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THESIS |
A
thesis is a complete sentence that states
what you intend to prove.
O.J.
Simpson should not be convicted of murdering his wife,
Nicole Brown Simpson.
A thesis paragraph summarizes the evidence you plan to
present.
O.J. Simpson should not be convicted of murdering his
wife, Nicole Brown Simpson.
There are three crucial factors that
compromise the credibility of the evidence against him.
First, the L.A. Police Department has been
proven corrupt and racially biased.
Second, the procedures for collecting
evidence, especially including blood samples from the scene of the crime and
the Bronco, were not accurately followed.
Third, the glove the prosecution maintained
that the murderer wore, did not fit Mr. Simpson. If the evidence does not fit,
you must acquit!
PROOF – THE BODY IS THERE
A thesis is justified, or proven, in the BODY of your paper. Each paragraph should reflect some aspect of your thesis that you are proving. The BODY provides your lawyer's case, with specific evidence, reasoning and justification.
CONCLUSION
The conclusion wraps the entire paper up. It reiterates the thesis statement, summarizes the examples given and generalizes the information.
There is evidence that suggests O.J. Simpson might not have murdered his wife. If there is doubt, there is not certainty. Without certainty, you must acquit. Three factors lead us to doubt. The L.A. Police department, including one of the primary detectives on the case, admitted to racially prejudicial statements and actions, including a history of planting evidence at crime scenes. Furthermore, the L.A. Police Department has admitted negligence in following its own specified evidence collection procedures, possibly mixing up and contaminating the blood samples from the crime scene and Bronco, not just in one instance but in every instance. Last, the prosecution provided a glove, assumed to be worn by the murderer, that was too small to even begin to fit Mr. Simpson's hand. If the evidence doesn't fit, you must acquit.
DEVELOPING YOUR RESEARCH THESIS
Think of yourself with a case to present in court or to a referee. It
must be based on fact to be successful.
Your first thesis statement is only a preliminary statement based on what you think your research will demonstrate. It is also simply a statement of what you plan to prove in your paper.
You may adjust, modify and change your thesis statement as your research, think and write your paper. Just because you’ve written it down on your thesis chart does not mean you have to stick to it.
EASY APPROACH
1. ASK YOURSELF A QUESTION (using a complete sentence)
Why should Zeus be fried in the electric chair?
2. ANSWER IT WITH A COMPLETE SENTENCE and you have your thesis.
Zeus is a mean, vindictive, unjust murderer who deserves the death penalty.
3. GO BACK TO YOUR THESIS AFTER YOU WRITE YOUR PAPER AND ADJUST YOUR THESIS TO MATCH WHAT YOU FOUND OUT.
The evidence you find in your research material may support your tentative thesis or it may completely change your original thesis. It’s okay to make changes.
Your research paper will eventually give the complete, well-researched answer to your research question.
Examples of good thesis questions and resultant thesis
statements:
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Question: Do computer games have negative affects on adolescents? |
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Question: What is the relationship between the feminist movement and the use of sexist language? Thesis: The feminist movement is largely responsible for the decline of sexist language. |
YOUR TURN
1. Write your thesis question.
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2. Write your thesis answer.
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