undergraduate thesis authorship

Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

OPINION article

Guiding undergraduates through the process of first authorship.

• Department of Psychology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX, United States

Introduction

Dozens of excellent papers have recently been written that describe best practices for publishing journal articles with undergraduates (see “Engaging Undergraduates in Publishable Research: Best Practices,” Frontiers in Psychology ); for the most part, these involve students as co-authors in general rather than as lead authors. In this paper, I specifically focus on how to guide undergraduates through the process of first authorship. After describing potential barriers, I discuss issues of authorship contribution before outlining several successful strategies I've developed during my 24 years of collaborating with undergraduates. Although mentoring students to be first authors can be challenging, the rewards can also be immense—for both the students and the faculty mentors who are up to the challenge.

The Undergraduate First Author: a Unicorn?

A literature search revealed not a single article on the topic of undergraduates publishing as first author. Without any data, it's hard to know for certain how common it is for undergraduates to publish as first authors, but informal discussions with psychology colleagues around the world who collaborate with undergraduates (and examinations of faculty vitae) suggest that it is far less common than undergraduates publishing as non-lead authors.

Barriers (Real or Perceived) to Undergraduate First Authorship

Because it is rare to see undergraduate first authors, many faculty are likely unaware that at least some undergraduates can—with proper training, encouragement, and careful mentoring—be capable of serving as first authors on papers in refereed journals. Even if faculty members are made aware of this fact (as I hope to accomplish with this article), other barriers exist. For example, many faculty work under a reward system in which publications (and first author publications in particular) determine tenure, promotion, pay, likelihood of securing grants, and job security (e.g., Costa and Gatz, 1992 ; Fine and Kurdek, 1993 ; Wilcox, 1998 ). The primary tradeoff is that the time it takes to mentor undergraduates through first authorship is generally much longer than the time it would take for the faculty member to be the lead author. The great experience provided to the student (see Matthews and Rosa, 2018 ), therefore, can come at the cost of decreased productivity (e.g., fewer publications overall, fewer first author publications, publications in lower-tier journals), which could be problematic for faculty at institutions that don't highly value faculty-undergraduate research. Finally, recent trends in psychological science, such as the difficulty of publishing single-study papers in some subfields and the “open science” movement calling for large sample sizes, pre-registration, and replication (see Chambers, 2017 ; Nelson et al., 2018 ) can seem like roadblocks to publishing with undergraduates. Fortunately, faculty from diverse subfields have come up with creative solutions involving high-quality replications (e.g., McKelvie and Standing, 2018 ; Wagge et al., 2019 ), preregistered projects (e.g., Strand and Brown, 2019 ), large-scale single-experiment class projects designed for publication (e.g., LoSchiavo, 2018 ; Mickley Steinmetz and Reid, 2019 ), and multi-study projects involving student coauthors across years (e.g., Grysman and Lodi-Smith, 2019 ; Holmes and Roberts, 2019 ).

Authorship Contribution and Order of Authorship

Much has been written about the ethics of assigning authorship credit in the sciences and social sciences (see Maurer, 2017 , for a review), and attempts have been made to fairly determine authorship order by (a) surveying past authors about their experiences (e.g., Wagner et al., 1994 ; Sandler and Russell, 2005 ; Moore and Griffin, 2006 ; Geelhoed et al., 2007 ), (b) assessing reactions to hypothetical authorship scenarios (e.g., Costa and Gatz, 1992 ; Bartle et al., 2000 ; Apgar and Congress, 2005 ), (c) proposing step-by-step decision-making models ( Fine and Kurdek, 1993 ; Foster and Ray, 2012 ; Maurer, 2017 ), and (d) outlining quantitative systems that assign weighted points to tasks associated with publishing (e.g., Winston, 1985 ; Kosslyn, 2015 ). The consensus seems to be that writing the manuscript is either the most important factor in determining first authorship (e.g., Winston, 1985 ; Bartle et al., 2000 ; Apgar and Congress, 2005 ) or at least tied with idea origination as the most important factor ( Wagner et al., 1994 ; Kosslyn, 2015 ). The “authorship determination scorecard” on the American Psychological Association's website ( https://www.apa.org/science/leadership/students/authorship-paper.aspx ), for example, allots 170 of 1,040 points (16%) for idea generation/refinement; 110 points (11%) for design/measures; 160 points (15%) for statistical analysis, and 600 points (58%) for writing/revision.

Given the clear importance of writing as a factor in first authorship, and because students' contributions to idea generation, design, and analysis are often similar to those of their collaborators up to this point, I always require students to take responsibility for the manuscript drafts and revisions (with my feedback and editing help) to earn their first authorship. I am typically second author (consistent with the “order of contribution” norm in social psychology) because I play a significant role in the publication process, but less than the first author. The remaining student authors tend to be less involved (consistent with Geelhoed et al., 2007 ) because of lack of time or interest, or geographical distance. Nonetheless, all authors are always asked to read and approve the final manuscript before submission.

Paths to Undergraduate First Authorship

My mentor, the late Dan Wegner (a social psychologist who ended his career at Harvard but started at a small liberal arts university doing research with undergraduates) advised me as I began my career at an undergraduate-only institution that “the best undergraduates are often better than graduate students” because they are “not only very bright, but often are more intrinsically motivated—if you hold them to high standards, they will meet or exceed them, and you can publish great work with them.” I followed his advice, and indeed have published the vast majority of my papers with undergraduates as co-authors, and especially as first authors: Of my 33 post-graduate school publications, 29 papers involve a total of 68 undergraduate co-authors, and 24 of the 29 are first-authored by undergraduates 1 .

In my experience, there have been three primary paths to undergraduate first authorship, each representing approximately one-third of my publications with students. First, during our one-semester research methods course with a lab (capped at 12 students), sophomores and sometimes juniors complete two original projects and manuscript write-ups, and conducting high quality, original projects is a big factor (see LoSchiavo, 2018 ); about 10% of my class projects lead to publication. Second, each faculty member has a capstone course in which they work with 5 to 6 seniors (or sometimes juniors) for two consecutive semesters; about 90% of my capstone projects lead to publication 2 . Third, I occasionally accept projects for individual honors theses or independent studies (independent research outside of capstone is rare in our department, perhaps one senior every several years) if I think they are publishable; about 90% of these projects lead to publication.

Best Practices

Here are some of the strategies I've developed over the years to successfully mentor students to first authorship:

1. Provide good writing instruction throughout the curriculum . It is crucial to teach good writing skills throughout the curriculum ( Soysa et al., 2013 ) so that the largest number of students possible has a strong background and the potential capacity to be first author. (My university has 1,400 students, and we graduate 25–30 psychology majors annually, so with 4–5 faculty members striving to publish with students each year, this step is crucial). Our department places a strong emphasis on students learning APA style as well as proper grammar (see Giuliano, 2019 ), and all instructors provide copious feedback on student drafts. Although group writing is popular elsewhere (e.g., small groups of students who write APA-style papers together on their research methods project), instructors in our department require individual writing (as well as peer review) in both research methods and capstone courses so that every student improves and gets the maximum amoun of practice.

2. Select the most “first-author-ready” students . I've found that it is important to select students with certain characteristics—those who not only have the strongest writing skills, but who are hardworking, independent, intellectually curious, and intrinsically motivated 3 . The process starts when I read a paper (e.g., a research methods final paper, a senior capstone paper, or an honors thesis) that has good results, that is “close enough” that I can envision grooming it into a publishable paper, and that has been written by a student with the characteristics described above.

3. Explain what authorship entails . At that point, I ask the student if she or he would like to first author a publication under my supervision (Virtually every invitee will have already first-authored a conference presentation with me, so I know that we are a “good fit” and that they know exactly what to expect when working with me.). As recommended by Foster and Ray (2012) , I explain which contributions determine first authorship: I tell them they have already earned authorship by making significant contributions in the idea, design, and analysis stages, as have their student collaborators, so they will earn first authorship by being responsible for writing the manuscript, with plenty of feedback and supervision from me. To provide “informed consent” about this decision ( Fine and Kurdek, 1993 ), I outline clear expectations (i.e., that they can expect to write 10–15 drafts or more over a period of several months, that this will be a much higher standard of writing than they have ever done in the past, and that at times this process could get frustrating and tedious) and let them know that they are free to accept or decline without any adverse consequences (about 95% of students accept). I also tell them that first authorship is not guaranteed and that authorship order may need to be revised if contributions change (Only once or twice in 24 years has first authorship changed; my students have generally been excellent at following through with their commitments.).

4. Get them ready to write . Once students agree to be first author, the next step is to provide them with exemplar articles (I use past publications from my own students). I then set an initial calendar of deadlines (e.g., when their drafts are due to me, when my feedback is due to them); I usually draft this first and then allow students to make modifications according to their schedule. Finally, I have students research and take notes on potential target journals (we then discuss the pros and cons together and decide where to send the paper once finished).

5. Find time to write . Finding time to write can be tricky, because students are often either busy with other courses or have moved on to jobs or graduate school. Summers are usually optimal for both students and me. For research methods class projects, I usually suggest writing during the summer after the course is over (setting the final deadline before the new semester starts). If students are in town, we meet in person occasionally but generally trade drafts over email and have in-person or by-phone meetings when necessary. Writing with students who have graduated is often more difficult because those with jobs are busy working during the day and no longer in “academic mode,” so I find that it takes more patience and encouragement to get them back into the writing. If they are in graduate school, they are already immersed in research, which is helpful, but projects with their graduate advisor compete for their attention. Students who have graduated are also more likely to be out of town, which is only a problem if in-person meetings (e.g., to re-analyze data) are necessary, although online meeting applications (e.g., Facetime, Skype) work fine. Ultimately, it may take some creativity to find the time and space for writing, as in “writing weekends” (see Scherman, under review), but in the end, it is worth it.

Publishing with students is truly my favorite part of being a professor—the thrill I get upon seeing a student's name in print (especially in the lead position) is often greater than the thrill I get from seeing my own name. As others have argued (e.g., Malachowski, 2012 ; Maurer, 2017 ), when working with students, it is best to treat them as equals and true partners in the collaboration process, with high levels of autonomy and a strong focus on student learning. In doing so, the rewards—for both students and faculty alike—are incredibly worthwhile.

Author Contributions

The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work and has approved it for publication.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

I'd like to thank Sarah Matthews, Carin Perilloux, Abby Riggs, Marissa Rosa, and Toni Wegner for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper.

1. ^ Four are in the Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research ; the remainder are in professional, peer-reviewed journals.

2. ^ It should be noted that our department recently switched from an informal system in which either faculty or students approached the other about the possibility of research collaboration to a more formal capstone assignment process in which all students (during their required research methods course) complete a written application describing their interest in conducting a research-based capstone and rank their preference for faculty labs. This process not only improved transparency, but also provided more equitable information, access, and opportunity for all students, who are assigned to labs by fit and interest. Recent articles have addressed both the benefits of increasing diversity and inclusion in undergraduate research and publication (e.g., Peifer, 2019 ) and specific strategies for doing so (e.g., Ahmad et al., under review; Chan, 2019 ; Scisco et al., 2019 ) and are highly recommended.

3. ^ Approximately half of my first authors went on to Ph.D. programs in psychology; the other half went to law school, medical school, master's programs, or did not seek a graduate degree.

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Undergraduate* First-Author Publications

*Butterworth, S. E., Giuliano, T. A., *White, J. R., *Cantu, L., & *Fraser, K. C. (In Press). Is he flirting with me? How sender gender influences emoji interpretation. Frontiers in Psychology .

*Matthews, S. J., Giuliano, T. A., *Rosa, M. N., *Thomas, K. H., *Swift, B. A., *Ahearn, N. D., *Garcia, A. G., *Smith, S. R., *Niblett, C. M., & *Mills, M. M. (2018). The battle against bedroom boredom: Development and validation of a brief measure of sexual novelty in relationships. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 27 , 277-287.

*Matthews, S. J., Giuliano, T. A., *Thomas, K. H., *Straup, M. L., & *Martinez, M. A. (2018). Not cool, dude: Perceptions of solicited vs. unsolicited sext messages from men and women. Computers in Human Behavior, 88 , 1-4. 10.1016/j.chb.2018.06.14

*Matthews, S. J., Giuliano, T. A., *Rosa, M. N., *Thomas, K. H., & *Swift, B. A. (2018). Sexual Novelty Scale. Handbook of Sexuality-Related Measures. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

*Hutzler, K. T., Giuliano, T. A, *Herselman, J. R., & *Johnson, S. M. (2015). Three's a crowd: Public awareness and (mis)perceptions of polyamory. Psychology & Sexuality, 7 , 69-87. 10.1080/19419899.2015.1004102

*Johnson, S. M., Giuliano, T. A, *Herselman, J. R., & *Hutzler, K. T. (2015). Development of a brief measure of attitudes towards polyamory. Psychology & Sexuality, 6 , 325-339. 10.1080/19419899.2014.1001774

*Blomquist, B.A., & Giuliano, T. A. (2012). “Do you love me, too?” Perceptions of Responses to ‘I love you.” North American Journal of Psychology, 14 , 407-418.

*Gomillion, S. C., & Giuliano, T. A. (2011). The influence of media role models on gay, lesbian, and bisexual identity. Journal of Homosexuality, 58 , 330-354.

*Howell, J., * & Giuliano, T. A. (2011). The effects of expletive use and team gender on perceptions of coaching effectiveness. Journal of Sport Behavior, 34 , 69-81.

*Howell, J., *Egan, P., *Ackley, B., & Giuliano, T. A. (2011). The reverse double standard in perceptions of student-teacher sexual relationships: The role of gender, initiation, and power. Journal of Social Psychology, 151 (2), 180-200.

*Egan, P., & Giuliano, T. A. (2009). Unaccommodating attitudes: Perceptions of students with learning disabilities as a function of accommodation use and test performance. North American Journal of Psychology, 11 , 487-500.

*Osborne, R. L, *Ackley B. D, & Giuliano, T. A., (2008). The “skinny” on coffee drinkers: Gender differences in healthy beverage choice. Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research, 13(4) , 159-163.

*Riggs, A. L., & Giuliano, T. A. (2007). Running in the family or swimming in the gene pool: The role of family history and genetic risk in individuals' illness perceptions. Journal of Health Psychology, 12 , 883-894.

*Stanzer, M., Guarraci, F., Giuliano, T. A., & Sims, A. (2007). Paramedic or EMT-basic partner? Study evaluates preferred partner types & the effect of partners on work-related stress levels. Journal of Emergency Medical Services 32: 72-74.

*Knight, J. L., & Giuliano, T. A. (2003). Blood, sweat, and jeers: The impact of the media's heterosexist portrayals on perceptions of male and female athletes. Journal of Sport Behavior, 26 , 272-284.

*Wilke, K. M., *Turner, K. L., & Giuliano, T. A. (2003). Smoke screens: Cross-cultural effectiveness of anti-smoking messages. North American Journal of Psychology, 5 , 431-442.

*Dodd E. H., Giuliano, T. A., *Boutell, J. M., & *Moran, B. E. (2001). Respected or rejected: Perceptions of women who confront sexist remarks. Sex Roles , 45, 567-577.

*Knight, J. L., & Giuliano, T. A. (2001). She's a “looker;” he's a Laker: The consequences of gender-stereotypical portrayals of male and female athletes by the print media. Sex Roles, 45 , 217-229.

*Knight, J. L., Giuliano, T. A., & *Sanchez-Ross, M. G. (2001). Famous or infamous? The influence of celebrity status and race on perceptions of responsibility for rape. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 23 , 183-190.

*Dickson, A., Giuliano, T. A., *Morris, J. C., & *Cass, K. L. (2001). Eminem versus Charley Pride: Race, stereotypes, and perceptions of rap and country music performers. Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research, 6 , 175-179.

*Kirkendall, K. D., *Dixon, D. P., Giuliano, T. A., & *Raney, A. E. (2001). The bold and the beautiful: The effect of physical attractiveness and extraversion on desirability. Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research, 6 , 180-186.

*Cohorn, C. A., & Giuliano, T. A. (1999). Predictors of adjustment and institutional attachment in first-year college students. Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research, 4 , 47-56.

*Cox, C. B., & Giuliano, T. A. (1999). Constructing obstacles vs. making excuses: Examining perceivers' reactions to behavioral and self-reported self-handicapping. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality,14 , 419-432.

*Fiala, S. E., Giuliano, T. A., *Remlinger, N. M., & *Braithwaite, L. C. (1999). Lending a helping hand: The effects of sex stereotypes and gender on likelihood of helping. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 29 , 2164-2176.

Keywords: undergraduate research, undergraduate publication, publishing, first authorship, faculty-student collaboration

Citation: Giuliano TA (2019) Guiding Undergraduates Through the Process of First Authorship. Front. Psychol . 10:857. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00857

Received: 05 February 2019; Accepted: 01 April 2019; Published: 18 April 2019.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2019 Giuliano. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Traci A. Giuliano, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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How can this guide help me?

This section of the guide is designed to help and support students undertaking an undergraduate thesis by providing them with guidance, information and resources that will help them to successfully complete their thesis. Undertaking a large piece of writing can be daunting, but it also presents a great opportunity for students to contribute to their field of study and share their recommendations and findings to the wider academic community. 

Take a look at our suggested sources for finding high quality academic information, our tools for organising and managing your information, and our top tips for successfully writing your thesis!

Finding Academic Information and Quality Sources

No matter what you are searching for, the ability to distinguish between primary and secondary source material is essential.

Primary sources are documents, images or items that provide a first-hand account or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. Primary sources allow you to get as close as possible to what actually happened during an historical event or time period.

Secondary sources are documents written after an event has happened. They provide second-hand accounts of that event, person, or topic. Secondary sources offer different perspectives, analysis, and conclusions of those primary accounts.

Examples of Primary v Secondary Sources

Primary Source Databases

Examples of Primary Source Database

ARTstor - A digital library of approximately 700,000 images in the areas of art, architecture, the humanities, and social sciences with a set of tools to view, present, and manage images for research and pedagogical purposes.

British Periodicals I - IV - Access to the searchable full text of hundreds of periodicals from the late seventeenth century to the early twentieth, comprising millions of high-resolution facsimile page images. Topics covered include literature, philosophy, history, science, the social sciences, music, art, drama, archaeology and architecture.

Gale Primary Sources -  Search together, any combination of: British Library Newspapers, Dublin Castle Records, Economist Historical Archive, 1843- , Eighteenth Century Collections Online, Making of Modern Law: Legal Treatises, 1800-1926, Northern Ireland: A Divided Community, Times Digital Archive.

Proquest Primary Sources Collections The areas covered include Anthropology; Film and Media Studies; Global Studies; History; Philosophy and Religion; and Women and Gender Studies.

Use this link to see a list of all of our databases. Use the dropdown menu labelled "All Subjects" to sort by a specific subject. 

Secondary Source Databases

Secondary Source Database Examples

Academic Search Complete - Multidisciplinary database covering a large range of material in the social sciences and humanities. It includes over 21,000 journals and other publications.

JSTOR - Journal Storage Database - full text archival database covering over 2,500 scholarly journals in the areas of arts & humanities, social sciences and scienceAccess to the following collections: Ireland Collection, Arts and Sciences I to VIII, and the Life Sciences Collection.

Taylor & Francis Journals - Full-text electronic access to over 1000 Taylor & Francis titles. This is a multidisciplinary resource including arts, humanities, science and social sciences.

The Writing Process: Our Top Tips!

Setting Writing Deadlines

When beginning a lengthy piece of writing, it can be difficult to manage your time and stay on track. Therefore, it can be helpful to set small deadlines throughout the writing process and focus on individual sections. Deadlines can provide you with a sense of reassurance by allowing you to plan your level of productivity and manage your time efficiently. Setting deadlines also ensures that you spend an equal amount of time on each section as opposed to dedicating too much time to one over another. 

Using headings / Sub-headings in a logical format

As your thesis is a much longer piece of writing than a standard essay, it is recommended that you use headings and sub-headings to help structure and organise your writing and make your arguments clear and coherent for the reader. Headings can be anything from a theme you identified in the literature, to a pattern of results recognised in your own research. Sub-themes are used to elaborate or broaden the scope of a particular topic, but it is recommended that you refrain from using too many as it can become confusing for both the reader and writer. 

Thematic structuring: Identifying key themes or patterns within the literature 

Throughout the literature review process, various themes, patterns, and concepts emerge from the literature around your specific research topic. Themes can also emerge from your findings if you have used a methodology to investigate your topic further. In either case, reoccurring themes can help you to structure the body of your thesis and formulate logical and cohesive arguments when writing. 

Compare & contrast: Illustrate critical analysis and avoid summarising

One of the most important elements of a thesis is to synthesise your arguments as opposed to summarising them. To synthesise is to compare and contrast the various views evident within the body of literature in order to formulate your own opinions or stance on a particular subject. If opposing views and arguments are evident in your writing, it shows that a broad scope of literature has been consulted and an in-depth and critical analysis has been carried out on your research topic. Making strong comparisons between studies and findings illustrates to the reader that you have evaluated the literature thoroughly to develop your own findings or conclusions on the research topic. 

Using your voice: Supporting your arguments with evidence / references

While your thesis is compromised of past and current literature, it should also contain your our own voice and views with supported evidence and references. As your ideas can often develop from reading an extensive amount of literature on your research topic, if can become unclear whether an idea or view is one of your own or one presented in the literature. In this case, we recommend that you cite when you are in doubt! 

Concluding; Your contributions, findings and recommendations

When writing the concluding section of your thesis, make sure you re-visit the key points discussed in the introductory section, the observations you have made throughout the thesis, and outline clearly your own assessment of the literature, research and findings. 

• What you intended to find out / investigate 
• Your findings / results 
• Your own assessment of the findings and literature (Your contribution & recommendations)

Your concluding paragraph also offers you a great opportunity to share your knowledge of the field with the academic community and contribute to the current body of research. Presenting your own findings and proposing recommendations on your research topic means that you are taking part in the 'scholarly debate' and participating in the ongoing scholarly conversation within the field. 

References & appendices 

While bibliographies and references are not usually included as part of the word count of your thesis, in-text citations are included. It is extremely important that all references (in-text and within the bibliography) are cited correctly and in the correct format/style of your department. If you are including live links or doi's, it is important that each one works correctly in case the reader would like to locate a particular reference. See Saving and Managing your Sources section  for additional information. 

Lastly, the appendices can be used to share additional work or supplementary information that supports your overall thesis. This can be interview transcripts, maps, photographs or any kind of content carried out throughout the research process. 

Saving and Managing your References

Reasons to reference

Referencing is a crucial aspect of your thesis and therefore an essential part of the writing process. Your thesis should reflect that you can conduct research, locate suitable sources, analyse and critically review the findings and reference them appropriately. 

Academic writing & referencing

Good academic writing requires students to use their own voice to critically analyse/argue their viewpoint, with supporting evidence from the literature and by using referencing. Referencing helps you to avoid plagiarism, shows your understanding of the topic, gives evidence for what you are saying in your writing and allows others to see what sources you used. Find more information here on academic writing  and referencing .

Reference Management Tools

Reference Management Software

Reference management software gathers, stores & formats your references, creates in-text citations/footnotes for you. The Library provides access to the following reference management software: Refworks , Endnote Online and Endnote Desktop . There are other software products freely available such as Zotero and Mendeley . Find out more about these products and others here . Find links to our training videos below:

Endnote Online

Endnote Desktop

Your objective in writing a thesis is to create a piece of original and scholarly research to add to the body of knowledge in your subject area. A good place to start, is to find out what has been written in other theses. You can see what has been written, the writing style, how it was structured, research methods, and which references were used.

You can do this by searching for theses like your proposed topic in several places. The Find a Thesis guide will advise on how to search theses from Maynooth University, UK & Ireland and International sites.

Do you need further support?

If you are looking for further help or support with your undergraduate thesis, you can contact one of our Teaching Librarians from the Teaching & Research Development Team Guide here . 

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The senior thesis is typically the most challenging writing project undertaken by undergraduate students. The writing guides below aim to introduce students both to the specific methods and conventions of writing original research in their area of concentration and to effective writing process.

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How to write an undergraduate university dissertation

Writing a dissertation is a daunting task, but these tips will help you prepare for all the common challenges students face before deadline day.

Grace McCabe

Writing a dissertation is one of the most challenging aspects of university. However, it is the chance for students to demonstrate what they have learned during their degree and to explore a topic in depth.

In this article, we look at 10 top tips for writing a successful dissertation and break down how to write each section of a dissertation in detail.

10 tips for writing an undergraduate dissertation

1. Select an engaging topic Choose a subject that aligns with your interests and allows you to showcase the skills and knowledge you have acquired through your degree.

2. Research your supervisor Undergraduate students will often be assigned a supervisor based on their research specialisms. Do some research on your supervisor and make sure that they align with your dissertation goals.

3. Understand the dissertation structure Familiarise yourself with the structure (introduction, review of existing research, methodology, findings, results and conclusion). This will vary based on your subject.

4. Write a schedule As soon as you have finalised your topic and looked over the deadline, create a rough plan of how much work you have to do and create mini-deadlines along the way to make sure don’t find yourself having to write your entire dissertation in the final few weeks.

5. Determine requirements Ensure that you know which format your dissertation should be presented in. Check the word count and the referencing style.

6. Organise references from the beginning Maintain an alphabetically arranged reference list or bibliography in the designated style as you do your reading. This will make it a lot easier to finalise your references at the end.

7. Create a detailed plan Once you have done your initial research and have an idea of the shape your dissertation will take, write a detailed essay plan outlining your research questions, SMART objectives and dissertation structure.

8. Keep a dissertation journal Track your progress, record your research and your reading, and document challenges. This will be helpful as you discuss your work with your supervisor and organise your notes.

9. Schedule regular check-ins with your supervisor Make sure you stay in touch with your supervisor throughout the process, scheduling regular meetings and keeping good notes so you can update them on your progress.

10. Employ effective proofreading techniques Ask friends and family to help you proofread your work or use different fonts to help make the text look different. This will help you check for missing sections, grammatical mistakes and typos.

What is a dissertation?

A dissertation is a long piece of academic writing or a research project that you have to write as part of your undergraduate university degree.

It’s usually a long essay in which you explore your chosen topic, present your ideas and show that you understand and can apply what you’ve learned during your studies. Informally, the terms “dissertation” and “thesis” are often used interchangeably.

How do I select a dissertation topic?

First, choose a topic that you find interesting. You will be working on your dissertation for several months, so finding a research topic that you are passionate about and that demonstrates your strength in your subject is best. You want your topic to show all the skills you have developed during your degree. It would be a bonus if you can link your work to your chosen career path, but it’s not necessary.

Second, begin by exploring relevant literature in your field, including academic journals, books and articles. This will help you identify gaps in existing knowledge and areas that may need further exploration. You may not be able to think of a truly original piece of research, but it’s always good to know what has already been written about your chosen topic.

Consider the practical aspects of your chosen topic, ensuring that it is possible within the time frame and available resources. Assess the availability of data, research materials and the overall practicality of conducting the research.

When picking a dissertation topic, you also want to try to choose something that adds new ideas or perspectives to what’s already known in your field. As you narrow your focus, remember that a more targeted approach usually leads to a dissertation that’s easier to manage and has a bigger impact. Be ready to change your plans based on feedback and new information you discover during your research.

How to work with your dissertation supervisor?

Your supervisor is there to provide guidance on your chosen topic, direct your research efforts, and offer assistance and suggestions when you have queries. It’s crucial to establish a comfortable and open line of communication with them throughout the process. Their knowledge can greatly benefit your work. Keep them informed about your progress, seek their advice, and don’t hesitate to ask questions.

1. Keep them updated Regularly tell your supervisor how your work is going and if you’re having any problems. You can do this through emails, meetings or progress reports.

2. Plan meetings Schedule regular meetings with your supervisor. These can be in person or online. These are your time to discuss your progress and ask for help.

3. Share your writing Give your supervisor parts of your writing or an outline. This helps them see what you’re thinking so they can advise you on how to develop it.

5. Ask specific questions When you need help, ask specific questions instead of general ones. This makes it easier for your supervisor to help you.

6. Listen to feedback Be open to what your supervisor says. If they suggest changes, try to make them. It makes your dissertation better and shows you can work together.

7. Talk about problems If something is hard or you’re worried, talk to your supervisor about it. They can give you advice or tell you where to find help.

8. Take charge Be responsible for your work. Let your supervisor know if your plans change, and don’t wait if you need help urgently.

Remember, talking openly with your supervisor helps you both understand each other better, improves your dissertation and ensures that you get the support you need.

How to write a successful research piece at university How to choose a topic for your dissertation Tips for writing a convincing thesis

How do I plan my dissertation?

It’s important to start with a detailed plan that will serve as your road map throughout the entire process of writing your dissertation. As Jumana Labib, a master’s student at the University of Manchester  studying digital media, culture and society, suggests: “Pace yourself – definitely don’t leave the entire thing for the last few days or weeks.”

Decide what your research question or questions will be for your chosen topic.

Break that down into smaller SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) objectives.

Speak to your supervisor about any overlooked areas.

Create a breakdown of chapters using the structure listed below (for example, a methodology chapter).

Define objectives, key points and evidence for each chapter.

Define your research approach (qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods).

Outline your research methods and analysis techniques.

Develop a timeline with regular moments for review and feedback.

Allocate time for revision, editing and breaks.

Consider any ethical considerations related to your research.

Stay organised and add to your references and bibliography throughout the process.

Remain flexible to possible reviews or changes as you go along.

A well thought-out plan not only makes the writing process more manageable but also increases the likelihood of producing a high-quality piece of research.

How to structure a dissertation?

The structure can depend on your field of study, but this is a rough outline for science and social science dissertations:

Introduce your topic.

Complete a source or literature review.

Describe your research methodology (including the methods for gathering and filtering information, analysis techniques, materials, tools or resources used, limitations of your method, and any considerations of reliability).

Summarise your findings.

Discuss the results and what they mean.

Conclude your point and explain how your work contributes to your field.

On the other hand, humanities and arts dissertations often take the form of an extended essay. This involves constructing an argument or exploring a particular theory or analysis through the analysis of primary and secondary sources. Your essay will be structured through chapters arranged around themes or case studies.

All dissertations include a title page, an abstract and a reference list. Some may also need a table of contents at the beginning. Always check with your university department for its dissertation guidelines, and check with your supervisor as you begin to plan your structure to ensure that you have the right layout.

How long is an undergraduate dissertation?

The length of an undergraduate dissertation can vary depending on the specific guidelines provided by your university and your subject department. However, in many cases, undergraduate dissertations are typically about 8,000 to 12,000 words in length.

“Eat away at it; try to write for at least 30 minutes every day, even if it feels relatively unproductive to you in the moment,” Jumana advises.

How do I add references to my dissertation?

References are the section of your dissertation where you acknowledge the sources you have quoted or referred to in your writing. It’s a way of supporting your ideas, evidencing what research you have used and avoiding plagiarism (claiming someone else’s work as your own), and giving credit to the original authors.

Referencing typically includes in-text citations and a reference list or bibliography with full source details. Different referencing styles exist, such as Harvard, APA and MLA, each favoured in specific fields. Your university will tell you the preferred style.

Using tools and guides provided by universities can make the referencing process more manageable, but be sure they are approved by your university before using any.

How do I write a bibliography or list my references for my dissertation?

The requirement of a bibliography depends on the style of referencing you need to use. Styles such as OSCOLA or Chicago may not require a separate bibliography. In these styles, full source information is often incorporated into footnotes throughout the piece, doing away with the need for a separate bibliography section.

Typically, reference lists or bibliographies are organised alphabetically based on the author’s last name. They usually include essential details about each source, providing a quick overview for readers who want more information. Some styles ask that you include references that you didn’t use in your final piece as they were still a part of the overall research.

It is important to maintain this list as soon as you start your research. As you complete your research, you can add more sources to your bibliography to ensure that you have a comprehensive list throughout the dissertation process.

How to proofread an undergraduate dissertation?

Throughout your dissertation writing, attention to detail will be your greatest asset. The best way to avoid making mistakes is to continuously proofread and edit your work.

Proofreading is a great way to catch any missing sections, grammatical errors or typos. There are many tips to help you proofread:

Ask someone to read your piece and highlight any mistakes they find.

Change the font so you notice any mistakes.

Format your piece as you go, headings and sections will make it easier to spot any problems.

Separate editing and proofreading. Editing is your chance to rewrite sections, add more detail or change any points. Proofreading should be where you get into the final touches, really polish what you have and make sure it’s ready to be submitted.

Stick to your citation style and make sure every resource listed in your dissertation is cited in the reference list or bibliography.

How to write a conclusion for my dissertation?

Writing a dissertation conclusion is your chance to leave the reader impressed by your work.

Start by summarising your findings, highlighting your key points and the outcome of your research. Refer back to the original research question or hypotheses to provide context to your conclusion.

You can then delve into whether you achieved the goals you set at the beginning and reflect on whether your research addressed the topic as expected. Make sure you link your findings to existing literature or sources you have included throughout your work and how your own research could contribute to your field.

Be honest about any limitations or issues you faced during your research and consider any questions that went unanswered that you would consider in the future. Make sure that your conclusion is clear and concise, and sum up the overall impact and importance of your work.

Remember, keep the tone confident and authoritative, avoiding the introduction of new information. This should simply be a summary of everything you have already said throughout the dissertation.

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Journalism and communication menu, journalism and communication, five tips for tackling the undergraduate thesis.

By Becky Hoag and Meg Rodgers

Theses aren’t just for graduate students. Many UO School of Journalism and Communication undergrads write theses for the SOJC Honors Program , for Clark’s Honors College or just to gain research experience. Any of them can tell you that thesis-writing takes a lot of work and can be quite daunting.

Wondering how you would even get started on it?

SOJC media studies alum Meg Rodgers ’18 totally understands how you feel. But she made it happen! She spent her senior year writing an undergrad thesis for the Honors College about TV anti-heroines that was selected for the 2018 UO Undergraduate Research Symposium .

Here are a few lessons she learned along the way:

1. Make use of your thesis advisor.

If you don’t have one assigned to you, find one and make that connection as soon as you can.

“They are the experts in their field, and you are learning how to become an expert,” Rodgers said.

She said her advisor, Assistant Professor Erin Hanna, helped her break down her project into doable steps and approach the research process in a smart manner.

2. Dive into the research.

Collect as much knowledge as you can. Even if some of the sources don’t end up in your final reference list, they will all help develop your overall understanding of the topic.

Rodgers found that about one-third of her process was research, one-third was writing and one-third was editing. It might be surprising and a bit nerve-wracking not to write anything down for the first part of the thesis process, but that’s normal. If you start writing too soon, you might find yourself making more assumptions about what you will find, rather than writing about what you actually found.

3. Start citing sources early.

You’ll thank yourself later. Programs like Mendeley or Zotero can help with this. Make sure you know what citation style to use.

4. Break down your thesis into workable sections.

Looking at the whole thing at once can be overwhelming. What are the individual points you want to cover in your paper? Make a list and start checking them off one at a time.

5. Mentally prepare yourself for lots of editing.

Try not to take it personally when your paper gets torn apart. It just means that it’s getting better. Trust the process and be grateful for feedback.

You can do it! And all the work’s definitely worth it. Rodgers found the thesis-writing process helped her learn about her strengths and weaknesses as a researcher and what work environments are best for her. Sometimes the more challenging endeavors can be the most rewarding too.

Becky Hoag is a senior double-majoring in journalism and environmental science (with a marine focus). This is her second year writing for the SOJC Communication Office. This past summer, she worked as an intern at the  KQED science  desk in San Francisco, producing content for the new program about climate change, “ This Moment on Earth .” She is also a science writer for The Daily Emerald and the student-run environmental magazine Envision Magazine , and a web designer/researcher for marine conservation outreach organization Ocean Everblue . She wants to become an environmental/scientific journalist. You can view her work at  beckyhoag.com .

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Prepare your thesis

Throughout your research candidature you will work toward producing your final thesis. There are some key points to keep in mind when you start this process.

Your thesis must be a coherent and cohesive whole. You can submit a thesis including publications but we don't accept thesis by publication. Refer to the relevant Thesis and Examination policy (pdf, 392KB) and discuss this with your supervisor.

There are also certain formatting and referencing requirements that are outlined below.

You can also find more general information on research skills, planning and writing your thesis in the research skills for HDR students page. This includes literature reviews, writing up results and theses including publications.

Proofreading and editing

You can use an editor to prepare your thesis for submission. Make sure you discuss your plans with your supervisor and provide your editor with a copy of the University’s Thesis Submission and Examination Procedures (pdf, 180KB) .

When you use an editor:

• include the editor’s name and a brief description of the service provided in your list of acknowledgements at the front of your thesis. For creative work, make sure this information is included when it's presented for examination.
• you need to state the editor’s current or former area of academic specialisation if this is similar to your own.

Composition

You will find information on word limits in the below policies and procedures, or in your faculty or school handbook.

Word limits include footnotes and all material in the main body of the thesis. Bibliographies and appendices are not included in the overall word count.

• University of Sydney (Higher Degree by Research) Rule (pdf, 877KB)
• Thesis and Examination of Higher Degrees by Research Policy (pdf, 194KB)
• Thesis and Examination of Higher Degrees by Research Procedures (pdf, 180KB)

If you have questions about formatting, you can speak to your supervisor or postgraduate coordinator.

Thesis frontispiece sections

The frontispiece includes the parts of your thesis before the main content.

Thesis title and abstract

The following upper limits apply to your title and abstract content submitted on RECS for the final lodgement:

• thesis title: maximum 250 characters including spaces, in title case not uppercase.
• thesis abstract: maximum 2000 characters including spaces.

Login to Sydney Student (go to ‘My studies’, then 'Research details') to update and maintain your thesis title and thesis abstract.

Note that there are no characters limits for the title and abstract in the actual pdf of the thesis. 

Your thesis title page should state:

• title of the thesis
• faculty name
• the University’s full name – The University of Sydney
• for theses only: A thesis submitted to fulfil requirements for the degree of Doctor/Master of Philosophy (or other higher degree by research)
• for theses with a creative component: A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Doctor/Master of Philosophy (or other higher degree by research).
• a statement if you have been in receipt of a Research Training Program scholarship: "This research reported in this thesis was supported by the award of a Research Training Program scholarship to the PhD Candidate."

Statement of originality

You need to include a statement of originality, usually placed after the title page, for example:

This is to certify that to the best of my knowledge, the content of this thesis is my own work. This thesis has not been submitted for any degree or other purposes.

I certify that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work and that all the assistance received in preparing this thesis and sources have been acknowledged.

Signature* Name

*you should only include the signature in the copy you submit for examination, not the library copy.

Authorship attribution statement

If your thesis contains material you have previously published, you need to discuss an authorship attribution statement with your supervisor and submit this statement as part of your final thesis submission. It should indicate the name and publication details of the published work, as well as specify your contribution.

Such a statement typically appears in the frontispiece of your thesis.

If the publication in which your work has previously appeared has a convention about author order, then you need to include this information after each relevant attribution statement (for example,  Journal of XXXX  requires that the lead author must be corresponding author).

This only applies where you have made a substantial contribution to the paper. You cannot present minor contributions to published works in the main body of your thesis – these can only be included as appendices.

Example: Chapters published as papers/edited book chapters

Chapter x of this thesis is published as [citation]. I designed the study, analysed the data and wrote the drafts of the MS.

Chapter y of this thesis is published as [citation]. I designed the study, extracted the data and wrote the drafts of the MS.

Chapter z of this thesis is published as [citation]. I co-designed the study with the co-authors, interpreted the analysis done by A.N. Other and wrote the drafts of the MS.

Example: Published material distributed through the thesis

This thesis contains material published in [citation]. This is section x.y; figure s.t, and pages p-q of section y.z. I did... [describe your role].

Attesting your authorship attribution statement

You and your supervisor need to attest to an authorship attribution statement under the  Thesis and Examination Policy and Procedures (pdf, 185KB) . The following are suggested:

In addition to the statements above, in cases where I am not the corresponding author of a published item, permission to include the published material has been granted by the corresponding author.

Student Name, Signature, Date

As supervisor for the candidature upon which this thesis is based, I can confirm that the authorship attribution statements above are correct.

Supervisor Name, Signature, Date

You should refer to the Thesis and Examination of Higher Degrees by Research Procedures (pdf, 180KB) for information about the inclusion of published material you wrote, or contributed to as an author. This includes use of citations and quotations.

If your thesis contains material you have previously published, an authorship attribution statement, outlined above, may be included.

More information can be found in the Thesis and Examination of Higher Degrees by Research Policy (pdf, 194KB) and the University of Sydney (Higher Degree by Research) Rule (pdf, 877KB) .

The responsibilities of all researchers, academic staff and students are outlined in our Research Code of Conduct (pdf, 484KB) . This defines research misconduct and breaches of the Code related to plagiarism.

File type for submission

You need to submit your thesis as a pdf file. This is the required format for us to submit your thesis into Turnitin for similarity detection. If we receive a file in another format, then the conversion to pdf will not be controlled by you and may result in unacceptable or undesirable formatting changes. Be aware, once a thesis file is submitted for examination, it is not possible to withdraw it for revisions unless under the provisions of the Thesis and Examination of Higher Degree by Research Students Policy .

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Writing the Undergraduate Thesis

  Your thesis is not something to be put off, but something to get started on early!

Daniel has just completed his  BA History and Politics at  Magdalen College . He is a disabled student and the first in his immediate family to go to university. Daniel is a Trustee of  Potential Plus UK , a Founding Ambassador and Expert Panel Member for  Zero Gravity , a  Sutton Trust Alumni Leadership Board Member  and a History Faculty Ambassador. Before coming to university, Daniel studied at a non-selective state school, and was a participant on the  UNIQ ,  Sutton Trust , and  Social Mobility Foundation  APP Reach programmes, as well as being part of the inaugural  Opportunity Oxford  cohort. Daniel is passionate about outreach and social mobility and ensuring all students have the best opportunity to succeed.

The undergraduate thesis is most probably the longest piece of writing you will have encountered but can be the most rewarding. It gives you the opportunity to follow your passions and conduct historical research that may have never been done before, in a new field or deepening understanding in an area you had already explored. Based on my recent experience here is my advice for how to put it all together:

Choosing a topic

You should begin thinking about this in the January of your second year. Most work on your thesis begins in Trinity (summer term) of your second year, so use Hilary (spring term) to brainstorm what you want to write about. Reflect on which bits of the History degree you have really enjoyed, or any areas you wish to learn more about. Don’t just go for the most obvious topics. 20th century British political topics in some cases have very little unexplored material, so you want to choose an area where you can really add value. Make sure your topic is small enough to be able to do it well in 12,000 words, as that becomes surprisingly few words when you are putting it all together.

You may cover something where there has been some research, but find a new approach or a new angle. In my case, I used the new donations of materials on the Oxford Union’s ‘King and Country’ debate as one way my thesis would be original.

You want to think about the sources you would potentially need to consult, and where they may be stored – no point choosing a topic if the archives are in a language you don’t understand or they are inaccessible. You need to think about logistics and ensure there will be enough material to write about. Not enough primary material can really hold writing back. You don’t need to travel across the world (though it can be very cool) to put it together. There are plenty of subjects that haven’t been explored that could be answered by archives within the University of Oxford. That’s another way to bring value from your thesis; focus on a well-known topic, but in a local context where it may not have been researched.

If you are struggling to choose a topic, don’t worry as there are lectures and sessions to support you throughout the thesis process from the Faculty of History and your college tutor. Not every idea works first time either, so do leave yourself enough time to explore the primary material available.

Introductory reading and your supervisor

At this point it is worth seeing what secondary material is available so you can begin to get a clear idea of what you are writing about. The History Faculty Canvas page is a good place to start. Use reading lists from other papers to put together an introductory reading list for your thesis. You could also attend relevant lectures if you start early enough to gain an understanding of the key ideas in each area.

Don’t worry if you aren’t sure how you want to move forward, your thesis supervisor is there to support with this. They are a tutor who has some experience in the area you are writing about; they have subject specialist knowledge which will be invaluable in driving your thesis forward.

Throughout your thesis writing process you can access up to 5 hours of support (inclusive of time spent responding to email questions as well as meetings), so don’t use all your time up at the start. Leave time for feedback on your thesis draft (I would recommend saving around three hours for this). Talk about your ideas and where you are stuck, and they will be able to suggest relevant reading or sources of primary material.

Ideally confirm your topic and supervisor by the end of Trinity (summer term) of your second year. You can meet before the summer to set out what work you are going to do over the long vacation.

Primary source work

The vast majority of this should be completed over the summer, given you only get Hilary (spring) term of your third year to write up. You are likely to need to spend around 2 weeks conducting primary research, looking at archives or conducting interviews depending on what you are studying. You want to make good notes while doing this and make sure to note down all reference codes for the material you access in the archive. Anything quoted in your thesis will need to be referenced (including page numbers), so note these early to save having to do so again. This is particularly important for sources located a long way away.

You will require ethical approval from your supervisor before you undertake any interviews. This process can take some time, so make sure you submit the request early as you don’t want your thesis timeline to be derailed by this review. Also consider how you will reach those you want to interview; are they likely to want to be involved? What is the best medium to engage with them (online or in-person)? What are the strengths and limitations of such an approach?

While conducting primary source analysis, think back to the question you initially discussed with your supervisor and consider if your enquiry is developing differently. You may find your focus in archival research is slightly different to what you outlined initially. That is fine as long as you can complete a good piece of writing on it.

As you go, begin thinking about the two to three chapters you may break your work into. Also reflect – is there enough material to write about? You don’t want to be going into third year with too much primary source analysis left to do. Keep thinking what you want to cover in your thesis and identify gaps early so you can continue to develop your enquiry.

You will need to submit a short proposal in Michaelmas (autumn term) of your third year. This is signed off by the exam board, to certify your thesis is a viable proposal. By now you should know if there is enough material to cover the topic you want. You can make changes after the submission, but I think it’s a good deadline to see if you are on track. It doesn’t need to be too detailed; suggest a title, list the sources you are consulting and what you are hoping to investigate. Your supervisor or tutors in college can give feedback on this.

Secondary reading

You will already have done some secondary reading as part of choosing a topic, and through your initial meetings with your supervisor. While conducting primary source analysis over the long vacation, it is also advantageous to do some more secondary reading. Secondary reading helps to put sources in context and allows you to see where your work fits in to the wider historical debate. Your thesis may be responding to an author or building upon their work. If possible, you could even reach out to them to get their advice or suggestions for unexplored avenues of enquiry.

It is worth flagging you are unlikely to have any time during Michaelmas (autumn term) to work on your thesis. The earliest you are likely to get back to your thesis is at some point during the Christmas vacation or the 1st week of Hilary (spring term).

You must submit your thesis by midday on Friday of 8th week of Hilary. As you can see the timelines are tight. It is therefore worth finishing any primary source analysis as a priority at the start of term, before devoting a few more weeks to secondary reading. During this time, keep checking in with your supervisor to stay on track.

How long you spend on secondary reading should be determined by how long you think you need for writing; my advice is learn from the Extended Essay that you completed in Michaelmas (autumn term) to know your timings. If it took much longer to write than planned, this needs to be factored into your timings. You don’t want to spend all your time reading if writing is the most challenging aspect. You can also read while writing, as the writing process can expose gaps. So give yourself more time to write than you think you need, and prioritise your reading by where you think you need more knowledge.

You should have a detailed plan for your thesis, breaking it down into two to three chapters and what you want to cover in each chapter. With a long piece of writing, it is easy for the quality to drop in the middle as you lose steam so be aware of this. You want to be selective as you only have 12000 words and referencing counts within that limit. Just like any piece of academic writing, it needs an argument so make sure you have a clear train of thought throughout.

I would advise you start writing by the beginning of fourth week. You ideally want to submit your thesis to your supervisor by the end of fifth week to give time for review. It is likely to take your supervisor a minimum of a week to review your thesis (they may be supervising multiple students), so check when they need it by to ensure you have ample time to make the necessary improvements.

When writing, you may want to write a sketch version first where you write all of your thoughts before adding the detail with references. Make sure your referencing format is consistent and make the work as good as possible so your supervisor’s feedback can be focused on how to get your thesis to the next level rather than simple mistakes. For things like spelling and grammar it is down to you to ensure your thesis is readable.

While it can be tempting to leave writing until the last possible second, you will get your best work by working consistently over a week or two with clear goals. You don’t want to be in the library every waking hour, as this will come through in the quality of what is written.

When working with a supervisor, it is all about communication. If you do find issues while writing your thesis, you can always meet your supervisor to get some steer. Some supervisors like to review it chapter by chapter, so establish how you want to work at the start of Hilary (spring term) and stick to it.

Proofreading and re-drafting

When you receive your supervisor’s feedback, it can be useful to schedule sessions with them to run through it on a granular level. Some supervisors will go through chapter by chapter, others will be steered by your questions.

You will hopefully have at least one or two weeks to make the necessary edits, which could be as drastic as restructuring an entire chapter. It is worth rewriting with time to spare, so you can proofread it to ensure the thesis reads clearly. Do follow the University regulations if you would like others to review your thesis.

The final step is sending it in before the deadline – some students submit up to a week in advance if they are happy with it, where others (like myself) give it a final read on the morning of submission. Make sure to back up on a cloud-based platform so if there are any technical issues you can obtain a recent version.

Writing a thesis can be an enjoyable process, where you get a lot of freedom to work at your own pace on a topic you are interested in. My main piece of advice is don’t let that freedom get you off track, as there is little time to catch up if you do fall behind (particularly during Hilary term). Your thesis is not something to be put off but something to get started on early!

My undergraduate thesis will be published on the Oxford Union Library and Archives website in due course, and a physical copy can also be found within the Oxford Union Library.

Undergraduate Thesis

Preparing for Thesis

• Elements of Thesis
• List of References
• Images and Figures
• Library Home

books on portfolio

Thesis Writing Guides

Getting Started - Topic Selection

Check out our Thesis Finding Aid to see topics previous students have chosen. 

Brainstorm for ideas - what problem(s) might you address through design.

• choose a topic that will enable you to read and understand the literature
• ensure that the topic is manageable and that material is available
• make a list of keywords
• be flexible
• define your topic as a focused research question
• research and read more about your topic
• use your question to formulate a thesis statement

For more ideas check out our guide on How to Write an Academic Paper

Types of Architectural Research

There are many types of research in architecture but they all share the same goal to create new architectural knowledge. The books on this page provide more information on conducting research. Depending on your thesis topic you may choose to apply any research methods, but each thesis includes at a minimum the following:

• Literature Review - A summary and analysis of published sources on the thesis topic that brings the reader up to date with current thinking.
• Case Studies - Built projects relevant to the thesis topic which are analyzed for ideas and inspiration. Usually include images, data, drawings, and description and analysis of the project. 
• Physical model - A scale model physical representation of the design solution intended to demonstrate the space and communicate design ideas. 

Some other approaches include questionnaires, surveys, interviews, site analysis, demographics, digital models, materials research, performativity tests, consumer research, or financial viability. They are all valid. The type of research you do will be determined by your research question. 

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• Last Updated: Apr 23, 2024 7:16 PM
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Life @ U of T

My Experience Writing an Undergraduate Thesis

This year, I’ve been working on a really exciting project… my undergraduate thesis! It's my fourth year of university, and I decided to write an undergraduate thesis in Political Science under the supervision of a professor. This week, I wanted to write about why I decided to take a thesis, how I enrolled, and how it’s been going so far! 

What is an undergraduate thesis?

An undergraduate thesis is usually a 40-60 page paper written under the supervision of a professor, allowing you to explore a topic of your interest in-depth. I primarily decided to write an undergraduate thesis to prepare me for graduate school - it's allowed me to get started on work I might continue in graduate school, hone my research skills, and test out whether academic research is for me.

How do I write an undergraduate thesis?

To write my undergraduate thesis, I had two options (this may vary depending on what department you're in!). First, I could join the Senior Thesis Seminar offered by department. These seminars group students together who are interested in doing a thesis and teach them research skills and background information. Students then simultaneously complete a thesis under the supervision of a professor. Senior Thesis Seminars often require applications to register in, so if you’re interested in this option, make sure you look into this in your third year of study!

Because I already had a close working relationship with a professor, I opted to instead do the second option, an Independent Study. An Independent Study allows you to work one-on-one with a professor and design whatever course you’re interested in. For either option, you’ll need to know what topic you're interested in writing your thesis on and ask a professor to work with you, so make sure you've figured this out. 

How's it going?

So far, I’m about half-way through my thesis and I’m having lots of fun. It’s a great way to get super involved in a topic I care about, and it's preparing me for graduate research much more than any course I’ve taken in my undergraduate degree. I’ve also been enjoying working one-on-one with a professor and learning a lot from them about the field of study I’m interested in, what being an academic researcher is like, and what my position in the field is. 

I will say that an undergraduate thesis is a considerable amount of work! It definitely requires more work than all my other classes, and because I’m working so closely with a professor, there’s no way I can slack on it or procrastinate.

Still, if you’re interested in a topic and want to pursue it after your undergraduate studies, I think writing an undergraduate thesis is an incredible opportunity. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments below!

1 comment on “ My Experience Writing an Undergraduate Thesis ”

Is an undergrad thesis mandatory in order to graduate or to get into a Masters program? Also, I’ve heard most Profs only help those with really high grades for their thesis?

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Honors Theses

What this handout is about.

Writing a senior honors thesis, or any major research essay, can seem daunting at first. A thesis requires a reflective, multi-stage writing process. This handout will walk you through those stages. It is targeted at students in the humanities and social sciences, since their theses tend to involve more writing than projects in the hard sciences. Yet all thesis writers may find the organizational strategies helpful.

Introduction

What is an honors thesis.

That depends quite a bit on your field of study. However, all honors theses have at least two things in common:

• They are based on students’ original research.
• They take the form of a written manuscript, which presents the findings of that research. In the humanities, theses average 50-75 pages in length and consist of two or more chapters. In the social sciences, the manuscript may be shorter, depending on whether the project involves more quantitative than qualitative research. In the hard sciences, the manuscript may be shorter still, often taking the form of a sophisticated laboratory report.

Who can write an honors thesis?

In general, students who are at the end of their junior year, have an overall 3.2 GPA, and meet their departmental requirements can write a senior thesis. For information about your eligibility, contact:

• UNC Honors Program
• Your departmental administrators of undergraduate studies/honors

Why write an honors thesis?

Satisfy your intellectual curiosity This is the most compelling reason to write a thesis. Whether it’s the short stories of Flannery O’Connor or the challenges of urban poverty, you’ve studied topics in college that really piqued your interest. Now’s your chance to follow your passions, explore further, and contribute some original ideas and research in your field.

Develop transferable skills Whether you choose to stay in your field of study or not, the process of developing and crafting a feasible research project will hone skills that will serve you well in almost any future job. After all, most jobs require some form of problem solving and oral and written communication. Writing an honors thesis requires that you:

• ask smart questions
• acquire the investigative instincts needed to find answers
• navigate libraries, laboratories, archives, databases, and other research venues
• develop the flexibility to redirect your research if your initial plan flops
• master the art of time management
• hone your argumentation skills
• organize a lengthy piece of writing
• polish your oral communication skills by presenting and defending your project to faculty and peers

Work closely with faculty mentors At large research universities like Carolina, you’ve likely taken classes where you barely got to know your instructor. Writing a thesis offers the opportunity to work one-on-one with a with faculty adviser. Such mentors can enrich your intellectual development and later serve as invaluable references for graduate school and employment.

Open windows into future professions An honors thesis will give you a taste of what it’s like to do research in your field. Even if you’re a sociology major, you may not really know what it’s like to be a sociologist. Writing a sociology thesis would open a window into that world. It also might help you decide whether to pursue that field in graduate school or in your future career.

How do you write an honors thesis?

Get an idea of what’s expected.

It’s a good idea to review some of the honors theses other students have submitted to get a sense of what an honors thesis might look like and what kinds of things might be appropriate topics. Look for examples from the previous year in the Carolina Digital Repository. You may also be able to find past theses collected in your major department or at the North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library. Pay special attention to theses written by students who share your major.

Choose a topic

Ideally, you should start thinking about topics early in your junior year, so you can begin your research and writing quickly during your senior year. (Many departments require that you submit a proposal for an honors thesis project during the spring of your junior year.)

How should you choose a topic?

• Read widely in the fields that interest you. Make a habit of browsing professional journals to survey the “hot” areas of research and to familiarize yourself with your field’s stylistic conventions. (You’ll find the most recent issues of the major professional journals in the periodicals reading room on the first floor of Davis Library).
• Set up appointments to talk with faculty in your field. This is a good idea, since you’ll eventually need to select an advisor and a second reader. Faculty also can help you start narrowing down potential topics.
• Look at honors theses from the past. The North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library holds UNC honors theses. To get a sense of the typical scope of a thesis, take a look at a sampling from your field.

What makes a good topic?

• It’s fascinating. Above all, choose something that grips your imagination. If you don’t, the chances are good that you’ll struggle to finish.
• It’s doable. Even if a topic interests you, it won’t work out unless you have access to the materials you need to research it. Also be sure that your topic is narrow enough. Let’s take an example: Say you’re interested in the efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and early 1980s. That’s a big topic that probably can’t be adequately covered in a single thesis. You need to find a case study within that larger topic. For example, maybe you’re particularly interested in the states that did not ratify the ERA. Of those states, perhaps you’ll select North Carolina, since you’ll have ready access to local research materials. And maybe you want to focus primarily on the ERA’s opponents. Beyond that, maybe you’re particularly interested in female opponents of the ERA. Now you’ve got a much more manageable topic: Women in North Carolina Who Opposed the ERA in the 1970s and 1980s.
• It contains a question. There’s a big difference between having a topic and having a guiding research question. Taking the above topic, perhaps your main question is: Why did some women in North Carolina oppose the ERA? You will, of course, generate other questions: Who were the most outspoken opponents? White women? Middle-class women? How did they oppose the ERA? Public protests? Legislative petitions? etc. etc. Yet it’s good to start with a guiding question that will focus your research.

Goal-setting and time management

The senior year is an exceptionally busy time for college students. In addition to the usual load of courses and jobs, seniors have the daunting task of applying for jobs and/or graduate school. These demands are angst producing and time consuming If that scenario sounds familiar, don’t panic! Do start strategizing about how to make a time for your thesis. You may need to take a lighter course load or eliminate extracurricular activities. Even if the thesis is the only thing on your plate, you still need to make a systematic schedule for yourself. Most departments require that you take a class that guides you through the honors project, so deadlines likely will be set for you. Still, you should set your own goals for meeting those deadlines. Here are a few suggestions for goal setting and time management:

Start early. Keep in mind that many departments will require that you turn in your thesis sometime in early April, so don’t count on having the entire spring semester to finish your work. Ideally, you’ll start the research process the semester or summer before your senior year so that the writing process can begin early in the fall. Some goal-setting will be done for you if you are taking a required class that guides you through the honors project. But any substantive research project requires a clear timetable.

Set clear goals in making a timetable. Find out the final deadline for turning in your project to your department. Working backwards from that deadline, figure out how much time you can allow for the various stages of production.

Here is a sample timetable. Use it, however, with two caveats in mind:

• The timetable for your thesis might look very different depending on your departmental requirements.
• You may not wish to proceed through these stages in a linear fashion. You may want to revise chapter one before you write chapter two. Or you might want to write your introduction last, not first. This sample is designed simply to help you start thinking about how to customize your own schedule.

Sample timetable

Avoid falling into the trap of procrastination. Once you’ve set goals for yourself, stick to them! For some tips on how to do this, see our handout on procrastination .

Consistent production

It’s a good idea to try to squeeze in a bit of thesis work every day—even if it’s just fifteen minutes of journaling or brainstorming about your topic. Or maybe you’ll spend that fifteen minutes taking notes on a book. The important thing is to accomplish a bit of active production (i.e., putting words on paper) for your thesis every day. That way, you develop good writing habits that will help you keep your project moving forward.

Make yourself accountable to someone other than yourself

Since most of you will be taking a required thesis seminar, you will have deadlines. Yet you might want to form a writing group or enlist a peer reader, some person or people who can help you stick to your goals. Moreover, if your advisor encourages you to work mostly independently, don’t be afraid to ask them to set up periodic meetings at which you’ll turn in installments of your project.

Brainstorming and freewriting

One of the biggest challenges of a lengthy writing project is keeping the creative juices flowing. Here’s where freewriting can help. Try keeping a small notebook handy where you jot down stray ideas that pop into your head. Or schedule time to freewrite. You may find that such exercises “free” you up to articulate your argument and generate new ideas. Here are some questions to stimulate freewriting.

Questions for basic brainstorming at the beginning of your project:

• What do I already know about this topic?
• Why do I care about this topic?
• Why is this topic important to people other than myself
• What more do I want to learn about this topic?
• What is the main question that I am trying to answer?
• Where can I look for additional information?
• Who is my audience and how can I reach them?
• How will my work inform my larger field of study?
• What’s the main goal of my research project?

Questions for reflection throughout your project:

• What’s my main argument? How has it changed since I began the project?
• What’s the most important evidence that I have in support of my “big point”?
• What questions do my sources not answer?
• How does my case study inform or challenge my field writ large?
• Does my project reinforce or contradict noted scholars in my field? How?
• What is the most surprising finding of my research?
• What is the most frustrating part of this project?
• What is the most rewarding part of this project?
• What will be my work’s most important contribution?

Research and note-taking

In conducting research, you will need to find both primary sources (“firsthand” sources that come directly from the period/events/people you are studying) and secondary sources (“secondhand” sources that are filtered through the interpretations of experts in your field.) The nature of your research will vary tremendously, depending on what field you’re in. For some general suggestions on finding sources, consult the UNC Libraries tutorials . Whatever the exact nature of the research you’re conducting, you’ll be taking lots of notes and should reflect critically on how you do that. Too often it’s assumed that the research phase of a project involves very little substantive writing (i.e., writing that involves thinking). We sit down with our research materials and plunder them for basic facts and useful quotations. That mechanical type of information-recording is important. But a more thoughtful type of writing and analytical thinking is also essential at this stage. Some general guidelines for note-taking:

First of all, develop a research system. There are lots of ways to take and organize your notes. Whether you choose to use note cards, computer databases, or notebooks, follow two cardinal rules:

• Make careful distinctions between direct quotations and your paraphrasing! This is critical if you want to be sure to avoid accidentally plagiarizing someone else’s work. For more on this, see our handout on plagiarism .
• Record full citations for each source. Don’t get lazy here! It will be far more difficult to find the proper citation later than to write it down now.

Keeping those rules in mind, here’s a template for the types of information that your note cards/legal pad sheets/computer files should include for each of your sources:

Abbreviated subject heading: Include two or three words to remind you of what this sources is about (this shorthand categorization is essential for the later sorting of your sources).

Complete bibliographic citation:

• author, title, publisher, copyright date, and page numbers for published works
• box and folder numbers and document descriptions for archival sources
• complete web page title, author, address, and date accessed for online sources

Notes on facts, quotations, and arguments: Depending on the type of source you’re using, the content of your notes will vary. If, for example, you’re using US Census data, then you’ll mainly be writing down statistics and numbers. If you’re looking at someone else’s diary, you might jot down a number of quotations that illustrate the subject’s feelings and perspectives. If you’re looking at a secondary source, you’ll want to make note not just of factual information provided by the author but also of their key arguments.

Your interpretation of the source: This is the most important part of note-taking. Don’t just record facts. Go ahead and take a stab at interpreting them. As historians Jacques Barzun and Henry F. Graff insist, “A note is a thought.” So what do these thoughts entail? Ask yourself questions about the context and significance of each source.

Interpreting the context of a source:

• Who wrote/created the source?
• When, and under what circumstances, was it written/created?
• Why was it written/created? What was the agenda behind the source?
• How was it written/created?
• If using a secondary source: How does it speak to other scholarship in the field?

Interpreting the significance of a source:

• How does this source answer (or complicate) my guiding research questions?
• Does it pose new questions for my project? What are they?
• Does it challenge my fundamental argument? If so, how?
• Given the source’s context, how reliable is it?

You don’t need to answer all of these questions for each source, but you should set a goal of engaging in at least one or two sentences of thoughtful, interpretative writing for each source. If you do so, you’ll make much easier the next task that awaits you: drafting.

The dread of drafting

Why do we often dread drafting? We dread drafting because it requires synthesis, one of the more difficult forms of thinking and interpretation. If you’ve been free-writing and taking thoughtful notes during the research phase of your project, then the drafting should be far less painful. Here are some tips on how to get started:

Sort your “evidence” or research into analytical categories:

• Some people file note cards into categories.
• The technologically-oriented among us take notes using computer database programs that have built-in sorting mechanisms.
• Others cut and paste evidence into detailed outlines on their computer.
• Still others stack books, notes, and photocopies into topically-arranged piles.There is not a single right way, but this step—in some form or fashion—is essential!

If you’ve been forcing yourself to put subject headings on your notes as you go along, you’ll have generated a number of important analytical categories. Now, you need to refine those categories and sort your evidence. Everyone has a different “sorting style.”

Formulate working arguments for your entire thesis and individual chapters. Once you’ve sorted 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:

• What is the overall argument of my thesis?
• What are the sub-arguments of each chapter and how do they relate to my main argument?

Keep in mind that “working arguments” may change after you start writing. But a senior thesis is big and potentially unwieldy. If you leave this business of argument to chance, you may end up with a tangle of ideas. See our handout on arguments and handout on thesis statements for some general advice on formulating arguments.

Divide your thesis into manageable chunks. The surest road to frustration at this stage is getting obsessed with the big picture. What? Didn’t we just say that you needed to focus on the big picture? Yes, by all means, yes. You do need to focus on the big picture in order to get a conceptual handle on your project, but you also need to break your thesis down into manageable chunks of writing. For example, take a small stack of note cards and flesh them out on paper. Or write through one point on a chapter outline. Those small bits of prose will add up quickly.

Just start! Even if it’s not at the beginning. Are you having trouble writing those first few pages of your chapter? Sometimes the introduction is the toughest place to start. You should have a rough idea of your overall argument before you begin writing one of the main chapters, but you might find it easier to start writing in the middle of a chapter of somewhere other than word one. Grab hold where you evidence is strongest and your ideas are clearest.

Keep up the momentum! Assuming the first draft won’t be your last draft, try to get your thoughts on paper without spending too much time fussing over minor stylistic concerns. At the drafting stage, it’s all about getting those ideas on paper. Once that task is done, you can turn your attention to revising.

Peter Elbow, in Writing With Power, suggests that writing is difficult because it requires two conflicting tasks: creating and criticizing. While these two tasks are intimately intertwined, the drafting stage focuses on creating, while revising requires criticizing. If you leave your revising to the last minute, then you’ve left out a crucial stage of the writing process. See our handout for some general tips on revising . The challenges of revising an honors thesis may include:

Juggling feedback from multiple readers

A senior thesis may mark the first time that you have had to juggle feedback from a wide range of readers:

• your adviser
• a second (and sometimes third) faculty reader
• the professor and students in your honors thesis seminar

You may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of incorporating all this advice. Keep in mind that some advice is better than others. You will probably want to take most seriously the advice of your adviser since they carry the most weight in giving your project a stamp of approval. But sometimes your adviser may give you more advice than you can digest. If so, don’t be afraid to approach them—in a polite and cooperative spirit, of course—and ask for some help in prioritizing that advice. See our handout for some tips on getting and receiving feedback .

Refining your argument

It’s especially easy in writing a lengthy work to lose sight of your main ideas. So spend some time after you’ve drafted to go back and clarify your overall argument and the individual chapter arguments and make sure they match the evidence you present.

Organizing and reorganizing

Again, in writing a 50-75 page thesis, things can get jumbled. You may find it particularly helpful to make a “reverse outline” of each of your chapters. That will help you to see the big sections in your work and move things around so there’s a logical flow of ideas. See our handout on  organization  for more organizational suggestions and tips on making a reverse outline

Plugging in holes in your evidence

It’s unlikely that you anticipated everything you needed to look up before you drafted your thesis. Save some time at the revising stage to plug in the holes in your research. Make sure that you have both primary and secondary evidence to support and contextualize your main ideas.

Saving time for the small stuff

Even though your argument, evidence, and organization are most important, leave plenty of time to polish your prose. At this point, you’ve spent a very long time on your thesis. Don’t let minor blemishes (misspellings and incorrect grammar) distract your readers!

Formatting and final touches

You’re almost done! You’ve researched, drafted, and revised your thesis; now you need to take care of those pesky little formatting matters. An honors thesis should replicate—on a smaller scale—the appearance of a dissertation or master’s thesis. So, you need to include the “trappings” of a formal piece of academic work. For specific questions on formatting matters, check with your department to see if it has a style guide that you should use. For general formatting guidelines, consult the Graduate School’s Guide to Dissertations and Theses . Keeping in mind the caveat that you should always check with your department first about its stylistic guidelines, here’s a brief overview of the final “finishing touches” that you’ll need to put on your honors thesis:

• Honors Thesis
• Name of Department
• University of North Carolina
• These parts of the thesis will vary in format depending on whether your discipline uses MLA, APA, CBE, or Chicago (also known in its shortened version as Turabian) style. Whichever style you’re using, stick to the rules and be consistent. It might be helpful to buy an appropriate style guide. Or consult the UNC LibrariesYear Citations/footnotes and works cited/reference pages  citation tutorial
• In addition, in the bottom left corner, you need to leave space for your adviser and faculty readers to sign their names. For example:

Approved by: _____________________

Adviser: Prof. Jane Doe

• This is not a required component of an honors thesis. However, if you want to thank particular librarians, archivists, interviewees, and advisers, here’s the place to do it. You should include an acknowledgments page if you received a grant from the university or an outside agency that supported your research. It’s a good idea to acknowledge folks who helped you with a major project, but do not feel the need to go overboard with copious and flowery expressions of gratitude. You can—and should—always write additional thank-you notes to people who gave you assistance.
• Formatted much like the table of contents.
• You’ll need to save this until the end, because it needs to reflect your final pagination. Once you’ve made all changes to the body of the thesis, then type up your table of contents with the titles of each section aligned on the left and the page numbers on which those sections begin flush right.
• Each page of your thesis needs a number, although not all page numbers are displayed. All pages that precede the first page of the main text (i.e., your introduction or chapter one) are numbered with small roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.). All pages thereafter use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.).
• Your text should be double spaced (except, in some cases, long excerpts of quoted material), in a 12 point font and a standard font style (e.g., Times New Roman). An honors thesis isn’t the place to experiment with funky fonts—they won’t enhance your work, they’ll only distract your readers.
• In general, leave a one-inch inch margin on all sides. However, for the copy of your thesis that will be bound by the library, you need to leave a 1.25-inch margin on the left.

How do I defend my honors thesis?

Graciously, enthusiastically, and confidently. The term defense is scary and misleading—it conjures up images of a military exercise or an athletic maneuver. An academic defense ideally shouldn’t be a combative scene but a congenial conversation about the work’s merits and weaknesses. That said, the defense probably won’t be like the average conversation that you have with your friends. You’ll be the center of attention. And you may get some challenging questions. Thus, it’s a good idea to spend some time preparing yourself. First of all, you’ll want to prepare 5-10 minutes of opening comments. Here’s a good time to preempt some criticisms by frankly acknowledging what you think your work’s greatest strengths and weaknesses are. Then you may be asked some typical questions:

• What is the main argument of your thesis?
• How does it fit in with the work of Ms. Famous Scholar?
• Have you read the work of Mr. Important Author?

NOTE: Don’t get too flustered if you haven’t! Most scholars have their favorite authors and books and may bring one or more of them up, even if the person or book is only tangentially related to the topic at hand. Should you get this question, answer honestly and simply jot down the title or the author’s name for future reference. No one expects you to have read everything that’s out there.

• Why did you choose this particular case study to explore your topic?
• If you were to expand this project in graduate school, how would you do so?

Should you get some biting criticism of your work, try not to get defensive. Yes, this is a defense, but you’ll probably only fan the flames if you lose your cool. Keep in mind that all academic work has flaws or weaknesses, and you can be sure that your professors have received criticisms of their own work. It’s part of the academic enterprise. Accept criticism graciously and learn from it. If you receive criticism that is unfair, stand up for yourself confidently, but in a good spirit. Above all, try to have fun! A defense is a rare opportunity to have eminent scholars in your field focus on YOU and your ideas and work. And the defense marks the end of a long and arduous journey. You have every right to be proud of your accomplishments!

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Atchity, Kenneth. 1986. A Writer’s Time: A Guide to the Creative Process from Vision Through Revision . New York: W.W. Norton.

Barzun, Jacques, and Henry F. Graff. 2012. The Modern Researcher , 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Elbow, Peter. 1998. Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process . New York: Oxford University Press.

Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. 2014. “They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing , 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.

Lamott, Anne. 1994. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life . New York: Pantheon.

Lasch, Christopher. 2002. Plain Style: A Guide to Written English. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Turabian, Kate. 2018. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, Dissertations , 9th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs): Undergraduate Honors Theses

• Graduate School ETDs
• ETDs Outside the Graduate School
• Supplemental Materials and Data for ETDs
• Undergraduate Honors Theses
• ETD Restrictions
• Emailing Permission Agreements

The Institutional Repository at UF (the  IR@UF ) includes the Undergraduate Honors Theses collection . During their graduating term*, Honors students are invited to submit their their final Honors project for inclusion in this collection. This is a free service of the UF Libraries. After students who have completed their submission graduate with Honors, the Libraries will add their works to the IR@UF and email a permanent link to them that they can include in applications, résumés, social media, or share with friends, colleagues, and family.

Honors degree requirements vary by department , so be sure to check with your advisor and/or undergraduate coordinator to see whether your department requires you to submit your thesis or other project to the IR@UF.

*Students in the Medical Honors Program complete their theses during their third undergraduate year because they start their first year of medical school during their last year as undergraduates.

Guidelines vary by degree program

Be sure to talk to your thesis or project advisor and/or your department's Honors coordinator about department-specific guidelines and their deadline for submission. Departments can set their own deadlines for Libraries submissions and we can provide them with a list of successful submissions after the department's deadline passes.

Libraries' default submission deadlines

• Spring 2024 Graduates - April 26
• Summer 2024 Graduates - August 2

Important: If your department requires you to defend your thesis or project, your Libraries submission deadline might be different. Please contact your faculty advisor or Honors coordinator if you do not already know your department's deadline for Libraries submissions.

Graduation requirements

Libraries : Deadlines to submit to the Libraries will not affect your graduation unless your department requires a completed Libraries submission .

Department : Deadlines to submit your Honors thesis/project to your department might affect your graduation.

Submission assistance

Department : Contact your academic mentor and/or your department's undergrad coordinator.

Libraries : Contact the submissions team at [email protected] or 352-294-3785.

• Honors co-author grant of permission
• Permission to exceed fair use

Submitting to the Libraries

• Do I need to submit?
• What do I submit?
• How do I submit?
• Why should I submit?
• Your faculty advisor and/or your department’s undergrad coordinator can tell you whether you must submit a thesis or other terminal project.
• For preservation purposes, you need to submit the approved version of your Honors work to the Libraries.
• You also have several options for restricting access to your thesis or project; see the document linked below for details.
• If you unfortunately fail to graduate with Honors but your faculty advisor accepted your Honors thesis or project, we can include it in our Undergraduate Works collection. Please email [email protected] to let us know that you want to take advantage of this service.
• Restriction Options for Honors Theses and Projects

Thesis or project file(s):

• "Standard" here means a plain PDF saved from Microsoft Word or another word processor.
• Do not include any departmental or college forms in your thesis or project file(s).
• Do not scan a printed copy of your work to send to us.
• Media, dataset, and other types of submissions must conform to the acceptable formats list .

If necessary, please upload a signed letter (or letters) of permission to quote or reproduce copyrighted material for all copyrighted material included beyond fair use (i.e., entire graphics and large portions of text or data where someone else holds the copyright). If you cannot get the answer you need from the copyright guide, you can email your question(s) to [email protected].

• As the (an) author of the work, you do not need to submit a Permission to Quote form.
• You also do not need to upload a grant of permission form; the online form collects your permission agreement.
• If you have co-authors who are not UF employees or graduate students, you will need a signed  Honors Co-author Grant of Permissions from them.

NOTE : For our purposes, only list co-authors who contributed substantial writing (including code) to the work. Do not include research collaborators, reviewers, or editors. Use your acknowledgements or dedication to thank them.

Please do not submit your Honors thesis or project until you have final approval of your work from your department.

Write to us at [email protected] if you have any questions while you are preparing your Honors submission to the Libraries.

• IR Accepted Formats A list of the accepted format types for inclusion in the IR@UF
• Keep copies of your work and the form(s) that you submit to your department.
• Requirements vary by department . Be sure that you understand yours well before their deadline.
• Example: Alligator_Alberta_permission_to_exceed_fair_use_archive
• After you log in with your GatorLink credentials, complete the online form at  https://apps.uflib.ufl.edu/Honors/ to submit your work to the Libraries by our deadline (see the Basics box on the left for deadlines). If you are not using a campus computer , connect to the VPN.

Note: If you see an Honors level that seems wrong to you, or no Honors level at all, please do not be concerned. The form uses the Honors pre-certification data. Not all colleges/schools enter that data and the final Honors level is occasionally different from what colleges enter for pre-certification.

• If your project file is larger than 50 MB, you will not be able to upload it to the form. Please do not compress the file; instead, send a OneDrive link to [email protected] and we will assist you. There is effectively no file size limit and we want to archive the highest possible quality version of your work.
• Overview of the Online Submission Form
• Publishing your work in the IR@UF is a free service
• Enhance résumés and applications
• Show off to friends and family
• Support ongoing scholarship by enabling others to cite your work in their own
• Prospective students can see the variety and strength of undergraduate research opportunities at UF

Who should I list as co-authors?

Items in the Honors collection are treated similarly to graduate-level theses and dissertations, except that you can work with a co-author (co-creator). Unlike articles in scientific journals, you should only list people who contributed substantially to the writing. Use your acknowledgements section to list people who helped with the research itself.

What if my mentor/advisor is not in my college? All you need to enter for a mentor is their name and their primary organizational affiliation (department or school at UF or other academic institutions; unit of government; non-profit organization; or business). When do I need to upload a signed grant of permissions form? First, you do not need to sign and upload a form yourself. The online submission form collects your permission agreement. If you have a co-author who is not a UF employee or graduate student, you need a signed form from them. If you have included enough content copyrighted by someone else that you have exceeded fair use , you need a signed form from them. What do I do if my thesis/project file is too large for my web browser to upload? Although there is no size limit for your submission, many browsers time out trying to upload files larger than 10-15 MB. If your browser is failing to upload your file, please share it with OneDrive and send the link to [email protected] . You can upload a dummy file, text, Word, or PDF to complete the form. Feel free to include a note mentioning the large file transfer, or just leave the file empty. What problems should I check for before I submit my thesis/project file? Before you upload your thesis/project file, check to ensure that:

• It is the exact version that your advisor and/or department approved.
• It is in PDF format.
• You created the PDF directly from Word or another text tool and did not scan a printout.
• No tracked changes or comments are present.
• Your margins are at least .5" (make table pages portrait orientation if needed).
• References are single-spaced.
• Your name appears as it will on your diploma.
• Your UFID is not present.

Related Links

• Institutional Repository at the University of Florida (IR@UF)
• Graduate Editorial Office thesis and dissertation resources
• Graduate School ETD Formatting
• Making your work accessible
• UF LibGuide: Copyright
• UF LibGuide: Fair Use
• UF LibGuide: Open Access
• << Previous: Supplemental Materials and Data for ETDs
• Next: ETD Restrictions >>
• Last Updated: May 7, 2024 6:58 AM
• URL: https://guides.uflib.ufl.edu/etds

Thesis Writers: Build Your Network and Start Writing!

Posted on May 3, 2024 by Gram Johnson

Writing an undergraduate honors thesis is a daunting task. It’s a task that I took too lightly – I primarily did so because it seemed like a less painful alternative to SPEA-V 370, Research Methods and Statistical Modeling. (It definitely isn’t.) However, choosing to write a thesis is not a decision I regret making. In the end, I gained a wealth of useful knowledge about academic writing, conducting research, and the inner workings of academia. Here are a few tips for prospective thesis writers that I picked up along the way.

Write a lot! – Your honors thesis instructors will likely tell you to “write early, and write often.” That’s excellent advice, but I think it’s important to emphasize the sheer quantity of words that you need to produce. Your final thesis needs to be 7,000 to 10,000 words. As such, you have lots and lots of room to work with. If there’s something you think may be of relevance to your thesis, write about it! It’s even better to do so in great detail. It’s very unlikely that any of your writing will go to waste. Even if something you write doesn’t end up in your final paper, your time wasn’t wasted. In that case, you practiced your writing skills, organized your thoughts, and now have more knowledge about the topic of your research.

Your writing shouldn’t just take the form of prose that could fit into your final thesis – you should take extensive notes. Plan on documenting the excruciating minutiae of every single step you take in the research process. One way to think of this piece of advice is that you should be able to justify every decision you made along the way. Why did you choose to distribute your survey in the way that you did? What gave rise to your research question? Why did you choose the database with which you conducted your analysis? How did you select a sample for your survey? etc. Like my previous piece of advice, writing too much will not be an issue.

Build your network! – My thesis wouldn’t have been possible without help from several people. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help! You don’t have to figure this out on your own. In a Zoom meeting with a former professor of mine, I chose my research topic. I couldn’t have distributed my survey without the help of connections I made in a summer internship. My advisor was another former professor of mine, and he put me in contact with the professor emeritus who created the entire field of research for my project. Finally, the Honors Program put me in contact with a PhD student who helped me finalize my research question and taught me how to complete statistical analysis, from scratch. (I skipped V370. see above.) If I didn’t connect with these people and ask them for help, I couldn’t have completed my thesis.

After writing this, I realize that I may have made the task look even more daunting to prospective thesis writers than it already does. Sorry about that. However, I’d like to reiterate not just that this process is worth it , but also that it is feasible . I did it, somehow. You can do it too, and you won’t regret it.

Gram Johnson   is a senior studying Law & Public Policy at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. After graduation, he will pursue a J.D. at the Maurer School of Law, joining the class of 2027.

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Citation guides

All you need to know about citations

How to cite an undergraduate thesis in APA

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To cite an undergraduate thesis in a reference entry in APA style 6th edition include the following elements:

• Author(s) of the thesis: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to seven authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For eight or more authors include the first six names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
• Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop.
• Title of the undergraduate thesis: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
• URL: Give the full URL where the document can be retrieved from.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of an undergraduate thesis in APA style 6th edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the undergraduate thesis (Bachelor's thesis). Retrieved from URL

If the thesis is available from a database, archive or any online platform use the following template:

• Author(s) of the thesis: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to 20 authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
• Publication number: Give the identification number of the thesis, if available.
• Name of the degree awarding institution: Give the name of the institution.
• Name of Platform: Give the name of the database, archive or any platform that holds the thesis.
• URL: If the thesis was found on a database, omit this element.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of an undergraduate thesis in APA style 7th edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the undergraduate thesis ( Publication number ) [Bachelor's thesis, Name of the degree awarding institution ]. Name of Platform . URL

If the thesis has not been published or is available from a database use the following template:

• Location: Give the location of the institution. If outside the United States also include the country name.

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the undergraduate thesis (Unpublished bachelor's thesis). Name of the degree awarding institution , Location .

If the thesis is not published, use the following template:

Author(s) of the thesis . ( Year of publication ). Title of the undergraduate thesis [Unpublished bachelor's thesis]. Name of the degree awarding institution .

APA reference list examples

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the APA style guidelines for an undergraduate thesis citation in action:

A bachelor's thesis from an online platform

Parekh, P., & Pishchenko, V . ( 2013 ). Factors influencing the choice of bank – An international student perspective ( Bachelor's thesis ). Retrieved from https://www.divaportal.org/smash/get/diva2:653388/FULLTEXT02.pdf

Parekh, P., & Pishchenko, V . ( 2013 ). Factors influencing the choice of bank – An international student perspective [ Bachelor's thesis , Dalarna University ]. Diva Portal . https://www.divaportal.org/smash/get/diva2:653388/FULLTEXT02.pdf

An unpublished undergraduate thesis

Baslow, W . ( 2015 ). The applicability of the qualitative system analysis as decision-making tool in public administration by the example of the municipality Ludwigsburg ( Unpublished undergraduate thesis ). Leuphana University of Lüneburg , Lüneburg, Germany .

Baslow, W . ( 2015 ). The applicability of the qualitative system analysis as decision-making tool in public administration by the example of the municipality Ludwigsburg [ Unpublished undergraduate thesis ]. Leuphana University of Lüneburg .

This citation style guide is based on the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association ( 6 th edition).

More useful guides

• APA Referencing: Theses
• APA 6th referencing style: Theses
• APA 6th Edition Citation Style-Dissertation/Thesis

More great BibGuru guides

• MLA: how to cite a translated book
• MLA: how to cite a master's thesis
• Harvard: how to cite a report

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Brandon Brown Defends Honors Thesis Visualizing Renewable Potential in Colorado

Geography offers academic experiences for students in environmental science, social sciences, and cartographic practices. Sarah Schlosser coordinates the GIS certificate which will familiarize students with RStudio, Python, and ArcGIS Pro for mapping platforms. Professor Taneesha Mohan coordinates internships for the department while teaching courses on methods and skills for socially conscious research. Professors John Adler and Rachel Isaacs teaches remote sensing and mapping climate change, both giving students the opportunity to implement remotely sensed imagery into their map products. Professor Stefan Leyk organizes the GIS Track of the Geography major with a heavy emphasis on spatial analysis, modeling, and programming. Studying Geography taught GIS methods I apply in my Honors thesis for clean energy site selection with an environmental justice lens.

The goal of my Honors thesis is to illustrate wind and solar energy potential in the state of Colorado, with the possibility of remediating contaminated environments on EPA REPower sites within Energy Communities. It is important to consider land ownership, indigenous sovereignty, economic policy at state and federal levels, solar and wind resourcing data, and potential environmental impacts. Qualifying advanced energy projects focus on commercial viability, greenhouse gas impacts, domestic labor/manufacturing, and community engagement.

A federal interagency working group has created the Energy Community initiative, geographic identification of areas for reinvestment as power sources are decarbonized. The EPA has designated contaminated sites with potential remediation efforts of renewable development called REPower sites. The Tribal Government territories of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain are officially recognized Southwestern Colorado. Solar and wind data is provided by NREL’s archived RE-Atlas. By further honing in on EPA REPower sites within Energy Communities we can affordably remediate contaminated lands while decarbonizing power sources with qualifying advanced energy projects. My research uses multivariate criteria analysis of ethical, economic, policy, and environmental data to make recommendations for the initiative.

Recently passed, the Colorado Clean Energy Plan is a policy mandating Xcel Energy to reduce statewide energy-based carbon emissions 80% by 2030 as compared to 2005 levels. Greenfielding is a term I use to describe geographic areas which contain both the highest wind potentials and the highest solar potentials in their region. Below you will find a map of Colorado I made taking each criteria into account. I successfully defended my Honors thesis on April 8!