The senior thesis is the culmination of the training students receive in the department. It is researched and written under the close supervision of a faculty adviser, evaluated with detailed reports by the adviser and a second reader, and defended orally in a 30-minute session that is conducted in part in the student’s language of specialization. Most often, the thesis is a classical scholarly research essay, though it may also take the form of substantial and annotated literary translation, documentary film, or other creative genres.

A senior thesis should accomplish the following goals:

• Define a research question and formulate and advance a clear claim (hypothesis) or set of claims.
• Gather, present, and analyze evidence in support of its claim(s).
• Review and engage the scholarship of others on the subject.
• Assess critically the strengths and weaknesses of its own logic, evidence, and findings.
• Relate its conclusions to a larger context.
• Make an original contribution to knowledge.

A thesis must have an argument. It should not be a passive review of the existing literature, a summary of facts, or a mere description of past events. The question it poses should be significant. In other words, the thesis must have and make clear what Princeton’s Writing Program calls “motive.” Motive, to recall, is what explains to the reader why the thesis is worth reading. Or, in still more direct terms, the thesis should have an answer to the question “so what?” As will be discussed below in more detail, motive can come in many different forms. But whatever form the motive may take, a thesis needs it. For example, Richie K. Huynh’s award-winning thesis “Acupuncture Analgesia Considered in Neurophysiological and Traditional Terms: Bridging Traditional Chinese Medicine with Modern Medicine in Asia” raises the question of how acupuncture was or was not integrated into modern practices in Chinese communities in East Asia. His exploration leads to a successful establishment of acupuncture as a unique bridge between traditional Chinese and modern medicine.

Having posed a question and justified why that question deserves to be posed, the thesis should then present an analysis that marshals sound reasoning and ample evidence to arrive at an answer. To be successful, a thesis need not be entirely comprehensive or convincing in every aspect – the faculty recognizes that this is your first attempt at substantial scholarship – but at its core, it must have an argument. A superior thesis, moreover, will address possible counterarguments and objections, as this clearly reveals the depth and range of the student’s thinking and research.

The presentation of the student's own reasoning and conclusions is thus the central part of the thesis. This is worth emphasizing because all too often students fret excessively about the amount and detail of the information they put in the thesis, operating under the mistaken assumption that more is better. While a thoroughly researched thesis is always preferable to a poorly researched one, a carefully argued thesis that rests on inconclusive evidence is preferable to a sloppily reasoned or logically confused thesis that presents an abundance of details and citations. Work hard, but do not forget to work smart.

The Department of East Asian Studies emphasizes the use of Chinese, Japanese or Korean sources and the EAS major aims to develop students’ abilities to read critically and analyze all kinds of text with subtlety and insight. The writing of a thesis is an important opportunity for students to demonstrate skills of critical reading and analytical writing.

The EAS department also allows and encourages the writing of a creative senior thesis in which they are evaluated on their ability to produce works of fiction (poetry, short story or novel, performance, or film) or to carry out a translation project.

Important Dates for Senior Thesis, 2023-2024

• Deadline to confirm senior thesis adviser with department: Mon., Sept. 16
• Seniors must have initial meeting with advisers by this date: Fri., Sept. 27
• Submit thesis prospectus (title and 1-page description): Mon., Oct. 21
• Submit outline of thesis and full working bibliography: Mon., Nov. 18
• Submit partial first draft (of at least 20 pages) to adviser: Fri., Jan. 24
• Submit the first full draft of thesis: Fri. Mar. 7
• Submit final draft of thesis: Wed., Apr. 23
• Late submission of the senior thesis will be penalized by a reduction of one-third of a grade for each day late.
• Senior Thesis Oral Defense (to be scheduled individually): Friday, May 2

Senior Thesis Writing

Thesis writing is a challenging process. It requires you to call upon the knowledge, skills, and insights you have acquired at Princeton to produce a work of original scholarship. Although you will have a faculty adviser and other resources to guide you along the way, the thesis ultimately is yours and yours alone. Working on your own, you are responsible for conceiving, researching, and writing up a piece of research worthy of an academic year’s effort.

Writing a thesis may be a daunting task. But it need not be, and indeed should not be, an overwhelming one. When approached in the right manner, the process is certainly manageable. It can even be pleasant. Many students find the thesis to be the most rewarding academic experience they have at Princeton. If you take to heart the information and suggestions provided herein, this guide will help ensure that your own experience of writing a thesis is a productive and positive one.

Topics may range anywhere from medieval Japanese history to modern Korean literature and to contemporary Chinese film, though the department’s core requirement is that a substantial portion of the research must be conducted in the student’s East Asian language of specialization. Your faculty adviser will help you through this process.

Senior Thesis Adviser

While the EAS director of undergraduate studies will continue to be available for guidance on departmental requirements, the primary adviser for majors during senior year will be the thesis adviser. Your adviser has important insight into the thesis writing process and is there to provide general guidance and advice throughout. Students are expected to be proactive in seeking out a senior thesis adviser, and are encouraged to do so before the end of junior year. Students are encouraged to contact the DUS should any problems arise, or if they need support in securing a thesis adviser. 

Adviser-advisee relationships vary as much as the people that make them up. Nonetheless, there are some basic expectations: It is the student’s responsibility to make an initial appointment with their thesis adviser, which they should do within the first weeks of the start of senior year. Identifying a thesis topic, researching, writing, and completing the thesis are all the student’s responsibility. It is not the adviser’s responsibility to assign a research question, find sources, or to keep the student on track. A thesis adviser may work with the student to set up a schedule for the completion of research and writing, but meeting thesis due dates (pg. 8) is ultimately the responsibility of the student. 

Because the schedules, working habits, and projects of students and faculty advisers vary so greatly, there is no standard template for advising. You should meet with your adviser at a minimum of twice each semester. For most students, meeting twice per month works well.

Your adviser is obliged to read and comment on one draft of each of your chapters. You should submit the rough draft to your adviser early enough to allow at least three weeks to read and comment. Otherwise, you may not necessarily expect your adviser to read your draft materials.

Thesis Prospectus

A senior thesis prospectus is a written outline that communicates your research topic, research question, methods, and state of progress to someone else—typically your thesis adviser, or the selection committee of a funding agency. It should be brief and focused (no longer than two or three pages).

Writing a prospectus is helpful because it forces you to clarify your overarching question and approach before you begin to immerse yourself in the details of your project. It also enables your adviser to understand your ideas and give you more targeted advice. At the same time, the prospectus does not represent a binding contract between you and your adviser. Once you begin to work with your sources and start writing, your hypothesis or research question is likely to change and evolve.

A senior thesis prospectus should include the following:

• A working title.
• The topic of your thesis. You should also be able to explain why your topic is relevant, important, or interesting to you and other scholars in your field.
• Your central question (alternatively, you may pose a hypothesis or a puzzle). What distinguishes your proposed research from earlier work done on the subject? In this context, it might be useful to mention some of the major works that have been published in relation to your question of interest.
• Your research methods and resources. Are you going to base your project on library research, archival research, observational research, surveys, or interviews? You should identify by name some of the main sources you are going to use. Do not forget to mention how you plan to gain access to them.
• As an East Asian studies major, you are required to base a substantial portion of your senior thesis on source materials in your language of specialization. Make sure to explain how you are planning to do so.
• Your state of progress. Did you deal with a similar topic in your JIW? If so, how are you going to expand it? Have you already completed parts of your research? Are there any scholars or institutions that you have contacted or will contact in the future?
• Your timetable for completion.

Guidelines for a Working Bibliography

• Each topic has different requirements, but as a rule of thumb, your working bibliography should include at least five titles in your language of specialization, and at least thirty titles in English or other languages.
• You should include both titles that you have already read, and titles you consider relevant for your project and plan to read in the future.
• Make sure to include titles that illuminate your topic from different angles. Try to ensure that there is some variety in their dates of publication. Pay equal attention to recent publications and older classics in the field.
• Do not include titles that are unrelated to your topic.
• Include monographs, journal articles, and if necessary other types of media.
• Be sure to include the East Asian language sources you are using in your research.
• Distinguish between primary and secondary sources. List your primary sources in a separate section at the beginning.
• Keep in mind that this is a preliminary bibliography that will need to be revised and expanded. It may be helpful to consult previous theses (available through the EAS Undergraduate Program Administrator) to get a sense for the scope of a finalized bibliography.

Final Thesis Submission

The thesis must be submitted to the department office by 4:00 p.m. on the date noted on the current schedule. A PDF copy of your thesis should be emailed to the undergraduate program administrator at [email protected]. Late submission of the senior thesis will be penalized by a reduction of one-third of a grade for each day late. Students should contact the DUS for any questions or concerns regarding the thesis submission deadline.

Senior Thesis Oral Defense

The EAS Senior Departmental Examination takes the form of an oral defense, a conversation between the student and a faculty committee, centering on the senior independent work, as well as larger questions in the field of East Asian studies that inform it. The oral defense will last about 30 minutes. The thesis adviser and second reader will administer the defense, which will consist of two parts, 1) summary and 2) question and answer. First, the student is expected to deliver a summary of the theme, argument, sources, and significance of their thesis in the student’s language of specialization. Then, the two examiners will pose questions about any aspect of the thesis. The conversation can then extend to other aspects of the student’s course of study in EAS, as well as their future career.

Senior Thesis Grading

The thesis is read by two faculty members, the adviser and another reader selected by the director of undergraduate studies. Each determines a grade independently, and the final grade is the average of the two. A thesis defense will be scheduled individually. The senior thesis represents the culmination of the undergraduate curriculum. It should be an original contribution to scholarship on East Asia, based substantially on source materials in the student's language of specialization.

The Department of East Asian Studies grades all independent work according to the following rubric:

• The A range reflects outstanding work of research and analysis in East Asian studies. The work shows originality in conceiving the topic, formulating and advancing a claim (hypothesis), and an ability to develop the argument in a well-organized and elegant manner. It demonstrates that the writer has conducted a close and critical reading of the relevant evidence, grappled with the issues raised across them, and formulated a perceptive, independent argument. It assesses critically the strengths and weaknesses of its own logic, evidence, and findings. Finally, it places its conclusion in the context of a broader body of scholarship and makes an original contribution. An A-level thesis reflects clarity of expression, sensitivity to regional, cultural, and historical contexts, deep engagement with primary sources in one or more East Asian languages, and is supported by a well-chosen variety of primary materials. 
• The B range designates work that demonstrates many aspects of A-level work but falls short in either the organization or clarity of its writing, the formulation and presentation of its argument, or the quality of research. Some papers in this category are solid works that contain flashes of insight, while others give evidence of independent thought without maximizing that potential. The lower end of this range is represented by work that comes up short through some weaknesses in writing, organization, argument, or use of evidence. 
• Independent work in the C range reflects poor treatment of a subject. Offering little more than a summary of ideas and information having to do with a chosen topic, the work here is comparatively insensitive to historical and cultural context and lacks complexity and insight. C-level papers often suffer from inadequate primary research. 
• The D range designates seriously deficient work with severe flaws in the writer’s command of research materials and modes of argumentation. 
• F-level papers do not meet the minimal requirements of research in the department.

Departmental Honors

Once majors have completed all their coursework and their independent work, the department calculates all these components according to the following formula:

The results of these calculations determine the student’s standing within the department, with the most outstanding awarded departmental honors on Class Day.