The Bachelor's Thesis, required of each candidate for an undergraduate honors degree, is more formal than a regular Final Research Report. It generally follows the format required for M.S. degrees, though it may be shorter. A thesis generally starts with (i) Title Page, (ii) Table of Contents, (iii) List of Tables, and (iv) List of Figures. The body of the document is similar to that of the research report and should include the following sections:

• Introduction-The previous state of knowledge is reviewed (with citations to the relevant scientific literature) and the goal of the current project is outlined.
• Experimental-The specific details of the experimental procedures utilized are described in sufficient detail that they could be duplicated by someone else.
• Results-The experimental results are presented, including tables of data (if appropriate), spectra, etc.
• Discussion-The conclusions derived from the research are interpreted, particularly in terms of their relevance to the work of previous scientists as reported in the literature.
• References-All literature references cited in the report are numbered in the order in which they are first cited. The format for all references should strictly follow the format used by the Journal of the American Chemical Society or the format used by some other major journal in the specific area of the project. (Consult with your research advisor for the journal format that s/he prefers.) Above all, references should be complete and the format consistent!
• Figures and Tables-Figures and Tables should be numbered sequentially and either inserted at the point where they are first mentioned or placed together at the end of the report (depending upon the preference of the research advisor). The Table headings and Figure captions should follow the format used by the Journal of the American Chemical Society or the format used by some other major journal in the specific area of the project.

Generally, it is expected that the thesis will have more detail and greater depth than is found in a research report. A thesis may also include a brief biographical sketch of the student appended at the end.

Examples of previous Bachelor's Theses may be obtained from Dr. Kodanko, 267 Chemistry.