Anthropology Department Guidelines for Senior Theses Anthropology Department Guidelines for Senior Theses
Semester before thesis semester:
*Contact a potential thesis advisor.
*4 double-spaced page proposal due to advisor by date determined by department.
*final draft due to the department by date determined by the department.*beginning of pre-registration: department decision on proposal
Thesis semester:
* beginning of semester: consultations with first and second faculty supervisors
* mid-term: begin writing
* second to last or last week of classes: public oral presentation of thesis
* final exam week: submit signed final draft of thesis to department
MAP and the Senior Thesis, is designed to provide students an opportunity to do a piece of research and writing in any area of anthropology under the direction of two members of the anthropology faculty. A senior thesis may be based on original research, library research, or a combination of the two, but in any case should build on a student's previous course work in anthropology. It should include a thorough review of relevant previous literature and develop an original argument on the topic. In addition to a written paper, students are expected to do a public presentation of their thesis.
All Senior Theses are considered Mentored Advanced Projects (MAPs). Under this program the college may provide some funding for necessary expenses incurred during the completion of a thesis. Application for such funds must be made through a faculty member. There is also funding for students to present their theses at appropriate professional meetings any time within a year of graduation. Application for these funds is through the Dean's Office.
Enrollment in MAP or Senior Thesis is not automatic. Students must apply for permission to complete a senior thesis. The application consists of a written proposal to the department that explains the thesis topic and the student’s ability to successfully complete it. Students interested in submitting a thesis proposal should consult with a department member by the fifth week of the semester prior to that in which the thesis is to be written. Applications are due by two weeks before the first day of pre-registration for the semester in which the thesis is to be written. The faculty must be convinced that the student has already done enough work on the topic to allow the successful completion of a thesis by the end of the semester. The department will evaluate applications, will notify candidates of the departmental decision prior or during pre-registration, and if the proposal is accepted will assign a second reader.
The proposal should include:
· Description of the thesis topic (approximately 4 double-spaced pages)
-a statement of the central question(s) or hypothesis to be investigated.
-a brief overview of different ways this topic has been treated in recent scholarship [1]
-a clear indication of what theoretical approach or approaches will be used in the thesis and why.
-a clear indication of what methods will be used and, if the thesis entails work with living persons, an expression of understanding of the role of the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
· A statement of the student’s background relevant to completing the project, including previous coursework, off-campus study experience, and other experience (approx. 1 page)
· A bibliography with annotations of the sources that have already been used.
· The signature of a faculty member in the department who has agreed to be the primary supervisor for the thesis.Generally, students should plan to begin actual writing no later than mid-semester. This means that a considerable part of the necessary research must be completed prior to the beginning of the semester. It is the department’s expectation that the student will work closely with the primary faculty supervisor throughout the semester. The secondary reader’s role is more flexible, but at least will include close consultation with the student and the primary reader early in the semester as the topic and approach are being refined, and again toward the end of the semester to evaluate drafts of the thesis.
In the past, senior theses in anthropology have been anywhere from 30 to 60 pages long. Examples of previous theses are available for examination in Goodnow Hall. In preparing the final draft, students should use one of the major citation and bibliographic styles used in the discipline. (see the guidelines of the American Anthropological Association for an example.The Style Guide can be located at http://www.aaanet.org/pubs/style_guide.pdf )
The timing of a student’s oral presentation of the thesis will be based on mutual agreement, normally prior to final examination week
The student should submit an electronic version of the thesis to Sondi Burnell (burnell@grinnell.edu), Academic Support Staff in Goodnow Hall. The student should also prepare three copies of the final draft of the thesis, one for each reader and one for department files. The two readers will decide whether or not to accept the final version as submitted, indicating their acceptance by signing the copy of the thesis that will become part of the department’s collection.
———————————
[1] We envision not a comprehensive historical overview of the literature as much as a contextualization of where the student’s topic fits within a larger area of discourse, and then an indication of which conversation regarding the topic (perhaps of several possible ones) the student intends to join. The student, working with his/her advisor and other members of the department, should in the proposal identify, and at least briefly discuss, some of the important approaches that have been taken to the topic, but we do not expect the student to incorporate every one of these approaches in the final thesis.