The Research Process: From Assignment to Finished Papers: Writing

Thesis statement

• A thesis statement provides you with a goal as you write. 
• A thesis statement is clear, concise and, most importantly, helps your reader to understand your purpose. 
• A thesis statement is often your research question + a claim about the topic. 
  • Too General: Global warming impacts the environment. 
  • Focused:Increasing temperatures in the Northeastern United States are transforming forests from coniferous to deciduous vegetation.[1]

Your argument should include what other scholars have said about the topic

• Formulating arguments
  • Speaking to and with academic sources
  • Accurately summarizing and paraphrasing other scholar’s work 
  • Situating your claims and arguments within a scholarly dialogue

In longer research papers, such as journal articles, thesis, and dissertations, this is called a literature review. However, even in short essays you should reference the work that others have completed to understand the problem you are investigating. A good source for this kind of writing is: 

Birkenstein, C., & Graff, G. (2018). They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. WW Norton & Company.

Proof reading and Revising    

• Writing your conclusion doesn’t mean you are finished! 
• Check your argument and evidence – does it match your thesis? 
• Organization – do you have one long paragraph? 
• Sentences and syntax – Read your work out loud. 
• Don’t be afraid to delete! It’s ok to delete a sentence (or three!) if they don’t align with your argument. 
• Visit the writing tutors! The Writing Resource Center https://www.esf.edu/wrc/wrc.htm