How to Develop a Thesis Statement
Introduction
A thesis statement presents the ________________________you want to make about
the issue you've addressed in your research question. Developing an effective thesis
statement begins with _____________________________________. This response is
called a ___________________________ thesis statement. Once you've created your
preliminary thesis statement, you can begin to develop and refine your thesis statement
by reviewing your research question and your preliminary thesis statement, considering
your ________________________________________________, adapting your thesis
statement to the needs and interests of your readers, and considering the scope of your
thesis statement. The process ends with a well-defined thesis statement that provides a
_______________________________ for your project document.
Drafting a Preliminary Thesis Statement
Your ________________________________ provides the basis for creating a
preliminary thesis statement about the issue you've decided to address. A preliminary
thesis statement is a _______________________________ to your research question.
It's the important ____________________________ in the process of developing your
thesis statement. For now, think about the difference between a preliminary thesis
statement and a thesis statement as the difference between saying, "I'm not
________________________ sure what I want to say yet, but I'm leaning toward saying
this" and "I know ____________________________________________ what I want to
say, and here it is."
To draft your preliminary thesis statement, try
______________________________________________________ to your research
question. In this research guide, we'll follow Megan O'Neil, a student in a college
composition class who has been asked to research a health issue affecting Americans.
Megan followed the steps in the research guide How to Develop a Research Question,
and her efforts are shown below. We can see how Megan begins to turn her working
research question into a thesis statement. She begins by trying to answer her research
question.
Step 1: Build on Your Research Question and Your Preliminary Thesis Statement
Megan combined her _________________________ and her preliminary thesis
statement in order to further _____________________-- her thesis statement as a
refined and _________________________- to her research question.
Megan's Research Question
What is the difference between _____________________________ diabetes and how
can Americans reduce their risk of getting these diseases?
Megan's Preliminary Thesis Statement
Type 1 diabetes is a disease where a person loses their insulin cells. People with Type 2
diabetes aren’t able to use their insulin very well. __________________________
reduce your risk of Type 1 diabetes but you can reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes by
eating better and exercising.
Megan's Thesis Statement
_________________________ is a disease in which a person loses all of their insulinproducing cells and thus must depend on insulin injections for survival.
________________________ is a disease in which a person is no longer able to
efficiently use the insulin their body produces. Although Americans are so far unable to
_____________their risk of getting Type 1 diabetes, they can reduce their risk of getting
Type 2 diabetes by keeping their ________________________-, eating healthy foods
low in sugar, and getting daily exercise.
Megan combined her research question and her preliminary thesis statement in order
to further clarify her thesis statement as a refined and specific answer to her research
question.
Try to do the same by writing your responses in the spaces below.
Your research question.
Your preliminary thesis.
Your refined thesis statement.
Step 2: Consider your purpose and Role
Megan's next step was to make sure her ___________________________ was
consistent with the _________________of her research writing project and with the
role she adopted as a research writer.
When developing her research question, Megan had decided to adopt the role of
reporter, but later decided to change to the role of ____________________. She
realized that the shift would allow her to
___________________________________________ to take action.
Step 3: Consider your Readers
The next step in Megan's process was to adapt her thesis statement to the needs and
interests of her ______________________. Because she chose the role of advocate, in
which she'd urge her audience to take some kind of action, Megan
_________________________ her thesis statement to her audience. When writing her
project document, this will allow her to directly address readers,
______________________, and take into account their ability to follow her suggestions.
Step 4: Consider the Scope of Your Thesis Statement
Megan's Shorter, But Still Broad, Thesis Statement
Americans should reduce their risks of getting Type 2 diabetes.
Megan's ______________________ Thesis Statement
Americans should reduce their risks of getting Type 2 diabetes by keeping their weight
down, eating healthy foods low in sugar, and getting daily exercise.
Megan knew that she needed to reduce the _____________________________ and the
________________________of her thesis statement. Because it was so
___________________________, she would find it difficult to write her project
document. She revised her thesis statement so that it helped her define what should be
done about diabetes and who should do it.