Advice For Your Honors Thesis

Completing my honors thesis has been one of the most rewarding, yet challenging, projects I’ve embarked on during my time at IU. Do not be deterred by the slightly overwhelming idea of writing a thesis in one year – you can do it! Through this process you will learn so much about academic writing and your interest. However, here are a few key points to consider before beginning your thesis.

1. Take your time choosing your research topic: Fine-tuning your research question is essential. Not only will this keep you engaged in your research throughout the year, but a specific question that leads to a hypothesis will create a well established flow to your paper and ensure the relationship you are exploring is valid! Additionally, you’ll have a much easier time conducting your research.
2. Understand the method you are choosing: Depending on your research question, you may rely on quantitative or qualitative research methods. Regardless of what you choose, take the time to understand the pros and cons behind these two as well as the various techniques that fall under them. Developing your understanding of the technique you choose will make conducting your research a much smoother process.
3. Know your resources: Understanding how to use Google Scholar, the IU Document Delivery Service, and the various research and writing centers across campus can be super helpful! Also, your classmates and professors from 491/499 are always there to discuss ideas and more!
4. Set goals and deadlines for yourself (seriously): Take your time and assignments in V491 seriously – if you spend some time creating your research question, understanding your variables, and gathering literature you will be thanking yourself in V499 as you are writing the bulk of your thesis. Additionally, create a schedule of when you will be writing and stick to it! Life gets busy and committing yourself to a few hours of research and writing per week is essential to creating a good thesis.
5. Reread, review, and revise: Unfortunately, a thesis is not a one-draft kind of deal. Commit yourself to rereading a couple sections at a time and checking for spelling, grammar, or syntax errors. Additionally, I would recommend scheduling time to do major revisions (i.e., reorganizing sections of your paper, adding in something new, taking out sections, etc.) for after you have met with your advisor or have finished a peer review. These are typically the points at which bigger “issues” with your paper will be pointed out, so revising as soon as you have received feedback can keep it fresh on your mind. Lastly, have others read your paper or read it out loud. We can easily glance over silly errors in our papers while we skim and read in our heads.
6. Remain reasonable but be proud of yourself!: Remember, writing a thesis is not an easy task, especially for undergraduates doing it in under a year. Your thesis will not be perfect, but do not sweat the little details or small setbacks. By planning early and communicating with your advisor and professors, you can create a thesis that is feasible given the time and resources you have but is still something you are passionate about. Obstacles are inevitable during this process – but learning how to address them will allow you to learn so much from this process. Do not lose faith during this process and know that there are people who would love to help you throughout the way!

I am super grateful that I stuck through the honors program and completed my thesis. Frankly, writing a thesis seemed like something completely out of reach, but here I am! Throughout this process, I have found a passion for something I knew very little about before this year. I am grateful to have had great professors, classmates, and an advisor to support me along the way.

Laila Hamid is a senior at the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. She is studying Policy Analysis with minors in Information Systems and Environmental Science & Health. After graduation, Laila will be an Associate Analyst at Salesforce.