Here are some of the best practices and examples shared by an expert for writing a thesis statement to ace your research paper.
Here are some of the best practices and examples shared by an expert for writing a thesis statement to ace in your research paper.
By India Today Web Desk: There are many forms of research, but almost all academic essays, papers, and research projects have one thing in common: a thesis statement. Writing research papers is an art in itself, and to describe such art we need a robust thesis statement. A thesis statement is a brief description (not more than 1-3 sentences long) that concisely summarises the key points of your entire research paper.
This article aims to give researchers a better understanding of thesis statements by providing a definition and importance of them. It also describes how researchers can develop a strong thesis statement without any confusion.
WHAT IS A THESIS STATEMENT?
The thesis statement should be part of the introduction section of your paper, and inform its readers about:
(a) What is the research paper about (main idea)?
(b) What is the purpose of writing it (premise)?
(c) what argument(s) does the author deliberate upon
(author's stance)?
Most importantly, the thesis statement for a study should be clear and convey to the reader the author's position on the topic.
The thesis statement should address the following questions pertaining to your research paper:
- What is the topic or main subject of the paper?
- What is the purpose of writing the paper?
- What is the author's stance on the topic?
THESIS WRITING EXAMPLES
Example 1:
Weak thesis statement: This paper is a study on two brands of pizza services, namely Dominos and Pizza Hut. Both pizza brands exhibit some similarities and differences in service offerings.
Improved thesis statement: The current study will compare and contrast two brands of pizza services on the basis of their service offerings. Dominos and Pizza Hut both offer a greater variety of ingredients compared to local pizza places, but our study suggests that Pizza Hut's ambience makes it a better place for a fun outing with friends and family.
Example 2:
Weak thesis statement: The Internet influences children positively and negatively in several different ways.
Improved thesis statement: Internet usage has high risks for children because parents cannot monitor their children's online activity fully, not every site is safe and reliable, and not every information is filtered.
The following is an example of a well-written thesis statement:
"The current study reviews existing studies on social media fatigue and addresses a key limitation in prior literature, namely a limited focus on a specific age-group of users from western economies. Instead, our study focused on a lesser-studied demographic group of adolescent social media users from developing countries like India and China."
Question | Example |
What is the topic? | Social media fatigue |
What is the purpose? | Conducting a literature review and addressing limitations of existing studies in the area of social media fatigue |
What is the author’s stance? | Need to focus on a lesser-studied demographic group (e.g. adolescent social media users) from developing countries like India and China |
KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR A GOOD THESIS STATEMENT
Should be short and concise; no more than 2-3 sentences to encapsulate key research points of the paper
Should be very specific; avoid vague or generalized sentences (although the introduction section may include general statements, the thesis statement should be to the point)
Should be insightful to the reader of the research paper
- Article by Dr. Sheetal Menon, Assistant Professor, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon.
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Edited By:
Megha Chaturvedi
Published On:
Mar 25, 2022