Unraveling the Mystery of the "Black Box" - Part 1: Holy Cow, I Need to Write a Thesis!
In the world of academia, the research process can often seem like a mysterious "black box". But Teri Tillman, a Princeton alumna who graduated in 2016, is on a mission to change that.
In this article, part of our series "Looking Back on Undergraduate Research", Teri takes us through her journey of refining her thesis topic for an independent research project. Her topic, she explains, is closely related to her Junior Papers (JPs).
Teri's process begins with a thorough review of her past JPs, analyzing the specific examples and themes explored to identify narrower subtopics or areas that have not been extensively covered. This step allows her to leverage her existing familiarity and research groundwork.
Next, she looks for unique angles or gaps within the broad topic where questions remain unanswered or new perspectives could be contributed. By ensuring originality and significance, Teri ensures that her research will make a meaningful contribution to the field.
Evaluating the scope and feasibility of her topic is a crucial step. Teri aims to find a balance between a manageable project within the timeline and resource constraints of an independent project, and a topic that can support her academic and career development.
Seeking faculty or mentor feedback is another essential part of Teri's process. Discussing potential narrowed topics with advisors or peers helps refine the focus, ensure alignment with expectations, and cultivate a viable research question.
Lastly, Teri considers the resource availability required for her research. Confirming access to necessary data, literature, or experimental setups is crucial to the success of her project.
Teri's approach to her undergraduate research at Princeton involves a careful balance of building upon her prior detailed examples from JPs and moving toward an original, focused question suitable for independent research.
As Teri embarks on writing a 15,000 to 20,000-word research paper as part of her Princeton career, she is excited about the process and wants to produce an amazing project to prove her capability of having her own ideas.
Elise Freeman, our Humanities Correspondent, had the opportunity to speak with Teri about her undergraduate research experience. Stay tuned for more insights from Teri's journey in future articles.
Teri's senior thesis is a culmination of her undergraduate education-and-self-development, focusing on an original, significant topic that stemmed from her previous Junior Papers. Through the process, she prioritizes personal-growth and learning, balancing rigorous research with a manageable project scope, obtaining faculty feedback, and ensuring resource availability.
