Do you get sleepless nights struggling to compose a thesis statement? You could have managed to write one, but you feel it’s not good enough. This article will give you the significance and tips for writing a solid thesis.
There are varied forms of academic writing, but most essays and research papers have one thing in common – a thesis statement. Having excellent thesis statement writing skills will help you have an easy time during your writing process.
What is a thesis statement?
It refers to the sentence that summarizes the main idea of your academic writing. A thesis statement often reflects on the judgement or opinion about existing information or personal experience. So, how long is a thesis statement?
An excellent thesis statement should be one sentence long, regardless of how many clauses it comprises. There are circumstances where you can use two or three sentences. A complex argument can require a tightly knit paragraph to state its initial position.
The purpose of the thesis statement
Your research paper should have a thesis statement to:
- Better develop and organize your argument
- Test your ideas by condensing them into one sentence or more
- Offer your reader a guide to your opinion
The thesis statement writing establishes the core idea of your paper and sets up your argument. As such, you set the reader’s expectations of what to find in your research paper. Your readers can identify theories that support your opinion.
It helps you to keep your writing focused. It becomes easier to organize the flow of your paper when you have a clear research statement. By assertively answering the question in the thesis, you take a stand on a view that others can refute.
What makes a strong thesis statement?
- A robust research statement needs proof. It is not just a statement of facts, but you should support your argument with detailed evidence. In this manner, your readers will be interested and motivated to keep reading your paper.
- It should give direction to your paper and offer a limit to what you are supposed to research about
- To make a strong thesis statement, mention your supporting points to help you control your ideas.
Tips for writing a thesis statement
Know the topic
Your topic should be an area that you are familiar with or can learn about. It can be challenging to compose a thesis statement on a subject you do not know.
For instance, if your area of study is criminal justice, you will need to formulate criminal justice research questions to help you gather more information. Reflecting on personal experience and researching will give you more data about your topic.
Limit your topic
Depending on the knowledge and length of your paper, you should limit your theme to a specific area. Ensure that your topic matches the paper requirements. A broad scope will require a more extended essay to exhaust the ideas entirely. If your paper is short, you should take a narrow range.
Keep your thesis statement short and punchy.
The statement should concisely communicate the core idea of your paper and be engaging enough to attract your reader’s attention. Use specific words rather than vague adjectives. You can also include facts or statistics to make your statement more compelling.
It should be easy to understand
Someone unfamiliar with the topic field should read and grasp your intention in your thesis statement. Your audience should understand your position on the argument. It would help if you avoid technical language and abbreviations in your thesis statement writing.
Include a single idea
You can easily be distracted by all the ideas that emerge during the thesis statement writing process. When you get distracted, you will lose focus on the main argument of the paper.
One common mistake in thesis statement writing is trying to compress these ideas into one statement. Including multiple views will make it challenging to support and argue out your dissertation. Stay focused on one point and develop it throughout your research paper.
Start with a question.
To compose an essential dissertation, you need to begin with a thesis question. It should be the issue your paper intends to address, making it the central theme of your thesis statement.
If you already have a thesis question from your instructor, it will be much simple. Otherwise, you should brainstorm about your paper topic and come up with a simple question to answer. The question will offer you a jumping point for your thesis statement writing.
Take a stand
Your dissertation should have a stand. An excellent thesis statement should show your decisions about a subject and not an overview. It ensures that your thesis is specific with a clear conclusion.
Wrapping up
The thesis statement goes at the beginning of your paper, which means it will be among the first things to work out. Thesis statement writing becomes more enjoyable when you have a clear understanding of the topic.
An excellent thesis statement should be short, catchy and exciting to ensure that your audience read your paper to the end. Always remember, you can re-work your thesis to modify and perfect it.
