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Writing Center Infographics Text: Creating a Thesis Statement

Creating a Thesis Statement

A thesis is a short statement that introduces the argument of your paper as a whole. It typically comes at the end of your introduction.

Elements

  1. Introduce Your Topic

Summarize and introduce the focus of your paper

  1. Explain Your Position

Explain the stance your paper takes on the topic

  1. Provide Rationale

Justify the significance of your stance.

  1. Thesis Development

When developing a thesis statement, you should start by writing down somoe initial idieas for what your thesis statement might look like.

Topic

Burnout in the mental health profession.

Position

Mental health professionals should practice mindfulness.

Rationale

Mindfulness can prevent and/or help burnout

  1. Translate

Form your notes and ideas into sentences or clauses that you can bring together in a thesis statement.

Topic

Mental health providers regularly experience burnout. Burnout negatively influences patient outcomes, job performance, and health.

Position

Mental health professionals should practice mindfulness.

Rationale

Mindfulness can decrease stress and combat the effects of burnout.

  1. Sample Thesis

Mental health providers regularly experience burnout in their profession, which negatively influences patient outcomes, job performance, and a provider’s own health. To decrease stress and combat the effects of burnout, mental health providers should practice mindfulness.

  1. Adding a Forecast

Think of the forecast as a roadmap for the rest of your paper.

It helps your reader understand where the paper is going and what to expect from each paragraph or section.

Implicit

Implies the organization and structure of your paper in the way you construct your thesis.

Vs.

Explicit

An additional sentence or two that comes after your thesis statement.