All DHI Theses share three common elements: original contribution, contextualization, and dissemination. There are various means to achieve these elements. Some students choose to carry out research in their major discipline. Others pursue interdisciplinary scholarship that combines methods or ideas from different fields. Artistic and creative endeavors are another option, as are applied projects in which students apply knowledge to real-world problems.
Thesis Models
Part 1
Explore past DHI and Honors theses. You can find DHI theses in repositories in the DHI office and in the library. Other students have published honors theses in Ureca and Illuminate, undergraduate honors journals. Find an example of each kind of thesis:
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Disciplinary research
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Interdisciplinary scholarship
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Creative or artistic work
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Applied project
For each example answer the following:
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Does this author make an original contribution? If yes, what is it? If no, why not? How might the student have addressed this?
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Does the author contextualize her work? If so, how? What context has she placed her work in? If context is lacking, explain why you concluded this. How might this student contextualize her work?
Part 2
Of the four types of theses listed above, which appeals to you most right now? Why? What challenges does this type of thesis pose? How might you overcome those challenges?
