How do you write your (currently in progress but early days) thesis into your CV?

[timetobegin]

How do you write your thesis-in-progress into your CV when you're still in the data-collection stages of this thesis and have no results, no findings, not even a title? I will have the paper written and defended by next September, but I'd like to include it in my CV now as research experience....

Edited December 5, 2017 by timetobegin

[fuzzylogician]

I wouldn't include it in my CV, unless it's an official research assistant position. Talk about it in your SOP. 

[TakeruK]

In my field, students generally do include undergrad and masters thesis work under "Research Experience" of their CV. Even though it's generally not an official research assistant position (my undergrad did not allow paid research to count towards the honours thesis requirement, as that is coursework, but in my field, it is common to put non-paid and non-official research positions in Research Experience in our CVs---the experience is what matters, not the position).

Alternatively, it can appear as a note under your school's name in "Education" to indicate that your degree includes a thesis component instead of just coursework. Normally this would show the thesis title and advisor but in your case, you can just say "includes thesis work advised by Prof. XYZ".

[fuzzylogician]

3 minutes ago, TakeruK said:

In my field, students generally do include undergrad and masters thesis work under "Research Experience" of their CV.

A (finished) thesis, yes. But just like I wouldn't put a paper on my CV until it is at least ready to be submitted, if not actually submitted (listed as "under review"), I wouldn't list a project that is in very early data collection stages. That's simply premature. Once you actually have a deliverable, sure, go ahead and list it. But you can't list plans and hopes in your CV, only facts. 

[TakeruK]

2 minutes ago, fuzzylogician said:

A (finished) thesis, yes. But just like I wouldn't put a paper on my CV until it is at least ready to be submitted, if not actually submitted (listed as "under review"), I wouldn't list a project that is very early data collection stages. That's simply premature. Once you actually have a deliverable, sure, go ahead and list it. But you can't list plans and hopes in your CV, only facts. 

I generally agree, but for some reason, I think thesis projects that are required to be part of the degree are the exception in my field. No matter what happens, the student will graduate with a finished thesis by the time they start grad school. It may not have the same scope as when they started but if they don't finish the thesis, they don't get the degree. So, on the same reasoning as you could put an expected date for a BS/BA or MS/MA degree on a CV before you've completed it, or that you can list coursework planned for Spring 2018, I'd argue that a student with a thesis-component to their degree can and should list their thesis work in their grad school applications.

[fuzzylogician]

4 minutes ago, TakeruK said:

I generally agree, but for some reason, I think thesis projects that are required to be part of the degree are the exception in my field. No matter what happens, the student will graduate with a finished thesis by the time they start grad school. It may not have the same scope as when they started but if they don't finish the thesis, they don't get the degree. So, on the same reasoning as you could put an expected date for a BS/BA or MS/MA degree on a CV before you've completed it, or that you can list coursework planned for Spring 2018, I'd argue that a student with a thesis-component to their degree can and should list their thesis work in their grad school applications.

I suppose my main response as someone who might be reading applications is that I care a whole lot less about an unfinished project listed on someone's CV than I do about their actual ability to discuss said project and future plans for its development in their SOP. I guess I am not all that impressed with the fact that someone chose the thesis option, but I'm hoping to be impressed by the content of the work. 

[TakeruK]

3 minutes ago, fuzzylogician said:

I suppose my main response as someone who might be reading applications is that I care a whole lot less about an unfinished project listed on someone's CV than I do about their actual ability to discuss said project and future plans for its development in their SOP. I guess I am not all that impressed with the fact that someone chose the thesis option, but I'm hoping to be impressed by the content of the work. 

That's fair. For my field, I think it's a very rare case where an undergrad student does exceptional work in their undergrad thesis. The work is often not publishable, but when it is, it's usually something the student writes up and publishes within the first 2 years of graduate studies (i.e. it's very rare that the work will be in a publishable state by the time they graduate).

When evaluating for graduate admissions, I think profs in my field are looking more for experience doing research than what students actually achieve. In any case, most applicants are submitting in the fall of their final year, so the only distinguishing feature is whether or not they're planning on doing thesis work or not, since most of them will not have finished a thesis yet. Often, the thesis work is the only research experience and it at least signals that the student won't be completely brand new to research when they start graduate school.