Thesis & Research Question Workshop PEGS’ GWIE Graduate Writing Institute for Excellence Copyright © 2015 PEGS’ GWIE

All workshops and workshop materials are the sole property of PEGS’ GWIE and may not be published, copied, or disseminated without prior written approval from PEGS’ GWIE; they are for student and faculty use only. Disclaimer

I Topics v. Theses

Topic The theme or subject of an essay is its TOPIC, which answers the question: “What is this paper about?”

Thesis The thesis of an essay is its main idea (i.e., its argument), which answers the question: “What about what this paper’s about?”

II Thesis Scaffolding

Thesis Scaffolding Many – not all! – thesis statements are comprised of two parts: 1) the claim & 2) the cause

Thesis Scaffolding Claim: In this essay, I argue that Voter IDs should be proscribed.

Thesis Scaffolding Cause: This is important because Voter IDs are undemocratic.

Thesis Scaffolding Voter IDs should be proscribed because they are undemocratic.

III Research Questions & Hypo(theses)

Research Questions “A research question guides and centers your research. It should be clear and focused, as well as synthesize multiple sources to present your unique argument”* Research Question: Is Superman allergic to Kryptonite? *Duke University. (n.d.). What makes a good research question. Retrieved from

Research Questions & Hypo(theses) “Hypotheses […] tend to be very limited in scope, addressing only one particular aspect of the situation. Hypotheses arise from a Research Question, one asked based on observation of some sort of phenomenon, giving possible answer to that question.”* * (“Hypotheses in Technical Reports and Lab Write-Ups.” p. 5, para. 2).

Research Questions & Hypo(theses) Your research question, then, is just that: a question (i.e., an interrogative statement). To generate a hypothesis, simply translate your interrogative into a declarative statement: Hypothesis (Thesis): Superman is allergic to Kryptonite.

Research Questions & Hypo(theses) “The answer to a good research question will often be the THESIS of your research paper!”* * Vanderbilt. (2007). Formulating your research question. Retrieved from /06/ Formulating%20Your%20Research%20Question.pdf

IV Hypotheses v. Theses

Hypotheses v. Theses Hypotheses can be either proved or disproved. Theses specifically show the intentions/objections/position of the writer/researcher. Retrieved from:

Hypotheses v. Theses The typical hypothesis makes some claim about a cause, effect, or characteristic observed in a certain experiment or situation. The thesis constitutes the main point of your paper. It states what you want your readers to do, believe, or know once they have read your paper (Matis, n.d., p. 1, para. 1). Matis, Hope. “Writing Thesis Statements & Hypotheses.” Retrieved from

Purdue OWL’s Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement 1.Determine what kind of paper you are writing 2.Your thesis statement should be specific and should be supported with specific evidence, including examples & explanations 3.The thesis statement usually appears in the first paragraph of a paper 4.Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement

Purdue OWL’s TIPS Determine what kind of paper you are writing: An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts and evaluates the issue or idea An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence

UNC’s “Thesis Statements” A thesis statement: – tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion – is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper – directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. – makes a claim that others might dispute – is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument or main idea to the reader.

3 Discipline-Specific Examples: Humanities Social Science Science

Humanities A literary thesis includes the author’s name and title of the work along with what you are going to prove (thematic statement). Ex: 1. In A Separate Peace, John Knowles portrays jealousy as an element of friendship. 2. In the novel A Separate Peace, John Knowles illustrates how a person creates his or her own peace. 3. A Separate Peace by John Knowles illustrates the destructive results caused by distrust.

Humanities: Literature...More examples: 1.In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses characters’ actions to show that courage can be seen in unlikely people. 2. Characters’ actions show that courage can be found in unlikely people in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.

Social Science Harvard’s Generating a Thesis A thesis is not a “topic” or area of study: a thesis is a specific point of view that makes sense of data about the topic. One way to develop a thesis is to select a topic area of interest. Then ask a research question about that topic area that could be answered by examining the current literature (i.e., a literature review). Your answer to that question is your thesis.

Social Science: Psychology Harvard’s Generating a Thesis Example of topic area: Creativity & psychopathology Example of research question: Are artists and creative writers more often depressed than less creative individuals? Example of thesis: Artists and creative writers are at greater risk for mood disorders than members of the general population. (p. 14)

Science The scientific hypothesis is a tentative explanation that accounts for a set of facts and can be tested via further investigation.

Science: Generating a Hypothesis (p. 4).

Science: Criteria for Hypotheses Hypotheses express the relation between two or more measurable variables Hypotheses carry clear implications for testing the stated relations A well-grounded hypothesis indicates that the researcher has sufficient knowledge in the area to undertake the investigation The hypothesis gives direction to the collection and interpretation of data (p. 7).

Science: Hypothesis Definitions 1. A hypothesis may be precisely defined as a tentative proposition suggested as a solution to a problem or as an explanation of some phenomenon 2. A hypothesis is a conjectural statement of the relation between two or more variables 3. Hypotheses are formal statements that present the expected relationship between an independent and dependent variable 4. Hypotheses relate theory to observation and observation to theory 5. Hypotheses are relational propositions 6. Hypotheses are tentative explanations that account for a set of facts and can be tested by further investigation

Science: Usable Hypotheses...must have explanatory power...must state the expected relationship between variables...must be testable...should be consistent with the existing body of knowledge...should be stated as simply and concisely as possible

PEGS’ Graduate Writing Institute for Excellence