Step Six: Writing
Reading sample theses
As you prepare for your thesis, you might want to get a sense of what you can accomplish in your finished product. Reading past theses can show you the scope and nature of well-done undergraduate projects. Because theses in different areas of psychology often look quite different, it will help you to examine several in the same general area you plan to conduct your research in. A critical examination of several past theses will help you when you come to write up your own project, and can help you now as you being to shape your upcoming research and prepare a feasible proposal.
The Psychology Undergraduate Office has several prize-winning theses from past years. You may sign these out to see what the best undergraduate work looks like. At the bottom of this page are lists of titles for more recent past undergraduate theses in psychology. You may even find titles related to your intended topic. You can find copies of most of these theses in the Sociology / Social Relations Library on the first floor of William James.
Richard E. Kaufman, Librarian in the Department of Psychology, has provided information on the theses held in WJH libraries: "Anyone who wishes to consult a thesis should start with HOLLIS and see if it is in the archives, or in the Social Relations Library. If we have the thesis people should send me e-mail: kaufman at wjh dot harvard dot edu requesting the thesis by the call # listed in HOLLIS; the call# format is usually Th P (number). Use of any thesis is restricted to the Library, and, no thesis less than 5 years old may be photocopied at all, without express written permission from the author. Theses are kept in the Social Relations Library., except for some Psychology theses that were transferred to Archives some years back, though we have noted those in catalog cards for the theses in question."
Note: The department does not release undergraduate theses while they are under review. Inquirers should contact the authors of theses that are not yet in the Social Relations Library.
Past thesis lists
Class of 1999 (PDF) / 2000 (PDF) / 2001 (PDF) / 2002 / 2003 / 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008
Prize Theses 2001-2008
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