Research Paper Outline

TOPIC: Origins Of The Persian War
By now you should have your research nearly completed.  Post an outline of your paper, your thesis statement, and your final bibliography at this time.  Remember you are striving for more than a report, you want to prove your thesis with your research. Responses to other students here are not required (as they are in the general weekly forums). The deadline for this research paper update is Sunday 11:59 PM Eastern time.
In formulating a thesis statement one good way to do so is to ask yourself “So what?”  and “Why is this important to history?” “Why do we care about the event/person/place/custom?” 

From these questions generate a list of answers and try to incorporate them into the larger scheme of history as a whole.  

A thesis should be more than “Sparta had a great military.”  Instead create an argument.  “If not for the social controls placed on Spartan society by Lycurgus Sparta’s military would not have been as strong.”  Next, fashion a thesis that takes a stand on the question presented.  For the rest of your paper you will use your research to defend and prove this statement by providing facts, examples and analysis of the primary sources and examples. 

An outline should be formatted:
Essay Outline Sample [Template]

Introduction

Background, set the scene, explain why what you are researching is important. 

 
State question or questions to be addressed by paper.
State and bold the thesis.
First Point, Assertion, Explanation

Supporting evidence (examples, facts, statistics, quoted authorities, details, reasons, examples).  Limit direct quoting to places where it is absolutely necessary or if there is no other way to state the information because the author has done so perfectly. 
Supporting evidence 

Second explanation

Support
Support 

Third explanation

Support
Support 

Fourth explanation (continue as above with additional explanations as needed.)

Support
Support 

Address opposing viewpoints if any. 

Conclusion

Tell the reader how your evidence shows how your thesis is correct. Reemphasize your thesis in a fresh way, showing how your have achieved your purpose. This is not the place to introduce new evidence. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Make sure you also post your bibliography as it stand at Week 5.  This bibliography should include three primary and six secondary sources, all of which should be quality academic sources. Please separate primary and secondary sources into two lists in bibliography.