1.    Identify the subject of your paper (What is the topic?)

2.     Turn your subject into a guiding question

     (What are you going to ANSWER in your paper?

Does the behavior of a person show what kind of a person he or she is, given that they are able to use their free will and value system to make decisions?  Or, do outside forces influence the behavior of human beings?

3.     Answer your question with a statement

     (ANSWER the question)

4.     Refine/Revise this statement into a working thesis

Requirements for a thesis:

& Someone else should be able to disagree with the thesis

& It tells the reader what you (the writer) are going to prove in the paper

& It often gives a preview of your supporting reasons

& It should be clear and logical (it should make sense!)

& It should be a little bit flexible, so you can change it a bit as you gather your evidence