Thesis Writing

Discussion 3: Developing a ThesisSummary

Please provide your response to the following discussion prompt. Then, save the file as either .doc or .docx format, and upload the document into the Upload Area for Discussion 3 using this Upload Document.

After choosing a topic for a writing assignment, often the next best step is to construct a rough thesis statement. As you probably realize at this point, a thesis serves as the focal piece of an essay—all of your body paragraphs will relate back to those ideas. Following a thesis development questionnaire can help you both evaluate and organize ideas. Remember, too, that selecting a topic in which you are familiar or have interest may assist you in procuring content. Be cautious of topics that might not allow you to contribute much original material, which consists of discussions you add to support your claims. Often, these discussions will be new insights and drawn conclusions from just a small amount of research. In sum, a topic that relies on a lot of data, such as a medical-focused or science-based claim, may not enable you to add a lot of new material without posing credibility issues.

Select a topic of your choice, and populate the questionnaire below to ultimately build a strong thesis statement.

Please use double-spacing, and include a standard header with your Name, Course, Assignment, and Date. You may begin your discussion on the line below.

1. 1. Overall topic or idea:
   2. What is your debatable opinion or stance on this topic:
   3. What are three subtopics that support your claim:
   4. What does the opposition party say:
   5. What is data that refutes the opposition’s opinion (do not employ ideas previously discussed):

Using the answers above, create a thesis statement using the following structure:

(Add debatable claim) because (add first supporting subtopic), (add second supporting subtopic), and (add third supporting subtopic), even though (add the opposition’s opinion).

Sample: Students’ work should be checked by anti-plagiarism software because it prevents cheating, secures other artists’ copyrights, and maintains a university’s integrity, even though free speech advocates believe anti-plagiarism software can impede freedom of speech.