This document provides guidance on developing an argumentative thesis statement for a research paper. It explains that an argumentative paper makes a claim and provides evidence to support that claim. The goal is to convince the audience that the claim is true. A good thesis statement is specific, clear, takes a stance, and appears at the end of the first paragraph. It should not be a question, list, or vague. An effective thesis must also be debatable and narrow in scope. Different types of claims include claims of fact, claims of cause and effect, claims about values, and claims about solutions or policies.

1. Arguing & Persuading
What you need to know as you
write your research paper.

2. It’s not exactly an argument….
An argumentative
paper makes a claim
about a topic and justifies
this claim with specific
evidence. The claim
could be
• an opinion or
interpretation
• a cause & effect
statement
• an evaluation
• a policy proposal

3. But it does have a goal.
The goal of the
argumentative paper
is to convince the
audience that the
claim is true based on
the evidence
provided.

4. Thesis should do some things.
• A thesis statement
should be specific &
clear.
• A thesis statement
should take a stance.
• A thesis should
appear at the end of
the first paragraph of
a paper.
• Note: A thesis may need
revision as the paper.

5. A thesis shouldn’t do certain things.
• A thesis is never a
question.
• A thesis is never a
list.
• A thesis should never
be vague, combative,
or confrontational.

6. owl.english.purdue.edu
The thesis must be debatable.
Pollution is bad
for the
environment.
• At least twenty-
five percent of the
federal budget
should be spent on
limiting pollution.
• America's anti-
pollution efforts
should focus on
privately owned
cars.

7. ow.english.purdue.edu
The thesis needs to be narrow.
Drug use is
detrimental to
society.
Illegal drug use
is detrimental
because it
encourages gang
violence.

8. ow.english.purdue.edu
A good thesis needs to be both.
Example of a narrow
thesis:
At least twenty-
five percent of
the federal
budget should be
spent on
limiting
pollution.
Narrowed debatable thesis:
At least twenty-five
percent of the federal
budget should be spent
on helping upgrade
business to clean
technologies,
researching renewable
energy sources, and
planting more trees in
order to control or
eliminate pollution.

9. ow.english.purdue.edu
A good thesis needs to be both.
Example of a narrow
thesis:
America's anti-
pollution
efforts should
focus on
privately owned
cars.
Narrowed debatable thesis:
America's anti-
pollution efforts
should focus on
privately owned cars
because it would allow
most citizens to
contribute to national
efforts and care about
the outcome.

10. Approach your paper with a claim.
Claims typically fall into one of four
categories.
1. Claim of fact or definition
2. Claim of cause and effect
3. Claim about value
4. Claim about solution or policy

11. ow.english.purdue.edu
Claims of fact or definition
These claims argue
about what the
definition of
something is or
whether something is
a settled fact.
What some people
refer to as
global warming
is actually
nothing more
than normal,
long-term cycles
of climate
change.

12. ow.english.purdue.edu
Claims of cause and effect
These claims argue that
one person, thing, or
event caused another
thing or event to
occur.
The popularity of
SUV's in America
has caused
pollution to
increase.

13. ow.english.purdue.edu
Claims about value
These are claims made
about what something
is worth, whether we
value it or not, how
we would rate or
categorize something.
Global warming is
the most
pressing
challenge facing
the world today;
governments
needs to
acknowledge this
and take steps
to minimize it.

14. ow.english.purdue.edu
Claims about solution or policies
These are claims that
argue for or against a
certain solution or
policy approach to a
problem.
Instead of
drilling for oil
in Alaska, we
should be
focusing on ways
to reduce oil
consumption,
such as
researching
renewable energy
sources.