edit What Is a Thesis?

Your thesis is the heart of your research paper. It encapsulates your special idea about your subject clearly and concisely.

Examples of statements that are, and are not, theses:

• The United Nations was founded to maintain world peace -- not a thesis. This is a statement of fact.

• The United Nations has failed to keep world peace -- though this is a debatable point, it is not really a thesis. To change it from an opinion to an argument, you will have to show awareness of the historical context and alternative arguments.

• During the Cold War, the veto powers given to permanent members of the Security Council prevented the United Nations from keeping world peace -- this is a start on a thesis. While it can still be refined and improved considerably, it presents an argument that is rooted in historical context.

edit Developing a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement has to state your argument concisely and clearly. A thesis statement is not a question.

edit Testing Your Thesis

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to judge if you have a strong thesis statement:

• Do I answer the question posed in the assignment?

• Could someone reasonably challenge my position? Your thesis should be framed as a statement that others can agree or disagree with. 'This poem is a bad poem' would not be a good thesis, since it's hard to agree or disagree with this statement.

• Will people care about my idea? If not, you might need to clarify your statement or connect it to a larger issue.

edit Useful Links

• The University of North Carolina Writing Centre on info developing your thesis statement
• The Harvard Writing Centre's handout on info developing a thesis