Bias Based in Fact

Our research papers should be based on facts. However, we need to have a "controlling idea" in our thesis statements. The controlling idea is actually an opinion (or interpretation). I think this is where some people are getting confused over the role of opinion or bias in our writing. Opinion isn’t a bad thing, but we need to make sure our opinions are informed by facts. For example, “The Affordable Care Act is a good thing for the American people (opinion) because it will provide healthcare to all Americans regardless of health or income levels (fact).” Or, “The Affordable Care Act is a bad thing for Americans (opinion) because it will only drive the country further into debt without a means to pay for it (fact).” See how they work together? 

Sample Thesis Statements

A good thesis statement is the key to a good essay. You don’t want to choose a thesis that is too broad or too narrow. You want to make a clear point, but also need to be able to support that topic thoroughly.

Below is a list of five thesis statements—some good, some not so good. Which one would you say is the “best” thesis? Which one is the “worst”?

1.    Illegal immigration is a problem in the United States.

2.    Some southwestern states have passed laws cracking down on illegal immigration.

3.    Anti-immigration laws, such as Arizona’s SB-1070, do little to curb the number of attempted border crossings from Mexico to the United States.

4.    Most illegal immigrants in the United States come from Mexico.

5.    While illegal immigration has many negative effects on US citizens, our failure to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants has placed many people in danger.

Let me explain why these thesis statements are not as strong as they could be and how I would respond if a student submitted any of these as a thesis statement.


1. Illegal immigration is a problem in the United States.
 

This is a "yeah, duh" thesis statement. Turn on the news and every reporter or politician will tell you the same thing. Basically, this is obvious and doesn't offer any argument or solutions. This thesis is too simplistic and needs to go further.

2. Some southwestern states have passed laws cracking down on illegal immigration.

This is a fact, not a debatable claim. All you have to do it cite the legislations various states have passed in the last two years to prove it. As a fact, it is not a debatable claim and, therefore, is not an acceptable thesis statement because there is nothing to argue.

3. Anti-immigration laws, such as Arizona’s SB-1070, do little to curb the number of attempted border crossings from Mexico to the United States.

This is good. It has a clear subject (anti-immigration laws) and a clear argument (they don't work) which is contrary to what many people believe (that anti-immigration laws do work). It could be better by being more specific (why don't they work) or by offering a suggestion (how to make the laws better).

4. Most illegal immigrants in the United States come from Mexico.

Like #2, this is a fact. All you need to do is find a government website that gives statistics on numbers of illegal immigrants every year and you would be done. As a fact, it is not a debatable claim and, therefore, is not an acceptable thesis statement because there is nothing to argue.

5. While illegal immigration has many negative effects on US citizens, our failure to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants has placed many people in danger.

This one is also good (and probably the best one of the lot). The biggest problem is that "our" is a second-person pronoun ( a big No! No!), so watch out for that. The second problem is that it fails to name a clear subject. Who is "our"? Is it the laws or individual people who fail to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants? If it is laws, then there is a case here. But if it is talking about individual people, then it will be nearly impossible to prove.

Be Adaptable

Even if you have already submitted and receive approval on a thesis statement, don't feel like you are stuck with it. Sometimes we go into our topic with one idea, but after researching more, we change our minds. This is perfectly fine.

You should also remain open to adjusting your thesis as you continue to research. You may find that your original idea is too broad, or too narrow, as you write. In these cases, changing your thesis will help make the writing process easier.

After you think you are done with your paper, you will also have to go back and cross-check your paper with your thesis. Does the thesis match the paper? Does the paper actually do what the thesis claims it would? If the thesis and paper don’t actually match, it will be much easier to change your thesis (only one line) as opposed to changing your whole paper (several pages). 

Thesis to Outline

Once you have an effective thesis statement, you can easily build an outline. Once you have an outline, writing the rest of your paper becomes a breeze because you know what you want to say, when you want to say it, and why you want to say it. Let me show you how easy this is.

Sample thesis:

Online college writing classes are the most effective way for students  to strengthen their writing skills because students get individualized evaluations, they feel more comfortable asking questions of instructors, and they build confidence in their writing skills by learning organization and research skills.

Sample Outline:

1. Introduction
1. Evolution of Online Writing Classes
2. Overview of Current Offerings
3. Thesis Statement
2. Individualized Evaluations
1. Weekly Feedback
2. Corrected Assignments
3. Comfort in Asking Questions
1. Individual Forums
2. Main Forum Discussions and Support
4. Confidence in Writing Skills Built through Organization and Research Skills
1. Organization Emphasized through Step by Step Process of Essay Writing
2. Due Dates Evenly and Logically Planned
5. Conclusion
1. Overall Success of Online College Writing Classes
2. Re-phrase Thesis Statement

See how the thesis statement fits easily into an outline? The key to a strong paper is a strong thesis. Once you have that thesis, everything else just comes together.

How to Form a Thesis Statement

Once you have a limited topic, the next step is to think of a defendable opinion you have about it. In this instance I apply the formula limited topic  +  controlling idea and this is what I write:  

Online college writing classes are the most effective way for students  to strengthen their writing skills.

That is a perfectly acceptable thesis statement.  However, if you want to make it even easier for yourself, you can add a “plan of development, which is really just a list of about three reasons why you have that attitude about your limited topic.  Here is how I can make my thesis even clearer:

Online college writing classes are the most effective way for students  to strengthen their writing skills because students get individualized evaluations, they feel more comfortable asking questions of instructors, and they build confidence in their writing skills by learning organization and research skills.

My three reasons are in turquoise, pink, and gray and can be placed right into an outline which I talk about here. 

Narrowing Your Topic

After you choose a topic for your paper, you must then narrow it down. How and why do we do this?

We begin with a very broad topic (like ‘education’) and step by step narrow the topic so that it becomes one that will be manageable for a research paper. This is called a “limited topic.”  

Next, you will find sources about your limited topic, in this example I would look for sources that provide information about online college writing classes.  Often you gather more sources than you will need because you are not yet sure what you will be proving until you learn a little about your limited topic. 

Next, you read, highlight, and take notes from your sources.  This helps you to see what information you have really collected and helps you learn more about your limited topic.  

Finally, you take your limited topic and the information you learned through research to form a unique argument of your own. This will be your thesis statement, the backbone of your paper. Click Thesis Statement to see all posts relating to how to form an effective thesis statement.