When you write an academic paper, you can technically start in any order you want if it is working for you. However, I highly recommend that you start with the thesis statement or the basis of your thesis statement; at the very least, this will help you get an idea of your paper focus.
For this post, I will explain why thesis statements are necessary and offer some resources that you can reference and use.
Why they are necessary
Your thesis statement is going to set the bar for the rest of your paper. It tells the reader (i.e. your professor) exactly what your paper is about and what standpoint you are taking. This is especially important when you are arguing a point of some kind.
The main point of the thesis statement is to determine the main point of the paper, so you will want it to be as specific as possible. In turn, your thesis statement can set up the layout of your paper in addition to letting your reader understand exactly what you are arguing or talking about.
For some additional information about how to set up your thesis, check out this site.
Schmoop's steps to create a thesis
Though Schmoop is geared towards high school students, they offer some advice that is helpful for many. In relation to thesis statements, Schmoop has put together a video that explains the why and basic how of writing thesis statements in four steps. These steps are simple, and they will make a difference in how you approach the actual writing of your thesis. The video also includes some commentary and examples detailing the whys of these steps and how it will help make your thesis stronger.
Thesis Generators
If you find that you are really struggling to come up with a thesis statement, there are resources that will generate several thesis statements for you. You can then use the statement they provide or tweak it to say what you want it to say. Either way, they can be a good starting point. Ashford University provides a thesis generator on their website and also explains the different formats of the thesis statements that they offer.
You might also find these generators useful:
- ThesisStatementGenerator
- Thesis Generator Lite app for Android
As you write, you may decide that your thesis statement is not working for the information you are collecting or the way you are focusing your paper. This means that you will have to revise your thesis statement. To do this, you will have to take a very similar approach to how you originally constructed your thesis, but you will be focusing it more on your new ideas.
Some resources that you can look in to in order to learn more about this process can be found at:
- University of North Carolina Wilmington's Writing Center
- WritingCommons - "Weak Thesis" and "Process: Writing a Thesis Statement" especially
As you approach writing a thesis statement, you might be worried or stressed or confused over what to do; however, by following the above mentioned steps or utilizing a thesis generator, you will not have anything to worry about. One of the nice things about thesis statements is that you can always change and adjust them as your paper develops or changes directions.
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