September 29, 2021

Guide to Writing a Thesis Statement for a Research Paper

By content1

One way or the other, every student may have to write a research paper before graduating from college. Within this research is what is known as a thesis statement. A thesis statement is the core of every paper, through which the aspects of the paper is developed. It usually comes in one sentence and summarizes the main idea behind the paper. This article will guide you through writing a thesis statement for your paper.

Principles to apply when writing a thesis paper

Coming up with an excellent thesis statement on which other aspects of your thesis would be developed can be challenging. The process can be time-consuming and characterized by cancelations, writing, re-writing, and editing to suit your expectation. Here are some basic rules for your writing

  1. Choosing a topic

It is always good to consider more than one topic when writing a research paper. The topics should be something that interests you and has a lot of prospects.

  1. Do your research

After settling on a topic, conduct thorough research on it to gather as much information as possible. Also, all your research should be based on credible and current academic sources. You can do both online and offline research.

  1. Outline your paper

A good outline makes your paper easier to write. At this point, you group all your researched information, data, arguments, and supporting ideas in a level of importance and relevance. These would later be transferred into the various chapters of your paper.

  1. Referencing

The sources you used in writing your paper should be duly referenced. Refusing to cite these sources may result in you being accused of plagiarism.

  1. Review your work

After completing your paper, you need to go over it again, at least twice, to detect grammatical and spelling errors. It would be best if another person does this for you. Trying to edit your own work might result in you skipping some basic errors due to complacency or oversight. On the other hand, you can use the various editing software to help you out.

Significance of a Research Paper Thesis

The thesis statement is contained in the introduction of the research paper. It is where you introduce the topic and express the main idea behind it. This may sound strange, but it is always best to write the statement after you’ve completed writing the other sections of your paper. This gives you a fair idea of the main points to include in the statement.

Steps to writing a thesis statement

The thesis statement should be short and typically comes in one sentence. It aims to set the tone for the research, by telling your audience what the paper is about and presenting its significance. That aside, your statement should highlight the main points, which would you’ve developed in other sections.

Conclusion

Writing a thesis statement can be tricky, especially for first-timers. You need to be tactful and approach it with keen attention, having in mind all the vital points contained in your research. Also, make sure to write your statement after having a full view of the project. This helps you to include some critical points in the thesis statement.