Thesis Writing Guide & Tips

Division

Avoid phrases like "the opposition," "side," or "group"

Instead, name specific perspectives: "Progressive educators argue..." "Traditionalists contend..."

Proof

Make main points obvious in proof section; do not bury them

Consider: how do you show cause and effect? What sample size is needed to make generalizations? What type/nature of evidence supports your claims?

Essential Guidelines:

• Do not limit arguments to pragmatic ones only. Draw from literature, poetry, etc.
• Do not cite a source unless you can defend the credibility of the author; be aware of bias. This is especially important for any websites you cite (if no author is listed, the credibility of the organization should be defended).
• Watch for fallacies in cause/effect relationships and inductive reasoning

Keep enumeration in same order throughout

If your division says "First... Second... Third..." then your proof section should address these in the same order

Refutation

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Informal words and colloquial language:

• "Stuff," "ginormous," "one sticking point," "it is not okay"
• Using contractions (say "do not" instead of "don't")

Other common errors:

• Starting sentences with "Well…"
• Referring to "in this quote…" Instead, consider using the author's name: "Lewis says…"
• Writing "In conclusion…" to start your conclusion
• Failing to capitalize Bible or names of Bible books (Note: the word "biblical" goes in lowercase)

Writing conventions:

• Do not write the paper like a speech. Do not use speech conventions like opening with "Good morning" or "Today I want to talk about…"
• Writing that an argument can "claim," "state," or "argue." It is the author that claims, states, or argues

Writing in First and Second Person

You may write in the first person occasionally, but do not overdo it. Limit it to the introduction, division, and conclusion (and any sections where you include a personal story).

Avoid writing in the second person entirely. An exception would be your introduction, where it is acceptable to write more casually

• Example: Starting a paper with, "Have you ever wondered why...?"

Be Clear and Concise

Get the same point across while eliminating unnecessary words:

Referring to Authors

Call authors by full name or last name, not first name

When introducing an author for the first time, add an epithet so we know who they are

• "Theologian N.T. Wright argues…"
• "Novelist Jane Austen observes…"
• "Historian David McCullough notes…"

Common Errors

"Begs the question"

People often use the phrase "begs the question" incorrectly. "Begs the question" is a logical fallacy in which someone assumes a conclusion. People often say something "begs the question" when they really mean something "raises the question"

Emphasis

When you want to emphasize something, put it in italics, not all caps

Spelling

Write "a lot," not "alot" (which is not a word)

Italics vs. Quotation Marks

Italicize: book titles, journal/magazine titles, court cases, plays, long poems

Use quotation marks: article titles, chapter titles, short poems, short stories, essays

Numbers

Spell out whole numbers up to (and including) nine, and use numerals for the rest (except for dates)

Always spell out numbers that begin a sentence (except for years)

Periods in Parentheses

If the parenthetical is part of a sentence, period goes outside

If the parenthetical is a complete sentence standing alone, period goes inside

Images, Tables, Graphs

Do an online search for the proper way to include images, tables, or graphs. Look up Chicago Manual of Style formatting.

When to Quote, Paraphrase, or Summarize

Quote for these purposes:

• The quoted words themselves are evidence you need to analyze
• The words are strikingly original, well-expressed, or otherwise too valuable to paraphrase
• The passage states a view you disagree with, and fairness requires stating it exactly
• The passage is from an authority whose exact words back up your view
• The passage expresses key concepts so clearly that the quotation can frame the discussion

Paraphrase when you can state what a source says more clearly or concisely, or when your argument depends on the details but not the specific words.

Summarize when details are irrelevant or a source is not important enough to warrant the space.

Selecting Material to Quote

• Quote only as much as needed—from a single word to multiple sentences
• Do not quote entire sentences if only part is needed
• If quoting five or more lines, use block quotation format
• If changing anything within the quotation, place the change in brackets, but use this sparingly

Introducing Quotes

You will typically introduce a quote with a comma or colon

Ellipses

No ellipsis needed at start or end of quotes

Use ellipsis (...) only in the middle of quotes to show omitted text

Block Quotation Format

• A prose quotation of 5 or more lines, or more than 100 words, should be blocked
• A block quotation does not get enclosed in quotation marks
• A block quotation must always begin a new line
• Include a single space before and another after the quote
• Introduce block quotations with a colon
• Do not indent only the first line of block quotations. The entire block should be indented instead.

Quotes Within Quotes

First quote uses double quotation marks ("")

Quote inside it uses single marks ('')

Brackets

Use brackets [ ] to add a word or phrase for clarity

Punctuation with Quotes

Commas and periods should always go inside quotation marks, even if they are not part of the original quote

Exclamation marks and question marks should go inside if they were in the original quote, but outside if they were not

Bible citations in parentheses

If you are citing a reference from the Bible in parentheses, put the parentheses after the end quotation mark and before the end punctuation

Attribution Format

When quoting someone, do not use hyphen with name at end

Indicating an Error in a Quote using [sic]

• Use [sic] (Latin for "thus" or "so") to indicate an error in the original quote
• Place immediately after the error
• Italicize: [sic]

Footnotes

When to Use Footnotes

• Always place footnotes at end of sentence (not beginning or middle)
• Include a footnote after every quote
• Every paragraph should have at least one footnote at the end (unless the content is entirely your own)
• Every quotation must have a footnote after it, even if it is followed by more content from the same source
• Every piece of information or argument that is not your own and is not general information should have a footnote to cite its source

Footnote Format Basics

• Footnotes must include book page numbers (page numbers not needed in Bibliography except for journal articles or article page ranges)
• Indent footnote numbers
• Double-check footnote format vs. Bibliography format during writing stage. In Chicago Manual of Style, they are different.

Multiple Sources in One Footnote

Combine two sources into one footnote when appropriate; do not use two footnote numbers. Separate citations with a semicolon.

Citing a Secondary Source

When you read a source that quotes another source, cite the source you actually read, not the original:

Format: Original Author, Original Title, quoted in Author You Read, Title You Read (Publication Info), page.

In your text, make it clear you are citing a secondary source: "As Calvin argued in his Institutes, quoted in George's Reading Scripture..."

Always try to find and read the original source when possible rather than relying on secondary sources

Common Footnote Errors

• Forgetting to include page numbers in book footnotes
• Using Bibliography format in footnotes (remember: footnotes use commas and parentheses; Bibliography uses periods)
• Breaking "Ibid." by adding a new source between two citations of the same work

Why Accuracy Matters: Inaccurate footnotes are dishonest. Do not try to deceive your reader into thinking you did research you did not do.

Bibliography

Format Differences from Footnotes

In Bibliography, format is inverted for alphabetization:

General Rules for the Bibliography section

Do not include author credentials

Capitalize titles correctly

Capitalize all major words; lowercase articles, prepositions, conjunctions. Go to www.capitalizemytitle.com for assistance if you are not sure how to do it. Watch out for random ALL CAPS copied in from online sources; fix these to proper title case

Handle "The" at beginning of titles correctly

• Alphabetize by first significant word: The Great Gatsby goes under G
• In footnotes, keep "The": The Great Gatsby

Dictionaries and Reference Works

• Standard reference works like Merriam-Webster's Dictionary and general encyclopedias should be cited only in footnotes, not in Bibliography
• Specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias (like Oxford Classical Dictionary or Encyclopedia of Philosophy) should be included in Bibliography

Specific Citation Rules

Bible Citations

Bible references can appear in parentheses in the text OR in footnotes—either method is acceptable

The first time you cite the Bible, indicate the version you are using

Subsequent citations do not need to include the version unless you switch translations.

Do not include the Bible or individual Bible verses in Bibliography

Court Cases

Italicize court cases in both text and citations

In footnotes: Case Name, volume Reporter page (Court Year).

The Constitution

Cite the article, section, or amendment

No entry needed in Bibliography (it is a well-known document)

Poetry

For short quotes (1-2 lines), indicate line breaks with a slash (/) with spaces on either side

For longer passages, use block quotation format and preserve original line breaks

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