Writing a History Paper

Usually papers have a thesis, an assertion about your topic. You will present evidence in your paper to convince the reader of your point of view. Some ways to help you develop your thesis are by:

• stating the purpose of the paper
• asking a question and then using the answer to form your thesis statement
• summarizing the main idea of your paper
• listing the ideas you plan to include, then see if they form a group or theme
• using the ponts of controversy, ambiguity, or "issues" to develop a thesis statement

If you're having trouble with your thesis statement, ask your professor for help or visit the Student Academic  Success Center: Communication Support.
Your thesis may become refined, revised, or changed as your research progresses. Perhaps these sites may be helpful:

• Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences (CMU Student Academic Success Center: Communication Support)
• Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements (Purdue OWL - Online Writing Lab)
• Developing a Thesis Statement (Writing Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• Thesis Statements (The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill)