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Learning objectives.
Have you ever known a person who was not very good at telling stories? You probably had trouble following his train of thought as he jumped around from point to point, either being too brief in places that needed further explanation or providing too many details on a meaningless element. Maybe he told the end of the story first, then moved to the beginning and later added details to the middle. His ideas were probably scattered, and the story did not flow very well. When the story was over, you probably had many questions.
Just as a personal anecdote can be a disorganized mess, an essay can fall into the same trap of being out of order and confusing. That is why writers need a thesis statement to provide a specific focus for their essay and to organize what they are about to discuss in the body.
Just like a topic sentence summarizes a single paragraph, the thesis statement summarizes an entire essay. It tells the reader the point you want to make in your essay, while the essay itself supports that point. It is like a signpost that signals the essayâs destination. You should form your thesis before you begin to organize an essay, but you may find that it needs revision as the essay develops.
For every essay you write, you must focus on a central idea. This idea stems from a topic you have chosen or been assigned or from a question your teacher has asked. It is not enough merely to discuss a general topic or simply answer a question with a yes or no. You have to form a specific opinion, and then articulate that into a controlling idea âthe main idea upon which you build your thesis.
Remember that a thesis is not the topic itself, but rather your interpretation of the question or subject. For whatever topic your professor gives you, you must ask yourself, âWhat do I want to say about it?â Asking and then answering this question is vital to forming a thesis that is precise, forceful and confident.
A thesis is one sentence long and appears toward the end of your introduction. It is specific and focuses on one to three points of a single ideaâpoints that are able to be demonstrated in the body. It forecasts the content of the essay and suggests how you will organize your information. Remember that a thesis statement does not summarize an issue but rather dissects it.
A strong thesis statement contains the following qualities.
Specificity. A thesis statement must concentrate on a specific area of a general topic. As you may recall, the creation of a thesis statement begins when you choose a broad subject and then narrow down its parts until you pinpoint a specific aspect of that topic. For example, health care is a broad topic, but a proper thesis statement would focus on a specific area of that topic, such as options for individuals without health care coverage.
Precision. A strong thesis statement must be precise enough to allow for a coherent argument and to remain focused on the topic. If the specific topic is options for individuals without health care coverage, then your precise thesis statement must make an exact claim about it, such as that limited options exist for those who are uninsured by their employers. You must further pinpoint what you are going to discuss regarding these limited effects, such as whom they affect and what the cause is.
Ability to be argued. A thesis statement must present a relevant and specific argument. A factual statement often is not considered arguable. Be sure your thesis statement contains a point of view that can be supported with evidence.
Ability to be demonstrated. For any claim you make in your thesis, you must be able to provide reasons and examples for your opinion. You can rely on personal observations in order to do this, or you can consult outside sources to demonstrate that what you assert is valid. A worthy argument is backed by examples and details.
Forcefulness. A thesis statement that is forceful shows readers that you are, in fact, making an argument. The tone is assertive and takes a stance that others might oppose.
Confidence. In addition to using force in your thesis statement, you must also use confidence in your claim. Phrases such as I feel or I believe actually weaken the readersâ sense of your confidence because these phrases imply that you are the only person who feels the way you do. In other words, your stance has insufficient backing. Taking an authoritative stance on the matter persuades your readers to have faith in your argument and open their minds to what you have to say.
Even in a personal essay that allows the use of first person, your thesis should not contain phrases such as in my opinion or I believe . These statements reduce your credibility and weaken your argument. Your opinion is more convincing when you use a firm attitude.
On a separate sheet of paper, write a thesis statement for each of the following topics. Remember to make each statement specific, precise, demonstrable, forceful and confident.
Each of the following thesis statements meets several of the following requirements:
You can find thesis statements in many places, such as in the news; in the opinions of friends, coworkers or teachers; and even in songs you hear on the radio. Become aware of thesis statements in everyday life by paying attention to peopleâs opinions and their reasons for those opinions. Pay attention to your own everyday thesis statements as well, as these can become material for future essays.
Now that you have read about the contents of a good thesis statement and have seen examples, take a look at the pitfalls to avoid when composing your own thesis:
A thesis is weak when it is simply a declaration of your subject or a description of what you will discuss in your essay.
Weak thesis statement: My paper will explain why imagination is more important than knowledge.
A thesis is weak when it makes an unreasonable or outrageous claim or insults the opposing side.
Weak thesis statement: Religious radicals across America are trying to legislate their Puritanical beliefs by banning required high school books.
A thesis is weak when it contains an obvious fact or something that no one can disagree with or provides a dead end.
Weak thesis statement: Advertising companies use sex to sell their products.
A thesis is weak when the statement is too broad.
Weak thesis statement: The life of Abraham Lincoln was long and challenging.
Read the following thesis statements. On a separate piece of paper, identify each as weak or strong. For those that are weak, list the reasons why. Then revise the weak statements so that they conform to the requirements of a strong thesis.
Often in your career, you will need to ask your boss for something through an e-mail. Just as a thesis statement organizes an essay, it can also organize your e-mail request. While your e-mail will be shorter than an essay, using a thesis statement in your first paragraph quickly lets your boss know what you are asking for, why it is necessary, and what the benefits are. In short body paragraphs, you can provide the essential information needed to expand upon your request.
Your thesis will probably change as you write, so you will need to modify it to reflect exactly what you have discussed in your essay. Remember from Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” that your thesis statement begins as a working thesis statement , an indefinite statement that you make about your topic early in the writing process for the purpose of planning and guiding your writing.
Working thesis statements often become stronger as you gather information and form new opinions and reasons for those opinions. Revision helps you strengthen your thesis so that it matches what you have expressed in the body of the paper.
The best way to revise your thesis statement is to ask questions about it and then examine the answers to those questions. By challenging your own ideas and forming definite reasons for those ideas, you grow closer to a more precise point of view, which you can then incorporate into your thesis statement.
You can cut down on irrelevant aspects and revise your thesis by taking the following steps:
1. Pinpoint and replace all nonspecific words, such as people , everything , society , or life , with more precise words in order to reduce any vagueness.
Working thesis: Young people have to work hard to succeed in life.
Revised thesis: Recent college graduates must have discipline and persistence in order to find and maintain a stable job in which they can use and be appreciated for their talents.
The revised thesis makes a more specific statement about success and what it means to work hard. The original includes too broad a range of people and does not define exactly what success entails. By replacing those general words like people and work hard , the writer can better focus his or her research and gain more direction in his or her writing.
2. Clarify ideas that need explanation by asking yourself questions that narrow your thesis.
Working thesis: The welfare system is a joke.
Revised thesis: The welfare system keeps a socioeconomic class from gaining employment by alluring members of that class with unearned income, instead of programs to improve their education and skill sets.
A joke means many things to many people. Readers bring all sorts of backgrounds and perspectives to the reading process and would need clarification for a word so vague. This expression may also be too informal for the selected audience. By asking questions, the writer can devise a more precise and appropriate explanation for joke . The writer should ask himself or herself questions similar to the 5WH questions. (See Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” for more information on the 5WH questions.) By incorporating the answers to these questions into a thesis statement, the writer more accurately defines his or her stance, which will better guide the writing of the essay.
3. Replace any linking verbs with action verbs. Linking verbs are forms of the verb to be , a verb that simply states that a situation exists.
Working thesis: Kansas City schoolteachers are not paid enough.
Revised thesis: The Kansas City legislature cannot afford to pay its educators, resulting in job cuts and resignations in a district that sorely needs highly qualified and dedicated teachers.
The linking verb in this working thesis statement is the word are . Linking verbs often make thesis statements weak because they do not express action. Rather, they connect words and phrases to the second half of the sentence. Readers might wonder, âWhy are they not paid enough?â But this statement does not compel them to ask many more questions. The writer should ask himself or herself questions in order to replace the linking verb with an action verb, thus forming a stronger thesis statement, one that takes a more definitive stance on the issue:
4. Omit any general claims that are hard to support.
Working thesis: Todayâs teenage girls are too sexualized.
Revised thesis: Teenage girls who are captivated by the sexual images on MTV are conditioned to believe that a womanâs worth depends on her sensuality, a feeling that harms their self-esteem and behavior.
It is true that some young women in todayâs society are more sexualized than in the past, but that is not true for all girls. Many girls have strict parents, dress appropriately, and do not engage in sexual activity while in middle school and high school. The writer of this thesis should ask the following questions:
In the first section of Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , you determined your purpose for writing and your audience. You then completed a freewriting exercise about an event you recently experienced and chose a general topic to write about. Using that general topic, you then narrowed it down by answering the 5WH questions. After you answered these questions, you chose one of the three methods of prewriting and gathered possible supporting points for your working thesis statement.
Now, on a separate sheet of paper, write down your working thesis statement. Identify any weaknesses in this sentence and revise the statement to reflect the elements of a strong thesis statement. Make sure it is specific, precise, arguable, demonstrable, forceful, and confident.
Collaboration
Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.
In your career you may have to write a project proposal that focuses on a particular problem in your company, such as reinforcing the tardiness policy. The proposal would aim to fix the problem; using a thesis statement would clearly state the boundaries of the problem and tell the goals of the project. After writing the proposal, you may find that the thesis needs revision to reflect exactly what is expressed in the body. Using the techniques from this chapter would apply to revising that thesis.
Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
Strengthen your writing by combining the key ideas of the paper into a strong thesis statement. Just fll out the form below and get the result in a ďŹash.
Result for thesis statement
Even though some studies show that school uniformâs adoption improves studentsâ performance, school uniform should not be adopted at schools because it limits studentsâ individuality, it is a burden for low-income families, and it restricts studentsâ physical activity.
Whereas some studies show that school uniformâs adoption improves studentsâ performance, school uniform should not be adopted at schools given that it limits studentsâ individuality, it is a burden for low-income families, and it restricts studentsâ physical activity.
Thousands of students and writers have already tried our thesis statement generator at least once. This is a great option to save time. However, if you want to create a topic sentence on your own, feel free to use this algorithm:
Thatâs all. Grab the result to insert it right into your writing.
Compose a thesis statement for your paper easily using our thesis creator machine. We've combined AI algorithms aligned with the recommendations of the best academic experts and professors.
Argumentative Essay Thesis
Writing a thesis statement for an argumentative essay can be a tricky task. You need to define arguments that will support the paperâs idea. Our thesis creator will handle this task for you quickly.
Informative Essay
Need to write an informative speech or essay? Our claim sentence maker can provide a well-written statement that will benefit your assignment.
Analytical Thesis Statement
Analytical thesis statements differ from other types of claim sentencesâyou should determine your approach for topic analysis. Lots of thesis statement generators online fail this mission, but not ours. It will create a sophisticated yet powerful topic sentence.
Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement
If you donât know how to make an argument for a compare/contrast essay, no worriesâcomplete the form above and get the A+ thesis statement without effort. Just pick up the topic, subjects to compare, and complete the form.
Every essay should include a thesis statement. It can contain one or two sentences that clearly explain the topic and your arguments to readers. We know how to make the perfect claim sentence with almost no effort. All you need to do is enter the following information in the fields above:
Thatâs all. Press the button and grab the result to insert it right into your writing.
Even if you use our free thesis statement generator, it's vital to understand a thesis and its role in the text. A thesis statement is a single sentence outlining your main idea and communicating your central message. In other words, this statement condenses the whole text's idea and covers your primary arguments in its favor.
A good thesis statement should perform the following functions in a text:
For example, if your assignment prompt asks you to examine the problem of child obesity in the USA, you need to conduct preliminary research and pick a debatable topic. You may focus on the magnitude of the problem; in this case, your arguments will be directed at proving that the problem is really serious. Otherwise, you can consider the causes of obesity â sedentary lifestyle, sugar-rich diet, absence of exercise, fat-rich nutrition, etc.
Now, it's time to get down to practice. Do you wonder how to write a solid, persuasive thesis statement? The task gets much easier if you keep the following characteristics in mind.
It's important to organize a thesis statement by the evidence you lay out in the body of your paper.
Homework should be banned because it steals students' free time and doesn't improve retention of the learned material. | Homework should be banned because it steals students' free time and doesn't improve retention of the learned material. |
Contentiousness
The thesis statement shouldn't be self-obvious. Instead, it should offer a debatable topic.
Violence against animals is bad. | Experimentation on animals should be banned, as it fosters instrumental treatment of animals and institutionalizes cruelty. |
A stellar thesis statement should be brief and clear, without redundancy.
Though there is much resistance to medical marijuana legalization on the state and federal levels of the U.S. government, its legalization comes with many benefits for patients suffering from various diseases, ranging from chronic pain to depression to nausea. | Medical marijuana should be legalized to address the therapeutic needs of patients with chronic pain, depression, and nausea issues. |
The claim you're making shouldn't be too broad, as the thesis statement should narrow the scope of your research interest.
Sugar is bad for human health. | Sugar over-consumption is unhealthy in the long run, as it causes brain addiction, obesity, and diabetes risk. |
Preparing for your phd thesis defence.
As you start thinking about the end stages of your PhD, itâs important to understand the processes and timelines related to the thesis defence so that your degree completion is not delayed. Even if your thesis defence seems far away, there are several planning considerations you can consider early on to help the end stages of your PhD go smoothly.
On this page you will find videos, tools, and information about what the PhD thesis defence is , timelines for the PhD thesis defence , and tips for a successful PhD thesis defence .
All PhD students should also ensure that they read the PhD thesis examination regulations and review the thesis preparation guidelines prior to their oral defence. If your thesis defence will be conducted remotely, you should also review the process for a remote thesis defence .
Understanding the purpose, processes and possible outcomes of the thesis defence can help you feel more prepared for the defence itself. In this video, youâll learn about what the defence is, whoâs there, what happens, and the deliberation and range of possible outcomes.
Transcript -Â Demystifying the thesis defence at University of Waterloo (PDF)
You may wish to learn more about some of the topics discussed in this video. Here are some helpful links to learn more:
Examination committee members (including the external examiner): Visit the PhD thesis examination regulations section on the PhD thesis examining committee for more information about the committee members, including information about the external examiner and conflicts of interest.
Early planning considerations.
Well before your defence date, there are several considerations to think about that can help make the end stages of your degree go smoothly and ensure your defence date and degree completion are not delayed:
Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, in collaboration with the Faculties, have prepared faculty specific backwards planning tools to help PhD candidates map out the timelines related to their thesis defence and degree completion.
Select your faculty below to download a PDF copy of the backwards planning tool. We encourage you to discuss your ideal timelines with your supervisor(s) and your department graduate program co-ordinator.
The PhD thesis defence is the culmination of years of hard work! The tips outlined in this video, compiled from recent PhD graduates and experienced thesis defence chairs, cover tips for preparing for your defence, day-of logistics, and defending successfully.
Transcript - Your Thesis Defence: Tips for Success (PDF)
Will your PhD thesis defence be held remotely? Weâve compiled additional tips for success specifically related to the remote defence.
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The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations .
As a student in college or any other institution of higher learning, thesis papers and dissertations form a major part of your curriculum. With that said, however, writing a thesis paper or a dissertation takes much more than identifying a problem, choosing a unique topic, collecting data, collating the data, and coming up with a conclusion. You need to clearly express your ideas and insights using good grammar, proper punctuation, and accurate spelling. Needless to say, your work needs to be 100% unique and free from any plagiarism.
Combined, all these writing components can overwhelm even the most English-proficient student, translating into lower grades. Luckily for you, our online thesis tester can help you deliver the perfect thesis paper or dissertation.
Unlike the manual proofreading process, our thesis checker free crawls through texts, automatically detects all writing-related mistakes, and offers the most-appropriate suggestion. Whatâs more, it features a comprehensive plagiarism checker for thesis, letting you catch accidental plagiarism before submitting your papers.
As a student, there are many potential mistakes that you can make when writing your thesis paper or dissertation. Making these mistakes not only affects your academic career but could also lead to a much bigger problem of missing out on your graduation. Whilst the writing process is frustrating, learning about the potential pitfalls may ease some of your stress.
In this section, we are going to look at the list of the most common mistakes that students make when composing their thesis papers and dissertations.
One of the biggest mistakes that students make when writing their thesis papers and dissertations is choosing the wrong topic. Not only does this weaken the entire plot of the thesis but also addresses the wrong problem. When picking up a topic for your papers, ensure you follow the following points:
On top of choosing a topic and developing the research question, you need to create a strong thesis statement for your paper. A poorly written thesis statement can turn off the readers, preventing them from going through the entire paper.
A strong thesis statement should be short, precise, bold, and straight to the point. The statement must be reliable and attractive. Here are some things to keep in mind when writing your thesis/dissertation statement;
Successful thesis papers and dissertations try hard to make a logical connection between the statement and the supporting information. Unfortunately, many students fail to make this connection due to poor research and limited brainstorming.
To fix this problem, you need to research more about supporting ideas or relevant information to support your main ideas. These supporting statements must come from relevant resources, be properly synchronized, and cite the sources from which they were sourced.
Integrity is one of the fundamental pillars of academic writing, and violating it is not entertained when preparing a thesis paper or dissertation. Here are some instances of academic integrity violations;
Editing and proofreading are critical components of thesis/dissertation writing. Silly spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes can compromise the quality of your paper and even lead to lower grades. While at it, you need to ensure that your papers are properly formatted and referenced.
Whilst itâs possible to hire an experienced editor to streamline your work, their services donât come cheap. Still, you need to engage in the back and forth with the editor to ensure theyâre making the necessary changes.
Luckily for you, our free thesis checker can help make all the necessary grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence construction changes. And with the thesis plagiarism checker online tool, you can catch accidental plagiarism in your work.
Although there are multiple online proofreading tools, not all are created equal. Thanks to the versatility of our tool, it is one of the best thesis checker/s for students and teachers currently available on the market.
Here are some of the features of our thesis finder online tool that you can take advantage of:
This thesis finder tool comes with a comprehensive grammar and spelling functionality, which helps you identify and fix grammar, spelling, poor word choice, & syntax issues in your thesis papers and dissertations. Once done, the dissertation grammar checker offers the most appropriate suggestions depending on the style and context of your texts.
âHow to grade a dissertationâ and âhow to rate my thesisâ are some of the most searched phrases online. Largely because students are always curious to know how well theyâre going to perform. Our tool also doubles as a thesis grader online tool, helping you to know your grades before handing in your academic papers. Teachers, on the other hand, can use our thesis rater to grade studentsâ papers, which is faster compared to manual grading.
Writing a thesis paper or a dissertation is a time-consuming and energy-draining process, and it’s common for students to forget to insert commas, periods, or parentheses during the writing process. Our thesis checker online free tool can accurately identify missing and wrongly-used punctuations in your texts. It also suggests the best punctuation choice based on the grammar suggestions it makes.
On top of its grammar correction functionality, our thesis checker can be used to identify extra spacing between words, proper nouns, and wrong capitalizations. It can also be used to check, capitalize, and improve your headlines and topics.
Of all the writing concerns that you may face, the unethical act of plagiarism is the most revered. Whether accidental or intentional, the ramifications of plagiarism in academic writing are serious and could lead to expulsion from school and a damaged reputation. Our comprehensive dissertation plagiarism checker analyzes your academic papers and compares them against billions of academic databases and web pages to detect plagiarism.
Using our thesis identifier is a simple and straightforward process. Simply follow these easy steps;
Whether you are a student or a teacher, using our dissertation grade calculator comes with multiple benefits.
Our online dissertation help checker has an easy-to-use interface, making it ideal for beginners. Anybody, irrespective of their tech know-how can use this tool to grade and identify correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and spelling mistakes.
Using our strong thesis checker helps improve your sentence structures, allowing you to convey your ideas efficiently. There is nothing more disheartening for a student to write a great and thoroughly-researched thesis paper/dissertation only for it to confuse the readers.
Unlike the time-consuming manual proofreading and editing process, our check my thesis rater provides instant feedback. Simply paste your typed text in the editor, hit the check button, and it will instantly identify what you need to correct and suggest how to do it.
Itâs common knowledge that most students donât have the financial wherewithal to hire a professional editor or even invest in a premium thesis checker. For this reason, our tool comes with a free version that has no limitations in terms of use, making it ideal for everyone. Whatâs more, you donât need to create an account with us to perform your check.
Now that we have seen the common mistakes when writing a thesis paper/dissertation and how our online checker can help, letâs introduce a few tips for writing the best academic papers.
A thesis defense has two parts: a thesis and a defense. The second mistake many students make is not knowing what their thesis is. The third mistake is not knowing how to defend it. (The first mistake is described later.)
Your thesis is not your dissertation. Neither is it a one-liner about what you are doing. Your thesis is "a position or proposition that a person (as a candidate for scholastic honors) advances and offers to maintain by argument." [Webster's 7th New Collegiate Dictionary] "I looked at how people play chess" is not a thesis; "people adapt memories of old games to play new games" is. A thesis has to claim something.
There are many kinds of claims. Most of the work around here is either design (you built an AI program or learning tool) or modelling (you have a theory of how something works). Such work usually supports one of the following kinds of claims:
where "X" is your model of memory, learning algorithm, authoring tool, learning environment, etc., and "Y" is a task or goal, such as understanding text, learning algebra, writing programs to teach algebra, etc.
Besides being a proposition, a thesis has to have another property: it must say something new . "Understanding natural language requires context" is not a thesis (except maybe in a linguistics department). "Algorithm X is a feasible mechanism for understanding anaphoric references in newspaper text" is. So is "context is not required for visual understanding."
A defense presents evidence for a thesis. What kind of evidence is appropriate depends on what kind of thesis is being defended. There are very different defenses for each of the kinds of claims given above.
One defense for this kind of claim is an analysis of the complexity, or completeness, or whatever, of the theoretical algorithm. In AI, the more common defense is based on empirical results from running a program. A good defense here means more than one example, and answers to questions such as the following. What are the capabilities and limits of your program? How often do the things that your program does come up in the real world? What's involved in extending it? If it's easy to extend, why haven't you? If your program is a piece of a larger system, how realistic are your assumptions about input and output?
Analogous questions arise in the design of learning environments. You should be able to argue that your environment can support learning in more than one specific arena, and what would be involved in implementing it elsewhere. You should be clear and specific about when it would not be a good approach.
The same kind of defense applies here as in the previous case, but now serious comparisons with previous systems are required. In AI, can your program do the same examples the previous programs did, or can you make them do yours? Can you prove they couldn't do your examples? If you claim to be more efficient, what are you measuring?
In the learning sciences, what do you mean by "better" and how are you measuring it? Are you sure the other approaches wouldn't work just as well if they had you spending all that time on them?
This is usually defended by a logical argument. It is usually very tough to do, even if the argument doesn't have to be formalized.
Many students in AI make the mistake of picking a cognitive modelling thesis to defend, thinking that something that looks cognitively plausible is therefore OK. Defending a cognitive model requires serious experimental evidence. Selected excerpts from protocols and surveys of your officemates are not psychological evidence, no matter how much they might have inspired your work.
Collecting enough evidence to really defend a thesis is hard. If you think you have a lot of theses, you probably just have a bunch of undefended claims. One good thesis, or two so-so theses, with adequate description and defense, is more than enough to fill up a dissertation.
Highly unlikely. If you're bright, educated, and have worked hard on a topic for more than a year, you must have learned something no one else knew before.
The first mistake that AI students make is to think that a thesis has to be grander than the theory of relativity. A thesis should be new and interesting, but it doesn't have to change the foundations of all we believe and hold dear.
There's a mistaken view of thesis research that it starts with a thesis and then an investigation to prove or disprove the thesis. That only happens in fields that have matured to "filling in the blanks," and even then it only happens with advisors who like to stick to tried and true questions.
In young fields such as AI and the learning sciences, you'll never start with a claim. Very few of you will even get to start with a question! You start by exploring one or more problems in some task domain. You'll start with some initial ideas, naive or clever, and push them hard for a year or so. Then, you need to stop and think about what you've done and what you've learned. Among your accomplishments and experience, there will be several good candidate theses. Pick one. Test it out on your advisor and other faculty members. Test it out on other students. Watch out for the following flaws:
Once you refined your claim, now you can determine what kind of defense is appropriate for it and what more you need to do. This is where the psychologically hard part comes, because to create a defense for your thesis, you're going to have to attack it harder than anyone else. What happens if the thesis fails? Negate it and defend that! In a year or so of focussed research, you should be ready for a real thesis defense.
See how easy it is, once you know how?
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Reviewed by David Krug David Krug is a seasoned expert with 20 years in educational technology (EdTech). His career spans the pivotal years of technology integration in education, where he has played a key role in advancing student-centric learning solutions. David's expertise lies in marrying technological innovation with pedagogical effectiveness, making him a valuable asset in transforming educational experiences. As an advisor for enrollment startups, David provides strategic guidance, helping these companies navigate the complexities of the education sector. His insights are crucial in developing impactful and sustainable enrollment strategies.
Updated: March 17, 2024 , Reading time: 21 minutes
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Going into college, students may need to make a lot of decisions. First-year students may have to deal with choosing their degree programs and moving into their dormitories. With the evolving educational system in the U.S., many schools are retrofitting their curriculums and offering more academic options.
Most universities are leaning toward holistic development and incorporating diversity into their programs. With this, according to the U.S. Census Bureau , there’s an upward trend in the number of college graduates in the country every year.
In terms of academic programs, there are different fields to choose from, including architecture, communications, and business. In addition to the various fields, there are also several majors to choose from, such as computer engineering, public health, and graphic design. Most programs are designed for classroom learning and experiential learning.
College students may also take up minors that complement their major, or it may be from a different field, such as one that fits their interests or may help them with their future careers. Some minors may include urban planning, creative writing , or different cultural studies. Aside from this, students may also have to choose between a two-year or four-year undergraduate program.
After high school, students may either earn a bachelor’s degree or opt for an associate degree. The two degrees vary primarily by the duration of the academic program. Bachelor’s programs typically take four years to finish.
In fact, according to a report , 41% of students earning a bachelor’s degree finish it within four years. This requires the student to finish 120 credit hours, providing a broad education based on various subjects and an academic major.
Basic subjects, such as history, social sciences, and mathematics are usually covered within the program’s first half. Students are exposed to subjects dealing with their chosen major, like business or engineering majors, towards the second half.
Bachelor’s degree programs may be divided into Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). B.S. degrees usually deal with mathematical sciences, while B.A. degrees may include social sciences and fine arts.
On the other hand, associate degrees are earned by taking up 60 credit hours, which usually takes two years to finish. Most community colleges and state universities offer this degree program. If you’re planning to finish an associate degree, you must complete a program consisting of different subjects under general education, a concentration in a particular field, and different electives based on your interests.
Most bachelor’s degree programs include a thesis during the student’s last year in college or senior year. In most programs, a thesis is primarily designed to ensure students understand their field or major. It serves as a culmination of what they have covered in their curriculum. Students are generally required to think critically about the work they do and answer open-ended questions.
A good thesis may aim to provide solutions to problems from different fields backed by reliable data. It may come in different forms, such as exploratory thesis, development project, and production.
A development project may aim to create or enhance existing standard practices or working methods. This may involve suggesting improvements to maximize certain parameters. For example, students may study the effects of automating businesses to improve their productivity.
On the other hand, the production thesis involves creating new products or formulating new tools. This may be practiced in advertising or business marketing, where students may be asked to produce marketing tools or new products.
Lastly, an exploratory thesis may deal with either a development thesis or production. It may involve evaluating certain procedures qualitatively or quantitatively. Additionally, the method may involve the exploration and testing of theoretical ideas. In this type of thesis, students often gather the data to be used in the thesis independently.
Thesis writing isn’t always necessary for completing academic programs. It usually depends on the course track and whether or not making a thesis fits the subject taken. Nowadays, many schools offer both a thesis route and a non-thesis one to fit their students’ preferences.
For the non-thesis track, students are given the option to take more classes instead of completing a thesis. It also applies to students seeking additional subjects within their field. Alternatively, you can either conduct research or complete supervised fieldwork rather than writing a thesis.Â
Students earning an undergraduate degree in a certain field and major may present a topic related to their major. There are many majors to choose from. Some majors requiring a thesis include Philosophy, Business Administration, and Literature. A variety of subtopics may be selected for research and investigation.
For example, a civil engineering student taking up a major in structural design may present a thesis about the effects of an earthquake on the building’s structural safety. In the same way, English majors may tackle topics related to different authors and literary works across different genres.
Business majors may present different proposals to improve production procedures or test out strategies to increase sales turnout.
Writing a thesis paper is usually the final requirement before graduation. If you’re in your senior year, this is vital in ensuring a diploma. Thesis writing takes a long process and involves a lot of patience since it may involve tedious work such as data collection and research. Here are the different phases involved in creating a thesis:
Establishing the Thesis Problem
This also involves knowing your topic and creating the thesis title. By reading current research or theories on your topic, you may check if there is a research problem to be solved. It’s best to formulate a clear research question that identifies all the relevant issues. It’s also best to find a faculty advisor with ample knowledge of the subject you’ll be tackling.
Build a strong working relationship with your chosen advisor from whom you’ll be getting insights. Ask for their teaching schedule so you’ll know when to approach them for consultation.
Creating a Plan
Some thesis advisers require a project plan at the start. This is to ensure that there’s a proper procedure and thought process followed from research to defense. If you’re struggling with creating a plan, you may start with an outline of your proposal. Then you may slowly build up your research per section. It’s important to know where to find your sources and what topics to research.
Doing your Research
Students are required to read related literature and previous projects related to your topic. This may help in being more familiar with the subject matter and in establishing your methodology. Setting up the project often takes up a substantial portion of research time for most students.
Writing the Thesis Paper
This doesn’t just involve writing the final output. Thesis writing is done from the start of the project to establishing the research of the topic and gathering needed data. Another important aspect of a thesis paper is the analysis of the result of the experiment and how it can solve the problem stated at the start of the thesis.
Lastly, conclusions and recommendations are crucial in completing a thesis paper. It’s important to relate the conclusion to the statement problem. Then, you may draw recommendations from the conclusion.
Editing and Submission
After creating your final output, the advisor usually goes over the paperwork and recommends edits to improve the flow and data tabulation. Seek guidance and be open to criticism ! This is important in polishing certain sections of the thesis paper. Certain guidelines may also be set to keep all the reports uniform.
It’s important to follow the prescribed guidelines such as the font size, font style, and cover page. After all the editing is done, most departments require several formal printed copies of the manuscript for submission to the panel.
Defending the Thesis
Students defending their undergraduate thesis usually present their study, along with the results and how they came up with it. If you’re presenting data, prepare illustrations and graphs to organize them and show correlations efficiently. It is advisable to keep your presentation concise based on the limited discussion time given to you.
To draft an effective presentation, you may start by discussing the background of the study and its problem statement. Then, you may show how you could gather the data needed to solve or support your study’s objectives.
After presenting the methodology, you may present the results effectively by creating graphs and charts. The final part of the presentation would be your study’s conclusion.
The thesis defense is usually presented to a panel consisting of different faculty members knowledgeable about the subject. Following the presentation, the panel will be asking a series of questions that are relevant to the write-up.
Some questions may tackle the research methodology and the significance of the study. That is why it pays to be ready and possess exceptional knowledge of the thesis paper.
Introduction
With the introduction, it’s important to give a clear overview of what the paper will be about. Aside from stating the subject, this section is also a good start to introducing the purpose of the study and its intended audience.
It’s also the part where you can establish the boundaries for the study, which may help you focus more on getting focal results. Background information is also best discussed in this section.
Problem Statement
When dealing with the problem statement, it’s important to be specific with the subject and its terms. This is so you can focus on a particular problem and avoid investigating a broad range of problems associated with a topic. This may lead to unmanageable methodologies, and chances are, you’re proposal may be rejected.
The key is to have a topic that you’re interested in and find a specific problem or subtopic that you want to delve more into. Aside from specifically stating the problem, this section may include a short description of how to solve it. It may also include a summary of the proposal’s purpose and scope.
Literature Review
The literature review may come in a separate section or as part of the introduction. Either way, it’s best to find various sources related to the topic and problem. It’s best to include different sides of the subject and organize them in a structured layout.
Methodology
This section includes how data is gathered and how it will be analyzed. You may also describe how you chose the research design and formulated the methods. Don’t forget to include the description of each procedure so readers may understand them more.
You may also include certain limitations to the method applied. This may show the readers that you are aware of your constraints and have taken the necessary steps to manage them.
Results and Discussion
This section outlines the results after following the methods in the previous section. Most of the data in the research may be found in this section, and its analysis may be found in the discussion. You may use different graphs and tables to show the data in a more organized manner.
The discussion section shows the interpretation of the illustrations and the correlation of the results to the questions at the start of the thesis. It’s best to cite references while discussing the results, adding more credibility and scientific backing to the claims.
It’s best to summarize the important information obtained in the conclusion since some readers may go to this section right away. To effectively write your conclusion, it’s important to relate the results of your experiment or research to the objective and problem of the study.
You may enumerate and summarize the results when relating them to the study’s objectives. Be sure to include recommendations on improving data-gathering methods and suggest other areas that other researchers may focus on.
Recommendations
You may also add a section containing recommendations that are related to your topic. This may include suggesting further studies or diving into a similar subtopic to support different claims. It’s important to write this section with the target audience in mind. You may separate each recommendation according to its appropriate audience.
Citing your sources is an important element in an effective thesis paper. You may organize all your references in one section, alphabetically, to keep them in order. This may help the readers read on research topics and may make your statements more credible.
Footnotes are also beneficial but having a section listing all your sources will make the paper more organized.
Writing a thesis paper comes in different parts. In every section, you may face different challenges and hardships. With this, here are some tips to consider when writing your thesis:
Going into a thesis defense can be both challenging and stressful. It’s important to consider it as an opportunity to share your knowledge and understanding of the research. Be sure to discuss your topic and results with your panel in great detail and reconsider simply throwing in arguments for the sake of it. Your presentation will also play a pivotal role during a thesis defense.
It’s best to look for simple presentation templates since the panel may be distracted by full graphics. Make sure that the colors used in your slides are easy on the eyes and keep the animation minimal. You may prepare a clear presentation structure that starts with a title and a brief introduction to the study. Your introduction may include the field of the topic and its relevance.
Keep it short, as you might need more time to discuss the latter sections of the report. You may include highlights from literature related to the study, followed by the research methodology.
Aside from showing relevant information, such as its sample population and type of study, make sure to enumerate the steps taken clearly. You may use bullets to create an organized methodology presentation. Also, be sure to include why you chose the specific methodology and how your data was analyzed.
The next part of your presentation will include the results of your experiment or survey. It’s important to highlight the important data and results . Improve your presentation by showing the collected information in graphs or illustrations such as bar graphs or pie charts.
When presenting data through graphs, make sure to use contradicting colors that may emphasize differences and label them accordingly to avoid any confusion.
In the discussion section, present only the significant findings and how it is relevant to your topic. Make sure that the conclusions are concise and answer the problem statements of the study. You may include the limitations of the study, along with your suggestions, through the recommendations section. You may end your presentation by sharing your conclusion and recommendation.
Ace your Oral Defense
Defending your thesis is the last step of your thesis and probably the most nerve-wracking too. Your oral defense may make or break your entire thesis journey, so it’s best to exert effort on acing it. With this, here are some tips to take control of your thesis defense:
Start with an introduction.
It’s best not to jump into the report right away. Take your time in introducing yourself or your groupmates if you’re working in pairs or threes. You may also acknowledge the members of the panel. This also gives you some time to ease into your place and prepare for the presentation. However, it’s best to make your introductions quick since you may be given a limited time to present.
Calm your nerves.
Getting nervous before a presentation is normal. However, you shouldn’t let it get the best of you and everything you have worked hard for. Being nervous while presenting may lead to you talking fast, which may confuse the panel. It may even cause you to forget and miss the report’s important highlights.
It’s best to take a deep breath and take your time going over the presentation. It’s also alright to pause before answering any question from the panel. This allows you to think and articulate your answer more clearly.
Prepare beforehand.
It’s important to go over the report several times and review the results to understand them fully. Aside from understanding the thesis paper, find time to prepare for the presentation used for the oral defense. Knowing its flow and highlights may help you maintain your confidence during the presentation.
Be sure to practice and prepare what you’ll be saying. Despite sounding scripted, preparing a script may help you finish the presentation within the given time constraint.
Formulate possible questions.
One way to effectively prepare for an oral defense is to anticipate the panel’s questions. Take time to think about possible questions and scenarios that may be raised. Take time to list them down and research each one. This may also give you additional insight into your subject that you have missed previously. Understand the questions and formulate your answers in advance.
Keep it short but concise.
Most students are given a short time to present their thesis. If you’re presenting your thesis, it’s integral only to include the main points and important information. You may include relevant results and organize them through graphs or tables.
Avoid adding unnecessary animations that may take time and go straight to the point in terms of presentations. You may save time by following PowerPoint templates designed for presenting studies.
Be confident.
Be confident , or at least try to pretend until you finish the whole defense. It’s important to maintain eye contact, especially with the panel. Appearing timid may show that you’re not prepared or knowledgeable of your topic.
Additionally, it’s important to talk clearly and emphasize certain words, which may help you avoid sounding monotonous. You may create an outline and prepare handy notes that you can check from time to time.
Answering questions is part of every thesis defense. After sharing your thesis presentation, the panel will be asking various questions to clarify certain areas of the study. To evaluate your understanding of the topic, you may be asked to expound on the different methods applied to the research.
It’s important to be aware of the usual questions so you can prepare in advance. Here are some of the possible questions to be asked in a thesis defense:
After presenting your thesis through an oral defense, the panel will deliberate on the results and produce amendments to the study. Some may be given a passing mark wherein there are no changes to be made. This takes you a step closer to graduation. However, there are times when panelists may suggest certain revisions to the thesis paper.
These revisions vary from major to minor amendments. Sometimes, the student will need to redo an oral defense to present the changes to their study. Some revisions may be as small as changing some literature reviews or as big as restructuring the methodology and gathering the data again.
Failure marks are also possible but very rare since there is usually no limit to the revisions to be made. It may take longer than usual to finish the entire thesis process.
Different undergraduate degrees come with various requirements. One of which is creating a thesis paper. Bachelor’s degree programs typically involve a thesis in the student’s final year of college. It’s a culmination of what the student has covered throughout their course or major.
A thesis paper comprises different sections, such as its introduction, methodology, and conclusion. Each section supports the established main topic and the study’s problem statement.
If you’re finished with editing and submitting your thesis paper, the last part of the process is presenting your study in front of a panel through a thesis defense. This is vital for teachers to understand how you worked with the thesis. It may also help them assess if you’re knowledgeable enough about the topic covered.
During the thesis defense, it’s best to show a short presentation to allow time for some questions from the panel. In terms of presenting data, be sure to organize them through charts and graphs and label them accordingly. Use slides that are simple and visually pleasing.
When presenting, it’s recommended to come prepared and be confident when addressing the panel. The panel may not expect you to know everything, but they will most definitely watch how you conduct yourself during the thesis defense.
Weâre certain of one thingâyour search for more information on picking the best graduate degree or school landed you here. Let our experts help guide your through the decision making process with thoughtful content written by experts.
A hypothesis is a supposition or proposed explanation (often reframed as a defensible thesis statement) which concisely sums up the central argument of a research project. For this course, a central question is used to help derive a defensible hypothesis. |
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Topic Development: Two sample questions emerge from the two methods used:
The 5 W's Method | The PICO Method |
kidney physiology, volume regulation, and osmolarity responses in astronauts traveling to Mars? | the frequency & intensity of inflammation & stability of gut flora (O) compared to NSAID and immunosuppressant treatments alone (C)? |
In order to transform these questions into working thesis statements, start by simply shifting or reframing the verb from a point of question to a point of declaration!
The 5 W's Method | The PICO Method |
in kidney physiology, volume regulation, and osmolarity response? | the frequency & intensity of inflammation & stability of gut flora (O) compared to NSAID and immunosuppressant treatments alone (C)? |
By shifting or reframing the verb , these questions have now become testable Hypotheses from which an experiment is designed, variables are tested, methods are established, data is gathered, evidence is given, and conclusions are demonstrated.
Best practices: dissertation and defense.
After you have received approval for your post-quals prospectus by your committee, you proceed to research, write, and refine your dissertation, using your approved prospectus as a blueprint for this stage. Your finished dissertation, along with its oral defense, is the final part of your requirements for the PhD degree.
The dissertation defense routing form , has been developed to clarify the program's expectations for you, the committee, the dissertation, and the defense.
The dissertation planning worksheet has also been developed to help you plan and write your dissertation proposal.
The TCR program generally expects that the entire committee will work closely with you during your preparation for the qualifying exam and the subsequent period of developing a solid dissertation proposal.
After the proposal has been accepted by the entire committee, the next stage of work will generally involve you and your chair, with periodic progress reports to the entire committee. Every committee may set up its own rules for progress reports, the sharing of text, and communication channels, but the default position of the program is that you and your chair work closely to transition from the post-quals proposal to finished dissertation prose. Further, the faculty expect to receive the first two or three finished chapters midway between quals and the defense as a way of ensuring that the work is progressing according to the proposal. Committee practices may vary, but we generally agree that early approval of the first three chapters helps keep the project on track. For many committees, these chapters include the introduction, literature review, and methods, that is, material that deals with the nature and scope of the project itself, your coverage of the foundations in the pertinent scholarship, and your research methods. Other types of dissertations may proceed in different ways, of course; you should discuss the order of submissions with your committee.
You should plan on submitting brief progress reports to your committee at least every semester, identifying work completed, changes made, proposed changes to the proposal, and work remaining. Be sure to set up good protocols for archiving and version control. Many of the TCR faculty spend hours providing feedback to better your dissertation; please make sure to deal with every comment made before sending in another version. If a committee member feels that his or her earlier comments were not yet dealt with, he or she can refuse to review again until they are.
For the faculty's part, you may expect us to respond to your polished prose within four weeks. Many times, we will be able to read and comment more quickly, of course, but you should factor faculty workload into your expectations for progress.
One of the main reasons for the development of the dissertation routing form [pdf] is to reaffirm a philosophy about scheduling defenses. It is not acceptable to "plant your flag" on a particular semester of graduation, and then insist that the faculty meet your calendar of deadlines. Doing so creates incredible pressure on both the student and the committee, and almost always results in a weak and unfinished dissertation, not to mention a sometimes contentious defense. To clarify the process, your faculty have written this document to lay out the steps and timing of the dissertation defense. You'll graduate when you are finished with the outlined steps.
These expectations are represented in the dissertation defense routing sheet. As you complete a stage, collect a signature, or check a box, please submit an electronic copy to your committee and the Director of Graduate Studies so that we can all be on the same page (literally). When you have secured your committee's approval of a defensible draft, then you may schedule a date and a room for your defense. Please note: From the time you have finished your dissertation draft, which is as complete and proofread as you know how to make your dissertation, it is 3 months to your defense date. The chair gets four weeks with the dissertation defense draft, the committee receives another four weeks, and when the entire committee says you are ready to defend (at the end of these eight weeks), you can schedule a defense four weeks in the future. There may still be revisions after the defense, too, so keep that in mind when hoping to graduate in a certain semester.
When you submit work to your chair, and when you and your chair are ready to send that work to the rest of the committee, we expect that work to be polished. We expect it to be well-argued, proofread, grammatically and structurally correct, and free from spelling errors. We expect the formatting to be consistent, with page numbers, appendices and other back matter included. Work that needs basic editing will be returned--that's your job, not the committee's. Committee members will send the chapter back if it's full of typos and other basic problems.
What is a defensible draft of a dissertation ? It is all of the above, consistently applied across the entire dissertation. It is as close to a finished document as you are able to produce, understanding that the defense may raise questions that will need to be addressed before the dissertation is finally approved. You have finished everything you know that needs to be done, including completed front matter, bibliography, and appendices.There are no comments about "to be inserted," no missing references. It is as perfect as you alone can make it. The only changes that remain are those that the committee requests, and this may be little or much, depending on how well written the document is and how much of the document the committee has already seen. This is the way academic publishing works for everyone--we produce our best work, submit it to peer review, and make changes to satisfy the reviewers (who represent the values of the field) until the work is deemed finished. The same principle holds for you and your dissertation.
By submitting the advisor-approved dissertation draft to your committee two months before your defense, both you and your committee will experience a productive (and enjoyable) defense that focuses on your ideas, research, process, and significance, rather than dwelling on structure, confusion, and errors. Plus, you will have that month before the defense to incorporate their comments, which means less work for you after the defense.
A good starting point for thinking about the defense is the Graduate School's " Doctoral Oral Defense Guidelines ." Please expect to adhere to these guidelines.
As you can see from the Graduate School's guidelines, the oral defense is an examination, and you should arrive prepared to discuss your dissertation, methods, findings, and significance. The defense is a thorough interrogation of your methods, theories, and findings, and it calls for serious deliberation and a vote by the committee at the end of the exam.
In order to proceed to the examination, we request that you keep your initial remarks brief. In the past, some students have consumed more than 45 minutes, and this length makes it impossible for faculty to participate fully in a thorough exam. Different committees have different expectations, but 20-25 minutes is more than enough time to both refresh the committee's memory and also to introduce the visitors in the room to the exigence of the problem, your research question, your approach, and your findings. In other words, these "introductory remarks" are not a comprehensive lecture, but rather contextualizing remarks to kick off the exam. Please restrict yourself to a short presentation, then sit down for the defense.
You must bring the printed defense copy of your dissertation with you. It should be the same copy the committee received 8 weeks previous, so that the committee can ask you questions about specific sections and pages. When asked a question about your method for generating the figure on page 145, for example, you will be able to turn to that page and answer specific questions.
It is also up to you to bring the signature form for your committee to sign. All relevant forms are available at the Graduate School's website , including dissertation templates.
We strongly encourage PhD candidates to come to Lubbock and be physically present with their committees and the public for their dissertation defenses. But if coming to Lubbock creates too much hardship on the student, and the student's dissertation committee agrees, then the committee can decide to allow the student to defend at a distance (e.g. via video conferencing technology). The committee's decision should be informed by the TTU Graduate School's " Doctoral Oral Defense Guidelines ," which remind us that "the examination is a public affair and the candidate should be prepared to defend his or her work before anyone who may question it."
For students defending from a distance, technological connections must be robust enough that students can explain, discuss, and defend dissertations in a manner equivalent with that of students who are physically present in the defense room.
If a defense is unable to proceed for any reason, the committee will require the student to postpone the defense, which may, in turn, delay graduation.
Description.
Looking for thesis statement activities to help your APÂŽ Lang students better understand what a defensible thesis is?
This quick-and-easy digital resource includes customizable templates and self-checking Google Slides thesis statement activities to help students learn the expectations of a defensible thesis statement for synthesis, rhetorical analysis, and argument essays.
What's included:
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Looking for more resources to help students write a defensible thesis?
Looking for more rhetorical analysis lesson ideas? Check out Coach Hall's 9-week RA Unit.
Disclaimer: This resource is not affiliated with or endorsed by The College Board.
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This page contains reference examples for published dissertations or theses.
Kabir, J. M. (2016). Factors influencing customer satisfaction at a fast food hamburger chain: The relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (Publication No. 10169573) [Doctoral dissertation, Wilmington University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Miranda, C. (2019). Exploring the lived experiences of foster youth who obtained graduate level degrees: Self-efficacy, resilience, and the impact on identity development (Publication No. 27542827) [Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University]. PQDT Open. https://pqdtopen.proquest.com/doc/2309521814.html?FMT=AI
Zambrano-Vazquez, L. (2016). The interaction of state and trait worry on response monitoring in those with worry and obsessive-compulsive symptoms [Doctoral dissertation, University of Arizona]. UA Campus Repository. https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/620615
Published dissertation or thesis references are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.6 and the Concise Guide Section 10.5
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Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be.
So, what is a defensible thesis and how do you write one for a rhetorical analysis essay? A defensible thesis means that the thesis or position can be justified, proven, or defended. You can craft a rhetorical analysis thesis statement with the following steps:
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Thesis Generator For Writing an Argumentative Thesis Follow the steps below to formulate an argumentative thesis statement. All boxes must contain text. To learn how to write other kinds of thesis statements, please see our Writing a Thesis page.
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A strong thesis statement must be precise enough to allow for a coherent argument and to remain focused on the topic. If the specific topic is options for individuals without health care coverage, then your precise thesis statement must make an exact claim about it, such as that limited options exist for those who are uninsured by their employers.
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Preparing for your PhD thesis defence As you start thinking about the end stages of your PhD, it's important to understand the processes and timelines related to the thesis defence so that your degree completion is not delayed. Even if your thesis defence seems far away, there are several planning considerations you can consider early on to help the end stages of your PhD go smoothly.
This video offers multiple suggestions for how to improve a thesis statement to make it defensible, thus earning the first point on the new 2019 AP Lang rubr...
If you have looked at the new AP English rubrics, chances are you noticed that there is now a thesis point for each free response essay. This video offers ti...
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Thesis: X is a feasible way to do Y. One defense for this kind of claim is an analysis of the complexity, or completeness, or whatever, of the theoretical algorithm. In AI, the more common defense is based on empirical results from running a program. A good defense here means more than one example, and answers to questions such as the following.
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The thesis defense is usually presented to a panel consisting of different faculty members knowledgeable about the subject. Following the presentation, the panel will be asking a series of questions that are relevant to the write-up. Some questions may tackle the research methodology and the significance of the study.
A Definition: A hypothesis is a supposition or proposed explanation (often reframed as a defensible thesis statement) which concisely sums up the central argument of a research project. For this course, a central question is used to help derive a defensible hypothesis. Characteristics of a Hypothesis: It should never be structured as a question.
1 point in the thesis category will be given to essays that respond "to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible position." 0 points will be given in the evidence and commentary section to any essay that "Simply restates thesis (if present), repeats provided information, or references fewer than two of the provided sources."
As you complete a stage, collect a signature, or check a box, please submit an electronic copy to your committee and the Director of Graduate Studies so that we can all be on the same page (literally). When you have secured your committee's approval of a defensible draft, then you may schedule a date and a room for your defense.
This quick-and-easy digital resource includes customizable templates and self-checking Google Slides thesis statement activities to help students learn the expectations of a defensible thesis statement for synthesis, rhetorical analysis, and argument essays. What's included: Topics Included: Looking for more resources to help students write a ...
This page contains reference examples for published dissertations or theses, which are considered published when they are available from a database such as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global or PDQT Open, an institutional repository, or an archive.