Department of
Religious Studies
The Honours Thesis Guide
and
Course Requirements
.
HONOURS THESIS GUIDE
Table of Contents
Title Page
Table of Contents 2
Introduction 3
Honours Thesis Overview 4
Honours Thesis Deadlines 5-6
Rels 4000.1 Overview 7
Rels 4001.2 Overview 8
Grading Summary 9
Thesis Advisor and Committee 10
Thesis Topics and Methodology 11
Writing an Honours Thesis 12-15
Introduction
The Honours thesis may seem like a daunting task, but with the help of the Religious Studies Department and your faculty thesis adviser, we believe it will be one of your most rewarding academic experiences. Pursuing a thesis topic of your choice will result in a project that utilizes all the knowledge and skill that you have been cultivating throughout your University career. You will hone those skills in a challenging and creative process guided and mentored by your thesis advisor and the rest of the Religious Studies faculty. Our hope is that by completing the Honours thesis, you will develop an appreciation for the challenges, complexities, and rewards of this type of academic work.
Many Honours graduates say that the Honours thesis is one of the highlights of their undergraduate academic experience. The thesis allowed them to explore areas of their most passionate interests, engage in the process of discovery, and work one-on-one with outstanding faculty. The Honours thesis has benefits beyond university as well. Former students have used their theses to gain entrance into graduate programs where an honours thesis is seen as tangible proof of your ability to ask questions, research, write, complete and defend a substantial piece of academic work. Even if you do not plan to attend graduate school in the near future, the thesis experience is an impressive accomplishment to list on your resume. It shows that you are persistent, creative, and hard working – characteristics highly valued in today’s job market.
Although the subject matters are diverse, common elements of theses include working hard, engaging in creative activity, using your imagination, developing a productive one-on-one relationship with your faculty thesis adviser, writing and editing a polished paper, and making a formal oral presentation on your thesis work. Diversity extends beyond subject matter and includes such things as theoretical foundations and methodology. For example, a thesis based on Biblical analysis is very different than one based on ethnographic research. The thesis requirements have been crafted to recognize these differences so that you will have the flexibility to be creative in your own areas of interest and expertise.
The information in the Honours Thesis Guide will help you navigate your way through the process of completing your Honours thesis. It is not an exhaustive resource, so consult with your faculty thesis adviser and your thesis committee members. Your adviser and committee are here to help make the Honours thesis a meaningful experience that you will reflect upon one day as a capstone to your education at Saint Mary’s University. Good luck!
Honours Thesis Overview
The Honours thesis is the quintessential academic experience that allows undergraduate students to explore academic areas of their most passionate interests, engage in the process of discovery, and make a creative contribution in their areas of interest and expertise. The Honours thesis is a major exercise in scholarly research and writing. It is an opportunity for students to explore an interest and fashion it into an acceptably conceptualized, organized and stylized final product. Original research is encouraged although not required. The research and writing must be excellent.
The Honours thesis is a 6 credit endeavor supervised by a thesis committee of at least two faculty (a faculty thesis adviser and one additional committee member who is also a faculty member). The development of the thesis takes shape within the framework of RELS 4000 Honours Thesis Research and RELS 4001 Honours Thesis Writing. These courses are normally taken consecutively in a single academic year. [Under special circumstances such as students doing field research, it is possible to enroll in RELS 4000 Honours Thesis Research during the summer semester immediately prior to the year in which the student will complete RELS 4001 Honours Thesis Writing.] Enrolment in RELS 4000 and 4001 is restricted to Honours students in Religious Studies. No student may enroll in these courses without prior approval of the departmental chairperson. Please note that students are required to be present at the University during while writing their theses. It is not possible to do Honours by distance. The Honours Thesis Research and Honours Thesis Writing Courses are administered by the Department Chairperson. Students participating in the courses may be required to meet with the Chair to discuss their progress in the courses.
The Honours thesis has written and speaking components. In Religious Studies, the written component is a process comprised of a proposal, a progress report and a 60-80 page formal thesis. The speaking component consists of a fifteen to twenty minute formal oral presentation of the proposal, of the progress report, and of the final product by the Honours student followed by a question and answer session with the committee.
DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES
HONOURS THESIS DEADLINES
2009-2010
In order to ensure that, by the end of the Honours thesis year, students have submitted an acceptably conceptualized, researched and written thesis, the Religious Studies department has adopted a production schedule-the outline of which is set out below. Each academic year, an Honours Thesis Schedule will be posted which outlines the exact dates and deadlines which students must meet in completion of the requirements for RELS 4000 and 4001.
Deadlines for Rels 4000.1 4001.2
Mid September
Thesis committee, made up of thesis director and one reader from full-time Religious Studies faculty formed.
End of September
Written proposals submitted to Thesis director and Department Chairperson for circulation to all full-time faculty in the Religious Studies Department. Students requiring Research Ethics Board Approval for their thesis methodology must submit their applications for the REB with their Honours Thesis Proposal.
Early to Mid October
Oral presentation of proposals to the Religious Studies Department, faculty and Honours students. Students will receive a mark for the written and oral component of this phase of the course.
End of December
Completion of research
Early January
Written progress reports submitted to faculty, committee members, and department chairperson
Mid January
Oral presentation of progress reports to Department of Religious Studies Faculty, Honours Students. Marks will be based on written and oral components. The mark for Honours Thesis Research will be submitted after the oral presentations and will reflect the marks received for the proposal (written and oral) as well as for the progress reports (written and oral).
Mid March (or before)
First drafts of theses submitted to thesis advisor, reader and Department chairperson
End of March
First drafts of theses returned to students with comments
Mid April
Final theses submitted to advisor, reader and Department chairperson. Oral presentation. See format and requirements for submission to the library.
RELS 4000 – Honours Thesis Research
RELS 4000 provides the student with the opportunity to select a thesis topic and put together a proposal under the guidance of their adviser and thesis committee. Following the successful acceptance of the proposal, the student will then proceed to conduct the necessary research to write their thesis. The Chairperson of the Religious Studies Department supervises the courses and is a consultant for all students registered in the course.
The Honours thesis journey begins with formation of an Honours Thesis Committee. Normally students should have consulted with departmental faculty about thesis supervision prior condition prior to enrolling in RELS 4000. In RELS 4000 the following main tasks will be done by the student in consultation with their thesis adviser and committee:
· Selecting a thesis topic
· Exploring the methods of creating your thesis
· Preparing and presenting a thesis proposal
· Conducting the appropriate research needed to write the thesis
Honours Thesis Proposal
The thesis proposal outlines the main subject of research. While it is not expected that you have reached definitive conclusions before your research has begun, you need to show that you have general knowledge about the area and that you have expectations of what you may find and write about. Don’t worry at this point about the final thesis. The main purpose of the exercise is to force you to think coherently, and in a focused way, about your particular topic. Below are the criteria under which your proposal and proposal presentation will be evaluated and discussed.
· Topic: Not all topics are worthwhile exploring, and many others will be too difficult or time consuming to tackle in an Honours thesis. You need to demonstrate that your topic is worthwhile pursuing. You also need to demonstrate the feasibility of your project. For example, while it may be interesting to research the changing religious beliefs of the Hmong in Western China, the subject would not easily handled within the limited time of an Honours thesis. However, a study of changing religious patterns of youths in Halifax would be appropriate.
· Methodology: An important aspect of the thesis proposal is that you show a methodological understanding of how you will be able to investigate the main topic of your thesis. For example, it is inappropriate to reach a conclusion about how television affects religious beliefs amongst Canadians based on 5 in-depth interviews, whereas a quantitative study with a suitable sample size would probably yield more convincing results (though the undertaking would likely make it impossible for an Honours project).
· Research Ethics Board Application. Students whose methodology involves research with human subjects must complete an application to the Research Ethics Board. This Application must be included in the Research proposal. It must be submitted to the REB as soon as project approval has been given by the department.
· A research plan with calendar deadlines: You need to demonstrate that you have a plan for your research that will align with the stated department deadlines. What are the major themes and steps required to develop your topic?
· Length: The proposal should be approximately ten pages.
1. Annotated Bibliography of proposed sources. Make use of the following resource for developing the annotated bibliography: http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/annotatebib.html and http://www.smu.ca/administration/library/annotbib.html
Students must provide the entire Religious Studies faculty and any additional committee members with copies of a written version of their thesis proposal by the approved deadline (end of September) provided at the beginning of the academic year.
Honours Thesis Topic Approval
Students must present a summary of their Honours Thesis Proposal in a meeting which will include departmental faculty and other Honours students. Faculty and committee approval of both the written proposal and the oral presentation of that proposal will constitute permission to proceed to the next phase of thesis production, subject to such modifications as the faculty may require. The department will provide students with a written assessment of their proposals and presentations no later than one week after the oral presentations.
Early Submission of Proposals
Students may present their proposals in the year preceding the one in which they intend to register in RELS 4000 and 4001. This must be done if data gathered, and other work accomplished, during the summer are to be guaranteed valid for thesis use. All research activities for theses should normally be completed by December 31. The remainder of the year will be spent in organizing materials and in writing.
Marking
The initial grade for RELS 4000 will be IC (Incomplete). After a grade for RELS 4000 has been determined, it will be applied to RELS 4000, usually in January. The final grade will be submitted upon completion of the following requirements:
Students must distribute to the faculty copies of a report documenting the progress on their thesis by early January (exact date to be posted at the beginning of the academic year), and attend a meeting with faculty and fellow Honours students in order to deliver their oral report on progress to date. The criteria under which the progress report will be evaluated is as follows:
2. Title Page for a Honor Thesis (see library requirements)
3. A summary, anecdotal account of research completed.
4. A detailed account of the outcomes of the research completed by answering these questions:
o How has the research altered your conception of the topic proposed?
o How successful has your methodology been?
o Has the methodology been adapted or changed?
o How has the proposed thesis or argument changed in the light of your research?
o How do you now envision an outline of the development of the Honours thesis?
o Other outcomes you think are important.
5. Annotated Bibliography of any additional works utilized. Make use of the following resource for developing the annotated bibliography: http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/annotatebib.html and http://www.smu.ca/administration/library/annotbib.html
6. Submit copies to the Thesis advisor, reader and Department chairperson.
7. Students must present their research progress in a meeting of the department faculty. The presentation should be a condensed form of the thesis proposal and last no longer than 20 minutes. It should touch on the main points of the thesis, briefly outlining the topic and providing information on how you intend to carry out the work. Following the presentation, the department faculty will ask questions to clarify points and give suggestions. A mark will be assigned for the oral and written report.
RELS 4001, Honours Thesis Writing
Requirements for Religious Studies 4001, Honours Thesis Writing
If you have not already done so, Register for RELS 4001 (3 credits). No person can proceed with RELS 4001 without the successful completion of RELS 4000. RELS 4001 is similar to an independent study in that you are working directly with your faculty thesis adviser to create the learning experience. Therefore, it is important for you and your faculty thesis adviser to outline your goals, timeline, and expectations of the thesis before the beginning of the semester.
To give you an idea of the hours involved, three credits are equivalent to approximately 135 hours of work per semester, which breaks down to nine hours of work per week. (This is the same amount of time any 300- or 400-level class typically requires.) As you can see, it will take a serious commitment of time and effort to complete your Honours thesis.
The first reading of theses will be conducted by thesis committees in early March. Students must submit copies of their theses to committee members by the scheduled date specified each year (early March). This should not be a rough draft, but should represent the students’ very best efforts. While committee members will correct errors and make suggestions for improvement, they will not undertake major editorial work on incomplete or hastily prepared first drafts.