JMU HONORS PROGRAM251 Warren Service Drive
MSC 1501
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Hillcrest House
540.568.6953
540.568.7728
540.568.8079 (fax)
E-mail: honors@jmu.edu
Office hours:
Mon.-Fri., 8:00am-5:00pm
HEALTH SCIENCES GUIDELINES
Students completing the Senior Honors Project must follow the thesis guidelines outlined In the Senior Project Handbook developed by the JMU Honors Program. Health Sciences students will develop a proposal in consultation with a Health Sciences faculty member. The project may be experimental research or may be more applied with practical use for some area of health sciences. Those students wishing to complete a Senior Honors Project should first consult with the Departmental Honors Program liaison but they are free work with any faculty member who agrees to do so.
First Semester: HTH 499A: 1 credit
The purpose of this semester of the project is to develop plans for the project and submit the proposal with the completed signature page to the Honors Program by the deadline. The student will consult with Health Sciences Honors liaison about their tentative plans for the project. Then they student will ask a Health Sciences faculty member to be their advisor for this project. They must also ask two faculty members to be readers for the project. Throughout the project the student should consult on a regular basis with the advisor to ensure steady progress on their project and to get advice on technical and professional issues for conducting the project and writing the paper. The readers may also provide technical and professional help with the project.
Second Semester: HTH 499B: 3 credits
By the end of the second semester of the Senior Honors Project the student should complete a comprehensive review of literature, have detailed project plans and complete IRB training and submit their proposal for IRB approval if necessary for their project. The student should complete the equivalent of the first three chapters outlined in the section on Senior Honors Project Paper Content. They may also collect data if appropriate during this semester.
Third Semester: HTH 499C: 2 credits
The third semester of the Senior Honors Project is designed for the student to complete their project. They should collect all data and conduct data analyses if appropriate, write summary, conclusions and recommendations (the equivalent of Chapters 5 and 6). The student then submits final copy to their Senior Honors Project advisor and readers by the Honors Program deadline.
Senior Honors Project Paper Content
(this may vary depending on the exact nature of the project)
Abstract - one page maximum (write this last)
Chapter 1 Introduction
Introduction
Significance of the Study
Statement of the Problem
Research hypothesis (if appropriate to your project)
Research question(s)
Limitations of the Study
Definitions of terms
Chapter 2 Review of Literature
Introduction
Subheadings for topics reviewed- write this deductively going from the broadest topic to those very specific to your project
Chapter 3 Methodology
Introduction
Sampling or Subjects - include IRB approval and protection of subjects
Instrumentation - include pilot testing here if appropriate
Procedures
Research Design (if appropriate)
Hypothesis (if appropriate)
Research question(s)
Data Analysis (if appropriate)
Chapter 4 Results
Introduction
Results - may use subheadings for pilot test results and different variables
Only include the actual results. Discussion of why or what occurred is
included in Chapter 5.
Chapter 5 Discussion and Conclusions
Introduction
Discussion -include any possible explanation for your results
Suggestions for further research
Conclusions - what do your results mean?
Brief concluding/summarizing remark
Writing Style Guidelines
- Write in a top-down style
First present the high-level ideas of your work, then expand them. This applies to the overall organization of your paper as well as the organization of sub-sections and individual paragraphs. For example, by reading just your abstract a reader should get a high-level idea of what problem you are solving, how you solved it, why it is interesting, and how well it solved the problem. If the reader then reads your Introduction, s/he will understand these in a bit more detail, and so on.
- Conclude each paragraph, section and entire paper Each part of your paper whether it be a paragraph, a sub-section, a section, or the entire paper should have a conclusion. For example, each section should be written as follow:
- 1st paragraph: main idea of section
- middle paragraphs: expansion of the idea (further explanation or elaboration of the topic)
- concluding paragraph
Each section of your paper should be organized as: high-level important points first, details second, summarize high-level points last.
- Double space, 12 pt. font
- Write in past tense
- Do not use unnecessary adjectives.
Unless you prove "all" or "always", likewise "none" or "never" --absolutes should not be used.
- Avoid assumptions of cause-effect.
The word "may" is preferred over "will" because you can't be sure of the results unless you have measured them.
- Be very consistent in the order you list and then address items.
Write in the same order every time. This includes variables, hypothesis, lists of schools, subjects etc.
