Thesis and Essay Map

The specific requirements of the research thesis are explained below. As explained in English 111, however, an acceptable thesis for any paper has certain basic features.

• It states the one main idea of the paper in a specific and straightforward sentence:

The Winged Chariot is a better car to buy than the Tortoise.

Desdemona in Shakespeare's Othello is a strong woman.

Another way to explain a thesis is to say that it states what the essay will be about--two automobiles or a character in a play--and also makes a statement about that subject--that one car is better to buy than another or that Desdemona is strong (and not weak as some readers have claimed).

• A useful thesis will also contain (or be accompanied by) an "essay map," a series of words, phrases, or clauses that state the main points to be made in the paper to support the thesis:

The Winged Chariot is a better car to buy than the Tortoise because of economy, safety, and options.

Desdemona in Shakespeare's Othello reveals that she is a strong woman through her willingness to marry Othello, her advocacy of Cassio, and her response to Othello's jealousy.

• The points of the essay map indicate the structure of the paper; they also correspond to the Roman numeral headings in the outline.
• The relationship between the thesis and the essay map is the same as that between a conclusion (the thesis or one main idea) and the premises of an argument (the points in the essay map) leading to the conclusion.
• The thesis is often most effectively placed toward the end of the introductory paragraph. Beginning with the thesis is a risky strategy because readers who disagree with it may be reluctant to continue reading. Working up to the thesis with a genuine introduction is more likely to capture and retain the reader's attention. Look for interesting introductions in your own reading and adapt the strategies that you think work well.
• A thesis as it appears on the outline page should be a direct, uncomplicated statement of the main point of the paper, with essay map. It must almost always be rephrased when made part of the introduction, however. A thesis lifted straight from an outline page will often seem awkward in an introduction. Sometimes rewriting it as more than one sentence for the introduction helps make it fit its new context.

Special requirements for the research thesis

• The thesis should be limited and specific

  Too broad and vague: The SAT is unfair.

  Better: The use of SAT scores as a major factor in college admissions policies is unfairly discriminatory.

  Still better: The use of SAT scores as a major factor in college admissions policies unfairly discriminates against applicants who do not do well in test situations, whose training has not prepared them for the specific kinds of material covered by the test, and who have valuable knowledge and aptitudes not measured by the test.
  

• The thesis should be a single declarative sentence, not a question or just a topic, although beginning with a question is often a good way to find a focus for the research project.

  Unsuitable: Is television harmful to children?

  Unsuitable: The harmful effects of television on children.

  Better: Excessive viewing of television is harmful to children because it interferes with their success in school developmentally, socially, and educationally.
  

• The thesis should express a point of view and should not be a mere statement of fact.

  Unsuitable: Marfan syndrome is a congenital heart disease.

  Better: Marfan syndrome is the most deadly form of heart disease because it has unusually severe effects on the heart, because its harmful nature is increased by any physical activity, and because it is extraordinarily difficult to detect.

[ English 112]  [ Unity and Coherence]