Chapter 11 Summary

Calvin Gurtler

4/19/14

English 102

In Chapter 11 of the Bedford Researcher we discussed developing a thesis statement.  When developing your thesis statement it is important to review your position statement, review your notes, consider your purpose and role, and reflect on your readers. As your review your notes you should identify important information, consider whether the information will allow you to pursue your interests, review and elaborate on ideas that you’ve come up with as you think about the subject, and consider how your own ideas might allow you to pursue your interests. As you consider your purpose and role you should be asking yourself the following questions. Have your purposes changed since you started? Has your role as a writer changed since you started your research writing project? When drafting your thesis statement identify important information, ideas, and arguments associated with your position. One way to do this is to identify key words and phrases in your research question. Another way to establish a thesis statement is to draft several alternatives. You should create a statement that asks readers to learn something new, changes their attitudes or beliefs, or asks them to take action. By experimenting with different approaches you can efficiently determine which one works best for you. You should also be considering the type of document you plan to write as you create your thesis statement. The type of document you write can have an effect on how you present your thesis statement.