The thesis statement for a research paper (that is an argumentative or persuasive piece of writing) must be debatable.
To prove your main point, you will need some weighty arguments. The main arguments that will be further developed in the project make your thesis statement more persuasive. Here’s what you may say in your paper on social activity of adolescents:
- From the strongest argument to the weakest one.
- From a general topic to a more specific one.
- From a simple to complex analysis.
- From causes to effects.
When the thesis statement in your research paper is well developed, it displays several distinct characteristics:
📝 Steps in developing your thesis statement
Still feeling confused? Think of it this way: Your thesis statement is the king, and every element in your research paper structure serves the king.
A specific topic + a specific aspect, feature, or area of interest/debate + debatable claim based on data/evidence = thesis statement.
- “Even though peers can sometimes have a bad influence on adolescents, communicating with someone of their age helps young people obtain a feeling of belonging, and social interaction as the central component of personal development improves their self-esteem.”
Developing a strong thesis statement is very important to your research. Without a thesis, you will not have a direction or focus for your research project.
- Make it brief and concise and do not try to add too much in it.
- Keep it focused and targeted to the main idea.
- Write it after writing the entire paper because then you will have a better idea of what you have discussed in the paper.
- Add it after the introduction.
- Make it informative and interesting for the reader.
Writing a thesis statement for research papers is as important as the entire paper. Do you think that the readers will be interested in reading your research if they will have no clear idea about it? They will not. Before reading the paper, everyone wants to know if it is interesting and has what they are looking for.
It should be such that the reader gets a complete idea of what your paper is about. It should give a direction to your introduction and body paragraphs and they should support the thesis statement.
It is an important part of the research outline and no paper is complete without it. An outline gives a proper structure to your paper and this is why having a proper and detailed research paper outline is important.
Thesis Statement Examples for Research Papers
To write a strong thesis statement for a research paper, follow the below guidelines:
For creating a strong and impressive thesis statement, it is important that you have an interesting research topic for your paper. Brainstorm and conduct online research to get impressive research paper topics for your research.
To give you a clear and comprehensive idea of what makes a solid thesis statement, we have added over twenty examples here that you can use for your argumentative thesis as well as for other kinds of research papers. Read below to read some good thesis statement examples.
Get useful ideas on how to write a good thesis statement with these thesis statement examples for research papers.
The discussion should also refer to scholarly work to emphasize how your findings fit the knowledge already existing.
A good thesis should propose an arguable point to which people could reasonably disagree. It should be proactive, strong enough to justify the statements presented in the thesis paper.
Whether it's a short essay or a full-length doctoral dissertation. A good thesis statement is one of the trickiest sentences that you will have to formulate.
We are in search of critical analysis. We will gather evidence that will allow us to make judgments and interpret the findings. All your findings should clearly display the topic’s main context. You must cite the relevant literature.
Recommendations
Add the details of all the sources that you have mentioned in your paper. It is sometimes known as a bibliography or works cited list.
Although the length of the thesis paper varies, the average length is 40 pages long.
The method section explains how you have conducted the whole research. This will let the users check the paper's validity.
Do not confuse the term thesis with the dissertation. The dissertation is another form of assessment that differs from a thesis in so many ways. It is a subject that you choose for yourself and is required for a doctoral program degree.
- Pick a topic that you are genuinely interested in
As you research the topic, it is vital to keep track of all the information you find. Some of the best ways to do this are by using Bibliography cards or Note cards.
You have finally finished working on your research paper, what’s next? Now, the last thing you should do is to double-check everything to ensure that your paper is ready to be turned in. Our checklist should help you with this:
This sentence reveals the main topic of your paper. However, if you make it your thesis statement just as it is, it will be weak, which in turn, will influence your grade. Therefore, you should only consider your answer as a starting point, and then evolve it to make a powerful, definitive statement. A good example of a thesis statement based on the topic mentioned above would be:
Research Process
To form a clear and relevant thesis, ask yourself: what is my paper about? The answer to this question is exactly what your thesis statement should be.
What should you pay attention to when proofreading? The most obvious purpose of this step is to identify any grammatical mistakes in the text. However, there is much more to it than there seems. When proofreading your work, it is vital to check the logical flow of ideas and structure. Readability also matters. You should make sure that your thoughts are presented in a simple and understandable language. Finally, you need to check compliance with the given instructions, analyze the coherence and in-depth examinations in body paragraphs, and ensure that you have a valid conclusion.
Before you can shape your own opinion on a specific topic, you have to study it thoroughly. A good tip to simplify your research is to use general sources like Wikipedia to get your research going. Yes, you won’t be able to use any information from there for your references—as wikipedia is not a credible source. However, it can give you a good starting point and help drive your research further.
The first style uses a list of two or more points. This style of thesis is perfect for a brief essay that contains only two or three body paragraphs. This basic five-paragraph essay is typical of middle and high school assignments.
This is more arguable because there are plenty of folks who might think a PB&J is messy or slimy rather than fun.
C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia series is one of the richest works of the 20th century because it offers an escape from reality, teaches readers to have faith even when they don’t understand, and contains a host of vibrant characters.
Most other types of essays, whether compare/contrast, argumentative, or narrative, have thesis statements that take a position and argue it. In other words, unless your purpose is simply to inform, your thesis is considered persuasive. A persuasive thesis usually contains an opinion and the reason why your opinion is true.
2 Styles of Thesis Statements
When composing a thesis, you must consider not only the format, but other qualities like length, position in the essay, and how strong the argument is.
Position: A thesis statement always belongs at the beginning of an essay. This is because it is a sentence that tells the reader what the writer is going to discuss. Teachers will have different preferences for the precise location of the thesis, but a good rule of thumb is in the introduction paragraph, within the last two or three sentences.
Good vs. evil is the main theme of Lewis’s Narnia series, as is made clear through the struggles the main characters face in each book.