What this handout is about.
This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.
Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.
A thesis statement:
If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)
A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.
Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .
If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :
Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:
Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.
You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.
After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:
Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.
This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.
Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:
Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.
You begin to analyze your thesis:
Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:
In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.
After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:
Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.
This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.
We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.
Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.
Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.
Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.
Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.
You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Table of contents, introduction, what is a thesis statement, 1. the role of the thesis statement, a. guiding your writing:, b. engaging your readers:, 2. characteristics of a strong thesis statement, a. specificity:.
A strong thesis statement is specific rather than vague or broad. It clearly defines the scope of your paper and outlines the specific aspects you will explore. Avoid general statements that could apply to any topic; instead, hone in on the particular angle or argument you will address.
C. reflection of the paper’s scope:, d. conciseness:.
A thesis statement should be concise, ideally one or two sentences long. It should convey your main point without unnecessary words or complex phrasing. Clear and direct language makes your thesis more impactful and easier for readers to understand.
1. be specific, 2. make it arguable, 3. reflect the scope, 4. keep it concise, additional tips for writing a strong thesis statement, 1. revise and refine, 2. test your thesis, 3. seek feedback, 4. ensure clarity and precision, 5. align with your paper’s structure, 6. address the “so what” factor, thesis sentence example, examples of effective thesis statements.
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What is the purpose of a thesis statement, writing a good thesis statement: 4 steps, common pitfalls to avoid, where to get your essay edited for free.
When you set out to write an essay, there has to be some kind of point to it, right? Otherwise, your essay would just be a big jumble of word salad that makes absolutely no sense. An essay needs a central point that ties into everything else. That main point is called a thesis statement, and it’s the core of any essay or research paper.
You may hear about Master degree candidates writing a thesis, and that is an entire paper–not to be confused with the thesis statement, which is typically one sentence that contains your paper’s focus.
Read on to learn more about thesis statements and how to write them. We’ve also included some solid examples for you to reference.
Typically the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, the thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay. When your reader gets to the thesis statement, they should have a clear outline of your main point, as well as the information you’ll be presenting in order to either prove or support your point.
The thesis statement should not be confused for a topic sentence , which is the first sentence of every paragraph in your essay. If you need help writing topic sentences, numerous resources are available. Topic sentences should go along with your thesis statement, though.
Since the thesis statement is the most important sentence of your entire essay or paper, it’s imperative that you get this part right. Otherwise, your paper will not have a good flow and will seem disjointed. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through developing one. It’s a methodical process with steps that you need to follow in order to create the best thesis statement possible.
When you’re assigned an essay, there are several different types you may get. Argumentative essays are designed to get the reader to agree with you on a topic. Informative or expository essays present information to the reader. Analytical essays offer up a point and then expand on it by analyzing relevant information. Thesis statements can look and sound different based on the type of paper you’re writing. For example:
Once you know what type of paper you’re writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper. In other words, you need to decide to answer a question about something, such as:
If you have an argumentative essay, then you will be writing about an opinion. To make it easier, you may want to choose an opinion that you feel passionate about so that you’re writing about something that interests you. For example, if you have an interest in preserving the environment, you may want to choose a topic that relates to that.
If you’re writing your college essay and they ask why you want to attend that school, you may want to have a main point and back it up with information, something along the lines of:
“Attending Harvard University would benefit me both academically and professionally, as it would give me a strong knowledge base upon which to build my career, develop my network, and hopefully give me an advantage in my chosen field.”
Once you have the point you want to make, you need to figure out how you plan to back it up throughout the rest of your essay. Without this information, it will be hard to either prove or argue the main point of your thesis statement. If you decide to write about the Hamilton example, you may decide to address any falsehoods that the writer put into the musical, such as:
“The musical Hamilton, while accurate in many ways, leaves out key parts of American history, presents a nationalist view of founding fathers, and downplays the racism of the times.”
Once you’ve written your initial working thesis statement, you’ll then need to get information to back that up. For example, the musical completely leaves out Benjamin Franklin, portrays the founding fathers in a nationalist way that is too complimentary, and shows Hamilton as a staunch abolitionist despite the fact that his family likely did own slaves.
Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and that you feel like you can truly write a paper on the topic. Once you’ve done that, you can then begin writing your paper.
When writing a thesis statement, there are some common pitfalls you should avoid so that your paper can be as solid as possible. Make sure you always edit the thesis statement before you do anything else. You also want to ensure that the thesis statement is clear and concise. Don’t make your reader hunt for your point. Finally, put your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and have your introduction flow toward that statement. Your reader will expect to find your statement in its traditional spot.
If you’re having trouble getting started, or need some guidance on your essay, there are tools available that can help you. CollegeVine offers a free peer essay review tool where one of your peers can read through your essay and provide you with valuable feedback. Getting essay feedback from a peer can help you wow your instructor or college admissions officer with an impactful essay that effectively illustrates your point.
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What if I told you that one sentence in your essay or thesis could be the difference between a First and a Fail?
It may sound absurd – perhaps even unfair – but it’s true. I refer, of course, to the thesis statement. A thesis statement is your entire essay if it were condensed into a single sentence. If your essay title is a question, then your thesis statement is the one-sentence answer.
It tends to arrive near the end of the first paragraph of a thesis.
Let’s take a look at an example from a Master of Education degree thesis:
Thesis title What constitutes ‘good writing’ for GCSE students of English?
Thesis statement The examination rubric by which GCSE English writing performance is assessed, influenced by a long history of variable ‘tastes’, may now be said to describe ‘good writing’ as that which is grammatically accurate, sophisticated, and suited to purpose, genre and audience.
(The thesis statement would be located in paragraph 1, after a brief overview of the subject).
As I mentioned, the way your thesis statement is written can be the difference between a First and a Fail. But how?
To answer that, let’s think about what ‘thesis’ means. From the Greek thésis, meaning ‘proposition’, your thesis is your main argument.
It is the position you have to support and defend for the remainder of your essay. Without something clear to defend, the fortress you build will crumble and the army you deploy will run about like headless chickens.
In essence: without a clear thesis statement, you don’t have an essay.
“Establishing a clear thesis at the start of your essay is crucial for both you and your examiner. For your examiner, it’s evidence that you have answered the question. For you, it can function as an essay plan.”
For both of you, it’s a litmus test for the quality of the argument: if you can’t fit your essay’s arguments into a sentence, they are too diffuse; and if you can’t stick to your thesis statement’s focus throughout your essay, you are not focused.
A precisely focused and well-grounded essay is more worthy of a First Class grade than one with a scattergun approach.
What your thesis statement includes is determined by three things:
1. The subject and topic of the essay. 2. The purpose of the essay. 3. The length of the essay.
Let’s examine each of those in more detail to see how they can help us refine our thesis statement.
Look at this real-life title from an undergraduate Sports Science essay:
What are the key differences between training recommendations for maximising muscular strength and maximising muscular hypertrophy?
The first task is, of course, to determine the subject of the essay.
In this example, that would be ‘training recommendations for maximising muscular strength and training recommendations for maximising muscular hypertrophy’.
Knowing that means that I know I will need to deploy my knowledge about those two similar but distinct areas. It also means that I should be using the specialist terminology relevant to the field, such as load, isotonic and volume.
Next, I need to determine the topic.
Here it would be ‘the key differences’ between training recommendations for those two goals. That phrase ‘key differences’ is likely to be at the heart of my thesis statement, to show that I’m on track.
With that in mind, my thesis statement might look like this:
Whilst both training outcomes require resistance training centred upon isotonic contractions, it is likely that the absolute load requirements may need to be higher for strength purposes, whilst the total training volume may need to be higher for hypertrophy purposes.
It is by no means a complete essay, but it states clearly what the ‘short answer’ to the question is, whilst paving the way for the ‘long answer’ to follow.
But what if the essay isn’t just looking for the facts organised into a specific order? What if the essay is asking for analysis? Or an argument?
Different essay purposes require different thesis statements. Fortunately, there are only three main essay purposes, and they’re pretty easy to recognise:
1. The expository essay: This is an essay type that asks for the key facts on a subject to be laid out, with explanations. The Sports Science question above is an example of this. It asks for the WHAT and HOW of something.
2. The analytical essay: This essay type asks you not only to lay out the facts, but also to analyse and deconstruct them to better understand them. It is typical in subjects such as English Literature and Fine Art. It asks for the WHY of something.
3. The argumentative essay: This type of essay asks you to use the facts available, to analyse them for value, and then to provide a point of view about the subject. It moves more quickly through the WHAT, HOW and WHY of a topic through to: WHY DOES IT MATTER?
All of the above essay types need a thesis statement that includes a proposition (a statement which answers the question or addresses the title).
Beyond that, these three essay types all require different additions.
For the expository essay , you need to add an overview of the details of the conclusion. Let’s look at an example:
Expository essay title: What are the key differences between training recommendations for maximising muscular strength and maximising muscular hypertrophy? (BSc in Sports Science)
Expository thesis statement: Whilst both training outcomes require resistance training centred upon isotonic contractions, it is likely that the absolute load requirements may need to be higher for strength purposes, whilst the total training volume may need to be higher for hypertrophy purposes. (The basic conclusion is that both approaches need isotonic resistance training; the details are teased out in bold.)
For the analytical essay , you need to add an overview of the analysis performed. Here’s an example:
Analytical essay title: Why did England and Wales vote to leave the European Union? (BA in Politics)
Analytical thesis statement: A close consideration of the voter demographics, the populist nature of political messages leading up to the referendum, and the history of Britain’s status in the EU, will demonstrate that Brexit was primarily motivated by the machinations of the Right.
(The basic conclusion is that Brexit was influenced by politicians; the analytical approach is in bold.)
For the argumentative essay , you need to add an overview of your reasoning. Another example:
Argumentative essay title: To what extent do you consider the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays to be in question? (BA in English Literature)
Argumentative thesis statement: Shakespeare’s authorship of his plays is beyond question, given both the entirely unconvincing nature of any counter-theories and the relatively unstable conception of the playwright’s identity as it stands. (The basic conclusion is that Shakespeare did write his plays; the reasoning is in bold.)
As you can see from these examples, the purpose of the essay gives a very clear demand for something beyond a simple answer.
But, there’s more!
The prescribed length of the essay also defines what you need to do with your thesis statement.
Your thesis statement is a microcosm : a miniature, compressed version of your whole essay.
So, it makes sense that the length of the actual essay is going to impact upon the content of the thesis statement.
If, for example, your essay is expected to be 800 words long and on the subject of Eve in the Bible, then it would be overly ambitious for your thesis statement to say: ‘through comprehensive study of the Bible and extant criticism’. For an 800 essay, more precision will be necessary. It would be better for your thesis statement to say: ‘with due awareness of the complexity of the issue, focusing on feminist readings of Genesis .’
“Matching the scope given in your thesis statement to the depth you provide in your essay is a very effective way to ensure precision.”
Contrastingly, if your essay is expected to be 80,000 words long (a PhD thesis, for example), on the subject of stop-motion animation, it would be rather unambitious to suggest that the essay will ‘provide a visual analysis of Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers’, only. For a PhD, we would expect more content to be covered, and multiple approaches to analysis to be considered.
Indeed, matching the scope given in your thesis statement to the depth you provide in your essay is a very effective way to ensure precision.
It’s a simple, three-part process:
1. Identify the question in the title (or make a question from the statement). 2. Answer that question in as few words as possible. 3. Complete the sentence by providing an overview of the foundation behind your answer.
Easy, right? It can be!
That said, there are plenty of traps that essayists can fall into with this part of the essay. Let’s look at some of these pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Pitfall #1: amateurish style.
This is common throughout academic essays written by beginners. It’s not just the thesis statement that falls foul of sounding amateurish. There are plenty of ways this happens, which are beyond the scope of this argument, but the following example is a prime example: In this essay, I will explore the various pieces of evidence before concluding.
This is amateurish for a few reasons. Firstly, it doesn’t actually say anything. You could otherwise word it, ‘I will write an essay which answers the question’ – a rather wasted sentence. The next, and more forgivable issue is the use of the first-person. We want to get a sense that an individual wrote this essay, but we never want to hear them mentioned! Make sense? No? Sorry.
This should instead read more like:
This essay considers evidence from X in light of Y which ultimately reveals Z at the heart of the issue.
(It focuses on the specifics, X, Y, and Z, and is devoid of any mention of its author.)
This is similar to amateurish style. However, empty phrasing is not just amateur-sounding; it’s manipulative-sounding.
Using phrases such as “in order to” instead of, simply, “to” – or “due to the fact that” instead of just “as” – look like attempts to fill up the word count with waffle rather than content. The same goes for phrases that can be substituted for one word: ‘it is evident that’ can (and should) become ‘evidently’.
Watch this thesis statement from a GCSE essay on Music go from hideous to tolerable:
Beethoven was unable to hear his work, due to the fact that he was deaf, so it is evident that he musically conceptualised the notes in order to compose. (Wordy!)
Beethoven was unable to hear his work, as he was deaf, so it is evident that he musically conceptualised the notes to compose. (Slightly less wordy.)
Beethoven’s deafness made him unable to hear his work, so evidently he musically conceptualised the notes to compose. (About as concise as such a complex sentence will get…)
Do not mistake wordiness for sophistication. Your ideas should be sophisticated; your writing should be clear.
For an examiner, the English language is not just a vehicle for your ideas. It should be, but the academic process always involves the assessment of your expression.
So, to satisfy our examiners’ prescriptive tastes, we need to adhere to the basic tenets of Standard English.
Take a look at the following thesis statement example from an A Level Sociology essay: Considering the status of BAME in Internet culture, the demonstrably racist treatment at the hands of the police, and the energy behind the BLM protests, concluding that there is hope for the future.
This sentence has no finite main verb, so it is technically not a sentence. To become a grammatical sentence, we would need to make ‘concluding’ finite: ‘it can be concluded’, or ‘we conclude’.
The writer got lost in this example because the sentence was so long!
Long sentences can also lead to a failure to make subject and verb agree, like in the next thesis statement example from a school Geography essay:
The most populous municipalities of Spain, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Zaragoza, does not rank in the top ten most dense populations of the country, with the exception of Barcelona.
Because the subject ‘municipalities’ is separated from the verb ‘does’ by eight words, it is easy to forget that they do not agree. It should, of course, be ‘do, not ‘does’.
The thesis statement, as I said at the start, can be the difference between a First and a Fail. So, take your time with it.
Write it carefully.
Then redraft and refine it several times, until it’s as good as you can make it.
The payoff is a slick, coherent thesis statement that paves the way to a great essay that really impresses your examiner.
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Basics of thesis statements.
The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).
Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.
This thesis statement has no specific argument:
Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.
This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.
Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.
The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable. We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors. We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").
This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:
Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.
You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.
Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).
Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.
This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:
Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.
A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators. The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.
Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.
Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.
This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:
Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.
There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.
Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.
Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.
This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:
Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.
This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.
Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).
In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.
If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.
When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.
Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.
Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.
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Thesis / dissertation formatting manual (2024).
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Table of Contents
A dissertation and thesis serve similar purposes but have key differences that students should understand. Read on to learn everything from definitions to tips for completing these major academic papers.
A dissertation is a lengthy, original research document completed by doctoral candidates, typically over 18 months, to earn a PhD. Dissertations are generally between 50,000 and 100,000 words presenting the student’s findings and analysis.
A thesis is a shorter research paper completed by master’s degree candidates, usually between 40,000 and 60,000 words. These may contain original research but rely more heavily on existing studies than dissertations.
The primary purpose of a dissertation is to contribute new knowledge or analysis as part of earning a doctoral degree. These also demonstrate expertise but focus on earning a master’s degree and do not necessarily require original research.
Dissertations are considerably longer as doctoral candidates are required to conduct extensive research over an extended period, often 18 months or more. Thesis are typically shorter since the research component is less intensive for a master’s program.
Both a dissertation and a thesis have a standard structure, but a dissertation has more required sections that are broader in scope. Dissertations include an extensive literature review of previous research, thoroughly explaining the chosen methodology, and discussing research findings. Dissertations always involve substantial original research conducted independently by the doctoral candidate to make a novel academic contribution and are rigorously reviewed by the dissertation committee.
Students may incorporate original research and analysis for a thesis but rely more heavily on synthesizing and building upon existing studies and theoretical frameworks. Thises are narrower in focus compared to dissertations. While original research is encouraged, it is not an absolute requirement in all master’s programs. Theses undergo review by advisors, but the process is less intensive than with doctoral dissertations subject to oral defense.
Successfully planning and completing a thesis or dissertation requires dedication and organization. Here are some tips:
A dissertation and thesis have key differences that research students should be aware of in terms of length, purpose, structure, and research requirements. By understanding these distinctions, students can be better prepared to complete their culminating paper successfully.
For working professionals looking to earn a PhD degree and make original contributions to their field, upGrad offers online doctoral programs without requiring an 18 month on-campus residential requirement and necessary assignments like dissertation.
A dissertation is longer, requires extensive original research, and leads to a PhD. A thesis is shorter, may incorporate original research, and leads to a master’s degree.
Key sections include literature review, methodology, findings, discussion, and conclusion.
No, an oral defense is only required for doctoral dissertations.
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Library format reviews.
In order to support the submission process, the University Library will work with students to review their document. Prior to submitting their final thesis or project to Bronco ScholarWorks students are required to have it reviewed for formatting errors and to ensure that it meets the University's standards for publication in the institutional repository. Please review this sample guide and formatting checklist BEFORE requesting a formatting review appointment.
Once you have formatted your work, submit an email request that includes your thesis or project as a PDF (.pdf) or Word (.docx) attachment to [email protected] . Appointments are required and should be scheduled before the thesis/project deadline.
Writing center.
Writing assistance is available from the LRC University Writing Center
Leonard Vandegrift, Coordinator Building 15, Room 2921 (909) 869-5310
Reader’s Digest analyzed the word “run” as being one of the shortest yet most complex words in the modern English language due to the hundred of meanings (645) behind it. They further demonstrate that it’s only the grammatical context that can distinguish intention.
When you run a fever, those three letters have a very different meaning than when you run a bath to treat it or when your bathwater subsequently runs and drenches your cotton bath runner forcing you to have to run out to the store and buy a new one….Who knew such a small word could be so complicated?
via Neatorama
Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry , playing guitar , taking photos and mixing craft cocktails .
Managed wordpress at laughing squid hosting.
If you’re completely new to Microsoft Word, you’re probably wondering where to begin. You’ve come to the right place because we’ll get you started. From what you see in the Word window to how to save a document, this Word Tutorial for Beginners is for you.
How to name and save document files, how to use autosave, get to know the interface, how to use the tabs and ribbon.
Note : The information in this tutorial applies to Microsoft Word for 365 on Windows. While you may see varying terms, tool locations, or available options, most Word versions have the same basic features. Once you have whatever version you’re using downloaded and installed , you can jump right in.
When you open Microsoft Word, you can create a new empty document or use a built-in template . To best get familiar with the application and the features we explain here, select a Blank document on the Home screen and follow along!
One of the most important things to learn about using Microsoft Word is naming and saving your documents. There’s nothing worse than putting hours of work into a document, only to find out you didn’t save it before closing it .
A good habit to start is to name and save the document as soon as you begin. You can then continually save it with the same name as you work on it. Another option is to use AutoSave, which is available to Microsoft 365 subscribers.
As you work on your document, you can use the Save button in the Quick Access Toolbar at any point. Alternatively, select File > Save . This ensures you won’t lose your work.
To use AutoSave, you must subscribe to Microsoft 365. With this feature, the document saves occasionally and automatically as you work on it, which is convenient. It’s important to note that the file must be saved to OneDrive not locally on your device.
You’ll then see the AutoSave toggle enabled as you work on your document.
The next important aspect to learn about Microsoft Word is what you see in the application’s window.
Title bar : This is the bar at the very top of the window. It contains the Quick Access Toolbar on the left, which holds handy buttons like Save and Undo, the document name, the Search feature, and buttons to control the window.
Tabs : Below the title bar is the tab row. You’ll see tabs for Home, Insert, Draw, Design, Layout, and more. You open the tab you need to perform a task using the tools on the ribbon.
One exception is the File tab on the far left, which doesn’t have a ribbon. Instead, you’ll see a navigation on the left side that allows you to save, print, export, close, and access the settings. You can also use the right side on the File tab to create new documents and open recent ones.
Ribbon : Below the tab row is the ribbon that holds buttons and menus. When you open a tab, you’ll see tools in the ribbon for that particular tab. For instance, if you want to change your document’s appearance, you’d go to the Design tab and see tools for themes, formatting, colors, and page color.
Status bar : This is the bar at the bottom of the window. You can customize this area to show commonly needed details like page number, indicators like caps lock, and options for zoom. Right-click the Status bar to add or remove items.
The center of the Word window is the document workspace where you can simply begin typing to create an essay, article, report, résumé, and similar.
As mentioned above, the ribbon holds buttons and menus that allow you perform actions. The ribbon is divided into sections, or groups, to help you find the tool you need.
The ribbon tools adjust depending on which tab you select. So, when you open each tab, you’ll see a different set of tools. Additionally, when you open a tab, it’s selected and you’ll see it underlined
Because there are many tools on the ribbon for each tab, here are just some of the most commonly used tabs and options.
The Home tab’s ribbon contains the most basic actions you’d perform when creating a document. You have the Clipboard group to copy, cut, and paste; the Font group for style, size, bold, italics, and color; the Paragraph group for alignment, lists, spacing, and indents ; and the Styles group with preformatted options such as titles, subtitles, headings, quotes, and emphasis.
You can also enable dictation, shop for add-ins, and open the Word Editor.
The Insert tab is where you go when you want to insert items aside from text in your document. You have the Illustrations group for pictures, shapes, icons, and charts; the Media group for video and audio; and the Header & Footer group for adding these document items.
You’ll also see tools to add a table, hyperlink, comment, WordArt, equations, and symbols.
The Draw tab lets you use pens, markers, and highlighters to draw on your document . You can also format the background, convert ink to a shape or math, and use the stencil.
The Design tab gives you ways to change the appearance or style of your document. You can select from Themes, which provide colors and fonts, and Document Formatting, which provides structure with titles and headings.
You also have Page Background tools for adding a watermark , changing the background color, and applying page borders.
The Layout tab lets you change the structure of a document. You have the Page Setup group to adjust the margins, orientation, size, columns, and breaks; the Paragraph group for indent and spacing settings ; and the Arrange group for wrapping text, aligning objects, and moving items forward or backward.
The References tab is where you go to add a table of contents , citations, a bibliography, captions, footnotes , and a table of figures. You can also use the Researcher tool and mark entries for things like an index and table of authorities.
The Mailings tab provides tools for setting up a mail merge in Word . You can create letters, emails, labels, envelopes, and a directory. All tools on this tab are for mail merge.
The Review tab contains tools for spelling and grammar checking, accessibility checking, translating, and language. You’ll also use this tab if you collaborate with others on the document and want to track the changes everyone makes.
The View tab allows you to switch from Print Layout to Web Layout to Outline or Draft view. You can also show or hide tools like the ruler and gridlines, zoom in and out, display multiple pages at once, and arrange Word windows if you have more than one open.
While you’ll always see the above tabs in Word by default, you may also see a few temporary tabs display. These tabs appear when you select (click) an item in your document and disappear when you deselect the item.
For example, if you insert a shape, you’ll see the Shape Format tab display, or if you insert an image, you’ll see the Picture Format tab display.
Each temporary tab provides you with ribbon tools specific to the item. Here, you can see we selected a shape that we inserted and the Shape Format tab displays on the right of the tab row. Tools on the ribbon allow us to format the shape and text inside it, as well arrange and resize the shape.
Now that you have the basics for using Microsoft Word, be sure to explore the tabs and tools to see how they can help you create fantastic documents. When you’re ready to move on, check out our other Word articles like things you didn’t know you could do in Word , along with tricks that can boost your Word workflow .
In terms of world-changing technologies, ChatGPT has truly made a massive impact on the way people think about writing and coding in the short time that it's been available.
However, this ability has come with a significant downside, particularly in education, where students are tempted to use ChatGPT for their own papers or exams. That brand of plagiarism prevents students from learning as much as they could and has given teachers a whole new headache: how to detect AI use.
Posts on X are popping up reporting that Microsoft has signed a development and supply contract with Samsung Display for micro-OLED displays.
The information originates from a Korean tech site, The Elec, which claims that Microsoft wants "hundreds of thousands" of these displays for an XR device designed for gaming and media consumption. In other words, a competitor for the Vision Pro -- or rather, another competitor for the Vision Pro.
Upgrading to Windows 11 comes with a few requirements, and that includes a bump in random access memory (RAM). And with Windows 10 nearing the end of support, many users will soon need to consider switching to Windows 11 regardless of how much memory it consumes.
Windows 11, while it introduces a host of new features, may consume more RAM than its predecessor, but the amount of memory that it uses is not universal. Below, we'll explain what RAM is, explore how much RAM Windows 11 actually uses, and how to lower that amount if your PC is having a hard time. Windows 11: RAM usage when idle
Maximum severity flaw discovered in popular WordPress plugin
More than a hundred thousand WordPress websites are reportedly vulnerable to an exploit which allows threat actors to run malicious code remotely and completely unauthenticated, as well as being able to delete arbitrary files at will.
A cybersecurity researcher with the alias villu164, discovered a 10/10 vulnerability in a WordPress plugin called GiveWP, which is designed to facilitate online donations, making it easier for nonprofits, charities, and other organizations to collect funds directly through their websites.
The researcher found a PHP Object Injection vulnerability, stemming from a function that validates and sanitizes form data (including payment information) before it passes it to the specified gateway.
The vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2024-5932, and is found in all versions of the plugin, up to 3.14.2, which was released on August 7 2024 and fixes the problem. The bug “makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject a PHP Object. The additional presence of a POP chain allows attackers to execute code remotely, and to delete arbitrary files," WordPress security researchers Wordfence said in its report.
“We encourage WordPress users to verify that their sites are updated to the latest patched version of GiveWP as soon as possible considering the critical nature of this vulnerability,” Wordfence concluded. At press time, the latest version of the plugin was 3.15, which was released a week ago. The plugin has 100,000+ active installations, and is available in 24 languages.
The researcher who discovered the flaw, villu164, has earned themselves a $5,000 bounty reward for discovering the flaw.
WordPress is the world’s number one website builder platform, powering roughly half of all websites in existence. While it is generally considered secure, it offers a store with thousands of plugins and themes, not all of which are as secure as the underlying platform itself.
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Via The Hacker News
Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.
Google Cloud wants to help unify all your secuirty structures to boost protection
Chipmaker Microchip Technology confirms cyberattack which hit operations
As AI changes cyber forever, training is the key to keeping pace
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The meaning of THESIS is a dissertation embodying results of original research and especially substantiating a specific view; especially : one written by a candidate for an academic degree. How to use thesis in a sentence. Did you know?
THESIS definition: 1. a long piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one that is done for a higher…. Learn more.
THESIS meaning: 1. a long piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one that is done for a higher…. Learn more.
Thesis definition: a proposition stated or put forward for consideration, especially one to be discussed and proved or to be maintained against objections. See examples of THESIS used in a sentence.
A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your essay. It usually comes at the end of the introduction.
A thesis statement is a sentence in a paper or essay (in the opening paragraph) that introduces the main topic to the reader. As one of the first things your reader sees, your thesis statement is one of the most important sentences in your entire paper—but also one of the hardest to write!
Thesis. Your thesis is the central claim in your essay—your main insight or idea about your source or topic. Your thesis should appear early in an academic essay, followed by a logically constructed argument that supports this central claim. A strong thesis is arguable, which means a thoughtful reader could disagree with it and therefore ...
Define thesis in literature: In summation, a thesis statement establishes a purpose in the piece of writing. It may establish the lesson or story to be told, or in an essay it may establish the position the writer assumes when exploring a topic. Either way, it is important for the thesis to be clear in order to effectively convey the writer's ...
Definition of thesis noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
A thesis statement is a very common component of an essay, particularly in the humanities. It usually comprises 1 or 2 sentences in the introduction of your essay, and should clearly and concisely summarize the central points of your academic essay.
7 meanings: 1. a dissertation resulting from original research, esp when submitted by a candidate for a degree or diploma 2. a.... Click for more definitions.
thesis: 1 n an unproved statement put forward as a premise in an argument Type of: assumption , premise , premiss a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn n a treatise advancing a new point of view resulting from research; usually a requirement for an advanced academic degree Synonyms: dissertation Type ...
thesis (plural theses) ( rhetoric) A proposition or statement supported by arguments. (by extension) A lengthy essay written to establish the validity of a thesis (sense 1.1), especially one submitted in order to complete the requirements for a non- doctoral degree in the US and a doctoral degree in the UK; a dissertation .
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.
The word "thesis" originates from the Greek word "thesis" (θέσις), meaning "a proposition" or "a statement," derived from "tithenai" (τίθημι), which means "to place" or "to set." Adopted into Latin as "thesis," it retained its original meaning and was used in medieval and Renaissance scholarship to refer to an academic proposition defended in writing ...
Thesis Definition. The thesis is one of the most important concepts in college expository writing. A thesis sentence focuses your ideas for the paper; it's your argument or insight or viewpoint crystallized into a single sentence that gives the reader your main idea. It's not only useful for the reading audience to understand the purpose of the ...
A strong thesis statement is at the core of any great essay. Here are some tips to help you craft a compelling thesis statement that will enhance your essay.
Your thesis statement could be the difference between a First and a Fail. Here, we explore how to write an excellent thesis statement, with real examples.
Learn how to write a successful thesis statement in Part 1 of our Essay Writing Guide. Read this 2022 update of our popular guide.
The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper.
thesis in American English. (ˈθisɪs) noun Word forms: plural -ses (-siz) 1. a proposition stated or put forward for consideration, esp. one to be discussed and proved or to be maintained against objections. He vigorously defended his thesis on the causes of war. 2. a subject for a composition or essay. 3.
Templates UCI Libraries maintains the following templates to assist in formatting your graduate manuscript. If you are formatting your manuscript in Microsoft Word, feel free to download and use the template. If you would like to see what your manuscript should look like, PDFs have been provided.
A dissertation and thesis serve similar purposes but have key differences that students should understand. Read on to learn everything from definitions to tips for completing these major academic papers.
The sample guide is just a sample of a standard thesis/project with tips on how to navigate some functions within Microsoft Word. It is not intended to provide a complete template for your thesis or project. Please contact your thesis or project advisor about which citation style is standard in your field, and for any other specific expectations.
The thesis by publication is expanding across countries, institutions and disciplines, and so a more in-depth understanding of the format across contexts is warranted, to ensure that all stakeholde...
Prior to submitting their final thesis or project to Bronco ScholarWorks students are required to have it reviewed for formatting errors and to ensure that it meets the University's standards for publication in the institutional repository. Please review this sample guide and formatting checklist BEFORE requesting a formatting review appointment.
Reader's Digest analyzed the word "run", one of the shortest yet most complex words in the English language due to its hundreds of meanings.
If you're new to Microsoft Word, it can be a little intimidating when you first open it. Here's how to use Word.
A cybersecurity researcher with the alias villu164, discovered a 10/10 vulnerability in a WordPress plugin called GiveWP, which is designed to facilitate online donations, making it easier for ...