Honours
Requirements
Scholarship
Honours Program
Choosing Your Area/Topic
Structuring Your Time
Choosing Your Supervisor
Guidelines For Thesis Supervision
Marking
Format & Length
Resources
The Honours year can be undertaken solely in Women's Studies or in conjunction with honours in another discipline. This requires careful coordination between the disciplines concerned, and each prospective honours student is asked to consult with the Director of the Institute of Women's Studies to work out a program which can be tailored according to the disciplinary interests of the student and the requirements of honours in other disciplines.
Requirements
Students qualify for entry to the honours year on the basis of their overall grade point average (see Bachelor Degree Rules: GPA of 3.0 in 2001). Those wishing to enter honours work in women's studies should have completed, normally at a grade of not less than B (and preferably with some A grades), a program of study in Women's Studies and/or Gender Studies. Normally this would include some of the coherent combination units, as well as WST core units.
The Erma Whittington Prize
This $500 prize is open to all women proceeding to the honours degree of Bachelor, specialising in Women's Studies. Awarded for the most outstanding performance by a student who has completed a coherent study above 200-level in Women's Studies.
Honours Program
The honours year generally combines 3 seminar units with the writing of a short thesis, the length of which varies depending on the extent of the student's commitment to honours work in other disciplines (it is usually 12,000-15,000 words). Whatever the topic your thesis addresses, you must discuss your intentions with the Honours Convenor (Dr. Judy Lattas), and submit a short proposal.
Choosing Your Area/Topic
In the early stages the topic need only indicate the general area of your research, and may be amended or made more precise at a later date. The convenor will then approve the topic (or suggest amendments to it) and appoint a supervisor (with your input: see below). Because your work will likely be examined internally, the topic will normally be acceptable only if there are two or more members of staff who have competence in its general area. Other matters which will be taken into account in deciding whether to approve a topic include its general viability and how closely it is related to the field of a seminar unit which you have already taken. We would like to ensure that no candidate enjoys a significant advantage over others in these or other respects.
Proposals need be no longer than 500 words and should be regarded as provisional. They are intended to ensure that you are thinking about what you want to do overall, that you have a fair notion of this, and that the topic is viable, rather than to provide some kind of summary of the final product. They should be submitted to the Convener for forwarding to your supervisor(s).
Structuring Your Time
Full Time
Commencing: First semester
Develop 1-2 page outline of fields/areas of interest with a view to theoretical underpinnings of thesis; identify supervisory possibilities Week 10
Draft bibliography (15-20 items) and field synopsis for inspection by convenor, confirm supervisor Week 13
Revised biblio and field synopsis to supervisor Week 16
Thesis due Week 33
Part time
Commencing: 1st semester
Develop 1-2 page outline of fields/areas of interest with a view to theoretical underpinnings of thesis; identify supervisory possibilities Week 31
Draft bibliography (15-20 items) and field synopsis for inspection by honours convenor, confirm supervisor Week 34
Revised biblio and field synopsis to supervisor Week 37
Thesis due Week 33 in the following year
Discuss your proposal and target dates with the convenor and other members of staff as appropriate.
Choosing Your Supervisor
In the first semester that you are enrolled you will discuss prospective supervisors with the honours convenor in order of preference and to define a topic (by the dates indicated above).
Guidelines For Thesis Supervision
You must seek out members of staff as prospective supervisors and nominate two possibilities. This section details the more important of the supervisor's own responsibilities and duties. Students may of course consult with other members of staff and, indeed, whoever is willing. Your (prospective) supervisor(s) should:
- Assist in the formulation of the thesis by helping you develop a viable topic(s). Supervisors should bring any difficulty that may develop with respect to the viability of the project to the attention of the Convener at the earliest opportunity, together with recommendations concerning how the difficulty may be resolved.
- Assist in planning the research by offering advice on such matters as methodology and theoretical framework, the order in which the various areas of the research should be tackled, and when to start producing a rough draft.
- Discuss the overall structure and argument of the articles with the candidate and offer general advice on that basis.
- Develop and maintain an effective working relationship with the candidate. Where such a relationship does not exist, or breaks down, they should discuss the matter with the Convener. Students for their part should do likewise, via the student representatives on the IWS management committee if they wish. If the problem cannot be resolved students should feel free to suggest a change of supervisor without any kind of penalty, and supervisors should ensure that this is understood by their candidates.
- Make themselves available for consultation by the candidate at regular (2-4 weeks) intervals.
- Ensure that some other suitable member of staff will act as supervisor where they plan to go on leave during the student's candidature.
Marking
Your thesis will generally be read by three markers, with two submitting full reports and marks. If there is a difference of more than 10% between the marks of the first two readers, the third will be asked to submit a report and suggest a mark. External readers can be appointed, but the supervisor must approach them on your behalf.
Format & Length
Length
The maximum length of your thesis should be 15,000. The minimum--10,000. This includes all quotes, bibliography material, footnotes, etc. If you are doing a joint honours program, your length requirement will correspond to the other discipline's.
Style
Use a Harvard parenthetical system (see for example, the MLA Style Guide, 1997). Plagiarism will not be accepted, and would fail your thesis. All sources should be carefully referenced, and where any source is being extensively followed, whether verbatim, in translation, or by way of paraphrase, it should be acknowledged as for a direct quotation. Macquarie Plagiarism policy.
Resources
Thesis Discussion Group
This is organised by the Institute on a regular basis as a means of monitoring candidates' progress on their work, overcoming the loneliness of the isolated researcher, exchanging ideas, developing research morale, pooling resources, and assisting with problems. They afford an opportunity for most people involved in the program to come together in a common forum. They do not count for credit, and their atmosphere is informal.
The Library
The Library provides a postgraduate reading room, and can offer assistance with research on specific topic areas, as well as with research skills and reference materials on thesis writing. For example, you might consult Macquarie University Library Information Resources at the Library or via their website: www.lib.mq.edu.au
The library also holds many books on thesis writing which may assist students to begin preparation for their project: for example, consulting 'Thesis Writing' in the Subject heading of the Library book catalogue locates books such as:
Evans, D.G. How to write a better report or thesis LB2369.E94
Harmon, C., ed. Using the internet, on-line services and CD-ROMS: for writing research and term papers LB1047.3.U75/1994
Preece, R.A. Starting research: an introduction to academic research and dissertation writing LB2369.P69/1994
Anderson, J. Thesis and Assignment Writing LB2369.A5/1994
The Library also offers some excellent courses on using more advanced features such as CD-ROM searches, and so on.