Overview 

The University of Washington’s anthropology honors program allows passionate undergraduate students to pursue a self-directed research project, culminating in an honors thesis completed under the guidance of departmental faculty. Using participatory photography, my thesis explored how Seattle-based autistic young adults experience identity and friendship. Throughout the research process, I identified unique questions to investigate based on gaps in the existing literature, selected accessible methodology, created accessible participation materials, analyzed data in Dedoose, and wrote a thesis of roughly forty pages. Having the opportunity to delve into my own academic interests and to experience a research project from start to finish was essential in helping me articulate my post-graduation goals of continuing similar research. Throughout this project, I also learned a great deal about my working preferences, and I strengthened my ability to collaborate with multiple advisors and incorporate feedback effectively while maintaining my unique academic voice.

 

Personal Importance

This experience was pivotal for allowing me to recognize my passions for conducting research and my desire to conduct research within community. As an autistic woman, having the opportunity to center autistic individuals’ lived experiences from a difference rather than deficit perspective was both personally empowering and professionally illuminating. It underscored that affirming approaches to autism research can yield meaningful results and highlighted the substantial growth still needed within this field of study. Through this work, I also came to appreciate the value of integrating my lived experiences to support me creating nuanced, contextually informed research questions. Looking ahead, I hope to continue working with autistic individuals in my doctoral studies, with a particular focus on their experiences navigating the medical system.

 

Tasks Accomplished

• Generate an Original Research Question - Based on personal interest and gaps within current academic literature I identified research questions to investigate. I then completed a comprehensive literature review identifying prior research and theoretical frameworks commonly used in anthropological studies on autistic identity, and applicable frameworks from other disciplines.

• Select Accessible Research Methodology - I considered multiple qualitative research methodologies and selected participatory photography, a methodology with low barriers to access that accommodated the needs of my research population.

• Conducted Ethical Research - I learned about research ethics, the Institutional Review Board, and adhered to ethical practices within my research. I created a consent form, generating a process for receiving informed consent from participants. I also completed an IRB application and received IRB approval.

• Created Participation Materials - I created recruitment fliers and Instagram posts using graphic design software. I also made informational documents and videos for research participants, making sure participation materials were accessible to individuals with a variety of communication preferences. 

• Analyzed and Synthesized Findings - I analyzed and coded data, participants' photo diaries, using Dedoose, noting common themes across participants' responses. These findings culminated in an undergraduate honors thesis. 

 

During the completion of my anthropology honors thesis, I developed a range of leadership competencies including Organization, Inclusion, Functioning Independently, Receiving Feedback, Productive Relationships, Research, Other's Circumstances, and Writing.

 

Organization 

Managing a year‑long project through multiple stages allowed me to develop strong organizational skills to ensure continued progress towards my final product, my honors thesis. An example of this was my implementation of tools like Zotero to categorize and annotate literature by theme. I started using Zotero after initially taking notes in multiple places which became hard to manage when I was trying to identify common themes across readings. Implementing this new organizational tool made the completion of my literature review far more efficient. I also learned how to structure and manage checkpoints with my thesis advisors by creating a shared meeting‑notes document, updating it in advance, and giving my advisors time to review and suggest edits. My organization around our team meetings ensured the shared time I had with my advisors centered focused work. Developing these organizational systems also helped me understand how I work best and how to build structures that support my workflow, demonstrating my ability to apply the leadership dimension of efficacy in a way that felt authentic to me. For example, I write most effectively when I can begin with an unfiltered brain dump and then revise for clarity and continuity. To support this, I created multiple drafts of each section of my thesis in Google Drive, allowing me to move from a chaotic initial draft to the final version I am extremely proud of! 

 

Inclusion 

Although much of my work on this project was conducted independently, centering inclusion remained a priority. Because I was working with autistic young adults, a population often marginalized or excluded by traditional research methodologies, I engaged in extensive conversations with my thesis advisors about how to ensure that my research was accessible to participants with diverse lived experiences. This commitment shaped my recruitment criteria which diverged from industry norms by not requiring a formal medical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. I intentionally selected participatory photography, also known as photo-based diaries, as my primary methodology due to its accessibility. To further reduce barriers to participation, I created both video and written instructional materials which allowed for my participants to engage remotely and at their own pace. Designing an inclusive low‑barrier research project strengthened my cognition of what inclusion and accessibility looks like in practice. I learned how to anticipate barriers, adapt methods, and design systems that honor participants’ needs rather than expecting them to conform to rigid research structures.

 

Functioning Independently

Because this project was self‑led but completed in collaboration with anthropology faculty, I developed the ability to work independently while also ensuring that our shared time and space for collaboration were productive. A key part of working independently was learning to distinguish between questions that required attention to move forward versus those that I could work around temporarily. Since my thesis advisors and I met biweekly with only brief email communication in between, it was essential that I stayed on top of my tasks - preparing recruitment materials or drafting sections of my thesis - even if I got stuck. This often meant that I would write down questions and then continue to work, either by making my best attempt at or pivoting to a different task. As someone who enjoys details and can easily become absorbed in them, developing proficiency in this leadership competency was crucial. Learning the function independently has also challenged me to become better at asking in-depth questions, a skill that has been beneficial in the classroom and professional settings.

 

Receiving Feedback 

Throughout my anthropology honors research, I was fortunate to work with two outstanding faculty advisors, Dr. Heather Clark and Dr. Marieke van Eijk, who supported me at every stage and helped me develop skills that my research required. Across the many writing processes I engaged in (my initial research proposal, my IRB application, and my final honors thesis) they provided thoughtful feedback that I then implemented. This project was my first experience with receiving feedback for a long-term project, which made it especially important for me to fully understand the comments I received to ensure that I incorporated their edits correctly. To do this, I intentionally sought clarity on their feedback by verbalizing my interpretation of their feedback to confirm my understanding, followed by outlining a brief plan for how I intended to address it. This approach helped me avoid miscommunication and strengthened my ability to revise with purpose. Developing proficiency in receiving and applying feedback, particularly on writing‑based work, has been extremely beneficial academically as I now feel confident in asking for clarification to ensure I am interpreting feedback correctly. 

 

Productive Relationships 

Working with amazing advisors who were also busy faculty members themselves, I knew it was imperative to be intentional about using our time together productively. I ensured this by leading our biweekly check-ins with clear communication and thoughtful meeting management. Three to seven days before each meeting, I updated our shared notes indicating what materials needed to be reviewed and what topics I hoped to discuss. Whenever documents needed to be reviewed in advance, I communicated in advance with my advisors to understand their capacity for the week as I recognized that quick turnarounds were not always realistic during busier periods of the quarter such as midterms or finals week. Seeing how effective these practices were helped me develop strong internal motivation to cultivate productive working relationships. I’ve seen the skills I’ve developed around this leadership competency translate into the classroom. Now during group projects, I naturally step in to manage communication and help structure our collaboration which I’ve found leads to an overall better experience with group work.

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Research

Through completing the literature review section of both my honors research proposal and my honors thesis, I gained a deeper understanding of what it means to engage meaningfully with academic literature. I learned how to effectively locate and evaluate sources by becoming familiar with the university library system, keyword search practices, and how to identify relevant articles through other works’ citations. Through this process, I also learned that the traditional boundaries of what constitutes a “useful” source are not always as rigid as they may initially appear. For example, while conducting background research on disabled identity, I encountered the framework of disability justice. This led me to engage with both formal academic sources and informal writings, which I ultimately incorporated into my literature review. Expanding my understanding of credible knowledge sources allowed me to develop a more nuanced and inclusive research foundation. This work also introduced me to the importance of conducting research respectfully. Respectful research requires intentionality, particularly in giving credit where it is due and ensuring that scholars of color are cited and acknowledged. Respect became especially important when engaging with disability justice, which is an intentionally non-academic framework. I had to reflect carefully on how to reference this work in a way that honored its origins while clearly articulating how it informed my research questions and analysis. Through this project, I strengthened my performance of research related skills and developed a more thoughtful approach to engaging with literature. I hope to continue building these skills through future research projects and graduate studies. The technical skills I gained have already proven valuable in my work in evolutionary biology, though I recognize that I still have room to grow in identifying resources within that field.

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Other’s Circumstances 

Incorporating others’ circumstances was central to my research and critical to the overall success of my project. Throughout the research process, I encountered challenges with participant recruitment despite intentionally working to reduce barriers to participation by creating inclusive participation criteria; I chose not to require a medical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder for participation and instead focused on self-identification. Despite these efforts to reduce barriers to participation, many potential participants expressed hesitancy, often stating that they did not feel “autistic enough” to participate. While identity politics was not a focus of my original research project, these recruitment challenges highlighted its significant impact in the autistic community. As a result, I dedicated a section of my thesis to reflecting on these lessons learned from participant recruitment. Being open to learning from these challenges was essential to effectively performing this leadership competency. This experience underscored the importance of actively encouraging and valuing others’ perspectives within research which at times can feel like a solitary process. In future projects, I hope to more intentionally seek out and incorporate others’ perspectives earlier in project development, rather than encountering these insights primarily through obstacles.

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Writing

My anthropology honors research culminated in an approximately 35-page thesis, which challenged me to condense a year’s worth of learning into a final product that was both academically rigorous and approachable. Additionally, my use of participatory photography required me to thoughtfully integrate visual elements into my written analysis, something that I hadn’t previously done and is not a traditional practice within the field of anthropology. Throughout the writing process, I developed proficiency in this leadership competency through centering continued growth and skill development. Centering growth required maintaining openness to feedback and integrating feedback through revision. I worked closely with my thesis advisors, utilized on-campus writing resources, and sought peer feedback to improve clarity of my writing while maintaining my unique academic voice. Through my recent work on a research paper within evolutionary biology, I learned that skills related to this competency are highly context specific. In this new academic context, seeking out and implementing feedback remains critical to my development as a writer.

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Lessons Learned & Future Goals 

The lessons I learned and skills I developed while completing my anthropology honors thesis were deeply impactful for me both personally and academically. This project helped me identify my passion for research, particularly that within the autistic community, and solidified my intention to pursue graduate studies where I can investigate autistic individuals’ experiences with systems of power. Similar to this project, in my future work, I plan to continue centering inclusive and accessible research practices. I have also found the skills I’ve developed beneficial to my work on other self-directed projects, such as manuscript writing for the evolutionary biology research I am involved in. In manuscript writing my ability to receive feedback, work independently, and stay organized have been essential. In taking on the new challenge of scientific writing, something I am much less confident in or comfortable with, and learning how to productively receive feedback on work that I am less confident in has become an important skill I am working on continuing to develop.