If you're at this point, it is likely that you already have a subject for your paper. If not, you will need to decide what subject you want to write about.
Once you have a subject, you can then turn your attention to developing a thesis. According to the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University, a thesis is: a specific statement that expresses the main idea(s) of your paper and answers the question(s) posed by your paper, allowing the reader a quick and easy summary of what your paper will be discussing and what you are setting out to tell them. See the OnLine Writing Lab at Purdue for more information about preparing thesis.
It is important to have a thesis is important for several reasons:
- It gives structure and direction to your topic/subject
- It informs your reader what to expect in the paper
- It can serve as a map for your paper
An example of a thesis for a paper on information literacy could look like: Information literacy is an important skill for all students to have because it leads to critical evaluation of and more efficient use of library resources.
The first part highlighted in red is the subject, and the second part in orange is the argument that will be made and supported using data obtained during the research process. Together, both parts make up the thesis.
Take a few minutes to consider and write out a thesis that relates to your topic - you will be able to use this throughout the tutorial to help build a foundation for your paper.
