Honours Seminar Honours Seminar in Psychologyin Psychology

Lecture 1: Becoming an Lecture 1: Becoming an Honours StudentHonours Student

Looking at Looking at schedule of schedule of

presentationspresentations

What is an Honours What is an Honours Student?Student?

According to the University Calendar?According to the University Calendar?

According to the DepartmentAccording to the Department

Academically?Academically?

Why get an Honours Why get an Honours Degree?Degree?

It is a better degreeIt is a better degree Thesis/ research componentThesis/ research component Registration requirements: Treated Registration requirements: Treated

as an “advanced degree” in as an “advanced degree” in provinces with Master’s-level provinces with Master’s-level registrationregistration

To get keys to the buildingTo get keys to the building

How does one become an How does one become an honours student?honours student?

Apply by January 16, 2004Apply by January 16, 2004 Have an idea of what research areas interest Have an idea of what research areas interest

youyou Potential faculty supervisorsPotential faculty supervisors

Department reviews applications Department reviews applications Do they meet requirements?Do they meet requirements? What potential supervisors should students see?What potential supervisors should students see?

Speak to potential supervisors, agree to work Speak to potential supervisors, agree to work with one willing to supervise youwith one willing to supervise you

You are signed in only when you have a You are signed in only when you have a supervisorsupervisor Program change formProgram change form

Stages of thesis progressStages of thesis progressLiterature Review

Develop methods

Select measures

Ethics Review

Data collection

Data analysis

Drafts

Final draft

TIME

Oral

Deadlines and Deadlines and gradinggrading

Each student will be given an Each student will be given an honours thesis. honours thesis.

Technical detailsTechnical details The format of a thesis is highly structuredThe format of a thesis is highly structured APA format most of the time, but basic APA format most of the time, but basic

structure differsstructure differs Margins are odd to permit bindingMargins are odd to permit binding Tables are inserted in text instead of at Tables are inserted in text instead of at

endend Forward pages in Roman numeralsForward pages in Roman numerals Should be free of all typosShould be free of all typos Acknowledgements: Your thesis is a Acknowledgements: Your thesis is a

personal accomplishment!!personal accomplishment!! Honours Committee: A final proof read by Honours Committee: A final proof read by

somone else at the universitysomone else at the university

Thesis Disasters (that Thesis Disasters (that rarely occur)rarely occur)

Project not approved by ethicsProject not approved by ethics Lose thesis on computer diskLose thesis on computer disk Can not get any subjectsCan not get any subjects Supervisory problemsSupervisory problems Too slow, or too busy to do a thesisToo slow, or too busy to do a thesis Lose interest or motivationLose interest or motivation General panic or physical illness General panic or physical illness Dog ate the dataDog ate the data

Class activityClass activity

In groups of three, look at your In groups of three, look at your theses one section at a time and theses one section at a time and then look at grading guidelines. then look at grading guidelines. What grade would you give the What grade would you give the abstract of the thesis and why? abstract of the thesis and why? Skim other sections of the theses, Skim other sections of the theses, comparing the three you were given. comparing the three you were given.