Thesis Statements

In the domain of academic writing, your thesis statement is "north" on your compass. Your thesis statement provides you with the exact direction you need to go as far as research, organization, and the structure of your essay. Everything you write should be relevant to your thesis statement. Every paragraph, every topic sentence, every piece of evidence, every concluding statement, every outside resource, every example - it should all easily trace back to your thesis statement.

Generally, the success of any essay depends on the quality of the thesis statement. With a well-developed thesis statement and an organized outline, an essay essentially "writes itself." For now, let's focus on what a thesis statement is and how to create a very good one.

Your thesis should be stated somewhere in the opening paragraphs of your paper, most often as the last sentence of the introduction. Often, a thesis will be one sentence, but for complex subjects, you may find it more effective to break the thesis statement into two sentences.

Your thesis statement is the foundation for everything you write about and researched. Everything written before must lead up to it, and everything written after should easily trace back to it. For this reason, your thesis statement must include the following three elements:

(1) Sufficiently narrow and focused (as opposed to sweepingly broad)

(2) Contestable (as opposed to matters of personal taste, belief, or opinion)

(3) Provides purpose and direction for your body paragraphs.

I always recommend using this formula for creating a rock-solid thesis statement. Take a picture of it or write it down. It's important!

Here is a real-world example to put this into perspective:

Even though Laing (2013) argues childhood obesity is a societal fault, she nevertheless undermines the important role parents assume to either enable or combat childhood obesity on a microscale because of their impacts on their children's daily habits, cultivation of self-disipline, and accessibility to heathy and unhealthy food options.

Imagine this was the last sentence of your introduction. Does it fit the criteria mentioned above? Narrow and focused? Check. Contestable? Check. Provides purpose and direction? You betcha! Check.

One reason why I like teaching this particular formula is the built-in rebuttal by addressing and acknowledging alternative or directly opposed perspectives. This is a noble aim for all academic writing, that is, exploring all the perspectives surrounding a particular topic or issues - not necessarily just ones you agree with. By showcasing your research in the introduction and acknowledging the existence of other perspectives, you demonstrate to your readers that you conducted honest, fair, and unbiased research.

Another reason why I like this particular formula is the expanded X, Y, Z component. This demonstrates to your readers that you followed the writing process in a measured and systematic manner. It also shows readers that you conducted your research before writing your introduction rather than making it up on the fly. This is key because many novice writers make the mistake of researching "as they go," which makes them prone to errors such as cherry-picking evidence or attacking the strawman.

Now let's circle back to why thesis statements are important. I mentioned how - with a great thesis statement - your essay could almost write itself. Crazy, right? Don't believe me?

Well, if you look carefully, I already outlined the entire essay with this one sentence:

Introduction: Acknowledge opposition and postulate stance

Body Paragraph 1: Discuss reason X

Body Paragraph 2: Discuss reason Y

Body Paragraph 3: Discuss reason Z

Conclusion: Tie everything together to dismiss opposition and bolster stance.

Weird how this works, right? It seems as though once a student discovers the dynamic between this formula and the organization of an essay, writing suddenly becomes a walk in the park. Get to know it early!

The video below aims to enhance your understanding of thesis statements, and how they are an integral component of the writing process.

During the video, you will delve into the intricacies of the writing process. You will be provided with valuable insights and practical tips that will help you become a more effective and efficient writer. You will explore the various stages of writing, from ideation strategies and outlining to drafting, revising, and editing. By understanding and implementing these strategies within the context of creating a thesis statement and outline, you will be able to craft well-organized and coherent written assignments and approach writing systematically.

If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via the Ask Your Instructor (AYI) button in the course or through email. We also can set up time to chat on the phone, Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, or Blackboard Collaborate, if needed.

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