Table of Contents

Introduction
General Thesis Information
Thesis: Burden or blessing? ..................................................................
General procedure .............................................................................
Social Science Department
Advice from the Head .......................................................................
Economics ......................................................................................
Sociology ........................................................................................
Political Science ...................................................................................................
Law ...............................................................................................
Geography ......................................................................................
Anthropology ..................................................................................
Psychology ......................................................................................
Science Department
Advice from the Head .......................................................................
Medical Sciences ..............................................................................
Chemistry .......................................................................................
Physics / Mathematics ......................................................................
Life Sciences ....................................................................................
Cognitive Neuroscience .....................................................................
Earth and Environment
........................................................................................
Humanities Department
Advice from the Head .......................................................................
Linguistics .......................................................................................
Art History/Museum Studies ..............................................................
History ...........................................................................................
Religious Studies ..............................................................................
Philosophy ...........................................................................................................
Literature .............................................................................................................
Other Useful Information
From the Writing Center ....................................................................
Who To Contact ...............................................................................
 Introduction
by the Academic Student Council 2014-2015

Dear students,

In addition to the official thesis procedures that can be found on the

intranet, we offer this booklet for extra guidance. It contains some
general advice from the Director of education and the heads of
department but also more specific advice from fellows in their field. We
think it can be of help on your long but hopefully enjoyable journey of
writing your thesis.
General
Thesis
Information
 Thesis: Burden or blessing?
by Fried Keesen MSc
Director of Education
Your thesis is the single most important course you take at UCU. It is
different from your other courses. Other courses are organized as
outlined pathways paved with assignments and assessments that will lead
you to the course aims and a good grade if you do what is expected.
Writing your thesis however is an independent journey in which you must
find your own way towards news insights in a topic of your interest. This
may sound challenging, but try to see it as an opportunity rather than
something scary.

Your thesis is your showcase. It is your masterpiece, the product of

independent work that caps your education at UCU and reflects the
academic level that you have achieved.

Many UCU students are very focused on achieving a high GPA when it
comes to getting into master programs and acquiring scholarships, but the
thesis is almost as important. Not only because a strong thesis is the best
possible evidence of your academic strength, but also you can use the
process of researching and writing to get access to the academic
community you want to enter, by working in the labs and/or being
supervised by the scholars of your choice. If you choose your topic and
supervisor smartly, you can turn yourself into a person instead of a
number before even applying for a master program.

Getting the best out of your thesis requires solid planning. Of course you
must respect timelines and deadlines, but a good preparation is not only
about logistics. If you want to work on a topic and in an academic
environment that suits your ambitions best, you must be pro-active.
Survey possibilities and dont think that working independently is
synonymous to doing it all alone. Discus your ideas with experts: fellows,
teachers in the field of your interest and ask them for advice. Make sure
that your topic and your research question have matured in repeated
rounds of discussion and reflection before you get started. And make sure
that you are well prepared methodologically by the time you write your
thesis proposal: your work can only be added value academically if it is
methodologically sound.

A final word on the importance of the thesis as a quality indicator for

those who still think that finishing UCU successfully is only about their
GPAs. When UCU got its formal distinction for level achieved in the
previous accreditation, it was not because of the high number of cum
laudes, but because the committee was impressed by the quality of the
theses they had reviewed. That tells it all.

your thesis is your

showcase
 General procedure
For the General procedures there is from this yea onwards an
Institutional text that you can consult that is on the intranet. You can find
it on this page:

http://intranet.ucu.uu.nl/index.php?page=research-thesis
Writing Your Thesis in the

Social
Science
Department
 Advice from the Head
by Prof. dr. Wil Pansters
Head of Department
Dear student,

You are about to embark on the final leg of your UCU career: the research
thesis. You will do research and write a thesis on a topic that pertains to a
track of your own choice. Of course, you will have to comply with the
requirements and rules that have been put in place for that purpose. The
different tracks within the Department of Social Science all rely on distinct
disciplinary traditions, conceptual legacies, methodological preferences
and research practices. It is therefore highly recommendable to consult
the specific guidelines provided by the fellows. Even so, the department
wants to see that the general rules and procedures are followed across
the board. Procedures and deadlines are there to help you and staff to
organize the entire process in a smooth and fair manner.

Most importantly, writing a research thesis should be a thrilling

experiencein the broadest sense of the word. To determine a central and
feasible research topic, which mostly means to narrow down your original
idea, requires much of what you have learned over the years at UCU: a
combination of intellectual curiosity, knowledge of disciplinary debates,
critical thinking and reading, creativity, writing skills, a good portion of
common sense and lots of hard work. Once you have decided on the research
problem (the what and why questions) comes the process of making tough
choices about how, where and who? How are you going to go about in
collecting the information you need answer the research question, who or
what constitutes the research population? Plan well, but also give yourself
time to think through the what, why and how! After all, doing a research
thesis is to a large extent a process of maturation. The last phase of the
research thesis will consist mainly of (re-)writing, and since
writing is another way of thinking and reading, you will often be doing many
of these things simultaneously. To bring together concepts, debates, data and
interpretations in an integrated scholarly narrative and analysis is the key to a
good research thesis. This requires deep commitment, but also the capacity
to take distance at times. Throughout this entire process the supervisor will
act as your sparring partner. Core practices of academia such as debate, peer
review and critical thinking will form the basis of the exchanges between
student and supervisor. As such it constitutes a final learning aspect of doing
your research thesis project.

The Department of Social Science is committed to provide a coherent

regulatory framework as well as a stimulating academic environment to
all students who are about to turn an idea into a researchable question
and a research thesis. Again, plan well, work hard, and, perhaps most
importantly, enjoy finding answers to your questions!

... writing your thesis should be

a thrilling experience
 Economics
by Dr. Mark Sanders
Economics teacher
A BSc thesis in an economic topic can be on a wide array of topics. There are
roughly three types of economics theses. You can do an empirical thesis, a
theoretical one or a desk research thesis. The latter is most common. You
then collect relevant publications on a given topic and combine these insights
in an creative manner. The grade then depends on the quality and relevance
of the information collected and the creativity of your analysis.

The empirical thesis involves data analysis. For a good grade this should
go beyond a few graphs and averages. Some econometrics and statistical
analysis is typically required. Also you usually have to allow for sufficient
time to collect and get to know the data. A theoretical thesis requires you
to build new theory. That will typically involve modeling economic
behavior mathematically. The way to start your thesis is to write a one or
two page description of your main research question and sub questions. A
short literature review (what is the discussion you want to contribute to?)
and explicitly addressing the proposed research method plus a provisional
table of contents is a good format for doing so.

Finally, these are general pointers. You should always feel free to contact
and discuss your plans with the economics teachers. Do not approach
them with: I want to do something with... but give it some good thought
before. I will typically not suggest topics for your thesis but rather will
help you narrow down and whip a creative idea into an executable
research project.
 Sociology
by Prof. dr. Frans van Waarden
Sociology Fellow
1. Start early, both with thinking about your topic, and with starting with
the thesis. Dont keep postponing it to the very end. Realize that it is
expected to be much more than a regular course paper, of which you may
have written already so many.

2. Realize that this is to be a major proof of ability to do independent

research. That is, you are expected to do some real new research yourself.
I.e. the thesis cannot be merely based on existing literature. You have to
do some original work.

3. A good research starts with a problem, or even better, a riddle, a

mystery. Something curious, unexpected, strange, that you have
perceived in the world. A good researcher is like a detective: he or she
sets out to solve the mystery. There is a murder, and your task is to find
out the who did it. A good research project can be as exciting and
fascinating as reading a murder mystery. Planning your thesis means
hence in the very first place to discover a mystery, like a murder.

4. A good way to discover such a mystery is by confronting theory and

reality. The theories that we have learned in class or read about in the
literature predict X; yet we find Y in actual social and political reality. I.e.
we do not find what the theory makes us expect. How come?
An example is the theory of the economist Mancur Olsen, who used
rational choice theory dominant in microeconomics to predict that people
could not form or join interest associations. Such associations often
provide collective goods (e.g. wage raises or clean air for everyone), and
therefore it would be rational for individuals to free ride on the efforts of
others. But if everybody reasons like that, and they would not
communicate it (prisoners dilemma) then no one would form or join an
association.
Hence the theory predicts that they should not exist. Yet they do. People
have formed a myriad of associations. How can we explain that mystery?

5. Another way to find such mysteries is by combing information and

theories from different sources, literatures, and disciplines. Original work
comes often from making uncommon combinations of information,
literatures, theories, empirical findings. What may be self-evident in one
discipline may not be so in another one. There it might produce an aha
experience. Your study at a liberal arts and sciences college has equipped
you well for making such uncommon combinations, as you may have
taken courses from very different disciplines, concerned with different
questions, perspectives, knowledge, information.

6. Therefore, a second role for a good researcher is that of the discoverer.

Try to find a subject for your thesis which will give you the opportunity to
discover new worlds, either in the books or in the literature. But also and
especially in the real social world out there. There are many nooks and
crannies in our world, sub-communities, organizations, segments of society -
hospitals, ghettos, global financial trading rooms, villages in far corners of the
world or whatever - where we have never been in contact with. Use your
thesis (and also your possible internship) to search and investigate such sub-
worlds or our larger world that are new to you.

7. Try not to take too large of a topic. The best topics are concrete cases,
which are however expressions of more general issues or major abstract
theoretical issues: social conflict or cooperation, the rule of law,
democracy, violence, etc., etc. The specific problems in your case should
then be derived from the bigger questions; and your findings can feed
back to them.
I.e. in your research you should move back and forth between the abstract
and the concrete. Imagine your project as a sandglass: broad at the top (big
abstract issue) narrow in the middle (your concrete research topic), and
again broad at the bottom (results fed back to the big abstract question).
8. As to methods: distinguish between methods to find and collect data or
information, relevant for solving you mystery; and methods for analyzing
it, e.g. through aggregation, comparison, contrasting, confrontation.
Quantitative analysis is merely a method to see help you see the forest for
the trees - i.e. to see confirmations either of what you expected, your
hypotheses, or discover strange and unexpected combinations - in larger
amounts of data, insights that you cannot so easily see intuitively in such
large combinations of data.

9. Feel free to use a variety of data. They can be quantitative as well as

qualitative. Of course you can create some data on your own, as e.g.
through a survey. That means that you collect individual experiences and
opinions, which you aggregate subsequently quantitatively. But there are
many more sources of information. Our modern society produces an
enormous amount of information and documents about itself everyday,
which you can use. From major research projects and databases from
organizations such as the World Bank of Transparency International to
newspaper articles about events and opinions in the world. Modern ICT-
technology has brought also all these sources within easy reach of our
computer screen.(Which was not yet the case when I started as a
researcher; we still had to travel to far away libraries, but that gave us
also the opportunity to see a diversity of worlds). Furthermore, people
living and working in different places and institutions have a lot of
knowledge about (their little corner of) society. You can access that
information through what they have written about it, but - as many are
still alive - you can access such information through interviewing them.

Analysts of the modern world have the opposite problem from historians
and archeologists. Whereas these have to draw large conclusions from
sometimes very limited sources of information; students of the modern
world are confronted with an enormous overkill of information, which
they have to filter and filter, select and combine, in order to solve their
research mysteries. But remember, less obvious collections and
combinations are the ones that can produce new and original findings.
10. Therefore, be aware that a good scholar fits also a third role model: that
of the artist, who is painting new and original paintings, with a certain
message. Social science is a science, yes, but it is also an art. You are at a
Liberal (freely combining) Arts and Sciences College. And though we
seem to keep these separate - even physically in different buildings - be
aware that a scholar is both: he or she follows the rigid rules of scientific
discovery; but should also be an artist, exploring new avenues and making
original combinations
 Law
by Dr. mr. Antoinette Hildering
Law Professor

Research Skills
For an elaborate instruction on how to write your bachelor law thesis, see:
Ian Curry-Sumner et al. (2010), Research Skills. Instruction for lawyers,
Ars Aequi Libri: Nijmegen.This (affordable) book provides a guide to, e.g.,
writing a law bachelor thesis dealing with issues such as formulation of
a research question and the structuring of the research.

Getting started
1. Undertake preliminary research on legal topics of your interest. It is
advised to start with a general textbook in the relevant field of law. Make
sure there are sufficient legal sources available on the topic.

2. Write a proposal and send it to your (potential) supervisor. The

proposal should include the following.
Topic: Shortly indicate (specific) legal topic(s) you are considering,
narrowing them down in the formulation.
Problem statement: Indicate the (narrowed down) key legal research
question to be answered by your thesis. Add around three sub-
questions that need to be addressed in order to answer the key
question. Provide alternatives if applicable.
Outline: Include a preliminary outline of your thesis, including a
preliminary list of contents. The chapters are to reflect a logical order
of the content, usually inline with the sub-questions (each addressed
by a chapter), written towards the concluding chapter (in which you
answer the key question/problem statement).
List of literature: include in the proposal the literature you already
consulted and are thinking of consulting.
3. Make an appointment with your supervisor to discuss the proposal.

Planning
Take into account that a draft thesis will still need a couple of weeks of
revision in order to increase the quality once you have researched and
written all of your chapters. In other words, plan to have the full draft
ready three weeks before the deadline, so that you can receive detailed
feedback and insert your increased understanding of the topic during the
process. Schedule your meetings with your supervisor and agree on when
to submit drafts.

Sources
The use and analysis of legal sources (together with a good formulation of
the problem statement) is key to a successful legal thesis. Make sure to
use and analyse primary sources such as treaties, as well as literature.
Keep your footnotes updated (keeping track of paragraphs of cases and
pages of literature) as well as your list of references (the list of references
can include a heading literature/bibliography, consisting of books and
articles, a heading legal instruments, and a heading cases if applicable).

Structure
The extended thesis encompasses around 12.000-16.000 words (30-40
pages), excluding front page, content, list of references, and footnotes.
Making good use of the book Research Skills will help you to write your thesis
according to law school standards (taking into account the formulation of the
legal problem statement, analysis by legal arguments, structure, content,
layout and the capacity to undertake independent research) and be accepted
as such by, for example, legal Master programs.
 Political Science
by Dr. Francesco Maiolo
Political Science Fellow
Preliminary remarks
A BA research thesis in political science can take as its focus a wide array
of topics, reflecting the large variety of questions which political
scientists address and (try to) answer, as well as the different approaches
characterizing the sub-disciplines that form the archipelago called
political science. Regardless of their specific domain(s) of expertise,
the Political Science tracks teachers are experienced and committed to
implementing the LAS educational philosophy. They are prepared to
supervise students who intend to analyze in depth problems of political
relevance in the national and international perspectives. The quality of
a thesis is assessed on the basis of a number of substantive and formal
criteria: formulation of the research question; description of the
topic(s); conceptualization; analytic accuracy; argumentative consistency;
originality and creativity; spirit of independence; methodological
justification; indication of data; bibliography; structure and lay out;
consistent reference; planning and time management; regularity in
submission/discussion of thesis materials. Eventually, the theses will be
jointly evaluated by the supervisor and a second reader, who looks at the
final product and whose identity remains unknown to the students.
The role of the second readers is important. Their assessment is meant
to reinforce impartiality and integrity in the evaluation of the quality of a
thesis.

Writing a thesis as a bewildering experience

Writing a thesis can be both exciting and confusing. The different and
yet overlapping meanings of the word thesis, as well as of the word
research, are a sort of anticipation of the excitement and
bewilderment that students experience especially in the initial phase
of the writing process.The term thesis generally denotes an
articulated account, written and delivered by a candidate for an
academic degree or professional qualification, which has as its main
purpose to discuss, prove, or disprove, certain propositions.In a more
specific sense, a thesis is a claim presented as a theme to be
discussed and proved or disproved.
In this sense, for example in Logic, a thesis differs from a
hypothesis, that is, a proposition stated, without any reference to its
correspondence with fact, as a basis for reasoning, namely as a premise
from which to draw a conclusion. In the same sense, in Rhetoric, a thesis
differs from an antithesis, which is a proposition stated in direct
opposition to a previously stated proposition containing a claim. It is
ironic, and slightly confusing perhaps, that students are expected to
write theses in order to discuss and prove or disprove theses! Research
is the name commonly given to the investigation of materials and
sources of different kinds in order to establish facts and reach new
conclusions. While it is certain that an investigation resulting in a mere
collection of information is not, strictly speaking, research, there is no
guarantee that the author of a thesis will be always able to establish facts
or to reach new conclusions.
More specifically, the word research denotes a particular
procedure by the means of which we try to find the answer to a question
or the resolution of a problem. It is maintained that the research process
must involve rigorously testing the results obtained and must turn to
experience and the world around us for validation. Methods and results
are to be open to public scrutiny and criticism. While it is certain that
from time to time the answer or the resolution achieved can only be
highly hypothetical, there is no guarantee that a particular question is
going to be universally seen as worthy of the effort of finding an answer,
or that a particular instance is going to be universally recognized as a
problem. Often the testing of methods and results is problematic and
public scrutiny, or criticism, can be very limited. Experience as a standard
of validation is not necessarily a conclusive element for it does not aim to
be-self correcting.
Eventually, inquiring into a problem - the common denominator of all
theses - is like exploring an unknown region. We can even say that
students experience the writing process as a particular form of
the encounter with otherness of which so often they have heard about
in different courses and disciplinary contexts. Writing a thesis poses
particular challenges at another level too. How important, and even
dominant, the sphere of the visual has become in our societies is well-
known. When writing finally has a role to play, it does not take much to
realize how extensively the latter is influenced by the imperatives of
mass-media and marketing communication, as well as of other forms of
operational effectiveness. The type of language used across the social-
networks is, last but not least, largely rhapsodic and aphoristic. Roughly
speaking, this is the background against which students are expected to
experience and make sense of a radically different type of writing

Practical suggestions
Mostly the theses so far produced in the Political Science track are a
combination of Discourse Analysis and Literature Review. The former is
an interpretative approach that takes as its object discourse: writing,
conversations, and more generally communicative events (formal/
institutional or informal). Mainly this approach has been used in order to
establish socio-psychological or even cultural characteristics of particular
classes of political events or actors. Literature Review is an interpretative
approach whose main goal is producing 'understanding of knowledge',
namely an interpretation of the knowledge contained and presented
in the sources which have been selected. The importance of these two
interpretative strategies is widely acknowledged among students who
are expected to be aware of the fact that there exist three orders of
interpretation: the one provided by the author of a thesis (3rd order) is
normally based upon the interpretation of certain writers and writings
(2nd order), which is in turn based upon the interpretation provided by
certain individuals or groups (1st order). Students are generally
interested in the historical, institutional and comparative implications
and presuppositions of their investigations. Yet, only a few seem to feel
confident enough to dwell upon the empirical dimension of problems
and issues relevant in political science.Given that often they are keen on
presenting considerations of normative character, they have to bear in
mind that even if, in manycases, description is compatible with
evaluation, these two dimensions ought to be clearly distinguished in
the thesis.
In this respect it is important to have a clue of what we are
doing when we perform analysis, critique, and theory. The term
analysis is used to describe the detailed examination of a complex
instance for the purpose of shedding light on its nature, structure and
constitutive features. Being analytic is being able to breaking up a
complex whole into its basic elements. In a research thesis often the
analytic dimension is preliminary to the synthetic dimension. The
term synthesis is used to describe the putting together of parts or
elements so as to make up a complex whole. The analytic dimension
is preliminary to the critical dimension to. Being critical does not
necessarily implies being theoretically destructive. The term critique
denotes the activity of assessing the findings of analysis. Thus being
critical fundamentally means looking at certain results and findings from
different angles.
Finally the term theory in general denotes a conception or a
mental scheme of something to be done, or of a method of doing it.In this
sense the term is used to refer to a systematic statement of rules or
principles to be followed. In a more specific sense, the term theory
describes a set of statements held as an explanation of a group of facts or
phenomena. In this perspective, a theory can thus refer to a hypothesis
that has been confirmed or established by observation or experiment and is
accepted as accounting for the known facts. Originality and creativity are
important, yet not necessarily decisive, assets. All of us want to be both
original and creative. Yet it is difficult to display and assess these features.
The suggestion is not to set aside being original and creative, but, rather, to
be realistic about it. Idealizing originality and creativity by no means
contributes to the success of a research project. The answers to four
fundamental questions underpin the framework of a BA research thesis in
political science: What are you going to do? Why are you going to do it?
How are you going to do it? When are you going to do it? Lets us consider
the indispensable features of a research thesis provided that a curious and
questioning mind is the precondition for research.
1. Different kinds of questions can be at the heart of the research problem
which generates the thesis. In this respect students can enjoy the
advantages (and disadvantages) of a virtually unlimited field of choice.
The research question or problem must be clearly stated.
2. Without a clear statement of its goal(s) the thesis cannot be successful.
3. The research needs to be carefully planned in order to achieve
its goal(s).
4. The research must increase understanding by the presentation
of sound conclusions on the significance of its findings.
5. The conclusions must be supported by analysis, critique
and argumentation.

Finally, these are the basic steps a student should make in order to
present a valid thesis proposal to a supervisor:
a) identify one or more instances which may be seen as problem;
b) explain why what the author sees as a problem is to be seen as
a problem by others;
c) explain what is the relevance of examining the problem
in question;
d) explain how, namely through which method, the problem
in question is going to be examined;
e) clearly declare what the author of the thesis wants to prove
or demonstrate even in a hypothetical or simply not
conclusive form.
 Geography
by Prof. Dr. Jan van Weesep
Geography Fellow

A BA thesis in the field of geography may deal with any of a wide array of
topics, reflecting the multitude of questions human geographers try to
answer. The obvious first choice is between two main areas of study
reflected in the geography track at UCU. On the one side, topics flow from
the basis laid by the intermediate level course Development Geography,
on the other side there are various topics in the realms of Economic and
social geography dealing with issues in the advanced economies.

Political issues, specifically those related to European studies are also

likely candidates, while for topics derived from the multiple issues related
to globalization you can find your inspiration in the advanced course that
bears that name. Review the weekly topics in any of those courses to
identify appropriate fields of study.

Even though in principle it would be possible to write a thesis on the basis of

empirical research, be it fieldwork or a survey, in practice this tends to be an
element as a case or illustration included in a more theoretically oriented
study based on desk (literature) research. Given the time constraints, a
secondary analysis of a database if available would be a more realistic
option than the collection of primary data. Analysis of statistics or even the
collection of appropriate tables from publications in the context of desk
researchisgenerallythebestoptiontoincludedataintheanalysis/discussion part
of a thesis. In many instances such an empirical part will be a (small) case
study, embedded in a more literature-based theoretical discourse.
If at all possible the insights derived from such materials can be validated
by checking them against expert opinions of key informants in a number
of well-targeted interviews. The main research tasks in these
investigations arethe collection of appropriate (current!) literature and
the identification of informants who would be willing to share their
insights.

The message is that a literature-based thesis in either of the broad fields

indicated above should not just summarize key publications on the
selected topic but also provide some novel insights, ideas, suggestions or
hypotheses derived from your creativity in seeing connections.

Like in all (social) sciences, you must start your project by writing a
proposal once you have identified the (sub)field that you wish to
explore; always take something that holds some fascination for yourself,
that you are curious about. Try to formulate a general research question,
then specify it in some more concrete sub-questions.

It is a good idea to also formulate what you believe to be the answer,

which will help you to identify the direction of your exploration of the
literature. With such a question (or even a few alternative ones) and
outline (will it include data analysis or a case study?) you can contact the
geography fellow or another faculty member in the geography track to
find a (potential) supervisor, to seek help in narrowing the question.
Once these steps have been taken, the main dimensions of a literature
review should be developed on the basis of some highly selective
readings. That done, you need to clarify how you want to go about
finding the answers (a memo on the selected methodology). As soon as
you develop an outline of your study (a preliminary one should be
prepared sooner rather than later), allocate your time (set target dates)
to its different parts. Work on the project regularly by reserving time for
it every week, frequently discuss your progress (or especially, lack
thereof!) with your supervisor. And once it has been charted, stick to the
course until you have completed the thesis.
 Anthropology
by Prof. Dr. Longina Jakubowska
Anthropology Fellow
The subject of a BA thesis in anthropology can be any aspect of social and
cultural reality any place in the world that yields itself for investigation
and is supported by anthropological theory and methodology.

The best way to go about choosing a topic is to follow your intrinsic

interest in a particular phenomenon, social or cultural pattern,
movement, etc. This topic must be researchable, that is, there must be
enough already existing information (literature in particular) that would
inform you about the given subject. Most theses are written on the basis
of secondary data and only rarely do BA students conduct their own field
research. The topic must also be doable in the time one has allotted for it.
Depending on the topic, students apply a method, or a combination of
methods, to analyze the data. A thorough knowledge of anthropological
theory is a must because no data speaks by itself it is the task of the
anthropologist to interpret it. It is best to discuss the topic and the
approach taken at an early stage with your anthropology professor who
will help in defining the scope of the research project.
 Psychology
by Dr. Christel Lutz
Psychology Fellow
Even though you probably will work on your thesis during your last
semester, it is important to start thinking about it well before that time.
You should define a project that actually captures your interest, and that
you are willing to see through.

Another important thing to realize is that you need data. Psychology is an

empirical discipline, and this means that a good psychology thesis includes
data. These might be qualitative or quantitative data, data that you collect
yourself or that someone is willing to share with you. In all cases, this
requires serious planning.

In general, there are a number of ways to define a project. You might have
read about a study that you would like to replicate. In that case, you should
study the original research in detail, and design your own replication. Does it
seem like a realistic plan, or would you need time, money, or subjects that
you do not have? Bring your ideas to the fellow - she will be able to place you
with a particular supervisor. Alternatively, if one of your instructors (or
someone affiliated with the UU) is willing to think of a project for you, jump
at the chance. In this case, visit the psychology fellow once you have a
general idea of what you will be working on.

Once you are registered for your thesis, it is important that you start
working on both parts of the final product immediately. Dont necessarily
try to finish writing your literature review before you set up your study
and collect your data. Meet with your supervisor regularly, especially in
the beginning when you are still fine-tuning your research methods. Aim
to test one or two hypotheses at most.
Ask for explicit feedback on your detailed research proposal before you
start carrying out the work. Plan your data analysis before the data are
in. What are the tests you should (and can) run? If you dont know, ask
your advisor or possibly your statistics teacher for help. Keep a research
diary, logging all your ideas, references, and research efforts in detail.
Start writing rough drafts of all parts of your paper early on, especially
the methods and literature review. Keep the fellow updated, especially
when you run into trouble or unexpected delays.

Lastly, most important: create a study support group consisting of 4 or 5

fellow students who are working on similar projects. It can be difficult
and lonely to do research independently and for the first time. This kind
of support will make all the difference. Plan to meet regularly, preferably
once a week. Give each other feedback on research design, planning, and
later on written work. Think of ways to present your work to a larger
audience, either in class presentations or for a student paper like
Scope or the Boomerang... or even in a research journal or at a (student)
conference!

... give each other feedback

Writing Your Thesis in the

Science
Department
 Advice from the Head
by Prof. dr. Johannes
Boonstra Head of Department
1. Prerequisites for the science thesis are a completed science laboratory
course and at least one 300 course in the field of your choice for the thesis. In
almost all cases the thesis requires experimental work in a research
laboratory. Just a literature review does not meet the criteria of the thesis.

2. In your 5th semester, first week after the break, you go to your tutor
and subscribe for the thesis in Osiris. Make sure to download the forms
for the thesis. The first part needs to be signed by you and your tutor. You
should keep the forms.

3. Read the forms and the course outline carefully.

4. Next, you make an appointment with the thesis coordinator, this is the
fellow in the science department for the field of your interest. This
appointment should be made in the second half of your 5th semester,
well before the end of the semester.

5. It is strongly advised that you have an idea about the topic of your thesis.
Information about research topics at UU and other universities can be
obtained easily on websites of the research groups. Look at these websites,
so you know what is fascinating for you. In the meeting with the thesis
coordinator you discuss the possibilities of doing the thesis on a topic of your
interest, and you make an agreement in finding a local supervisor. The local
supervisor is a researcher at UU or another research laboratory who is able
and willing to supervise you during the experimental part of the thesis. The
forms are signed under step 2. You have to find the local supervisor yourself;
the thesis coordinator may advise you in this process.
6. If you have a local supervisor, you both agree on the time schedule.
Deadlines are indicated on the forms under step 3 and these deadlines are
official ones which you should meet in order to avoid getting an F for the
thesis. Keep in mind that during the thesis period in the summer, the local
supervisor, the thesis coordinator and you may have a vacation break.
These should be included in the agreements about the deadlines.
Remember also that UCU has a deadline in May to make sure that you
have your diploma in June, and a deadline in August to make sure that
you dont have to pay tuition fees for the next academic year. Meeting
these deadlines is your responsibility.

7. After having agreed on the time schedule, have the forms under step 3
signed by all partners involved, and start working on your thesis as agreed
upon.

8. The original forms should remain with the thesis coordinator, it is advised
that you make copies for your own use and for the local supervisor.

9. After completion of the thesis, the local supervisor completes the

grading sheets and the thesis coordinator acts as a second reader. Upon
completing your grade is established.

10. The thesis coordinator hands in the forms and one copy of the thesis
to College Hall.

Remember, you are responsible for following the procedure, and you
should take initiative, both with respect to the procedure but also with
respect to the topic of your thesis, finding the local supervisor and
establishing the deadlines.
 Chemistry
by Dr. Gert-Jan Vroege
Chemistry Fellow
Chemistry is fundamentally an experiment-based science, so that you have to start
finding a research group before identifying a topic for your thesis research. Within
the chemistry department at UU, research topics range from life science (Bijvoet
Institute for Biomolecular Research) to physical/materials science (Debye
Institute for Nanomaterials Research) and from synthesis or instrumental
techniques to theoretical and computer modeling. Because of the
interdisciplinary character of chemistry, your thesis research may also be
conducted at other UU departments (e.g. soft matter research in experimental
or theoretical physics or medicinal chemistry within the pharmaceutical
sciences), other UU faculties (e.g. veterinary medicine) or external institutions
(e.g. for food research). Any UCU chemistry teacher or the UCU chemistry
fellow (see below) can help or advise you to find a good topic.

The basic outline of your 15 ECTS thesis research depends on the specific topic you
choose. Generally, the first half is used to study and identify background literature,
learn the techniques to be applied in the project and obtain preliminary results, while
the second half proceeds towards solving (or redefining) your research question.
Both in experimental and theoretical research there is a gradual transition
between the 2 stages, but the end of the first half of the project is marked
by producing a literature report and a final research question. Your final
research report is to be written in the format of a scientific paper, the
results of which have to be presented orally.

Up to now experimental chemistry thesis projects have ranged from (bio-) organic
synthesis, design of catalysts, synthesis and spectroscopy of nanoparticles to
investigation of liquid crystals using X-ray scattering at the European Synchrotron
Radiation Facility in France. Computer simulation was used to elucidate structures
of biomolecules from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, while theoretical models of
novel types of phase separation in a magnetic field were developed in a
collaborative project with theoretical physics.
 Physics/Mathematics
by Prof. dr. Christiane de Morais Smith
Physics Fellow, Mathematics Fellow
UCU students can do a Research thesis in experimental or in theoretical physics. In
experimental physics, the possibilities at UU range from the Soft Condensed Matter
group (colloids), which is at the interface with chemistry, to the Nanophysics lab to the
Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht, or to the Particle Physics group,
which is a key participant at CERN (Alice project). It is also possible to work on
Astrophysics at SRON, for instance. On the theoretical side, there is an even broader set
of possibilities. During the last years, the theoretical physics theses were on path
integral, super-symmetry, topological quantum computation, econophysics,
meteorology and climate, cosmic-rays, quasi-crystals, physics education, or blue energy,
to cite just a few. The idea is that you try to select a few topics which interest you, and
we will try to find the most appropriate person to be your advisor.

The possibilities for doing a Research Thesis in Math span a large variety of
topics, ranging from Game theory, to group and field theory, Wallpaper patterns,
complex analysis, numerical computations, topology, stochastic systems, or any
other topic that you may be interested. Your choice should also be strategical, to
try to improve your knowledge on some topic that you could be missing, in case
you intend to go for a Master in Mathematics. You could start by contacting your
UCU math teacher and inquiring about possible topics and advisor. In case of
doubt, please refer to the Fellow for help

The basic outline of your 15 ECTS thesis research depends on the specific topic you
choose. Generally, the first half is used to study and identify background literature,
learn the techniques to be applied in the project and obtain preliminary results, while
the second half proceeds towards solving (or redefining) your research question. Both
in experimental and theoretical research there is a gradual transition between the 2
stages, but the end of the first half of the project is marked by producing a literature
report and a final research question. Your final research report is to be written in the
format of a scientific paper, the results of which have to be presented orally..
 Life Sciences
by Dr. Fred Wiegant
Life Sciences Fellow
Life Sciences is based on doing experiments and therefore you should
obtain some experience with doing research in one of the many
laboratories you will be able to find in Utrecht (of beyond).

You have to find a field of interest and a research group active in your
field of interest before identifying a topic for your research thesis. In your
choice you could already take into account the Master program you wish
to follow

Details of the following master programs in the field of Life Sciences can
be found on the UU website (The Graduate School of Life Sciences offers
the following research Masters programs: Biology of Disease; Biomedical
Image Sciences; Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences; Cancer Genomics &
Developmental Biology; Drug Innovation; Environmental
Biology; Epidemiology; Infection & Immunity; Neuroscience & Cognition;
Toxicology & Environmental Health).

At the Uithof you will find numerous interesting opportunities.

In the department of Biology for instance, you will find opportunities in

the field of Cell Biology, Developmental Biology and Theoretical biology.

At the Hubrecht Laboratory you can also find interesting opportunities in

the field of Molecular Biology and Developmental Biology. At the UMC
there are many different research labs working in the field of biomedical
research including Immunology.
In addition, other institutions may be relevant to take into considerations,
such as: TNO Zeist (Stress research and Health-related research), RIVM
(public health research), the Netherlands Institute for Neurosciences in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, Naturalis in
Leiden, etc.

For further help in finding a topic you can ask other teachers or the fellow.

With respect to the outline of your 15 ECTS research thesis, the first part
is used to identify and study background literature on your topic, learn
the techniques to be applied in your project and produce a state-of-the
art overview of the literature in which your focused research question is
mentioned. The second part is focused exclusively on working in the lab
for about 6 weeks in which you will write a lab journal.

The research thesis includes the literature overview, a summary of the

results you obtained followed by a discussion and conclusion.

Up to now, experimental life sciences thesis projects have ranged from:

research in developmental biology, cancer biology, analysis of genetic
characteristics of specific families, immunological topics and
environmental biology to name a few projects.
 Cognitive Neuroscience
by Dr. Hinze Hogendoorn
Cognitive Neuroscience
Fellow
If you are considering applying for a Masters program in Cognitive
Neuroscience, then it is a good idea to carry out your Research Thesis in
this field because lab experience is a vital part of your training as a
cognitive neuroscientist. A double (15 ECTS) research thesis corresponds
to 420 hours of work.

In your thesis project, you will carry out the entire empirical cycle: you will
carry out a literature review, and use this to formulate good research
questions. You will then design the experiment(s), get the set-up ready,
and run the actual experiment(s). Finally, you will analyze the data you
have acquired, interpret the results and write the conclusions in a fully-
referenced research paper. You will need to work with actual research
data. This means that a literature review is never sufficient for a research
thesis in Cognitive Neuroscience!

Cognitive Neuroscience is a broad field that is well-represented in Utrecht.

Research topics can include emotion, perception, cognition, attention,
neuropsychology, and others. Techniques include pharmacological and
genetic mechanisms, neurological patients, psychophysics, computational,
and behavioral methods, and non-invasive neuroimaging in healthy
individuals (e.g. EEG, fMRI, and TMS). Think about where your interest lies!
The more explicit you are in what you would like to study, the easier it is to
indicate in which research groups you should look for a supervisor.

Preparation
You should have followed the Cognitive Neuroscience I and II courses, and
a level-3 COG course is strongly recommended. Furthermore, courses that
teach research techniques which you can use during your thesis project
are recommended. This includes lab-modules COGL1 Visual Psychophysics,
COGL2 Categorical
Perception, and COGL4 fMRI Data Analysis. Finally, knowledge of statistics
is highly recommended.

Planning
Doing research takes time much more time than you think. Preparation is
key. Start early! Do not forget that your planning will have to depend not only
on when you have time, but also on when your supervisor has time and when
lab facilities and research subjects are available. Familiarize yourself with the
rules on for example how to look for a supervisor
(http://intranet.ucu.uu.nl/index.php?page=research-thesis). Find and
contact your supervisor well before you plan to start, so you will have
time to brainstorm about a research question that interests you and that
is feasible within the duration of your project.

When planning, take into account when you will be busy with exams or
papers for other classes. Unexpected delays always come up make sure
you do not get stuck at the end of the semester with too little time to
write up your thesis.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly: it is solely your responsibility to

meet deadlines neither your supervisor, your tutor, or the fellow are
responsible for reminding you of deadlines or for ensuring you meet
them.
Earth & Environment
By Dr. Maarten Eppinga
Earth & Environment fellow
The Earth & Environment track at UCU introduces students to multiple
research fields including geology, physical geography, ecology,
environmental science and climate science. During the thesis, you can
decide to go more in-depth in any of these research fields, creating a
large variety of possible research topics. A common theme throughout
many thesis projects, however, is that the scientific research question is
relevant interaction between the human population and planet Earth?

Sustainability is typically an interdisciplinary research topic, which can be

investigated in many different ways. When choosing to address this topic in
a Research Thesis within the Science Department you have decided to follow
a rather specific approach: conducting a scientific experiment. In practice,
this means that you develop a hypothesis based on the current-state-of-the-
art of a research field, and that you design an experiment to test this
hypothesis. The designed experiment can range from being purely
theoretical (e.g. developing a mathematical model to perform modeling
experiments), to fully empirical (e.g. analyzing the stratification and chemical
composition of sediment cores to infer past climate dynamics).

From the above description, it follows that an important component of a

thesis in Earth & Environment is to learn and apply a scientific method
that enables you to experimentally test self-generated hypotheses. It is
important to realize this early in the process; when starting a thesis in Earth
& Environment, you should have an idea of the topic you would like to
study, but also have an idea about the scientific experimental method
you would like to (learn to) apply. This is an integral part of preparing for
your first meeting with the Fellow.
Within the Faculties of Science and Geosciences of Utrecht University,
you can find a large number of research groups focusing within the
fields of Earth & Environment. The scientific approaches employed by
these researchers cover the entire spectrum between theoretical and
empirical research. Of particular interest are the Copernicus Institute of
Sustainable Development, Utrechts research groups connected to the
Darwin Center for Biogeosciences and Utrechts Institute for Marine
and Atmospheric Research.

Similar to other thesis projects within the Science Department, the

general trajectory of a 15 ECTS thesis comprises a first phase in which
you acquaint yourself with the scientific state-of-the-art of a research
field, and identify a current gap in knowledge. This leads to the
formulation of a research question and the formulation of a hypothesis,
and an experimental design that will enable experimental testing of the
hypothesis. In the second phase, the research is executed, and
the generated data is analyzed in a way that enables testing of the
hypothesis and answering of the research question.

Last year, research topics included paleo-magnetic analysis of lake

sediment cores, investigation of the environmental factors driving
sugarcane plantation dynamics in South America, assessment of past
human activity in Florida using pollen analysis, and temporal trends in
media attention for environmental problems. A Research thesis in
Earth & Environment, students provides an appropriate preparation
for Master programs focusing around the theme of Natural Resource
management. Students from last year are now enrolled in these kinds
of MSc programs in Delft, Amsterdam and Utrecht, for example. With
regard to the latter, the Earth & Environment program prepares in
particular for UUs Master program in Sustainable Development. In
this program students can specialize in one of the following tracks:
Environmental Governance, Global Change and Ecosystems, Energy &
Resources and International Development studies.
Writing Your Thesis in the

Humanities
Department
 Advice from the Head
by Dr. Sandra Ponzanesi
Head of Department
Inspiration
Think of your thesis as a journey.
If you do not know your destination you risk taking lots of wrong turns
(decisions) and ending up in the middle of nowhere (swamped in your
thesis). However, do not worry too much if your destination has been
reached through a route that is completely different from the one you
had intended. Your journey is more important than your destination.
Doing research must become part of your lifestyle. What you learn
when writing your thesis will be available for your future, no matter what
topic you tackle.

What a thesis is
The process of writing a successful thesis teaches the writer many skills
essential to an academic or professional career as a scholar, civil servant,
writer or professional. You will develop an ability to:
handle large amounts of information and shape it into a single, clear,
and original argument;
plan and create an extended, well-structured written document;
document research accurately;
re-conceive and rewrite chapters in light of criticism from your
supervisor.
How to set up your thesis
1. Find a good Research Question.
2. Define the sub-questions of your investigation.
3. Place your topic within a scientific/theoretical backgroundand
locate yourself within the debate.
4. Why is your contribution essential/innovative/useful? Relevance.
5. How do you intend to answer your research question Research
method.
6. Be clear about your work plan.
7. Be accurate with your bibliographical sources.
8. Final version. Layout/cool off/style/the beauty touch.

Proposal
Before you embark on the full thesis it is advisable to write a short
proposal, consisting of a short essay of 750 - 1000 words. The proposal
should outline the following:
1. The subject and purpose of the thesis. State clearly and concisely
what kind of ideas you will explore, what you seek to prove, what
problem you are raising. In other words, indicate as best you can
at this early stage what you are writing about, what you want to
say about it, and why.
2. Current state of research. Discuss what you know about your topic
at this point, and your familiarity with relevant secondary
resources. Describe what you consider to be original about your
topic in light of what you know has already been said about it.
3. Tentative topical outline. Show how your selection and
arrangement of material fulfils your overall purpose.
4. A preliminary selective bibliography. List the books and other
research materials you will need.
Basic rules
1. Choose an argument/topic that interests you.
2. Stay with an argument you feel comfortable with, but also dare, to
some extent, to explore out of your comfort zone.
3. Rely on sources that are available to you.
4. Choose theories, topics and sources that you understand and know
how to interpret and elaborate upon.
5. Opt for research methods within your cultural background (do not
choose something out of the blue you have no experience with).
6. Your final thesis - worth 15 ECTS - should be about 10,000-15,000
words.

There is more ahead

Embrace any further research questions you have encountered for a
subsequent project. Do not put everything in your thesis now. You
may get a glimpse of what the Masters thesis may cover.
Deal with your moments of crisis efficiently: talk to your supervisor,
peers, friends you are NOT ALONE!

Your journey is more

important than your
destination
Linguistics
by Dr. Jocelyn Ballantyne
Linguistics Track Coordinator, Language and
Culture Track Coordinator
If you choose linguistics for your bachelor thesis, consider first what kind
of project you would like to do, both in terms of topic and approach. Do
you want to treat an aspect of grammar? Do you want to treat a social or
cultural aspect of language? Do you want to treat an aspect of speech
perception or production? Do you have a specific question or general
area in mind? Do you want to work on a specific language or languages?
Do you primarily want to review and analyze the work of others? Do you
want to analyze linguistic data collected from informants? Do you want
to do acoustic analysis? Do you want to collect your own data for
analysis? Do you want to do an experiment? Do you want to replicate a
previous study in a new context? The answers to such questions already
give you something to develop further, to bring to the UCU track
coordinator or a potential supervisor.

An important consideration is whether you want to work independently,

or would prefer to get research experience by playing a role in an on-
going project. If you want to work independently, youll need to pitch
your ideas for your thesis project to potential supervisor(s). Youll need
to convince the potential supervisor that the project that you have in
mind is one you can handle on your own coming with a list of the
relevant literature, and actually having read a few of the sources could go
a long way. This also helps the potential supervisor judge whether s/ he
can realistically supervise the project you have in mind; s/he might refer
you to someone better suited for your topic. Once your supervisor is on
board, s/he will be able to give you guidance to help shape your proposal
further.
If you would prefer to get research experience by playing a role on an on-
going project, the track coordinator can make suggestions for possible
matches. The potential supervisor should be able to tell you about your
role in the project, and give you some academic literature about it, so that
you can draft a thesis proposal that will show what you can do. Once
youve been accepted for the project, your supervisor will be able to give
you feedback to shape your proposal further.

Develop your definitive proposal whether for an independent project or

one derived from an on-going project once you have a supervisor. Your
proposal should always address the relevance of the research that you will
do, its goals, the methods you will use, any resources or data sources that
you plan to use (i.e., databases, native speaking informants, existing
corpora, etc.), the range of possible outcomes (in so far as those can be
mapped), and of course, a preliminary list of academic sources that you
expect to use and refer to in the final paper. This proposal can then serve
as your roadmap to conducting the research and writing the thesis.

a proposal can then

serve as your roadmap
 Art History/Museum Studies
by Dr. Mary Bouquet
Art History/Museum Studies Fellow
A good time to start thinking about your research thesis is probably your
second year. By that time you have a clearer idea of what a Liberal Arts and
Sciences education is, and how art history and museum studies fits into it.
Lets imagine: having taken Introduction to Art History & Museum Studies
you know that you want to complete the track. The courses offered at 200
level are Dutch 17th century Painting and Museum Studies; and at 300 level,
Modern Art and Heritage. Take all five courses and supplement them with
off-campus courses at Dutch universities, or on exchange.
Establish an on-going dialogue with your teachers make the most of
their knowledge and experience of the art and museum worlds.

What makes a good topic for your thesis? Youll certainly have your own
interests, favorite art works, artists, periods, and so on. And you are
probably in for some surprises not least from the new angles on art and
museums as part of a Liberal Arts and Sciences education. Think of artists
moves into science (Food Forward); or repatriation controversies
surrounding major artworks (the Parthenon Marbles); or the use of public
art in gentrification projects. LAS students create synergy between art
history and other fields such as history, religious studies, literature,
anthropology, political science, law, and human geography which makes
for original research theses.

Museum visits are an integral part of all the art history courses at UCU:
you will get to see the collections of a number of Dutch art museums.
The Museum Studies courses contextualize art history within the broader
development of the European public museum; and contextualize collections
within the global dynamics of heritage. Site visits are important occasions for
thinking about your research thesis. While literature reviews are a standard
part of any scholarly work, the research thesis goes beyond secondary
sources to engage with primary ones. This means that the collections held
by museums and other heritage institutions, together with their archives,
constitute rich potential sources with which to engage in your bachelor
thesis That engagement is a long-term process that is cultivated by the
AHMS track: as your knowledge of art history develops, so too should
your awareness of collections that could provide concrete case material
for your research. You gain knowledge of the institutions where these
collections are located and you meet some of the professionals
responsible for them during your coursework.

Students are encouraged to do an internship in the Netherlands or

aboard. Internships often involve collection documentaries and research
tasks sometimes for an exhibition; this means handling collection pieces,
writing texts, and many other hands-on tasks. A logical outcome of the
AHMS track is that n approved internship may be incorporated into a 15 EC
bachelor thesis. In this set-up, the internship report ends by specifying the
topic for further elaboration, and the (hypothesis) thesis for exploration in
the bachelor thesis. The Cultural Heritage Internship Program facilitates the
15 EC combined option: http://chip.ucu.uu.nl/j15/index.php

Establish an on-going
dialogue with your teachers
 History
by Dr. Jos van der Linden
History Fellow
Advice
Take a topic you are familiar with and in a discipline you are familiar
with. Otherwise you have to start from scratch. For example build on
topics dealt with during courses and/or previous papers.
Take a topic that is relevant for getting into the masters program you
want to apply for.
Is it possible to combine the knowledge you have acquired in different
disciplines?
It does not matter if much research has already been done on your
topic. Take a topic you are interested in.
Start early, if possible in the semester preceding the semester in
which you plan to write your thesis. Try to have a proposal ready at
the end of that first semester, so that you can read a substantial part
of the literature in the break between the semesters.

Prerequisites
Three courses in history (on 100, 200 and 300 level.)

Requirements
Bibliographical research in libraries and in (virtual) archives.
Students must deal with one or more historiographical debates (the
so-called status questionis) on their subject.
Students must develop their own critical views of those debates and
present the necessary arguments and primary materials (with proper
attention to the pitfalls of source materials and secondary materials)
to back up their views.
 What is the relevance of the topic for understanding modern history?
Why does the student consider it an interesting topic?
The amount of primary material to be dealt with must be substantial,
to be determined by the supervisor (this very much depends on the
topic).
Length: 10.000-12.000 words; 25-30 pages. (7.5 ECTS: 8.000-10.000
words)
Reading materials: eight or nine books/ articles and source materials.
(appr. 2500 pages) (7.5 ECTS five or six books etc. /appr. 2.000 pages)

Workload (Rule of thumb)

Total hours that are available for the student: 420.
Bibliographical research: 20 hours
Reading and summarizing the literature (15 pages per hour on
average, but be flexible: reading a text by Hegel is different from
reading the Donald Duck). 2500 pages: 160 hours
Writing and analysis (one page in four hours?): 140 hours
Writing the proposal and the synopsis: 40 hours
General preparation, brainstorm, meetings, travel etc. 20 hours.
Unforeseen: 40 hours

Procedure / organizational structure

1. The student declares topic, brainstorm between student and teacher
on topic, bibliography, research questions, importance of topic for
modern history etc.
2. The student produces a proposal, which is discussed with the teacher.
3. The student must then read a significant part of the literature to get a
broad picture of the topic, say about a third of the total amount of
literature. On this basis the student produces a synopsis of 5-7 pages
which is discussed.
4. Preliminary introduction and chapter 1 are handed in and discussed.
5. Prefinal version is handed in in week 12,13 at the latest and is discussed
6. In week 15 the final version is handed in. Grading.
The research-proposal (three pages) consists of the
following items:
A research plan with a time table from the first brainstorming session
to the final product.
Research questions. Students must have checked whether it is
actually possible to answer the questions with the literature they have
looked up. Are the sources/ literature actually available in library/
internet etc.!?
Motivate why the topic is interesting/ what is the relevance of the
topic for understanding modern history.
Give preliminary answers to the research-questions, describe the
historiographical debate (status questionis) on the topic.
Always include views of your own (however preliminary) together
with the arguments and the primary materials to back them up. Give
an indication of the chapters, the issues that will be dealt with in every
chapter, some preliminary answers, thinking up chapter titles is a way
to focus.
Conclusion, give a preliminary conclusion, this helps to give focus to
the research as well.
Bibliography, archives, primary sources: discuss the results of the
bibliographical research.

The synopsis (strongly advised) (5-7 pages) consists of the same items as
the research proposal, but after having read about a third of the literature
the student is more informed about the research topic and therefore
better able to ask informed/ intelligent research questions. Take care that
the synopsis is in the form of a narrative, not a bullet-like summary.
Students should start writing as soon as possible. In my experience the
research phase and the writing phase cannot be rigorously separated.
Major problems and new issues will arise once the writing has started.
Students then need time to look up information in the literature. Then
they continue writing. New problems again pop up and the literature will
again have to be consulted Reread what you have written regularly in
order to correct mistakes and refine formulations.
the research phase
and the writing phase
cannot be rigorously
separated
 Religious Studies
by Dr. Christoph Baumgartner
Religious Studies Coordinator
BA theses in religious studies can be very different. Roughly, three
formats can be (analytically) distinguished with emphases on different
types of research:

1. Theses based on a systematic study of scholarly literature and critical

analyses of particular case studies. Examples are theses on topics such as
specific social or ethical problems of religious practices (ritual slaughter,
sharia law in European societies, blasphemous expressions and freedom
of speech etc.)

2. Theses based on historical research. This can include archival research

as well as the investigation of formative texts from religious traditions.
Examples are theses on Augustines considerations concerning just wars,
or the development of regulations concerning religious buildings, religious
clothing etc. in a specific context.

3. Theses based on fieldwork. Interviews, participatory observation and

the use of anthropological interpretative frameworks can be part of this
research. Examples are theses concerning food and religion, gender issues
in religious films, religious motives in particular video clips et cetera.

Since writing a historical bachelor thesis can be very different from

writing a thesis based on anthropological fieldwork, it is very important
that you decide in an early stage what type of thesis you want to write.
The following considerations and advises may be helpful:
 Take a topic that you want to investigate, that makes you passionate
and excited about it. Writing a good thesis is an intensive and time
consuming process, and it is very positive if you are eager and
intrinsically motivated to investigate something thoroughly.
Take a topic in a field that you are familiar with. Otherwise you will
have to learn new methods and theoretical approaches which can
take much time and usually needs to be practiced and improved over
a longer period of time.
It is possible, and often useful to combine the expertise you have
acquired in courses from different disciplines (not only religious
studies, but also e.g. anthropology, history, law, philosophy etc.).
In certain cases it can be advisable to choose a topic that is relevant
for a master program you want to study. However, this is not
necessarily the case; your tutor and the coordinator of the religious
studies track will be happy to advise you.
Remember that a thesis should be manageable within a very limited
period of time; you are not supposed to write a book at UCU. Your
research question should be clearly defined. If necessary, your
supervisor will assist you in refining your research question.

After having determined a possible topic of your thesis you should

contact a possible supervisor and/or the coordinator of the religious
studies track at UCU. This is decisive because supervision of bachelor
theses can take different forms. Write a brief outline of your proposal
(one page) and send it to the instructor before the first meeting. This will
allow him/her to prepare a meeting and his/her advise. The outline
should be a real text, not a list of bullet points and key words. Formulate
a research question, even if you are still searching for the proper angle of
your topic. Indicate which methods you consider relevant and whether
you want to base your thesis on literature study, historical research or
field work. Prepare an initial bibliography, including, for instance, articles,
encyclopedia lemmas and handbooks; Refer to academic literature.
It is advisable to formulate the questions you want to ask your supervisor
in the first meeting. Furthermore, you should make a research plan with a
time table and to discuss this with the supervisor. Make also
appointments concerning the supervision and the criteria for the
evaluation and the grading of your bachelor thesis. Often, it is not only the
finished thesis that is evaluated, but in one way or the other also the
process as a whole. It is good, therefore, to clarify right at beginning what
the supervisor expects of you and what kind of supervision you would like
to receive.

combine the expertise you

have acquired in courses from
different disciplines
Philosophy
by Dr. Floris van der
Burg Philosophy Fellow
They say that there is a philosophy of everything. This may well be
true. Philosophy exists in many ways as parasitic on other disciplines.
Perhaps this is why it is so difficult to define philosophy. Realizing this
does not make it any easier to determine the topic of your thesis.
Here is some, far from adequate, advice.

Be sensible. That is, do not pick a topic you have never studied in
philosophy. This will increase the workload exponentially. So, pick a
topic in philosophy that you are already familiar with. This will help in
selecting the readings and assessing the merits of these texts.

Philosophy is atypical in that the very notion of a research question is

not as central as it tends to be in other disciplines. This then also forces
me, although I am loathe to do so, for it often proves far from sensible,
to contradict something Annemieke Meijer says in her piece in this
volume. Annemieke sensibly advises against starting the writing
process too early. For philosophy the lovely quote she uses to qualify
this advice holds doubly: I often do not know what I think until I see
what I write (attributed to almost every genius, but at least Einstein
and Shakespeare). Just because there is no guarantee in philosophy
that all your thinking and reading will lead to the formulation of that so
elusive research question, my advice is to ignore it. Instead, think of
the topic you want to write on, gather some readings, perhaps discuss
these with your supervisor to determine completeness, quality and
angle of your paper, and then start writing.
It is in this writing in the early stages that all the unclarity in your
thinking on the topic will be mercilessly exposed. Andit is this
unclarity and vagueness in your thinking that often reveals fruitful
material for a philosophy thesis. It is rare tosay the least that
answers to the great philosophical questions are readily provided in
philosophical texts. So do not makethis your goal. Rather, try to help
by clearing up some of that vagueness that you revealed in your own
thinking on a topic Chances are that vagueness wasnt yours alone.
Finally, in your writing, clarity is a duty, not merely a virtue.
Literature
by dr. Birgit Mara Kaiser
Literature and Classics Fellow
Writing your Bachelor thesis in Literature gives you the chance to really
explore a topic that grabbed your attention during one of your literature
classes, or to really dive into the study of one of your favorite authors.
You will have followed three courses in literature (on a 100, 200 and
300 level) in which you have come across a broad range of texts and
issues. If you consider deepening your literary research skills and your
knowledge of one of these topics or texts, writing a thesis in literature is
the opportunity to do so.

If you decide on a thesis in this field, think back to what you were
reading in your literature classes, to the writers and theories that you
studied there. Perhaps there was a specific writer that stood out for you
among all others? Or you were intrigued by how literature addresses
cultural or political issues? How Brecht moved his theater away from the
Aristotelian tradition and why? Or how feminist criticism can be voiced
through literature? Perhaps you also found a particular period especially
interesting and want to explore it in more depth. For example, what was
it that realist writers like Flaubert found problematic about Romanticism
and what effect did this have on their novels? Why was the novel their
preferred genre in the first place? Or can the theme
of religious tolerance stressed by writers of the Enlightenment still
be relevant today? Or, on a different note, how does Mary Shelleys
Frankenstein deal with the scientific discoveries of Shelleys time? What
happens when postcolonial novels make use of intertextuality to re-
write the Western canon? And what does postcolonial criticism mean in
an age of globalization? Or, perhaps, you simply always wanted to work
on Shakespeare. Whatever it may be, the thesis gives you the chance to
explore it.
Writing a Bachelor thesis in literature means that you will largely be
working independently, with the help of your supervisor(s). After a first
brainstorm with yourself about a possible topic, an important step to
get started is to discuss your ideas with one of your teachers. Approach
someone whom you would also like to have as your thesis-supervisor. In
this first conversation, you should try to convince your potential
supervisor that your topic has potential, that you can work on
it independently, that it is manageable in the time allotted for it, and that
you have a good idea about which questions you aim raise and discuss in
the thesis. That means you will have to prepare the meeting! For
example,

Compile a list of potentially relevant literature (primary texts,

academic sources); try to build on what you are familiar with from
your classes
Think about the theoretical angle from which you would like to
approach your topic
Think about the concepts that might be relevant for your research
(does it have something to do with periodization, intermediality
will you be looking at literature and film, for example or
intertextuality, for example?)
Do you want to center the thesis around a particular text (think of
Toni Morrisons Beloved to discuss the representations of race or
as an example of gothic literature) or do you want to look at a
literary phenomenon in social context (for example, the
experience of exile in literary narratives, or the links of
autobiography to Western ideas of the self)?

If you are not certain about these first steps, the track coordinator might
also be able to help you. How to move from a topic of interest to the
draft of a research question? Who could be a potential supervisor?
Once your overall idea for the project has been accepted by a
supervisor, you have to write a proposal for the thesis. This is a crucial
step, as it provides the outline for all further work. Your proposal
should

state clearly what your research question is

which material you intend to work with
which methods, concepts or theories you intend to work with
what are the overall goals of your project
include a preliminary bibliography of the literary and academic
texts you want to work with

It is very important that you discuss the proposal with your supervisor
and have it approved by him or her. It is crucial that the proposal, as
well as the thesis of course, comes about in continuing exchange with
your supervisor s/he will advise you on adjustments, corrections,
dead-ends or blind spots, you will bring in your research and critical
analyses; together, this will make a good thesis!

The final product should show that you have been able to delineate a
topic and discuss it with analytic depth. For this discussion, you have
drawn on a representative selection of academic sources, and on the
most relevant and suited literary example(s). Your thesis has been
structured clearly and shows your understanding of the subject.
It gives proof of your skills of academic research and composition, as
well as referencing
A 15 ECTS thesis should be around 10.000-12.000 words and include a
substantial bibliography of around 20 titles (including both literary texts
and academic articles/books). 15 ECTS are roughly the equivalent of 420
hours of work. Proportionally, of this time you should expect to spend:

10% on writing the proposal

30% on researching and substantial study of bibliographical material
10% on writing an extended table of content (a paragraph per
chapter)
40% on writing the thesis itself
10% on reworking and finalizing

Make sure that you plan ahead and discuss these steps as well as a
time-line for the thesis with your supervisor at the beginning to ensure
a smooth and enjoyable thesis writing process.

the thesis gives you the

chance to explore
Other Useful
Information
 From the Writing Center
by Dr. Annemieke Meijer
Writing Center Coordinator
1. Split the thinking from the writing.
Writing a thesis is a confusing term and one that misrepresents what the
work is about. Many students make life unnecessarily complicated by starting
writing too soon. Do a lot of thinking first: a prolonged and sometimes
frustrating period of circling around your topic deciding on an angle, reading
and returning to the literature and fine-tuning your research question is not
only normal, it is the essential first step of the research process. (Some
handbooks advise you to spend up to 30% of the time you have for the whole
thesis on this!) Of course, you may write while you think (the famous quote I
dont know what I think until I see what I write has been attributed to
Shakespeare, W.H. Auden, Einstein,Flannery
OBrian, and E.M. Foster -- so there must be something in it) but
remember to distinguish between writing to aid your thought process and
reporting research findings (only the latter will end up in your thesis).

2. Discuss the supervision process

Sure, your supervisor is knowledgeable, interested and helpful. But
remember the case of Jekyll and Hyde. Once you have handed in your
thesis, that same person will assess your work and grade you. Often, it is
not the finished product that is evaluated, but - however subtly - the
process as a whole. For instance, some supervisors are fine with thesis
students dropping in frequently to talk about their progress, while others
may interpret it as a lack of independence. So sit down with your
supervisor and politely ask what they expect of you, and what you can
expect from them as you work on your thesis.
3. Start with the end in mind.
Yes, its Stephen Covey again. It really helps to manage the thesis writing
process if you know what you are aiming for. Try to find out as much as
you can about the criteria against which your thesis will be evaluated.
Look up content requirments, but also anything you can find in terms of
presentation and form. Make sure that you can envisage what the
finished product will look like. Then plan the steps that you need to take
in order to get there, from your first dips into the literature right through
to the final edit. Be realistic and concrete: today I will work on my thesis
is less likely to work that from 10 to 12 I will write the first paragraph of
my methodology chapter, or between class and lunch I will go to the
library and find at least 4 relevant articles for my second sub-question, or
after dinner I will check my text for any mistakes in verb tenses.

And finally: feel free to contact the writing/skills center for help and
advice in any stage of the writing process! We can help you to develop
research questions or thesis statements, to structure your text, plan the
writing process, and more. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Office: Voltaire Jj
Email: a.a.meijer@uu.nl
 Who To Contact
Social Science
Economics Drs. Linda Keijzer l.m.keijzer@uu.nl
Political Science Dr. Francesco Maiolo f.m.maiolo@uu.nl
Sociology Prof. dr. Frans van f.vanwaarden@uu.nl
Waarden
Law Dr. Matthijs de Blois m.deblois@uu.nl
Geography Prof. dr. Jan van j.vanweesep@uu.nl
Weesep
Anthropology Dr. Longina l.a.jakubowska@uu.nl
Jakubowska
Psychology Dr. Christel Lutz c.i.lutz@uu.nl

Science
Cognitive Dr. Hinze Hogendoorn j.h.a.hogendoorn@uu.nl
Neuroscience
Chemistry Dr. Gert-Jan Vroege g.j.vroege@uu.nl
Physics Prof. dr. Cristiane de c.demoraissmith@uu.nl
Morais Smith
Mathematics Prof. dr. Cristiane de c.demoraissmith@uu.nl
Morais Smith
Life Sciences Dr. Fred Wiegant f.a.c.wiegant@uu.nl
Earth & Dr. Maarten Eppinga m.b.eppinga@uu.nl
Environment
Medical Science Prof. dr. Jeen j.r.e.haalboom@uu.nl
Haalboom
Humanities
Art History / Dr. Mary Bouquet m.r.bouquet@uu.nl
Museum Studies
Performing Arts Dr. Mary Bouquet m.r.bouquet@uu.nl
History Dr. Jos van der Linden a.a.m.vanderlinden@uu.nl
Linguistics Dr. Jocelyn Ballantyne j.c.ballantyne@uu.nl
Language & Dr. Jocelyn Ballantyne j.c.ballantyne@uu.nl
Culture
Philosophy Dr. Floris van der f.g.vanderburg@uu.nl
Burg
Religious Studies Dr. Christoph c.baumgartner@uu.nl
Baumgartner
Literature and Dr. Birgit Kaiser b.m.kaiser@uu.nl
Classics

Others
Academic Student Council asc@uu.nl
Writing Center Dr. Annemieke Meijer a.a.meijer@uu.nl
 Credits

This booklet is based on the "Thesis Information Booklet"

that was produced by ASC 2011-2012 and ASC 2012-2013
and ASC 2013-2014.
They did an impressive job.
We thank them very, very much.

Many thanks to Fried Keesen, Wil Pansters, Sandra

Ponzanesi, Johannes Boonstra for their unmissable help in
producing this booklet and organizing the Thesis Event.

We also thank everyone who has written a piece for this

booklet.

Feedback?

If you have any tips on how we can improve this booklet,

please let us know via asc@uu.nl!