Writing a History Thesis

Writing a thesis is hard enough and there are plenty of books and websites filled with useful tips. But most of them give you tips in general, disregarding the specifications implied by the very subject you have chosen and by the field you are writing your thesis in. It is humanly impossible to cover all possible topics students write thesis about, but it is possible to give special tips with direct reference to one field or another.

Take history for example: if you are writing your thesis in history you should begin with reading about the period under investigation, at first in general terms and then from specific points of view: politically, socially, philosophically etc. Then you can actually talk about the subject you are writing about in the context of that specific period. Take notes while you read and make references. Then organize your ideas and put everything into writing: you can produce a whole chapter, but you should divide it into sections and organize it well.

Moreover, it’s always good to find texts that help you understand the subject better, texts that will help you formulate a better argument in favor of your thesis and texts in support of the opposite points of view. Remember to summarize the arguments, to write down the essential quotes and the corresponding page numbers, titles and other reference data. After you write the introduction you have to deal with the body of your thesis: define your opinion on each topic, make unambiguous remarks and comments, only include well documented remarks and try to be coherent and organized. Divide your work into paragraphs and sections and make sure you believe what you are saying. Remember, this is a thesis you will have to defend in front of others. Also, mind your language; check your spelling and the punctuation. Even if your history thesis is wonderful, you will use points if you skip the finishing touches.