Honors Project Guidelines

The Honors Project offers Honors students the opportunity to delve deeply into an interdisciplinary topic of their choice. The project may be either research-oriented or a creative effort.

As an Honors student, you must complete two Honors Seminars and one Honors Core course with grades of B or higher before you can start working on your Honors Project proposal. This requirement ensures that students have developed the analytical and critical thinking skills they need to pursue a rigorous Honors Project.

The Honors Project is a two-semester process: one semester is devoted to developing the Honors Project proposal, and the second semester to the project itself.

Notes: 

1. We highly recommend taking class HP 400 (Research Methods) before embarking on your Honors projects and enrolling in HP 405.
2. The proposal of a topic should occur at the end of your junior year, at the earliest. We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last semester of your senior year to complete the project to avoid unnecessary pressure.

I. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The goals of this element of the Honors Program are much broader than the production of a proposal and project alone. They aim to give the student substantial experience in:

• selecting a topic
• refining a research idea or creative concept
• collaborating with your student peers and faculty advisor(s)
• drafting a proposal
• pursuing independent research using peer-reviewed publications or by doing creative work
• drafting and revising one’s work
• presenting your project to your committee: your advisor, your second reader, and a representative from the Honors committee
• fielding questions from an audience
• presenting your research to a wider audience at Caldwell’s Research and Creative Arts Day

II. CONDUCTING RESEARCH

a. Selecting a topic

Choose a limited, well-defined, focused topic, and something that is reasonable in terms of time.

What are the issues? Develop a thesis expressing the main idea of the paper.

Focus on an in-depth approach rather than trying to give an exhaustive overview, which usually ends up being vague and unstructured.

We recommend that the topic be looked at from a variety of viewpoints. What methods or techniques are you going to use to explore your topic? Different disciplines, such as the social sciences and the humanities, use different methods to analyze subject matter. See part VI.

Once you have a topic in mind, choose an advisor for the project. An advisor’s duties are to provide you with feedback throughout the proposal and Honors Project process. The advisor will help you develop a focused proposal based on your interests and may refer you to relevant source materials. They read the drafts of your proposals and projects, and they are available for consultation on evaluating its strengths and weaknesses before your final revision. Your advisor will attend the Honors Project presentation and discuss your project with your committee

It is best to choose someone whom you know and who knows your work. An advisor should have expertise in the area of your work. Make sure that the faculty member you ask is willing to commit enough time in the semester you are working on your proposal and the semester in which you enroll in HP 405 to advise you properly (in other words, this is at least a two-semester commitment from your advisor). You need to check with the co-Directors on your choice of advisor. If the advisor has any questions that you cannot answer about the program, please refer them to the Co-Directors.

Remember that faculty members are not obligated to be advisors. They advise because they want to assist students in learning. You should do everything within your ability to accommodate the schedule and advice of your advisor. It is best to ask full-time faculty to be advisors.

If any major problems arise between you and your advisor, please speak to the Co-Directors as soon as possible.

b. Writing a proposal

Include a brief description of the project, explain why it is a valid and interesting topic, and describe the approach chosen. Give a preliminary outline, including introduction, body and conclusion, as well as a preliminary bibliography. You should be familiar with the works included in your bibliography.

The proposal must also include a timeline signed by you and your advisor. It will set deadlines for the completion of each stage of the project.

Proposals will not be accepted late. See deadlines at the end of these guidelines.

Be sure to develop your proposal with the help of your advisor. The co-Directors must have the advisor’s approval before your proposal is reviewed by the Honors committee.

The committee will read proposals and make suggestions for revision. Revisions are due based on the schedule below. Changes in focus must be made known to the advisors and the Director.

The proposal, less the length of the bibliography and contract, should be a minimum of four double-spaced pages in 12-point type. The bibliography should contain a minimum of 15-20 scholarly sources. 

We strongly urge you to review this presentation, which provides information about what we expect from Honors Project proposals. We expect you to follow the proposal template.

III. CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESEARCH PAPER

A research paper uses information other than the writer’s knowledge and experience. However, a research paper is not just a collection of the thoughts and opinions of others. You must use the information of others to support the argument that you will construct. Citations may include original works and secondary sources, but the paper is to be the synthesis of your thinking.

IV. VARIOUS APPROACHES AND KINDS OF PROJECTS

You may describe or explain a problem, analyze primary material, or argue a point of view. To give a better idea, here are some types of projects that would use such approaches:

A review of the literature on a problem

A content analysis of primary materials: reading original works by one or more authors to extract a common theme or key ideas

A topic using social science methods, such as surveying and interviewing

An investigation of a problem or an answer to a question

A comparison and contrast of related people, events, and periods

V. THE WRITING PROCESS

Write a preliminary draft. The final research project, with fewer bibliography and supporting documents, should be approximately 20 to 30 pages in length.

Revise the first draft for form and content by working on effective writing, clarity of ideas, and organization with the help of your advisor.

Write and proofread the final draft by making suggested changes, doing further research, and revising the writing.

Use the MLA or APA publication manuals for form and notation of sources.

Be sure you are consistent.

VI. METHODOLOGICAL AWARENESS

Students should understand how to use the methods or techniques of the discipline(s) that they are using to present their research. What tools are you using to evaluate your sources or to conduct your experiments or surveys? Be sure to explain these in your research. Try to present material in a clear and understandable manner.

The conclusion of the paper should be explicit about:

• The significance of the topic or work in terms of disciplines
• What further work could be done on the subject

VII. CREATIVE PROJECTS

If a student is interested in presenting a creative project (fiction, a play, a series of artworks, a performance, etc.), he or she will also have to develop a proposal and project following the above guidelines. This proposal will state the student’s objectives and the concept behind the creative effort. In short, the proposal provides the project with a theoretical framework by situating it within ideas.

Whether it is a creative writing project, a fine arts project, or a performance, the final product will have to be accompanied by a written synopsis of the project. In the synopsis, you will state what your influences are and how you situate yourself within your field. You must also describe your creative process or how you went about doing your project. The synopsis should be a minimum of 10 pages in length, less bibliography and documentation.

In the conclusion of the synopsis, you must indicate how your creative work relates to other disciplines. You should also think of how your work could be interpreted by others, including those outside your discipline.

The presentation for a creative writing project should be accompanied by a reading. The defense of a fine arts project should include a presentation or exhibition of the actual works of art. Some projects demand a performance. The scope of these presentations should be discussed with your advisor and the co-directors.

VIII. STUDENTS’ RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS

The student is responsible for keeping in touch with the advisor and the co-Directors and for arranging to meet the advisor on a regular basis. The student should give a first draft of the project to the advisor well ahead of the due date to allow ample time for revisions.

Should problems arise, the student has the option to request a change of advisor. Also, the advisor may withdraw, notifying the co-Directors and the student.

An unofficial “midterm grade” (P or F) will be given by the advisor to the student. Should the student receive an F, she or he will have time to withdraw from the project. Only under extraordinary circumstances, such as serious health problems, will an incomplete grade be granted.

The deadline for handing in the paper must be respected.

IX. THE PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT

The project and HP 405 will be graded on a pass/fail basis. The project is presented prior to the end of the student’s senior year before a committee: the student’s advisor, the second reader (another faculty member whose expertise pertains to the topic and who is from a different department than the advisor), and a faculty member from the Honors committee. The advisor and the co-Directors must approve the choice of the second reader. The student works with the approved committee to schedule the presentation (we highly recommend using a doodle poll to coordinate schedules). During the presentation, the advisor will act as moderator. After the student presents the project, they leave the room, and the committee votes to approve or reject the project, and the student is informed.

The presentation includes three aspects:

• A presentation of your findings to the committee, including a brief discussion of your process. This presentation should last approximately fifteen minutes. If there is a performance aspect to a creative project, it may precede the presentation.
• Answering questions from your committee members. This part explores the student’s work and will include clarifications and criticisms. The questioning segment is open-ended, but will not exceed one hour.
• In the spring, students will present their projects at Caldwell’s Research and Creative Arts Day.

X. DEADLINES

Projects completed in the Fall:

Proposals:
Project proposals must follow a three-step process. The deadlines for each step are as follows:

1. Timeline contract signed by Advisor: March 1
2. Proposal drafts: March 15
3. Revised proposals: April 15

Projects:

1. Faculty panel selection due by October 15
2. Final draft due to the panel by November 15

Project completed in the Spring:

Proposals:
Project proposals must follow a three-step process. The deadlines for each step are as follows:

1. Timeline contract signed by Advisor: October 1
2. Proposal drafts: October 15
3. Revised proposals: November 15

Projects:

1. Faculty panel selection due by March 15
2. Final draft due to the panel by April 15

XI. EXAMPLE OF “PROPOSAL TIMELINE CONTRACT”

The example below outlines a timeline for HP 405 only. Please consider expanding the example below to include, as well, your timeline for completing your proposal. Do not copy and paste the contract below- please make it your own!

With your advisor, supply dates for the following steps that meet the above deadlines.

__________ 1. Meet with the advisor and the Director to discuss completed research.

__________ 2. Introduction and full bibliography due.

__________ 3. First draft due.

__________ 4. Meet with the advisor to discuss revisions. Discuss panel selection with advisor and Director.

__________ 5. Discuss the presentation. Schedule presentation.

__________ 6. Meet with the advisor to approve the final revisions.

__________ 7. Get a revised copy to panel members.

Student’s Signature ___________________________________________

Advisor’s Signature ___________________________________________