Senior Seminar Checklist

1. Is your thesis clear? What are you trying to accomplish by writing this paper? Does your work show that you understand your subject? The project should concern a narrow concept rather than a broad survey.
2. Do your points support your thesis? Or are they just interesting? Each outline point should have research support. If information is peripheral, cut it.
3. Do you show why your topic is important? It should also be related to your interests.
4. Is it the required length? Do you have chapters?
5. Do you have a summary? You should have several concluding statements that support your thesis.
6. Do you have your own style? CAUTION: Do not color the facts to comply with your style.
7. Is it written formally? It should not be the same as the way you talk. Terminology should be discipline appropriate.
8. Is it personal? It should reflect your personal views, yet omit "I think" statements.
9. Is it gender neutral? Rather than man or men, use people or society. Rather than him/her or s/he, use students or one or recast the sentence.
10. Is it in the proper style and documentation format?
11. Do you have the correct number of sources? Are your sources credible?
12. Have you proofread your paper carefully, checking for each kind of error you typically make?

History

1. Does it use narrative AND analysis?

Humanities/English

1. Is it integrative? It should incorporate learning and faith, theory and practice.
2. Is it a scholarly investigation? It can explore a topic or an author. OR Is it a creative writing collection? It should consist of one or more of the following: short stories, poetry, novel.
3. Do you have at least 30 sources?

Psychology

1. Does the paper aim to examine the assumptions behind a scientific truth? (Did you prove the hypothesis that you set up?)
2. Does it show sensitivity to a social concern?
3. Does it analyze and interpret the data? It should not just be a statement of facts.
4. Can you justify the topic, data, and conclusions? All of your data should be supported.
5. Does it demonstrate ethical and professional conduct? This will be shown in the paper and data, as well as working with the community in the form of obtaining informed consent.
6. Do you have 20 to 30 sources?

Theology

1. Is your style unfounded, inflammatory, or sermonic? If so, change it.
2. Do you have at least 30 sources?

By Mary Beth Kirker 1996

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