Forming a Thesis

Thesis [a. Gr. putting, placing; a proposition, affirmation, etc., f. root - of -- to put, place.]: A proposition laid down or stated, esp. as a theme to be discussed and proved, or to be maintained against attack 2); a statement, assertion, tenet. [Source: Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition (1989)]

A well-formed thesis is often the most difficult element of a research paper to understand and produce. If you are unclear about what a thesis is, it is wise to ask your instructor what he/she wants from your thesis statement.

A variety of terms and phrases are used to describe the nature of a research paper’s “thesis.” For example, the authors of The Craft of Research (p. 85- 96) use the following terms and phrases to describe a thesis:

“Major claim”

“Major point”

“The culmination of your analysis, the statement of what your research means.”

“A principle of organization that comes not from the categories of your data, but from your questions and answers.” (85)

“A central claim that you want to make.”

“A claim that will stand as the answer to your hardest question, as justification for writing your paper”

The thesis statement is the substantive, succinct, and specific claim that your paper advances and supports. It should usually be placed in the introductory paragraph of your paper as a signal of the assertion that your readers can expect to find argued and supported in the paper.

E.g., "The character of Jesus, I submit, serves as the linchpin to the apostle's presentation in [2 Corinthians]." [Thomas Stegman, The Character of Jesus (Rome, 2005), 2]

This is a good thesis because it is specific, it makes an arguable point, and it prepares the reader for the information to come.

Back to Research Papers Main Page

Last Updated: 4/11/2006