the research essay your thesis statement and beyond

The Research Essay

your thesis statement and beyond

your thesis

Some defining features of a thesis for most student work, it's a one- or two-

sentence statement that explicitly outlines the purpose or point of your paper. A thesis is to a paper what a topic sentence is to a paragraph

it should point toward the development or course of argument the reader can expect your argument to take, but does not have to specifically include 'three supporting points' as you may have once learned

because the rest of the paper will support or back up your thesis, a thesis is normally placed at or near the end of the introductory paragraph.

it is an assertion that a reasonable person could disagree with if you only gave the thesis and no other evidence. It is not a fact or casual observation; it must beg to be proved. And someone should be able to theoretically argue against it (how successfully will depend of course on how persuasive you are)

it takes a side on a topic rather than simply announcing that the paper is about a topic (the title should have already told your reader your topic). Don't tell a reader about something; tell them what about something. Answer the questions "how?" or "why?"

it is sufficiently narrow and specific that your supporting points are necessary and sufficient, not arbitrary; paper length and number of supporting points are good guides here

it argues one main point and doesn't squeeze three different theses for three different papers into one sentence

constructing your thesis statement

THESIS = TOPIC + SPECIFIC ASSERTION/ARGUMENT

the importance of outlines

if you can't articulate your paper even in point form, you won't be able to do it effectively in prose and it will take you much longer to write an inferior draft

if you do find structural problems or gaps as you outline, it's easier to fix them now than to try and totally revamp a 3rd draft. Face it, it's always easier (translation: less intellectually painful) to scrap a note than a paragraph or whole essay

any teacher will tell you that you will lose more points for lack of substance than for lack of writing style; outlines are all about the crux and direction of substance

should things click into place, an outline gives you confidence. It helps you to realize that, yes, you really do know what you're talking about!

outlines make drafting less stressful not only by describing the relationship of your ideas to each other and to the thesis or question, but because you now have small manageable chunks to tackle

constructing your outline

Carefully read the notes in your research log.

Try to find classifications for your findings that relate to your thesis or research question.

Look for common trends. They're going to be separated from each other but gather them together. It doesn't really matter how you classify.

Look back at the original assignment for clues about sub-groups your professor might be looking for.

you may find that some sections are strong and fleshed-out whereas others are weaker. Do some more research where needed or see if two "weak"

sections just couldn't fit under one stronger heading.

Perhaps as hard as you try, your points fit together but not with the overarching argument you're making. In that case, don't be afraid to re-evaluate your thesis; it may just need a qualification. Your evidence may be great but if it supports a different thesis,

your readers won't see how great it is because they'll be expecting something else.

types of outlines

ThematicChronologicalCause and effectIllustrativeMacro to microMicro to macronarrative

one possibility Introductory Paragraph

What do I need to say to set up my thesis? Thesis Statement (usually including a mention of the main points to come) =

_________________________ _________________________ _________________________

Transition (you don't have to write these out now but you should know what they'd roughly be) Reason #4 = _________________________

example + explication of how it supports topic sentence Concluding sentence on how (all) the example(s) support thesis

Transition Reason #3 = _________________________






Transition Concluding Paragraph

sum up what X number of reasons have illustrated re: thesis some thoughts on the implications of what you've just said or shown

the research essay your thesis statement and beyond

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