Thesis

A good thesis statement makes the difference between a thoughtful research project and a simple "regurgitation of facts."  A thesis statement declares what you believe and what you intend to prove.  A good thesis will help you focus your search for information.  It will drive your writing.  Each point you make in your project should support your thesis. 

 Developing a good thesis statement requires a substantial amount of background reading in order to have enough information about a subject to identify essential questions.  Then further reading is required to state a position.  When you start your research, you will often have a "working" or preliminary thesis that you will continue to refine until you have enough evidence to support your statement.  A thesis statement declares what you believe and intend to prove, and is usually located at the end of the opening paragraph.

Adapted from Power Research Tools, Joyce Kasman Valenza

If you have any questions or comments about the library or the library web page, please e-mail them to the librarian at [email protected].