Academic papers prove crucial to the intellectual development of students in school. As such, students will get required to write academic papers for assessment and grading to measure their progress regarding their comprehension. Therefore, writing an excellent paper comes as a necessary step for learners who want to excel in their studies.
Academic papers always come in different forms, though most of them have a thesis statement as an essential segment of the paper’s introduction. So what does a thesis statement imply? It infers the fleeting articulation of the purpose and central argument of your paper. However, it mostly gets referred to as the “thesis” when it comes to most people.
All scholarly papers should have thesis statements. Because of this, thesis statements need to be specific, concise, and arguable. So always ensure that a maximum of two sentences form your thesis whenever your academic paper proves short. Additionally, ensure that it deals with a focused and narrow subject that correlates to your paper’s length. Finally, ensure that it can prove debatable by scholars in your field.
Strong theses always address particular intellectual questions besides coming in a structure reflective of the paper’s structure and holding precise positions. Therefore, do you want to write a thesis and have no idea about what to do? Consider the following guidelines.
Guidelines for Writing Your Thesis Statement
- Making it specific. Your thesis statement has to contain a specific argument. Try as much as possible to ensure it leaves no question in the mind of your audience. Your readers can always wonder what your paper’s subject entails, the field in which you write, and your paper’s aim whenever your thesis statement proves to lack a specific argument. Therefore check your thesis and determine if it demonstrates a scholarly standard. So if it entails differences and similarities, ensure that it goes beyond that and analyze the implication of the difference or the similarities.
- Make a distinct argument. It becomes crucial to write a thesis statement that will illustrate how you want to tackle an issue and highlight the measures of improving it. Another vital way can also entail transforming a flat thesis statement by switching it up and phrasing your thesis to answer a specific assignment’s prompt.
Additionally, try and use essential words such as “argue” and “ineffective” when drafting your thesis statement. It will illustrate that you have thought through and analyzed the assigned material before coming up with a particular debatable position. Such concrete information will also prepare your audience for the body text and demonstrate how you have addressed your assignment prompt but in the absence of a restatement of the language. - Create a debate. Plenty of thesis statements include obvious facts and plot summaries instead of arguments. One fundamental way of determining whether your thesis proves too broad entails interrogating whether a scholar can disagree with your point effectively, so ensure that your thesis demonstrates arguable and that your thesis will elicit a contentious reaction. Additionally, ensure that the claim comes very narrow, especially if your papers will come short.
- Picking the correct words. It becomes crucial to ensure that your thesis statement uses loaded words with a natural substance. Avoid scholarly-sounding and large words and ensure that the word-string you use makes sense and communicates a clear and specific message. Avoid the notion of using complex sentences or phrases as this boggles most students and hardly helps in any way. So use simple and straightforward sentences as much as your idea can prove complex.
- Leave room for deliberation or discussion. It becomes crucial to leave room for further advancement or development of your thesis statement. So ensure that your thesis statement has a claim that can sustain an extended discussion. The thesis should prove intricate enough to ensure you explore it throughout the paper. You do not want to start with a thesis that makes it irrelevant to continue with the concept. Therefore, think of the potential questions your thesis can generate when you embark on your thesis’s formulation. The kind of follow-up inquiries your readers might have
- It also becomes essential to consider diverse models when you struggle to get started with your thesis writing. Something like TML or Thesis Mad Libs can prove pivotal in helping your cause.
Conclusion
A thesis statement always proves critical to the introduction segment of your academic paper. A strong thesis statement will help you develop an excellent academic paper.