Student Research

Archaeological and archival materials housed at CAS are available to any student who wishes to do research for a class project, undergraduate honors thesis, or graduate thesis. In order to be approved to use the materials, the student must submit a proposal outlining the materials to be used, the type of analysis or research the student wishes to perform, and what form the final product of the research will take. The proposal should be no more than 3 double-spaced pages in length, and should be well-supported by a comprehensive bibliography. Please review the sections below before submitting a research proposal.

What should my proposal contain?

Before submitting a research proposal, the student must visit CAS to familiarize themselves with the archaeological resources and be able to identify which collection or collections, or at the very least what types of materials, are needed for the project. A brief abstract (200-300 words) explaining the hypothesis or hypotheses to be tested is required as a part of the proposal application. The proposal document should expand upon the abstract in further detail. Especially, the student should be able to identify what kinds of analysis they wish to perform and be able to describe an effective methodology for data collection and analysis. If outside funding is going to be required or used, please indicate the source and amount of the funding. CAS will not pay for outside analyses done for student research topics.

What documents are required to support my proposal?

The student should submit the following documents with any research proposal:

• Bibliography
• Request for Access Form
• Proof of funding (if needed)
• Letter of support from a supervising professor (for undergraduate honors thesis and graduate thesis projects)

You mean I have to actually produce something?

The final product may be in the form of a research report, a printed thesis, or a digital humanities project. CAS will showcase student research on the website, and allow space for an exhibit of student research when desirable.

What happens to my proposal?

Research proposals will be reviewed by CAS staff. Students will receive notice of the status of their proposal within two weeks of submission, so be sure to get the proposal in early enough to allow for the review process. CAS staff may require that a student revise and resubmit their proposal if more information is needed.

What happens after my proposal is accepted?

Once a student research proposal has been accepted, the student must visit CAS as soon as possible to schedule their research times and make arrangements for access to materials. Generally, student research will be performed in the CAS lab. Archival materials may be accessed only at CAS. If archaeological materials need to be removed for special analysis, student researchers must fill out a loan form detailing where the materials are to be housed, what kind of analysis is to be performed, and when the materials will be returned. All returned materials must be in curation-ready condition. Please see our Curation Guidelines for more information about this requirement.