This document provides guidance on developing the central argument and thesis statement for an academic journal article. It discusses the differences between a thesis and journal article in terms of length, scope, focus and target readership. The main points are: 1) A journal article needs to focus on one clear, evidence-based argument that can be summarized concisely, unlike a thesis which explores arguments in more depth. 2) Developing the thesis statement involves mind-mapping the key terms and structure of the article to identify the central argument. 3) The argument must be substantiated with examples from literature and any data collected, while acknowledging alternative perspectives and positioning the work within the relevant academic community.

1. Academic Journal
Article Writing Course
Sioux McKenna
s.mckenna@ru.ac.za
CHERTL

2. Academic Writing: The thesis statement
Sioux McKenna
s.mckenna@ru.ac.za
CHERTL

3. This session…
• The difference between a thesis and a journal
article
• Developing the central argument: writing the
thesis statement
• Mind-mapping the article, identifying the key
terms

4. What is the difference between a
thesis and a journal article?
• Length
• Scope
• Focus
• Target readership

5. What is it that you want your reader to
understand and agree with after reading your
convincing article substantiated with credible
evidence?
One clear and clean argument

6. Using argument in your thesis
The doctoral dissertation is
an extended argument
presenting your thesis in a
series of points that
provide the evidence for it
and that is supported by
examples.
The journal article draws
out just one main
argument – that too is
made of smaller
arguments. But the length
of the article means you
cannot sum up all the
arguments of a thesis.

8. Can you write your journal article
argument on a matchbox?

9. Some (unfortunate) ‘truths’ about publishing out of the
thesis
• It can take some time to find small arguments
within the big thesis argument
• One paper = one small, well-crafted argument
• You can’t actually cut and paste from your
thesis – it is not the way to craft an argument
• Thesis writing and article writing can be quite
different – adjusting needs to be done
consciously
Thanks to Sherran Clarence

10. So, where to start with your paper?
• You need ONE argument you can make
– Can be ‘empirical’ (Lea & Street, ‘Student writing in higher
education: An academic literacies approach’)
– Can be a critical literature review (Robotham & Julian,
‘Stress and the higher education student: a critical review
of the literature’)
– Can be a reflective, analytical piece (Grant, ‘The Mourning
After’)
– Can be focused on methodology and methods (Ortlipp,
‘Keeping and using reflective journals in the qualitative
research process’)
Thanks to Sherran Clarence

11. Shut up and scribble 
• Spend about 5 minutes now thinking about the one
good idea you are turning into a paper.
• What kind of paper will it be? Ask yourself: what is
the significance of this argument? For whom would it
be significant? (So what? + possible audience)
• Share with a partner for 5 minutes, and make a note
of any useful feedback.
Thanks to Sherran Clarence

12. Being authoritative
• Work out who you can be in your writing (‘the
researcher’, ‘I’, ‘we’ or ‘anonymous’)
• Be conscious of the CLAIMS you are making/developing
Evidence for your claims can come from
• – The work of others
• – Your own data

13. Data and argument
• Novice researchers often describe the data
• INSTEAD, they need to use it as evidence to support
claims
• What does the data say?
• How can it help you to make a claim?
• What claim can be made with the evidence that comes
from the data?
• How does this contribute to the overall argument?

14. Demonstrate mastery of the
territory
• A field or territory is always occupied by a number of
academic communities who are seeking to advance
knowledge
• These communities are held together by common
interests and beliefs, and by progress in knowledge
production
• Look at who is citing whom. Academic communities often
have ‘Chiefs and Followers’ (Becher and Trowler 2001). They can
change their minds over time – dates are crucial! Older Chiefs
are often replaced by new Chiefs as knowledge is advanced in a
particular field.
• How does your work ‘fit’ into this field?
• NB: You will only find out by reading widely and by being
part of the academic community!
• Use your reading journal to make connections over and
between communities and to track changes in position
and thinking

15. Defending your approach
• Is there another way to understand/approach the
problem/question you have identified?
• What are the objections to that understanding/approach?
• If an alternative exists, acknowledge, consider and, if
appropriate, demolish (with a strong argument, not weak
language)!
• Do not mock the alternative or dismiss it – show
awareness and critical engagement with it in relation to
your own work and positioning
• Make sure you read carefully, deeply and critically …
map out the territory and position your work

16. Substantiating your claim
• Examine your claims for weaknesses and either
SUBSTANTIATE them more/differently or LIMIT
your claim
• Provide more evidence
• Develop the argument using evidence differently

17. Limiting claims
• X is true
• X may be true
• It could be the case that X is true
• It is argued that X is true

18. Mapping out the article

19. Mind mapping your article
• Review your central argument/thesis statement
for your journal article.
• What sections or sub-headings will you need to
draw on to prepare for the argument? (What
background in terms of context and literature
does your reader need to know?)
• What parts of the study methods will you be
drawing on and need to explain to the reader?
• What findings will you be discussing to drive your
argument?
• Mind map these sections…

20. Plotting a paper
• You need a basic plan for your paper
• Basic guide to play around with
– What is my main claim?
– What literature would I need to include to build a case for this
claim/argument?
– What conceptual tools are framing the way I am looking at this issue
– Do I need data to make this argument? What data? How as it
generated, organised and analysed?
– What did my data say that enables me to support my claim/argument,
and how do I need to show this?
– What is the significance of my argument for my field and audience?
Thanks to Sherran Clarence

21. Shut up and scribble 
• Spend 10 minutes or so plotting as much of your proposed
paper as you can.
• You might want to use these basic ‘headings’ as a guideline
(adapt as needed)
1. Introduction (incl basic case for argument and stating argument)
2. Literature review (to scope part of field that relates to this
argument)
3. Conceptual framing (the ‘lens’ you use to make claims about the
way the world is)
4. Methodology and data (what data? How did you analyse it)
5. Analysis of data – findings (how are you going to support your
claims)
6. Conclusions (‘take home message’ for readers)
Thanks to Sherran Clarence

23. • On paper
• Then as poster

24. Key terms / Core concepts
• What are the key terms or ideas in the journal
article?
• Do they need discussion or can we assume
shared understanding?