Writing a thesis can be a daunting task. You are expected to write an argument for something, and have it read and judged by people respected in their fields. This can lead to nerves and mental blocks that can almost defeat you before you even begin. This article aims to put a stop to those nerves by providing you with a few tips on how to write an effective thesis.

Pick a topic you are passionate about

This should be obvious, but it is far too easy to pick a topic that you have little interest in simply because you think it will make for a good thesis. If you aren’t interested in your chosen topic, your writing will reflect your feelings and you may risk sounding unconcerned or indifferent, and if you don’t care about what you’re writing, why should anyone else? Picking a topic you’re excited about also means that you’ll likely enjoy the process of research and writing more, making you more knowledgeable and giving your thesis added credibility.

Research and examine your sources

While you will obviously need to research your chosen topic, what I mean by this is that you need to search for things like controversy, tension and ambiguity. This will provide you with evidence that you are writing an actual thesis rather than just making an observation, you may even be able to mention that the topic is heavily discussed and argued. Look for things like whether a point made by one source is contradicted by another, whether one authors argument could have implications on other things or even whether one source later changes their stance.

Think ahead to anticipate possible counterarguments

This ties in with the previous point here, once you have decided what topic you want to cover and what point you want to make, you are going to want to think about what could potentially be argued against it. This is particularly important as you will need to address any counterarguments later in your paper. There should be no problem finding a counter for your point, if there is no counterargument, you need to change what you’re writing as this means you are simply stating a fact rather than writing an effective thesis.

General advice

Make sure your thesis is clear, specific and presents a legitimate claim that can be argued against. You want to avoid unnecessary generalizations in order to give the reader adequate information should they choose to dispute your claim, thus creating the possibility for a discussion.

As you continue to draft your paper you will, of course, revise it as necessary to more precisely reflect your ideas and the support you gather for them. In order to perfect your writing, you may also use a professional editing company to edit your thesis. Both the native speakers of English and the non-native speakers will benefit from a professional thesis editing service.