Why a Thesis Statement Matters

If you are writing a research paper, you have probably taken a lot of notes and organized the information you have found. You might have even written an attention-grabbing introduction and a strong conclusion for your paper. Still, one of the most important tasks you have is composing a strong thesis statement. A thesis statement is comprised of one or two sentences that summarize the essence of your findings and explain what the purpose of your paper is. When someone reads your thesis statement, they should gain a sense of what your paper is about and what, if any, slant or argument you have.

A thesis statement is important for a variety of reasons. First of all, your thesis statement foreshadows the main ideas of your paper. Second, your thesis statement helps you organize your argument and simultaneously prepares your readers to follow the subsequent structure. Finally, your thesis statement provides a succinct summary of any particular arguments or points you hope to make through your paper. Without a strong thesis statement, it can be difficult to discern the underlying purpose of a research paper.

This lesson provides you with some examples of thesis statements for research papers. Keep in mind that these examples provide insight into possible formats and structures for thesis statements, but obviously they would need to be modified to make them relevant to papers on a diversity of topics.

Examples of Thesis Statement

• While World War I had many causes, the primary factors leading up to it were a new sense of nationalism and an uptick in the development of technology.

A thesis statement like this clearly states a specific argument that the remainder of the paper will be dedicated to proving using information from research. This thesis statement is succinct and simple, setting the stage for a straightforward structure in a history research paper. A paper following this statement might include one section on each of the causes mentioned in the statement, and the conclusion would summarize the findings.

• The character of Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye constitutes an excellent example of a crisis in coming of age. Literary critics have shown how Caulfield’s confusion, desperation, and unwillingness to make a commitment render him a character in crisis.

Writing a thesis statement for a research paper on literature can be particularly challenging, as you must summarize thoughts and theories from secondary sources while also referencing your primary literary source. Though this is still a research paper, it might feel like it requires more subjectivity than you are accustomed to. This is a great chance to use two sentences in your thesis statement: one sentence offers your major point about the literature, while the other references secondary source material. In the paper that follows, your job is to integrate evidence from both types of sources.

• Pennsylvania is a diverse state filled with many natural and man-made resources.

Sometimes, your research paper may not require a very complex thesis statement. If you are writing about one specific thing, try to choose one or two adjectives, like ‘diverse’ in this example, that pull together what you hope to prove through your paper. Make one strong, assertive statement using that adjective. Readers will then expect that the remainder of the paper will be dedicated to proving the adjective you chose about whatever topic you are describing. You will use evidence from your research to prove the point you are making.

Lesson Summary

Let’s review what we’ve learned. A thesis statement is one or two sentences that summarize the essence of your findings and explain what the purpose of your paper is. When someone reads your thesis statement, they should gain a sense of what your paper is about and what, if any, slant or argument you have. You also have to remember that your thesis statement foreshadows the main ideas of your paper, it helps you organize your argument and simultaneously prepares your readers to follow the subsequent structure. And it provides a succinct summary of any particular arguments or points you hope to make through your paper.

Thesis Statement Key Concepts

• A thesis statement foreshadows the main ideas of a paper.
• Organization of your argument relies on a thesis statement.
• A thesis statement helps provide a succinct summary of any arguments that need to be made.