Overview
Students who do not find a suitable seminar to fulfill the IR Seminar Requirement or who for other reasons wish to satisfy the requirement through research may choose either:

• a one-semester Directed Research Project or
• a two-semester Senior Honors Thesis

If you would like to pursue one of these two options, keep in mind:

Faculty involvement is crucial. Faculty at Tufts have many responsibilities and may not be available during the semester(s) in which you hope to do research. Discuss your ideas and schedule with an advisor as early as possible! You must present a written research proposal to your advisor as well. Keep in mind that faculty are most likely to favor proposals that show careful planning and preparation. Which brings us to the next point:

Independent research requires a considerable commitment. Conducting original research can be enormously rewarding, but it is crucial to have a solid, well-thought-out plan. See the Research Guidelines for some advice.

You should choose a topic with which you already have some experience and knowledge. The purpose of a Directed Research Project or Honors Thesis is not to explore new topics that you are not yet familiar with. Instead, these projects offer you the opportunity to conduct original research on topics and material you have already studied or have experience with. Remember, your research project or seminar is intended to be the capstone experience of your IR major. The Seminar/Research Requirement embodies a higher standard of learning.

IR Directed Research (INTR 195/INTR 196)
A Directed Research Project enables students to pursue focused independent research in a specific subject area for one semester. Completion of this project will satisfy the IR Capstone requirement.

Registration Procedures for Directed Research
Students may enroll for a one-semester Directed Research Project (INTR 195 or INTR 196) under the guidance of a member of the International Relations Core Faculty. The following materials are due by the last day of registration period. Students may not enroll retroactively.

1. A research prospectus that declares the intent to pursue an IR Directed Research project and summarizes the major question to be pursued in the research, a brief summary of existing research on the question, a description of the methodology to be employed in answering the research question, and an indication of the sources to be consulted in the research. Learn more about creating a research prospectus.
    
2. Secure an IR core Faculty member with expertise in your thematic concentration to advise your directed research; have your directed research advisor fill out and sign a one-on-one course form (found at Student Services).
    
3. Hand in the prospectus and one-on-one course form to the IR program administrator in Cabot 605. Once materials are received, students will be assigned a section number, and they can bring their one-on-one course form to Student Services for registration.

Without demonstrated faculty support and a final prospectus, you will not be able to enroll in this course.

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Senior Honors Thesis (INTR 197/198)
A Senior Honors Thesis enables students to pursue focused independent research in a specific subject area for two semesters and to graduate with thesis honors. Completion of this project will satisfy the IR Capstone requirement.

Procedures governing approval of honors thesis projects are described in the Tufts University Bulletin. Please read the Bulletin and the steps outlined below in order to register with the IR program and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education to complete a Senior Honors Thesis.

Because senior theses represent a higher standard of learning, students are strongly advised to complete the steps outlined below in the spring semester of their junior year and then use the summer before their senior year to familiarize themselves with the primary and secondary source material they will be using. Faculty are under no obligation to accept new requests to serve as thesis advisors once Fall semester begins, so students should prepare accordingly.

See below for information regarding:

• Tips for prospective and current thesis writers
• Support for thesis writers
• Registration procedures for an honors thesis
• Deadlines for a thesis application
• Mid-year progress assessment
• On-campus thesis-writing resources

When deciding to do an honors thesis, please keep the following in mind:

• Independent research requires a considerable commitment. Conducting original research can be enormously rewarding, but it is crucial to have a solid, well-thought-out plan. See the Research Guidelines for some advice.
   
• You should choose a topic with which you already have some experience and knowledge. The purpose of an Honors Thesis is not to explore new topics with which you are not yet familiar. Instead, these projects offer you the opportunity to conduct original research on topics and material you have already studied or with which you have experience. Furthermore, an Honors Thesis should be on the subject of a topic that you thoroughly enjoy – you’ll want to be as engaged in your topic in March as you were in September. Keep in mind, your research project is intended to be the capstone experience of your IR major.
   
• Faculty involvement is crucial. Securing a thesis advisor who will chair your thesis committee is a critical intellectual and logistical step. You should attempt to identify this person as soon as possible to begin a discussion of your ideas and schedule. Be aware that faculty members at Tufts have many responsibilities and may not be available during the semester(s) in which you hope to complete your research and writing. Note that your thesis adviser must be a member of the IR core faculty (a list of the core faculty can be found on the IR website). It will be helpful to present a written research proposal to your advisor as well. Keep in mind that faculty are most likely to favor proposals that show careful planning and preparation. Your advisor may work with you to develop your initial proposal into a "prospectus" that will be required by the IR Office for registration (see below).
   
• Select committee members whose interests best reflect the focus of your thesis. In addition to your advisor or chair, your committee will be comprised of a "Second Reader" and an optional "Third Reader." Though their scholarship need not be as focused on your thesis topic as your advisor, these committee members should be familiar with your topic and may bring particular expertise to one or more aspects of your project (disciplinary, methodological, etc.). Your adviser will likely be able to suggest other faculty members that would make up a good committee for your specific focus. Bear in mind that, due to the interdisciplinary nature of the IR major, your committee must represent a balance across subjects. Therefore your committee members must represent at least two departments in the university. Part-time faculty may only serve as Second Readers in exceptional circumstances. Like finding an adviser, the earlier you approach faculty members to serve as readers the better, as they also have many commitments during the semester.
   
• Additional Words of Wisdom on Writing a Thesis.

There is a lot of support for IR thesis writers.
Aside from the help that your advisor and your committee can give you, there are other ways to get assistance while going through the process of researching and writing a thesis:

• Senior Thesis Exchange
  The IR Program collaborates with the Departments of History and Political Science and the Peace and Justice Studies Program to offer a structured, but informal Thesis Exchange between thesis writers in these majors. Convened by an IR faculty member, the exchange complements advising from a students’ thesis committee with faculty and peer coaching relevant to research and the process of thesis writing. The Exchange typically meets over refreshments monthly and provides students an opportunity to share their thesis experience and findings with a wider intellectual community. Details on meeting times are advertised via the IR E-Bulletin.
   
• Political Science/IR Thesis Seminar - INTR 197-01/PS 198
  This seminar is a complement to the thesis writers work with his or her committee. The seminar will be of particular interest to students whose thesis topics embrace topics and research methodologies in the social sciences generally, and political science in particular. Many students have found this seminar to have been helpful in guiding them through the thesis process, and have claimed that the quality of their theses were much better because of it. For more information, please see the course description or contact Prof. Richard Eichenberg. Other departments may have similar seminars that relate to the disciplinary emphasis of your thesis. Ask your thesis adviser to determine if the PS/IR Seminar or others would be an appropriate complement to your thesis committee. IR Majors must enroll in the INTR 197-01 Section if they choose to take this course.
   
• Economics 197 Senior Thesis Research Seminar
  A year-long, one-credit, pass-fail course designed to help seniors writing senior theses or honors theses in economics plan and execute their research and write their thesis. Faculty members and past thesis writers will meet with the seminar and discuss various aspects of the research process. Students in the seminar are also expected to present their work and provide feedback to their fellow seminar participants. 1/2 credit course per semester.
   
• Using the Library for Thesis and Capstone Projects
  Tisch Library actively supports senior honors thesis research. Students are encouraged to meet with librarians individually in order to gain an increased awareness of relevant library resources, and learn how to use them as efficiently and effectively as possible. In addition, they offer an 8-week mini-course Research 4 Success: Using the Library for Thesis and Capstone Projects. Reference librarians, along with guest speakers, teach this credit, pass/fail course during which you will be introduced to the major research tools and search techniques specific to your subject area. For more information, please see below.
   
  1. Consult with a librarian
     Any student - whether on the undergraduate thesis track or not - can meet with a reference librarian who has subject expertise in the student's field of study.
     • Contact information. 
     • Appointment form.
     • Students also might benefit by attending a drop-in session. Schedule.
        
  2. Research methods course
     For the past two years, we have taught EXP 19, a 1/2 credit, 8-week class targeted to students writing a senior thesis or conducting any major research project. Here's what former students have said about the class:
     • I would recommend this course to other students because I think it has really helped me to use the resources available to me. I don't think a lot of students are aware of the potential that Tufts has for research.
     • I feel that I have learned a great deal and now know about many new programs that will help my research in the future. I enjoyed the teaching methods and found it very useful to go over specific search engines and programs in detail.
     • I can't believe I've gone this long without knowing even the basics of how to do research.
     
     We will hold an information session about the class on Tuesday, September 9 at 5:30 in Tisch 223. The class will begin on Tuesday, September 16.
      
  3. Completed theses
     Undergraduate theses are housed in the Digital Collections and Archives. A complete listing of the collection is in the Tufts Digital Library. These papers must be used in the DCA offices, Level G, Tisch Library.

  More information on all these services.
   

• The International Research Network (IRN)
  The IR Program, with funding and support from Tufts Academic Technology, launched the International Research Network (IRN), a web-based environment that promotes research on international topics by providing a virtual space for faculty and students to communicate, exchange resources, and collaborate on research projects anywhere in the world. Framed within the community of practice model, the IRN incorporates online tools, web-based instruction, and research resources to guide students through the research process and connect them to faculty and other students in a network that transcends distance. The IRN integrates study abroad and research opportunities to enable students to engage in the international community for the completion of high-quality capstone research projects in the senior year such as senior theses, Fulbright and scholarship applications, directed research projects, senior seminar papers, and postgraduate study proposals.
   
• Additional Resources & Funding
  Please check out the IR Resources page and Academic Resource Center for very useful information. For funding support of thesis writers, please check out the Undergraduate Education website.

Registration Procedures for a Senior Honors Thesis
Students planning on pursuing a senior thesis must enroll in a two-semester course sequence (INTR 197 and INTR 198) to be completed under the direction of a senior thesis advisor. Your thesis advisor must be member of the International Relations Core Faculty. Students may enroll in a section directly with their thesis advisor (INTR 197-section to be assigned), or they may enroll in the cross-listed course (INTR 197-01/PS 198 see above for description). In addition, eligible students must find another faculty member to form their thesis committee (see above for tips and requirements for forming your committee).

Please provide the following to the IR Program Administrator in Cabot 605 in order to register. Parts I, II and III are due in September and no later than the last day of registration. Part IV is due mid-November.*

1. A thesis prospectus, which briefly summarizes the thesis project design, including:
    
   1. The major research question or questions to be pursued in the thesis, including (if known) a brief summary of existing research.
       
   2. An indication of the potential resources (library, bibliographic, data collection, interviews) that will be consulted for research.
       
2. A letter (or email) from an IR Core Faculty member stating his or her intent to serve as primary advisor for the thesis.
    
3. A one-on-one course form (found at Student Services) signed by your Thesis Advisor.
    
4. A copy of the Thesis Honors form, containing the signatures of your committee members (at least one of whom must be an IR Core Faculty member, and which collectively must represent at least two university departments). While, you have until mid-November to complete your committee, it is recommended that you identify the Second and optional Third Reader as soon as possible – so they do not become otherwise obligated and so you can tap their expertise from the outset.

* The Honors Thesis Form is not due to the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education, in Dowling Hall, until November of your senior year. However, your thesis prospectus, faculty letter of support, and one-on-one course form are due to the IR office in early September in order to complete your registration on time.

Deadline for Application
Majors, including students spending their junior year abroad, are strongly encouraged to follow university and IR thesis guidelines, enrolling for thesis honors by the end of their junior year. The last permitted date for enrolling for the IR Honors Thesis will be the last day of fall registration during senior year. However, students who wait until September to register run the strong risk of not finding faculty members prepared to support their thesis. Thus, students - including those studying abroad - are strongly advised to at least formulate a research question and secure the support of their main thesis advisor in spring of their junior year, if not in person then through e-mail.

For students graduating in February and doing honors on a Spring/Fall schedule, the deadline for high-demand pre-registration would be last day of spring registration.

Mid-Year Progress Assessment
The three faculty members who constitute a student's IR Thesis committee will meet with the honors candidate at the end of the first semester to discuss the thesis and assess progress toward completion of thesis work. The student is responsible for arranging this meeting. If the student has not made satisfactory progress by that date, the faculty committee reserves the right either to set conditions under which the student will be allowed to continue with honors during the second semester or to terminate the thesis altogether, converting it into a one-semester IR Directed Research, requiring submission of a 25-35 page research paper.

To register in the spring: The main faculty thesis advisor must sign an add form for the senior thesis (INTR 198) or work with the registrar directly to convert the course to a Directed Research (INTR 195). The advisor will also communicate the committee's decision to the IR Program.

Students who successfully complete the Honors Thesis will have satisfied the seminar requirement and will also be acknowledged at graduation.

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