Thesis Nitty-Gritty aka: the really boring, but easy-to-get-wrong part of the thesis process

1. Thesis Nitty-Grittyaka: the really boring, but easy-to-get-wrong part of the thesis process Psychology 985 Laura Chivers February 24, 2010

2. Application • Committee • Topic/Proposal • Attachments • Prospectus • Prospectus Meeting

3. Application • Deadlines : Submit in HARD COPY to WJH 218 • Deadline: Friday 12 March 2010, 4pm (2+ weeks!) • Preferred deadline • Facilitates summer funding, starting research or being away from Harvard over summer but being ready to begin in Sept • Must obtain an adviser and reader • Can submit application early if leaving for spring break • Second Deadline: Thursday 8 April 2010, 4pm • Later deadline is permissible, but can make life hard • If you can’t find reader, we will assign one, but not preferable

4. Application: Committee • Why choose committee now? • other departments, readers assigned after the work is done, sometimes blindly • Psychology is broad field, many ways to address a question • All thesis graders have input into the project before collecting data • Committee Roles • Thesis supervisor • supervises the research that you conduct for your thesis • participates in your thesis prospectus meeting • files midyear and end-of-year reports for your senior thesis tutorial (990/992/993) • reads and comments on your thesis • participates in your poster defense • works with reader to determine final grade • Thesis reader • participates in your thesis prospectus meeting • reads and comments on your thesis • participates in your poster defense • works with reader to determine final grade • you might consult with your reader during the year • if s/he has specific expertise you need, • if you have modified your thesis project and want to inform your committee).

5. Application: Committee • Composition • 1 supervisor • Regular Dept Faculty Member/Lecturer • Asterisked Board of Honors Tutors member • Sometimes, 1 co-supervisor • Graduate student G3 or higher, co-supervising no more than 2 theses • Non-asterisked Board of Honors Tutors member • Doctoral-level researcher outside of dept by petition only • 1 reader • Regular Dept Faculty Member/Lecturer • Board of Honors Tutors member • Same person as supervisor, if co-supervisor is from a different lab than supervisor • Either supervisor or reader MUST be departmental faculty member

6. Application: Proposal • Proposal • ½ to 2 pages long, attached to application • presents your thesis topic question • includes general method as it stands currently, including intended participants • Does not lock you in, but allows us to determine if the topic is • appropriate for a thesis • feasible to complete in the senior year

7. Application: Attachments • For everyone, a copy of your student record from the Advising Portal. • If your college grade-point average is lower than the 3.5 required for thesis writers: • submit a petition form with a statement explaining why you feel your GPA does not reflect your ability to do a thesis • Laura will contact your supervisor for more information • If you are requesting a non-departmental supervisor who is not a member of the Board of Honors Tutors: • submit a petition form with a statement explaining how this person is an appropriate supervisor for your research. • note the person's title and affiliation • if the person is not Harvard-affiliated, include her/his curriculum vitae (resume)

8. Application: Tips • Available at http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/psych/ug/thesis/step2/II.Honors.appl.form.htm • Title should be tentative thesis title • Signatures • Do not wait until the last minute to get signatures • Requires signature of supervisor and co-supervisor • Does not require reader signature, but be sure they have agreed • Requires Concentration Adviser signature • Approval: • CUI will review, Laura will contact you with questions • Approvals will be emailed out within a few weeks • Do not assume you have been approved if you don’t hear – check in with Laura • Changes to committee membership or substantial topic changes require new application • While waiting for approval, work on completing your prospectus!

9. Prospectus • Draft Due byWednesday 21 April 2010, 4p.m, to WJH 218 • May submit earlier to facilitate Prospectus Meeting • Goal: • Communicate clearly the relevance and plausibility of your work • No min or max, but range is four to twenty pages, typically between twelve and fifteen pages long, although there is no maximum or minimum length • Students having trouble formatting may consider QALMRI approach (Kosslyn & Rosenberg, 2001, Appendix B); or intro, methods, and if asked, proposed results • Methods should be fairly well developed • Serves a roadmap for prospectus meeting • Like a contract between you and committee members • Edits may be made after submission if and when the student and committee agree that changes are warranted • Revised prospectuses should be submitted in hard copy to WJH 218 whenever revisions occur, with signature of committee members on front

10. Prospectus Meeting • Presentation of your prospectus to your committee • Held with your entire committee present simultaneously • Chance to present thesis idea and research plan, and get feedback from committee • Official approval (or disapproval) of thesis plan • Possible outcomes: • Thesis proposal approved without reservation. • Thesis proposal approved with stipulation (attach copy) **most common • Thesis proposal not approved in present form; candidate required to  revise and  re-submit it.  Second prospectus meeting scheduled • Thesis proposal disapproved; candidate may continue a modified study               for half-course credit of Psychology 990/992/993. • Thesis proposal disapproved; student required to withdraw from               Psychology 990/992/993. • The prospectus you present to the committee may be a revised version of the prospectus you submit on April 21, 2010

11. Prospectus Meeting • Timing • Can’t be held until application is approved, although can be tentatively scheduled • Ideally will be held before CUHSR (IRB) approval, but definitely before beginning main data collection (piloting ok if CUHSR ok) • Should plan to complete before end of spring semester if possible (usually not held over summer) • “drop dead” deadline is Friday, October 1, 2010 • Two weeks before scheduled prospectus meeting, provide all committee members with a copy of your prospectus, and turn in a copy of this version of the prospectus to UGO, WJH 218 • Faculty are SUPER busy, so schedule this as far in advance as possible. One month advanced notice is not always enough. • Remember everyone must be in the room together at the same time, unless you have permission from Laura for someone to conference call.

12. Prospectus Meeting Tips • Print and bring to meeting Prospectus Meeting Evaluation Form • Form Available at: http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/psych/ug/deadlines/Prosp.eval.form.htm • Be sure all committee members sign form, turn into WJH 218 immediately • Remember, what you discuss is like a contract • We strongly recommend that after the prospectus meeting, you e-mail your thesis committee members with a summary of what was agreed at the meeting.