The research paper: the idea

Now that you have a topic and a working bibliography, you can begin to read your sources with the goal of developing an idea that that will be the focus of your paper and your further research. We call this "focus" a thesis statement.

A thesis statement unites your topic and your point of view together. A thesis statement is debatable--not everyone will agree with it. You will take a stand and then support your opinion with evidence throughout the paper. This "evidence" will be parenthetically documented in the body of your paper and will be cited on the work cited page. Once you have a good thesis statement, all of your further research will be looking for evidence to support your thesis statement. For this assignment you will need to find three sources that support your thesis.

Unlike a thesis statement, a topic sentence is usually just a statement of fact and is not debatable. For example, let's examine the following two statements: one is a topic sentence and one is a thesis statement. Can you tell the difference?

The United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Topic or Thesis Statement?

The United States rightfully chose to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to bring the war in the Pacific to an end. Topic or Thesis?

If you answered that the first statement is a topic sentence you are right. It is a statement of fact. The second statement is a thesis statement--something that is open to debate but you can find plenty of evidence that supports this thesis.

Topic or Thesis? You be the judge.

Click here for a brief quiz to test your knowledge.

As you begin to zero in on your research looking for supportive evidence you may find that you either can't find sufficient evidence or you discover a better thesis to discuss. In the first case, you may need to retrieve additional sources to add to your working bibliography and to peruse for additional information. In the second case, you refine your thesis or change your point of view completely in order to complete the assignment.

Regardless, your first thesis statement is your working thesis reflecting an idea but not necessarily what the final thesis will be--merely your focus at the time.