A Guide To Academic Writing: Examples Of Thesis Statements For Research Papers

One of the first things that students must do to write an essay is decide on a thesis. The thesis will provide the logical backbone to the entire essay and help the student to narrow down their research. Unfortunately, the thesis is also one of the most common problems with students' papers. The thesis must be written correctly and make an argument to be considered an actual thesis.

As students start to gain a better understanding of what they want to write, they should try to narrow down their ideas into a single topic sentence. This sentence should basically answer the question, “What am I wanting to prove?”. It should have a focus that is narrow enough to be covered within the length of the essay. To prevent thesis issues later on, students can always have their thesis checked and rechecked by their professor in advance. For some ideas about a potential thesis topics, read some of the following examples.

1. 1. America's environmental efforts should focus on improving the gas efficiency of vehicles.
2. 2. The illegal use of drugs harms society because it encourages gang violence and law-breaking.
3. 3. The popularity of suburbs in the United States has caused an increase in pollution.
4. 4. America's stance on the Israel/Palestine question has fueled conflict in the Middle East.
5. 5. Rather than find new domestic oil sources, America should focus on decreasing consumer demand for oil.
6. 6. College tuition rates in 1960s made it easier for lower-income students to attend college.
7. 7. Edgar Allen Poe's stories reflect a preoccupation with the fear of being buried alive and a personal focus on death.
8. 8. The rise of the Internet has made the research process easier and faster for modern college students.
9. 9. Queen Elizabeth I played a singular role in shaping England's future as a world power for centuries.
10. 10. Ayn Rand's theory of objectivism has played a key role in shaping the 21st century's conservative movement.
11. 11. Outlawing homelessness indirectly through laws against sleeping on sidewalks or loitering has made it more difficult for homeless people to get back on their feet.
12. 12. Drug rehabilitation is hampered by the media's technique of characterizing addicts as weak willed.
13. 13. A tax should be placed on junk food, candy and fast food because it leads to higher rates of obesity and higher medical costs.
14. 14. Second-hand smoke is a leading cause of cancer that should be prevented.
15. 15. Creating a human outpost on Mars would help to protect humanity from being exterminated in a mass extinction event.