Thesis.

Etimology1
The word "thesis" comes from the Greek θέσις, meaning "position", and refers to an intellectual
proposition. "Dissertation" comes from the Latin dissertātiō, meaning "discourse."

What is a thesis?2
A thesis statement declares what you believe and what you intend to prove. A good thesis
statement makes the difference between a thoughtful research project and a simple retelling of
facts.

A good tentative thesis will help you focus your search for information. But don't rush! You must
do a lot of background reading before you know enough about a subject to identify key or
essential questions. You may not know how you stand on an issue until you have examined the
evidence. You will likely begin your research with a working, preliminary or tentative thesis which
you will continue to refine until you are certain of where the evidence leads.

The thesis statement is typically located at the end of your opening paragraph. (The opening
paragraph serves to set the context for the thesis.)

Remember, your reader will be looking for your thesis. Make it clear, strong, and easy to find.

What is a thesis?3
The thesis is the controlling idea around which you construct the rest of your paper. In a history
paper, the thesis generally explains why or how something happened. Every word of your paper
should support your thesis. Information you do not directly relate to your thesis will appear
irrelevant. This means, of course, that in a paper with a weak or no thesis, much of the paper will
appear to be irrelevant and unguided.

How do I present the thesis?

The thesis should be contained in a single sentence that is concise and grammatically correct. This
is usually the last sentence of the first paragraph. More than one sentence may be necessary to
establish the thesis. The remainder of the introductory paragraph should draw the reader's
attention to the problem the thesis confronts, and define key terms that appear in the thesis.

What about theses in essay exams?

In an essay exam, the thesis is the one-sentence answer to the question posed; the remainder of
the paper will prove the thesis.

1
Wikipedia. www.wikipedia.org
2
School District of Springfield Township. Springfield Township High School. http://www.sdst.org/shs/
3
Bowdoin College. Writting Guides. http://www.bowdoin.edu/writing-guides/
The thesis is a scholarly argument.
Most writing attempts to convince the reader of something. Even a poetic description of a rock is
an attempt to convince the reader that the rock appears a certain way. A history paper takes a
stand on a historical issue or problem, and attempts to develop a coherent and persuasive line of
thought intended to convince the reader of the validity of that stand. Your thesis is the concise
statement of your argument.

Developing A Thesis4
Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening
argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or
not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury
members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how
the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should
think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm
interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it
a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed
in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing
that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to
trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the
fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how
you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

4
Harvard University. Faculty of Arts and Sciences. http://www.fas.harvard.edu/home/