1. Understanding essay titles and thesis construction
In-sessional (2016)
Stephen Deane

2. Overview
This section aims to develop/enhance understanding of writing requirements via analysis of:
Task Types
Key Words
Components
Use of question forms

3. Analysing Titles – Main task types
Four common task types are:
Description
Discussion
Evaluation
Comparison
Discuss the characteristics of each.

4. Analysing Titles – Main task types
Characteristic
Description
Give the main information (no need to comment)
Support this information with evidence and/or examples
Discussion
Give the main information (need to comment)
Requires more critical thinking/organising
Evaluation
Requires a clear thesis statement
Needs selective/critical analysis to achieve this
Comparison
Identify similarities and/or differences
Can require description, discussion of evaluation (or a combination of these)

5. Analysing Titles – Identifying Key Words
Definition
Analyse
Examine and explain why
Assess
Evaluate/give strengths and weaknesses of and give reasons
Compare
Write about (usually) two things which have similarities + differences
Examine
Give reasons for, explain how something happened
Contrast
Describe differences
Outline
Give a short description of the main points
Define
Give a specific description for a specific context
Account for
Give good reasons for, explain satisfactorily
In what way
Explain how and say why
Discuss
Look at carefully, consider
To what extent
How far do you agree with … How ‘true’ is…
Justify
Express a view/views supporting it with reference to your reading
State
Express carefully, fully and clearly
Infer
Conclude something from the information provided

6. Analysing Titles – Identifying Key Words
Word/Phrase
Significance
Meaning and importance
Concise
Short, brief
With reference to
Inside the subject of
Factors
Points for consideration
Function
What something does…
Implications
Results that are not obvious…
Limitations
Where the topic/results may be restricted…
In the context of
Related to…
The role of
What part something plays…
Concept
An important idea

7. Analysing Titles – Identifying Title Components
Title: The British media claim to be objective in their reporting of news. Discuss with reference to either television or the press, and their coverage of a single recent event in the news
Can you identify the 3 components in this title?

8. Analysing Titles – Identifying Title Components
Components: 1) Topic = ‘The British Media’ 2) Instruction = ‘Discuss’ 3) Restriction/Limitation = ‘either television or the press’ and ‘coverage of a single event in the news’

9. Analysing Titles – Identifying Title Components
Analyse and account for the differences between media representations of single-sex schooling in England and evidence from government statistics.

10. Analysing Titles – Re-writing as Questions
Title: The British media claim to be objective in their reporting of news. Discuss with reference to either television or the press, and their coverage of a single recent event in the news. How would you interpret this title in question form?. 1) How objective …. 2) In which ways….. 3) What does coverage…

11. Analysing Titles – Re-writing as Questions
How objective was the recent television coverage of Event X?
In which ways did the recent television coverage of Event X lack objectivity?
What does coverage of Event X suggest about the objectivity of UK news reporting?

12. Analysing Titles – Re-writing as Questions
Analyse and account for the differences between media representations of single-sex schooling in England and evidence from government statistics.

13. Thesis construction This section aims to consider:
What a thesis statement is/how it is used in academic writing
To think about common problems with constructing a thesis and how to avoid these

14. Discussion What is a thesis ? 2) How is it used in an academic essay?
3)What would be an appropriate thesis for:
To what extent were social and geographical factors responsible for Britain pioneering the Industrial Revolution in Europe?

15. Discussion A good thesis statement should include:
An outline/the scope of the essay – the main ideas in the body paragraphs.
2) An opinion – the main argument used in the conclusion

16. Identifying a thesis
1) An outline/the scope of the essay – the main ideas in the body paragraphs. It will be suggested that a combination of social and geographical factors contributed to Britain appearing at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution. The social components were … The geographical influences included…

17. Identifying a thesis
2) An opinion – the main argument used in the conclusion Ultimately, the main contention that will be presented is that geography, most pertinently its island status, was the primary factor in Britain’s pioneering of industry.

18. Identifying a thesis It has suggested that….
Conclusion (Link back to Introduction)
This essay has considered to which degree social and geographical factors helped to place Britain in pole position regarding the Industrial Revolution
It has suggested that….
The reasons for this are…

19. Identifying a thesis
Conclusion (Link back to Introduction)
This essay has considered to which degree social and geographical factors helped to place Britain in pole position regarding the Industrial Revolution
It has suggested that the island status is the single key factor. The reasons for this are…

20. Common Problems
1)Thesis is too broad 2)Thesis is too narrow 3) Thread of the thesis lost

21. Broad Thesis
What are the key negative social consequences of the rise in hard drug use in American society ( ) It will be asserted that from 1970 to 1990 the widespread drug use is proved very detrimental to American society.

22. Broad Thesis
What are the key negative social consequences of the rise in drug use in American society ( ) It will be asserted that from 1970 to 1990 the widespread use of crack cocaine proved particularly detrimental in encouraging gang violence.

23. Broad Thesis Reasons: Failure to use debateable statement
Read widely enough and/or understand complexity of issue – E.g. not considered different perspectives
Over-simplistic communication and/or organisation of ideas

24. Narrow thesis
To what extent were social and geographical factors responsible for Britain pioneering the Industrial Revolution in Europe? This essay will argue that the social factors of increased levels of education and participation of women were the key … .

25. Narrow thesis
This essay will argue that the social factors of increased levels of education and participation of women were the key … . Whilst variables in geography were of less significance..

26. Narrow thesis Reasons:
Failure to read widely enough and/or understand complexity of issue – E.g. not considered different perspectives (same as Broad)
Misinterpretation of the question (importance of key words, writing title in question form)
Writer becomes overly focused on one specific aspect

27. Thread of thesis Conclusion:
Introduction:
It will be asserted that from 1970 to the widespread use of crack cocaine proved particularly detrimental in encouraging gang violence. Consequently, this had significant repercussions for an increase in single mothers and a decrease in educational opportunity.
Conclusion:
In summary the influx of heroin into U.S. ghettos and the accompanying healthcare crisis…

28. Thread of thesis
Introduction: It will be asserted that from 1970 to 1990 the widespread use of crack cocaine proved particularly detrimental in encouraging gang violence. Consequently, this had significant repercussions for an increase in single mothers and a decrease in educational opportunity. Conclusion: In summary the influx of crack cocaine had a series of direct negative consequences relating to gangs and indirectly one parent families and impoverished education for the subsequent generations

29. Thread of thesis Reasons: Confusion over title/instructions
Lack of planning
Failure to use a systematic approach (E.g. start to write before finishing reading)

30. Takeaway Ideas Make sure you understand the question
(Ask tutors/classmates – clarify)
Be systematic in your approach – set deadlines for reading, planning, drafting (e.g. avoid having to read after drafting)
Criticality:
Research/read a range of sources. Think about the topic from different perspectives
Approach reading with a thesis mind-set