writing a ba thesis

7/31/2019 Writing a BA Thesis

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Program Chair

Professor Charles Lipson

Writing a BA Thesis in Political Science


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BA Thesis Path: 3rd Year Students

This meeting will focus on

The bureaucratic details ofwriting a BA Thesis

What you need to do now

How to research your thesisproject and write your paper

You can begin by reading chapters1-4 of my book,How to Write a BAThesis. It is assigned in theColloquium and covers the key points

you need to consider right now.


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By the end of eighth week of Spring Quarter,students who intend to write a BA thesis must have

Completed a one- or two-page proposal describing theirtopic and listing a few key readings

Chosen a faculty adviser

Gotten written approval from their faculty adviser to

supervise the project. (The faculty adviser does nothaveto be a member of the political science department.)

The signed proposal must be filed with the

department by the end of 8th

week, Spring Quarter.

Write BA Thesis Proposal and Findan Adviser This Spring


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All political science majors are welcome to writea BA Thesis.

Researching and writing a thesis is valuable in

its own right.

You do nothave to be eligible for honors towrite a thesis.

Is the BA Thesis for Honors or Not?


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Who is Eligible for Honors?Students who have done exceptionally well in

their courses and write an outstanding BA thesisare recommended for honors.

Honors requires

1. A BA Thesis approved for honors

2. A GPA of 3.6 or higher in political science

3. An overall GPA of 3.0 or higher

GPAs are determined in the quarter before yourgraduation. If you are graduating in the Spring,then your GPA eligibility is determined at the end

of Winter Quarter.


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All students writing a thesis, whether forhonors or not, must sign up for 2 coursesduring their 4th year:

BA Colloquium (PS 298)

BA Thesis Supervision (PS 299)

These courses each count as one coursetoward the twelve-course requirement.

They do notcount toward the subfield

distribution requirement.

BA Thesis Path: 4th Year Students


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BA Colloquium for 4th Year Students

The required BA Colloquium meets during theAutumn and Winter Quarters.

Since this counts as a single course, you registerfor this course for one quarter, not two.

You can choose whether to register for it duringthe Autumn or Winter. (The same rule applies tothe BA Faculty Thesis Supervision course.)

You musttake this course to graduate with honorsunless you meet one of the specific criteria forexceptions. I will explain them in a moment.


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The BA Colloquium helps students carry out theirthesis research and offers feedback on theirprogress.

The colloquium meets weekly in Autumn andevery other week in Winter.

Students discuss the entire process ofresearching and writing a thesis, and they presenttheir own work-in-progress.


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The department runs several BA Colloquia, each

emphasizing a different area of political science.

Each is led by a BA Preceptor, an advancedgraduate student in political science who

specializes in that area.Besides the Colloquium, you will have regular,

individual meetings with your faculty adviser.

So you have 2 sources of help on your project:

Your faculty adviser

The colloquium in your subfield, led by the

Preceptor


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How Do Grades Work For theBA Colloquium?

The grade is based on three factors:

1. Your regular attendance in the colloquiumduring the autumn and winter quarters

2. Your active participation in the colloquium,including presenting your own work andcommenting on others work

3. The quality of your draft papers, as evaluated bythe BA Colloquium preceptor


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Yes.You must take the Colloquium, even if you

are double-majoring and are required to

take a similar class in another major.Are there any exceptions?

Yes, but they are rare.

Must I Take the BA Colloquium?


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There are three exceptions to the rule that allHonors students must take the BA Colloquium.

1. Students who are abroad during the Autumn

2. Students who are not enrolled in the Autumn, or3. Students who are graduating early at the end of

Autumn quarter

Students who will be abroad or not enrolled in theWinterQuarter should still take the Colloquium.

You will need to inform the BA Preceptor of yoursituation in advance to arrange grading.

Exceptions to Taking the BA Colloquium?


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If you will not be taking the Colloquium for any ofthese reasons, you must inform the head of the

undergraduate program in writing and explain yourreason.

Please note that students who are excused from

taking the Colloquium will need to add one otherpolitical science class to fulfill the required 12.

If You Are Not Taking the BA Colloquium,You Must Notify the Chair of the

Undergraduate Program in Writing


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BA Thesis Supervision

To encourage regular meetings with your facultyadviser, you must register for PS 299, BA ThesisSupervision, during one quarter of your 4th year.

You will meet with your faculty supervisor allyear long, but you only register for one quarter.

The form for registering is at the College

advisers office.


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No. Appropriate faculty in otherdepartments are fine choices for BA advisors.

You will also take BA Thesis Supervision

with them, whether or not they are membersof the political science department.

Must the Faculty Advisor for myBA Thesis Be a Member of the

Political Science Department?


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How Do Grades Work For BAThesis Supervision?

First, the course meets over three quarters(autumn, winter, and spring until your paper iscompleted), but it counts only as a single course.

So it has only a single grade.

Your final grade for BA Thesis Supervision issimply the grade your faculty adviser gives your

BA Thesis.

BA Theses are given a letter grade, such as AMinus, as well as being evaluated as Honors or

Not.


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Who Decides Whether My BAThesis Receives Honors?

We have a standard procedure for deciding whethera paper receives honors.

Your Faculty BA Advisor and your BA Colloquium

Preceptor read the paper independently.

If both say yes, then your paper receives Honors

If both say no, then your paper does not receiveHonors

If one says yes and one says no, then we ask afaculty member to read the paper anonymously and

make the decision.


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Deadlines: 3rd Year

Students who want to write a BA thesis must

Write a brief proposal

Find a faculty adviser

Have the professor sign the proposal.

The signed proposal is due in Pick 401, at the

end of 8th week, Spring Quarter.

If you are not writing a BA Thesis, there areno deadlines during the 3rd Year.


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Deadlines: 4th Year

BA Theses and Long Papers must beapproved in the quarter you intend to graduate,or earlier.

Specific dates are available in the collegecatalog and on our Web site.

Wh If I I d G d E l ?


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What If I Intend to Graduate Early?All deadlines are related to the quarter you

graduate. For example,The GPA criteria must be met the quarter before

you graduate

The deadline for turning in your BA Thesis isduring the quarter you graduate

If you intend to graduate at the end of WinterQuarter, you should take the BA Colloquium.

If you intend to graduate early at the end ofAutumn Quarter, you should probably take the BAColloquium in your third year. Please consult

individually with the Program Chair.

C S


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Can You Switch Paths, from the BA

Thesis to the Long Paper?

Yes.

During your 4th year, you can still choose to write a20-page paper instead of the BA Thesis.

That is, you can switch even if you have begun theBA Colloquium and BA Thesis Supervision.

If you do switch, however, you will need to completethe required 12 courses for the Long Paper Path.

With the chairs permission, you mightbe able to geta grade for one of the two courses (the Colloquium orThesis Supervision), but not both. To receive a grade,you will need to complete a writing assignment.


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Double Majors: BA Path

If you intend to write a BA Thesis in political science,you must attend our departments BA Colloquium even ifyour other major requires attendance at its colloquium.

You may choose to write separate theses for each

department or one thesis to meet both requirements.

If you write a single thesis for both departments, you needto fill out a form, available from the College advisersoffice, and have it signed by the program chairs in both

departments.

To receive honors in political science, the BA thesis mustbe approved by ourdepartment at the honors level.


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Now, lets turn toresearching and writing the

thesis itself


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How to Find a Thesis Topic

Your first task really proceeds in three stages.

1. Pick a topic you really care about.

Go fishing for a topic

Do lots of background reading on the subject2. Narrow your topic to a manageable size.

3. Work to convert your topic into a question.

An interesting question is the key to an interestingthesis

Work closely with your faculty adviser in narrowingyour topic and converting it into a good question.


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Key Points in Researching a Thesis

Once you have narrowed your topic or developeda question, you need to study it in depth.

Start by making a reading list

Ask your professor for additional readings.

Your goal is to work toward

A clear question and then an answer

The answer is your thesis or central argument.

Every thesis should have a thesis.


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Structuring Your Paper

Lets assume you have found a good question.Your answer proceeds in several steps, or sections.

Link the sections together with smooth transitions.

Ask yourself, what are the steps I need to take tomake an argument. The steps are the sections ofthe paper.

Start EndWhat steps do I need to take here?


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Structuring Your Paper: A Metaphor

Think of the steps in your argument as if theywere stepping stones to help you cross a stream.

Riverbank Riverbank

Introduction ConclusionStages of Your Argument


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Structuring Your Paper

Ask yourself: What are the steps I need to taketo make an argument.

Work hard with your adviser to figure outWhich steps you need to take

What order you need to take them in

Start End1 2 3 4

Steps in your Argument


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The Trick to Writing a BA ThesisWrite a very brief introduction laying out the

argument for yourself. That will get you started.Then, write each step as a totally separate paper.

Next, fit the separate papers together with brieftransitions.

They should fit easily.

Start End1 2 3 4

Th T i k W it E h St


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The Trick: Write Each Step as a

Separate 5-6 Page Paper

Write each step as a totally separate paper.

Dont worry about any of the other sections.

Start End1 2 3 4X X X X X

Th T i k W it E h St


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The Trick: Write Each Step as a

Separate 5-6 Page Paper

Write section 2 as a separate paper.

Dont think about sections 1, 3, or anythingelse.

Start End21 3 4X X X X X

Th T i k t W iti BA Th i


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The Trick to Writing a BA Thesis

If the sections do not fit together easily, then you

have one of two problems.You left out a section, or

You put the sections in the wrong order

It is easy to fix either problem.

Start End1 2 43

Li ki U th S ti


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Linking Up the SectionsOnce you have written the separate papers and

lined them up in order, you need to writetransitions.

Start End1 2 3 4

Y C t W it th I t d ti


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You Cannot Write the Introductionand Conclusion Until You Have

Drafted the Whole Paper

Introduction Conclusion

Write an early draft of the introduction to get you

started. But dont waste too much time on it.Work on the introduction and conclusion as the

last stages of your project. Edit and rewrite them.

21 3 4


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Checklist to Remember for Good Theses

Compare your argument with others

Why is your better than the others?

If you use case studies, you should explain

Why you are using case studies at all?

Why you are using these particular ones?

Explain the limits of any generalizations youdevelop or test.

Are you claiming too much or too little?

Ad i b t W iti


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Advice about Writing

Do notseparate the stages of research and writing.

Write up your work as you go along.

Cite as you write.

Bring brief written materials to your adviserwhenever you meet.

Pick an audience to write for.

My suggestion is write for a friend who ismajoring in history or sociology.


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Meeting with Your Faculty Adviser

Establish a schedule with your advisor.Set out your key ideas in writing as soon as

possible and share them with your adviser.

Bring two copies of your draft paper to eachmeeting.

stapled, numbered pages

Include your name and email address

Before each meeting, think about what you wantto accomplish.

A Q i ?


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Any Questions?

I hope I have addressed your mainquestions and concerns.

Im happy to answer questions.

writing a ba thesis

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