1

Honors Tutorial College

Thesis Guidelines

Updated August 2016

What is thesis work and why is it important?

Completion of a thesis is a graduation requirement for all students in the Honors Tutorial College. This document provides general information designed to aid in the successful completion and submission of your thesis. Your particular field of study will have additional requirements that must be met, and your DOS or thesis adviser should provide you with any discipline-specific information.

Completing a thesis allows you to make your own contribution to the process of explaining or enriching the physical, mental, social, and cultural elements that surround us. It moves you from the position of being simply a bystander to the position of being a creator of knowledge.

In addition to its potential cosmic significance, undertaking a thesis creates opportunities for pragmatic personal development.A thesis:

  • Provides an opportunity to consolidate, expand, and refine the skills that are essential to your discipline.
  • Helps you understand how to communicate to a professional audience.
  • Helps you determine thedirection of your career after leaving Ohio University.

Given that the advantages of thesis work are enormous, undoubtedly you are eager to begin. Therefore it is time tomove to the central question: “what in the blazes is a thesis?” Theses exhibit a variety of forms, but all share the following components.A thesis . . .

  • Is based on substantial research using the standards inherent to a specific field.
  • Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the matters at issue.
  • Offers an interpretation. That interpretation does not have to be unique, but it cannot be simply derivative—it must clearly demonstrate insight and creativity on your part.
  • Conveys its conclusions in the form of a document that adheres to guidelines designed to enhance its accessibility and its long-term preservation.

Depending upon your interests and the parameters of your discipline, a major component of your thesis work can be, and in some fields should be, a project that makes use of other mediums and/or modes. For example, business students may create a sophisticated business deliverable for a client, film students may create an original film, journalism students may write a series of in-depth articles, and theater students may direct an original play.All HTC theses require a substantial written paper of variable length (traditional scholarly theses must be at least 50 pages; scholarly essays that accompany professional or creative projects must be at least 25 pages).

When and how to begin

Although you should be thinking about your thesis early on in your education, by the last semester of your junior year you should begin earnestly to seek a topic and choose your thesis adviser. Use the following mantra when approaching any aspect of your thesis work: “organize, manage, and inform.”Recognize at the outset that the only way to get a thesis done is to view it as a series of steps. If you simply approach it as one massive project, disgruntlement and discouragement are sure to follow.

Overview of key steps

Junior Year

  • Carefully read all of the material in this document and seek clarification on any issues that are not clear.
  • Choose your proposed thesis adviser; meet with him or her to discuss thesis ideas.
  • Once your idea has begun to crystallize contact your DOS and ascertain at what point she or he would like to meet with you and your thesis adviser about your prospectus.
  • If your thesis involves human subjects, it must go through the Institutional Research Board (IRB) approval process. To quote from the Office of Research Compliance website: “Any studies by faculty, students or staff that involve human subjects are considered human subjects research by the federal government. This includes everything from clinical trials to surveys, interviews and observation.” Seek guidance about this process from your thesis adviser.
  • If your thesis involves animal subjects, you must follow Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) policies. Visit the Office of Research Compliance website for more details.
  • If necessary, investigate potential funding sources.
  • Begin compiling a preliminary bibliography and drafting your prospectus.

Senior Year

  • Enroll in thesis tutorial hours. You may register for up to 12 hours of thesis tutorial each term (4970T in fall and 4980T in spring).
  • Submit your thesis prospectus and proposed timeline to HTC by the senior portfolio deadline, which is typically the third Friday in September.
  • Meet weekly with your thesis adviser for your thesis tutorial.
  • Submit timely iterations of your thesis to your thesis adviser for feedback.
  • Keep your DOS informed of your progress.
  • Notify HTC office of your final thesis title. Final titles are generally due two months before graduation in order to meet publication deadlines for the commencement bulletin.
  • Once your thesis adviser indicates that she or he is satisfied with your draft, submit your thesis to your DOS for approval. Some DOSes require a minimum of two weeks to complete their review.
  • Upload your final thesis to OhioLINK and await approval from the dean of the Honors Tutorial College. Turn in a hard copy of your title page and signature page to 35 Park Place. The deadline for uploading your manuscript and submitting your title and signature pages is 5 p.m. on the last day of spring semester classes.
  • You will receive an email from the dean regarding approval of your thesis or informing you of required changes to be made. If changes are needed, make changes electronically. The dean will email you of final approval after the changes are made. Please use your preferred email address when you upload your manuscript to OhioLINK.

Considerations for double majors

If you are double majoring within HTC, you may be able to complete one thesis that fulfills the requirement for both programs. It is your responsibility to insure that your Directors of Studies and the dean are comfortable with one thesis for both HTC degrees. If they are not, you will be required to complete two separate theses.

If you are double majoring outside of HTC and seeking departmental honors in the non-HTC major, it is unlikely that you can use one thesis to fulfill both requirements. We have found that the departmental honors thesis requirements often differ from ours. Consult your DOS for advice.

Choosing a thesis adviser and topic

Your thesis work will be more meaningful and less stressful if you have an attentive adviser and a topic that you care about. Putting together the combination is admittedly something of a challenge. You may know from tutorials that you work well with a particular faculty member, but perhaps his or her area of specialization doesn’t fascinate you. Conversely, you may be fascinated by a subject, but unfamiliar with the professor who possesses the cutting-edge expertise on that topic. Consult with your DOS and the HTC staff to identify the appropriate faculty member for your topical interest. If possible, schedule a tutorial with him or her during your junior year.

A thesis adviser should:

  • Have the ability to make a commitment of time and energy to coachyou over the course of several semesters.
  • Be willing to provide you consistent and meaningful criticism from research to final revision.
  • Have a good track record of dependability in academic matters.

A thesis topic should:

  • Be realistic in terms of available resources.
  • Enable you to produce a substantive piece of work within the timeframe of an academic year.
  • Cover an area in which you have some familiarity in your previous academic work.
  • Be something that you know you can stick with for the long haul.

Four types of HTC theses

To fulfill the HTC graduation requirement, you may choose to complete a traditional scholarly thesis, a creative project, a professional project, or a publishable manuscript.

A traditional scholarly thesis:

  • Is created in accordance with the specific academic expectations appropriate to your discipline.
  • Answers a research question(s) using a method(s).
  • Draws upon the previous scholarly conversation in the academic literature.
  • Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the topic.
  • Offers an interpretation that demonstrates analysis and insight on your part.
  • Is a minimum of 50 pages.

A creative project:

  • Is created in accordance with the specific creative and stylistic expectations appropriate to your discipline.
  • Showcases your talent and training.
  • May also fulfill graduation requirements required by your program of study, especially in fine arts disciplines (check with your DOS).
  • Includes a 25-page or longer scholarly essay that situates the project in the intellectual heritage of your discipline. It documents the content that influenced the development of your work.
  • Examples include a play, musical, or dance performance; an original film, documentary, or multimedia project; an original script, novella, non-fiction manuscript, series of short stories, or collection of poetry; an art exhibit.

A professional project:

  • Is created in accordance with the specific professional expectations appropriate to your discipline.
  • Showcases your skills and training.
  • May be produced in consultation with working professionals.
  • Includes a 25-page or longer scholarly essay that situates the project in the intellectual heritage of your discipline. It documents the content that influenced the development of your work.
  • Examples include a series of journalistic articles, an issue of a new publication, or creation of a content website; a video game, audio recording, video production, or television episode; a sophisticated business deliverable for a client; a complex math proof; chapters of a textbook; or a computer program.

A publishable manuscript:

•Targets a specific scholarly journal in your field.

•Follows the journal’s conventions and requirements.

•Is submitted, but not necessarily accepted, to the target journal.

•Includes a 25-page or longer scholarly essay that provides a longer literature review than is included in the manuscript and further explains the method used. If your manuscript is co-authored, each author’s contribution must be described.

•Is the most difficult of the four options.

To access previous HTC theses, visit OhioLink

Your thesis prospectus and timeline

You may need to meet with your thesis adviser several times during your junior year before arriving at a clear and concrete understanding of the direction you want to pursue. When you reach the point where you can articulate your thesis topic clearly, contact your DOS. Some DOSes will want to meet with you and your thesis adviser prior to the beginning of your work on your prospectus. Others will prefer to meet with you and your thesis adviser after the prospectus is complete. Whether the meeting with you, your thesis adviser, and your DOS takes place before or after the prospectus is developed, do not neglect this step. The purpose of this meeting is to explore carefully the parameters of your project and to make sure that your DOS is fully informed about the nature of your thesis.

With the assistance of your thesis adviser, you will create a prospectus and a proposed timeline for the completion of your thesis. The timeline should reflect the amount of time you plan to spend on research and on undertaking the research, writing, staging, choreographing, or filming needed for your thesis. It should also include target deadlines to insure that you and your thesis adviser can maintain a clear sense of your progress. Remember to allow sufficient time in spring semester for your thesis adviser and DOS to review and approve your final manuscript before you submit it to HTC.

Your prospectus must consist of the following:

Title

Develop a short descriptive working title. The exact wording of your final title needs to be submitted to the HTC office at least two months before you graduate.

Introduction

Identify your project, describe its focus and scope, and explain its importance to you and your field.

Research question and approach

Indicate the issue that is to be tested or research question to be examined. Describe the methods you will use in your research. If data will be collected, describe the method of collection and the analysis. If yours is a creative or professional work, describe how you will approach it.

Annotated bibliography

Provide a separate preliminary annotated bibliography. The bibliography should include the important seminal works in the field as well as recent work that has a direct bearing on your project. Your annotations should demonstrate that you have read these works and are cognizant of their contributions to the current state of your discipline. Consult your thesis adviser to be sure you are using the approved academic format for your discipline. Some programs of study, such as biology and neuroscience, require a literature review as part of the prospectus. Check with your DOS about your program’s requirement.

The completed prospectus and your timeline must be submitted to your thesis adviser and your DOS for their approval. Both your thesis adviser and your DOS must be satisfied with your prospectus. You need to give them sufficient time to comment on it and to give yourself enough time to respond to their requests for revisions. Once they are satisfied with the timeline and the prospectus, you will need to complete the HTC Thesis Prospectus Cover Sheet (available at the end of this document) secure the appropriate signatures, and submit the cover sheet to HTC. You will upload your prospectus and timeline as part of your senior portfolio via Blackboard by 5 p.m. on the third Friday in September.

As you move more deeply into your thesis work, the scope and direction of your project will probably deviate from the thesis described in your prospectus. Make sure, however, that your DOS is kept informed about substantial changes in your project.

Working with your thesis adviser

Putting together a thesis is hard, complicated work. Recognize that at the outset. Fortunately you have the opportunity to recruit a staunch ally—your thesis adviser. Your interactions with that individual will often determine the tenor of your experience.

Some things to keep in mind:

  • By agreeing to work with you, your thesis adviser assumes that you are a mature individual with the self-discipline necessary to undertake a major academic project. She or he is entitled to make and act upon that assumption.
  • Your thesis adviser will not expect you to know everything necessary to complete your thesis. After all, thesis work provides you with the opportunity to expand your intellectual horizons and hone your academic skills. But basic academic and technical skills need to be mastered prior to beginning thesis work.
  • Communication between a thesis adviser and his/her student cannot be overemphasized. It is a truism that communication is a two-way street, but in the case of thesis work much of the burden for maintaining meaningful contact with your adviser falls on you. During the course of your formal thesis work you should be enrolled in HTC thesis tutorial hours with your thesis adviser. You must meet with your thesis adviser on weekly basis. Anything less is a certain recipe for trouble.
  • Your thesis adviser is a busy professional who does not have time to constantly prod you about adhering to your timeline. You must hold your own feet to the fire when it comes to critical milestones—after all it is your thesis. Recognize that your thesis adviser has responsibilities to other students, colleagues, and to their own work. Missing deadlines and/or asking her/him to respond on short notice to your thesis needs will undermine your working relationship with your adviser. Also be aware that your thesis adviser may not be able to work with you over the summer. Faculty members work on nine-month contracts and are not obligated to be available for consultation during the summer months. If summer availability becomes an issue make sure to clear it well in advance with both your thesis adviser and your DOS.
  • If you are properly keeping up your end of the thesis equation, but find that your thesis adviser is not, do not suffer in silence. Talk to your DOS about the situation. Your DOS will either deal with the matter or may recommend that you speak to the dean. Letting things limp along is not a good strategy.

Preparing your manuscript

As you move into the writing phase, please remember that the written components of theses and projects must contain:

  1. Correct grammar and spelling
  2. Correct use of technical terms
  3. Consistent application of the style appropriate for your discipline
  4. Properly constructed and labeled figures and tables
  5. A bibliography of works in all media that were cited.

Style. You must determine the appropriate style with your adviser. You may use APA, MSA, MLA, Chicago or any style traditionally used by your discipline.