Common questions regarding the Asian Studies undergraduate honors thesis:

• Do I need a second reader?
  • Asian Studies undergraduate honors students who are not enrolled in CHC do not need a committee, only one faculty advisor. The Director of the Asian Studies Program will serve as the second reader to approve your thesis. CHC students must follow CHC requirements.

• How long should my thesis be?
  • Because the typical page number varies by topic and discipline, we do not have an official minimum or maximum number of required pages. An honors thesis represents a shift to professional writing: away from “how long is the assignment” to “what information is needed to answer the central question(s) of my work.” That said, successful theses typically average 30-50 pages in length. We recommend that you look at past undergraduate theses to see how other students have written about their topics. Click here to see Scholar’s Bank.

• Are there particular formatting requirements? Similarly: Are there requirements for the abstract page and cover page aside from them being signed by our faculty advisor (e.g., formatting, length of abstract, etc?).
  • Other than the required cover and signed approval pages, we do not have a strict set of prescriptive formatting guidelines because our students can work with faculty members from many disciplines. Therefore, we count upon the faculty thesis advisor to uphold disciplinary standards. You may also wish to add an Acknowledgements section. There is no official length on abstracts but a common limit for scientific journals is no longer than 300 words.

• Is the thesis typically formatted single or double spaced?
  • Check with your faculty thesis advisor, but a thesis is typically double-spaced.

• Can I include pictures and figures in my thesis?
  • Yes, graphic elements are a common component of theses regardless of discipline.

• Do I have to collect my own data?
  • No, a thesis can consist of library research or creative work. The ability to collect original data is valuable, but we leave the amount and type of data to the discretion of the student and faculty advisor.

• What if my results aren’t significant?
  • Results don’t have to be “positive” to be meaningful, as you can learn just as much from non-significant results. In fact, negative results may require you to apply important critical thinking skills.

Not seeing your question here or otherwise addressed in our Honors Thesis information? Reach out to the GSL Undergraduate Support Team with any additional questions at gsl@uoregon.edu.