Social Sciences

Faculty Committee: N. Chau, chair; P. M. Eloudou-Enyegue, T. D. Park, and C. W. Scherer

The Social Sciences research honors program provides an excellent opportunity for students to pursue independent study and research under the mentorship of a faculty member. Research projects in the social sciences include applied economics and management, communication, development sociology, education, and information science.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES

Students are accepted into the social sciences research honors program by meeting all of the college criteria described in Honors Program Requirements and upon approval of both a written application and a detailed thesis proposal.

Previously approved theses cover a wide range of topics and methodologies. A complete list can be found at ecommons.library.cornell.edu/handle/1813/2937.

Students interested in applying to the research honors program in Social Sciences must:

• Meet with faculty during their junior year (strongly encouraged) in order to identify an honors thesis advisor. Honors thesis faculty advisors must be members of the graduate faculty. Exceptions may be granted for persons with special expertise pending petition to the committee.
• Work with their honors thesis advisors during the second semester of junior year to begin developing their thesis proposals. The purpose of the proposal is twofold: First, it formalizes a plan of study and establishes a set of expectations between the student and the faculty advisor. Second, the honors committee reviews the proposal to determine whether it is consistent with honors thesis requirements and to make suggestions for improvement.
• Submit one hard copy of the completed application and proposal to the social science program committee chair two semesters prior to the prospective graduation date (see Important Dates and Deadlines below). Late applications will not be considered.

The proposal should be five to ten typed, double-spaced pages and include the following:

• Research Topic: State the problem to be studied or the topic of interest. Review the basic literature and the background of the problem or topic; include a more extensive bibliography to be consulted.
• Research Questions/Empirical Hypotheses: Specify the proposed questions to be answered or hypotheses to be tested empirically via collection of data and a mode of analysis accepted in the social sciences.
• Research Methods: Discuss the models to be constructed (if any), sampling procedures, data collection procedures (including measurement instruments and survey or experimental designs, if appropriate), and proposed methods of analysis.
• Expected Significance: State what new knowledge or information is likely to be forthcoming and why it is important. State any practical applications expected as a result of the research.

HONORS DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Distinction in research is awarded by the committee upon approval of the research honors thesis. Honors theses should be written in accordance with formatting required for any standard journal within the appropriate field. Both the results of the research and the methodology (or the logical argument by which the results were achieved) must be reported; review of the literature, practical conclusions or applications, or broad characterizations of an area of inquiry may constitute part of the research report, but are not themselves sufficient as research.

Students accepted into the Social Sciences Research Honors Program must complete the following in order to graduate with Distinction in Research:

• Register for credit directed by the honors thesis faculty advisor (e.g., AEM 4991, COMM 4991, DSOC 4991, EDUC 4991).
• Submit a draft thesis to their research advisors two months before graduation in order to permit sufficient time for revision.
• Submit completed thesis to the committee approximately one month before graduation (see Important Dates and Deadlines below)
• Provide an electronic copy (by email in pdf or Word format) of the final thesis to the Social Sciences program area faculty committee chair no later than the due date. A supporting letter from the faculty research advisor must also be submitted either electronically or as a hard copy.
• Once the thesis has been independently reviewed, typically by two faculty committee members (usually within two weeks), the student will incorporate revisions and submit a final draft. Students will be notified of the committee’s decision by the week of May 25.
• Students may volunteer to publish their final, approved thesis at eCommons Cornell University Library, as long as doing so does not interfere with other plans, such as patenting or publishing in another journal. A permission form can be obtained from the honors committee chair.
• Each summer, in recognition of the research performed by honors students and their faculty mentors, a compilation of honors thesis abstracts is published in the CALS Research Honors Abstracts. Students are required to submit their thesis title, research advisor’s name, and abstract (in Word format) to the honors committee chair for inclusion in this publication. Students should be advised of the abstract publication instructions and deadlines for submission.

IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES