Understanding the Components of an Undergraduate Dissertation July 27th, 2008 Writing your very first undergraduate dissertati

No matter what kind of academic paper you write, its success or failure is dependent on the quality of your thesis. You have to be able to persuade your readers that your research is interesting, that your argument is sound and can be proven, and that you are a veritable expert on your topic. Proving your statement is as important as the structure itself. To those ends, there are several tips and techniques which can help you.

To begin with, it is important to consider what a thesis truly is. A thesis statement is meant to tell your reader exactly how you will discuss and prove the importance of your subject. In fact, it is a map for the entire paper. It will tell your readers exactly what they can expect to find in the body of your paper. Ideally, it may claim something with which others do not agree – argument is the key to a truly successful paper. It proves that you have made your readers think and feel.

Your thesis needs to show up in at least two places. It does not matter whether you are writing a dissertation, a literature review, or a research proposal. Your thesis statement must show up in the introduction to your paper – where it is generally a single sentence – and then it must be rephrased in the conclusion of your paper. You do not have to repeat it in the body of your paper, because that is where you set about proving your statement.

Sometimes, your professor does not give you a set topic; you are allowed to write at your discretion, about any topic which interests you. Other times, your professor will give you a broad range of possible topics. In other words, however, he or she does not sketch out what your thesis statement should be for you. Some students think that this is where thesis writing gets tricky. The idealistic student, however, thinks that this is where things get interesting, because you are not limited in any way. You can form a solid argument all on your own, which challenges the bounds of your expertise, your knowledge, your creativity, and even your imagination.

It is incredibly important that you sit down and think about your thesis statement. In fact, you should start the research process while you are still thinking about your thesis. That way, you can begin by looking up possible sources, so that you will know if there is enough reputable information out there to back up your argument. Do not ever choose an easy thesis statement. Do not choose something that someone else has already proven effectively. If, for example, you want to write about the presence of sensuality and sexuality in Ginsberg’s poetry – well, that has been done too many times to count. It is not particularly going to interest anyone. However, if you have a new, innovative twist to put on that topic, it could make for a very intriguing statement. It is all about choices; you simply need to make sure that yours are strong.