To write a literary thesis, one must first develop an argument based on preliminary research, then conduct additional research to adequately support the argument, and finally write a paper that backs up the argument. There are several factors that influence how a literary thesis should be formatted. In the majority of cases, a student will be asked to follow the Modern Language Association’s style guide (MLA). This guide will show the student how to properly cite sources used in the thesis, as well as how to format the paper. Other guidelines for the format of a literary thesis may be provided by the academic institution for which the paper is being written, such as a target length and rules for how the paper must be bound and submitted.
When writing a literary thesis, there are a variety of resources to consider. For someone preparing to write a literary thesis, past and current coursework, the campus writing lab, and English department faculty are all valuable resources. The writer’s knowledge will be based on years of reading books for school and personal edification in the body of a literary thesis. It will also be based on literary concepts, such as the ideas of specific literary theorists as they apply to the thesis’s main argument. It is critical to seek advice from English department faculty members when developing the main argument of a literary thesis.
A thesis adviser will often accompany a student writing a literary thesis as part of a master’s or doctoral program, guiding her through the process of establishing her main argument. A thesis adviser will also provide assistance to the student as she conducts research for her thesis and writes it. A student can use a variety of systems to organize the writing of a literary thesis. It is best for a student to select a system with which she is familiar and has previously worked. A student will draw heavily on previous experiences writing literary papers while crafting a logical flow of ideas and polishing her writing, in addition to using previous knowledge to inform the content of the paper.