For many students, developing a thesis can be difficult, but writing a thesis takes practice. Simply put, the thesis states the research paper’s purpose, which may be to analyze, explore, or argue a point of view. After a brief introduction to the topic, the thesis statement usually appears at the bottom of the first paragraph and should include terms and ideas that can be defined and tested. Writing the introductory paragraph first can help with thesis development defining the key points of the paper’s topic, which can aid in the development of a well-structured thesis that frames and drives the rest of the paper. Writing several thesis statements and brainstorming ideas first, on the other hand, can provide material to work with and test against the overall research in the paper, with the statements being revised as needed until something fits.
The first step in developing a thesis is to research a topic. Following the selection of a topic, information on the subject should be gathered from books, articles, and journals. Analyzing the data and looking for patterns can aid in the development of a thesis later on. During the research stage, taking notes and considering “why” and “how” can help develop the overall point of the paper, which is an important first step in thesis development.
A sketched or working thesis can be written once the background research for the topic is completed. The purpose of the working thesis is to serve as a springboard for further research. After the working thesis has been refined, it can be transformed into a final thesis statement that will be supported the paper.
Working thesis development can be approached in one of two ways. The first step is to draft several working thesis statements before moving on to the introductory paragraph. The introductory paragraph, on the other hand, can be written first, which may aid in the generation of some working thesis statements. It’s sometimes easier to do the latter.
The first method involves brainstorming ideas for a possible thesis. These working thesis statements are usually clumsy and ambiguous, which is fine. Many ideas that analyze, explore, or argue a position about the paper’s topic can be honed into a solid thesis brainstorming a large number of them. The next step is to see if any of the working thesis statements will be reflected in the paper’s discussion. The thesis statements will need to be revised if the paper cannot adequately support them. It usually becomes clear after a few revisions of the working thesis statements which ones are worth keeping. This revising process continues until a solid thesis is developed, which includes working on the thesis statements, looking for support within the planned research paper, and rewriting the thesis statements.
Another method for coming up with a thesis statement is to write an introductory paragraph about the topic first, then worry about the thesis later. The introduction should generally focus on the most important aspects of the paper’s topic, purpose, and future direction. The context should be established in the first paragraph, which should naturally lead into a strong thesis statement that will guide the rest of the paper and provide a good structure. This method may be easier for some students because it gives them more material to work with at the start of the process.