How to Move from Research to Thesis Statement Developing a Thesis How to Move from Research to Thesis Statement

What is a Thesis Statement? A thesis statement is a debatable proposition or claim that a paper argues for. Ex: “Jesus is a character in the New Testament,” is not a thesis statement. This is not a debatable statement. A thesis statement is also limited to the scope of your paper. Ex: “Moses is the author of the Pentateuch” is probably not a good thesis for a 12-15 page paper. This is a hotly debated topic and you do not have the space to accurately communicate the various theories for the authorship of the Pentateuch. Thus, a good thesis statement is a debatable proposition that is appropriate to the size of your paper.

Step 1: Research

Research A good thesis statement takes time to develop and must start with good research. A good thesis statement starts with a topic of interest, e.g. Isaiah. As you research, your topic moves from broad to narrow: Isaiah Typology in Isaiah Typology in Isaiah 7:14-17.

Research It is important to know what kinds of sources are most helpful in limiting a topic to a particular question: Monographs may be the best place to start with a broad topic such as “typology.” These may help you pick up on key terms and reference more focused journal articles even if they don’t directly help your argument. Commentaries are helpful in addressing specific interpretive questions within a text that affect your research question. It’s most helpful to narrow your topic before you move into commentaries. Journal articles are extremely helpful because they have a focused, limited scope. This will help you in your last step of moving from topic to a specific question. Dictionaries are extremely helpful in finding sources for a specific area. In this regard, their most helpful contribution is their bibliographies. They will point you to more focused areas of study, thus use them early in the process.

Research Ultimately, this process will lead to specific question concerning your topic. Ex: Is a typological understanding of Isaiah 7:14-17 the best reading of the text? Your thesis statement is ultimately a product of your answer to the question. It is not necessary to know the answer to the question in order to have a good research question.

Research Now that you have your topic/question, you are ready to develop your answer. As you are researching, take careful notes as to what are the different answers to the question and what scholars take which particular view. Pay careful attention to the reasons that you find most compelling for your answer to the questions. These different arguments will help you develop the body of your paper.

Research At this point you should have an answer to your research question: Ex: Question: Is a typological understanding of Isaiah 7:14-17 the best reading of the text? Answer: A typological understanding of Isaiah 7:14-17 is the best reading of the text.

Step 2: Building a Thesis Statement

Building a Thesis Statement Just because you have an answer to your research question, does not mean you can simply copy and paste it into your introduction. Generally, your thesis statement should be the last sentence of your introduction. Your thesis statement should be presented as a claim you are going to argue.

Building a Thesis Statement Using key words such as “demonstrate,” “argue,” “show” or “prove” helps your reader recognize your thesis/main claim. Make sure your thesis statement is in third person rather than first. Ex: “This paper will argue” or “This author will argue” rather than “I will argue”

Building a Thesis Statement Using the content adverb “that” will ensure that your thesis statement actually contains a debatable proposition. Thus: “This paper will argue that a typological understanding of Isaiah 7:14-17 is the best reading of the text.” Rather than: “This paper will examine the different approaches to Isaiah 7:14-17.”

Building a Thesis Statement Thus, our final thesis statement is: This paper will argue that a typological understanding of Isaiah 7:14-17 is the best reading of the text.

Final Thoughts Both researching for a thesis statement and writing a thesis statement are flexible processes. Don’t be afraid to rewrite your thesis or even change your research question altogether. As you grow more comfortable with researching and writing a thesis statement, you will be able to take more liberties rather than simply following strict rules. Remember: The Writing Center is also here to help!