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Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

The Honors program serves a diverse community of students who have proven themselves especially talented, skilled and successful in their academic careers. Our mission is to attract such students to St. Mary’s University and to provide them with a challenging and rewarding program—a program which complements their professional development with courses in the Catholic intellectual and liberal arts traditions, encourages them to engage critically in the self-conscious formation of their worldview, and prepares them to succeed after graduation to make a positive difference in the world.

Theses/Dissertations from 2024 2024

Exploring the relationship between cold medicine abuse and recreational drug use. , Luis Barco

Objective.gg: uniting scholastic Esports , Martin Beirne

Security, stability, or both? Peru's complexities in detaining German Peruvians , Brissa Campos Toscano

The United States Supreme Court’s Interpretation of the “Establishment Clause” and How It Has Impacted Texas Politics Today , Rebecca H. Castro

The effect of supranational organizations on investment project success , Isaiah Chavez

Milton Holland: An enslaved Texan who earned the nation's highest military honor , Patrick Coan

Head for feminism, body for fashion: fashion and feminism , MAdeline Emke

Empowering families: the role of labor unions in advancing paid family leave policy , Madison Goza

Analyzing trends in ground-level ozone , Keily Hart

The co-occurrence of past year major depressive episodes and marijuana use and its relation to mental health resource utilization, suicidal ideation and planning , Rachel Miranda

An analysis of the effects of soft power on the risk of foreign direct investment projects , Kelly Montemayor

An exploration of horror in Franz Kafka’s "The Metamorphosis" , Christa M. Neumann

Through the lens of trauma: analyzing narrative voice in 'The Handmaid's Tale'" , Bianca Ramos

Government Corruption in the Northern Triangle of Central America as a Major Factor in the Immigration Crisis in the United States , Kenia Rodriguez

Sister City International project exchange: providing resources for migrants , Claire Saldaña

Applications of Survival Estimation Under Stochastic Order to Cancer: The Three Sample Problem , Sage Vantine

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Mental health and physical activity motivation during COVID-19 , Cian Foley

Synthesis and characterization of colorimetric and flurometric chemosensor for trivalent metal Ions , Fazila Haque

Examining the pH switch of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase mutant A4V , Ty Jungman

Mind the gap: revealing the association between depression, marijuana use, and mental health care utilization , Zachary Kobs

Enhancing self-awareness and interpersonal communication: a study of the Enneagram system and college students within career development contexts , Eva Lizarraga

Investigating the absence of a dietary response at the neuromuscular junction in larval Drosophila melanogaster , Suzanna Marbach

How Organizations Approach Corporate Social Responsibility: Lessons from the Best and Worst , Diego Mullin

Overexpression of SOX18 increased cell proliferation, migration and colony formation in pediatric sarcomas , Jack Ojile

The power of female: the representation of female composers through a senior flute recital , Savannah Palmer

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Sample Honors Proposals and Theses

Sample honors proposals.

The following represent a sampling of outstanding English honors project proposals.

Disrupting Stereotypes: A Usability Report on Inclusive Design for Invisible Disabilities, including ADHD and Anxiety (PDF)

Author: Abby Wing Thesis Type: Independent Thesis Approved By: Janine Solberg, English Department Published: Spring 2023

Sir Lancelot Portrayed in Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur , Chretien de Troyes's Lancelot du Lac and T.H. White's The Once and Future King (PDF)

Author: Taylor Wise Thesis Type: Independent Thesis Approved By: Jenny Adams, English Department Published: Expected Spring 2017

Jane Austen’s Male Characters Through A Feminist Critical Lens (PDF)

Author: Anastasia Armstrong Thesis Type: Independent Thesis Approved By: Heidi Holder and Suzanne Daly, English Department Published: Expected Spring 2017

Sample Honors Theses

The following represent a sampling of outstanding English honors thesis projects.

Author: Abby Wing Thesis Type: Independent Thesis Approved By: Janine Solberg, English Department Published 2023

Abstract: In the Spring 2023 semester, I recruited students and faculty members with disabilities to test the usability of UMass Amherst financial aid web pages. The purpose of my testing was to learn more about the accessibility needs of people with disabilities. I conducted six remote usability tests with participants using Zoom. Each participant completed five tasks and shared their responses to a series of open-ended questions at the end of each test. These tasks involved finding information related to the cost of attending UMass Amherst for prospective students (i.e., total cost of attendance, net cost of attendance, housing costs, dining costs, and scholarships). Afterward, I generated inclusive personas that reflected the diverse characteristics of the participants. These personas, which are further discussed in the conclusion, offer insights into the accessibility needs of students with disabilities.

What I found: while participants are able to complete all tasks, they wished that information was more consolidated for greater navigability. Most of the time participants spent completing tasks involved trying to locate the appropriate pages to complete the tasks. Participants also wished that there was a stronger information hierarchy on cost pages for improved readability.

“This Is Hardly the Happy Ending I Was Expecting”: NIER ’s Rejection of the Heteronormative in Fairy Tales (PDF)

Author: Emily Cerri Thesis Type: Independent Thesis Approved By: Caroline Yang and TreaAndrea Russworm, English Department Published 2019

Abstract: Despite the perception they are just entertainment, video games have the potential to present criticisms on aspects of culture such as race, gender, and sexuality. Games such as Gone Home and The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories subvert stereotypes of gender and sexuality or highlight the struggles of sexually marginalized groups in a heteronormative society. However, games often miss the opportunity to subvert expectations or represent racially marginalized communities. The game NIER both creates and overlooks critiques of this lack of attention through its use of the fairy tale genre. NIER ’s destabilization of binaries and refusal to conform to gender roles and performance present a critique of heteronormativity and the gender binary of the fairy tale canon. And yet, NIER also misses the opportunity to fully present criticisms on the topics of race, gender, and sexuality. The game’s presentation of race is especially lacking, particularly through its tacit assumption of whiteness as the “unmarked” race. Though attempts to it dismantle some stereotypical racial imagery, it shuts out the possibility of nonwhite people persisting through the apocalypse. Furthermore, while its portrayal of nonheteronormative characters destabilizes the stereotypes of these characters in other media, censorship and pandering to the male gaze ultimately hinder the representation of these marginalized characters. That is, the localization explicitly alters characters’ identities in favor of heteronormativity and the game uses clothing and camera angles to hypersexualize the female protagonist. Its use of fairy tales, which are typically European tales, sometimes highlights their normalized gender and sexual stereotypes and expectations and sometimes subvert them. In other cases, it misses the opportunity to destabilize these notions and instead maintains the status quo. In such ways, NIER also fails to completely queer the fairy tale canon even as it tries to subvert the genre. Nonetheless, while NIER falls short of being a queer critique, it provides the opening for the critical player to do so.

Using Genre Theory to Understand the Way Opinion Journalism is Changing in Today’s Digital World (PDF)

Author: Tess Halpern Thesis Type: Independent Thesis Approved By: Donna LeCourt and Janine Solberg, English Department Published 2019

Abstract: As an editor of opinion journalism during my college years, I have always struggled to not only articulate but also determine which texts constitute opinion journalism and which are simply opinion. As opinions become more ubiquitous with the rise of the digital era, and as they can now be published on platforms like blogs, podcasts, and social media with no regulation or editorial review, this distinction has become even harder to make. Unfortunately, the blurring of the line between opinion journalism and opinion has happened at the precise moment that the legitimacy of journalism has also begun to be questioned more than ever before in my lifetime. The purpose of this research was to definitively draw that line, separating opinion journalism from opinion. To do this, I first determined the genre norms of opinion journalism by studying the texts, the writers, and the publications that define the genre. Following, I then determined where the genre set of opinion journalism ends by studying articles written for non-reputable, digital-only platforms, and platforms that were self-publishing or otherwise had minimal editing and regulation processes. A total of 63 articles from The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal , The Washington Post , The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Odyssey Online , and personal blogs were analyzed for this research. The results of this study allowed me to track the transformation that opinion journalism, and journalism in general, is currently undergoing. Additionally, it clarified the distinction between opinion journalism and ordinary opinion, allowing me to better understand the genre and the texts that are excluded from that genre.

"You Can Be Useful to Us in a Hundred Different Ways”: A Study of Stage and Screen Adaptations of Dickens’s Nicholas Nickleby (PDF)

Author: Emma Piscia Thesis/Project Type: Independent Honors Thesis Approved By: Heidi Holder and Suzanne Daly, Department Of English Published 2016

Abstract: Charles Dickens’s Nicholas Nickleby has been adapted since 1839, when it was still in the midst of its initial serialized publication. It has since been adapted into plays, films, and television miniseries over 250 times, and the number continues to grow. This thesis investigates the history of Nickleby as adapted for stage and screen from 1838 to the present. While there has been much scholarly consideration of adapted Dickens, there has been little in the way of examination of any particular work across periods and genres; Nickleby, with its varied history on stage and screen, certainly merits such critical examination. Works discussed here range from Edward Stirling’s early farce Nicholas Nickleby: or, Doings at Do-The-Boys Hall (1838), through David Edgar’s marathon stage adaptation The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (Royal Shakespeare Company 1980), to David Innes Edwards’s and Joy Wilkinson’s The Life and Adventures of Nick Nickleby (a 2012 miniseries). This thesis explores the cultural uses and revisions of Dickens’s text. Key topics of discussion include the highly varied representation of the orphan Smike; the portrayal of physical, sexual, and financial violence; and the sociopolitical and economic themes of the novel that allow it to resonate with contemporary audiences down through the centuries. Using reviews, historical context, literary and film criticism, performance history, and gender theory, this thesis endeavors to explain the persistence of an early Victorian novel in popular culture.

Eye on Research (PDF)

Author: Alexandra Foley Thesis/Project Type: Capstone Thesis Approved By: David Toomey and Janine Solberg, Department Of English Published 2012

Abstract: A collection of the newest discoveries and breaking edge research taking place on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. Here is a list of some of the research published in this thesis: a new synthetic material called “Geckskin” which mimics the adhesion power of Gecko feet developed in Polymer Science department; UBot, a robot designed by UMass’s Laboratory for Perceptual Robotics, can learn by interacting with its environment; Gregory Tew, of the Polymer Science department, has found a way to look inside their previously impenetrable membranes of T cells; and Dr. Caitlyn Shea Butler of the Environmental Engineering department has designed a “Microbial Fuel Cell Latrine” that purifies human waste and produces electricity at the same time.

“How could the body politic be made to work in the absence of its head?”: Beheadings, Gender, and Power In Malory’s Morte Darthur (PDF)

Author: Kerry Ditson Thesis/Project Type: Independent Honors Thesis Approved by: Jen Adams, English Department and Sonja Drimmer, Art History Program Published: 2015

Abstract: The Wars of the Roses were without a doubt one of the most transformative and traumatic events of medieval England. This bloody conflict called into question commonly accepted notions of nobility, masculinity, kingship, governance, and violence. The deposition of Richard II in 1399 set into motion aftershocks that would be felt half a century later, as the notion of divinely anointed kingship was called into question—in a world where kings could be gotten rid of, who had the right to rule? The answer came down, in many ways, to one issue: blood.

Closets and Transylvanian Castles: Vampires and Queerness in the Nineteenth-Century Literature and Beyond (PDF)

Author: Maxwell Heath Thesis/Project Type: Independent Honors Thesis Approved by Heidi Holder and Jenny Spencer of the Department of English Published 2015

Abstract: My thesis examines how vampires have been used in literature to depict queer people and explore issues of queerness. Focusing primarily on the nineteenth century with a brief foray into the twentieth, I analyze seven key texts, both well known and relatively obscure, from John Polidori’s groundbreaking “The Vampyre” (1819) to G.S. Viereck’s The House of the Vampire (1907). This wide range is significant: previous work in the field has tended toward individual studies. I track how the depictions of vampirism and queerness evolved over time, focusing especially on the tropes of disorientation of space and narrative structure, complex patterning of relationships between characters, and conflict between humans and vampires for control of narrative. To this end ideas drawn from theorists such as Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick have been deployed in my analysis. I have discovered that from the first there is a degree of sympathy for queerness which is often occluded by gothic tropes. While the vampires themselves only begin to shift from villains towards more ambiguous figures at the end of the nineteenth century, their victims are often figured as queer and portrayed sympathetically. This suggests that vampires have been used as a way to mask queerness in metaphor so that it could be explored and discussed during a time when any explicit examination was forbidden.

Transplanted (PDF)

Author: Michael Sirois Thesis/Project Type: Independent Honors Thesis Approved by John Hennessy, Department of English Published May 2015

Abstract: My honors thesis project is a manuscript consisting of twenty-four poems. This collection of poetry reflects my transition from a working-class upbringing to completing my degree at the university. The many years I spent working in agriculture influence my poetry significantly, so natural settings and elements serve as a prism for my themes of work, the working-class, and the family. The introduction to my thesis project is included to show the departures from my literary influences.

For more information, see  499Y Honors Research (Part I) or  499T/P Honors Research (Part II) .

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Reserved for the Worst of the Worst? An Analysis of the North Carolina Death Penalty System

Add to collection, downloadable content.

• April 27, 2022
• Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Political Science
• Since the creation of the modern death penalty system in the United States, there have been concerns about whether is being applied proportionately or if defendants are receiving the death penalty for arbitrary reasons. This study uses data from North Carolina between 1980 and 2018 to test whether the death penalty has been applied proportionately according to the severity of the capital crime and the defendant’s prior record, or if the defendant’s race influences their likelihood to receive a death sentence. The results show that the death penalty has not been applied proportionately and that white defendants are more likely to receive a death sentence than black defendants for similar crimes.
• https://doi.org/10.17615/b2ff-yr18
• Honors Thesis
• In Copyright
• Bachelor of Arts

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Home > Student Research > Honors Theses > 1197

Honors Theses

The three worst presidents of the united states.

Sheila Lynch , University of Richmond

Date of Award

Document type, degree name.

Bachelor of Arts

Leadership Studies

The topic of this paper is entitled "The Three Worst Presidents of the United States". The method that I used to complete this paper is historical analysis. I have used a variety of literature sources to make decisions concerning this project. Leadership literature was utilized to determine and support the variables to be used to select the presidents. Historical literature was used to research the chosen presidents.

As mentioned above, historical failures are very useful teaching tools. In the context of this paper, historical failures will be referred to as the major failings or corruption in which the chosen presidents were involved in during their presidential term. The principles of failure and corruption will be further explained and discussed in the variable section of this paper. I hope that the three chosen Presidents will offer further insight into both leadership and the responsibility of the presidency. I believe that this paper will help to draw the conclusion that lacking both a vision and the ability to bring about positive change directly effect a president's performance. Without both, a deficiency of motivation exists. Thereupon, the president is setting himself up for failure or involvement in corruption. In determining the three worst Presidents of the United States, specific criteria or variables were needed in order to make accurate decisions. The variables that have been chosen are relative to the topic of leadership, therefore a clear connection between leadership abilities and political figures can be drawn. The variables that I have developed are as follows:

1. The president must have showed a lack of vision throughout his term in office.

2. The president must have displayed a lack of ability to bring about positive change throughout his term in office.

3. The president in some way must have been linked to a failure or scandal at some time during his term in office.

This paper has made an attempt to identify the three worst presidents of the United States. In doing so, this research will benefit the further study of leadership. Historical leaders are important in the study of leadership. Not only can leadership scholars reflect upon their leadership styles, but they can also analyze the outcome of the situation. By doing this scholars learn where and when certain leadership styles and techniques are effective. While positive historical results are useful, negative outcomes also teach leadership scholars great lessons. Hence, this paper teaches us a great deal concerning political leadership. Grant, Taft, and Coolidge stand as prime examples of poor and ineffective leaders.

With Grant we see that his inability to focus on bringing about change to a nation in transition, led him to lose sight of the needs of the American public. Rather than engaging his administration in a vision that foresaw changes for the black population and the area of civil service, he and his staff became involved in an array of scandals.

Taft's incapability to express his own conservative views to the American public during his campaign proved to be his greatest downfall. This was fully illustrated when Taft sided with the Conservative Republicans in the Payne-Aldrich Tariff situation. His inability to continue the progressive movement caused the Republican Party to split, leading to the eventual fall of the party in the executive branch.

Coolidge's lack of communication with the American people and his unresponsiveness to the tumbling economy caused future problems. Coolidge did not deal with the low farm prices, the large income gap, the high tariffs, and the tax issue. Hence, these problems proceeded to grow in a downward spiral. His lack of motivation led to the eventual outbreak of the Great Depression.

In conclusion, these three presidents all share a common bond. They each lacked a vision, were unable to bring about positive change, and became involved in corruption and failure. Hence, we learn through this study that a leader's involvement in corruption and failure is a result of their inability to carry out a vision and positive change. By studying the three worst presidents of the United States, we learn an important lesson. The lesson learned can simply be stated, vision and change are essential aspects of leadership.

Recommended Citation

Lynch, Sheila, "The three worst presidents of the United States" (1998). Honors Theses . 1197. https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1197

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Home > University Honors Program > Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects > 288

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Anti-thesis: when your worst moments become your best work.

Abigail Williamson Follow

Month/Year of Graduation

Degree name.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

First Advisor

Jody Keisner

My honors capstone project expands the creative work of a major writing assignment in English 3170: Successful Freelance Magazine Writing, which was modeled after Susan Shapiro’s “Humiliation Essay.” Shapiro’s signature assignment encourages students to write about an embarrassing or upsetting moment with the aim to force sincerity and humility. She writes, “It encourages students to shed vanity and pretension and relive an embarrassing moment that makes them look silly, fearful, fragile or naked.” The humiliation essay, she claims, often leads to publication because the conflict of the assignment inspires writers, and the narrator’s self-insight that occurs during the process of writing is appealing to editors and readers. My Humiliation Essay, “Poor Thing” is about the narrator's experience with a date gone wrong, which inspired considerations of personal growth and identity.

After I completed the essay, I wrote a reflection concerning the writing process and information on publication. Sections include goals I had in mind writing the piece, what the publication process is like, and why one would feel incentivized to publish as an undergraduate. I apply some of these concepts to the essay I wrote and discuss my future goals as well.

Recommended Citation

Williamson, Abigail, "Anti-thesis: When Your Worst Moments Become Your Best Work" (2024). Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects . 288. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/university_honors_program/288

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Home > STUDENTWORK > HONORS-THESIS

Honors Thesis

An Honors thesis is the capstone project for all students who plan to graduate from the Honors Program at USD. The thesis can take many forms – from a scientific experiment or literary analysis to an original novel, play, or music composition – and allows students to explore a topic they are passionate about. Honors students have a thesis advisor, a faculty member that works closely with them throughout their thesis process, and a thesis committee made up of a small number of faculty members and other stakeholders who do work related to the thesis topic. This support network helps guide students through their thesis process to a successful defense and completion of the project.

Honors Theses from 2025 2025

Our Obsession With Serial Killers: A Jeffrey Dahmer Media Analysis , Aysia Jo Hall

Honors Theses from 2024 2024

Otherization and Healthcare: A Philosophical Analysis of Gender-Based Discrimination in Medicine , Rachel M. Beare

The Role of Dating Apps in the Formation of Long-Term Relationships in College , Jalani Bodidasa

The Impact of Religiosity on Students’ Experience at the University of South Dakota , Emmalee J. Bosma

Monitoring Selenium Bioaccumulation In False Map Turtles (Graptemys pseudogeographica) , Grant M. Budden

"They Just Needed to be Given the Opportunity": Judicial Perspectives of Drug/DUI Courts in South Dakota , RyLeigh A. Christopherson

AMERICA’S PRISON SYSTEMS: BEGINNING THE SWITCH FROM PUNITIVE TO REHABILITATIVE , Sydney R. Clair

THE DEARTH OF KNOWLEDGE OF HEALTH INSURANCE LITERACY WITHIN THE UNITED STATES , Katherine A. Conzet

Comparison of Perceived Stress in First-Year Pre-Med Students and First-Year Medical Students at USD , Maggie Derner

Beer, Bourbon, and Bertrand: an Experimental Economics Analysis , Noah Cameron Dixon

PERCEPTIONS OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS THERAPY ON CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER VIA SOCIAL MEDIA , Kaitlyn Drilling

Prosecutors’ and Police Chiefs’ Perception of Crime in South Dakota , Maggie Erickson

MENTAL HEALTH AMONG COLLEGIATE ATHLETES , Stella Elise Fairbanks

BEYOND AMATEURISM: EXAMINING THE POTENTIAL LABOR EXPENSES OF NCAA STUDENT-ATHLETE EMPLOYMENT , Alayna K. Falak

THE CONSEQUENCES OF HOMOPHOBIA: ANALYSIS OF DISCRIMINATORY MEDICAL AND LEGISLATIVE POLICIES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON HEALTH DISPARITIES , Kaiden J. Fandel

User Perception of Gender Studies in Video Games , Quinn T. Gienapp

Understanding the Importance of Dreissenid Mussel Mitigation in South Dakota , Allison P. Gross

ANALYZING HEAT GENERATED FROM ELECTRO-OSMOTIC FLOW UTILIZING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS , Jordan Elizabeth Grothe

Comparing Oxidative Balance of Summer and Winter Acclimatized Birds , Olivia R. Gulseth

Generational Awareness of Folk Figures in the American Midwest , Addison L. Jensen

STRATEGIES OVER KNOWLEDGE: TRAINING GAPS PRESENT IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER FOR PEDIATRIC AND STUDENT NURSES , Jasmine E. Johnson

OLD NAGPRA-NEW RULES: THE NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES PROTECTION & REPATRIATION ACT IN CONTEXT , Nicholas S. Kennedy

Major Injuries Sustained in Towable Watersports , Elijah J. Klein

MEDIA CENSORSHIP’S DEVELOPMENT IN THE INFORMATION AGE: AUTHORITARIAN CASE STUDIES IN EUROPE DURING THE 20th AND 21st CENTURIES , Carter R. Linke

Development of Equipment Testing Hardware for the SuperCDMS Experiment , Oleksandra Lukina

Evaluating Neanderthal Depopulation with Direct Neanderthal and Châtelperronian Radiocarbon Data , Thomas K. Lyman

Development of a Synthetic Biomarker System for Early Detection of Ischemic Stroke , Mason L. Matthies

Measuring the Effects of Selenium Exposure on Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) Growth in vivo in Larval American Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana). , Taylor Morrison

Exploring Demagoguery and Political Rhetoric’s Impact Through Social Media , Avery Palsma

A SYSTEM OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TWO COMPUTERS USING NOVEL FREQUENCY SHIFT KEYING TECHNIQUES , Jared Reyes

Impact of Parental Spirituality on Child Depression, Anxiety, and PTSD After a Surgical Procedure , Ashlee M. Schendel

NAVIGATING MURKY WATERS: STATE-LEVEL STRATEGIES FOR WETLAND PRESERVATION AND TILE DRAINAGE REGULATION AFTER SACKETT V. EPA , Caleb M. Swanson

A Review of the Progression of Concussion Protocols used over time in High School and College Athletics , Renee M. Thompson

STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE: THREE PERSPECTIVES ON BEST PRACTICES FOR HIRING PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES , Elyse Whittemore

Kicking Up Dust on Utah's Off-Road Vehicle Trails: PI-SWERL Assessment of Anthropogenic Dust Emissions , Wyatt A. Wiebelhaus

Metabolic Scaling of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates , Jacob Woelber

Bridging the Gap: Strategies for Enhancing WIC Participation Rates in South Dakota , Melissa K. Wyum

Recidivism in South Dakota , Allison L. Young

Honors Theses from 2023 2023

Exploring the Relationship Between Civil Legal Assistance and the Outcomes of Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Victims: A Literature Review , Kailena E. Anderson

UNDERSTANDING DISORDERED EATING ATTITUDES AND PATTERNS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND THE RELATIONSHIP TO CAMPUS DINING SERVICES , Benjamin A. Bartling

Investigating Telomere Lengths in Chestnut-Crowned Babblers , Gabriella Rose Beberg

An Economic Analysis of the United Kingdom Given the Possible Effects of Overthrowing the Northern Ireland Protocol , Joshua P. Brink

The Migrant Communities Of South Sioux City , Graciela DeAnda

What Does the Current Research Say About Effective Strategies for Teaching Reading Fluency? , Talia E. DeWitte

Examining the Benefits of Adding Mindfulness-Based Programs in the Curriculum of Undergraduate and Graduate Social Work Programs: A Review of Literature , Sarah M. Dickerson

Physician Assistant Professional Issues: Optimal Team Practice in South Dakota , Michael J. Eggum

Disease Prevalence and Selenium Bioaccumulation in Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens) , Emily B. Eisenbraun

Remote Monitoring of a Dark Matter Detector Power Supply , Sedonah L. Franzen

No More Empty Stadiums: A Meta Analysis of Mega Sporting Events and Their Economic Impact , Tayte O. Gleason

Oral Health in Relation to the Covid-19 Pandemic , Anika L. Gram

Bipartisan Legislation in Supermajority State Legislatures , Ashley R. Gustafson

Genetic Influences on the Response to Neuromodulation in Craving Behaviors , Carly J. Haring

Measuring Selenoprotein Content in False Map Turtles (Graptemys pseudogeographica) Along the Missouri River , Ruby A. Hawks

HOW PHYLOGENY AND ARBOREALITY AFFECT PELVIC GIRDLE ANATOMY OF CHAMELEONS , Dakota J. John

Discrepancies in the Estimation of Vaping Rates Among College Students , Cameron J. Klug

The Relationship Between Cerebrovascular Impairment and Behavioral Abnormalities in Rats Exposed to Alcohol In Utero , Tiffany M. Knecht

HOLLOW Mn3O4 NANOPARTICLES FOR CATALYTIC OXIDATION OF ALKENES IN AIR , Nathan R. Loutsch

The Economic, Mental Health, and Social Stressors During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Native Americans in South Dakota , Savannah E. Lukkes

Wastewater: History and Impact on Society , James H. Macy

Investigating the Effects of Sex and Carvedilol on Ischemia Preconditioning Protective Effect , Casey JC Miller

Horizontal Transmission of Salmonella typhimurium Among German Cockroaches and Possible Mechanisms , Madison Anne Mond

ESG Disclosure Scores and CEO Compensation , Zane M. Rankin

Forming a Global Citizen: Personal Development Through Study Abroad , Anna L. Reiter

Ecological and Evolutionary Drivers of Chameleon Forelimb Variation , Ellie M. Schley

DETECTION OF SARS-COV-2 MUTATIONS IN VERMILLION, SD, WASTEWATER UTILIZING PROBE-BASED RT-QPCR , Matthew J. Schmitz

Assessing Gender Differences in USD Students in the Consumption of Pornography , Abbey Selleck

Using µCT scans to create 3D skull puzzles as open-access pedagogical tools for anatomy and comparative osteology classes. , Alexis Slack

Midwest Opportunity Zones: A Regional and Comparative Analysis of Tract Selection , Breana R. Spinler

Marijuana Use During Pregnancy: Outcomes for the Pregnant Person, the Fetus, and Provider Recommendations , Anna E. Sump

COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE AND ITS PERCEIVED EFFECTS ON CANCER PATIENTS , Madison A. Sundvold

WOMEN IN ORGANIZATIONS: LEADERSHIP AND OVERCOMING BIASES , Madison T. Witt

Honors Theses from 2022 2022

Study of Adaptive Radiation Effects on Sprint Performance in Anolis Ecomorphs , Alexander J. Bergeson

TICK SURVEILLANCE AND PATHOGEN DETECTION IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA , Holly E. Black

AN ANALYSIS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA , Alexandra J. Buss

Memorable Messages in BRCA-positive Disclosures , Alyssa R. Cam

Analysis of Protein-Protein Interaction Networks in Aging Flight Muscle of the Male Hawk Moth, Manduca sexta , Kylie N. Christiansen

Factors Affecting Emergency Department Mental Health Visits , Logan Daul

Bare: the Modern Female Nude Uncovered , Tasha A. Determan

Investigating the Effect of Meaningful Relationships on Team Chemistry , Isabel N. Fairbanks

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Honors thesis guidelines

• Why write an honors thesis?
• How to begin
• Signature page
• Acknowledgements
• Table of contents
• List of tables or figures

Introduction

• Literature review
• Methodology
• References/Works cited
• How to submit thesis

The purpose of this LibGuide is to provide guidelines for preparing and submitting your honors thesis through the Centennial Honors College at Western Illinois University. This document is intended to be used in conjunction with the guidelines provided by your academic department. The length and scope of honors theses vary by discipline, but they share some common characteristics:

An honors thesis is  your original research , not a summary of research that has been already published. AI use in an honors thesis is discouraged. However, any usage of an AI tool must be explicitly approved by your thesis advisor, and you must publish the entire input and response used in an appendix (as screenshots). The entire thesis must comply with the  University's Academic Integrity Policy .

An honors thesis is a culmination of your undergraduate study at WIU. It goes beyond any project or paper done for a course, but it may expand upon a term paper written for a course.

An honors thesis has an audience that is wider than that of an assignment written for a class. In writing an honors thesis, you are contributing to the body of knowledge in your discipline.

An honors thesis is a substantial written manuscript of at least 20 double-spaced pages, but the length often is considerably longer. In some disciplines, the length might be shorter. If your thesis is shorter than 20 pages, you should obtain explicit approval by the chair of your department/school. The appropriate length often mirrors the length of a typical journal article in the discipline. 

An honors thesis demonstrates substantial knowledge of a topic, as evidenced by a range of authoritative and appropriate sources in the works cited/references list.

An honors thesis showcases your very best academic work.

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HISTORY 495S/496S: Honors Thesis Seminar 2024/25

• Topic: Page Act
• Thesis Writers & Duke Libraries
• Browse all Guides at Duke Libraries
• Define Archival Materials and Primary Sources
• Appreciate the "Finding Aid" for Archival Material
• Search Across Finding Aid Portals
• Organize and Cite Your Sources
• Topic: The West and the Soviet Union
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• Topic: Cherokee Women, Property, Law, and Slavery
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Subject Librarians

Duke databases broadly related to the topic, archives and digital collections, secondary materials: books, secondary materials: articles.

• Topic: Credit Lending and the Rise of Investment Banking
• Topic: Child Welfare Legislation
• Topic: Reagan to 9/11: Impacts on American Muslim Communities
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• Topic: China and Opium

Matthew Hayes , Librarian for Asian American Studies, [email protected]

• Asian American Studies

Kelley Lawton , Librarian for United States History, [email protected]

• United States History

Luo Zhou , Chinese Studies Librarian, [email protected]

Chinese Americans

• Bibliography of Asian Studies (BAS) This link opens in a new window Search for journal articles and books published worldwide pertaining to East, Southeast, and South Asia on all subjects (especially humanities and social sciences)
• ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window Search across historic and current congressional information. Includes full text of congressional publications, finding aids, a bill tracking service, public laws and other research materials from the US government

Find law review articles, primary source materials, and government documents

• Chinese in California Virtual Collection (UC Berkeley) : Covering the period of the nineteenth to the early twentieth century, this collection focuses on Chinese immigration to California through a wide variety of materials including photographs, legal documents, pamphlets, speeches, and letters.
• Ancestry Library Edition : Search for immigration records under the search header, then select immigration and travel. Click on the "view all in card catalog" on the right, under featured data collections. Search for Chinese in the title search box.
• Immigration Records of the INS, 1880-1930 : Search for primary source materials on INS investigations from 1880 to 1930.
• America's Historical Newspapers : Provides access to newspapers published from 1690 to 1922.
• 19th Century U.S. Newspapers
• Newspapers.com: World Collection : Search for articles published between the 1700s-2000s. This database is especially strong on local coverage.
• For the major national newspapers, we have coverage through the Proquest Historical Newspapers databases. Scan this listing for access to newspapers like the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.
• Sabin Americana : Search for primary sources about the Americans published throughout the world from 1500 to the early 1900s.

Start with a  Keywords  search, using words that describe your topic, and see what you find.

You might try different combinations of the following, as  Subject  searches:

• Chinese-United States-History  (consider adding date qualifiers such as 19th or 20th century to any of these search suggestions)
• Chinese Americans-History
• Chinese American Women-History
• Chinese Americans-Legal status, laws, etc.-History
• Chinese Americans-Social conditions
• Chinese-United States History
• United States-Emigration and immigration-History
• Immigrants-United States-History
• Labor Policy-United States-History
• America: History & Life This link opens in a new window Search for journal articles covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present

Search a collection of important scholarly journals representing a range of disciplines.

• Web of Science This link opens in a new window Search for articles from scholarly journals in all areas of research
• PAIS Index This link opens in a new window Search articles, government documents, and grey literature related to international politics and public policy
• Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window Search for international literature in sociology and related social and behavioral sciences disciplines
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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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Getting started

Preparing for the honors thesis

What is the honors thesis?

The honors thesis is the culmination of Barrett students’ honors experience and their entire undergraduate education.

The honors thesis is an original piece of work developed by a student under the guidance of a thesis committee. It is an opportunity for students to work closely with faculty on important research questions and creative ideas. The honors thesis can have either a research or creative focus, and enables students to design, execute and present an intellectually rigorous project in their chosen field of study.

The first step in the honors thesis process is the completion of a thesis preparation workshop.

These workshops are places for you to brainstorm topics, learn about the honors thesis process, gain feedback on your ideas, ask questions, and create a to-do list for your honors thesis. Completion of a thesis preparation workshop is required before enrolling in thesis credits, and we encourage you to participate in a workshop by the first semester of your junior year.

There are two options for completing a thesis preparation workshop.

Enroll in the online self-paced workshop

Or, sign up to attend a live workshop offered in the fall or spring semester:

Thurs Sept 5th 12pm–1pm Barrett Suite, Lantana Hall 121 (Polytechnic campus) No RSVP required

Mon Sept 9th 4pm–5pm Barrett Suite, Athena Conference Room (West Valley campus) RSVP

Wed Sept 11th 4:30pm–6pm Barrett Student Center, Vista Del Sol (Tempe campus) RSVP

Wed Sept 18th 11am–12pm Barrett Suite, Athena Conference Room (West Valley campus) RSVP

Tues Sept 24th 3:30pm–5pm Edson College focus Virtual (Zoom) RSVP

Thurs Sept 26th 9:30am–10:30am Barrett Suite, Athena Conference Room (West Valley campus) RSVP

Thurs Sept 26th 4:30pm–6pm Virtual (Zoom) RSVP

Mon Sept 30th 10am–11am Barrett Suite, Athena Conference Room (West Valley campus) RSVP

Wed Oct 2nd 4:30pm–6pm College of Health Solutions focus Virtual (Zoom) RSVP

Wed Oct 2nd 5pm–6pm Virtual (Zoom) No RSVP Required

Tues Oct 8th 5pm–6:30pm Barrett Student Center, Vista Del Sol (Tempe campus) RSVP

Fri Oct 25th 4:30pm–6pm Virtual (Zoom) RSVP

Tues Nov 5th 5pm–6:30pm Barrett Student Center, Vista Del Sol (Tempe campus) RSVP

Thurs Nov 14th 4pm–5pm Virtual (Zoom) No RSVP Required

Fri Nov 22nd 4:30pm–6pm Virtual (Zoom) RSVP

Thurs Feb 20th 3:30pm–5pm Cronkite School focus Virtual (Zoom) RSVP

Tues Feb 26th 12pm–1:30pm Watts College focus Virtual (Zoom) RSVP

Ready to take the next step?

Following the completion of a thesis preparation workshop, Barrett students should schedule a thesis advising appointment with their Barrett Honors Advisor to discuss and review the guidebook, checklist and the due dates that correspond with the semester they intend to complete their undergraduate degree.

Honors Thesis Student Guidebook

Please explore the resources available to you within this guidebook to ensure your success. Refer to the checklist on page 13 to continue moving forward in the process.

View the Student Guidebook

Student Guidebook sections

What is the honors thesis.

The honors thesis project is an original piece of work by a student, in collaboration with their thesis director and committee. Most students complete an honors thesis within their major department but may choose a topic outside of the major. Each department may set its own standards for methodology (i.e., empirical, comparative, or descriptive), project length, and so on. Review the relevant Opportunities in the Major documents created by the Faculty Honors Advisors (FHAs)  here , and contact the FHAs in your area(s) of interest for additional information.

A thesis can be:

• A scholarly research project involving analysis that is presented in written form. Represents a commitment to research, critical thinking, and an informed viewpoint of the student.
• A creative project that combines scholarship and creative work in which the primary outcome consists of something other than a written document but includes a written document that supports the creative endeavor and involves scholarly research.
• A group project that brings together more than one Barrett student to work on a thesis collaboratively. Working in a group gives students valuable experience and enables them to take on larger, more complicated topics. Students may begin a group project with approval of a Thesis Director.

Selecting a Topic

Because the honors thesis is the culmination of undergraduate studies, begin thinking about a topic early. Many students base the honors thesis on an aspect of coursework, internship, or research. Once an area of interest is identified, take two or three courses that concentrate in that specific area.  Selecting a topic should ultimately be done under the guidance of faculty. The honors thesis is a joint effort between students and faculty.

Consider these tips and resources as you begin the process of selecting a topic: 

• Reflect on past experience to determine interests.
• Talk to faculty including Faculty Honors Advisors about topics that are interesting and relevant to coursework, major, career interests, or from ongoing faculty research.
• View past honors theses through the ASU Library Digital Repository .

Thesis Pathways

Honors Thesis Pathways are unique thesis opportunities, where students can be paired with faculty on interesting and engaging topics. The pathway options provide students a structured experience in completing their thesis, while researching a topic that interests them.

The committee consists of a Director, a Second Committee Member, and may include a Third Committee Member. Ultimately, your committee must approve your thesis/creative project, so work closely with them throughout the process.  Specific academic unit committee requirements can be found here .

• Any member of ASU faculty with professional expertise in the project area. (This excludes graduate students.)
• Includes lecturer and tenure-line faculty.
• Primary supervisor of the project.
• Conducts regular meetings, provides feedback, sets expectations, and presides over the defense.

*Emeritus faculty may serve as thesis directors as approved by the FHA from the department which the thesis is to be completed. Directors are expected to be physically present at the honors thesis defense. They may not be reimbursed for travel related to attending the defense.

Second Committee Member

• Individual whom you and your Director decide is appropriate to serve based on knowledge and experience with the thesis topic.
• Credentials will be determined by the Director and the criteria of that academic unit.
• Conducts regular meetings, provides feedback, and offers additional evaluation at the defense.

Third Committee Member (optional-varies by academic unit)

• Faculty member or qualified professional.
• If required, credentials will be determined by the Director and the criteria of that academic unit.
• External Examiners are Third Committee Members.
• Offer insight and expertise on the topic and provides additional evaluation at the defense.

The prospectus serves as an action plan for the honors thesis and provides a definitive list of goals, procedures, expectations, and an overall timeline including internal deadlines for your work. This will lay the groundwork for your project and serve as a reference point for you and your committee. You and your committee should work together to solidify a topic and create project goals. 

Submit your prospectus online

Registration and Grading

To register:

• Be enrolled in Barrett, The Honors College and in academic good standing. 
• Have the approval of the faculty member who serves as the Director. 
• In-person Barrett thesis workshop
• Online (via Blackboard) Barrett thesis workshop. Self-enroll- search words “Barrett Honors Thesis Online Workshop”
• Major specific thesis preparatory workshop or course may be available in limited academic units.

Register for the honors thesis through the department of the Director .   First, obtain override permission from the department of the Director during normal enrollment periods. 

Thesis Credits (up to 6 hours)

• 492 Honors Directed Study: taken in the first semester during research and creation of the project (not offered by all departments).
• 493 Honors Thesis: taken in the second semester for defense and completion of the project.  
• 492 and 493 are sequential and may not be taken in the same semester.  
• You must register for and successfully complete at least 493 (or its equivalent) to graduate from Barrett, The Honors College.

Grading the Honors Thesis

When the honors thesis is completed and approved by the committee, the Director assigns a course grade. Criteria and evaluation for grading are determined by the Director and the standards of that academic discipline.   

If you enroll in 492, the Director has the option of assigning a Z grade until the project is completed.

The assignment of a Z grade indicates that a project is in progress and delays placement of a final grade until completion. 

Defense and Final Steps

• Presentation and summary of the honors thesis. Format, content, and length are determined by the Director and standards of the content area. Plan to review the origins of the project, its scope, the methodology used, significant findings, and conclusions. 
• Submit final draft to the committee at least two weeks before the defense. Allow time for revisions leading up to the defense.
• Work with your committee to set a defense and report to Barrett using the Honors Defense and Thesis Approval form. Once submitted, your Director will automatically be emailed an approval link on the date of your defense.
• All committee members must participate in the defense.
• Group projects: Each student is required to submit an individual Honors Defense and Thesis Approval form. All group members must participate in the defense. 
• Defenses are open to the ASU community and published to the Defense Calendar.
• Following the presentation, committee members will ask questions about issues raised in the work, choices made in the research, and any further outcomes.
• At the conclusion of the discussion, the committee will convene to provide an outcome that will determine next steps.

Thesis Outcomes

• Minor format/editorial corrections may be suggested.
• Director will report approval using the Final Thesis Approval link emailed to them on the defense date.
• Your next step is to upload your approved final project to the Barrett Digital Repository.

Provisional Approval (Common outcome)

• More significant revisions required.
• Once revisions are complete, Director will report approval using the Final Thesis Approval link emailed to them on the defense date.
• Your next step is to upload your approved final project to the Barrett Digital Repository after revisions are approved.

Not approved (Least common outcome)

• Basic design and/or overall execution of the honors thesis is significantly flawed.
• The Director and committee may continue working with the student to make major revisions. You should discuss this with committee and Honors Advisor about implications on Barrett graduation.

Senior Honors Thesis

Completing a year-long Senior Honors Thesis is one of the most rewarding, time-consuming and challenging endeavors a Psychology major can undertake. The process requires designing, executing, and analyzing the data from an original empirical research investigation, writing a comprehensive APA-format report, and presenting and defending this work before a committee of two faculty members (one of whom, the committee chair, must be from the Psychology Department). Because chairing a Senior Honors Thesis requires a great deal of time and effort on the part of faculty members, only a small number of seniors can complete a thesis in a given year. Students are therefore encouraged to contact potential thesis chairs  no later than the end of their junior year , and preferably even earlier. Because of the high demand for thesis supervision, some faculty may only agree to supervise theses for students who have spent multiple previous semesters working in their lab.

Students interested in independent study (including Senior Honors Thesis) must find a supervising faculty member before registering for the course via  SIS . Those registering for a Senior Honors Thesis (PSY 199) must also fill out and submit by early October the  Thesis Honors Candidate form .

Undergraduate research assistants and students completing a senior honors thesis in all labs that are conducting human subjects research are required to take the Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (CITI). Please contact the faculty supervisor of the lab for more details.

Per Tufts policy, students must appear on the Dean's List for at least two semesters in order to be eligible to complete a thesis. As mentioned above, our faculty often have additional requirements for thesis students, including previous experience in their research lab (PSY 91/92 or PSY 191/192). For students already registered to complete a thesis, additional information regarding expectations for your project and the bases on which it will be evaluated are best obtained from your committee chair.

Students who complete an honors thesis receive a letter grade for their two semesters of work in PSY 199, as well as a determination of thesis honors. The letter grade is not assigned until the end of the second semester and is determined by the thesis chair; students are therefore encouraged to discuss their progress with their chair at various points during the year. This grade is intended to reflect a student's lab performance and consistency of effort over the course of seeing a research project through to completion. The thesis committee makes the determination of thesis honors, choosing from among the following designations: no honors, honors, high honors, and highest honors. This assessment is based on the final written product and oral defense, and is intended to reflect the quality, originality, independence, and potential impact of the work.

Review the departmental rubric for evaluating  senior honors theses .

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Office of Undergraduate Education

University Honors Program

• Honors Requirements
• Major and Thesis Requirements
• Honors Reporting Center
• Nova Series
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• Honors Thesis Guide
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• Make a Donation
• Honors Requirement Handbook
• UHP Land Acknowledgment
• UHP Policies

An honors thesis is required of all students graduating with any level of Latin honors. It is an excellent opportunity for undergraduates to define and investigate a topic in depth, and to complete an extended written reflection of their results & understanding. The work leading to the thesis is excellent preparation for graduate & professional school or the workplace.

Important Dates and Deadlines

Thesis Database

The thesis database is a searchable collection of over 6,000 theses, with direct access to more than 4,000 full-text theses in PDF format. The database—fully searchable by discipline, keyword, level of Latin Honors, and more—is available for student use in the UHP Office, 8am–4:30pm, Monday–Friday.

Thesis Forms & Documents

• Thesis Title Page template
• Thesis work is reported using the "Thesis Proposal" and "Thesis Completion"  found in the Honors Reporting Center.

+ Sample Timeline

Plan ahead! Developing a project, completing research or creative work, and writing your thesis will be a year-long effort at a minimum. Consult with your honors advisor and honors faculty representative to determine a timeline that is appropriate for you.

Freshman & Sophomore Years

• Explore major options; meet with faculty teaching your courses
• Ask faculty and advisors about research opportunities in your department
• Get involved in research to develop topics of interest

Junior Year

• Discuss thesis options with appropriate faculty
• Select a faculty supervisor and additional readers (if required)
• Review current literature
• Define your thesis topic
• Begin (or continue) thesis research

Senior Year, fall 

• Submit your Thesis Proposal form  by the established deadline  using the  Honors Reporting Center.
• Finish thesis research
• Establish a comprehensive outline to inform your preliminary draft
• Submit a preliminary draft to your faculty supervisor

Senior Year, spring

• Please consult your faculty supervisor for discipline-specific guidelines
• Submit final draft to supervisor and readers  by the established deadline.
• Submit revised draft to committee and arrange public presentation (if presentation is required by your department)  by the established deadline.
• Submit your Thesis Completion  by the established deadline  using the  Honors Reporting Center.
• Submit PDF copy of thesis according to  submission guidelines .

+ Requirements and Evaluation Criteria

Whatever form it takes, the purposes of the Honors Thesis are many—all of which develop skills that will serve our students well after graduation. The Honors Thesis must go above and beyond any project done for a course other than thesis or directed-studies/independent-studies courses. It may expand upon a term paper written for a course, but may not simply be a repurposed project completed for another course or requirement. The Honors Thesis must demonstrate that the student:

• Has developed excellent writing skills;
• Understands the project's relevance to the field of study and/or to society;
• Is able to apply theories and methods of research, analysis, or interpretation, or artistic techniques as appropriate to the field;
• Has cited appropriate sources;
• Is able to critically examine the work of other scholars or artists and relate that work to the thesis;
• Has contributed original research, ideas, knowledge, interpretations, or creative expression at a level appropriate for undergraduate study, such that the thesis goes beyond describing existing work;
• Has the ability to digest pre-existing work, present and summarize it succinctly, and, hence, articulate the context in which the student’s new work is situated;
• Has the ability to propose an idea in brief (i.e., the thesis proposal), and then bring that idea to fruition within a given timeline;
• Has the ability to present writing or recordings whose quality and polish are at a publishable or public-presentation level (even if the data, research, or ideas are still at a preliminary level);
• Has the ability to present ideas clearly and compellingly to an audience of non-specialists;
• Has the ability to go beyond programmatic or major capstone requirements for non-UHP students.

Moreover, a summa cum laude Honors Thesis must also demonstrate:

• The ability to do original (i.e., not an extended literature review or synopsis of previous work), highest-quality work;
• The ability to meet department- or program-specific stipulations for summa-level thesis work, as defined on our Major and Thesis Requirements page.

Supervision and Approval

All Honors Theses require approval by a committee of three members—the main thesis advisor and two other readers. One of the three members (not necessarily the main thesis advisor) must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the student's home department. Other members may be tenured, tenure-track, contract, affiliate, adjunct, emeritus, and/or P&A faculty members at the University of Minnesota. Faculty members from other institutions, graduate students, and community members with expertise relevant to the student's topic may serve on the committee if approved by the departmental  Honors Faculty Representative (listed by major) and by UHP. The process for approval is for the Honors Faculty Representative to email UHP's director to explain in a couple of sentences the potential committee member's qualifications, and to then receive approval from the director.

+ Supervision and Approval

All Honors Theses require approval by a committee of three members—the main thesis advisor and two other readers. One of the three members (not necessarily the main thesis advisor) must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the student's home department. Other members may be tenured, tenure-track, contract, affiliate, adjunct, emeritus, and/or P&A faculty members at the University of Minnesota. Faculty members from other institutions, graduate students, and community members with expertise relevant to the student's topic may serve on the committee if approved by the departmental  Honors Faculty Representative  and by UHP. The process for approval is for the Honors Faculty Representative to email UHP's director to explain in a couple of sentences the potential committee member's qualifications, and to then receive approval from the director.

Summa cum laude  theses require students to go above and beyond the requirements for cum laude and magna cum laude theses. The specifics for the students major may be found on our  Major and Thesis Requirements page.

+ Credit and Honors Experience

All students are required to take a classroom-based, Honors Thesis support course of at least one credit, one semester. Many majors and colleges provide such courses. UHP also provides HCol 3101H every spring and HCol 3102H every fall. You can find the required thesis coursework for your major on our  Major and Thesis Requirements page . If the student's major or college offers an Honors Thesis course, taking a different course in lieu of this one requires approval of the Honors Faculty Representative. Completing the approved course with a passing grade fulfills the Honors Thesis course requirement. Additional thesis courses marked with an H or V may count as Honors courses if they comprise 2 or more credits. Additional research activity, whether recognized with credit or not,  may count as a non-course experience.

+ Style and Formatting

Style guides.

When preparing your honors thesis and citing sources, follow the style guide that is most appropriate to your field of study. For example:

• Modern Language Association (MLA) style - common in the humanities
• American Psychological Association (APA) style - common in the social sciences
• Chicago style - common in history

Check with your faculty supervisor before choosing a style. Style and citation resources are available from  the University Libraries .

The following formatting parameters should be strictly followed in most cases. However, certain types of theses, such as collections of poetry, may vary from these guidelines if necessary to the integrity of the work, with the faculty supervisor's assent.

• Margins:  at least 1" on all sides
• Type size:  no smaller than 11 point; 12 point preferred; a smaller font may be used for footnotes or end notes
• Font:  use a standard, easily-readable font, such as Times New Roman
• Spacing:  double space all main text

Sections of the thesis include (and should be sequenced as follows):

• Title Page:  Prepared according to the  thesis title page template
• Acknowledgements  (optional)
• Abstract or Summary:  No more than one double-spaced page. For thesis projects in the creative and performing arts, the summary must provide specifics about the exhibition or performance that the written thesis complements.
• Non-technical Summary:  (optional) recommended in cases where the abstract and thesis are too highly technical to be easily understood by non-specialists
• Table of Contents  (optional)
• Body of the Thesis
• Appendices  (optional)
• Bibliography or List of Works Cited

+ Thesis Submission

By the last day of final examinations in the semester in which you are graduating, you must:

• Submit your final thesis in  PDF format  via the "Thesis Completion" WorkflowGen process in the  Honors Reporting Center

How to Create a PDF Document

• On a Mac:  From the print dialog, select the PDF option from the lower left-hand corner. Or, from Microsoft Word, select "Save As" and change the format to PDF.
• On a Windows PC:  From Microsoft Word, select "Save As" and change the file type to PDF.

Combine Multiple PDFs

Your thesis should be submitted as one singular file. Multiple PDF documents can be combined using Adobe Acrobat Pro (available in most campus computer labs). You can also use a free online tool such as  SmallPDF.

Please note: the thesis completion form should not be included in this file.

Non-Electronic Documents

Non-electronic portions of your thesis should be scanned and included as part of your PDF. Scanners are available at the University computer labs in Coffman Memorial Union, Humphrey Center, McNeal Hall, and Walter Library.

+ Publication

The  University Digital Conservancy  provides permanent online access to academic works produced at the University. Benefits of placing your thesis in the conservancy include:

• Free, public accessibility
• Long-term storage and preservation
• Improved rankings in search engine results
• A direct, public URL for reference in resumes, applications, CVs, etc.

Submission Process

To have your honors thesis placed in the Digital Conservancy, you must submit the following forms to the honors office:

• a signed copy of the  Digital Conservancy Deposit Agreement
• a  Digital Conservancy Agreement Addendum  signed by your faculty thesis advisor. At the discretion of your thesis advisor, signatures of additional readers or research contributors may be required.

After receiving these forms, the honors program will submit your thesis to the Digital Conservancy within a few months. Upon submission, you will receive instructions on how to access the digital copy of your thesis.

Further Submission Considerations

You may not want to submit your honors thesis to the conservancy if it:

• Contains sensitive data or information about potentially patentable inventions
• Is something you may want to commercially publish
• Involved other authors, collaborators, or advisors who have not granted their permission for you to submit.

View the  Digital Conservancy Policies and Guidelines  for more information.

+ What if I choose not to submit my thesis in the Digital Conservancy?

The University Honors Program will keep an electronic copy of your thesis in our internal thesis database. It will not be available publicly or on the Internet.

+ Will choosing not to submit affect the approval and/or grade of my thesis?

No. Submitting your thesis to the conservancy is completely optional and has no bearing on grades, the acceptance of your thesis, or your graduation.

+ Will submitting my thesis affect my ability to publish it elsewhere?

It might. Some academic journals have policies against publishing previously printed or archived work. Consult your thesis advisor or the honors office if you have questions about this.

+ Who holds the copyright to my thesis?

Your work will be protected by U.S. copyright law to the same extent it would be if it were on a shelf in the library or University archives. The deposit agreement gives University Libraries rights to store, preserve, and make your work available to the public, but you still hold the rights to publish and distribute it as you see fit.

+ What if my thesis includes images, videos, or other non-PDF materials?

Materials in formats other than PDF may be submitted to the Digital Conservancy; however, the level of preservation support provided for such works varies. To learn more,  view the conservancy’s preservation policy .

+ Can my thesis be removed from the Digital Conservancy if I change my mind later?

No. If you are in doubt, you may want to consider not submitting your thesis to the conservancy.

Angering vets, Trump says civilian award is 'much better' than Medal of Honor

WASHINGTON - Veterans rebuked former President Donald Trump this weekend for saying the Presidential Medal of Freedom is "much better" than the military Medal of Honor because recipients of the latter are often badly wounded or dead.

"These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nation’s highest award for valor, but also crassly characterizes the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty," said a statement from Al Lipphardt, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars .

Trump made the comments during a campaign event Thursday at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, as talked about awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dr. Miriam Adelson, a physician, philanthrophist, and prominent Republican Party donor.

“It’s actually much better, because everyone gets the Congressional Medal of Honor, that’s soldiers ‒ they’re either in very bad shape, because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets, or they’re dead,” Trump said.

Adelson is the widow of the late casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, also a major GOP donor.

Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the former president "was simply saying how it can be an emotionally difficult experience to give the Congressional Medal of Honor to veterans who have been wounded or tragically killed defending our country, as he proudly did when he was Commander in Chief."

Others noted that Trump has reportedly described veterans as "suckers" and "losers," comments Trump has vehemently denied. During the 2016 campaign, Trump denigrated the imprisonment of 2008 GOP presidential nominee and former Vietnam POW John McCain .

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that Trump's "repeated pattern of disgraceful insults about wounded warriors and their families is outrageous and a national embarrassment.  Someone who repeatedly belittles our military men and women and mocks wounded soldiers isn’t fit to be Commander-in-Chief."

In a statement Reed's office said the Medal of Honor "is awarded to servicemembers who distinguish themselves 'through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.'  The process often takes years of thorough, in-depth review at the highest levels.  There are currently 60 living recipients of the Medal of Honor."

The Kamala Harris campaign also criticized Trump's Medal of Honor comments. Spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said that Trump "knows nothing about service to anyone or anything but himself."

Trump senior adviser Brian Hughes said Trump did more for veterans than the current administration, and said that Harris "bragged of being the last one in the room with Biden as they set in motion our disastrous retreat from Afghanistan."

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Abby Harders Successfully Defends Thesis with Honors

Mon, 07/22/2024.

Tiffany Ann Oquendo

Congratulations to Abby Harders, who successfully defended her thesis “Development of Membrane Technology for the Separation of Azeotropic Refrigerants” with honors today.

Congratulations Dr. Harders!