When you're in high school and college, you will find that writing thesis papers becomes the norm. Every teacher or professor wants you to write a thesis paper, and depending on the class, this paper may be the bulk of your grade.
In order to receive a great grade on your thesis paper, you have to not only write a great paper, but you need to know HOW to write a great thesis paper. Thesis papers are not your everyday term paper, so it's important that you understand the ins and outs of thesis papers in order to ensure you do a great job.
So when it comes time to writing a thesis paper, make sure that you use the following tips.
1. Have a topic.
If your teacher gave you a topic, then you're already set. But if you have the option of choosing your topic, it's a good idea to make sure that you know a little bit about it. This will help you write your paper and find the right research for your paper instead of trying to learn and understand a new topic before you begin to write about it.
2. Know the type of thesis paper you're writing.
Before you can start tackling the paper, you need to know what type of thesis paper you plan on writing. Are you going to write an analytical paper to break down a topic into components? Are you going to write an expository paper to explain a topic? Are you going to write an argumentative paper to justify a topic with evidence?
Knowing which type of paper you plan on writing will help make the rest of your writing experience run more smoothly.
3. Do a great deal of research.
Researching your topic is the only way you're going to be able to write a great paper. Make sure that you use real credited sources for your evidence and not Wikipedia. Articles, journals, newspaper entries and anything of value is a great source for your papers. Make sure to come up with supporting evidence for your thesis statement, and make sure to always bookmark the location you found your research in. This will avoid any last minute searching to determine where the information came from.
4. Write a specific thesis statement.
Your thesis statement is the heart of your entire paper. The more informative the thesis statement, the better understanding you readers will have as to what the purpose of your paper is about.
Your thesis statement should also only refer to the items that you plan on discussing in your paper. It should never include topics or items that you will not discuss, as this will confuse your readers and deter the purpose of the thesis statement.
More often than not, your thesis statement will come at the end of your first paragraph. If you read the first paragraph of your paper and do not notice a thesis statement, you will need to rework it.
5. Write your body copy.
Your body copy needs to be written to support your thesis statement. If you re-read through your paper and notice a paragraph or two on a topic that is not mentioned in your thesis statement, you will either need to revise your thesis statement or remove the body copy.
In most cases, you should have between three and five points for your body copy. Do not go below three, and it will be up to the discretion of your teacher as to whether or not you should exceed five. Always make sure that the points you make in your body copy also contain three supporting statements to prove its validity.
6. Have a strong closing.
Your closing statement should be just as strong as your thesis statement, if not more. This is the last thing your readers will see about your paper, and it's important to make them feel something and remember your work when they read it.
7. Source appropriately.
Thesis papers are meant to be composed of actual documented evidence, not your opinion. Every statement throughout your paper needs to be sourced. How you source your paper will depend on the requirements of your teacher. Make sure that you have an understanding of what your teacher is expecting, and also make sure you know how to source appropriately. Not sourcing your information correctly could end up costing you a huge chunk of your grade.
Once you have a handle on how they should be laid out, thesis papers are nothing to be scared about. Though they will take a considerable amount of time to complete, having a basic understanding of the topic and the type of paper you want to write will have a huge impact on your success.
About the Author
Lauren Williams is a student and avid writer. She loves sharing advice on proper writing tips and encourages others to always use a grammar checker to proof their work.
