what is the definition of thesis in relation to informational texts

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Writing a Paper: Thesis Statements

Basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

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39 Introduction to Informative Writing

Amy Minervini

By Amy Minervini

Exposition is writing that explains, informs, or describes. This type of writing is also known as the informative mode in that the main objective is not to narrate a story or persuade readers of something but rather to convey factual information , including observations and personal/others’ experiences. However, when writing an expository essay, you can include elements from other modes (storytelling, analysis, writer impressions, persuasion, etc.) although these would be secondary aims or even implied. The expository composition is a practical, authentic kind of writing that can stand on its own or serve as the foundation for your more developed research essays.

Key Characteristics

Expository writing generally exhibits the following:

• Emphasis on facts, observations, or personal/others’ experiences
• Organization marked by a logical flow or progression of information; chronological, order of importance/priority, or the step-by-step approach are the most common; transitions that guide the reader
• Close attention paid to detail and description
• No noticeable writer bias

Essay types within this Chapter

• Process analysis (how-to)
• Illustration

Introduction to the General Expository Essay

The following is excerpted from Crystle Bruno’s Commonsense Composition 3.1 Expository Essay

The main aim of an expository essay is to provide an effective explanation of a topic. While a descriptive essay strives to describe a subject or a narrative essay seeks to show personal growth, an expository essay tries to explain a topic or situation. Thus, expository essays are written as if the writer is explaining or clarifying a topic to the reader. Since an expository essay is trying to clarify a topic, it is important that it provides the categories or reasons that support the clarification of the paper. Moreover, these categories and reasons also provide the framework for the organization of the paper.

Components of the expository essay as the parts of a house.

Much like the categories are essential to clarifying the topic, organization is the key to any well-developed essay. When composing your essay, think of its organization as a house, with each component of an essay representing a major part of a house. Just as the foundation provides support on which a house can be built, a thesis represents the foundation upon which to build an essay. The introductory paragraph then functions as both the door and framework for an expository essay. Like a house door, the introductory paragraph must allow the reader to enter into the essay. Additionally, just as walls are built upon the framework of a house, the body paragraphs of an essay are organized around the framework or organizational scheme, presented in the introductory paragraph. The body paragraphs, much like the walls of a house, must be firm, strong and complete. Also, there must always be as many body paragraphs as the framework of the introductory paragraph indicates otherwise your essay will resemble a house that is missing a wall. Finally, an essay must include a conclusion paragraph that tops off the essay much like a roof completes a house. As the roof cements the structure of the house and helps hold the walls in place, the conclusion paragraph must reiterate the points within your body paragraphs and complete an essay.

Although the overall organization of an expository essay is important, you must also understand the organization of each component (the introductory, body and conclusion paragraphs) of your essay. The chart below identifies the essential parts of each component of your essay, explaining the necessary information for each type of paragraph. While the guidelines listed below may feel constrictive, they are merely meant to guide you as a writer. Ultimately, the guidelines should help you write more effectively. The more familiar you become with how to organize an essay, the more energy you can focus on your ideas and your writing. As a result, your writing will improve as your ability to organize your ideas improves. Plus, focusing your energy on your argument and ideas rather than the organization makes your job as a writer more exciting and fun.

Introductory Paragraph:

• Introduce the issue.
• Present the topic and its explanation or clarification.
• Provide the categories used to explain the topic.
• Provide the thesis statement.

Body Paragraphs:

• Begin with a topic sentence that reflects an explanation of the paper and the category being discussed in the paragraph.
• Support the argument with useful and informative quotes from sources such as books, journal articles, etc.
• Provide 2-3 quotes that connect the category being discussed to the explanation
• Provide 2-3 sentences explaining each quote more full, drawing stronger connections between the category and the explanation.
• Ensure that the information in these paragraphs is important to the thesis statement.
• End each paragraph with a transition sentence which leads into the next body paragraph.

Concluding Paragraph:

• Begin with a topic sentence that reflects the argument of the thesis statement.
• Briefly summarize the main points of the paper.
• Provide a strong and effective close for the paper.

Introductory Paragraphs

A strong introductory paragraph is crucial to the development of an effective expository essay. Unlike an argumentative essay which takes a stand or forms an opinion about a subject, an expository essay is used when the writer wishes to explain or clarify a topic to the reader. In order to properly explain a topic, an expository essay breaks the topic being addressed into parts, explains each component in relation to the whole and uses each component to justify the explanation of the topic. Thus when writing an introductory paragraph, it is crucial to include the explanation or clarification of the topic and the categories or components used to produce this explanation.

Since the success of the paper rests on the introductory paragraph, it is important to understand its essential components. Usually, expository papers fail to provide a clear explanation not because the writer’s lacks explanations or clarifications but rather because the explanations are not properly organized and identified in the introductory paragraph. One of the most important jobs of an introductory paragraph is that it introduces the topic or issue. Most explanations cannot be clarified without at least some background information. Thus, it is essential to provide a foundation for your topic before you begin explaining your topic. For instance, if you wanted to explain what happened at the first Olympic Games, your introductory paragraph would first need to provide background information about how the first games happened. In doing so, you ensure that your audience is as informed about your topic as you are and thus you make it easier for your audience to understand your explanation.

Below is a table describing and explaining the main jobs of the introductory paragraph.

Introductory paragraphs introduce the topic and suggest why it is important.

Example:   An analysis of the essay exam results of the new English class shows that the new class format promotes close reading and better essay organization.

This sentence tells the reader both that the topic of the paper will be the benefits of the new English class and that the significance of these benefits is the improvement of close reading and essay organization.

Introductory paragraphs outline the structure of the paper and highlight the main ideas.

Example:   Considering the results of the High School Exit Exam, it is apparent that school curriculum is not properly addressing basic math skills such as fractions, percentages and long division.

This sentence indicates that main ideas (fractions, percentages and long division) of the essay and indicates the order in which they will be presented in the body paragraphs.

Introductory paragraphs state the thesis.

Example:   California high schools will require all students to take a resume and cover letter writing workshop in order to better prepare them for employment.

This thesis statement indicates the explanation of the paper.

In addition to introducing the topic of your paper, your introductory paragraph also needs to introduce each of the arguments you will cover in your body paragraphs. By providing your audience with an idea of the points or arguments you will make later in your paper, your introductory paragraph serves as a guide map, not only for your audience but also for you. Including your main sub-points in your introduction not only allows your audience to understand where your essay is headed but also helps you as a writer remember how you want to organize your paper. This is especially helpful if you are not writing your essay in one sitting as it allows you to leave and return to your essay without forgetting all of the important points you wanted to make.

Most importantly, when writing an introductory paragraph, it is essential to remember that you must capture the interest of your reader. Thus, it is your job as the writer to make the introduction entertaining or intriguing. In order to do so, consider using a quotation, a surprising or interesting fact, an anecdote or a humorous story. While the quotation, story or fact you include must be relevant to your paper, placing one of these at the beginning of your introduction helps you not only capture the attention or the reader but also introduce your topic and argument, making your introduction interesting to your audience and useful for your argument and essay.

Body Paragraphs

In an expository essay the body paragraphs are where the writer has the opportunity to explain or clarify his or her viewpoint. By the conclusion paragraph, the writer should adequately clarify the topic for the reader. Regardless of a strong thesis statement that properly indicates the major sub-topics of the essay, papers with weak body paragraphs fail to properly explain the topic and indicate why it is important. Body paragraphs of an expository essay are weak when no examples are used to help illuminate the topic being discussed or when they are poorly organized. Occasionally, body paragraphs are also weak because the quotes used complicate from rather than simplify the explanation. Thus, it is essential to use appropriate support and to adequately explain your support within your body paragraphs.

In order to create a body paragraph that is properly supported and explained, it is important to understand the components that make up a strong body paragraph. The bullet points below indicate the essential components of a well-written, well-argued body paragraph.

Body Paragraph Components

• Support the argument with useful and informative quotes from sources such as books, journal articles, expert opinions, etc.
• Provide 1-2 sentences explaining each quote.
• Provide 1-3 sentences that indicate the significance of each quote.
• Ensure that the information provided is relevant to the thesis statement.
• End with a transition sentence which leads into the next body paragraph.

Just as your introduction must introduce the topic of your essay, the first sentence of a body paragraph must introduce the main sub-point for that paragraph. For instance, if you were writing a body paragraph for a paper explaining the factors that led to US involvement in World War II, one body paragraph could discuss the impact of the Great Depression on the decision to enter the war. To do so, you would begin with a topic sentence that explains how the Great Depression encouraged involvement in the war because the war effort would stimulate certain aspects of the economy. Following this sentence, you would go into more detail and explain how the two events are linked. By placing this idea at the beginning of the paragraph, not only does your audience know what the paragraph is explaining, but you can also keep track of your ideas.

Following the topic sentence, you must provide some sort of fact that supports your claim. In the example of the World War II essay, maybe you would provide a quote from a historian or from a prominent history teacher or researcher. After your quote or fact, you must always explain what the quote or fact is saying, stressing what you believe is most important about your fact. It is important to remember that your audience may read a quote and decide it is indicating something entirely different than what you think it is explaining. Or, maybe some or your readers think another aspect of your quote is important. If you do not explain the quote and indicate what portion of it is relevant to your clarification, than your reader may become confused or may be unconvinced of your explanation. Consider the possible interpretations for the statement below.

Example:  While the U.S. involvement in World War II was not the major contributor to the ending of the Great Depression, the depression was one of the primary motives for entering the war.

Interestingly, this statement seems to be saying two things at once – that the Great Depression helped spark involvement in the war and that World War II did not end the depression alone. On the one hand, the historian seems to say that the two events are not directly linked. However, on the other hand, the historian also indicates that the two events are linked in that the depression caused U.S. involvement in the war. Because of the tension in this quotation, if you used this quote for your World War II essay, you would need to explain that the significant portion of the quote is the assertion that links the events.

In addition to explaining what this quote is saying, you would also need to indicate why this is important to your explanation. When trying to indicate the significance of a fact, it is essential to try to answer the “so what.” Image you have just finished explaining your quote to someone and they have asked you “so what?” The person does not understand why you have explained this quote, not because you have not explained the quote well but because you have not told him or her why he or she needs to know what the quote means. This, the answer to the “so what,” is the significance of your paper and is essentially your clarification within the body paragraphs. However, it is important to remember that generally a body paragraph will contain more than one quotation or piece of support. Thus, you must repeat the Quotation-Explanation-Significance formula several times within your body paragraph to fully explain the one sub-point indicated in your topic sentence. Below is an example of a properly written body paragraph.

Example of an expository body paragraph paired with an explanation of its parts.

Conclusion Paragraph

The conclusion paragraph of an expository essay is an author’s last chance to create a good impression. Hence, it is important to restate the thesis statement at the beginning of the paragraph in order to remind the reader of your topic and explanation. Since it is at the end of the paper, the conclusion paragraph also should add a sense of closure and finality to the clarification of the paper. It is important to re-emphasize the main idea without being repetitive or introducing an entirely new idea or subtopic. While you can conclude your conclusion paragraph by suggesting a topic for further research or investigation, do not make this question the focus of the paragraph. Thus, you should briefly and concisely reiterate the strongest clarifications of the paper, reminding the reader of the validity of your thesis or explanation and bringing closure to your paper.

You may feel that the conclusion paragraph is redundant or unnecessary; However, do not forget that this is your last chance to explain the significance of your argument to your audience. Just as your body paragraphs strive to present the significance of each fact or quote you use, your conclusion paragraph should sum up the significance of your argument. Thus, you should consider making a bold statement in your concluding paragraph by evoking a vivid image, suggesting results or consequences related to your argument or ending with a warning. Through using these components, you not only make your conclusion paragraph more exciting, but you also make your essay and your argument, more important.

  Review Questions

What are three of the main purposes of an introductory paragraph?

• What should you never do in an introductory paragraph?
• How should you refute counterpoints?
• What is the formula for a well-argued body paragraph?
• What should you include in a conclusion paragraph? What should never include in a conclusion paragraph?

Introduction to Informative Writing Copyright © 2020 by Amy Minervini is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Analyzing a Text

Written texts.

When you analyze an essay or article, consider these questions:

• What is the thesis or central idea of the text?
• Who is the intended audience?
• What questions does the author address?
• How does the author structure the text?
• What are the key parts of the text?
• How do the key parts of the text interrelate?
• How do the key parts of the text relate to the thesis?
• What does the author do to generate interest in the argument?
• How does the author convince the readers of their argument’s merit?
• What evidence is provided in support of the thesis?
• Is the evidence in the text convincing?
• Has the author anticipated opposing views and countered them?
• Is the author’s reasoning sound?

Visual Texts

When you analyze a piece of visual work, consider these questions:

• What confuses, surprises, or interests you about the image?
• In what medium is the visual?
• Where is the visual from?
• Who created the visual?
• For what purpose was the visual created?
• Identify any clues that suggest the visual’s intended audience.
• How does this image appeal to that audience?
• In the case of advertisements, what product is the visual selling?
• In the case of advertisements, is the visual selling an additional message or idea?
• If words are included in the visual, how do they contribute to the meaning?
• Identify design elements – colors, shapes, perspective, and background – and speculate how they help to convey the visual’s meaning or purpose.

About Writing: A Guide Copyright © 2015 by Robin Jeffrey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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2.2: What is the Point? Thesis and Main Ideas

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Main ideas provide the structure for our efforts at communication. You may also know main ideas under their alias, “topic sentence.”

Learning Objectives

• In reading we analyze main ideas to better understand what an author or speaker is trying to communicate.
• In writing we use main ideas to organize paragraphs so that our audience can better understand what we are trying to communicate.

Stated Main Idea

Stated main ideas are exactly what they sound like – main ideas that are directly stated in a passage. You can literally underline or highlight a stated main idea in a text, and you should do this when you are reading a textbook for a class.

Implied Main Idea: What are you trying to say?

The word implied means “suggested but not directly expressed.” Use this definition to help you define “implied main idea.”

What is an “implied main idea?”

How is an implied main idea different from a stated main idea?

How to find the Elusive Main idea

How can you identify the main idea in a text or spoken communication? Whether you are looking at a stated main idea or an implied main idea, the following strategies can help.

Strategy 1:

Ask yourself:

• What is the point of the piece?
• What is the one thing the author/speaker wants me to know about this?

Strategy 2 :

• If you are still struggling to locate the main idea, back up and identify the topic. The topic is a word or phrase that the paragraph is about.
• Then ask yourself “what about” the topic? This is likely the main idea.
• It never hurts to discuss the piece with another person. Sometimes this helps you to clarify your understanding.

Strategy 3 – for implied main ideas:

• Read the passage for which you are seeking a main idea. Look for words or ideas that are repeated frequently.
• Then use Strategy 2 to derive your own version of a main idea statement.

Main Ideas and Details are in a Relationship

Main ideas and supporting details have a pretty simple relationship. The main idea is the center of attention, and the supporting details function to support the main idea. If these were two people, this would be a pretty unfair relationship, but in writing or speaking, it is entirely acceptable. After all, only one idea can be the ‘focus.’

Whether you are reading, treasure-hunting to find main ideas and supporting details in your textbook, or you are writing an essay, a graphic organizer can be a helpful tool. There are all kinds of graphic organizers and metaphors for working with main ideas and supporting details, but sometimes it’s more efficient to use a simple diagram. Review the diagrams and graphic organizers for main ideas by doing a Google search.

Check your syllabus. What assignments are coming up to which you will apply your understanding of main ideas and supporting details? When will this be due?

How to Synthesize Written Information from Multiple Sources

Shona McCombes

Content Manager

B.A., English Literature, University of Glasgow

Shona McCombes is the content manager at Scribbr, Netherlands.

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Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

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When you write a literature review or essay, you have to go beyond just summarizing the articles you’ve read – you need to synthesize the literature to show how it all fits together (and how your own research fits in).

Synthesizing simply means combining. Instead of summarizing the main points of each source in turn, you put together the ideas and findings of multiple sources in order to make an overall point.

At the most basic level, this involves looking for similarities and differences between your sources. Your synthesis should show the reader where the sources overlap and where they diverge.

Unsynthesized Example

Franz (2008) studied undergraduate online students. He looked at 17 females and 18 males and found that none of them liked APA. According to Franz, the evidence suggested that all students are reluctant to learn citations style. Perez (2010) also studies undergraduate students. She looked at 42 females and 50 males and found that males were significantly more inclined to use citation software ( p < .05). Findings suggest that females might graduate sooner. Goldstein (2012) looked at British undergraduates. Among a sample of 50, all females, all confident in their abilities to cite and were eager to write their dissertations.

Synthesized Example

Studies of undergraduate students reveal conflicting conclusions regarding relationships between advanced scholarly study and citation efficacy. Although Franz (2008) found that no participants enjoyed learning citation style, Goldstein (2012) determined in a larger study that all participants watched felt comfortable citing sources, suggesting that variables among participant and control group populations must be examined more closely. Although Perez (2010) expanded on Franz’s original study with a larger, more diverse sample…

Step 1: Organize your sources

After collecting the relevant literature, you’ve got a lot of information to work through, and no clear idea of how it all fits together.

Before you can start writing, you need to organize your notes in a way that allows you to see the relationships between sources.

One way to begin synthesizing the literature is to put your notes into a table. Depending on your topic and the type of literature you’re dealing with, there are a couple of different ways you can organize this.

Summary table

A summary table collates the key points of each source under consistent headings. This is a good approach if your sources tend to have a similar structure – for instance, if they’re all empirical papers.

Each row in the table lists one source, and each column identifies a specific part of the source. You can decide which headings to include based on what’s most relevant to the literature you’re dealing with.

For example, you might include columns for things like aims, methods, variables, population, sample size, and conclusion.

For each study, you briefly summarize each of these aspects. You can also include columns for your own evaluation and analysis.

The summary table gives you a quick overview of the key points of each source. This allows you to group sources by relevant similarities, as well as noticing important differences or contradictions in their findings.

Synthesis matrix

A synthesis matrix is useful when your sources are more varied in their purpose and structure – for example, when you’re dealing with books and essays making various different arguments about a topic.

Each column in the table lists one source. Each row is labeled with a specific concept, topic or theme that recurs across all or most of the sources.

Then, for each source, you summarize the main points or arguments related to the theme.

The purposes of the table is to identify the common points that connect the sources, as well as identifying points where they diverge or disagree.

Step 2: Outline your structure

Now you should have a clear overview of the main connections and differences between the sources you’ve read. Next, you need to decide how you’ll group them together and the order in which you’ll discuss them.

For shorter papers, your outline can just identify the focus of each paragraph; for longer papers, you might want to divide it into sections with headings.

There are a few different approaches you can take to help you structure your synthesis.

If your sources cover a broad time period, and you found patterns in how researchers approached the topic over time, you can organize your discussion chronologically .

That doesn’t mean you just summarize each paper in chronological order; instead, you should group articles into time periods and identify what they have in common, as well as signalling important turning points or developments in the literature.

If the literature covers various different topics, you can organize it thematically .

That means that each paragraph or section focuses on a specific theme and explains how that theme is approached in the literature.

Source Used with Permission: The Chicago School

If you’re drawing on literature from various different fields or they use a wide variety of research methods, you can organize your sources methodologically .

That means grouping together studies based on the type of research they did and discussing the findings that emerged from each method.

If your topic involves a debate between different schools of thought, you can organize it theoretically .

That means comparing the different theories that have been developed and grouping together papers based on the position or perspective they take on the topic, as well as evaluating which arguments are most convincing.

Step 3: Write paragraphs with topic sentences

What sets a synthesis apart from a summary is that it combines various sources. The easiest way to think about this is that each paragraph should discuss a few different sources, and you should be able to condense the overall point of the paragraph into one sentence.

This is called a topic sentence , and it usually appears at the start of the paragraph. The topic sentence signals what the whole paragraph is about; every sentence in the paragraph should be clearly related to it.

A topic sentence can be a simple summary of the paragraph’s content:

“Early research on [x] focused heavily on [y].”

For an effective synthesis, you can use topic sentences to link back to the previous paragraph, highlighting a point of debate or critique:

“Several scholars have pointed out the flaws in this approach.” “While recent research has attempted to address the problem, many of these studies have methodological flaws that limit their validity.”

By using topic sentences, you can ensure that your paragraphs are coherent and clearly show the connections between the articles you are discussing.

As you write your paragraphs, avoid quoting directly from sources: use your own words to explain the commonalities and differences that you found in the literature.

Don’t try to cover every single point from every single source – the key to synthesizing is to extract the most important and relevant information and combine it to give your reader an overall picture of the state of knowledge on your topic.

Step 4: Revise, edit and proofread

Like any other piece of academic writing, synthesizing literature doesn’t happen all in one go – it involves redrafting, revising, editing and proofreading your work.

Checklist for Synthesis

•   Do I introduce the paragraph with a clear, focused topic sentence?
•   Do I discuss more than one source in the paragraph?
•   Do I mention only the most relevant findings, rather than describing every part of the studies?
•   Do I discuss the similarities or differences between the sources, rather than summarizing each source in turn?
•   Do I put the findings or arguments of the sources in my own words?
•   Is the paragraph organized around a single idea?
•   Is the paragraph directly relevant to my research question or topic?
•   Is there a logical transition from this paragraph to the next one?

Further Information

How to Synthesise: a Step-by-Step Approach

Help…I”ve Been Asked to Synthesize!

Learn how to Synthesise (combine information from sources)

How to write a Psychology Essay

Related Articles

Student Resources

How To Cite A YouTube Video In APA Style – With Examples

How to Write an Abstract APA Format

APA References Page Formatting and Example

APA Title Page (Cover Page) Format, Example, & Templates

How do I Cite a Source with Multiple Authors in APA Style?

How to Write a Psychology Essay

Language Comprehension Interventions

• All Literacy Interventions
• Activate Prior Knowledge
• Build Background Knowledge
• High Frequency and Domain Specific Vocabulary
• Defining Words in Context
• Defining Words in Isolation
• Morphology (Prefixes, Suffixes, Roots)
• Sentence Length, Structure, and Type
• Punctuation
• Asking and Answering Factual Questions
• Asking and Answering Inferential Questions
• Asking and Answering Questions Using Mnemonics
• Summarizing Text
• Synthesizing Text (Critical Thinking)
• Narrative Text Structures
• Informational Text Structures

Introduction

Text features, text features interventions, text structures, text structure interventions, response to error: informational text structure, feedback during the lesson, strategies to try after the lesson.

• Instructional Scopes and Sequences

Informational text structure interventions help students learn about how informational texts are organized. These types of interventions teach students how to navigate and comprehend informational texts by applying their knowledge of text features and text structures. When students learn these structures, they can understand the most important parts of the text. This page includes intervention strategies that you can use to support your students' understanding of informational text features and text structure. As you read, consider which of these interventions best aligns with your student's strengths and needs in the whole-learner domains. 

Text features are an important part of informational text structure because they help the reader make sense of the main body of text. Text features include: table of contents, glossary, index, charts, captions, headings, diagrams, and tables.When students first begin to read informational text, they often have trouble navigating the text because it looks different from narrative text. There are pictures, labels, diagrams, and captions on the page, and students may have a hard time understanding what to read and when to read it. In order for students to effectively read and understand the main body of text, they need to be explicitly taught about the name and function of each text feature.    This page include intervention strategies that you can use to support your students' understanding of informational text features. As you read, consider which of these interventions best aligns with your student's strengths and needs in the whole-learner domains. 

Explicit Instruction

To support your students' understanding of informational text features, you should start by explicitly teaching this concept. This sounds like:

Explain the Skill/Concept.  Define informational text features, and explain the activity.  ( "Informational text features are elements that the author has included to help us understand the main body of text. For example, a heading helps us know what that section will be about. A diagram provides us with a visual so we can see the parts of an object." (Explain other text features.) "Today, we will be learning about how to identify and use these text features and text structures to support our understanding." ) Model Skill with Examples.  Think aloud about how you read a text feature. (" When I am reading an informational text, I see elements of the text that are different from what I see in narrative text. I see pictures, captions, diagrams, maps, and other features. I notice that this word is in bold. It's called a heading, and it helps me identify what the next section will be about. ") Model Skill with Non-Examples . Think aloud about reading without using text features.  ( "If I skip over using the text features in an informational text, I miss out on some valuable information! This feature is called a diagram, and it shows the different parts of a bat. If I see this text feature and skim right over it, I won't get to learn about the bat's anatomy. ") Practice the Skill.  Engage in the activity below to practice the skill with your student, providing feedback as necessary. ( "Now you try to identify the text features and how they support your understanding. ")

Activity A: Text Feature Walk 

A Text Feature Walk is done before the students read the main body of the text. This strategy allows students to apply their general knowledge of text features to see how they are used to aid understanding in an informational text:

• In small groups, one student chooses a text feature.
• The student identifies the text structure by name (map, picture, diagram, etc.)
• The student reads the text feature.
• As a group, the students discuss predictions, questions, and connections they have based on the text feature, as well as how it relates to the main idea of the text.
• The process is repeated with all text features. 

Text Feature Walk in Action Imagine that you are part of small-group conversation during a Text Feature Walk. You are reading this page about sharks .  "Today, we will be doing a Text Feature Walk. In groups of 4, you will take turns reading, identifying, and discussing text features and how they help you understand the text. Remember: don't read the main body of the text yet just focus on the text features! "  (Teacher explains five steps.)

A small-group conversation may sound like: Student 1, pointing to caption under the shark with its mouth open: "Fastest Shark." (Student continues to read.) "Fastest shark that's a heading. It tells us what we will read about."  All group members: "So, we'll probably read about the shark with the biggest teeth!!!" "No, the heading tells us that we'll read about the fastest shark, not the shark with the biggest teeth!" "I bet we'll read about the Great White Shark!"  Next student reads a text feature.

Optional Deep dive: Read this article to gain a better understanding of how to implement a Text Feature Walk in the classroom. 

Kelley, M., & Clausen-Grace, N. (2010). Guiding students through expository text with text feature walks.  The Reading Teacher, 64 (3), 191-195. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.library.relay.edu:2048/stable/40961980

Text structure is how the author organizes the main body of text in an informational text. The five main informational text structures are: sequence, problem/solution, description, compare and contrast, and cause and effect (refer to the  Comprehension at a Glance Documen t  for a review of these structures). Students must be explicitly taught about the different types of text structures, so that they can identify them as they read. If a student is able to identify the text structure that the author uses, then he will have an understanding of what to look for as he reads. For example, if a student understands that the structure of an informational text is problem/solution, then he knows that these are the two main characteristics he should look for as he reads. This page includes intervention strategies that you can use to support your students' understanding of informational text structures. As you read, consider which of these interventions best aligns with your student's strengths and needs in the whole-learner domains. 

Explain the Skill/Concept.  Define informational text structure, and explain the activity.  ( "An informational text structure is the way that the author has organized the main body of text. There are five main text structures that authors use for informational text, which include sequence, problem/solution, description, compare and contrast, and cause and effect. The author chooses this text structure based on what he wants you to learn about. For example, if the author wants you to learn about how two sharks are similar and different, he would use a compare-and-contrast structure so that we read about one topic first, and then about the other." (Explain other text structures.) "Today, we will be learning about how to identify these text structures to support our understanding." ) Model Skill with Examples.  Think aloud about how you identify a text structure. (" Before I read an informational text, I scan the text to see if I can identify the text structure that the author used. I do this because knowing the structure will help me read the text more efficiently. For example, let's look at our shark text. I'm going to think aloud about how I determine the text structure. First, I look at the layout and identify any key words that align with the text structures. I don't see the words cause and effect or compare and contrast. I also don't see that there is a problem. Now, I'm going to use the text features to see if I can identify the structure. When I look at the headings, I see that the author describes a different type of shark in each paragraph, so I think the author used a description structure. Now I know that when I read each paragraph, I will learn details about different types of sharks. ") Model Skill with Non-Examples . Think aloud about reading without using identifying text structure.  ( "Watch what happens when I don't identify the text structure when I read. " (Teacher reads page.) " Okay, so I've read the page about sharks. It sounds like there are a lot of kinds of sharks, but I'm not sure what I should do with this information. When I don't identify the text structure, I read without a purpose."  ) Practice the Skill.  Engage in the activity below to practice the skill with your student, providing feedback as necessary. ( "Now you try to identify the text structures that the author used. ")

Activity B: SQ3R

SQ3R stands for Survey! Question! Read! Recite! Review! and is a reading strategy developed by Robinson (1970). This strategy can be used across texts, but can be particularly effective for informational texts so that students can preview the text features to form hypotheses about the information they are about to read. The five parts of SQ3R are as follows:

• Survey (before class) - Survey the chapter/text to get a sense of how the information is organized. During this time, students should get a general idea of what the text is about, what kind of information the author gives, and how many sub-topics there are
• Question  (before class) - Turn each boldfaced heading into a question by using one of the following words: who, what, when, why, or how
• Read (after class) - Read the time, and write the answer to the question posed in Question
• Recite (after class) - Recite the answer, and put it into your own words
• Review (before next class) - Cover the answers, and ask yourself the questions to review important information.

SQ3R in Action Give students a passage of text, and explain that they will be using the SQ3R strategy to preview and read the text. In this case, refer back to the shark text in Activity A. Identify each step of the process (Survey! Question! Read! Recite! Review), model for students, and have students complete the activity. Teacher: "Today, we will be using the SQ3R strategy to read and understand our text. During this process, you will..." (explain 5 steps). Survey -  "Watch as I model this strategy. First is S, Survey. I will survey the text to get a sense of how the content is organized. I see that there are lots of pictures and captions under the pictures. There are parts of text at the top and on the side. It looks like the text is broken down into smaller chunks by the headings. The main topic is sharks, but I can see that there are subtopics like fastest shark, largest fish, shark with the largest teeth, and so on. I see that the author is using the informational text structure of description because he is describing different types of sharks. He must be writing to inform the reader about the different species of sharks and what makes the sharks special."   Question - "Now on to Q, Question. I'm going to practice turning each boldfaced heading into a question using one of the 5 W words. Let's try the heading Fastest Shark. My question is "What is the fastest shark?" (Teacher continues with all headings.) Read- "Now, R, Read. I will read the text and answer my questions." (Teacher reads aloud.) "My question for this section was "What is the fastest shark? My answer is: 'The fastest shark is the Shortfin Mako, which can swim over 35 mph!" (Teacher continues to answer questions.) Recite- "Now, R. Recite. I will try to put my question and answer into my own words. One of the fastest sharks in the world is called the Shortfin Mako. This shark can swim almost 35 mph!" (Teacher demonstrates with other sections.)

Review - "Finally our last step, R, Review. I'll cover my answers and see if I can remember the important information." (Teacher covers answers.) "What is the fastest shark? Well, it's the Shortfin Mako!"

Activity C: Main Idea & Supporting Details

Main Idea & Supporting Details is a reading strategy that students can use to help them distinguish important details from unimportant details in an informational text. Using this graphic organizer, students first write the main idea, and then find evidence in the text that supports the main idea. When students are just beginning to use this strategy, they can turn the headings into a question (from the Text Feature Walk activity above) and write the question into the main-idea box. Then, they can go back into the text and find three supporting details that answer this question. 

Main Idea PDF

Main Idea and supporting details. (n.d.). Copyright at Relay GSE. New York, NY:  Relay Graduate School of Education. Main Idea & Supporting Details in Action Imagine your class is reading this text about sharks as you read the script below.

Teacher: "Let's try finding the Main Idea and Supporting Details in our shark text. The heading to this section is 'Fastest Shark.' Let's first turn that into a question: What is the fastest shark? I will write that in my Main Idea box. Now, I want to find two supporting details that answer this question. Ok, I see one here: The Shortfin Mako is the fastest shark, so I'll write that down. I also see that it can swim up to 35 mph, so I'll write that down as well. Let's check: do these two supporting details answer my Main Idea question?" (Reads details.) "Yes."

Note: Activity C is one example of a graphic organizer that supports understanding of text structures. You can find more examples of graphic organizers that support text structure on the Summarizing and Synthesizing page.

Robinson, Francis, Pleasant. (1970). Effective study . New York: Harper & Row.  Seminar on Literature for Youth. (2016).  Sharks . Retrieved August 25 from http://eduscapes.com/nonfiction/images/sharkg.png.

Think about the following scenario, which takes place after a teacher has explicitly taught about how to identify and use text features, and has given multiple opportunities for practice:      Teacher, pointing to a diagram of a bat's anatomy: "What text feature is this, and what information does it give us?"      Student: "That's a picture. It helps you know that bats fly."

In such a case, what might you do? 

When you are planning your lessons, you should anticipate that your student will make errors throughout. Here are a series of prompts that you can use to respond to errors. Keep in mind that all students are different, and that students might respond better to some types of feedback than others.

If your student struggles to meet your objective, there are various techniques that you might try to adjust the activity so as best to meet your student's needs. 

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• Next: Instructional Scopes and Sequences >>
• Last Updated: Jul 26, 2023 6:35 PM
• URL: https://relay.libguides.com/language-comprehension

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2a Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2b Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2c Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2d Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2e Establish and maintain a formal style.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2f Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented

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Informational Text Comprehension

Meghan Liebfreund is this year’s winner of the ILA Outstanding Dissertation Award. The Literacy Research Panel asked her to provide a post about her scintillating study.

Although this study was not designed to determine how instruction in each of these areas contributes to informational text comprehension, what might these findings mean for practitioners?

• Provide high-quality reading instruction. High-quality reading instruction that focuses on decoding, vocabulary, prior knowledge, and motivation is essential for student success with informational text. Educators should continue to support the development of these component skills that positively influence reading comprehension when working with informational text.
• Build students’ vocabulary knowledge. Vocabulary knowledge is essential for informational text comprehension and is an area that assists higher comprehenders with performing well with these texts. General instruction with informational text comprehension should focus on increasing students’ vocabulary knowledge.
• Differentiate. Readers with different skills may have different experiences when engaged with informational texts. As a result, we need to differentiate instructional materials and offer different types of supports.
• Motivate readers. Lower comprehenders in this study comprehended better when they were motivated more. Thus, we may need to be more concerned with motivating our lower comprehenders to engage successfully with informational texts, especially ones that are challenging. As teachers, we need to select texts and plan instructional activities that support active engagement and appeal to students’ interests.

Meghan Liebfreund , PhD, is an assistant professor of educational technology and literacy at Towson University in Maryland and is the winner of the 2015  International Literacy Association (ILA)   Outstanding Dissertation Award .

The ILA Literacy Research Panel uses this blog to connect educators around the world with research relevant to policy and practice. Reader response is welcomed via  e-mail .

Best, R.M., Floyd, R.G., & McNamara, D.S. (2008). Differential competencies contributing to children’s comprehension of narrative and expository texts. Reading Psychology , 29 (2), 137–164. doi:10.1080/02702710801963951

Eason, S.H., Goldberg, L.F., Young, K.M., Geist, M.C., & Cutting, L.E. (2012). Reader–text interactions: How differential text and question types influence cognitive skills needed for reading comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology , 104 (3), 515–528. doi:10.1037/a0027182

McNamara, D.S., Ozuru, Y., & Floyd, R.G. (2011). Comprehension challenges in the fourth grade: The roles of text cohesion, text genre, and readers’ prior knowledge. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education , 4 (1), 229–257.

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What is a thesis? Meaning and definition

Derived from the Greek word, “thesis” means “putting forward”. Thesis plays a vital role in completing a degree. For students planning to study abroad, it is crucial to understand what a thesis is.

As per diverse institutions and educational systems, the thesis obtains different meanings. For the British education system, the word thesis means the longest piece of writing that is completed at the end of a PhD. It often expresses the writer’s exceptional research and analyses.

For the US and other educational systems, the word thesis signifies the content created as the final step of one’s master’s and bachelor’s degrees.

Regardless of the educational system, the meaning of a thesis is a writing document that allows students to choose a topic and include research. It is important for them to conduct thorough research based on their chosen topic.

As you know the meaning of thesis, let’s understand ‘what is a thesis paper?’, ‘what is a college thesis?’ and ‘what does a thesis consist of?

What is a thesis paper? Understand its meaning!

A thesis paper is a type of document that is based on your original research. It is generally completed by students in the last year of a degree program, on a chosen topic.

The thesis paper is the longest piece of writing that expresses the topic. It depends on the students’ capability of how they do research, choose a relevant topic, create a proposal, gather data, establish a strong analysis, generate impactful conclusions and write a precise, clear and well-defined thesis.

A thesis is generally found at the end of the introduction of a thesis paper. In all research papers, it’s important to include a strong, concise thesis in order to grab the attention of readers.

Now, read ahead to know ‘what is a college thesis?’

Understanding a college thesis

A college thesis is a type of research project that students need to generate in their last year of graduation. Generally, students have to choose a topic they studied.

After choosing a topic, they need to share it with an advisor. Then, students can begin their research about the selected topic and start writing after the meeting with an advisor. Later, when they complete their thesis paper, college lecturers check it and decide if the paper is accurate and has all the required points and instructions for graduating from school.

Key components of a thesis

Now, you may ask ‘what does a thesis consist of?’ So, here are some major components that a thesis consists of, which include:

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Methodology
• Discussion and Conclusion

We hope that now you know the answer to the question ‘what is thesis?’. A thesis usually expresses the chosen topic in a structured way, providing thorough research.

So, to write a clear and precise thesis, you must determine your thesis topic, do thorough research, create a draft, check the structure, and edit and proofread your paper, to ensure your final project is accurate.

For any assistance, connect with Edvoy . The expert team will help you get answers to all your queries.

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Table of Contents

Why we need to teach informational text.

• The Juice Team
• April 6, 2021

What is Informational Text?

Informational text is any nonfiction piece or work that informs readers of the natural or social world. This genre uses an informative and objective tone, aiming to describe and communicate event details and facts without elaborate language; the goal is to inform the reader as quickly and efficiently as possible. Think about how news reporters speak on the air: it’s short, quick, and to the point. This is similar to how information text reads. 

Some examples are information text are:

• Website articles
• Biographies
• Instructional manuals

When you are reading an informational text, you can usually detect authors using one of the following methods or structures to communicate their topic.

• Description
• Sequence/Instruction/Process
• Cause/Effect
• Compare/Contrast
• Problem/Solution

Explaining how to spot these methods to students will show them just how prevalent informational text is around them. However, it’s not enough to just teach students about informational text: it needs to be a part of our curriculum and daily classrooms.

Why Should We Teach Informational Texts?

We engage with informational text every day, whether it’s reading the news, looking at a graphic, or reading a table of contents. It’s critical to teach students how to engage with these texts in the classroom, so they are able to work with more advanced texts on their own in the future.

1. Informational Texts are Critical to the Information Age

As Scholastic explains , informational text is “real-life reading.” This genre starts conversations, informs us of current events, and teaches us about the social and natural world around us; however, despite its prevalence in the world, many children and adults struggle to understand this genre of writing because of a lack of exposure to it .

One study found that informational text made up less than 10% of classroom libraries. This is an issue that needs attention, especially as we teach students who are growing up in the “Information Age,” a society that is moving away from literary text and towards details, data, knowledge, and technology. When we incorporate informational texts in the classroom alongside literary texts, we are preparing them to succeed in a world centered on this type of text. 

2. Students Enjoy Informational Texts 

Our students think about the world around them– watching adults, making their own conclusion, and asking questions. Informational texts can be a helpful tool to guide students through these questions, while also teaching students how to seek answers to their questions in a responsible way. 

Teachers might also find their students more motivated to read informational texts by picking topics their students find interesting and pertinent to their lives. Studies have confirmed that reading skills increase when readers are interested in their topic. Because of how broad the genre of informational texts is, it’s easy to find subjects that interest your students. As you bring informational texts into your classroom, consider incorporating a variety of topics to show students how versatile these texts can be.

At the same time, selecting relevant and current topics to teach will intrigue students, because they are probably already hearing about them and want to know more. Incorporating daily use of informational texts will equip students to understand the world around them, and can stimulate creativity content and activities.

What to Look for in Informational Texts

When looking for informational texts to teach, there are several standards to keep in mind that can help narrow down your selection to texts that will be educational, informative, and appropriate for your students. The National Association of Elementary School Principals explains that when looking for informational texts to use, teachers and parents should look for the following:

• Guides, Table of Contents, and Indexes to help students learn how to use these textual guides.
• Illustrations that expand meaning, such as infographics, tables, graphs, and drawings
• Organizational and visual aids that allow students to locate information
• Content and topics that are timely released and described accurately

The University of Maine’s College of Education and Humanities echoes many of these standards for informational texts, adding that teachers should also look into the qualifications of the text’s author, and make sure the text appeals to the age group it will be read by.

Looking for Somewhere to Start?

When looking to teach informational texts for 5th through 12th grade school students, The Juice is a great place to start. Our daily newsletters consist of five stories paired with standards-based questions, and cover relevant, current events that educate students on the most important stories of the day.

With content ranging from short stories to fun STEAM-based videos, our newsletters engage students and make it easy to teach informational texts. Reading The Juice together will start conversations about current events, social studies, and the natural world, and will lay a strong foundation for students to build on as they enter an information age.

• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1 Derived terms
• 1.3.2 Related terms
• 1.3.3 Translations
• 1.4 References
• 1.5 Further reading
• 1.6 Anagrams
• 2.1 Etymology
• 2.2 Pronunciation
• 3.1 Etymology
• 3.2 Pronunciation
• 3.3.1 Declension
• 3.3.2 Descendants
• 3.4 References

English [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ].

From Late Middle English thesis ( “ lowering of the voice ” ) [1] and also borrowed directly from its etymon Latin thesis ( “ proposition, thesis; lowering of the voice ” ) , from Ancient Greek θέσῐς ( thésis , “ arrangement, placement, setting; conclusion, position, thesis; lowering of the voice ” ) , from τῐ́θημῐ ( títhēmi , “ to place, put, set; to put down in writing; to consider as, regard ” ) [2] [3] (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- ( “ to do; to place, put ” ) ) + -σῐς ( -sis , suffix forming abstract nouns or nouns of action, process, or result ) . The English word is a doublet of deed .

Sense 1.1 (“proposition or statement supported by arguments”) is adopted from antithesis . [2] Sense 1.4 (“initial stage of reasoning”) was first used by the German philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762–1814), and later applied to the dialectical method of his countryman, the philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831).

The plural form theses is borrowed from Latin thesēs , from Ancient Greek θέσεις ( théseis ) .

Pronunciation [ edit ]

• ( Received Pronunciation ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈθiːsɪs/ , ( archaic ) /ˈθɛsɪs/
• ( General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈθisɪs/
• Rhymes: -iːsɪs
• Hyphenation: the‧sis
• ( Received Pronunciation ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈθiːsiːz/
• ( General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈθisiz/
• Rhymes: -iːsiːz
• Hyphenation: the‧ses

Noun [ edit ]

thesis ( plural theses )

• ( rhetoric ) A proposition or statement supported by arguments .
• 1766 , [ Oliver Goldsmith ], “The Conclusion”, in The Vicar of Wakefield:   [ … ] , volume II, Salisbury, Wiltshire: [ … ] B. Collins, for F [ rancis ] Newbery ,   [ … ] , →OCLC ; reprinted London: Elliot Stock , 1885 , →OCLC , pages 218–219 : I told them of the grave, becoming, and ſublime deportment they ſhould aſſume upon this myſtical occaſion, and read them two homilies and a theſis of my own compoſing, in order to prepare them.
• ( mathematics , computer science ) A conjecture , especially one too vague to be formally stated or verified but useful as a working convention.
• ( logic ) An affirmation , or distinction from a supposition or hypothesis .
• ( philosophy ) In the dialectical method of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel : the initial stage of reasoning where a formal statement of a point is developed ; this is followed by antithesis and synthesis .
• ( music , prosody , originally ) The action of lowering the hand or bringing down the foot when indicating a rhythm ; hence, an accented part of a measure of music or verse indicated by this action; an ictus , a stress . Antonym: arsis
• ( music , prosody , with a reversal of meaning ) A depression of the voice when pronouncing a syllables of a word ; hence, the unstressed part of the metrical foot of a verse upon which such a depression falls , or an unaccented musical note .

Derived terms [ edit ]

• all but thesis
• bachelor's thesis
• Church-Turing thesis
• conflict thesis
• doctoral thesis
• graduate thesis
• Habakkuk thesis
• master's thesis
• Merton thesis
• private language thesis
• thesis defense
• thesis film
• thesis statement

Related terms [ edit ]

Translations [ edit ], references [ edit ].

• ^ “ thē̆sis, n. ”, in MED Online , Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan , 2007 .
• ^ “ thesis, n. ”, in Lexico , Dictionary.com ; Oxford University Press , 2019–2022 .

Further reading [ edit ]

• “ thesis ”, in The Century Dictionary   [ … ] , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co. , 1911 , →OCLC .
• “ thesis ”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary , Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam , 1913 , →OCLC .

Anagrams [ edit ]

• Heists , Sethis , heists , shiest , shites , sithes , thises

Dutch [ edit ]

From Latin thesis , from Ancient Greek θέσις ( thésis , “ a proposition, a statement, a thing laid down, thesis in rhetoric, thesis in prosody ” ) .

thesis   f ( plural theses or thesissen , diminutive thesisje   n )

• Dated form of these . Synonyms: dissertatie , proefschrift , scriptie

Latin [ edit ]

From Ancient Greek θέσις ( thésis , “ a proposition, a statement, a thing laid down, thesis in rhetoric, thesis in prosody ” ) .

• ( Classical Latin ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈtʰe.sis/ , [ˈt̪ʰɛs̠ɪs̠]
• ( modern Italianate Ecclesiastical ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈte.sis/ , [ˈt̪ɛːs̬is]

thesis   f ( genitive thesis ) ; third declension

Declension [ edit ]

Descendants [ edit ].

• → Dutch: thesis
• → Armenian: թեզ ( tʻez )
• → Dutch: these
• → Persian: تز ( tez )
• → Romanian: teză
• → Turkish: tez
• Galician: tese
• Italian: tesi
• English: thesis
• Portuguese: tese
• Spanish: tesis
• “ thesis ”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short ( 1879 ) A Latin Dictionary , Oxford: Clarendon Press
• thesis in Gaffiot, Félix ( 1934 ) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français , Hachette.

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