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Step 4:
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Reference Desk (413) 774-1509 |
- As you read about your chosen topic, write down questions that come to mind about the topic
- Define your topic as a focused research question
- Compose a draft thesis statement--one or two sentences that convey the focus, purpose, and meaning of your research (more examples)
- A thesis statement: "is specific", "is an assertion, not a statement of fact or observation", "takes a stand rather than announces a subject", is the main idea, not the title" of the paper, is sufficiently narrow so that it can be supported (LEO)
- A thesis statement also "makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of the paper"; "identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument"; and "states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic" (The Writing Center)
- While you are conducting your research, ask yourself how the information you are gathering helps to answer your research question or support your thesis statement
- The thesis may evolve as you "develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic" (The Writing Center)
- According to Writing History: A Guide for Students, "the process of finding sources, forming a hypothesis, and crafting a proposal will test the viability of your topic"
- If through this process, you find you are no longer interested in your topic, find another one
- If you must abandon your topic, DO IT EARLY RATHER THAN LATER--it will be much more difficult to start over if you wait
- Maintaining an interest in your topic is crucial to a successful research project
Go back to: U.S. History Research Guide
Resources
- Developing a Thesis Statement (The Writing Center)(U. of Wisconsin-Madison)
- Thesis Statement (LEO)
- Thesis Statements (UNC Chapel Hill)
- How to Write a Thesis Statement (Indiana U.)
- Creating a Thesis Statement (Purdue U.)
- Writing Tips: Thesis Statements (The Writers' Workshop)(U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
- Writing a Research Paper (Purdue Online Writing Lab)
- Research and Writing for High School Students (Internet Public Library)
- Planning and Writing a Research Paper (U. of Wisconsin-Madison)
- Library Online Basic Orientation (LOBO)(NC State)
- The Seven Steps of the Research Process (Cornell U.)
- Writing History: a Guide for Students by William Kelleher Storey (907.2 S884w)
Documents