Handbook

An honors thesis is a piece of original research or creative activity that adds to the general body of knowledge in a discipline or to the body of work in the creative arts. Originality may mean that the thesis tries to uncover new facts or principles, suggest relationships that were previously unrecognized, challenge existing truths or assumptions, afford new insights into little understood phenomena, or suggest new interpretations of known facts.

For many students, the word originality in conjunction with their thesis produces a kind of paralysis. How can I do anything original? Knowledge is something that I have always been trained to acquire from others, not produce on my own! But, originality does NOT mean that you must come up with a Nobel or Pulitzer Prize-winning research idea or creation. Most original work builds upon similar work done by other previous researchers or artists. For example, if a sociology student comes across an interesting study on the effects of long-term unemployment on family structure in a large city like Detroit, her original research might consist of using the same techniques to study the effects of unemployment in a small town such as Albion. Similarly, using existing artistic techniques to examine new subject matter such as the autobiographical details of a student’s own life would add an original element to the creative thesis project.

If you chose to do a research-based thesis, it may help if you think of the thesis as the answer to a research question rather than as just a written report on research. To begin the process of writing a thesis, you must therefore begin by finding a thesis question, i.e., a question that is intriguing enough that you are willing to take a year or so in answering it. Thinking of questions will help you to see the thesis as the outgrowth of an investigational process. You begin with a major question, develop subordinate questions that help you answer it, and plan, refine and carry out research to answer these questions.

Although most Honors students begin the formal preparation for writing their thesis at the beginning of their junior year, the sooner you begin to search for a thesis topic, the better. So, start looking for a thesis topic right now. If you start the process of search right away, you can begin to generate thesis ideas from your classes, the books and articles you read, and your discussions with professors. You never know what stray bit of information — such as a teacher mentioning in class that “little is known about this subject” — may lead you to a topic. Only if you are thinking about doing research will you be receptive to thesis ideas when they are presented. Also, as you begin generating ideas about possible thesis topics, it is a good practice to start a thesis idea file.

The advantage of identifying a topic early in your academic career is that you can then take additional courses to prepare you for actually doing the thesis. You can also turn class term papers into preliminary explorations of parts of your research topic and have the option of planning your off-campus experience with your Honors thesis research in mind. Finally, you can apply to Albion’s own Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (FURSCA) for summer support so that you can stay on campus during the summer to work one-on-one with your faculty mentor on your research or creative project.

Since most original research or creative activity builds upon similar work done by others, one way to come up with possible thesis topics is to study other theses, papers or other works in areas that interest you. A good way to get a perspective on writing a thesis is to go to the Honors Library and examine the theses of recent Honors graduates in the area(s) in which you are thinking of working. It is a good idea to notice not only the themes but also the structure of the theses, their length and organization. Check to see which professors served on the thesis committees to get ideas about faculty members you might ask to be on your committee. Note that some theses are of better quality than others; use the best theses as models. Finally, look to see if any of the theses have won the Edmund and Kathleen Jenkins Award or Outstanding Thesis Award, given to the best theses written in any given year.

In many fields, particularly in the sciences, a professor may suggest a piece of his or her own research for your thesis. In the humanities or fine arts, where research or creation is usually an individual effort, many students still end up doing theses suggested by advisors. Therefore, instead of thinking of yourself as Einstein or Picasso, think of yourself as an apprentice, learning techniques and ways of thinking from your advisor and other professors. Use your professors. Ask for help early in the thesis development process. Tell them you want to get a head start on identifying a thesis area. Ask them what are the hot areas in their field, and what were the best theses written in the past few years. Do they have projects connected with their own research or creative activity that would make good theses?

Do not worry if, before you start actively searching for a topic, nothing seems to interest you. Interest seldom emerges from thinking about topics in a vacuum. Students have an amazing ability to become interested in almost anything once they are working on it.

Finally, several off-campus programs may be of relevance for Honors students who are looking for research projects that can then be brought back to campus and used as the basis for their Honors thesis. Two programs that have proven to be of particular help to Honors students are the Newberry Library Program for students in the humanities and social sciences, and the Oak Ridge Program for students in the sciences and social sciences.

The Thesis Development Colloquy is a 1/4 unit seminar that is taught each semester and is open to Honors juniors and second semester sophomores. The purpose of the colloquy is to guide you through the process of finding and developing a thesis topic and of assembling a thesis committee. Honors sophomores and juniors who register for the Colloquy may take up to 4-3/4 units in the semester in which they are enrolled without additional tuition charge. Although this seminar is not required of all Honors students, it is strongly recommended for Honors students who by the first semester of their junior year have not yet come up with a thesis topic on their own.

Once you have found a thesis topic, it is time to assemble your thesis committee. This committee consists of your thesis advisor, i.e., the Albion faculty member with whom you will work most closely in researching and writing your thesis, and two other Albion instructors who will serve as additional readers. Also, you are encouraged to find, with the help of your committee, an off-campus reviewer for the thesis. When such a reviewer is used, his or her comments will be for your use only and will play no role in determining the acceptability of your thesis.

After you have formed your committee, you must file a Thesis Registry form with the Honors coordinator with the signatures of each committee member. The 1st deadline for filing this form is April 30 of your junior year, no later than September 15 of your senior year. If, subsequently, you decide to make a change in your committee, a revised Thesis Registry form must be filed.

In forming your committee, you would do well to consider the following advice: when possible, pick faculty members with whom you believe you can establish a comfortable working relation and would be supportive of your efforts — professors you already know through classroom or other contacts. Also, talk to Honors seniors who are writing in your area for advice in forming a committee. Finally, go to the Honors library to see which faculty members have directed successful theses in your area before.

When writing your thesis, it is your responsibility to keep in contact with all members of your committee, not just your thesis advisor. All committee members will want to make sure that the final product meets their own standards for quality before they approve the final draft even though they may never have insisted that you communicate with them during the writing process. It is up to you to hand them drafts of thesis sections as you produce them and to solicit their suggestions for improvement. If you do so, you will not only end up with a higher quality final thesis product, but you will also ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises at the end. If you do not keep contact with your committee and instead surprise them with a final draft of your thesis two weeks before the deadline, they may in turn surprise you with demands for substantial revisions that may be difficult or even impossible to complete in the time that remains.

Normally, you will begin serious research or creation for your thesis by the second semester of your junior year by enrolling for 1/2 units of Honors Thesis credit (HSP 422H) under the supervision of your thesis advisor. The research and writing process then continues during your senior year when you will normally enroll for an additional 1/2 to 1 unit of thesis writing credit each semester. In the semesters that you register for thesis writing credit, you may take up to 5 total units of classes without additional tuition charge. The deadline for thesis completion is April 1 for May graduates and December 1 for December graduates.

Each year in the middle of April, the Elkin Isaac Student Research Symposium is held in which students have the opportunity to report the results of their research or creation to the College community. While there is no formal requirement that you present the results of your thesis at this symposium, you are strongly encouraged to do so. Also, some departments may ask their thesis writers to present their results at a department meeting or at a regional meeting of one of their discipline-related societies. FURSCA funds are available to support off-campus research presentations.

Each year the Honors Committee selects one or more Honors theses of particular merit and recognizes their authors by awarding them the Outstanding Senior Thesis Award. If you are selected for this award, you will have your name inscribed on a permanent plaque in the Honors Observatory Classroom and also receive a monetary award. Also, all students who successfully complete a thesis and the other requirements of the Honors Program, are recognized at commencement and on their diploma with the special designation: graduation “With Albion College Honors.”

Albion College is committed to the ethical treatment of all human research participants who take part in research conducted by its faculty, staff and students. All research that involves the use of human research participants (e.g., interviews, experiments, questionnaires) MUST receive prior approval from the college’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). Additional information, including an IRB protocol review form, can be found at the college’s Institutional Review Board webpage.

Additionally, Albion College is committed to the humane and proper care of all animals used in teaching and research. The College endorses the guidelines of the Office for Laboratory Animal Welfare as specified in the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Additional information, including Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) applications for animal use can be found at the college’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee website.

This traditional Honors event is held on the last day of classes each semester.  It offers Honors students an opportunity to defuse some of the stress surrounding final examinations by taking a study break with other students, feasting on elegant desserts and playing games or watching some lighthearted videos.

Each semester, all Honors students are invited to participate in an Honors field trips. Honors students and instructors have enjoyed field trips to Chicago to visit museums, art galleries and attend plays, haunted houses.

In order to orient new students to the traditions and culture of Honors and to give them the chance to bond with other members of their class, we hold an day long retreat at the beginning of each new academic year.

From time to time in cooperation with other campus groups, the Program brings to Albion important outside speakers. In addition to attending the evening lectures given by these speakers, you will often have access to these distinguished visitors in your HSP seminar, during special receptions or over lunch or dinner.