Advice on How to Write a Thesis for Your High School Research Paper


A thesis statement gives the paper its direction. It is usually located at the end of the first paragraph; you must be careful when developing it. This sentence will explain the focus of your essay to the reader. It must be detailed enough to provide the necessary information, and interesting enough to make people continue reading.

    Here is how you develop a solid thesis:

    1. Research and pick a topic.

      First of all, you must research the topic assigned to you. You will need to focus your study on a certain aspect of it, and develop the arguments you will use to prove your point of view. When you have all this information, you will be able to formulate a thesis that reflects the paper’s main idea.

      One cannot develop a good thesis without conducting some research first.

    2. Consider the type of essay.

      Different essay types require unique theses. Therefore, you must determine what kind of statement or question you will need to use in this particular case.

      An analytical paper must break down the object of the research into smaller parts and examine them. A thesis for this essay must reflect this main idea, and explain how the relationships between the parts will be evaluated.

      An expository essay thesis must explain the topic.

      An argumentative essay is focused on making a claim and supporting it with evidence. Thus, the thesis must justify the claim, and provide a glimpse of the supporting arguments.

    3. Watch your language.

      A thesis must be written in a clear and concise manner. Your wording plays an extremely important part in this case, so you must rewrite the statement as many times as necessary to make it truly perfect.

      Avoid writing in the first or second person and refrain from any clichés, even if they seem appropriate.

      Be very specific when stating the thesis.

    4. Revise the thesis after the paper is complete.

      When you are finished writing and editing the body of the paper, you will need to return to the thesis and make sure that it corresponds with the rest of the essay. It may be necessary to change it in order to incorporate the new angles you discovered when working on the body paragraphs.

      Writing is a complex process. Your whole paper evolves with every additional paragraph. This is why a final revision is essential to tie all the bits together, making it into a cohesive essay.