What is a thesis statement and how to write one?

In this post, you’ll learn what is a thesis statement and how to build well-founded arguments to support one.

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Table of contents:

1. What is a thesis?
2. Difference between thesis statement and final thesis
3. How to write a strong thesis statement
4. Questions to help you build a thesis statement
5. Format your paper according to APA with Mettzer

If you need to write a thesis statement for a paper or essay and don’t know where to start, this article is for you!

In this post, we’re going to talk about the thesis in a broad way, i.e. as a proposition to be defended.

This way, you can use our tips both for writing an essay and for other types of academic work 😉

Shall we?

What is a thesis?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, a thesis is:

“a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved”

In other words, a thesis – in a broad sense – is the central argument of a text or academic research. This argument must be supported by the person proposing it, based on empirical data and dialogue with relevant research on the subject.

The word thesis is derived from the Greek and means “something put forth” referring to an “intellectual proposition”.

In this way, we can understand a thesis as the construction of an original and well-founded argument on a subject.

This argument must be formulated based on original and critical interpretation of a given topic.

Difference between thesis statement and final thesis

Commonly, a thesis statement is required in academic papers and essays. It refers to the main argument of your text that must be supported with solid arguments, evidence, and facts.

In other words, a thesis statement is a sentence that synthesizes the main idea of your paper. 

You may present your thesis to the reader at the end of the first paragraph. This way, it gives direction to the text while bringing an overview of the topic being discussed. 

Types of thesis statements

These are three of the main types of thesis statements:

• Expository Thesis Statement: Explaining a topic
• Argumentative Thesis Statement: supporting a claim
• Analytical Thesis Statement: Analyzing an issue

On the other hand, a final thesis or a dissertation is a deep and long research required to complete an academic degree.

In these cases, a thesis statement also needs to be defended, but within the application of scientific methodology and according to the rules of each university.

Some final thesis must be defended in front of a university committee, where the student presents the results of the research to be evaluated.

How to write a strong thesis statement

1) Pay attention to the structure and length of the text

Before you start writing, you need to know how long the text will be to structure it more efficiently.

The central structure of most papers or essays is organized into an introduction, development, and conclusion.

In the introduction, you must contextualize the topic — using examples, data, or socio-historical descriptions. Then, you may present your thesis briefly, linking it to this contextualization.

The development — the largest part of the paper — is where you will deepen your thesis and support it. That’s why it’s important to present data, information, and examples with a critical reflection, strengthening your argument.

The conclusion brings the text to a close. In this part, you can briefly recap what has been argued, pointing to possible solutions to the issues raised.

2) Use current data and information

To demonstrate authority on the subject you are addressing, it is essential to present reliable and up-to-date data.

So keep an eye on the news and research on the subject of your thesis 🙂

But be careful not to reproduce incorrect information or fake news. Always follow reliable communication channels and scientifically based research.

3) Connect the arguments in a coherent and cohesive way

This is a fundamental step. There’s no point in having a strong thesis if you don’t know how to present it coherently and cohesively.

You can only write assertively and convincingly if you know how to structure your text, connecting your ideas and arguments to the thesis you are defending.

Therefore, in addition to organizing the text into an introduction, development, and conclusion, the use of cohesive elements, connectives, and phrasal topics can help you achieve the desired cohesion.

Questions to help you build a thesis statement

• Have you presented facts, data, and scientific research that supports your main idea?
• Have you organized your paper on introduction, development, and conclusion?
• Have you presented examples to support your claim?
• Does the paper have a sense of connectedness between the three parts?
• Is your thesis statement clear to the reader?
• Have you dialogue with positions that differ from your thesis and showed the strength of your claim compared to those?
• Have you referenced the bibliography correctly and avoided plagiarism?

Format your paper according to APA with Mettzer

Correctly formatting your paper ensures you are respecting scientific standards. 

Although formatting is not a very simple step, it can be easier with Mettzer 😉

Mettzer is the first and only digital platform that integrates – in one place the entire cycle of academic work. From planning your research, formatting in APA style to plagiarism checking.

Mettzer’s text editor formats any paper in APA style. It automatically generates citations and references for you.

Besides the citation generator, Mettzer’s text editor has a Plagiarism Checker to ensure the originality of your academic works.

You can even start your academic paper from a pre-ready template!

With Mettzer’s technology you save time to focus exclusively on what matters, which is the content of your research.

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