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To write a thesis statement, you must take your chosen subject
and find a focus. This focus must be based on your background
reading and encompass all that you will discuss in your research
paper.
A thesis statement is a formal, exact statement of what your
paper is going to be about, a statement which argues a particular
theory, philosophy, or point of view. In other words, you write
a thesis statement like a lawyer making his opening remarks in
a court case; in your paper, you will be trying to persuade the
reader toward your point of view by using ideas and information
provided from your research. In an argument of one or two sentences,
the thesis statement sets the tone of the paper.
Once you have refined your thesis statement to the extent
that it presents your purpose as clearly as you want it to, you
can use it to direct your note-taking, and to help you write
a good outline and a good paper.
It is possible that once you read and examine much material,
you will want to revise your thesis statement, but stating it
as clearly as possible now will help you select the right material
for your notetaking. Material that does not relate directly to
your controlling purpose does not belong in your paper or your
notes.
Therefore, your thesis statement and your preliminary works cited
should be well considered. Don't just pick any ideas or any books
available and present them for your paper.
Below is a suggested procedure for developing a thesis statement.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE:
- Think about questions or interests you have and why you have
these.
- Is there an area which you feel could be explored further
even though you don't know
a lot about the area or the answers to some of the questions
you might have?
- If you've just finished a unit or literary work, do you think
that you have exhausted all
there is to say on each one of the subject matter?
- Could there be more to explain?
- After considering your options and brainstorming ideas try
to figure out what the
purpose of your paper will eventually be.
- Conduct a little pre-research about the subject area you
have chosen.
- The best way to start is with your own ideas and the little
research you have done so far (pre-witing).
- This should lead to your coming up with a subject, and then
a thesis statement.
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