Methods for Creating a Thesis Statement (Process)

As with anything, you need to start by coming up with a TOPIC for your major research paper. Think along the lines of something that you would or have an interest in (since you are writing a long paper). Once you have a topic, come up with a QUESTION about that TOPIC that you would want to find answers for. Finally, you need to flip that QUESTION, by taking a side or stance on the QUESTION (your answer to the QUESTION) that you will then formulate as your argument to present in your paper. This answer to the QUESTION, on the TOPIC, with reasons you will provide will form your THESIS/CLAIM.

An example of this looks something like this (model your’s like this in your post):

TOPIC  

Flopping in basketball

QUESTION       

Does “flopping” in basketball ruin the game for the audience?

THESIS/CLAIM 

“Flopping” in basketball ruins the game for the audience because…

***A few notes***

1. For your topic, make sure you pick and narrow it down a bit to make sure its specific enough to fit the length of our research paper (8-10 pages).

2. At the end of thesis/claim there is “because…” this would be where YOU (if you were making that argument) would add reasons to make what is essentially an opinion into a argumentative statement.