Thesis
&
Research Question
Workshop
PEGS’ GWIE
Graduate Writing Institute for Excellence
Copyright © 2015 PEGS’ GWIE
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I
Topics v. Theses
Topic
The theme or subject of an essay is its TOPIC,
which answers the question:
“What is this paper about?”
Thesis
The thesis of an essay is its main idea
(i.e., its argument),
which answers the question:
“What about what this paper’s about?”
II
Thesis Scaffolding
Thesis Scaffolding
Many – not all! –
thesis statements are comprised of two parts:
1) the claim & 2) the cause
Thesis Scaffolding
Claim:
In this essay, I argue that
Voter IDs should be proscribed.
Thesis Scaffolding
Cause:
This is important because
Voter IDs are undemocratic.
Thesis Scaffolding
Voter IDs should be proscribed
because they are undemocratic.
III
Research Questions
&
Hypo(theses)
Research Questions
“A research question guides and
centers your research.
It should be clear and focused,
as well as synthesize multiple sources
to present your unique argument”*
Research Question:
Is Superman allergic to Kryptonite?
*Duke University. (n.d.). What makes a good research question. Retrieved from http://twp.duke.edu/uploads/media_items/research-questions.original.pdf
Research Questions
& Hypo(theses)
“Hypotheses […] tend to be very limited in scope,
addressing only one particular aspect
of the situation.
Hypotheses arise from a Research Question,
one asked based on observation
of some sort of phenomenon,
giving possible answer to that question.”*
*http://www.clarkson.edu/writingcenter/docs/thesis_statement.pdf (“Hypotheses in Technical Reports and Lab Write-Ups.” p. 5, para. 2).
Research Questions
& Hypo(theses)
Your research question, then, is just that:
a question (i.e., an interrogative statement).
To generate a hypothesis,
simply translate your
interrogative into a declarative statement:
Hypothesis (Thesis):
Superman is allergic to Kryptonite.
Research Questions
& Hypo(theses)
“The answer to a good research question
will often be the
THESIS of your research paper!”*
IV
Hypotheses
v.
Theses
Hypotheses v. Theses
Hypotheses can be either proved or disproved.
Theses specifically show
the intentions/objections/position
of the writer/researcher.
Retrieved from: http://apus.libanswers.com/faq/2374
Hypotheses v. Theses
The typical hypothesis makes some claim about
a cause, effect, or characteristic observed in a
certain experiment or situation.
The thesis constitutes the main point of your
paper. It states what you want your readers to
do, believe, or know once they have read your
paper (Matis, n.d., p. 1, para. 1).
Matis, Hope. “Writing Thesis Statements & Hypotheses.” Retrieved from http://www.clarkson.edu/writingcenter/docs/thesis_statement.pdf.
Purdue OWL’s
• Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement
1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing
2. Your thesis statement should be specific and
should be supported with specific evidence,
including examples & explanations
3. The thesis statement usually appears in the first
paragraph of a paper
4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may
need to revise your thesis statement
Purdue OWL’s TIPS
Determine what kind of paper you are writing:
• An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an
idea into its component parts and evaluates the
issue or idea
• An expository (explanatory) paper explains
something to the audience
• An argumentative paper makes a claim about a
topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence
UNC’s “Thesis Statements”
• 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.
– makes a claim that others might dispute
– is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first
paragraph that presents your argument or main idea to
the reader.
3 Discipline-Specific Examples:
Humanities
Social Science
Science
Humanities
A literary thesis includes the author’s name and title of the
work along with what you are going to prove (thematic
statement).
Ex:
1. In A Separate Peace, John Knowles portrays jealousy as an element
of friendship.
2. In the novel A Separate Peace, John Knowles illustrates how a
person creates his or her own peace.
3. A Separate Peace by John Knowles illustrates the destructive
results caused by distrust.
Humanities: Literature
...More examples:
1. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses
characters’ actions to show that courage can
be seen in unlikely people.
2. Characters’ actions show that courage can be
found in unlikely people in Harper Lee’s To Kill
a Mockingbird.
Social Science
Harvard’s Generating a Thesis
A thesis is not a “topic” or area of study: a thesis is a
specific point of view that makes sense of data about
the topic.
One way to develop a thesis is to select a topic area of
interest.
Then ask a research question about that topic area
that could be answered by examining the current
literature (i.e., a literature review).
Your answer to that question is your thesis.
Social Science: Psychology
Harvard’s Generating a Thesis
Example of topic area: Creativity & psychopathology
Example of research question: Are artists and
creative writers more often depressed than less
creative individuals?
Example of thesis: Artists and creative writers are at
greater risk for mood disorders than members of the
general population.
http://writingproject.fas.harvard.edu/files/hwp/files/writing_for_psych_final_from_printer.pdf (p. 14)
Science
The scientific hypothesis is a tentative explanation
that accounts for a set of facts and can be tested
via further investigation.
Science: Generating a Hypothesis
http://www.public.asu.edu/~kroel/www500/HYPOTHESIS%20Fri.pdf (p. 4).
Science: Criteria for Hypotheses
Hypotheses express the relation between two or
more measurable variables
Hypotheses carry clear implications for testing the
stated relations
A well-grounded hypothesis indicates that the
researcher has sufficient knowledge in the area to
undertake the investigation
The hypothesis gives direction to the collection and
interpretation of data
http://www.public.asu.edu/~kroel/www500/HYPOTHESIS%20Fri.pdf (p. 7).
Science: Hypothesis Definitions
1. A hypothesis may be precisely defined as a tentative
proposition suggested as a solution to a problem or as an
explanation of some phenomenon 2. A hypothesis is a
conjectural statement of the relation between two or
more variables 3. Hypotheses are formal statements that
present the expected relationship between an
independent and dependent variable 4. Hypotheses
relate theory to observation and observation to theory
5.
Hypotheses
are
relational
propositions
6. Hypotheses are tentative explanations that account for
a set of facts and can be tested by further investigation
Science: Usable Hypotheses
...must have explanatory power
...must state the expected relationship between
variables
...must be testable
...should be consistent with the existing body of
knowledge
...should be stated as simply and concisely as
possible
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