Microsoft powerpoint - constructing a thesis statement for a research paper

PAPERA Crash Course for Maintaining Relevance through Ten Arduous Pages of Information and Analysis What a thesis statement should be: generalization.
… A thesis statement should be limited and
sharply focused.
… A thesis statement makes a claim that is
… A thesis should state a logical asser
that is not a readily available truth but
can be proven through the accumulated
and analyzed evidence.
… A thesis statement should do one of the following: † seek the truth (beyond that which is already † argue a point (that may not be the majority † propose solutions (that are not currently being † clarify a theory (with which many do not agree † challenge conventional wisdom (through the repudiation of common thought, supported by exhaustive research that supports the new verify its truth, why write about it? … Revised: Because the polygraph has not been proven reliable, even under the most controlled conditions, the government should ban its use by private employers.
not be used) and a narrow focus (by private employers). This claim would be argued drugs are not successfully treating mental illnesses? Are you just going to catalog successful treatments? … Revised: Despite its risks and side effects, Prozac is an treatment) with a narrow focus (for depression). The claim must be supported b … The word “bad” is subject to multiple interpretations. What criteria will be established to evaluate “bad”? poignant war movie because it forces Americans to view, and even sympathize with, combatants traditionally seen as … Notice the specific claim (Letters from Iwo Jima is an effective sympathy enemies). This claim would be a point of contention for many, since people generally have strong feelings about … Too on-the-fence: Seat belts can save lives, but now … This compare-and-contrast paper is set to simply outline often, carmakers might not have needed to install air … This paper establishes a clear relationship between these two items; it suggests a superiority of one over the other … This cause-and-effect paper needs limiting with some … Revised: Fad diets can be dangerous when they deprive the body of essential nutrients or rely excessively on potentially harmful foods.
… This paper establishes a clear effect (danger) from a specifically is. Because fad diets are popular with many, this is an argument A w ak thesis yields nothing more or less than an
absolutely uninteresting paper.
(depending on the error of your thesis), you have no pur … Most papers with weak thesis statements exhibit information dumping: large clumps of unfiltered
data and research that pertains only tangentially to
the thesis statement.

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