3B. Thesis Statement

What is a Thesis Statement?

A strong thesis statement should be clear, concise, focused, and supportable. Unless your essay is simply explanatory, it should also be debatable (i.e., if your position on a topic is one that almost nobody would dispute, it may not be the best choice for a paper).

Illustration of what a thesis statement is. Description is in the paragraph above.

Images for Clear, Concise and Focused: Vasabii/iStock/Getty Images; Image for Supportable: Peacefully7; Image for Debatable: Smart/iStock/Getty Images; University of Waterloo

How Do You Develop a Strong Thesis Statement?

Illustration of how to develop a strong thesis statement. Main argument plus supporting arguments/overview of claims equals complete thesis

Puzzle pieces: Grafikazpazurem/iStock/Getty Images and the University of Waterloo

The following steps will help you throughout the process of developing your thesis statement:

Read the assignment thoroughly. Make sure you are clear about the expectations.

Do preliminary, general research: collect and organize information about your topic.

Form a tentative thesis. Here are some questions that may help you to focus your research into a tentative thesis:

What's new about this topic?
What's important about this topic?
What's interesting about this topic?
What have others missed in their discussions about this topic?
What about this topic is worth writing about?

Do additional research. Once you have narrowed your focus, you can perform targeted research to find evidence to support your thesis. As you research, your understanding of the topic will change. This is normal and even desirable.

Refine your thesis statement. After doing extensive research and evaluating many sources, rewrite your thesis so it expresses your angle or position on your topic more clearly.

Here are Sample Thesis Statements for You to Consider

Type of Thesis Statement	Example
Claims of fact	Today, climate change is the most significant challenge to capitalism; in order to understand how capitalism may evolve as a result of climate change, each of these phenomena must first be undersood individually.
Claims about cause and effect	Because they are less prepared financially and logistically, developing nations will face the most devastating effects of climate change.
Claims about solutions	Strategies to increase reliance on natural gas are not effective against climate change. Instead, policymakers should focus on geothermal heating for homes and electric vehicle development.
Claims about value	Equity demands that developed nations find a way of tackling climate change that does not undermine growth and poverty reduction in developing nations. Doing so will offer more possibilities for long-term stability in regions likely to be most affected by climate change.

Writing and Communication Centre and the University of Waterloo