To all of the prospective thesis writers out there – take a deep breath. It will all work out in the end, I promise… as long as you make a plan for how you’re going to get this done. Prior to the first day of class, I emailed my professor and told her that I was planning on dropping the course – I had no experience conducting research and doubted my ability to get it done. Luckily, I chose to stick with the course, and if I can do it, anyone can. Going into V499, I did not yet have an advisor or even a research question, so it’s important that you avoid the same mistakes I made.
Choosing a Research Topic
The first question you should ask yourself is what you want to study. Do you want to write a qualitative or quantitative research paper? Some of my classmates who chose qualitative research papers preferred it because they didn’t have to conduct data analysis, while others regretted the decision because they had to rely on other people for their data. I was in the opposite boat – I conducted a quantitative analysis, however I never enrolled in a statistics course while here at IU, and as a result my data analysis was not as comprehensive as my advisor wanted it to be. When considering a research topic, it not only matters what you are passionate about – it also matters what you are good at. Play to your strengths! If you like using R or Excel, I recommend conducting a quantitative analysis. If you prefer reading articles and writing analysis, a qualitative project may be more your speed.
Choosing an Advisor
It is imperative that you maintain a strong relationship with your advisor. Your advisor is who grades your thesis, so it is important to know what they are looking for. However, it is also important that your advisor understands the expectations for you and your thesis. You may choose to try and publish your thesis when you finish, but that is not a requirement. This course is more about the process of writing a thesis and less about writing a paper that could be published in a journal. If your advisor does not have much experience advising V499 students, ensure that they understand what is expected of you so they do not ask too much or too little of you.
Choosing When to Write
At some point in the semester, you will submit a formal writing schedule. I never once looked back on my writing schedule after submitting it, and did not stick to it in the slightest. That being said, I was very much rushed towards the end of the semester, and I was even editing my thesis past the deadline because I made a careless error during my data analysis. It is important that you pace yourself throughout the semester so that you can enjoy the end of the year and not be stressed about finishing your thesis. The V499 deadlines are “soft deadlines” but I still suggest sticking to them to the fullest extent possible – if you start to fall behind, you will likely not catch up again until the very end of the semester. I recommend scheduling your writing time to directly follow any meetings you may have with your advisor. Meeting with your advisor regularly will hold you accountable to your writing schedule.
Congratulations on getting to this point and deciding to write a thesis. Best of luck to you!
Noah Johnson is a senior at Indiana University Bloomington majoring in law and public policy with minors in business and psychology. Noah is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana and hopes to pursue a career in… he’s not sure yet.
Leave a Reply