topic of the thesis

Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

Developing a Thesis Statement

Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you’ll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.

Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements . If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement . . .

• Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic; it states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
• Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
• Is generally located near the end of the introduction ; sometimes, in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or in an entire paragraph.
• Identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument.

Not all papers require thesis statements! Ask your instructor if you’re in doubt whether you need one.

Identify a topic

Your topic is the subject about which you will write. Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic; or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper.

Consider what your assignment asks you to do

Inform yourself about your topic, focus on one aspect of your topic, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts, generate a topic from an assignment.

Below are some possible topics based on sample assignments.

Sample assignment 1

Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II.

Identified topic

Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis

This topic avoids generalities such as “Spain” and “World War II,” addressing instead on Franco’s role (a specific aspect of “Spain”) and the diplomatic relations between the Allies and Axis (a specific aspect of World War II).

Sample assignment 2

Analyze one of Homer’s epic similes in the Iliad.

The relationship between the portrayal of warfare and the epic simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64.

This topic focuses on a single simile and relates it to a single aspect of the Iliad ( warfare being a major theme in that work).

Developing a Thesis Statement–Additional information

Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic, or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper. You’ll want to read your assignment carefully, looking for key terms that you can use to focus your topic.

Sample assignment: Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II Key terms: analyze, Spain’s neutrality, World War II

After you’ve identified the key words in your topic, the next step is to read about them in several sources, or generate as much information as possible through an analysis of your topic. Obviously, the more material or knowledge you have, the more possibilities will be available for a strong argument. For the sample assignment above, you’ll want to look at books and articles on World War II in general, and Spain’s neutrality in particular.

As you consider your options, you must decide to focus on one aspect of your topic. This means that you cannot include everything you’ve learned about your topic, nor should you go off in several directions. If you end up covering too many different aspects of a topic, your paper will sprawl and be unconvincing in its argument, and it most likely will not fulfull the assignment requirements.

For the sample assignment above, both Spain’s neutrality and World War II are topics far too broad to explore in a paper. You may instead decide to focus on Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis , which narrows down what aspects of Spain’s neutrality and World War II you want to discuss, as well as establishes a specific link between those two aspects.

Before you go too far, however, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts. Try to avoid topics that already have too much written about them (i.e., “eating disorders and body image among adolescent women”) or that simply are not important (i.e. “why I like ice cream”). These topics may lead to a thesis that is either dry fact or a weird claim that cannot be supported. A good thesis falls somewhere between the two extremes. To arrive at this point, ask yourself what is new, interesting, contestable, or controversial about your topic.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times . Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Derive a main point from topic

Once you have a topic, you will have to decide what the main point of your paper will be. This point, the “controlling idea,” becomes the core of your argument (thesis statement) and it is the unifying idea to which you will relate all your sub-theses. You can then turn this “controlling idea” into a purpose statement about what you intend to do in your paper.

Look for patterns in your evidence

Compose a purpose statement.

Consult the examples below for suggestions on how to look for patterns in your evidence and construct a purpose statement.

• Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis
• Franco turned to the Allies when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from the Axis

Possible conclusion:

Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: Franco’s desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power.

Purpose statement

This paper will analyze Franco’s diplomacy during World War II to see how it contributed to Spain’s neutrality.

• The simile compares Simoisius to a tree, which is a peaceful, natural image.
• The tree in the simile is chopped down to make wheels for a chariot, which is an object used in warfare.

At first, the simile seems to take the reader away from the world of warfare, but we end up back in that world by the end.

This paper will analyze the way the simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64 moves in and out of the world of warfare.

Derive purpose statement from topic

To find out what your “controlling idea” is, you have to examine and evaluate your evidence . As you consider your evidence, you may notice patterns emerging, data repeated in more than one source, or facts that favor one view more than another. These patterns or data may then lead you to some conclusions about your topic and suggest that you can successfully argue for one idea better than another.

For instance, you might find out that Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis, but when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from them, he turned to the Allies. As you read more about Franco’s decisions, you may conclude that Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: his desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power. Based on this conclusion, you can then write a trial thesis statement to help you decide what material belongs in your paper.

Sometimes you won’t be able to find a focus or identify your “spin” or specific argument immediately. Like some writers, you might begin with a purpose statement just to get yourself going. A purpose statement is one or more sentences that announce your topic and indicate the structure of the paper but do not state the conclusions you have drawn . Thus, you might begin with something like this:

• This paper will look at modern language to see if it reflects male dominance or female oppression.
• I plan to analyze anger and derision in offensive language to see if they represent a challenge of society’s authority.

At some point, you can turn a purpose statement into a thesis statement. As you think and write about your topic, you can restrict, clarify, and refine your argument, crafting your thesis statement to reflect your thinking.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Compose a draft thesis statement

If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or “working” thesis statement.

Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement.

Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election.

Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties.

Question-to-Assertion

If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion.

Assignment : What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren’t they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” lead to unexpected problems?

Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to “play God.”

Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers’ sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves.

Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them.

• nature = peaceful
• war matériel = violent (competes with 1?)
• need for time and space to mourn the dead
• war is inescapable (competes with 3?)

Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later).

• although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______.
• _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________.
• phenomenon x is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________.

What to keep in mind as you draft an initial thesis statement

Beginning statements obtained through the methods illustrated above can serve as a framework for planning or drafting your paper, but remember they’re not yet the specific, argumentative thesis you want for the final version of your paper. In fact, in its first stages, a thesis statement usually is ill-formed or rough and serves only as a planning tool.

As you write, you may discover evidence that does not fit your temporary or “working” thesis. Or you may reach deeper insights about your topic as you do more research, and you will find that your thesis statement has to be more complicated to match the evidence that you want to use.

You must be willing to reject or omit some evidence in order to keep your paper cohesive and your reader focused. Or you may have to revise your thesis to match the evidence and insights that you want to discuss. Read your draft carefully, noting the conclusions you have drawn and the major ideas which support or prove those conclusions. These will be the elements of your final thesis statement.

Sometimes you will not be able to identify these elements in your early drafts, but as you consider how your argument is developing and how your evidence supports your main idea, ask yourself, “ What is the main point that I want to prove/discuss? ” and “ How will I convince the reader that this is true? ” When you can answer these questions, then you can begin to refine the thesis statement.

Refine and polish the thesis statement

To get to your final thesis, you’ll need to refine your draft thesis so that it’s specific and arguable.

• Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment
• Question each part of your draft thesis
• Clarify vague phrases and assertions
• Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis

Consult the example below for suggestions on how to refine your draft thesis statement.

Sample Assignment

Choose an activity and define it as a symbol of American culture. Your essay should cause the reader to think critically about the society which produces and enjoys that activity.

• Ask The phenomenon of drive-in facilities is an interesting symbol of american culture, and these facilities demonstrate significant characteristics of our society.This statement does not fulfill the assignment because it does not require the reader to think critically about society.

Drive-ins are an interesting symbol of American culture because they represent Americans’ significant creativity and business ingenuity.

Among the types of drive-in facilities familiar during the twentieth century, drive-in movie theaters best represent American creativity, not merely because they were the forerunner of later drive-ins and drive-throughs, but because of their impact on our culture: they changed our relationship to the automobile, changed the way people experienced movies, and changed movie-going into a family activity.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast-food establishments, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize America’s economic ingenuity, they also have affected our personal standards.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast- food restaurants, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize (1) Americans’ business ingenuity, they also have contributed (2) to an increasing homogenization of our culture, (3) a willingness to depersonalize relationships with others, and (4) a tendency to sacrifice quality for convenience.

This statement is now specific and fulfills all parts of the assignment. This version, like any good thesis, is not self-evident; its points, 1-4, will have to be proven with evidence in the body of the paper. The numbers in this statement indicate the order in which the points will be presented. Depending on the length of the paper, there could be one paragraph for each numbered item or there could be blocks of paragraph for even pages for each one.

Complete the final thesis statement

The bottom line.

As you move through the process of crafting a thesis, you’ll need to remember four things:

• Context matters! Think about your course materials and lectures. Try to relate your thesis to the ideas your instructor is discussing.
• As you go through the process described in this section, always keep your assignment in mind . You will be more successful when your thesis (and paper) responds to the assignment than if it argues a semi-related idea.
• Your thesis statement should be precise, focused, and contestable ; it should predict the sub-theses or blocks of information that you will use to prove your argument.
• Make sure that you keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Change your thesis as your paper evolves, because you do not want your thesis to promise more than your paper actually delivers.

In the beginning, the thesis statement was a tool to help you sharpen your focus, limit material and establish the paper’s purpose. When your paper is finished, however, the thesis statement becomes a tool for your reader. It tells the reader what you have learned about your topic and what evidence led you to your conclusion. It keeps the reader on track–well able to understand and appreciate your argument.

Writing Process and Structure

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Getting Started with Your Paper

Interpreting Writing Assignments from Your Courses

Generating Ideas for

Creating an Argument

Thesis vs. Purpose Statements

Architecture of Arguments

Working with Sources

Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources

Using Literary Quotations

Citing Sources in Your Paper

Drafting Your Paper

Generating Ideas for Your Paper

Introductions

Paragraphing

Developing Strategic Transitions

Conclusions

Revising Your Paper

Peer Reviews

Reverse Outlines

Revising an Argumentative Paper

Revision Strategies for Longer Projects

Finishing Your Paper

Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

How to Proofread your Paper

Writing Collaboratively

Collaborative and Group Writing

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How to write a thesis statement, what is a thesis statement.

Almost all of us—even if we don’t do it consciously—look early in an essay for a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation as a thesis statement.

Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

• to test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence or two
• to better organize and develop your argument
• to provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

In general, your thesis statement will accomplish these goals if you think of the thesis as the answer to the question your paper explores.

How Can You Write a Good Thesis Statement?

Here are some helpful hints to get you started. You can either scroll down or select a link to a specific topic.

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned

Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can be reduced to a single question. Your first step, then, is to distill the assignment into a specific question. For example, if your assignment is, “Write a report to the local school board explaining the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class,” turn the request into a question like, “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” After you’ve chosen the question your essay will answer, compose one or two complete sentences answering that question.

Q: “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” A: “The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class are . . .”

A: “Using computers in a fourth-grade class promises to improve . . .”

The answer to the question is the thesis statement for the essay.

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How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned

Even if your assignment doesn’t ask a specific question, your thesis statement still needs to answer a question about the issue you’d like to explore. In this situation, your job is to figure out what question you’d like to write about.

A good thesis statement will usually include the following four attributes:

• take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree
• deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment
• express one main idea
• assert your conclusions about a subject

Let’s see how to generate a thesis statement for a social policy paper.

Brainstorm the topic . Let’s say that your class focuses upon the problems posed by changes in the dietary habits of Americans. You find that you are interested in the amount of sugar Americans consume.

You start out with a thesis statement like this:

Sugar consumption.

This fragment isn’t a thesis statement. Instead, it simply indicates a general subject. Furthermore, your reader doesn’t know what you want to say about sugar consumption.

Narrow the topic . Your readings about the topic, however, have led you to the conclusion that elementary school children are consuming far more sugar than is healthy.

You change your thesis to look like this:

Reducing sugar consumption by elementary school children.

This fragment not only announces your subject, but it focuses on one segment of the population: elementary school children. Furthermore, it raises a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree, because while most people might agree that children consume more sugar than they used to, not everyone would agree on what should be done or who should do it. You should note that this fragment is not a thesis statement because your reader doesn’t know your conclusions on the topic.

Take a position on the topic. After reflecting on the topic a little while longer, you decide that what you really want to say about this topic is that something should be done to reduce the amount of sugar these children consume.

You revise your thesis statement to look like this:

More attention should be paid to the food and beverage choices available to elementary school children.

This statement asserts your position, but the terms more attention and food and beverage choices are vague.

Use specific language . You decide to explain what you mean about food and beverage choices , so you write:

Experts estimate that half of elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar.

This statement is specific, but it isn’t a thesis. It merely reports a statistic instead of making an assertion.

Make an assertion based on clearly stated support. You finally revise your thesis statement one more time to look like this:

Because half of all American elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar, schools should be required to replace the beverages in soda machines with healthy alternatives.

Notice how the thesis answers the question, “What should be done to reduce sugar consumption by children, and who should do it?” When you started thinking about the paper, you may not have had a specific question in mind, but as you became more involved in the topic, your ideas became more specific. Your thesis changed to reflect your new insights.

How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

1. a strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand..

Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. For example, if you are writing a paper for a class on fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular weight-loss product to evaluate. Here are two thesis statements:

There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.

This is a weak thesis statement. First, it fails to take a stand. Second, the phrase negative and positive aspects is vague.

Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.

This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand, and because it's specific.

2. A strong thesis statement justifies discussion.

Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion. If your assignment is to write a paper on kinship systems, using your own family as an example, you might come up with either of these two thesis statements:

My family is an extended family.

This is a weak thesis because it merely states an observation. Your reader won’t be able to tell the point of the statement, and will probably stop reading.

While most American families would view consanguineal marriage as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.

This is a strong thesis because it shows how your experience contradicts a widely-accepted view. A good strategy for creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the essay to see how you support your point.

3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea.

Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main point. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper. For example:

Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and Web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.

This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can’t decide whether the paper is about marketing on the Internet or Web pages. To revise the thesis, the relationship between the two ideas needs to become more clear. One way to revise the thesis would be to write:

Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.

This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two ideas are related. Hint: a great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like because , since , so , although , unless , and however .

4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic. For example, if you're writing a seven-to-ten page paper on hunger, you might say:

World hunger has many causes and effects.

This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First, world hunger can’t be discussed thoroughly in seven to ten pages. Second, many causes and effects is vague. You should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A revised thesis might look like this:

Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.

This is a strong thesis statement because it narrows the subject to a more specific and manageable topic, and it also identifies the specific causes for the existence of hunger.

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Writing a paper: thesis statements, basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

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Choose a Great Thesis Topic in 4 Easy Steps!

No matter how much you enjoy the research process, choosing a great thesis topic is always a challenge.

What is a thesis topic anyway?

A thesis topic is just what it sounds like—it is the subject you aim to write your thesis about.

A thesis is a long, in-depth research paper that focuses on one specific subject. A thesis topic is just what it sounds like—it is the subject you aim to write your thesis about.

Theses are usually shorter for undergraduate students and book-length for Ph.D. students. However, one thing is always true. Regardless of whether you are an undergraduate or a graduate student, finding the right thesis topic isn’t easy!

Since you are reading this article, you are clearly wondering how you can choose a great thesis topic. We’ll walk you through some simple steps, give you insider tips to find the right thesis topic, and help you begin your research journey with confidence.

What makes a thesis topic great?

Your thesis topic will need to be clear and address a clearly defined research question. At the same time, the answer should contribute to a broader understanding of the research field.

The search for a good thesis statement begins with a good research question. Your thesis is the answer to that question. As the thesis is a relatively long research paper, a good research question should be sufficiently broad. In general, this will mean avoiding “yes/no” questions or reframing such questions.

For instance, instead of asking 

“Does race influence standardized testing in high schools in the UK?”

Reframe your question as

“How does race influence standardized testing in high schools in the UK?”

This will allow you to explore different aspects, analyze interactions among variables, and write a longer, more substantive paper.

While your thesis topic should be broad enough, it should never be vague. Your thesis topic will need to be clear and address a clearly defined research question. At the same time, the answer should contribute to a broader understanding of the research field.

If you create a thesis based on research questions like “ How many kinds of fungi are there in the world? ” or “ What is love? ,” you are going to end up writing a long, frustrating paper. A good thesis topic will answer a much more specific question, like:

“ What kinds of fungi grow in the vicinity of drainage pipes? ” or

“ How do people in Myanmar express love during courtship rituals? ”

In other words, a great thesis topic is your answer to a:

• Somewhat broad
• Very precise and
• Somewhat open-ended question.

While yes/no questions can be acceptable on rare occasions, you should avoid them or rephrase them, especially in science fields.

Finally, a great thesis topic fills a niche in a research field where research on the topic already exists, but there is still more to be discovered or new aspects to be explored. Alternatively, thesis topics could offer a fresh take on an old topic or rebuttals to a well-known theory. You don’t need to necessarily perform groundbreaking research; however, a great thesis topic will always offer a unique element that could make your thesis stand out.

Step 1: Choosing a thesis topic - Getting started

Although thesis topics should ideally be chosen based on the relevance of the topic and its academic merit, requirements related to your assignment/program should also be taken into consideration before finalizing the topic. While this seems quite basic, it is in fact key to choosing your thesis topic. The requirements of your program or class will determine the scope of what you can research.

Every program differs in its requirements, which is why it is so important to check these details beforehand. Some programs might have a specific list of acceptable topics and a narrow range of allowable methodologies. Other programs might just have a minimum word count and a final deadline. This is why knowing the requirements is so important before you move on to the next step of brainstorming.

Step 2: Brainstorming thesis topic ideas

One of the first places to look for a thesis topic is your own past work, such as papers you have written or assignments you have completed.

Once you know the limitations and requirements for your thesis, it is time to begin brainstorming specific ideas. This is often the hardest part of choosing a thesis topic! Especially if your program or school doesn’t narrow down your topic choices, you may find yourself gazing out the window with a hazy mind. So where should you begin brainstorming?

One of the first places to look for a thesis topic is your own past work, such as papers you have written or assignments you have completed. What courses have you particularly enjoyed that are related to your major field of study? What topics have you written about already?

You must make a list of papers you have written as part of your program and rank them on a scale of most to least interesting. You can do this even if you are in a program that is not very writing intensive. Cross the boring half off your list and focus on the more interesting topics. Do any topics catch your eye? If you aren’t feeling excited about anything you’ve already researched, talk to your classmates or colleagues . What areas in your field are you interested in or passionate about? Do your friends, classmates, or peers have any ideas? You can also skim some articles from popular journals in your field to see the current trending research topics. The more you read, the better the chances of you stumbling on an interesting thesis topic.

Once you have come up with some potential thesis topics, it’s a good idea to rank them in order, so you at least have a list of your top three topics. You then need to do some preliminary research and consultations before you finally settle on one topic, and it’s always important to have backups in case your favorite choice isn’t viable.

Step 3: Preliminary research - Reviewing the literature

Any thesis based on a shorter paper will be longer and more involved than the original version.

Now that you have shortlisted your potential thesis topics, it is time to conduct some preliminary research on each topic by finding out what other research studies have been conducted so far. If you had chosen your potential thesis topics from papers you previously wrote, you might be familiar with the literature already. However, that doesn’t mean you can skip the literature review. Any thesis based on a shorter paper will be longer and more involved than the original version. The thesis is expected to cover new angles, which means you need to do some preliminary research .

Where can you find articles for your preliminary research?

Google Scholar is a great resource, and so is the academic library available at your institution. If you are a student, you may have access to a journal database like JSTOR through your university. Even if you don’t, more and more articles are freely available via open-access journals these days, so a quick Google Scholar search will help you find relevant information. If you find a particularly good article, check out the sources the author(s) have referenced for relevant articles to read.

It’s very possible that you will find yourself completely wanting to change your thesis topic once you start the literature review. That’s ok! If you come across something interesting or inspiring, you should read more about it to see if it would be a good thesis topic. However, you should set yourself some limits. If you take the freedom to simply read what interests you, it is possible you will never be able to decide on a thesis topic. Always remember to limit the time allowed to read about a potential new research interest.

Step 4: Finalizing your choice

Even the most interesting topics can become tortuous after spending enough time reading and writing about them.

Once you feel confident that you have narrowed down your potential thesis topics to a handful of options, it’s time to decide. This choice should not be made lightly—your thesis can take over your life . Even the most interesting topics can become tortuous after spending enough time reading and writing about them. With that in mind, you need to make sure your topic meets the following requirements:

• Is your proposed research feasible?
• Can you access all of the necessary research materials? Will you be able to obtain all of the necessary resources for conducting a research study? Will you be able to travel if it was required?
• Do you find the thesis topic interesting? Do you expect the interest to be sustained over the duration of the study?
• Is your topic meaningful and relevant in your field?
• Has anyone already published a paper on your thesis topic from the perspective research question?
• Do you have a suitable advisor willing to oversee the project?

You will need to extensively consult with your advisor, who will hopefully be able to give you the extra bit of guidance necessary to finalize your choice. If your advisor will be chosen depending on your thesis topic, see if you can consult with your potential advisors. Otherwise, talk to a trusted faculty member or mentor to get feedback on your proposed thesis topic. Your thesis topic will need to be approved by your advisor before it is finalized.

Selecting a thesis topic can be daunting, but once you have made your decision, you are ready for the real work to begin. No matter what topic you choose, you are about to embark on a great endeavor. Check out our site for more tips on how to write a good thesis, where to find the best thesis editing services, and more about thesis editing and proofreading services. 

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Review Checklist

Below is a checklist for you to follow as you go through the process of choosing a thesis topic.

Check the requirements for selecting a thesis topic:

Make a note of the word count requirements and the final deadline before you begin

Check for any preliminary deadlines before the final deadline. For example, if there is a proposal deadline, or individual chapter deadlines.

Discuss with your professor to see if they have any specific requirements or limitations for your research.

Inquire about any requirements for your methodology; if a literature review is acceptable; or if you are required to do fieldwork.

Check to see if there is a minimum acceptable study size in case you are expected to do your own fieldwork.

Look out for any other requirements related to your fieldwork like specific required sources or any possible restrictions.

Review your past work and current trending research for potential topics

Talk to friends and professors about interests

Review relevant journals and publications for inspiration

Rank potential topics in the order of how interesting you find them

Review the literature on potential topics

Discuss the feasibility of your proposed topic with your advisor

Select your thesis topic

How do I begin my search for thesis topic ideas? +

• Start with your previous writing work.
• Shortlist topics you have an interest in or are passionate about
• Talk to your supervisors, peers and colleagues for suggestions
• Read popular journals for hot research topics
• Rank your top three thesis topic ideas in order of preference
• Finally, consult your advisor before seeking approval

How do I know if my thesis topic is promising and unique? +

• Begin with identifying a strong research question
• Always avoid yes/no type questions when finalizing a research question
• Make sure your thesis topic addresses all aspects of your clearly defined research question
• The topic should be broad never vague and precise
• It should contribute to a better understanding of the research field

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Thesis Topics – Definition, Guide & Examples

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Definition: Thesis topics

Thesis topics are essentially the topics of theses. However, once you begin putting serious thought into what topic to write about, you will realise that a thesis often includes multiple overlapping topics: for example, a history thesis might discuss specific events alongside broader cultural elements.

In conclusion, a thesis topic is best thought of not as a single subject, but as a convenient summary that can encompass and bring together multiple distinct themes.

Picking thesis topics can be difficult, but there are approaches you can follow that will make the task easier. This article is written to help you make your decision as to which topic will suit you. Of course, the final choice will be entirely down to you; but this article will provide you with some tips and advice that should make the process of picking from potential thesis topics easier for you.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 2 Finding a Thesis Topic
• 3 Good Thesis Topics
• 4 Bachelor/Master Thesis
• 5 Thesis Topics Examples
• 6 In a Nutshell

How do you chose a thesis topic?

The best thesis topics are the ones that both inspire you, and can be easily researched by you. To find your thesis, you could try brainstorming before researching your ideas. It’s a long process from the planning stage to your thesis defense , so you need to be interested in the topic you choose. It’s ok to have vague ideas at the beginning. But later you’ll need to narrow your focus.

What are the best topics for a thesis?

Thesis topics are almost endless and each student will have their own preferences. Regardless of the topic you choose, you will need to become an expert in this area in order to format your thesis into a comprehensible piece of academic writing. Be careful not to box yourself in with your topic, but also ensure that you’re not being too vague. If you are having trouble choosing a thesis topic, perhaps have a look at the thesis topics of former students for some inspiration.

What makes a good thesis topic?

A good thesis topic should be clearly defined to avoid any confusion. It needs to be clear and concise and have a single meaning. If your topic is too broad, this will quickly become clear when you attempt to write your thesis statement . The reader of your topic should know exactly what to expect when reading your thesis.

Can a thesis topic be a question?

Theoretically, it can be. However, as the point of a thesis is to deliver answers, phrasing thesis topics as questions is best avoided as it may only obscure your argument. You may be thinking about the research question . Once you’ve decided on your topic, you create a research question which will become the basis of your thesis statement. However, you need a concrete topic first!

What is the difference between the thesis topic and the thesis statement?

A thesis statement is an idea that can be reduced to a single sentence and encapsulates one argument. Any successful argument will have a thesis statement. A thesis topic describes what your whole thesis is about. You need to know your thesis topic before you can write your thesis statement.

Finding a Thesis Topic

There are a few stages that you can try when choosing from the possible thesis topics available to you:

Brainstorming

An essential part of coming up with thesis topics is simply through making notes. Get a sheet of paper and jot down ideas; the more ideas you put on paper, the more thesis topics you will have to choose from.

Perhaps you could set yourself a mini-project to help you choose; you could try a small-scale piece of research-based writing to get a better idea of what kind of thesis topics will suit your interests and your means.

Identification of necessary resources

Your thesis will end badly if you find out that you are lacking a vital piece of research material. Make sure that there is enough material relating to your topic available to you (including at the library and online) before you make a final decision in regards to thesis topics.

Good Thesis Topics

An important consideration to make when choosing between thesis topics is whether or not you are boxing yourself in. Thesis topics that are too narrow or too specific may leave you finding that you do not have enough to write about to fill an entire thesis; this will likely lead to you either stretching out a short piece of writing to the point of meaninglessness, or branching off-topic into something irrelevant.

At the same time, you will want to avoid thesis topics that are too broad to be covered meaningfully within a single thesis. The ideal thesis topics are  ones that strike the right balance: on the one hand narrow enough to be readily contained; on the other hand, one with enough factors and implications to withstand being broken down and discussed in detail in terms of component parts.

• interesting for yourself
• not too narrow or specific
• not too broad to be covered meaningfully

Bachelor/Master Thesis

A conclusive thesis topic will be essential to any piece of academic writing. In academic writing, form and structure will flow from the essential topic. So if you lack a topic, or are in any way undecided as to what your topic should be, your piece will lack form and fail to gain recognition in academic circles.

While there are many examples of successful essays that lack precise, easily-summarised topics, these are distinct from academic circles, and so their approaches should not be emulated for your thesis topics.

Thesis Topics Examples

Here are some examples of possible thesis topics for a number of disciplines.

In a Nutshell

When it comes to choosing thesis topics, here are the essential rules to follow: • Choose a topic that interests you personally. • Make sure that you have enough research material at your disposal. • Ensure that your topic is broad enough to sustain a thesis, but not too broad as to be cumbersome. • Make sure that you understand your topic well enough to structure your thesis in a coherent manner.

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Developing Strong Thesis Statements

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These OWL resources will help you develop and refine the arguments in your writing.

The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement:

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution implies that something is bad or negative in some way. Furthermore, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is unambiguously good.

Example of a debatable thesis statement:

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

Another example of a debatable thesis statement:

In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

The thesis needs to be narrow

Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad:

There are several reasons this statement is too broad to argue. First, what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? Second, in what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths (and is the author equating deaths from overdoses and deaths from drug related violence)? Is drug use changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? Finally, what does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults? There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open. The author could not cover all of the topics listed above, yet the generality of the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate.

Example of a narrow or focused thesis:

In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 1:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

Narrowed debatable thesis 2:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just what the focus of a national anti-pollution campaign should be but also why this is the appropriate focus.

Qualifiers such as " typically ," " generally ," " usually ," or " on average " also help to limit the scope of your claim by allowing for the almost inevitable exception to the rule.

Types of claims

Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, or, in other words, what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Example:

Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Example:

Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Example:

Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Example:

Which type of claim is right for your argument? Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.

Thesis Writing

Thesis Topics

Interesting Thesis Topics & Ideas To Get Started

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If you’re a student who’s nearing graduation and wondering, “What is the best topic for your thesis?”, you’ve come to the perfect place!

It’s a well-established fact that thesis documents require extreme levels of research and dedication. But, when it comes to choosing a topic for your thesis, it is far from being an easy task as well!

If your supervisor hasn’t assigned you a thesis topic, you can get valuable help from this blog. With thesis ideas ranging from education to diverse fields of study, you can pick the topic perfect topic for thesis writing.  

So without further ado, let’s get started!

• 1. Thesis Topics for Students
• 2. Thesis Topics for Multiple Fields
• 3. How to Choose a Good Thesis Topic?

Thesis Topics for Students

We’ll start with a comprehensive list of thesis ideas for students, then move on to topics for multiple fields. 

Thesis Topics for College Students

• Exploring the psychological effects of student loan debt on college graduates
• The challenges and opportunities of globalization
• The role of education and social mobility in reducing inequality
• The impact of immigration on the economy and society
• The potential of new technologies to improve healthcare outcomes
• The impact of online learning on student engagement and achievement 
• What is the role of artificial intelligence in business decision-making?
• High school bullying and its long-term effects on mental health and social adjustment
• The challenges and opportunities of diversity and inclusion in education
• The impact of early childhood education on long-term success

Senior Thesis Topics

• The industrial revolution has increased the gap between the rich and the poor. How?
• What are the effects of global warming on the world’s population?
• Feminism is becoming as bad as racism. How?
• The relationship between social media usage and perceptions of loneliness
• The long-term effects of income inequality on economic growth
• Placement by age vs. placement by academic ability. Which should be preferred?
• How have viruses such as HIV-AIDS, affected the African economy?
• What are the common sleep disorders and their treatments?
• Using animals for sports and entertainment: Is it legal or illegal?
• Discuss Trump’s “America First” trade and foreign policy.

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Bachelor Thesis Topics

• The impact of E-Sports on traditional sports and the future of competitive gaming
• The economics of renewable energy transition: Case study of Germany
• The influence of music on cognitive performance and productivity in the workplace
• The influence of social media on political movements and activism
• The ethical implications of gene editing technologies: A case study on CRISPR-Cas9
• Urban green spaces and their impact on mental health: A case study of Singapore
• The relationship between smartphone use and sleep quality in young adults
• Investigating the psychological factors influencing consumer brand loyalty
• Cybersecurity threats and mitigation strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises
• The impact of video games on cognitive skills and problem-solving abilities in children

Masters Thesis Topics

• Discuss the relationship between literature and the political climate in the 18th century
• Explain the relationship between rational thinking and religion
• The Civil War is the greatest inspiration for art. Discuss the concept
• Gun violence in the USA during the 2010s: A comparative analysis
• Cyberbullying can lead to suicides - A case study of Australia
• Campus shootings in the USA: Discuss the causes and risk factors
• Labor markets in China: An in-depth analysis
• What are the impacts of global warming on weather conditions in Iceland?
• Explain the women's empowerment in Saudi Arabia in the 2000s
• Write a detailed comparison of the anti-nuclear movements in Germany and Japan

MBA Thesis Topics

• Discuss a case study of rural marketing projects.
• What are the impacts of reducing the retirement age in America?
• Mergers and acquisitions: Evaluating the factors contributing to success or failure
• How can the banking sector influence the economic growth of India?
• Analysis of global supply chain resilience in the post-pandemic business environment
• Online marketing on social media platforms is useful for small companies. How?
• Write a comparative study of organized trading in the USA and UK
• How is technical knowledge essential to make wise financial decisions?
• How can consumer purchases influence brand design?
• Explore the positive and negative impacts of mobile banking

PhD Thesis Topics

• What are the primary professors’ teaching patterns in China?
• Discuss the social benefits of same-sex marriages
• Discuss the legal issue of child labor in Third World countries.
• What is the positive impact of music therapy on patients with brain injuries?
• Explain the impacts of 9/11 on new policies against terrorism
• Discuss the marketing strategies used in political campaigns
• The US presence in Syria: Is it providing justice or violating the law?
• Elaborate on the preventive measures to fight obesity among teenagers.
• How to treat injuries in diabetic patients?
• What are the political and economic effects of Brexit on the UK?

Thesis Topics for Multiple Fields

Here are some interesting and easy to write thesis topics from multiple fields of study.

Thesis Topics in Education

• Special education policies in the USA: Are they effective or ineffective?
• Why is studying abroad a legitimate excuse for traveling?
• Strategies for supporting undergraduate students' transition to college life
• Family involvement has a direct impact on a child's performance. Discuss how?
• Why are students more likely to do the homework assigned by good-looking professors?
• Role of Parental Involvement in early childhood education for academic readiness
• Explain the development of emotional intelligence for modern education
• Informal learning in rural areas through social networks. Is it possible?
• Public school students interact at the same level as the other students. Is it true?
• How can reality television disempower students to some extent?

Thesis Topics in Healthcare

• How does increased physical activity promote healthy aging?
• The impact of telemedicine on healthcare access and quality
• Mental health stigma: Addressing barriers to seeking and receiving care
• How do Supervised Machine Learning models help in Breast Cancer diagnosis?
• Exploring the mental health implications of prolonged pandemic-related stress and isolation
• Innovations in remote patient monitoring for chronic disease management
• How can we improve the affordability of healthcare without sacrificing quality?
• Strategies for addressing the global burden of non-communicable diseases
• How can we use social media to promote health literacy and engagement?
• How can we use genomics to improve disease prevention and treatment?

Thesis Topics for Computer Science

• Quantum computing: The future of data processing and cryptography
• How does the feedback system in personnel management work?
• Describe the development of an automated workplace
• How can data be analyzed by using robust AI algorithms?
• Discuss the benefits of the development of a taxi service website
• The dark web: Anonymity, security, and law enforcement challenges
• Verification of webpage layouts. How is it beneficial?
• What are the impacts of mobile computing on global development?
• Big data analytics for predictive maintenance in IoT systems
• How can AI-assisted surveillance systems decrease mass school shootings in the US?

Architecture Thesis Topics

• How have religious buildings in the British Empire affected architecture?
• Discuss the role of architects in combating the impacts of climate change
• Why should we construct sustainable buildings for offices?
• Discuss a case study of small houses to solve homelessness
• Why should we develop public places in small cities?
• How can architecture revitalize urban areas sustainably?
• Are underwater hotels sustainable?
• Discuss the transformation of urban design in the 21st century
• How can we construct houses in developed countries with low income?
• How can architectural design create healing environments in healthcare facilities?

Thesis Topics for Interior Design

• Role of biophilic design in reducing stress and anxiety in workplaces
• Designing interior spaces for people with dementia
• The use of technology to create immersive and interactive interior experiences
• Design of interior spaces for future generations
• Impact of culture on prisons and other correctional facilities design
• Use of universal design to create inclusive restaurants and cafés
• Use of materials and finishes to create a sustainable and resilient built environment
• What is the impact of interior design on human performance?
• Creating inclusive and accessible interior spaces for people with disabilities
• What is the future of interior design in the age of climate change?

Thesis Topics for Textile Designing

• How to design textiles that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional?
• Environmental impact of textile design and how to reduce it
• How can textile design improve the performance of sportswear and activewear?
• Design a textile collection that is accessible and affordable for people with disabilities
• Develop a sustainable textile production process that reduces environmental impact
• Investigate the impact of textile design on consumer behavior
• Explore the use of sustainable materials in textile design
• Challenges and opportunities of new technologies in textile design
• Ethical implications of materials and production methods in textile design
• How can textile design reduce fashion waste and promote circularity?

Psychology Thesis Topics

• Why is emotional intelligence an important factor in professional satisfaction?
• The notion of the self – Is it a myth or reality?
• Evaluating the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral
• Therapy in managing anxiety
• Self-efficacy and academic achievement: A longitudinal study of students
• A good IQ level can have long-term benefits for children. Discuss how?
• How are emotional disorders directly connected to social cognition?
• Analyze the relationship between emotional and episodic memory
• How can rational thinking allow us to make better decisions?
• How common is depression among homosexual teenagers?
• What are the psychological techniques to help obese teens?

Political Science Thesis Topics

• Compare the foreign policies of the US and the UK
• What were the causes of the American Revolution?
• How is religion used as a political power?
• What is the role of social movements in politics?
• Discuss the consequences of the Civil War
• Immigration policies and their impact on social cohesion and diversity
• The impact of campaign finance reform on political corruption
• What are the negotiation methods during wartime?
• Explain the difference between political and armed conflicts
• Give a detailed review of the Human Rights Act 1998

Thesis Topics for Law Students

• The role of international law in addressing global cybersecurity threats
• Human rights and refugee law: Analyzing the legal status of stateless individuals
• Legal aspects of intellectual property rights in the fashion industry
• Consumer protection laws in E-Commerce: Challenges and emerging trends
• How can we ensure that plea bargaining is used fairly and ethically?
• Examining the legal and ethical implications of genetic testing and genetic privacy
• The evolution of copyright law in the digital era: Balancing innovation and protection
• How has globalization changed the landscape of international law?
• What is the future of International Law in a world of increasing nationalism?
• The impact of race and ethnicity on criminal sentencing

International Relations Thesis Topics

• What is the impact of Russia’s intervention in Syria?
• Discuss the trade relations between India and Pakistan
• Discuss the impacts of the US sanctions on Iran
• Explain the reasons for OIC failure
• What is the US foreign policy towards North Korea?
• Critically analyze the human rights violations in Kashmir
• What is the policy of the United States toward Russia?
• Discuss lessons learned politically since 9/11
• Political problems in Africa have been affected by colonial rule. How?
• Discuss how is Israel playing the victim card in the war against Palestine

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History Thesis Topics

• How has World War II saved the world?
• What is the impact of Buddhism on the Chinese empire?
• Discuss the struggles of the North American colonies for independence
• Describe the role of the monarchy in the domestic policy of Great Britain
• Discuss the impacts of the North Korean nuclear program in Northeast Asia
• Evaluate the American and Britain relations during the Cold War Era
• Discuss the global impacts of the Great Depression
• Explain the Women's rights and woman suffrage: 1848-1920.
• Enlist the Military Innovations between WWI & WWII
• Discuss the feminist movement from 1845 to 1920

Criminal Justice Thesis Topics

• What are the ways to deal with domestic violence?
• How can we reduce racial disparities in the criminal justice system?
• How is electronic monitoring an abuse of privacy rights?
• What can be done to prevent cyber crimes?
• What are the common child abuse crimes committed?
• How can body cameras reduce police violence?
• Why are men more likely to get the death penalty?
• How can drug courts help people with addictions?
• Discuss the strategies used to stop criminal behavior
• Discuss the effectiveness of capital punishment in deterring crime

Thesis Topics in English Literature

• The influence of feminist theory on the work of Margaret Atwood
• Discuss the effectiveness of verbal communication in displaying feelings
• How do people communicate when there is no shared language?
• Language travels through time. Discuss the concept
• Elaborate on the advantages of learning a second language in graduate school
• Discuss the effectiveness of non-verbal communication for displaying emotions.
• Shakespearean adaptations in modern literature and film
• Narrative techniques in experimental literature and their impact on storytelling
• What are the benefits of learning two languages at once as a child?
• How to best communicate: Verbally or non-verbally? 

Thesis Topics in Mass Communication

• Effects of user-generated content on news credibility and trust in online journalism
• Impact of deep fake technology on media manipulation and trust in visual media
• The role of media in promoting political polarization and extremism
• The challenges of reporting on sensitive topics such as war, violence, and trauma
• The ethics of using media to exploit or harm vulnerable populations
• The influence of TikTok on youth culture and entertainment consumption
• How does sports journalism respond to evolving media landscapes?
• The role of social media influencers in shaping brand image and consumer behavior
• The role of media in promoting corporate interests and agendas
• What is the role of media in the surveillance state and the erosion of privacy?

Thesis Topics in Business Administration 

• How is digital transformation changing business models and strategies?
• What role does venture capital play in funding and supporting startups?
• The role of data analytics in decision-making and improving business outcomes
• The challenges and opportunities of expanding into new markets
• What factors influence call center industry employee retention?
• Comparing leadership structures in manufacturing and retail sectors
• How do varying leadership styles impact worker performance?
• Challenges and opportunities of managing supply chains in a globalized economy
• Is a Human Resources Officer still relevant in today's businesses?
• What is the impact of internal communications on organizational objectives?

Thesis Topics in Physical Education

• Role of physical education in preventing childhood obesity
• Impact of physical activity on sleep quality and overall well-being
• Influence of physical education on self-esteem and body image in adolescents
• What strategies promote gender equity in physical education?
• How can cultural competency be integrated into physical education programs?
• How does virtual physical education impact student engagement?
• What factors contribute to successful youth sports and athlete development?
• How does assessment and feedback improve student learning in physical education?
• How can older adults be encouraged to maintain active lifestyles?
• Does physical education have a measurable impact on academic performance?

Civil Engineering Thesis Topics

• Assessing the impact of climate change on infrastructure resilience
• Optimizing traffic flow and transportation systems for urban mobility
• Risk assessment and management in civil engineering projects
• Green infrastructure and stormwater management in urban environments
• Geotechnical engineering challenges in high-rise building construction
• Resilient infrastructure for mitigating the impact of extreme weather events
• Smart grids and energy-efficient infrastructure for future cities
• The role of 3D printing in construction: Feasibility and applications
• Augmented reality and virtual reality in civil engineering education and design
• What are the risk factors involved in building skyscrapers?

Cyber Security Thesis Topics

• How can network security deal with cyber crimes?
• How can an informational system protect your data?
• How can we prevent the growth of cyber hackers?
• What are the different types of cyber crimes?
• How can we make network security affordable for everyone?
• Discuss the effectiveness of malware protection software.
• How can we improve cybersecurity in wireless networks?
• What are the ways to prevent cyber attacks in organizations?
• How do people become cyber criminals?
• What are the current trends in the field of cybercrime and security?

Sociology Thesis Topics

• What are the consequences of adopting a child?
• Discuss the concept of female empowerment in a conservative society
• Organ transplantation in our society. Is it ethical?
• Explain the diffusion and innovation in European culture
• What are the challenges that most women face at workplaces?
• How difficult is it to be a single parent in a society?
• The impact of economic disparities on how people Live: A sociological study
• Technology has changed the way we eat. How?
• Violations of social norms can be a positive act. How?
• What is the relationship between poverty and education?

Philosophy Thesis Topics

• What is the nature of truth and reality in a post-modern world?
• Is there any life after death?
• Can a person be happy without friends and family?
• Why is there a need to engage children in physical activities?
• Will you have eternal satisfaction if you had all the wealth in the world?
• How morality and religion are related to each other?
• Why do people commit crimes when they’re at the brink of poverty? 
• How to develop a personal philosophy of life: Influences, values, and decision-making
• Can free will exist in a deterministic universe, and what are its implications for agency and responsibility?
• What is the nature of consciousness, and how does it relate to our perception of reality?

Economics Thesis Topics

• Discuss the differences in commercial practices in rural and urban areas
• Critically analyze regional divergence in Europe
• Discuss the relationship between economic geography and the contemporary environment
• What are the impacts of intellectual capital in growing markets?
• Labor regulations are a way to solve the issue of unemployment. Discuss how?
• Explain the factors that determine the market value of a business
• What is the effect of labor force participation on the economy?
• Discuss the impact of government expenditure on the economic growth of Australia
• Discuss the impact of Brexit on small and middle businesses in the UK
• Write a review of the aid and economic growth of developing economies

Want to know how to format thesis papers properly? Get expert guidance from our detailed blog!

Now that you have access to a wide range of thesis topics for multiple fields, you could use some tips to understand how you should pick a good thesis topic. 

How to Choose a Good Thesis Topic?

Follow the easy tips given below to choose a good topic for your thesis.

The following is a detailed description of the tips for choosing thesis paper topics.

• Know Your Target Audience : Understand your audience's preferences, opinions, and ideas, and always consider their feedback for better grades
• Consider Your Strengths : Identify your skills and strengths, and focus on your areas of knowledge
• Follow Your Interests : Select a topic that aligns with your passions and leverage your creativity for an engaging idea 
• Combine Different Ideas : Brainstorm multiple ideas based on your interests and knowledge to create a unique idea 
• Read and Find Gaps : Explore existing literature and research, to identify gaps or areas that require further investigation
• Put Your Idea to the Test : Conduct small experiments or surveys to test your concept, and utilize data and human resources for a comprehensive analysis. Make sure to identify and address any flaws or weaknesses in your thesis idea.

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Keep reading

1000+ FREE Research Topics & Ideas

If you’re at the start of your research journey and are trying to figure out which research topic you want to focus on, you’ve come to the right place. Select your area of interest below to view a comprehensive collection of potential research ideas.

Research Topic FAQs

What (exactly) is a research topic.

A research topic is the subject of a research project or study – for example, a dissertation or thesis. A research topic typically takes the form of a problem to be solved, or a question to be answered.

A good research topic should be specific enough to allow for focused research and analysis. For example, if you are interested in studying the effects of climate change on agriculture, your research topic could focus on how rising temperatures have impacted crop yields in certain regions over time.

To learn more about the basics of developing a research topic, consider our free research topic ideation webinar.

What constitutes a good research topic?

A strong research topic comprises three important qualities : originality, value and feasibility.

• Originality – a good topic explores an original area or takes a novel angle on an existing area of study.
• Value – a strong research topic provides value and makes a contribution, either academically or practically.
• Feasibility – a good research topic needs to be practical and manageable, given the resource constraints you face.

To learn more about what makes for a high-quality research topic, check out this post .

What's the difference between a research topic and research problem?

A research topic and a research problem are two distinct concepts that are often confused. A research topic is a broader label that indicates the focus of the study , while a research problem is an issue or gap in knowledge within the broader field that needs to be addressed.

To illustrate this distinction, consider a student who has chosen “teenage pregnancy in the United Kingdom” as their research topic. This research topic could encompass any number of issues related to teenage pregnancy such as causes, prevention strategies, health outcomes for mothers and babies, etc.

Within this broad category (the research topic) lies potential areas of inquiry that can be explored further – these become the research problems . For example:

• What factors contribute to higher rates of teenage pregnancy in certain communities?
• How do different types of parenting styles affect teen pregnancy rates?
• What interventions have been successful in reducing teenage pregnancies?

Simply put, a key difference between a research topic and a research problem is scope ; the research topic provides an umbrella under which multiple questions can be asked, while the research problem focuses on one specific question or set of questions within that larger context.

How can I find potential research topics for my project?

There are many steps involved in the process of finding and choosing a high-quality research topic for a dissertation or thesis. We cover these steps in detail in this video (also accessible below).

How can I find quality sources for my research topic?

Finding quality sources is an essential step in the topic ideation process. To do this, you should start by researching scholarly journals, books, and other academic publications related to your topic. These sources can provide reliable information on a wide range of topics. Additionally, they may contain data or statistics that can help support your argument or conclusions.

Identifying Relevant Sources

When searching for relevant sources, it’s important to look beyond just published material; try using online databases such as Google Scholar or JSTOR to find articles from reputable journals that have been peer-reviewed by experts in the field.

You can also use search engines like Google or Bing to locate websites with useful information about your topic. However, be sure to evaluate any website before citing it as a source—look for evidence of authorship (such as an “About Us” page) and make sure the content is up-to-date and accurate before relying on it.

Evaluating Sources

Once you’ve identified potential sources for your research project, take some time to evaluate them thoroughly before deciding which ones will best serve your purpose. Consider factors such as author credibility (are they an expert in their field?), publication date (is the source current?), objectivity (does the author present both sides of an issue?) and relevance (how closely does this source relate to my specific topic?).

By researching the current literature on your topic, you can identify potential sources that will help to provide quality information. Once you’ve identified these sources, it’s time to look for a gap in the research and determine what new knowledge could be gained from further study.

How can I find a good research gap?

Finding a strong gap in the literature is an essential step when looking for potential research topics. We explain what research gaps are and how to find them in this post.

How should I evaluate potential research topics/ideas?

When evaluating potential research topics, it is important to consider the factors that make for a strong topic (we discussed these earlier). Specifically:

• Originality
• Feasibility

So, when you have a list of potential topics or ideas, assess each of them in terms of these three criteria. A good topic should take a unique angle, provide value (either to academia or practitioners), and be practical enough for you to pull off, given your limited resources.

Finally, you should also assess whether this project could lead to potential career opportunities such as internships or job offers down the line. Make sure that you are researching something that is relevant enough so that it can benefit your professional development in some way. Additionally, consider how each research topic aligns with your career goals and interests; researching something that you are passionate about can help keep motivation high throughout the process.

How can I assess the feasibility of a research topic?

When evaluating the feasibility and practicality of a research topic, it is important to consider several factors.

First, you should assess whether or not the research topic is within your area of competence. Of course, when you start out, you are not expected to be the world’s leading expert, but do should at least have some foundational knowledge.

Time commitment

When considering a research topic, you should think about how much time will be required for completion. Depending on your field of study, some topics may require more time than others due to their complexity or scope.

Additionally, if you plan on collaborating with other researchers or institutions in order to complete your project, additional considerations must be taken into account such as coordinating schedules and ensuring that all parties involved have adequate resources available.

Resources needed

It’s also critically important to consider what type of resources are necessary in order to conduct the research successfully. This includes physical materials such as lab equipment and chemicals but can also include intangible items like access to certain databases or software programs which may be necessary depending on the nature of your work. Additionally, if there are costs associated with obtaining these materials then this must also be factored into your evaluation process.

Potential risks

It’s important to consider the inherent potential risks for each potential research topic. These can include ethical risks (challenges getting ethical approval), data risks (not being able to access the data you’ll need), technical risks relating to the equipment you’ll use and funding risks (not securing the necessary financial back to undertake the research).

If you’re looking for more information about how to find, evaluate and select research topics for your dissertation or thesis, check out our free webinar here . Alternatively, if you’d like 1:1 help with the topic ideation process, consider our private coaching services .

Psst… there’s more (for free)

This post is part of our dissertation mini-course, which covers everything you need to get started with your dissertation, thesis or research project. 

• SUNY Oswego, Penfield Library
• Resource Guides
• How-To Guides

Develop a topic & thesis

Who is this guide for, 1. understanding your assignment, 2. coming up with ideas, 3. narrowing it down, 4. developing a thesis, quick links.

• Penfield Library
• Research Guides
• A-Z List of Databases & Indexes

We think this guide will be most useful to first- and second-year students.

We know this is an obvious first step, but here are a few questions to ask yourself as you read through the assignment:

How much choice do you have in choosing your topic? Does your professor want you to choose from a list of existing topics or do you have the freedom to write about what you'd like?

What does your professor want you to do with your topic? Look for "action" words like compare , contrast , evaluate , analyze , etc.

Does your professor require you to use resources other than your course readings? Do they have requirements about what kind of resources you should use (ex. 5 scholarly journal articles)?

Is there anything in the assignment you don't understand? If so, ask your professor about it. You never know - half your class might have the same question!

Start by thinking about what you've learned in this class so far - look over your notes, chat with your classmates about lectures, etc.

Visit the Writing Center - their tutors can help you brainstorm!

Take what you know a step further by organizing that knowledge in a structure that makes sense to you. This could be something like an outline or a concept map . This process may help you see new connections between topics.

Is there something you're passionate about? Something you're confused by? Something you want to know more about? These can all be good questions to ask, in order to help you find a topic you're actually interested in. 

As you come up with ideas, make note of what seems important or interesting to you! You may want to do a bit of "pre-research" (look at Wikipedia or library resources) to see if there's enough there for your assignment.

Ask Questions

If you have a broad topic, here are a few questions you can ask to help break it down. You don't have to answer all of these questions in one paper!

Who? (It may help to focus on groups of people - ex. astronauts.)

• Who was involved? How?
• Who was affected? How?
• Who benefited? How?
• Who paid for it?
• What problems were solved? How?
• What problems still exist? What solutions have been tried?
• What were the effects? On who? On what (ex. a particular location, the environment, etc.)?
• If there's only one location, is there anything significant about it? Climate, access to water, etc.?
• If there are multiple locations, do you want to focus on one in particular (ex. perceptions of the Cold War in the Pacific Northwest)?
• If it's a specific event, is there anything significant about the timing? Did something happen as a cause of or a result of another event?
• If it's ongoing, do you want to focus on a particular timeframe? (ex. racism in the U.S. in the 2010s)
• What were their/our motives?

Things To Look For

You can also refine your topic by looking for:

• Similarities Ex. Similar issues to overcome between the 1969 moon mission and the planned 2009 Mars Mission
• Opposites Ex. American pro and con opinions about the first mission to the moon
• Contrasts Ex. Protest or patriotism: different opinions about cost vs. benefit of the moon mission)
• Relationships Ex. the NASA family: from the scientists on earth to the astronauts in the sky
• Anthropomorphisms : interpreting reality in terms of human values Ex. Space: the final frontier
• Personifications : giving objects or descriptions human qualities Ex. The eagle has landed: Animal symbols and metaphors in the space program
• Repetition Ex. More missions to the moon: Pro and Con American attitudes to landing more astronauts on the moon

(This is called the SOCRAPR method. Yes, really.)

Tip: Don't feel like you have to stick with only one of these - you may come up with a really great topic by combining two or more questions or ideas!

Sources for this section

Content in this section is adapted from:

Selecting a Topic - When to Narrow Down a Topic . Provided by Lumen Learning under a CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.

Example topics under Things To Look For heading are verbatim from the Lumen adaptation.

Their adaptation is based on:

Original source: Ways to Narrow Down a Topic . Provided by Utah State University under a CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.

This adaptation is provided by SUNY Oswego, Penfield Library under a CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.

By this point, you've probably narrowed down your topic...

• It's best to read and absorb that research before coming up with your thesis. 
• Be aware your topic may change (a little or a lot) as you research. This is totally normal.  
• If your assignment does not requires research , continue reading.

Creating Your Thesis

There are a few main ideas to keep in mind when formulating your thesis:

• It should be arguable - you're stating a position that someone might agree or disagree with, based on the evidence you provide in your paper.
• It should be a specific as possible, so that you can argue effectively. You'd likely have difficulty finding evidence that everyone in the world loves dogs, but you might be able to argue that dogs are popular in a particular city or state.
• It should be compelling or interesting - you don't want to leave your professor (or yourself!) wondering, "So what? Why should I care about this?"

Here are a few potential templates you can use to form your thesis: 

____________ [topic] should be _____________ [specific point or argument] because _______________ [reason or reasons]. 

Example:  The drinking age in NY state should be raised to 25 because of the alarming number of drinking-related fatalities of individuals between ages 18 and 25. 

Andrea Scott (2018) has provided two more thesis "templates" and examples:

By examining __________________ [topic/approach], we can see _____________________ [thesis — the claim that's surprising], which is important because ___________________________. [1]

Example : " By examining Sixteen Candles through the lens of Georg Simmel's writings on fashion, we can see that the protagonist's interest in fashion as an expression of her conflicted desire to be seen as both unique and accepted by the group. This is important because the film offers its viewers a glimpse into the ambivalent yearnings of middle class youth in the 1980s.

Although readers might assume _________________ [the commonplace idea you're challenging], I argue that _________________________ [your surprising claim].

Example : Although viewers might assume the romantic comedy Sixteen Candles is merely entertaining, I believe its message is political. The film uses the romance between Samantha, a middle-class sophomore, and Jake, an affluent senior, to reinforce the fantasy that anyone can become wealthy and successful with enough cunning and persistence.

Content in this section is from:

Formulating a Thesis . Provided by Andrea Scott, Writing Commons under a CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license.

Most content is paraphrased from the source; direct quotations are indicated in text.

The footnote referenced in the first direct quotation reads, "[1] Adapted from Erik Simpson’s 'Five Ways of Looking at a Thesis' at https://www.math.grinnell.edu/~simpsone/Teaching/fiveways.html ."

UT Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collection https://hdl.handle.net/2152/11

This collection contains University of Texas at Austin electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). The collection includes ETDs primarily from 2001 to the present. Some pre-2001 theses and dissertations have been digitized and added to this collection, but those are uncommon. The library catalog is the most comprehensive list of UT Austin theses and dissertations.

Since 2010, the Office of Graduate Studies at UT Austin has required all theses and dissertations to be made publicly available in Texas ScholarWorks; however, authors are able to request an embargo of up to seven years. Embargoed ETDs will not show up in this collection. Most of the ETDs in this collection are freely accessible to all users, but some pre-2010 works require a current UT EID at point of use. Please see the FAQs for more information. If you have a question about the availability of a specific ETD, please contact [email protected].

Some items in this collection may contain offensive images or text. The University of Texas Libraries is committed to maintaining an accurate and authentic scholarly and historic record. An authentic record is essential for understanding our past and informing the present. In order to preserve the authenticity of the historical record we will not honor requests to redact content, correct errors, or otherwise remove content, except in cases where there are legal concerns (e.g. potential copyright infringement, inclusion of HIPAA/FERPA protected information or Social Security Numbers) or evidence of a clear and imminent threat to personal safety or well-being.

This policy is in keeping with the  American Library Association code of ethics  to resist efforts to censor library resources, and the  Society of American Archivists code of ethics  that states "archivists may not willfully alter, manipulate, or destroy data or records to conceal facts or distort evidence." Please see UT Libraries'  Statement on Harmful Language and Content  for more information.

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• No Thumbnail Available Item Doctoral thesis recital (voice (lecture)) ( 2024-03-05 ) Brown, Evan ; Unable to determine Show more [Musical performance] -- Lecture: Trust, betrayal and bromance : tenor-baritone relationships in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera, La forza in destino and Don Carlos. Show more
• No Thumbnail Available Item Master's thesis recital (horn) ( 2024-03-02 ) Cooksey, Garrett ; Unable to determine Show more Notturno / Reinecke -- Bagatelle / Neuling -- Virtuosic etudes for low horn / Caliendo -- Cornucopia / Dunhill -- Horn trio op. 40 / Brahms. Show more

• No Thumbnail Available Item Doctoral thesis recital, opera coaching (lecture) ( 2024-02-28 ) Moiseeva, Ana ; Unable to determine Show more Lecture: A guide to the interpretation of Georgian operatic music for non-native speakers Show more
• No Thumbnail Available Item Doctoral thesis recital, collaborative piano ( 2024-02-27 ) Branco, Renan ; Unable to determine, Show more Violin sonata no. 1 in F minor / Sergei Prokofiev -- Three sonnets by Petrarach : S. 270 [for voice and piano] / Franz Liszt -- Legende for trumpet and piano / Georges Enesco. Show more

• No Thumbnail Available Item Doctoral thesis recital, viola ( 2024-02-23 ) Lee, Gwanji ; Unable to determine Show more Sonata op. 36 in B♭ major for viola and piano / Henri Vieuxtemps -- Sonata no. 1 in C minor for viola and piano / York Bowen. Show more
• No Thumbnail Available Item Doctoral thesis recital, conducting (lecture) ( 2024-02-22 ) Eary, Drew ; Unable to determine Show more Lecture on the orchestral work Oceans by Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir. Includes a performance of a transcription of the work for wind ensemble, conducted by Drew Eary Show more

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Motivated supervision increases motivation when writing a thesis, study finds

by Gunnar Bartsch, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

Students working on their Bachelor's or Master's thesis usually have supervisors at their side who guide, accompany and possibly also correct them during this time. If students have the impression that their supervisor is passionate and motivated, this also increases their own motivation. Grade pressure, on the other hand, has no direct influence on student motivation during this time.

These are the key findings of a study conducted by psychologists at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU). Dr. Anand Krishna, research associate at the Chair of Psychology II: Emotion and Motivation, was responsible for the study. The team has now published the results of its research in the journal Psychology Learning & Teaching .

The pinnacle of learning

"We surveyed a total of 217 psychology students across Germany who were writing their final thesis or had written it in the previous two years," says Krishna, describing the approach. For many students, this thesis represents an important milestone; after all, it can be seen "as the culmination of learning and an expression of the skills acquired during their studies." Accordingly, it is important to keep motivation as high as possible during the work.

The theoretical basis of this study lies in so-called Expectancy-Value Theory. Put simply, it assumes that people multiply the attractiveness of the respective goal, i.e., the value, with the probability of achieving it in their work.

The result of this calculation then determines the respective motivation. Or, in concrete terms: a good grade in the thesis is a prerequisite for an attractive job—so the value is high. However, those who feel overwhelmed by their work will see their chances of a good grade decrease. Accordingly, motivation is also low.

"The close correlation between students' motivation and their assessment of their supervisor's motivation is not really surprising," says Anand Krishna. However, there have been no scientific studies on this to date. What he finds more interesting is the finding that the pressure of grades in the final thesis is not directly related to student motivation.

Grade pressure increases stress and motivation

"Viewed in isolation, our analysis shows a positive correlation between grade pressure and the value aspect of motivation. The greater the pressure that students feel, the higher their motivation ultimately is," says Krishna. At the same time, however, more pressure always means more stress, which in turn lowers motivation.

"Based on this data, we believe it is plausible that grade pressure boosts motivation through the value of the grade, but also increases student stress and therefore ultimately does not contribute to motivation," Krishna concludes. It is important for him to point out that the results of this survey only indicate correlations, not causal relationships. However, the patterns in the data would not contradict the theoretical causal explanation.

Given that motivated supervisors play an important role where the grade is of great importance for future prospects, Anand Krishna and his co-author Julia Grund therefore consider it important to motivate and incentivize supervisors especially. After all, such measures will most likely be reflected in the perception of their students and ultimately lead to a better grade.

Provided by Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

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Communicating Research Relevance: The Three Minute Thesis Competition 2024

Communicating complex scientific information in a succinct and engaging manner, College of Life Sciences graduate students presented their compelling research in a mere three minutes. Competing in the College’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, students not only conveyed the general content of their work, but also its relevance to an audience not privy to their field of study. This year’s competitors demonstrated the significance of their work and its potential to bless the lives of many within our global community.

Winners of the college 3MT competition were awarded cash prizes, with the first-place position receiving $1,000, second $600, and third $300. The first-place winner will participate in a broader campus-wide competition.

Amongst several thought-provoking presentations, the winners of the competition were:

1st: Jared Steele (EXSC)— Leveraging SuperShoe Technology for Clinical Care

SuperShoes enhance running performance by decreasing the amount of oxygen a runner needs. But does it have the same effect on everyday walking? Steele conducted a study that showed similarly significant results for SuperShoe users who walk. This means that SuperShoes could be used to decrease the metabolic cost put on patients who begin to walk again after an operation or illness.

2nd: Kevin Gray (NEURO)— The Effect of Redox Changes on Optic Tectum Development and Behavior

Gray is shedding light on how symptoms of autism may develop due to improper development in a part of the brain called the superior colliculus. By studying a comparable structure in zebrafish called the optic tectum, Gray is on his way to understanding more about what autism looks like in the brain and how we can treat it.

3rd: Jacob Herring (NDFS)— Diabetes Research: What Are We Really Studying?

Herring says that we might not be studying diabetes the right way. He noticed that the sugar concentration of the cultures used to study diabetes were significantly higher than sugar concentrations in diabetic individuals. Herring decided to make a sugar-accurate culture that will allow scientists to study what’s actually going on with diabetes.

Other contestants and their presentations:

• Rachael David Prince—The Great Wall of Bacteria: Capsules
• Kaylee Draughon—Evaluating Cheatgrass as an Ecological Trap for Burrowing Owls
• Annalie Martin—Neurexins and Zebrafish: Neurodevelopmental Disorders Getting Fishy
• Ricard Noriega—Comparative Analysis of Comorbidity Prevalence in Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study in El Paso, Texas
• Clara Smith—More Invested and Knowledgeable Biology Teachers

Benjamin Crookston, professor of public health and associate dean in the College of Life Sciences who conducted the event, says that “it has been rewarding to see [students] do this each year as they learn to communicate their work effectively to a general audience.”

The university-wide 3MT competition will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 21, in the Wilkinson Student Center Varsity Theatre. First-place winner Jared Steele will compete against students from other colleges for additional cash prizes.

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Meet the winners of the 2024 Concordia Three Minute Thesis Competition

Three Concordia graduate students took home top prizes after competing live at the university’s annual Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT®) on March 15.

The event challenges students to distill complex research into a clear, jargon-free presentation that engages a non-specialist audience — all in just under three minutes and using a single, static PowerPoint slide.

It’s a competition that takes place at institutions around the world and is now in its 13th year at Concordia. This edition featured 16 master’s and doctoral finalists.

In preparation for their 180 seconds in the spotlight, students worked closely with GradProSkills and guest coaches in the weeks leading to the main event. Competitors then incorporated the coaches’ feedback to perfect their pitches. 

Three judges voted for the best master’s and doctoral presentations. The audience had the opportunity to vote for their favourite overall presentation. 

Here are this year’s winners

‘stay calm and be confident’.

Angelika Gnanapragasam, a master’s student in health and exercise science , took first place in the master’s category. Her winning presentation was titled “Blood flow restriction: Nice or knife?”

She is studying a physiotherapy technique that can help vulnerable people build their muscle strength without using heavy weights. 

“I learned to master myself, stay calm, go up and be confident,” says Gnanapragasam. “I’m here to have fun and learn as much as I can from others.”

‘Be accessible, fun and understandable’

Emma Hsiaowen Chen, a doctoral student also in health and exercise science , won first place in the PhD category for her presentation “Ballet for balance! Creating accessible online fall prevention.” 

Her research investigates online fall prevention using dance for older adults who can’t access in-person programs. 

“I learned how to take a thesis, which is 80 to 100 pages long, distill it down to three minutes and have it be accessible, fun and understandable to anyone,” says Chen. “You can transfer those skills to any situation. It can help research make it out of the lab.” 

‘I loved seeing people’s responses’

Monali Patel, a master’s student in chemical engineering , was the audience favourite. Her presentation was called “Greening the chemical industry: Brightening our future.” 

Patel is researching how to generate sustainable bioplastics using renewable sources. 

“I loved presenting and seeing people’s responses,” says the people’s choice winner. 

Learn more about Concordia’s graduate skills development program, GradProSkills . 

Related topics

You might also like:.

• ‘Learning a language requires a holistic approach’

The Canada Foundation for Innovation invests more than $5.5M in Concordia-led research projects

Concordia releases its shared vision for the Loyola Campus

We need to nurture the next generation of women in leadership

© Concordia University

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• Knowledge Base
• How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples

How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.

The main goals of an introduction are to:

• Catch your reader’s attention.
• Give background on your topic.
• Present your thesis statement —the central point of your essay.

This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

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Table of contents

Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.

Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.

Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.

Examples: Writing a good hook

Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.

• Braille was an extremely important invention.
• The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly  why the topic is important.

• The internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities.”
• The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education.

Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.

• Mary Shelley’s  Frankenstein is a famous book from the nineteenth century.
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement.

Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.

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Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:

• Historical, geographical, or social context
• An outline of the debate you’re addressing
• A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic
• Definitions of key terms

The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.

How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:

Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.

This is the most important part of your introduction. A  good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.

The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.

Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

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See an example

As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.

For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.

When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.

It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.

To polish your writing, you can use something like a paraphrasing tool .

You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.

Checklist: Essay introduction

My first sentence is engaging and relevant.

I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.

I have defined any important terms.

My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.

Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.

You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.

• Argumentative
• Literary analysis

This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Cite this Scribbr article

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NIT Selection Show 2024: Bracket, time, date, channel and how to watch

By cody williams | mar 18, 2024, 5:28 pm edt.

Please don't call it the NIT Tournament because the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) already has that covered. But if you're a college basketball fan, every March offers a great reason to be excited beyond just the NCAA Tournament. And fans should definitely be stoked for what's to come when the 2024 NIT bracket is revealed.

While there were some potentially huge candidates to be invited to the NIT last year with the likes of North Carolina and Michigan missing out, there are still some great teeams who could be in line to miss out on the NCAA Tournament and make a great run in the NIT. Teams like Oklahoma, Indiana State, Villanova, Wake Forest, Virginia and many other notable programs could be NIT bound when it's all said and done.

It may not have the fanfare that the NCAA Tournament does, but there's a lot of reason to love the NIT, especially if you're a college hoops diehard. So here's everything you need to know about the 2024 NIT, including a bracket, schedule, and how to watch the Selection Show.

NIT bracket 2024: Blank tournament bracket

There are only 32 teams who compete in the NIT bracket, less than half of those that make the NCAA Tournament field of 68. However, with the likes of Oklahoma, Wake Forest and other proud programs almost surely on their way to the NIT this year instead of the Big Dance, we could be in store for another thrilling rendition of this tournament.

NIT Selection Show 2024: Date, start time, TV channel and how to watch and stream

• Date: Sunday, March 17
• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
• TV Channel: ESPN2
• Live Stream: Watch ESPN , ESPN+

The 2024 NIT Selection Show is set to be broadcast at 9:30 p.m. ET with ESPN2 on the broadcast for the tournament's 32-team field. This will come after the CBS broadcast of Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament bracket and ESPN's subsequent coverage and Bracketology breakdown and then after the NCAA Women's Tournament bracket reveal on Sunday for ESPN as well.

It's always interesting to see not only the teams who are invited to the NIT but also the intriguing matchups that are littered throughout the tournament. With so many high-quality teams still likely to miss out on the Big Dance, we should be in for a great trip through the NIT bracket this March.

NIT schedule 2024: Dates for every round

Here's a look at the full 2024 NIT schedule to find out when games will be played and where you can watch the tournament.

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