THESIS TOPICS - SELECTING THE BEST ONE

How to select the topic:

Selecting the best high school senior thesis topic is a matter of objective research and discussion. The first person with whom the topic should be discussed is the teacher who will agree on the topic with the student. Once the topic is decided upon the student has to write a business proposal letter to the teacher introducing the topic and stating why it has been chosen. State the key sources for the thesis including title of the work and the name of the author and date of publication. The student should promise to use their best efforts to write a thesis and promise not to copy text from other people's published work. The primary source for the thesis should be mentioned and discussed with the teacher. Make sure there are enough sources and data to develop your argument and present different points of view.

A topic that develops the argument:

The thesis topic has to be susceptible to develop an argument. It's not a yes or no statement but is a closely argued thesis supported by documentary evidence and opinion. The topic should support arguments for and against. Saying that drug addiction is wrong is a simple yes or no statement, not a topic title. A more appropriate title would be "Will Legislation Help to Curb Drug Addiction". The thesis topic must be one that will attract reader interest, but it does not have to be sensational. It should not be controversial or cover religion or politics. It should be a topic that has a number of sources, if a student chooses a topic which has no sources or reference works it will be hard to develop a sustained line of argument for the thesis. The student should be able to conduct preliminary research and draw references from it. Therefore, when selecting a topic the student needs to ensure that there is enough back up material to develop an argument for and against the topic. It must not be a dead end, but an opportunity for developing the subject. The wider implications need to be selected and presented so the topic selected should give the student as much room for the presentation, maneuver and argument as possible. Once the topic is selected, it should be presented and agreed on by the teacher; only when accepted should the student begin work on the thesis.