Advice on Finding a Thesis Adviser - Department of Government ...

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Step 1 to Finding an Adviser: Gather your thoughts (even if they’re really rough). In order to write a senior thesis, you’ll need a topic and a specific question related to that topic. How to move from a topic to a question is not always straightforward, and our thesis preparation programming for Juniors in the Spring will provide you with help in formulating your question. But as you begin the adviser search, your goal should not be to arrive at a polished question, but simply to organize your thoughts in a way that is coherent enough to facilitate discussion with potential advisers. Tip from Prof. Platt: Be honest with a potential adviser about the type of research you want to do. Some advisers may prefer to work with students conducting large-N studies and employing quantitative methods, and it makes little sense to pursue an advising relationship with that type of person if you are doing extensive fieldwork on a single case. Step 2 to Finding an Adviser: Summarize your ideas in a concise paragraph. In about a paragraph (maybe two if necessary) put your initial ideas down on paper. This paragraph is meant to give potential advisers a ballpark idea about your ideas and interests. It does not have to be well developed. Prof. Domínguez suggests that you think of this as a conversation with faculty members and teaching fellows. They are going to ask you questions, and as you answer their questions your ideas will sharpen. It’s important to start these conversations earlier rather than later so that you have time to develop your ideas. Step 3 to Finding an Adviser: Start talking with people you know in the department. Once you have a rough sketch of your ideas on paper, you should start talking to people you know. Take a look at your transcript, and identify the Government Department faculty members and teaching fellows that you have met. You can also talk to your House Concentration Advisers, your peers, and the DUS or Gov 99 Coordinator about your ideas. Reach out to these individuals via email to see if it’s possible to get feedback on your thesis ideas. Tip from Prof. Platt: If you are planning to apply for a Ph.D. program in political science down the road, a faculty adviser makes sense -- their letters of recommendation could make a difference for such programs. Once you connect via email, schedule a face-to-face meeting. Take advantage of faculty and TF office hours, and expect faculty/TFs to ask you about your ideas at this meeting. For instance, they may ask: Why do you want to write on this topic? What specific questions are you thinking about asking? These meetings also serve as a great opportunity for you to ask faculty / TFs questions such as: How would you suggest I 6
efine my question? Are there scholars I should read? How might I design my research to find an answer to my question? You can use these conversations with faculty and graduate students to help you arrive at a more precise question. At the end of each email or conversation, make sure you ask for names of other individuals in the department who might be useful for you to talk to. By doing this, you’ll create your own network of scholars to draw upon for advice. (If you don’t have an adviser after Step 3, then …) Step 4 to Finding an Adviser: Identify more potential advisers. In addition to faculty and teaching fellows you already know, you should branch out to others who may be potential advisers. In the Government Department, advisers can be either Government Department faculty or graduate students. A list of graduate students who have expressed particular interests in advising is available here: http://www.gov.harvard.edu/undergraduate-program/potential-thesis-advisers. You can circulate your paragraph, perhaps a revised version after some initial conversations, and continue to seek feedback and advice. Tip: As you explore thesis topics and advisers, be flexible with your question, approach, and methodology. You may find that an adviser is willing to advise if you modify your question slightly, or you may find that you want to shift your focus after talking with a faculty member or teaching fellow. Junior Spring is the time to have these discussions, and consider many possible thesis questions. By the end of the Spring, your goal should be to arrive at a question that you will take with you into the summer for possible summer research. In order to learn about faculty and teaching fellows, turn to the online links noted above. As you read through faculty and TF profiles, think of two different questions: (A) Might this person possibly be interested in advising my thesis as I currently conceive of it? and (B) Am I interested enough in what this person studies to reconceptualize my thesis (so that it would be an advising fit for them)? (If you don’t have an adviser after Step 4, then …) Step 5 to Finding an Adviser: Look to faculty at related Harvard schools and institutes. If your conversations with Government Department faculty and teaching fellows have not produced an adviser, you can branch out to other schools, institutes, and centers to see if there are possible advisers elsewhere. Harvard is a place where there are often visitors / affiliates / professors in other places, and there is not a central repository where everyone is listed. The University is so big and disconnected that sometimes two people may be studying the same thing, and not even know it. BUT, as you look beyond the Government Department, you need to be careful. Since you will be writing a political science thesis, it's important (when you look at advisers from beyond the Government Department) to make sure that they feel comfortable advising a thesis that will be evaluated by a political science audience. There 7
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