Honors Thesis

• Exploring a topic of your choosing at greater depth
• Learning to develop a concise and testable research hypothesis
• Creating your research design
• Working closely with a faculty mentor
• Developing methodological skills using statistical techniques
• Collecting and collating primary data and sources
• Navigating libraries, archives, databases, and other research venues
• Contributing to your field by developing expertise on one issue
• Showing readiness for graduate school and professional life by developing transferable skills
• Demonstrating the ability to stay committed to a lengthy project
• Improving time management skills
• Presenting and defending research findings to a group of peers, faculty and deans
• Building self-confidence in working on a major independent project from start to finish

To determine if writing a thesis is right for you, ask yourself:

• Do you enjoy research and writing? 
• Do you have an idea for a question or problem you would like to explore in a year-long project?
• Do you want to demonstrate your ability to undertake a significant research project as readiness for graduate school or to a prospective employer?
• Do you enjoy working independently on projects? 
• Do you want to develop a close working relationship with a faculty mentor?
• Are you willing to commit to writing an honors thesis over other options, including writing a one-semester thesis in the context of a certificate program, pursuing a meaningful internship or spending time on extracurricular activities during your senior year?

If you answered “yes” to the questions above, writing a thesis may be a good fit for you. Discuss your interests with the curricular dean of your major and a faculty mentor.

• Talk to your dean and faculty members about topic ideas
• Attend campus lectures on topics of interest to begin gathering ideas for a thesis topic
• Take appropriate classes to provide sufficient background in your areas of interest – upper-level language classes are excellent preparation for reading primary source documents (IECO and IPEC majors should complete the prerequisites in order to take ECON 2120 by junior year at the latest)
• Take core and major foundation classes (e.g, GOVT 1400 and 1600 for IPOL; regional history courses for RCST; CULP 2100 for CULP)
• Define possible topics within your major during the major declaration process
• Attend the thesis presentations of graduating seniors, the Carroll Round and other thesis workshops
• Keep on track with course count and requirements to ensure you won’t need to take an overload in your senior year. If possible, taking only four classes while writing your thesis during your senior year is ideal

• String together courses that relate to your topic, utilizing core, major and elective courses
• Identify a faculty mentor with the appropriate expertise and with whom you believe you can work well
• Attend the Carroll Round (for IECO and IPEC students)
• Discuss your topic with your mentor and dean and develop a specific hypothesis
• Read relevant materials and attend a workshop on developing a thesis proposal
• Continue to take appropriate classes relevant to your topic
• Do background reading on topics of interest
• Talk to students doing an honors thesis to see whether this is something you want to tackle
• Discuss an appropriate course load for your senior year with your dean
• Submit a thesis proposal by the deadline (letter of intent for IECO and IPEC)

• What classes did you like, and why?
• Looking over the syllabus of these classes, what issues stand out?
• What debates did you find interesting?
• What paper did you write that you would like to continue?
• What articles and newspapers raised compelling questions you’d like to explore further?

• Select a topic you can explore sufficiently within the allotted time frame
• Select a topic that is fascinating to you and will hold your attention
• Select a topic that is neither too narrow nor too broad
• Review your major declaration essay to recall your individual themes, questions and case studies of interest
• Talk to a faculty member who knows about the topic to ensure that your topic has not been done before and to get help defining your topic
• Think about how your exploration of a topic provides an original contribution to the field
• Identify a well-defined topic that is closely linked to a larger issue you can explain
• Engage in brainstorming and pre-writing to articulate your initial ideas
• Within your topic, identify a single, precise question—a hypothesis—that your thesis will answer

• What do I already know about the topic? 
• Why do I care about this topic?
• Why is this topic important to others?
• What more do I want to learn about this topic?
• What is the main question I am trying to answer? 
• Where can I look for additional information?
• How will my work inform my larger field of study?

You need a hypothesis that:

• Is reasonable, given your academic background, resources and skills
• Has not been adequately addressed in the scholarly literature
• Expresses one main point and is specific
• Does not have an obvious answer but is answerable
• Takes a stand by showing your conclusions about a subject
• Deserves research because it will make a meaningful contribution to our understanding of a larger problem or issue
• Is falsifiable–can be contradicted by empirical observation and data
• Can be answered within the allotted time frame

• Raffael Correa’s project of reform represented a worsening of the legitimacy deficit of Ecuador’s government.
• The Chinese government managed nationalism through newspapers in the EP-3 incident.
• Is Islamic feminism in Spain a Spanish or an Islamic movement?
• Household spending on entertainment and education is correlated with socio-economic class in Ecuador.
• Why are some states more embedded in the non-proliferation regime than others?
• To what extent does the presence of the internet challenge the durability of the French state?
• What are the prospects for Turkey to complete the consolidation of its democracy against the realities of its cultural and historical challenges?
• What factors explain Tanzania’s long history of peace in light of its war-prone neighborhood?
• If women assert their rights within a framework of Islamic justice rather than secular equality, what are the implications for female participation in a democratic state?

IECO and IPEC majors should refer to the Carroll Round proceedings journal for samples of thesis topics and hypotheses.

A brief introductory section to set the scene for your topic. You may consider beginning with a relevant quote or anecdote. State your hypothesis clearly. Identify your faculty mentor.

Literature review to show your familiarity with the topic and relevant scholarly literature in the field. Sum up what has been done on this topic and explain your unique contribution.

The methods section describes how you will go about doing the research. Explain how you will test your hypothesis and what specific data/sources you will use. Identify any problems you foresee in obtaining the necessary resources.

The analytical section is where you describe the implications of your results. You should begin to address the ‘so what’ question of what your results might reveal.

The feasibility and limitations section, in which you outline your course background and skills (languages, statistical competence, etc.) appropriate to carrying out the research and producing a convincing argument.

A preliminary bibliography will include a listing of both primary and secondary sources.

• Experienced advisor during the early stages of defining and structuring the topic
• Scholarly guide to the main literature on the thesis topic and to appropriate resources
• Intellectual partner and constructive critic during the research and writing phases of the project.

• Talk to professors with whom you’ve taken a course
• Ask for recommendations from professors, your curricular dean and the field chair
• Check bibliographies for articles or books written by Georgetown faculty
• Look through the schedule of classes to see who is teaching on your topic/region of interest
• Peruse departmental websites and the directory for information on individual professors’ research interests

The definition of and need for “primary sources” depend on the subject of the thesis. Primary sources might include:

• Websites and business records
• Legal, philosophical or other texts
• Historical archives or other document collections
• Works of art and literature in original languages (or, where appropriate, in translation)
• Scientific papers and technological sources
• Cultural artifacts
• Economic, survey and other statistical data
• Interviews conducted by the student
• Newspaper or other first-hand accounts of events
• Memoirs

Three complete hard copies of the thesis should be turned in to the curricular dean, and an additional hard copy should be submitted directly to the faculty mentor. An electronic copy should also be sent to the curricular dean.

IECO and IPEC majors should see the specific information below.

• The manuscript should be typed, double-spaced and on one side of 8 1/2-by-11- inch paper
• The pages should be numbered
• The cover sheet should include
  • The thesis title
  • The student’s name
  • The mentor’s name
  • The phrase “A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Honors in [Major Field], Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, [Semester and Year].”
• Notes and references may be given as footnotes, endnotes or in-text citations. However, notes—including the citation of electronic sources—must follow a consistent, recognized scholarly format appropriate for the field in which the thesis is written (please consult your faculty mentor for the appropriate style—styles vary across disciplines)
• The thesis must contain a full bibliography or list of references
• Illustrations, maps, appendices or other materials may be included if they are essential to the argument advanced in the work; all materials must be fully cited, whether from primary sources or taken from published sources
• Thesis pages should be bound or secured