Over the course of my academic career, I had the privilege of supervising an astonishing array of Honours theses, keystone projects, and postgraduate work.1 As a supervisor, I gave students a free hand: the topic was theirs to choose. What I did insist on was rigor, coherence, and clarity, which meant that students had to master their subject, find the the right sources, and not only write, but revise, and rewrite, and rethink.
Adams, Benjamin. “Hemingway in Paris.” Honours thesis. University of Adelaide: Discipline of History, 2009.
Aikins-Slade, John. “An End to Impunity: War, Law, and Accountability.” Keystone thesis. Quest University Canada, 2012.
Blackwell, Evan. “The Latest Chapter in the Evolution of Islamic Extremism: a Comparative Analysis of ISIS and Al Qaeda.” Keystone thesis. Quest University Canada, 2016.
Boyle, McKenzie. “Deconstructing Destitution: a Critical Examination of Homelessness in Seattle.” Keystone thesis. Quest University Canada, 2020.
Brenne, Sarah. “Political Discourse on Social Media.” Keystone thesis. Quest University Canada, 2015.
Broadwater, Sasha. “Political Unrest in Yugoslavia: The Danger of Nationalistic Leaders.” Keystone thesis. Quest University Canada, 2019.
Bull, Maia. “A Mannequin’s Tale: Dvoyre Fogel and the Yiddish Literary Experiment of the 1930’s.” Keystone thesis. Quest University Canada, 2014.
Carter, Luke. “Militant Force or Revolutionary Initiative? The Experience of Collectivisation in Aragon, 1936-1937.” Honours thesis. University of Adelaide: Discipline of History, 2005.
Church, Nathan John. “‘Great Expectations’: Revolution, Representation and a Crisis of Legitimacy in the Paris Commune of 1871.” Honours thesis. University of Adelaide, 2005.
Davis, Arthur Geoffrey. “Spectating on Conduct: The Intersection of Innovation and Tradition in the Tatler.” Honours thesis. University of Adelaide, 2005.
Dean, Caleah. “True Story: A Community Story Project.” Keystone thesis. Quest University Canada, 2016.
Deffaa, Max. “Corruption and Fraud in the Philippines: Providing Biometric Solutions towards a Better Future.” Keystone thesis. Quest University Canada, 2021.
Dunstan, Inés Maria. “Hope and Sorrow: André Malraux, Gustav Regler, Arthur Koestler, Communism, and the Spanish Civil War.” Honours thesis. University of Adelaide, 2005.
Eagleton, Madeline. “The Emperor’s New Clothing: A Reflection on Our Obsession with Beauty, Consumerism and Fashion.” Keystone thesis. Quest University Canada, 2015.
Foulon, Loïc. “Renaud: Chanteur Ambigu.” Honours thesis. University of Adelaide, 2007.
- “Honours” isn’t a typo or a personal idiosyncrasy; it’s spelled that way because I taught in Australia, and that’s how Australians spell it. (So do the British and Canadians. Americans are out of step with much of the anglophone world on this one.) The typical Australian bachelor’s degree takes three years; honours is a fourth-year program that prepares students for more advanced study. And they write a substantial thesis. ↩︎