Leiden University · Faculty of Humanities

Thesis & Research Supervision

Leiden thesis support + public methods resources

Thesis & Research Supervision

A practical resource for shaping a topic into a research design, choosing methods, organizing evidence, and writing the thesis. Start with your program page for requirements. Use the methods and workflow pages when you need practical guidance.

Supervisor Dr. Steven Denney s.c.denney@hum.leidenuniv.nl View on GitHub

Choose your route

What do you need right now?

Program requirements

Find your thesis rules

Word counts, deadlines, supervision expectations, assessment notes, and program-specific documents.

 First steps

Turn a topic into a plan

Shape the research question, sources, literature review, analytical framework, and findings strategy.

 Working documents

Use a template

Open working formats for a research memo, proposal outline, literature matrix, data plan, meeting packet, or submission checklist.

 Methods resource

Choose and justify a method

Use the methods chooser, then build a defensible approach for corpus work, qualitative research, computational text analysis, or mixed methods.

 AI and code

Build a transparent workflow

Plan tool-supported work for source organization, scripting, cleanup, checks, and documentation.

Leiden Student? Find Your Program

If you are writing in one of the Leiden programs I supervise, start with your program page. For broader research support, begin with the methods and workflow routes above.

BA

BAIS

International Studies

 BA

BAKS

Korean Studies

 MA

MAAS

Asian Studies

 MA

MAIR

International Relations

Program Snapshot

  BAIS BAKS MAAS MAIR
Level BA BA MA MA
Word count 10,000 (±10%) 10,000 (±10%) 12,000-15,000 15,000 max
Citation style Chicago Chicago Notes-Bib Consistent, recognized style Consistent, recognized style
Final deadline June 5, 2026 June 1, 2026 July 1, 2026 June 5, 2026

BAIS

BA
Word count
10,000 (±10%)
Citation style
Chicago
Final deadline
June 5, 2026

BAKS

BA
Word count
10,000 (±10%)
Citation style
Chicago Notes-Bib
Final deadline
June 1, 2026

MAAS

MA
Word count
12,000-15,000
Citation style
Consistent, recognized style
Final deadline
July 1, 2026

MAIR

MA
Word count
15,000 max
Citation style
Consistent, recognized style
Final deadline
June 5, 2026

All dates are for the 2025-2026 academic year. Always confirm deadlines with your supervisor and program coordinator.

Core Resources

Methods Guide Help with corpus building, qualitative research, computational text analysis, and method selection. AI & Code Practical workflows for tool use, documentation, and responsible practice. Assessment Standards Criteria, grade descriptors, thesis structure, and BA/MA expectations. Templates & Checklists Research memo, proposal outline, literature matrix, data plan, meeting packet, and final checks. Ethics & AI Ethics review, university policy, plagiarism rules, academic integrity, and support links.