Developing a thesis statement can be one of the most challenging parts of writing a college essay, yet the irony is that often students consider it an after-thought. Crucial to any formal academic paper, a thesis statement is the main idea , or central assertion of the paper, supported by compelling evidence. It can vary in form depending on the academic discipline and focus; the most common are analytical, argumentative, and expository statements. What’s an Analytical Thesis Statement? It’s a statement that breaks down a topic into component parts; literary essays often require analytical thesis statements. What’s an Argumentative Thesis Statement? It takes a stand or position on an issue and reflects reasoning; it’s commonly used when writing a research paper. What’s an Expository Thesis Statement? It’s focused on explaining something, or informing, and it’s not as common a requirement for college-level essays as analytical and argumentative statements. When writing on the college level, the conventions of the academic discipline should be consulted when forming a thesis. Good thesis statements should not be statements of the obvious, nor should they be general assertions; rather, a thesis should make a claim or an argument reflective of research and analysis. Steps in Developing a Thesis Statement A good thesis begins with a research question. A student may be assigned a question by an instructor, or asked to come up with her own. Whatever the case may be, research and careful thought should go into forming a tentative thesis. It is tentative because as the writer drafts the paper, she may find that it needs to be revised, so it accurately reflects the evidence she’s presenting. Ideally, in the process of writing, arguments crystallize and take shape, meaningful connections are made between sources, and a deeper understanding of the information is realized. This may lead to additional research. The research writing process is not necessarily linear; there is an ebb and flow to it that is difference for each writer. This doesn’t mean, however, that a tentative thesis should not be formed. Without it, your research runs the risk of lacking focus. Examples of Thesis Statements Example of how an argument thesis statement could develop: 1. Research question: Should schools monitor what children eat? 2. Tentative thesis: Schools should monitor what children eat while they’re in school because a child’s educational development can be impeded by a poor diet. 3. Revised thesis: Because a child’s educational development can be impeded by a poor diet, schools should ensure nutritious meals are served, limit snacks to those that are healthy, and provide education on good nutrition. Now here’s an example of the development of an analytical thesis statement: 1. Research question: How does Harriet Jacobs try and influence her audience in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl? 2. Tentative thesis: Harriet Jacobs tries to influence her audience by including incidents of abuse. 3. Revised thesis: Harriet Jacobs tries to influence her audience by including incidents of abuse never spoken about, conveying the deep moral struggles of female slaves, and asking for forgiveness. Finally, here’s an example of the development of an expository thesis statement: 1. Research question: Where should a college student stay when traveling to Paris on a budget? 2. Tentative thesis: A college student visiting Paris on a budget should stay in a hostel. 3. Revised thesis: When visiting Paris as a college student on a budget, not only are hostels an option, but the Latin Quarter, often referred to as the student quarter, offers a collection of small hotels with easy access to some great sites. Research on the assigned or selected topic will help the student form an appropriate research question for the assignment. The tentative thesis is the response to that question. That response will likely be revised as the research and writing process continue. It’s important to keep in mind that all the information in the body of the paper must support the thesis. Sometimes, in the research process, a student will find information she sees as valuable, but it does not support her thesis, and she includes it anyway. It can be difficult to throw out sources one has spent time collecting, but it is a necessary part of the process. A good formal college essay is logically developed, so all evidence presented supports the thesis.
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