Senior Thesis
The senior thesis may be devoted to any topic in the general area of Russian language or literature (or, assuming sufficient linguistic competence, Czech or Polish). Interdisciplinary topics are also encouraged, provided they have a clear connection to Russian culture.
The thesis is written in English, but substantial research must be done in Russian.
Students should choose a subject that is both challenging and reasonable. (Keep in mind that this is, after all, a senior thesis, and not a doctoral dissertation!) In this regard, the first few weeks of the fall semester are among the most important of the entire year. The more carefully a subject is delineated, the easier it is to organize research and writing.
Senior Thesis Calendar 2008-2009
By September 20, 2008
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Seniors meet with the Departmental Representative to discuss (tentative) plans for the thesis
and potential advisers.
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By October 21, 2008
| Seniors submit to the Departmental Representative a one-paragraph description of their topic.
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By November 5, 2008
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Seniors make initial appointments with the chosen thesis advisers to discuss topics and plans for research.
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By December 3, 20078
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Seniors submit to the adviser a two-page outline of the thesis.
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By December 14, 2008
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Seniors submit to the adviser a bibliography of Russian sources to be consulted for the thesis.
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By January 11, 2009
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Seniors submit to the adviser a partial first draft of the thesis (e.g., a chapter, at least 25 pages in length).
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By January 26, 2009
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Advisers return partial first drafts with comments.
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By March 24, 2009
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Students submit a full-length draft of the thesis to their adviser. |
By April 7, 2009
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Advisers return full-length drafts with comments. |
By April 21, 2009
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Theses due by 5 pm at 249 East Pyne. |
Senior Thesis Formatting Guidelines
- The length of the senior thesis should be between 80 and 100 pages,excluding appendices and bibliography. (Permission of the thesis adviser is required if the text is to significantly exceed the prescribed maximum length.)
- The senior thesis should be printed in 12-pt. font on white, letter-size paper (8.5”x11”), single-sided. The text, including block citations, should be double-spaced throughout.
- Leave margins of 1.5” on the left and 1” on the right, top, and bottom of each page.
- All pages of the thesis must be numbered. Beginning with the first page of the introduction, all pages are numbered sequentially with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.). All preceding pages (title and copyright pages, dedication, table of contents, etc.) are numbered sequentially with lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii). All pagination should appear at the bottom of the page, centered.
- The thesis must include a title page, a copyright page, a table of contents, and a bibliography.
- The title page should feature the author’s name, date, and the following statement: "A senior thesis submitted to the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Princeton University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts." For a sample title page, click here.
- The copyright page must include the following two statements:
- “I hereby certify that this paper represents my own work in accordance with University regulations.”
- “I further authorize Princeton University to reproduce this thesis by photocopying or by other means, in total or in part, at the request of other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research.”
You should sign your name under each of the two statements. For a sample copyright page, click here.
- Standard parts of the main text are: an introduction, chapters (these may be divided into sub-chapters or sections), and a conclusion.
- Additionally, the thesis may feature one or more of these elements: a dedication, acknowledgments, a note on transliteration, a list of illustrations, preface, conclusion, appendices.
- You may use either footnotes or endnotes; these should be single spaced, with a double space after each note to separate it from the following one. Footnotes should be in smaller type than the main text (recommended: 10 pt.). Endnotes should be in 12-point font.
- The formatting of citations and the bibliography should follow the MLA Manual of Style (now in its sixth edition). A useful on-line summary of MLA citation styles can be found here.
- Three copies of each thesis should be submitted to the Slavic Department. Two of them should be bound or stapled (for the readers); one should be unbound and unstapled (this copy will be sent to the library for archiving).
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