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Generally, a thesis statement is a sentence that presents the controlling idea of your paper. Thesis statements are often argumentative, meaning you’re seeking to persuade your reader to adopt your viewpoint on a topic. The following handout considers argumentative thesis statements. In academic writing, a thesis statement is often one or two sentences, and it is often included towards the end of the introductory paragraph.
A basic thesis statement will do three things:
For example: The community policing model (1) benefits relations with the public (2) because it improves public trust and police officer safety (3).
1. Topic: This paper is going to be about the community policing model.
2. Argument: This paper is asserting the benefits of that model.
3. Main points: The structure of the paper will cover first, public trust and second, officer safety.
It’s difficult and inadvisable to generate a thesis if you haven’t first done some preliminary reading and brainstorming about your topic. As you prepare to write your thesis, take some time to do the following:
Doing preliminary intellectual work like the steps listed above not only helps you formulate your working thesis, but it also contributes significantly to the body of your paper.
Fill in the following template to help clarify a general direction for your research and writing:
I am studying (name the topic) because I want to find out in order to help my reader understand .
For example: I am studying community policing models because I want to find out how they influence public and police relations in order to help my reader understand how to use different policing models to address modern policing challenges.
As you research and write your paper, your main point will become clearer. For this reason, don’t hesitate to revisit your thesis statement after you have finished the first draft of your paper to ensure that the thesis accurately reflects the main points, evidence, and structure you’ve presented.
At this stage, make sure your thesis statement is both explicit and specific:
Uses signaling words that announce the central claim.
In this paper I will argue,
Specific:
Clarifies vague or unclear terms.
Community policing models
play a rolepartner with key members in the region to improve community health and safety.
Once you have finished writing your paper and revisited your working thesis, finalize your argumentative thesis by making sure it is debatable, defensible, and focused.
It can be argued.
Note: This effective thesis statement is debatable because a reader could argue for or against this claim.
It can be supported with logical, plausible evidence.
Note: This in-effective thesis statement is not defensible because the statistic of 80% is conjecture and not substantiated in any studies.
It fits the scope of the assignment.
Note: This effective thesis statement is focused because it refines the scope from Canada generally to the province of Ontario.
The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup, and William T. Fitzgerald
They Say/ I Say with Readings by Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst
Writing Services, Wilfrid Laurier University, CC By-NC 2023