How to Write a BA Thesis: A Practical Guide from Your First Ideas to Your Finished Paper (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) - Hardcover

Lipson, Charles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0226481255 ISBN 13: 9780226481258

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 2005

Synopsis

The senior thesis is the capstone of a college education, but writing one can be a daunting prospect. Students need to choose their own topic and select the right adviser. Then they need to work steadily for several months as they research, write, and manage a major independent project. Now there's a mentor to help. How to Write a BA Thesis is a practical, friendly guide written by Charles Lipson, an experienced professor who has guided hundreds of students through the thesis-writing process.

This book offers step-by-step advice on how to turn a vague idea into a clearly defined proposal, then a draft paper, and, ultimately, a polished thesis. Lipson also tackles issues beyond the classroom-from good work habits to coping with personal problems that interfere with research and writing.

Filled with examples and easy-to-use highlighted tips, the book also includes handy time schedules that show when to begin various tasks and how much time to spend on each. Convenient checklists remind students which steps need special attention, and a detailed appendix, filled with examples, shows how to use the three main citation systems in the humanities and social sciences: MLA, APA, and Chicago.

How to Write a BA Thesis will help students work more comfortably and effectively-on their own and with their advisers. Its clear guidelines and sensible advice make it the perfect text for thesis workshops. Students and their advisers will refer again and again to this invaluable resource. From choosing a topic to preparing the final paper, How to Write a BA Thesis helps students turn a daunting prospect into a remarkable achievement.

About this title

About the Author

Charles Lipson is professor and director of undergraduate studies in political science at the University of Chicago. He is the author of Doing Honest Work in College.

Review

"An excellent, well-developed text for students in all academic disciplines. . . . It is an invaluable text for honors education." (Hallie E. Savage Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council)

"A no-nonsense guide that speaks directly to students, provides a valuable timeline guide for the whole process, and reinforces effective writing techniques. . . . The material and suggestions are dead-on. . . . The opportunities abound for using this guide as a unifying element on many levels: between student and adviser; between faculty advisers within one academic department, between academic departments and learning centers and/or writing centers, and between academic departments and administration. It has a strong potential to be an integral part in a college-wide student success program." (Christine Reichert TLAR)

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0226481255
• ISBN 13: 9780226481258
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 402