue at weekly intervals until the thesis is complete. The purpose of these meetings is for you to ask questions and seek advice and for the chair to give advice, direction, and encouragement. One of the major mistakes students make is not meeting often enough with their thesis chair. Let the regularly scheduled meetings help you meet your deadlines.
Your chair should help you refine and focus your interests into a manageable project and should help you develop a strategy and a timetable for the work’s successful completion. Your chair will read several drafts of your thesis proposal and thesis, and will provide you with detailed feedback on the drafts (as well as on other activities you engage in as part of your research). An Honors thesis should always go through multiple revisions. You are expected to give your chair ample time to read/view and comment on each version/revision. You are also responsible for making the appointments with your chair and making sure to show up for each of those appointments. Keep in mind that you will want to ask your thesis chair to write letters of recommendation or serve as a reference for you in the future. The responsibility and dedication you demonstrate in working on your thesis will be important factors in your chair’s willingness to recommend you.
In summary, your thesis chair should be willing to:
- meet with you on a regular and frequent basis (ideally at least once per week)
- help you define an appropriate scope for the project
- set forth clear expectations for the length of your thesis
- read your work in a timely fashion
- help you identify an additional committee member
- help you identify the resources necessary to complete the project
- communicate with your members to ensure common understanding of project length, criteria for assessment, and other conditions and assumptions involving the project.
In response, you must be willing to:
- meet with your thesis chair on a regular and frequent basis (and not chronically cancel, arrive late, or miss appointments)
- take responsibility for arranging meeting dates
- meet all deadlines that you and your thesis chair set together and notify your thesis chair if you are having problems that interfere with your ability to meet deadlines or attend appointments
- work in the lab when you have committed to do so
Lab research (especially in the sciences) often requires that you become a dedicated member of a research TEAM, which means that you may sometimes be expected to help your lab mates with their research and, in turn, may receive their help on your project.
Responsibilities Involved in the Member/Student Relationship
While you will work most closely with your thesis chair, you are also expected to work closely with your committee members as you develop your ideas, plan your method of doing the project, and write the thesis. You should anticipate that your members will have their own suggestions that they will want you to act on and changes and revisions that they will want you to make. You need to address these suggestions and revisions.
Members do not have to accept (and sign) the thesis until they are satisfied that the work is of Honors quality. Creating a thesis is not an assignment that you simply hand in at the end of the semester and receive a grade for it. It is an ongoing collaborative process among you, your chair, and your members.
If your thesis project involves data collection (as most work in the sciences and social sciences does), you MUST make sure your members approve of your methods before you begin collecting data. It is neither appropriate nor wise to find your thesis members after you have already begun (or finished) collecting your data.
Your members should be willing to meet with you on a regular basis from the time you begin your thesis until you complete it. Those regular meetings should take place no less often than once a month and, ideally, every two to three weeks. It is your responsibility to keep your members apprised of your progress. A major mistake students make is not giving their chairs and, especially, members, enough time to read and comment on their drafts and request revisions. You will not be able to turn your thesis in to the Honors College when you expect to unless you have given your thesis chair and members ample time to require revisions. You always need to ask your chair and members how much time they need to read and respond to drafts of your work and when they expect to see a first draft of various sections of the thesis proposal and thesis.
In summary, your thesis members should be willing to:
- meet with you on a regular (no less than once per month)
- help you define an appropriate scope for the project
- set forth clear expectations for the length of your thesis
- read you work in a timely fashion
- help you identify the necessary resources to complete the project
In response, you must be willing to:
- keep in touch with your members on a regular basis (and not cancel or miss appointments or arrive late)
- involve your members in all decisions relating to the content of your thesis
- inform your members of the deadlines that you and your thesis chair have set together and meet those deadlines
- notify your members if you are having problems that interfere with your ability to meet deadlines or attend appointments
Keep in mind that your thesis is not complete until it is approved by your full thesis committee – your thesis chair and your two members. Members of your thesis committee signal their approval of your thesis work by signing the Thesis Proposal Approval Form or the signature page for your completed thesis. Members of your thesis committee should not sign the Thesis Proposal Approval Form or signature page unless and until they believe the work is of the quality expected of an Honors student.
Content of the Honors Thesis Proposal
Writing the Thesis Proposal
Your thesis proposal serves several purposes. Writing the proposal helps you organize your thoughts and determine exactly what you want to accomplish. While you are working on your project, your proposal will serve as a road map that will help keep you focused on your goals. Your proposal serves as a contract between you and your thesis committee. That is, it specifies what you need to do to complete the Honors thesis and earn the distinction of graduating with Distinguished or Presidential Honors through the Honors College. Having all parties agree in advance on the nature of your project minimizes the chance of later misunderstandings.
Your proposal must explain why your project is worthwhile. How will it add to the body of knowledge that already exists in your field of study? You should outline not only the specific questions you hope to answer, but also the larger questions that your project addresses. If you are doing a creative, you should explain how and why the endeavor will be worthwhile for you to complete. The thesis proposal should present your case for your ideas.
In the sciences and natural, social, and behavioral sciences the thesis proposal typically contains the Introduction, Background, and Methods sections of the thesis itself. As a result, a proposal in these fields is usually fairly lengthy – perhaps 15 to 20 pages long. Essentially, your proposal should answer the following questions:
If you complete a good and detailed proposal for a project in the sciences and social sciences, the actual writing of your thesis will probably only entail adding two more sections – the Results and Discussions sections.
Proposals in the humanities and fine arts and proposals for creative are typically not as long as they are in the sciences and social sciences because more of the work is done after the proposal stage. Because of this, however, students working on creative projects or projects in the Humanities should plan to complete their thesis proposal well before the middle of the first semester in which they enroll in an Honors thesis course. The proposal for a project in the Humanities should still contain Introduction and Methods sections. Your Introduction should state your thesis. It should also explain how your perspective, viewpoint, or argument differs from other researchers’ analysis of the same material. Your Methods section should explain what primary and secondary sources you will examine and what you will be looking for as you examine these materials and argue your case.
If you are planning a creative project, your thesis proposal should define what the project will consist of. It should explain the value of the product that you will produce and situate it within the literature and works already present. If your product will be a work of creative writing or some other artistic product, your proposal will also need to describe previous similar work you have produced or training you have in the area and explain how the proposed thesis project will extend that work along new lines. You will need to describe the themes you plan to address in this new work and how they connect to the themes addressed in your earlier work or other issues of concern for you. The thesis proposal should also place your proposed creative work in a larger context that is defined by the creative works of other individuals in your field. That is, how will your work relate to the works of other artists, authors, poets, musicians, etc.? You will also need to explain the medium or genre in which you plan to work and the artistic statement you expect to make with your work.
Finally, you will want to explain what you personally hope to learn or gain from doing this project. The thesis proposal for a creative or problem-solving project that does not involve written work should also detail how you will document the product – i.e., through film, photographs, slides, etc.
Your thesis chair and your members should help you define the appropriate structure, content, and length for your thesis proposal. Since the thesis proposal is supposed to be written at a point when you have not yet done the research, you should be writing in the future tense – e.g., “I will…” or “The participants in the study will….”
What happens if I can’t do everything I planned in my proposal?
As you work on your project, you may find that you will not be able to do exactly what you said you would do in your thesis proposal. This is a common occurrence and should not be a cause of major concern. Typically, the student and their thesis committee agree that the proposed project was too large or too broad, and the student and committee members come to an agreement on ways to narrow the focus of the project. Sometimes the student and their chair discover that necessary materials or equipment are unavailable. They then consult with the other committee members and agree on ways to modify the project in light of that new information. It is also okay to change the focus of the project as long as the full thesis committee agrees to changes in the focus.
If you and your committee members cannot come to an agreement on how the project can be modified, you or your chair may need to consult with the Honors College to find a solution. In addition, if you plan to make major changes from what you proposed, your thesis chair should contact the Honors College to explain the circumstances and the changes.
What happens if I don’t finish on time?
If you do not file your completed thesis with the Honors College by the last day of finals week in the semester in which you intend to graduate, you will not be able to graduate with Honors in that semester. You will need to contact the Honors College to discuss your options. One option is to delay your graduation until the next semester – which will give you time to complete and file the thesis.
How long should my thesis be?
While this is the most frequent question that students ask, there is no easy answer to this question. There is no set minimum or maximum length for an Honors thesis. The correct answer is, “However long it takes to cover your topic adequately.” Your thesis chair and members should help you determine how many pages it will take to do that and should give you some guidelines concerning the length of thesis they expect to see. Keep in mind, though, that an Honors thesis is a major undertaking, so it is reasonable to expect the work to be longer than a paper for an individual
class, although, in the sciences and social sciences, much of the time involved in writing a thesis goes into data collection, rather than writing.
Research and Note-Taking
Whatever the nature of the research you are conducting, you will be taking a lot of notes, so you should reflect on how you plan to do that. Too many students assume that the research phase of a project involves very little writing. Sitting down with your research materials and exploring them for basic facts and useful quotations is important, but you also need to engage in a more thoughtful type of writing and analytic thinking. Here are some general guidelines for note-taking:
- Develop a research system. There are lots of ways to take and organize your notes. You can use note cards, computer databased, notebooks, etc.
- Make careful distinctions between direct quotations and paraphrasing! It is critical to mark direct quotations so that you can avoid accidentally plagiarizing someone’s work.
- Record full citations for each source. Don’t get lazy. It is far more difficult to find the proper citations later than to write it down now. Microsoft Word References is an easy and efficient way to embed your citations.
However you decide to make and store your notes, your notes should include the following information for each of your sources:
- An abbreviated subject heading – two or three words to remind you what this source is about.
- The complete bibliographic citation
- Basic notes – facts, quotations, and arguments
- Your interpretation of the source: This is the most important part of note-taking. Don’t just record facts. Take a stab at interpreting those facts. Ask yourself about the context of the source: Who wrote or created it? When and under what circumstances was it written or created? Why was it written or created and what was the agenda behind the source? How does it speak to other scholarship in the field? Ask yourself questions about the significance of the source: How does this source address (or complicate) my research questions? Does it pose new questions for my project and, if so, what are they? Does it challenge my fundamental argument and, if so, how? How reliable is the source?
You do not need to answer all of these questions for each source, but you should engage in at least one or two sentences of thoughtful, interpretative writing for each source. Doing so will make it easier to begin writing your first draft.
Writing the First Draft
If you have been taking thoughtful notes during the research phase of your project, then beginning to draft the actual paper should be less painful. Here are some tips on how to get started:
- Sort your evidence or research into analytical categories.
- If you have been putting subject headings on your nots as you go along, you will have generated a number of important analytical categories. Now you need to refine those categories and sort your evidence.
- You can file note cards into categories, use a computer database program that has built-in sorting mechanisms, cut and paste evidence on the computer, or stack notes or articles into topically arranged piled. The important thing is to find a system that works for you. Formulate working arguments for your entire thesis and individual chapters or sub-sections.
- Once you sort your evidence, you need to spend some time thinking about your project’s “big picture.” You need to be able to answer two questions in specific terms: (1) What is the overall argument of my thesis? and (2) What are the sub-arguments and how do they relate to my main argument?
- Keep in mind that arguments may change after you start writing. But an Honors thesis is big and can become unwieldy. If you do not carefully sort out your arguments, you may end up with a tangled mess of ideas.
- Divide your thesis into manageable chunks
- The surest road to frustration is becoming obsessed with the big picture. While you do need to focus on the big picture to gain a conceptual handle on your project, you also need to break your project down into manageable chunks of writing. Make an outline of your sections and then write one small section. Those small bits of writing will add up quickly.
- Just start! And remember that you don’t have to start at the beginning.
- Sometimes the introduction is the toughest place to start. If you are having trouble working out the argument for your introductions, begin with your methods section – or just the participants sub-section of your methods section. Sometimes it can be easier to start writing in the middle of a main chapter. Grab hold where your evidence is strongest and your ideas are clearest.
- Keep up the momentum!
- Since you can be sure your first draft will not be your final draft, get your thoughts on paper without spending too much time fussing over minor stylistic details. On the drafting page, the important thing is to get your ideas on paper. Once the task is done, you can turn your attention to revising.
Revising Your Thesis
Revising is the ongoing process of rethinking the paper – reconsidering your arguments, reviewing your evidence, refining your purpose, reorganizing your presentation, and reviving stale prose. Revision is different from proofreading, which involves fixing punctuation, grammar, and spelling. Proofreading is an important step, too, but if your argument is weak or your organization is a mess, then proofreading is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.
Revision is also different from editing, which involved looking for better words, avoiding repetition, eliminating passive voice, and make sentences clearer and more direct. Editing is another important final step, but again, if you have not completely thought through your ideas and your argument, then rephrasing them will not make a difference.
Revision is an opportunity for you to look critically at what you have written to see: (1) if it is really worth saying; (2) if you said what you meant to say; and (3) if a member will understand what you mean to say. You will probably want to wait a while – a few hours or a day or two – before you begin revising so that you really do have fresh eyes. You also have to be honest with yourself and you cannot be lazy. Ask yourself what you really think about the paper. At all times, you need to keep your member in mind. It is helpful to ask yourself the following questions:
- Will someone who knows less about the topic than you do clearly understand what you are saying?
- Are your aims clear to a reader?
- Does your paper follow a pattern that makes sense?
- Do the transitions between paragraphs and sections help move the reader smoothly from one point to the next?
- Does each paragraph begin with a topic sentence that appropriately introduces what the paragraph is about?
- Would your paper work better if you move sections around?
Keep in mind that revising takes time. Revising does not mean rewriting the whole paper, but it does sometimes mean coming up with stronger arguments or more evidence or vivid examples to support your point. Sometimes it means shifting the order of the paper to help your readers follow the argument or to change your emphasis. Sometimes it means adding or deleting information. And sometimes, sadly, revising does mean throwing out a first draft and starting from scratch.
Keep in mind as well that your committee is supposed to help you with revision. You will be submitting your thesis to your committee for their feedback and should expect and be prepared for them to provide you with detailed critiques. If a thesis committee is doing its job, the critique is likely to be unlike any feedback you have ever received in a class. One major reason that students often do not become better writers in college is that professors rarely take the time to provide
students with detailed and specific feedback. Do not become discouraged if your thesis comes back to you full of red marks and comments (in Track Changes and Comments functions in Word or on the hard copy). The purpose of the feedback is not to discount your efforts or abilities. If you look closely, you will see that the feedback is designed to help you figure out what you need to change and how you can change it.
Revising an Honors thesis does, however, add another level of difficulty: You do not just have to please one faculty member (your thesis chair); you have to please three of them. Incorporating all the advice may feel overwhelming. Keep in mind that some advice is better than others. You will probably want to take your thesis chair’s advice most seriously because they carry the most weight in giving your project the stamp of approval. Sometimes, though, your thesis chair may give you more advice that you can digest. If so, approach him/her and ask for help in prioritizing that advice.
Miscellaneous Concerns
What if I want to change chairs?
If you find you cannot work with your thesis chair in a satisfactory fashion or if you change the focus of your topic and realize that another professor would be a more appropriate chair for your new topic, you do have the option of changing your chair. If you wish to change chairs, you must submit a request for a change in chairs the Honors College in a formal email to the Honors College. Include your rationale and indication that you have met with all parties involved (current/potential chairs/members) to discuss the changes. In general, however, it is not a good idea to change chairs.
What happens if I do not have “good” results?
Students who write research-based theses often worry that their thesis projects will not work out. That is, they are concerned that the data they collect will be unable to support their hypotheses or meet their objectives, so that they will essentially have “no” results. You should not be overly concerned with this issue. Failure to support hypotheses is a common result of research in the natural, social, and behavioral sciences.
While graduate students typically cannot submit a thesis that yields no significant results to earn a Ph.D. or Master’s degree, being unable to support your hypotheses is not a problem in an undergraduate Honors thesis. The goal of conducting a research-based thesis is for you to learn about the process of conceptualizing a study and collecting and analyzing the data. As long as you followed the procedures laid out in your thesis proposal, the actual results of that process are unimportant. Instead of having to redo the study or give up on your thesis, your job in the Discussion or Conclusion section of your paper will be to explain what you think went wrong. Was something wrong with your methods that may have kept you from supporting your hypotheses? Do you think your theory and, hence, your hypotheses were wrong?
Final Words of Wisdom
- Get an early start in identifying a topic. If you are beginning your last year at Tarleton when you read this handbook, you are at a disadvantage already. You will be most successful in completing your thesis on time if you have already identified a topic and a thesis chair well before your final year of college begins. If you plan to work on your thesis in consecutive fall and spring terms, your should have a topic and chair identified by the end of the spring semester before you begin. If you plan to work on (and register for) your thesis in consecutive spring and fall terms, you should identify your thesis chair and topic by the previous November. If you are in natural, social, and behavioral sciences, you will probably need THREE terms to complete the project.
- Begin writing early in the process. As soon as you complete your preliminary research, start writing. Write even if what you write seems flimsy and superficial. The biggest mistake you can make is to keep putting off the writing. The longer you wait to start the writing, the bigger and bigger the task will seem.
- Avoid thinking of your thesis as a monumental significance in the grand scheme of things. This project is not your life’s work. It will certainly not be the definitive statement on the topic, either. The more you inflate the importance of the work, the more you will be intimidated and overwhelmed by the prospect of researching and writing a thesis. Remember to narrow down your topic sufficiently. Many thesis students try to accomplish too much. It is better for your thesis to be narrow and deep, rather than very broad and very superficial.
- Decide at the start of your project how many hours per week you will work on the project and STICK TO THAT COMMITMENT. Working at a steady pace will produce much better results than trying to do the whole project in two weeks. For many students, working on the thesis is the first occasion where they need to set their own deadlines. Because there are a few externally established deadlines, students are often tempted to do other things first (e.g., their work for other courses).
- Set small, easily realizable weekly goals. Your grand aim is the production of an acceptable thesis, but if you set your eye only on that goal, you will find it difficult to reach. Writing your thesis is best accomplished by taking a series of small steps. Block out time on your calendar for reading, library research, time in the lab, writing, and editing.
- Schedule frequent (preferably weekly) meetings with your thesis chair to discuss your progress and then ATTEND THEM. If you see your chair once a week, you will feel pressed to accomplish something each week. Remember also that your chair has the primary responsibility for approving your project. He or she may decide not to approve your project if you have not had regular contact. Once you miss one meeting, it becomes easier to miss a second. And then a third.
- Do not expect your thesis chair to come looking for you. It is your responsibility to set up appointments and to find what you need to do to accomplish your goals. If you send on email and get no response, send another. If you still get no response, go to you thesis chair’s office. If your thesis chair says, “I’ll send you some things to read” or “I’ll let you know when the materials are in,” and then you don’t hear from him or her for several days, FOLLOW UP.
- When you are setting up a timetable for your project, remember that it often takes longer than expected to complete a task. A good rule of thumb is to estimate the maximum amount of time you believe it will take to complete a task in the worst possible case – then double your estimate.