Developing a Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is a concise statement of the purpose of your paper. It lets your readers know what you will demonstrate and prove. Think of a thesis statement as an announcement of your final destination. You want to tell your readers where your project will take them. A thesis statement should be as specific and concise as possible, but it also should not limit your topic to the extent that material can not be found.
As you begin you may be uncertain about the direction of your paper, but it is important to establish a working thesis statement early in your work. This working thesis statement may be altered later as you read more widely and think more deeply about your topic, but it will help you to focus your research on a particular aspect of your topic and prevent you from wandering aimlessly as you work.
Compare these thesis statements:
| Weak and Imprecise | Strong and Concise |
| Wolves have always been portrayed as fierce and cold-blooded killers. | The fairy tales of the Grimm brothers are responsible for creating the stereotype that wolves are fierce, cold-blooded killers. |
| Statistics can be used to say whatever you want. | Advertisers often manipulate data to influence consumer purchasing. |
| It is important to save the apes from extinction. | Because apes are very unique animals, the United Nations should develop more effective means of protecting apes from poachers. |