Starting to Plan the Structure of Your Research Paper: How to create an effective thesis and relevant main points

What makes a good thesis? It has a clear focus—in other words, it identifies specific topics you will be covering in your paper. It has a clear direction—it lets the reader understand where you are headed and what you are intending to prove. It presents a clear point-of-view—hopefully an interesting one. It is not simply a statement of obvious facts. It gives the reader a sense of the structure of your paper, i.e. two main arguments, three main arguments, concession/assertion, etc.

What is the best way to come up with a good thesis that reflects all the research I have done? Work backwards; rather than trying to just sit down and think of the perfect thesis, start by formulating all your main points; once you have all your main points, you will be ready to form a more general summary of these points. This will be your thesis.

How should I formulate my main points? Step 1 Start by organizing all your quotes by question; if you have more than six questions, consider combining some of your questions to form broader categories. If you only have fewer questions, consider sub-dividing these questions into more focused and carefully defined categories.

Step 2 Read through one group of your quotes at a time—start with primary sources, then read secondary.

Step 3 When you get to the end of your quotes for a particular question, write down a statement that can be supported by all the evidence in that category.

Important Note: Main points will feature more specific details than your thesis; main points should focus on a single topic whereas your thesis will focus on multiple topics, namely all those referenced in your main points.

Once I have my main points and my thesis, how should I present them to Ms. Filley?

You should use an outline format where you label your thesis and then identify each of your main points with a roman numeral: I, II, III, IV, etc. Outlines with fewer than three main points should include at least two sub-topics for each of your main points.

Option 1: Thesis: I. II. III. } all roman numerals= main points IV.

Option 2: Thesis: I. A. B. II. A. B.

When is this little outline due? Wednesday, April 20, 2016.