Creating a Working Thesis/Position Statement
Generating ideas for an essay can feel challenging. Even when you have a list of potential topics, you will need to consider what aspects of, or point of view on, the general topic you will develop. When working with assigned topics (or those chosen from a list), you will likely need to modify or mold the topic into something more specific that makes it your own.
At this early stage, you want to develop a working thesis statement or working position statement to guide your research, reading and drafting/writing. You should not generate a definitive thesis statement or position statement at this point as your ideas are likely to evolve as you engage in the research/drafting process.
A useful strategy when creating a working thesis is to develop some driving questions to guide your research. Begin by considering course themes or issues relevant to your assignment. Examine these and then create a list of questions to move your research/thinking forward.
What would you like to know about the topic?
Click the button below for an example of driving questions in developing a working thesis.
Working Thesis Driving Question