The First Step of Your Research Paper: Writing the Prospectus After you settle on your topic from the list provided and do some preliminary research, the next step is to write your prospectus for your five-page research paper. Prospectus is just a fancy word for a brief summary, about a paragraph in length, that introduces your topic and states your thesis. The paragraph must (1) link your topic directly to the study of humanities and specifically to the content outlined in your syllabus, (2) explain why you are interested in this particular topic, and (3) relate it to everyday life. Your prospectus ends with your thesis, which is one sentence that will present the main point of your paper and enumerate the three main ideas on which you will focus. The purpose of the prospectus is to help you start organizing your research and your paper. It will also be the basis for your sentence outline. You are submitting it first so that I can approve your topic. If it needs refining, you will have the option to correct it and submit again. It counts toward your research paper grade. Use MLA format for your submission. Below is a sample Prospectus in the correct format.