research paper

HESIS STATEMENTS

Thesis statements are helpful because they:
• help writers maintain focus as they write
• signal readers as to what they should expect in this paper

When composing your thesis sentence:
• make sure your thesis reflects the full scope of your argument.
• avoid using a thesis that is too broad to be defended in your paper or too narrow to be a full response to the assignment.
• argue as conceptually rich a position as you can support. Ask yourself How? and Why? questions to deepen your thesis.
• make sure your reader can easily identify your thesis sentence.
• do not just reword the professor's question; claim your own position.

Examples
A thesis sentence that is too broad:
The Catholic Church's influence on the formation of labor unions in the nineteenth century was extremely significant.

A more focused thesis sentence:
The Catholic Church, by means of the pulpit and the purse, greatly influenced the labor movement in the United States during the final decades of the nineteenth century.

Note that the second sentence concisely summarizes a specific argument that can be managed in a short paper. It also sets up the pattern for discussion; the writer will focus first on the Church's direct instruction and then on its financial influence.

Note also the effect of using the stronger verb "influenced" in the second sentence rather than "was" in the first sentence.

Here’s an example of a thesis for an informative essay:
The experiment failed because of the presence of helium in the vat; the helium tainted the purity of the environment and caused the data to be irrevocably skewed.

**Notice that this thesis is short but reveals the most important ideas.**

Here’s an example of a thesis for an argumentative essay:
Purdue University should offer more scholarships to international students because they have a greater desire to succeed in college, tend to work harder, and graduate more quickly and with greater frequency than American students.

This type of thesis usually states the primary goal of the argument and then indicates the reasons or points you will make in the essay to support the argument. Subsequently, every assertion that you make afterward must be related to the thesis statement. The rest of the essay must clarify or support your thesis.

http://www.hamilton.edu/academics/resource/wc/Intro_Thesis.html

ENL 213
THESIS STATEMENTS
When composing your thesis sentence make sure your thesis reflects the full scope of your argument. A thesis should:
• say something that someone could reasonably disagree with. It should contain an attitude or belief.
Poor: The Lion King is a film that Disney released in 1994.
Better: The Lion King's themes echo many of those found in William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Poor: Most college students take more than four years to earn their bachelor’s degrees.
Better: Taking summer classes is well worth the trouble if it means that one will be able to complete college in four years or less.
• be as specific as possible.
Poor: Franklin Roosevelt was an interesting man.
Better: Franklin Roosevelt was a complex, courageous man who led his country out of its worst economic crisis ever.

Poor: Television programming can get incredibly annoying at times.
Better: The high number of reruns and brainless reality programs on the major networks are the reasons cable stations such as HBO, Showtime, and Animal Planet are flourishing.
• be as forceful as possible. Be assertive; avoid sounding wishy-washy.
Poor: It is my opinion that the Senate needs more women members.
Better: The Senate needs more women members because . . .

Poor: Nobody knows how things will turn out, of course, but it’s possible that an attack on Iraq may prove more controversial than some people think.
Better: If the President plans to attack Iraq, it is essential that he explain his reasons to the country and get Congressional backing first.
• be as clear and concise as possible.
Poor: Air pollution, land pollution, and water pollution are all harmful, but air pollution causes more problems than any other type of pollution.
Better: Air pollution poses a tremendous danger to the health of humans and other animals.

Poor: Filling up one’s gas tank is a risky proposition these days, because one might just max out one’s credit card after five or six gallons, and we all know that money is not easy to come by, so something must be done to pressure the oil companies to lower their prices.
Better: Oil companies have been gouging the public for years, and it needs to end soon.