Research questions and thesis statement

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Do curso por Lund University

Writing in English at University

221 classificação

Lund University

Writing in English at University

221 classificação

Acquiring good academic research and writing skills early on is essential for your success both at university and in your professional life. This course aims: - to give you an understanding of the conventions of academic writing in English and to teach you the components and benefits of what is called process writing. - to help you to put together your own “toolbox” of academic writing skills, as well as to give you a chance to test out these tools and to reflect on your own development as a writer. - to encourage reflection on discipline specific conventions; although the course deals with generic skills, you will be able to apply these generic skills to meet the particular needs of your own discipline. The course consists of four modules: 1. Writing in English at university: An introduction 2. Structuring your text and conveying your argument 3. Using sources in academic writing 4. The writer’s toolbox: Editing and proofreading In each module you will find video lectures and reading assignments and assignments, such as quizzes, reflective self-assessment questions, as well as some peer review exercises in which you will have an opportunity to interact with other students taking the course.

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Structuring your text and conveying your argument

In module 1 we looked at some of the aspects that you will need to consider before embarking on an academic writing project. In module 2 we will build on this knowledge when we explore issues of building and shaping an academic text. In this week’s module you will learn about argument, types of essay structure, and also how to structure information within paragraphs and sections. Structuring a text so that it is coherent and makes sense to your target audience requires a great deal of thought, and we will guide you through the decisions that you will have to make in composing a text. Though the information in this module will be of interest to anyone looking to improve their academic writing competencies, you will find the material here especially helpful if you have a particular writing project of your own in mind to reflect on, and to which you can apply the ideas that we present here.

Research questions and thesis statement4:02

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Satu Manninen
Professor
Centre for Languages and Literature
Ellen Turner
Senior Lecturer
Centre for Languages and Literature
Cecilia Wadsö Lecaros
Senior Lecturer
Centre for Languages and Literature

Hi, I'm Ellen.

In this video, I'll talk about research questions and

thesis statements in academic essays.

Academic essays differ from other types of essays because

instead of addressing topics, they deal with problems or questions.

Your job as the author of an essay is to identify one or

more specific problems or questions to address.

It's important to keep in mind your target audience when identifying these questions.

Will your target audience find these questions interesting?

Ask yourself whether problems or questions you come up with are significant.

In an academic essay,

you shouldn't try to present everything you know about a topic but rather look for

evidence that helps you to answer your question or solve your problem.

The questions that you identify are called research questions.

Identifying these research questions involves,

in a way, identifying a gap in knowledge, and then attempting to fill this gap.

But how do you know if your research question is interesting or

significant to your target audience?

An interesting and significant research question

is one that leads to something that is new to the audience or

something that they cannot find by merely consulting an encyclopedia.

A good research question will also need to be problematic.

This means that the research question should lead to a claim that is debatable.

What I mean by a debatable claim is an assertion that could either be accepted or denied.

Just because you argue for one particular answer to the question or

solution to the problem, it doesn't mean that they aren't other possible answers or

solutions out there.

Your job as an author is to respond to your problem or

question by proposing a solution in the form of an assertion or claim.

It is up to you to persuade the target audience that the assertion or

claim that you make is worthwhile and backed up by evidence.

Not all questions that you can ask about your topic are problematic.

What I mean by this is that some questions lead to answers which are either right or

wrong and therefore, not debatable.

Take the following example, for instance, asking a question along the lines of,

what were the events in the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century,

can be answered by merely listing a series of historical events.

A list of historical events can't be denied.

What's the point of trying to convince your audience of something that

is already fact?

The same goes for questions such as what's the capital city of Denmark?

The answer, Copenhagen, cannot be denied.

At least, not after members of your target audience have consulted an encyclopedia.

Let's talk a little now about providing an answer to your research question.

The claim that you will need to make in your essay,

the claim that can either be accepted or denied, is called the "central idea".

Another term for this is the "thesis statement".

Thesis statement is a sentence that presents your position on the topic and

predicts how the topic will be developed,

as well as revealing your stance on the topic.

It also functions as a guide to your reader.

Your thesis statement can function as a kind of road map to your essay.

This road map or blueprint predicts the scope, the purpose, and

the direction of your essay.

Having a strong thesis statement shows your audience that you have a clear idea

of how you want your essay to deal with the topic in terms of solving a problem or

answering a question.

In other words, in terms of a claim that you have carefully thought through and

that you can justify with the help of evidence.

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