The topic is the most important step of the thesis. It must not be too broad or too narrow. Some students have difficulty in choosing a proper topic, which causes issues later in the process. Some professors suggest the student write down a field of interest, and then narrow it down from that point. You might also want to run the final proposed topic through an academic search engine to make sure adequate research is available.
Most professors require between 10 to 25 academic sources in a thesis. These sources can be books, magazine articles, professional articles from academic search engines and other supported material. As of 2011, the APA has cited videos and movies as credible academic sources. This is quite useful since many documentaries on a variety of subjects have been released.
Annotated outlines and references are an excellent way to organize research before the actual writing begins. It allows the student to map out how to present the idea and provide supporting evidence to academic research on the proposed topic. The professor should review these documents before the student writes the body of the thesis to verify he is on the right track. This is considered the next most important step of the writing process.
The body of the paper should follow the outline. Make each point mentioned in the outline clear and support it with facts that you have derived from research. Be sure to cite all material per APA guidelines and follow all spelling and grammar rules. Include the reference list at the back of the paper before submitting to the professor for final evaluation.