The Grandparent/Elder Project

Topic Selection and Thesis Statement

How do you select a focused topic?

The topic for a four to six page history research paper must be focused. For example, you cannot write about the Great Depression within the limits of four to six pages, but you can write about rural family life during the Great Depression or about New York baseball during the Great Depression. You cannot write about toys in the United States, but you can write about the creative marketing of toys in the 1940s and 1950s.

Notice that a subject can be limited by time period, by place, or by the people involved. Selecting one aspect of a subject also limits a subject. For example the topic of communism in China in the late 1940s can be limited to the political aspect, the social aspect or economic aspect, or to its effect on the arts.

How do you write the three questions?

The three questions must be different aspects of the same focused topic. Do not write three questions that are about three different topics.

For the topic on Great Depression-era baseball, the three questions might be:

1. How did the Great Depression affect baseball teams financially?
2. How did the New York baseball teams entertain people and draw larger crowds?
3. How did the Depression promote the development of women's involvement in baseball and thereby increase their attendance at baseball games?

For the topic of marketing toys in the 1940s and 1950s, the three questions might be:

1. What was the inspiration that brought Barbie, Silly Putty, and Play Doh to the market?
2. What were some of the marketing techniques used by the companies for these toys?
3. How and why were these toys reinvented or altered to keep them "new"?

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is a sentence which states the main idea and purpose of your research. It unifies and focuses your research and the writing of your paper. The information and facts in your paper should support and prove your thesis.

An example of a thesis statement on the topic of baseball in the Great Depression is:

During a time when many Americans were out of work, baseball offered them the chance of salvation.

An example of a thesis statement on the topic of toys during the 1940s and 1950s is:

Inventing the product was the fun aspect of toy sales; successfully marketing the toys was the hard part.

What is an introductory sentence?

An introductory or opening sentence gives a broad overview of what the section of the paper is about. It does not go into detail, but touches on the important points.

An example of an opening sentence for Question #1 of a research paper on Depression-era baseball paper is:

The Great Depression hit baseball teams hard and attendance and revenue plummeted.

An example of an introductory sentence for Question #3 of the research paper on toys is:

Alterations and additions were common in the toy business, which thrived under the motto, "New is better!"

What is a transition sentence?

A transition sentence is part of the skeleton of your paper, connecting one part of the paper to the next like your leg bone connects to your hip bone.

An example of the transition sentence from Question #1 to #2 for the toy marketing paper is:

Marketing was a key factor to the growth in the popularity of toys..

An example of the transition sentence from Question #2 to #3 for the Depression-era baseball paper is:

Because of these new and creative innovations, the Yankee team owners were able to draw greater crowds and preserve the game of baseball during a time of economic crisis.