Department of Religious Studies

The Honours Thesis Guide and

Course Requirements

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HONOURS THESIS GUIDE Table of Contents

Title PageTable of Contents 2

Introduction 3Honours Thesis Overview 4Honours Thesis Deadlines 5-6Rels 4000.1 Overview 7Rels 4001.2 Overview 8Grading Summary 9Thesis Advisor and Committee 10Thesis Topics and Methodology 11Writing an Honours Thesis 12-15

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Introduction

The Honours thesis may seem like a daunting task, but with the help of the Religious Studies Department and your faculty thesis adviser, we believe it will be one of your most rewarding academic experiences. Pursuing a thesis topic of your choice will result in a project that utilizes all the knowledge and skill that you have been cultivating throughout your University career. You will hone those skills in a challenging and creative process guided and mentored by your thesis advisor and the rest of the Religious Studies faculty. Our hope is that by completing the Honours thesis, you will develop an appreciation for the challenges, complexities, and rewards of this type of academic work.

Many Honours graduates say that the Honours thesis is one of the highlights of their undergraduate academic experience. The thesis allowed them to explore areas of their most passionate interests, engage in the process of discovery, and work one-on-one with outstanding faculty. The Honours thesis has benefits beyond university as well. Former students have used their theses to gain entrance into graduate programs where an honours thesis is seen as tangible proof of your ability to ask questions, research, write, complete and defend a substantial piece of academic work. Even if you do not plan to attend graduate school in the near future, the thesis experience is an impressive accomplishment to list on your resume. It shows that you are persistent, creative, and hard working – characteristics highly valued in today’s job market.

Although the subject matters are diverse, common elements of theses include working hard, engaging in creative activity, using your imagination, developing a productive one-on-one relationship with your faculty thesis adviser, writing and editing a polished paper, and making a formal oral presentation on your thesis work. Diversity extends beyond subject matter and includes such things as theoretical foundations and methodology. For example, a thesis based on Biblical analysis is very different than one based on ethnographic research. The thesis requirements have been crafted to recognize these differences so that you will have the flexibility to be creative in your own areas of interest and expertise.

The information in the Honours Thesis Guide will help you navigate your way through the process of completing your Honours thesis. It is not an exhaustive resource, so consult with your faculty thesis adviser and your thesis committee members. Your adviser and committee are here to help make the Honours thesis a meaningful experience that you will reflect upon one day as a capstone to your education at Saint Mary’s University. Good luck!

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Honours Thesis Overview

The Honours thesis is the quintessential academic experience that allows undergraduate students to explore academic areas of their most passionate interests, engage in the process of discovery, and make a creative contribution in their areas of interest and expertise. The Honours thesis is a major exercise in scholarly research and writing. It is an opportunity for students to explore an interest and fashion it into an acceptably conceptualized, organized and stylized final product. Original research is encouraged although not required. The research and writing must be excellent.

The Honours thesis is a 6 credit endeavor supervised by a thesis committee of at least two faculty (a faculty thesis adviser and one additional committee member who is also a faculty member). The development of the thesis takes shape within the framework of RELS 4000 Honours Thesis Research and RELS 4001 Honours Thesis Writing. These courses are normally taken consecutively in a single academic year. [Under special circumstances such as students doing field research, it is possible to enroll in RELS 4000 Honours Thesis Research during the summer semester immediately prior to the year in which the student will complete RELS 4001 Honours Thesis Writing.] Enrolment in RELS 4000 and 4001 is restricted to Honours students in Religious Studies. No student may enroll in these courses without prior approval of the departmental chairperson. Please note that students are required to be present at the University during while writing their theses. It is not possible to do Honours by distance. The Honours Thesis Research and Honours Thesis Writing Courses are administered by the Department Chairperson. Students participating in the courses may be required to meet with the Chair to discuss their progress in the courses.

The Honours thesis has written and speaking components. In Religious Studies, the written component is a process comprised of a proposal, a progress report and a 60-80 page formal thesis. The speaking component consists of a fifteen to twenty minute formal oral presentation of the proposal, of the progress report, and of the final product by the Honours student followed by a question and answer session with the committee.

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DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES

HONOURS THESIS DEADLINES2009-2010

In order to ensure that, by the end of the Honours thesis year, students have submitted an acceptably conceptualized, researched and written thesis, the Religious Studies department has adopted a production schedule-the outline of which is set out below. Each academic year, an Honours Thesis Schedule will be posted which outlines the exact dates and deadlines which students must meet in completion of the requirements for RELS 4000 and 4001.

Deadlines for Rels 4000.1 4001.2

Mid SeptemberThesis committee, made up of thesis director and one reader from full-time Religious Studies faculty formed.

End of SeptemberWritten proposals submitted to Thesis director and Department Chairperson for circulation to all full-time faculty in the Religious Studies Department. Students requiring Research Ethics Board Approval for their thesis methodology must submit their applications for the REB with their Honours Thesis Proposal.

Early to Mid OctoberOral presentation of proposals to the Religious Studies Department, faculty and Honours students. Students will receive a mark for the written and oral component of this phase of the course.

End of DecemberCompletion of research

Early JanuaryWritten progress reports submitted to faculty, committee members, and department chairperson

Mid JanuaryOral presentation of progress reports to Department of Religious Studies Faculty, Honours Students. Marks will be based on written and oral components. The mark for Honours Thesis Research will be submitted after the oral presentations and will reflect the marks received for the proposal (written and oral) as well as for the progress reports (written and oral).

Mid March (or before)First drafts of theses submitted to thesis advisor, reader and Department chairperson

End of March First drafts of theses returned to students with comments

Mid AprilFinal theses submitted to advisor, reader and Department chairperson. Oral presentation. See format and requirements for submission to the library.

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Honours Thesis Schematic Timeline

Thesis Proposal

Written proposals are submitted to faculty and committee. Oral

presentation of proposals.

Written Proposal: End SeptOral Presentation: Mid Oct

Completion of Research

End of December

Application

Apply to registrar for entry into Honours program, preferably

during the second year, but no later than the third year.

Register for RELS 4000 Honours Thesis

Research

Register for the two Honours courses: RELS 4000.1 & RELS 4001.2 during the last year of

your Honours program.

Progress Report

Written report submitted to faculty and committee members.

Oral presentation of progress report. How has your research changed developed your thesis

topic and thesis argument?

Written: Early JanuaryOral Presentations: Mid Jan

First Draft

First Draft submitted to committee members. Copies to

Course supervisorMid March

First Draft returned with comments:End March

Final Draft

The final copy of thesis submitted to faculty and

committee members. Draft must meet all of the requirements for

submission to the library for binding.

Oral presentation of findings

Mid April

RELS 4000 – Honours Thesis Research

RELS 4000 provides the student with the opportunity to select a thesis topic and put together a proposal under the guidance of their adviser and thesis committee. Following the successful acceptance of the proposal, the student will then proceed to conduct the necessary research to write their thesis. The Chairperson of the Religious Studies Department supervises the courses and is a consultant for all students registered in the course.

The Honours thesis journey begins with formation of an Honours Thesis Committee. Normally students should have consulted with departmental faculty about thesis supervision prior condition prior to enrolling in RELS 4000. In RELS 4000 the following main tasks will be done by the student in consultation with their thesis adviser and committee:

Selecting a thesis topic Exploring the methods of creating your thesis Preparing and presenting a thesis proposal Conducting the appropriate research needed to write the thesis

Honours Thesis Proposal

The thesis proposal outlines the main subject of research. While it is not expected that you have reached definitive conclusions before your research has begun, you need to show that you have general knowledge about the area and that you have expectations of what you may find and write about. Don’t worry at this point about the final thesis. The main purpose of the exercise is to force you to think coherently, and in a focused way, about your particular topic. Below are the criteria under which your proposal and proposal presentation will be evaluated and discussed.

Topic: Not all topics are worthwhile exploring, and many others will be too difficult or time consuming to tackle in an Honours thesis. You need to demonstrate that your topic is worthwhile pursuing. You also need to demonstrate the feasibility of your project. For example, while it may be interesting to research the changing religious beliefs of the Hmong in Western China, the subject would not easily handled within the limited time of an Honours thesis. However, a study of changing religious patterns of youths in Halifax would be appropriate.

Methodology: An important aspect of the thesis proposal is that you show a methodological understanding of how you will be able to investigate the main topic of your thesis. For example, it is inappropriate to reach a conclusion about how television affects religious beliefs amongst Canadians based on 5 in-depth interviews, whereas a quantitative study with a suitable sample size would probably yield more convincing results (though the undertaking would likely make it impossible for an Honours project).

Research Ethics Board Application. Students whose methodology involves research with human subjects must complete an application to the Research Ethics Board. This Application must be included in the Research proposal. It must be submitted to the REB as soon as project approval has been given by the department.

A research plan with calendar deadlines: You need to demonstrate that you have a plan for your research that will align with the stated department deadlines. What are the major themes and steps required to develop your topic?

Length: The proposal should be approximately ten pages.

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1. Annotated Bibliography of proposed sources. Make use of the following resource for developing the annotated bibliography: http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/annotatebib.html and http://www.smu.ca/administration/library/annotbib.html

Students must provide the entire Religious Studies faculty and any additional committee members with copies of a written version of their thesis proposal by the approved deadline (end of September) provided at the beginning of the academic year.

Honours Thesis Topic ApprovalStudents must present a summary of their Honours Thesis Proposal in a meeting which will include departmental faculty and other Honours students. Faculty and committee approval of both the written proposal and the oral presentation of that proposal will constitute permission to proceed to the next phase of thesis production, subject to such modifications as the faculty may require. The department will provide students with a written assessment of their proposals and presentations no later than one week after the oral presentations.

Early Submission of ProposalsStudents may present their proposals in the year preceding the one in which they intend to register in RELS 4000 and 4001. This must be done if data gathered, and other work accomplished, during the summer are to be guaranteed valid for thesis use. All research activities for theses should normally be completed by December 31. The remainder of the year will be spent in organizing materials and in writing.

MarkingThe initial grade for RELS 4000 will be IC (Incomplete). After a grade for RELS 4000 has been determined, it will be applied to RELS 4000, usually in January. The final grade will be submitted upon completion of the following requirements:

Students must distribute to the faculty copies of a report documenting the progress on their thesis by early January (exact date to be posted at the beginning of the academic year), and attend a meeting with faculty and fellow Honours students in order to deliver their oral report on progress to date. The criteria under which the progress report will be evaluated is as follows:

2. Title Page for a Honor Thesis (see library requirements)3. A summary, anecdotal account of research completed.4. A detailed account of the outcomes of the research completed by answering these questions:

o How has the research altered your conception of the topic proposed? o How successful has your methodology been? o Has the methodology been adapted or changed? o How has the proposed thesis or argument changed in the light of your research?o How do you now envision an outline of the development of the Honours thesis? o Other outcomes you think are important.

5. Annotated Bibliography of any additional works utilized. Make use of the following resource for developing the annotated bibliography: http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/annotatebib.html and http://www.smu.ca/administration/library/annotbib.html

6. Submit copies to the Thesis advisor, reader and Department chairperson. 7. Students must present their research progress in a meeting of the department faculty. The presentation

should be a condensed form of the thesis proposal and last no longer than 20 minutes. It should touch on the main points of the thesis, briefly outlining the topic and providing information on how you intend to

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carry out the work. Following the presentation, the department faculty will ask questions to clarify points and give suggestions. A mark will be assigned for the oral and written report.

RELS 4001, Honours Thesis Writing

Requirements for Religious Studies 4001, Honours Thesis Writing

If you have not already done so, Register for RELS 4001 (3 credits). No person can proceed with RELS 4001 without the successful completion of RELS 4000. RELS 4001 is similar to an independent study in that you are working directly with your faculty thesis adviser to create the learning experience. Therefore, it is important for you and your faculty thesis adviser to outline your goals, timeline, and expectations of the thesis before the beginning of the semester.

To give you an idea of the hours involved, three credits are equivalent to approximately 135 hours of work per semester, which breaks down to nine hours of work per week. (This is the same amount of time any 300- or 400-level class typically requires.) As you can see, it will take a serious commitment of time and effort to complete your Honours thesis.

The first reading of theses will be conducted by thesis committees in early March. Students must submit copies of their theses to committee members by the scheduled date specified each year (early March). This should not be a rough draft, but should represent the students’ very best efforts. While committee members will correct errors and make suggestions for improvement, they will not undertake major editorial work on incomplete or hastily prepared first drafts.

Within ten days after receiving first drafts, committee members will return them to students with comments (end March).Copies of the final, corrected draft of theses must be submitted to department and committee members no later than two weeks prior to the date when final grades are submitted to the Registrar (mid April).

Petitions for variance of these due dates, or for other changes in procedure, should be made in writing to the department in care of the chairperson.

See the Honours Thesis guides provided by the SMU library http://www.stmarys.ca/administration/archives/theses_honours.html

Grading Summaries

RELS 4000

Grades for RELS 4000.1(.2) will be calculated from the following assignments and activities:

Written thesis proposal 25%Oral presentation and defense of thesis proposal

25%

Written progress report* 25%Oral progress report* 25%

*The written and oral progress reports are normally held at the beginning of the second semester, therefore, a temporary grade of IC (Incomplete) will be assigned in December. Please note that in accordance with University regulations the IC

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does not carry quality points. Furthermore, if an IC grade has not been changed into a real grade six months from the last day of classes in the semester in which the course was taught it will automatically be converted to a failing grade of F.

Department members and any outside member of any particular committee will individually assign the grades for the two written and oral assignments. These grades will be averaged by the Chairperson to determine the final grade awarded. Grades of “D” and above will allow students to receive course credit, however, only grades of B (3.00) and above will be counted towards the Honours degree. Therefore a grade below a B means that the student cannot enroll in RELS 4001 and is effectively out of the Honours program.

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RELS 4001

Grades for RELS 4001.1(.2) will be calculated from the following assignments and activities:

Intellectual Content 50%

Thesis Writing 50%

 Department members plus the outside committee member of any committee will assign two grades for theses, one grade for intellectual content and another for writing presentation. These grades will be averaged by the chairperson to determine the final grade awarded. Grades will not be assigned on the condition or promise that certain changes will be made subsequent to submission.

Grades of D and above will allow students to receive course credit for RELS 4001.1(.2). Only grade of B (3.00) and above will count towards the Honours degree.

The department will not normally recommend a grade of IC (Incomplete) in RELS 4001.1(.2) unless special circumstances are provided in writing and approved by the Dean of Arts.

Failure to meet the deadlines for submission of proposals, progress reports and first drafts of theses will result in a penalty of one half grade for each late submission. Consequently, if a thesis grade would otherwise be B, it would receive a grade of B- if a student had submitted a late progress report. If the final version of a thesis is submitted late, it will be assigned a penalty of one-half grade for each working day late.

Students are responsible for word processing and reproducing proposals, progress reports and drafts of theses in all stages of production. Secretaries and other clerical assistants may not be held accountable for delays.

Honours Thesis Adviser and Committee

A prior condition for enrolling in RELS 4000 and 4001 is recruitment, at the student’s own initiative, of a thesis committee. The committee normally consists of one principal advisor from the Religious Studies department and one or two additional members, one of whom must be from the department. The committee will assume responsibility for day-by-day direction of the thesis effort, and students should consult most often with members of this group. Final approval of the theses, however, will be a function of the entire Religious Studies faculty. Choice of thesis committee members must in all cases be approved by the department as a whole. Students are encouraged to select your committee in the year preceding the one in which they intend to register for RELS 4000 and 4001.

Honours Thesis Adviser Selection and ResponsibilitiesSelecting a faculty thesis adviser is as important as selecting a topic. You will be working very closely with your adviser and committee throughout the thesis experience, relying on them to guide the direction of your creative work, review and edit your writing, assist you with preparing for the thesis presentation, and advise you on everything from statistical analyses to the font of your final draft. Therefore, choose wisely! Do you like these individuals on a personal basis? Will they be a good coaches and supporters? Are they easily accessible in terms of scheduling appointments and responding to phone calls or email? Are you excited by the prospect of learning under their guidance? Are they knowledgeable in the area of your topic? Questions like these will help

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you find a faculty thesis adviser and committee who not only fit your academic interests but also your personal needs and preferences.

Finding a faculty thesis adviser can be intimidating for students, especially if they have not had the opportunity to interact with faculty outside of the classroom setting. But once you start talking to faculty about your ideas and asking them for guidance, you will most likely be met with enthusiasm and a willingness to help. To start your search for a faculty thesis adviser, think of professors who have taught classes that you find interesting or with whom you have worked in other settings.

It is helpful to meet one-on-one with potential thesis advisers because you will get a better feel for their personalities and interests. The faculty thesis adviser’s responsibilities require that he or she meet with you several times to discuss ideas and review drafts of your work.

Committee Member(s) Selection and ResponsibilitiesThe thesis committee consists of your faculty thesis adviser and at least one other faculty member. You and your faculty thesis adviser will select the additional committee member(s). The committee member(s) will serve as a resource, review the first draft of your paper and forward comments to the faculty thesis adviser, participate in the thesis presentation, discuss recommendations for the final grade with the faculty thesis adviser, and give you feedback on your presentation.

Thesis Topics and Methods

Selecting a Topic

Completing a thesis is a rigorous and time-consuming endeavor, so you should select a topic that is intellectually exciting, challenging, and fun. The following are some helpful hints about finding and choosing a topic:

One of the best ways to select a thesis topic is to select your adviser first and work with this person on an area related to his/her own research interests.

You can start a “topics file” where you keep track of potential areas of interest. Occasionally review your file to see if there are recurrent themes to your interests.

For class paper assignments, choose topics that are potential thesis ideas and use them to explore the ideas further.

Ask yourself the following questions: What courses have most engaged me? What am I most curious about? What do I enjoy? What academic interests am I most passionate about?

Visit with faculty and discuss ideas with them. They have a great deal of experience and knowledge that may help you discover a topic.

The following Honours thesis titles are a sample of what has been done over the past few years: Beyond Barriers: Uncovering Latent ‘Orientalism’ in dialogues Between Muslims and the United

Church of Canada Where God’s Justice Begins and Ends Multicultural Accommodation or Selective Tolerance?” Religion in the Education Systems of Canada’s

Maritime Provinces

Thesis MethodsResearch approaches vary. Therefore, it is important to meet with your faculty thesis adviser to discuss accepted guidelines for your thesis area. An excellent resource for writing can be found at the SMU Writing Centre’s

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webpage (http://www.smu.ca/academic/writingcentre/). This site discusses many aspects of writing such as research techniques, using print and electronic sources, and citing sources.

Writing the Honours ThesisWriting StylesThe written component of the thesis experience must incorporate the fundamentals of writing that you have learned at SMU. You need to pay particular attention to:

organizing your writing for your particular audience; engaging in writing as a process which includes formal and informal writing, and writing multiple drafts

that are reviewed and subsequently revised; utilizing the writing expertise you have learned while writing summaries, syntheses, evaluations, and

arguments in your courses; strategizing for cohesion; editing and proofreading, and utilizing appropriate documentation styles.

The thesis should follow these guidelines:1. Normal length 60 typed pages, not more than 90.2. See Library format for title page3. Spelling – Oxford Canadian Dictionary & Oxford Thesaurus 4. References follow the model of the protocol in the Canadian journal, Studies in Religion and The

Canadian Style: A Guide to Writing and Editing

Finally, a thesaurus and dictionary are essential tools to good writing. Comic and sometimes tragic results come from relying solely on your computer spell check. Although spell checking is invaluable, it is not foolproof. The following poem, “Ode to the Spell Checker,” demonstrates this point.

Ode to the Spell CheckerBy David Burnham

I have a spelling checkerIt came with my PCIt plane lee marks four my revueMiss steaks aye can knot sea.Eye ran this poem threw it,Your sure reel glad two no.Its vary polished in it's weighMy checker tolled me sew.

A checker is a bless sing,It freeze yew lodes of thyme.Each frays come posed up on my screenEye trussed too bee a jouleThe checker pour o'er every wordTo cheque sum spelling rule.

Be fore a veiling checkersHour spelling mite decline,

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And if were lacks or have a laps,We wood be maid to wine.Butt now bee cause my spellingIs checked with such grate flare,Their are know faults with in my cite,Of non eye am a wear.

Responsibility

Acceptance or rejection of theses is both the duty and the prerogative of the entire faculty of Religious Studies. Students are urged consult frequently with faculty and to consider carefully the advice they receive. If students receive conflicting advice, they should consult with their committee chairpersons.

Students are responsible for making themselves aware of all the requirements outlined above. Students who disqualify themselves from admission to, continuation in or graduation from Honours are responsible for these consequences.

Academic requirements can change from year to year. If they change, the requirements in effect at the time students formally enter the faculty of arts, declare a major in Religious Studies, are admitted to the Religious Studies Honours program or enroll in RELS 4000.1(.2) and RELS 4001.1(.2) are the requirements they will be held accountable for satisfying.

Students with questions not answered in this guide should consult with the Religious Studies chairperson.

Helpful Hints

Honours students who have completed the Honours thesis offer the following sage advice: Pick a topic that is VERY interesting to you. Start early! Don’t procrastinate! To stay motivated, set mini-goals that you can accomplish. Take a look at past Honours theses that are in the library. Make bi-monthly appointments with your thesis advisor. This will keep you

motivated as well as provide a good source of continuous feedback. Give yourself PLENTY of time to research/create your thesis. You can write

about your topic more easily and more successfully when you’re well-informed.

Utilize the library; you’ll be surprised by the number of resources it provides. The library staff has experts in different fields, so definitely seek them out.

Revise constantly! Every time you add to your thesis, print it out and read over it again. Have a friend read it, or someone else you trust.

Make sure your citations are accurate because this is an important paper that requires correct documentation.

Outline your proposal presentation ahead of time, paying close attention to your time limit.

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The week before you present your proposal, start practicing in front of others. Communicate with your committee a few weeks before the thesis proposal so

they can set aside the date and time. Check out the room in which you will be presenting to make yourself feel

more comfortable on the big day.

The Stress Diet

Breakfast½ grapefruit1 piece whole wheat toast8 oz. skim milk

Lunch4 oz. lean broiled chicken breast1 cup steamed zucchini1 Oreo cookieHerb tea

Mid-afternoon snackRest of the package of Oreos1 quart Rocky Road ice cream1 jar hot fudge

Dinner2 loaves garlic breadExtra-large mushroom/pepperoni pizza3 Milky WaysEntire frozen cheesecake, eaten directly from freezer

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Don’t Panic.

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