Research Opportunities

Training in research methods allows students to investigate the questions that interest them most.

It is a rare privilege for undergraduates to explore the issues that most intrigue and motivate them using the equipment and methods of professional scholars. Valpo geography students are introduced to research methods in the many courses that have field components, and professors encourage students to progress through research-based class projects to independent research. Students learn how to frame research questions, design projects, collect and analyze data, and present their research in oral, written, and visual formats. Because the field of geography is quite diverse, the range of topics students may choose to investigate in a supervised independent-study course is broad.

Because communicating research findings is an important part of professional practice, students are encouraged to present their research at academic and professional conferences throughout the Midwest and occasionally beyond. These gatherings introduce students to the world and the work of professionals in the field, inspiring a lifelong interest in research and a thorough understanding of various geographic methods and techniques.

Honors Work

Exceptionally qualified students may choose to pursue honors work during their senior year. For geography students, “honors work” is defined as a major independent project consisting of either

• Original basic research on some geographical question, or
• A solution to an applied geographic problem.

Literature reviews and other descriptive studies, no matter how exhaustive, do not constitute honors work and are better suited to independent study.

Conducting an Honors Project

Honors work constitutes a significant investment of time and effort, both on the part of the student and the faculty advisor. The process spans an entire year — from topic proposal and acceptance to project completion — and so involves several steps. Honors projects in geography involve 1) identifying a geographic problem or question, 2) collecting data and other information related to the problem, 3) analyzing this data and information, and 4) arriving at a conclusion.

Honors work projects in geography must include the following components:

Research Option

• Thesis statement
• Review of relevant literature
• Discussion of research methods and data
• Analysis
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

Applied Option

• Statement of problem and purpose
• Review of relevant literature
• Rationale of methods used
• Discussion of data and its acquisition
• Statement of outcomes/results
• Bibliography