University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tips

University of Carolina at Chapel Hill

Thesis Statements

What kind of questions one ought to ask himself to assess if his thesis statement is strong? One should ask:

1) Do I answer the question?

2)Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose?

3)Is my thesis statement specific enough?

4)Does my thesis pass the "so what" test?

5)Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering?

6)Does my thesis pass the "how and why?" test?

You should have a Time Table to manage your Honor Thesis. The Writing Center at University of North Carolina, offers the following time table

TIMETABLE


Early exploratory research and Brainstorming - Junior Year
Basic statement of topic; line up with an advisor - End of Junior Year
Completing the bulk of primary and secondary research - Summer/ Early Fall
Introduction Draft - September
Chapter One Draft - October
Chapter Two Draft - November
Chapter Three Draft - December
Conclusion Draft - January
Revising - February to March
Formating and Final Touches - Early April
Presentation and Defense - Mid to late April

Tips on Note-taking

File sources with plenty of information about them.
1)Complete bibliographic citation
2)Basic Notes: facts, citations, and arguments.
3)Interpretation of source: don't merely record the facts, make it explicit how you are interpreting them. Explain context and significance of each source.

This Guide provides a Road Map of all stages on how to write an Honors Thesis:
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/honors.html