1. Thesis Statements and Synthesizing Sources
English B1A
Thesis Statements and Synthesizing Sources

2. Your thesis statement should have evolved over the course of the semester.
Think of your initial draft as a hypothesis. You had a suspicion about what the thesis would end up saying, and that was your hypothesis. Based on your research, however, your hypothesis was probably refined or even changed entirely.
Thesis Statements

3. When revising your thesis statement, make sure that you include your narrowed topic and your narrowed stance on that topic.
Avoid listing reasons in support of your thesis statement. These belong in the body of your essay.
You might try a two-part thesis as suggested in the claims chapter of The Craft of Research. They suggest beginning with a transition word like “Although,” and then an example of a counter argument followed by your own position.
Your thesis statement should be one sentence long.
Thesis Statement

4. Your introductory paragraph will be much the same as other introductions you have written. You’ll need to begin with an opening hook to interest your reader, followed by an introduction to your topic and any relevant background information. Your thesis should come at the end of your intro.
You shouldn’t introduce source material in your introduction.
Introduction

5. Synthesizing your sources
The body of your essay will depend largely on your thesis statement. Each essay will need be organized differently.
Keep in mind that your essay should be driven by reasons rather than evidence. This will help you avoid the “10 cool things I learned about my topic” structure.
EXAMPLE
Synthesizing your sources

6. Synthesizing continued
In each body paragraph, you should provide one reason in support of your thesis statement.
Then, within the paragraph, you’ll want to reference all of the sources that mention that particular topic. You’ll want to reference at least two sources per paragraph—write an argument rather than a list of summaries of sources.
Synthesizing continued

7. Your conclusion should re-state your thesis in new words and briefly summarize the main points of your argument.
You should also emphasize the issue here. This means showing your readers that the issue and your stance in particular are of great importance. In other words, answer the “so what” question.
Conclusion

8. Introduce all source material, completely the first time, and with a signal phrase subsequently.
Cite ALL source references including summaries and paraphrases.
You must cite from at least 8 sources in your paper.
Points to Remember