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Guidelines for Preparation of Honors Thesis Proposals

Deadline for submission of thesis proposals for students planning to graduate in May 2013: Wednesday, March 21, 2012, or (for students who are abroad in Spring) Sept. 14, 2012. See Honors Program Coordinator for deadlines if planning to graduate in December or August.

Your thesis proposal will be read by the Honors Board of your college. Please write your proposal so that any educated person can easily read and understand it. This means avoiding jargon and special terminology where possible and completely defining all special terms that must be used. The proposal must be typed and should be five to seven pages long (not including bibliography). It must present the following information:

1. Completed Thesis Proposal Cover Sheet, including advisor answers and both your and your advisor's signatures. Please place this form at the beginning of your proposal (as the first two pages). Please do not staple your proposal; secure all pages with a paper clip or in a folder or envelope. Please include a header or footer with your first and last name and page numbers.  View the Thesis Proposal Cover Form and Advisor Sheet (WORD document).

2. Title: The title should accurately describe the focus of your thesis. You do not need a title page.

3. Thesis Description and Method/documentation: While all theses require scholarship, a thesis can be any one of the following: research project, ethnographic study, performance, creative work, or a project that grows out of an internship or student teaching. This section must contain, in clearly identifiable sections, the following information.

   Complete A, B, or C:

   1. Research paper in the Humanities or the Arts:

      THESIS DESCRIPTION: You need a thesis statement! Describe in a sentence or two the precise question or problem which you are going to address. Then identify possible explanations based on the literature in your field. If appropriate, identify a position you will defend. It is altogether insufficient here to state simply that you are going to "research" or "investigate" or "look into" a question or problem.

      RESEARCH METHOD: In this section you explain HOW you plan to get your project done. What will you do? Why? How will you support or refute your thesis statement? What are you looking for, specifically? Why have you chosen these texts/experiments/survey questions/artistic medium/etc? Support with reasonable arguments (Not "because I feel like it", or "my advisor told me to".) What will your scholarship consist of? It is not enough here simply to state what you are going to read. Explain the questions you will pose and the methods (e.g., type of formal analysis, literary criticism, or hermeneutic) you intend to use to investigate, test, or interpret your thesis. Explain why these methods are feasible and adequate to demonstrate the validity of your thesis. What resources are necessary to undertake this type of research? Are they readily available? How do you plan to secure them?

   2. Research paper in the Sciences or Social Sciences:

      THESIS DESCRIPTION: You need a thesis statement! Describe in a sentence or two the precise question or problem which you are going to address. Then identify possible explanations based on the literature in your field. It is altogether insufficient here to state simply that you are going to "research" or "investigate" or "look into" a question or problem.

      RESEARCH METHOD: In this section you explain HOW you plan to get your project done . State your research question(s) as clearly as possible. Identify and describe the major variables and concepts you will include in your research project. Provide an overview of the methodology you plan to use. How will you address the research question? Will you use an exploratory, descriptive, or causal research design? How will you select your sample(s)? How will you measure your key concepts and variables? How will you collect your data? How will you analyze your data? Do you have appropriate experience in this area? If not, how will you prepare yourself to undertake such research methods? What resources are necessary to undertake this type of research? Are they readily available? How do you plan to secure them?

   3. Creative performance or production thesis:

      THESIS DESCRIPTION: You need a thesis statement! Simply "directing a play" or "writing a musical composition" does not constitute a thesis. It may be helpful for you to think of a question, problem, or issue FIRST, and then design a creative work to answer or address this question. You must answer the basic question "what's the point?" That is, there has to be a "WHY," as in "WHY does this particular project matter in your field?" or "What is the POINT of doing this particular project? How is it academically or professionally appropriate? What will others in your area be able to learn from your thesis?" Present your thesis statement in a sentence or two that describes precisely the question or problem which you are going to address in your creative process. Based on the literature and other documentation in your field, identify probable directions your work will take. It is insufficient to state simply that you are going to create or produce a work of art or a document. Include why this thesis is significant and how it contributes to your learning and to your academic discipline.

      RESEACH METHOD: In this section you explain HOW you plan to ANSWER or EXPLORE your thesis question/statement via your creative process and/or project. There must be a scholarly research component to your project. Has anyone in your field already done what you want to do? Is there a specific process you should or will follow? How will you communicate your concept? What research will aid you in your conceptual development and execution? Where/how/when did you learn of the processes or concepts you are using? What resources are necessary to undertake this type of research? Are they readily available? How do you plan to secure them? Also consider assessing the success of your project - how can you tell if a performance/film/play/concert etc. has had the intended effect? Did you appropriately and accurately answer your thesis question, or explore your thesis statement? (We do not recommend projects that ask about impacts on an audience because audience perceptions are extremely hard to measure in a meaningful way. If this is your intent, please make sure you know the methods for assessing audience impact, can submit your intent and audience perception questionnaires [both pre- and post-performance if appropriate] and be prepared to explain the reason for utilizing this process very thoroughly in your thesis proposal.)  View specific helpful hints from the JCFA Honors Board (WORD document).

      DOCUMENTATION: How will you document your creative work? An assessment/research paper must accompany all theses and will serve as a permanent record of the thesis in the University library's collection. This is the scholarly component of your thesis. You may also wish to include a recording, photographs, or other physical evidence of your thesis project. (You do not need to explain this in the proposal, but know that in your thesis document you will include an explanation of your thesis statement or question, describe your research methods and findings, and will evaluate the process and results of your project. Some people find it helpful to work backwards from such a document when writing the proposal.)

4. Background: How did you arrive at your thesis idea? If your thesis grew out of your previous academic work, please describe how. What have other scholars/artists had to say about this question or problem? How does your thesis fit into the work these scholars/artists have already done? What is the significance or importance of your thesis? How will this project contribute to your learning? Your background should be brief; we are more interested in WHAT your project is (thesis statement) and HOW you will complete it (research methods). (You may place your Background section before the Thesis Description/ Methods section if you wish.)

5. Schedule: List the dates by which you will complete all aspects of the work on your thesis, for example, gathering resources, initial research, analysis of data, auditions for creative theses, interview times for subjects, completion of literature review, first draft, and so on. We ask for a schedule in order to assess how well you (and your advisor) have thought through this project. How long will it take you, really? Breaking it up into smaller sections helps you to envision the process from beginning to end; this is a roadmap for you as well as for the College Honors Board.

   • Your first draft should be completed no later than February 1. The date for the penultimate (next-to-last) thesis draft submission for students graduating in May of 2011 is Friday, March 18, 2011. This draft bears the thesis advisor's signature of approval, indicating it meets honors thesis standards and is indeed ready to be viewed by the thesis reader.  The final thesis, properly formatted for binding and bearing the signatures of the thesis advisor and thesis reader on the certification page, is due Friday, April 22, 2011. 
   • Presentation: A formal presentation of the thesis is required. This may include presentation to a department or conference, a performance, public screening, or literary reading. Please indicate the venue in which you plan to make your oral presentation and include a date.

6. Bibliography: Append a bibliography of books, journal articles, and other sources that will convince the reviewers that adequate resources exist to do the thesis and that you have done initial background research in this area. Please divide your bibliography into two parts:

   1. Works you have already consulted, and
   2. Works you plan to consult.

7. Submission Details: The proposal should be submitted to Amy Elson, Honors Program Coordinator, in Jordan Hall 153 D (940-9302). It will be reviewed by the Honors Board of your college. In no more than three weeks (provided that you have met the submission deadline) your proposal will be accepted or returned with suggestions for revision. Failure to include any of the above information will be cause for return. (Any subsequent revisions of your proposal should also be submitted to the honors office, either hard copy or as an email attachment.) The Honors Program will notify both you and your thesis advisor(s) of the Honors Board's decision.

Honors Program Director: Judi Morrel, JH 153B, 940-9723
Honors Program Coordinator: Amy Elson, JH 153 D, 940-9302

Important Notes:

To Students with Thesis Projects Outside Their Department or in Only One of Their Majors:
A thesis approved for University Honors will only qualify the student to receive departmental honors in those departments that approve the thesis for that purpose. If you are in doubt whether your thesis will qualify you for high or highest honors in your major(s), you should consult with your department head(s) at the thesis proposal stage and seek a letter of approval. A copy of the approval should be forwarded to the Honors Program. Furthermore, we urge you to work with thesis advisors from each discipline from which you are seeking departmental honors.

Information Regarding Research Using Animal or Human Subjects:
Any research that uses human beings or warm-blooded, vertebrate animals must be approved by the Institutional Review Board or the Animal Care and Use Committee, respectively, before the research is begun. Thesis proposals must attach evidence of such approval, or a letter of intent to seek such approval. Letters of intent must include the date on which you plan to begin your research, and be copied to the Office of University Research.

Applications for approval of the use of human or animal subjects should be submitted to the Office of University Research at least four weeks before the date on which you intend to commence your research. For information on the protection of warm-blooded, vertebrate animals, please contact your thesis advisor or Robert Holm, Office of University Research Programs (see below). Human research includes questionnaires, interviews, tests, observations, surveys and other experiments. For applications and further information, go to www.butler.edu/birs or contact Robert Holm at 940-9766 or rholm@butler.edu.