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How to Write a Research Paper: Thesis Statement

• Anatomy of a Research Paper
• Developing a Research Focus
• Background Research Tips
• Searching Tips
• Scholarly Journals vs. Popular Journals
• Thesis Statement
• Annotated Bibliography
• Citing Sources
• Evaluating Sources
• Literature Review
• Academic Integrity
• Scholarship as Conversation
• Understanding Fake News
• Data, Information, Knowledge

What is a Thesis Statement?

What is a Thesis Statement?  

A thesis statement is a concise statement of an academic work's main point. The thesis statement should identify both what the paper is about (the topic) and what you are saying about it. Your thesis statement should be as specific as possible. For a short essay, the length of your thesis statement should be one or two sentences. If you are writing a dissertation or book, your thesis statement should be about a paragraph in length. A thesis should avoid saying "This paper is about..." Your thesis statement should be as specific as possible. 

A basic pattern to follow is "An analysis of (insert topic here) will show that (point one), (point two), and (point three)." Keep in mind this is only an example, there is no one-size-fits-all formula. 

Who Needs a Thesis Statement?

All academic writing, from a short essay to a dissertation or a monograph, should have an identifiable thesis statement somewhere in it. The longer or more complicated an academic work is, the easier is becomes to get bogged down in details and lose sight of the overall argument, and the more important it is to clearly state the central point. 

Where Should I Put My Thesis Statement? 

Thesis statements are most commonly located near the beginning of the academic work, usually towards the end of the introduction. This strategic placement allows the reader to quickly understand specifically what the essay is about and be able to follow the arguments as they are presented. 

Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements: Purdue Owl 

This resource from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides tips for creating a thesis statement and examples of different types of thesis statements. 

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Library Guide for Education Graduate Students

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How to Write as a Graduate Student

The OWL Provides some helpful tips on writing as a graduate student. Here are some topics covered. The links below will take you to the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) website .

• Introduction to Graduate Writing
• Graduate Writing Topics
• Graduate Writing Genres
• Writing a Thesis/Dissertation

Creating an Annotated Bibliography

The OWL also provides guidance on creating an annotated bibliography, a common tool and assignment for graduate students.  Below are a few topics covered by the OWL.

• Annotated Bibliographies - Definitions & Format
• Annotated Bibliography Breakdown
• Annotated Bibliography Samples
• Writing a Literature Review

Just about every major research project involves a literature review, often these can be placed at the beginning of a paper or can be publishable in their own right. The OWL provides guidance for literature review writing.

Job Search Writing

Writing while on the job search takes various forms. The OWL provides useful tips for writing in this context.

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• Job Search Letters
• Resumes and CVs
• Skilled Labor Job Search Resources
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Writing Effective Thesis Statements

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A good thesis statement can be the difference between making an argument about something, and simply re-stating what someone else has already said. In your thesis statement, you want to make a claim that you will continue to develop throughout the paper. It should represent your own ideas–perhaps in response to something someone else has said–but ultimately, it is your argument. As such, a good thesis statement should have 3 main traits. A good thesis:

• Can be developed with evidence throughout your paper. In other words, you should be able to say it in 1-2 sentences, but that shouldn’t be all that there is to say on the topic.
• Is argumentative, not in a negative sense, but in that it can be supported and may have counter-arguments. Test this by asking “Could I argue the reverse of this?”
• Should explain what, why, and how. What are you arguing? Why are you arguing that? And how will you show it? Think of the “what” as your basic position, the “why” as your reasoning, and the “how” as your evidence (theories, sources, etc.)

In all, the thesis is the backbone of your paper. In the rest of your paper, something in each paragraph should directly relate back to the paper. If you get lost in the writing process, you’ll want to be able to come back to your thesis and say, “this is what I’m arguing.” And remember, thesis statements can evolve with the paper. Once you’ve got your draft written, read through and make sure that what you’re saying in your paper matches up with what your thesis statement says you’re going to be saying.

H ere are a few helpful links to get you started:

• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/

The Purdue OWL (Purdue University) is a great source for writing, and this page goes into detail on the different types of thesis statements.

• http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/

Here’s another great source from the University of North Carolina with some tips and examples of strong thesis statements.

It can be useful to play around with and see examples, but DO NOT use it to create your actual thesis, as this may be considered plagiarism!

Best of luck with your writing endeavors!

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• Thesis Statement

Thesis Statements: How to Identify and Write Them

Students read about and watch videos about how to identify and write thesis statements. 

Then, students complete two exercises where they identify and write thesis statements. 

*Conditions of Use: While the content on each page is licensed under an  Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike  license, some pages contain content and/or references with other types of licenses or copyrights. Please look at the bottom of each page to view this information. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of these readings and exercises, students will be able to: 

• define the term thesis statement
• read about two recommended thesis statement models 
• practice identifying thesis statements in other texts
• write your own effective thesis statements

Attributions:

• The banner image is licensed under  Adobe Stock .
• The untitled image of a detective by Peggy_Marco is licensed under Pixabay . 

What is a thesis statement?

The thesis statement is the key to most academic writing. The purpose of academic writing is to offer your own insights, analyses, and ideas—to show not only that you understand the concepts you’re studying, but also that you have thought about those concepts in your own way and agreed or disagreed, or developed your own unique ideas as a result of your analysis. The  thesis statement  is the one sentence that encapsulates the result of your thinking, as it offers your main insight or argument in condensed form.

We often use the word “argument” in English courses, but we do not mean it in the traditional sense of a verbal fight with someone else. Instead, you “argue” by taking a position on an issue and supporting it with evidence. Because you’ve taken a position about your topic, someone else may be in a position to disagree (or argue) with the stance you have taken. Think about how a lawyer presents an argument or states their case in a courtroom—similarly, you want to build a case around the main idea of your essay. For example, in 1848, when Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted “The Declaration of Sentiments,” she was thinking about how to convince New York State policymakers to change the laws to allow women to vote. Stanton was making an argument.

Some consider all writing a form of argument—or at least of persuasion. After all, even if you’re writing a letter or an informative essay, you’re implicitly trying to persuade your audience to care about what you’re saying. Your thesis statement represents the main idea—or point—about a topic or issue that you make in an argument. For example, let’s say that your topic is social media. A thesis statement about social media could look like one of the following sentences:

• Social media harms the self-esteem of American pre-teen girls.
• Social media can help connect researchers when they use hashtags to curate their work.
• Social media tools are not tools for social movements, they are marketing tools.

Please take a look at this video which explains the basic definition of a thesis statement further (we will be building upon these ideas through the rest of the readings and exercises): 

Attributions: 

• The content about thesis statements has been modified from English Composition 1 by Lumen Learning and Audrey Fisch et al. and appears under an  Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. 
• The video "Purdue OWL: Thesis Statements" by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab appears under a YouTube license . 

The Two-Story Model (basic)

First, we will cover the two-story thesis statement model. This is the most basic model, but that doesn't mean it's bad or that you shouldn't use it. If you have a hard time with thesis statements or if you just want to keep things simple, this model is perfect for you. Think of it like a two-story building with two layers. 

A basic thesis sentence has two main parts:

• Topic:  What you’re writing about
• Angle:  What your main idea is about that topic, or your claim

Examples: 

When you read all of the thesis statement examples, can you see areas where the writer could be more specific with their angle? The more specific you are with your topic and your claims, the more focused your essay will be for your reader.

Thesis:  A regular exercise regime leads to multiple benefits, both physical and emotional.

• Topic:  Regular exercise regime
• Angle:  Leads to multiple benefits

Thesis:  Adult college students have different experiences than typical, younger college students.

• Topic:  Adult college students
• Angle:  Have different experiences

Thesis:  The economics of television have made the viewing experience challenging for many viewers because shows are not offered regularly, similar programming occurs at the same time, and commercials are rampant.

• Topic:  Television viewing
• Angle:  Challenging because shows shifted, similar programming, and commercials

Please watch how Dr. Cielle Amundson demonstrates the two-story thesis statement model in this video:

• The video "Thesis Statement Definition" by  Dr. Cielle Amundson  appears under a YouTube license . 

The Three-Story Model (advanced)

Now, it's time to challenge yourself. The three-story model is like a building with three stories. Adding multiple levels to your thesis statement makes it more specific and sophisticated. Though you'll be trying your hand with this model in the activity later on, throughout our course, you are free to choose either the two-story or three-story thesis statement model. Still, it's good to know what the three-story model entails. 

A thesis statement can have three parts: 

• Relevance : Why your argument is meaningful

Conceptualizing the Three-Story Model: 

A helpful metaphor based on this passage by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.:

There are one-story intellects, two-story intellects, and three-story intellects with skylights. All fact collectors who have no aim beyond their facts are one-story men. Two-story men compare, reason, generalize using the labor of fact collectors as their own. Three-story men idealize, imagine, predict—their best illumination comes from above the skylight.

One-story theses state inarguable facts. Two-story theses bring in an arguable (interpretive or analytical) point. Three-story theses nest that point within its larger, compelling implications. 

The biggest benefit of the three-story metaphor is that it describes a process for building a thesis. To build the first story, you first have to get familiar with the complex, relevant facts surrounding the problem or question. You have to be able to describe the situation thoroughly and accurately. Then, with that first story built, you can layer on the second story by formulating the insightful, arguable point that animates the analysis. That’s often the most effortful part: brainstorming, elaborating and comparing alternative ideas, finalizing your point. With that specified, you can frame up the third story by articulating why the point you make matters beyond its particular topic or case.

Though the three-story thesis statement model appears a little bit differently in this video, you can still see how it follows the patterns mentioned within this section: 

• The content about thesis statements has been modified from Writing in College by Amy Guptill from Milne Publishing and appears under an  Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. 
• The video "How to Write a STRONG Thesis Statement" by Scribbr  appears under a YouTube license . 

Identifying Thesis Statements

You’ll remember that the first step of the reading process, previewing ,  allows you to get a big-picture view of the document you’re reading. This way, you can begin to understand the structure of the overall text. The most important step of understanding an essay or a book is to find the thesis statement.

Pinpointing a Thesis Statement

A thesis consists of a specific topic and an angle on the topic. All of the other ideas in the text support and develop the thesis. The thesis statement is often found in the introduction, sometimes after an initial “hook” or interesting story; sometimes, however, the thesis is not explicitly stated until the end of an essay. Sometimes it is not stated at all. In those instances, there is an  implied thesis statement.  You can generally extract the thesis statement by looking for a few key sentences and ideas.

Most readers expect to see the point of your argument (the thesis statement) within the first few paragraphs. This does not mean that it has to be placed there every time. Some writers place it at the very end, slowly building up to it throughout their work, to explain a point after the fact. Others don’t bother with one at all but feel that their thesis is “implied” anyway. Beginning writers, however, should avoid the implied thesis unless certain of the audience. Almost every professor will expect to see a clearly discernible thesis sentence in the introduction.

Shared Characteristics of Thesis Statements:

• present the main idea
• are one sentence
• tell the reader what to expect
• summarize the essay topic
• present an argument
• are written in the third person (does not include the “I” pronoun)

The following “How to Identify a Thesis Statement” video offers advice for locating a text’s thesis statement. It asks you to write one or two sentences that summarize the text. When you write that summary, without looking at the text itself, you’ve most likely paraphrased the thesis statement.

You can view the  transcript for “How to Identify the Thesis Statement” here (download).

Try it! 

Try to check your thesis statement identification skills with this interactive exercise from the Excelsior University Online Writing Lab. 

• The video "How to Identidy the Thesis Statement" by  Martha Ann Kennedy  appears under a YouTube license . 
• The "Judging Thesis Statements" exercise from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab appears under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. 

Writing Your Own Thesis Statements

A thesis statement is a single sentence (or sometimes two) that provides the answers to these questions clearly and concisely. Ask yourself, “What is my paper about, exactly?” Answering this question will help you develop a precise and directed thesis, not only for your reader, but for you as well.

Key Elements of an Effective Thesis Statement: 

• A good thesis is non-obvious. High school teachers needed to make sure that you and all your classmates mastered the basic form of the academic essay. Thus, they were mostly concerned that you had a clear and consistent thesis, even if it was something obvious like “sustainability is important.” A thesis statement like that has a wide-enough scope to incorporate several supporting points and concurring evidence, enabling the writer to demonstrate his or her mastery of the five-paragraph form. Good enough! When they can, high school teachers nudge students to develop arguments that are less obvious and more engaging. College instructors, though, fully expect you to produce something more developed.
• A good thesis is arguable . In everyday life, “arguable” is often used as a synonym for “doubtful.” For a thesis, though, “arguable” means that it’s worth arguing: it’s something with which a reasonable person might disagree. This arguability criterion dovetails with the non-obvious one: it shows that the author has deeply explored a problem and arrived at an argument that legitimately needs 3, 5, 10, or 20 pages to explain and justify. In that way, a good thesis sets an ambitious agenda for a paper. A thesis like “sustainability is important” isn’t at all difficult to argue for, and the reader would have little intrinsic motivation to read the rest of the paper. However, an arguable thesis like “sustainability policies will inevitably fail if they do not incorporate social justice,” brings up some healthy skepticism. Thus, the arguable thesis makes the reader want to keep reading.
• A good thesis is well specified. Some student writers fear that they’re giving away the game if they specify their thesis up front; they think that a purposefully vague thesis might be more intriguing to the reader. However, consider movie trailers: they always include the most exciting and poignant moments from the film to attract an audience. In academic papers, too, a well specified thesis indicates that the author has thought rigorously about an issue and done thorough research, which makes the reader want to keep reading. Don’t just say that a particular policy is effective or fair; say what makes it is so. If you want to argue that a particular claim is dubious or incomplete, say why in your thesis.
• A good thesis includes implications. Suppose your assignment is to write a paper about some aspect of the history of linen production and trade, a topic that may seem exceedingly arcane. And suppose you have constructed a well supported and creative argument that linen was so widely traded in the ancient Mediterranean that it actually served as a kind of currency. 2  That’s a strong, insightful, arguable, well specified thesis. But which of these thesis statements do you find more engaging?

How Can You Write Your Thesis Statements?

A good basic structure for a thesis statement is “they say, I say.” What is the prevailing view, and how does your position differ from it? However, avoid limiting the scope of your writing with an either/or thesis under the assumption that your view must be strictly contrary to their view.

• focus on one, interesting idea
• choose the two-story or three-story model
• be as specific as possible
• write clearly
• have evidence to support it (for later on)

Thesis Statement Examples: 

• Although many readers believe Romeo and Juliet to be a tale about the ill fate of two star-crossed lovers, it can also be read as an allegory concerning a playwright and his audience.
• The “War on Drugs” has not only failed to reduce the frequency of drug-related crimes in America but actually enhanced the popular image of dope peddlers by romanticizing them as desperate rebels fighting for a cause.
• The bulk of modern copyright law was conceived in the age of commercial printing, long before the Internet made it so easy for the public to compose and distribute its own texts. Therefore, these laws should be reviewed and revised to better accommodate modern readers and writers.
• The usual moral justification for capital punishment is that it deters crime by frightening would-be criminals. However, the statistics tell a different story.
• If students really want to improve their writing, they must read often, practice writing, and receive quality feedback from their peers.
• Plato’s dialectical method has much to offer those engaged in online writing, which is far more conversational in nature than print.

You can gather more thesis statement tips and tricks from this video titled "How to Create a Thesis Statement" from the Florida SouthWestern State College Academic Support Centers: 

• The video "How to Create a Thesis Statement" by the Florida SouthWestern State College Academic Support Centers appears under a YouTube license . 

Additional, Optional Resources

If you feel like you might need more support with thesis statements, please check out these helpful resources for some extra, optional instruction: 

• "Checklist for a Thesis Statement"  from the  Excelsior University Online Writing Lab  which appears under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. 
• "Developing Your Thesis" from Hamiliton College which appears under a copyright. 
• "Parts of a Thesis Sentence and Common Problems"  from the  Excelsior University Online Writing Lab  which appears under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
• "Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements" from the Purdue University Writing Lab which appears under a copyright. 
• "Writing Thesis Statements & Hypotheses" by Hope Matis from Clarkson University which appears under a copyright. 
• The content about these resources has been modified from English Composition 1 by Lumen Learning and Audrey Fisch et al. and appears under an  Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. 
• The content about these resources has been modified from Writing in College by Amy Guptill from Milne Publishing and appears under an  Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. 
• The untitled image of the books by OpenClipart-Vectors is licensed under Pixabay . 

Exercise #1: Identify Thesis Statements

Throughout the readings, we have been learning what an effective thesis statement is and what it is not. Before we even get to writing our own thesis statements, let's look for real-world examples. It's your turn to locate and identify thesis statements!

Objectives/Goals

By completeting this exercise students will be able to: 

• identify the main ideas within a text 
• summarize the main ideas within a text
• choose one sentence from the text which you believe is the thesis statement
• argue why you believe that's the true thesis statement of the text

Instructions

• Any print or online text (probably something around a page in length) will be fine for this exercise. 
• If you have trouble finding a text, I recommend looking at this collection from  88 Open Essays – A Reader for Students of Composition & Rhetoric  by Sarah Wangler and Tina Ulrich. 
• Write the title of the text that you selected and the full name(s) of the author (this is called the full citation). 
• Provide a hyperlink for that text. 
• Write one paragraph (5+ sentences) summarizing the main points of the text. 
• Write one more argumentative paragraph (5+ sentences) where you discuss which sentence (make sure it appears within quotation marks, but don't worry about in-text citations for now) you think is the author's thesis statement and why. 

Submitting the Assignment

You will be submitting Exercise #1: Identify Thesis Statements within Canvas in our weekly module. 

Please check the assignment page for deadlines and Canvas Guides to help you in case you have trouble submitting your document. 

• "88 Open Essays - A Reader for Students of Composition & Rhetoric" by Sarah Wangler and Tina Ulrich from LibreTexts appears under an  Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license. 

Exercise #2: Write Your Own Thesis Statements

Now that you've had some practice with locating and identifying thesis statements, you are ready to write some practice thesis statements yourself. 

• write a two-story thesis statement 
• write a three-story thesis statement
• reflect on your thesis statement skills
• Using the same text from Exercise #1, write a two-story thesis statement in response to that text. 
• Using the same text from Exercise #1, write a three-story thesis statement in response to that text. 
• Is it easy for you to identify thesis statements in other texts? Why or why not?
• What methods do you use to identify/locate thesis statements?
• In the past, how have you felt when you needed to write a thesis statement?
• How did you feel about writing your own thesis statements in Exercise #2?
• Which thesis statement writing strategies were the most beneficial to you? Why?
• What challenges did you face when you were writing you thesis statement for Exercise #2?

You will be submitting Exercise #2: Write Your Own Thesis Statements within Canvas in our weekly module. 

• The untitled image of the writing supplies by ptra  is licensed under Pixabay . 

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Developing a Thesis

From Purdue OWL:

Definition:

A thesis statement is a sentence that summarizes the main point of your essay and previews your supporting points. The thesis statement is important because it guides your readers from the beginning of your essay by telling them the main idea and supporting points of your essay.

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

In short, a strong thesis statement should be a focused argument that can be disputed.

Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

1. Determine what kind of paper you are writing:

An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.

An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.

An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader.

2. Your thesis statement should be specific —it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper (the introduction).

4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

Examples of underdeveloped thesis statements that are broad and not debatable :

• Pollution is bad for the environment.
• In this paper, I will discuss how SUVs are bad for the environment.

Examples of good statements that are focused and encourage debate:

• America's anti-pollution efforts should focus on privately owned cars.
• Recent scientific research provides evidence that SUVs emit more CO2 than other types of vehicles. High CO2 emissions contribute to global warming.
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ENGL 2111 and 2112 World Literature: Thesis Statement

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The Thesis Statement

Thesis Statements in Literary Analysis Papers  

Tips and Examples for Writing a Thesis Statement (OWL @ Purdue)

Writing About Literature (OWL Writing Center-Purdue University)

Writing a Thesis Statement for a Literature Paper (Colorado State University)

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Thesis Statement Tips from Purdue OWL

Have you ever visited Purdue OWL ? Well, do yourself a favor and bookmark this amazing writing resource.

One of the many resources they share are tips on how to write a thesis statement .

Still need help? Sign up for our thesis statement writing worship taking place tonight from 7-9pm in the Writing Center.

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Purdue Owl - Organizing Your Expository/Persuasive Essay

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/). When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice at bottom.

Organizing You Expository/Persuasive Essay

How can I effectively present my argument?

Use an organizational structure that arranges the argument in a way that will make sense to the reader. The Toulmin Method of logic is a common and easy to use formula for organizing an argument.

The basic format for the Toulmin Method is as follows:

Claim: The overall thesis the writer will argue for.

Data: Evidence gathered to support the claim.

Warrant (also referred to as a bridge): Explanation of why or how the data supports the claim, the underlying assumption that connects your data to your claim.

Backing (also referred to as the foundation): Additional logic or reasoning that may be necessary to support the warrant.

Counterclaim: A claim that negates or disagrees with the thesis/claim.

Rebuttal: Evidence that negates or disagrees with the counterclaim.

Including a well thought out warrant or bridge is essential to writing a good argumentative essay or paper. If you present data to your audience without explaining how it supports your thesis they may not make a connection between the two or they may draw different conclusions.

Don't avoid the opposing side of an argument. Instead, include the opposing side as a counterclaim. Find out what the other side is saying and respond to it within your own argument. This is important so that the audience is not swayed by weak, but unrefuted, arguments. Including counterclaims allows you to find common ground with more of your readers. It also makes you look more credible because you appear to be knowledgeable about the entirety of the debate rather than just being biased or uniformed. You may want to include several counterclaims to show that you have thoroughly researched the topic.

Claim: Hybrid cars are an effective strategy to fight pollution.

Data1: Driving a private car is a typical citizen's most air polluting activity.

Warrant 1: Because cars are the largest source of private, as opposed to industry produced, air pollution switching to hybrid cars should have an impact on fighting pollution.

Data 2: Each vehicle produced is going to stay on the road for roughly 12 to 15 years.

Warrant 2: Cars generally have a long lifespan, meaning that a decision to switch to a hybrid car will make a long-term impact on pollution levels.

Data 3: Hybrid cars combine a gasoline engine with a battery-powered electric motor.

Warrant 3: This combination of technologies means that less pollution is produced. According to ineedtoknow.org "the hybrid engine of the Prius, made by Toyota, produces 90 percent fewer harmful emissions than a comparable gasoline engine."

Counterclaim: Instead of focusing on cars, which still encourages a culture of driving even if it cuts down on pollution, the nation should focus on building and encouraging use of mass transit systems.

Rebuttal: While mass transit is an environmentally sound idea that should be encouraged, it is not feasible in many rural and suburban areas, or for people who must commute to work; thus hybrid cars

Additional Information on Organization and Content of the Expository/Persuasive Essay from Other Areas of Purdue OWL

The structure of the argumentative/expository/persuasive essay is held together by the following:

A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first paragraph of the essay.

In the first paragraph of an argument essay, students should set the context by reviewing the topic in a general way. Next the author should explain why the topic is important (exigence) or why readers should care about the issue. Lastly, students should present the thesis statement. It is essential that this thesis statement be appropriately narrowed to follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment. If the student does not master this portion of the essay, it will be quite difficult to compose an effective or persuasive essay.

Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion.

Transitions are the mortar that holds the foundation of the essay together. Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable to follow the essay’s argument, and the structure will collapse. Transitions should wrap up the idea from the previous section and introduce the idea that is to follow in the next section.

Body paragraphs that include evidential support.

Each paragraph should be limited to the discussion of one general idea. This will allow for clarity and direction throughout the essay. In addition, such conciseness creates an ease of readability for one’s audience. It is important to note that each paragraph in the body of the essay must have some logical connection to the thesis statement in the opening paragraph. Some paragraphs will directly support the thesis statement with evidence collected during research. It is also important to explain how and why the evidence supports the thesis (warrant).

However, argumentative/expository/persuasive essays should also consider and explain differing points of view regarding the topic. Depending on the length of the assignment, students should dedicate one or two paragraphs of the essay to discussing conflicting opinions on the topic. Rather than explaining how these differing opinions are wrong outright, students should note how opinions that do not align with their thesis might not be well informed or how they might be out of date.

A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided.

It is at this point of the essay that students may begin to struggle. This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the reader. Therefore, it must be effective and logical. Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize the information presented in the body of the essay. Restate why the topic is important, review the main points, and review your thesis.

A Complete Argument

Perhaps it is helpful to think of an essay in terms of a conversation or debate with a classmate. If I were to discuss the cause of World War II and its current effect on those who lived through the tumultuous time, there would be a beginning, middle, and end to the conversation. In fact, if I were to end the argument in the middle of my second point, questions would arise concerning the current effects on those who lived through the conflict. Therefore, the argumentative essay must be complete, and logically so, leaving no doubt as to its intent or argument.

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Blue Owl Capital's 10% Yield: Finally A Buy (Rating Upgrade)

• Blue Owl Capital Corporation is a well-managed BDC with a First Lien-focus and excess dividend coverage, raising dividends and paying special dividends.
• Stock offers a high-quality 10% dividend yield and is selling at a 7% discount to net asset value.
• Consider OBDC for passive income portfolio due to First Lien-focus, strong originations, and excess dividend coverage.

Henrik Sorensen

Blue Owl Capital Corporation ( NYSE: OBDC ) is a well-managed business development company with a First Lien-focus and considerable excess dividend coverage that has allowed the business development company to raise its dividend multiple times in the last year and pay special dividends as well.

The BDC’s stock provides a high-quality 10% dividend yield and Blue Owl Capital is now selling at a 7% discount to net asset value.

The First Lien-focus, strong originations and a respectable amount of excess dividend coverage are all reasons to consider OBDC for a passive income portfolio.

My Rating History

I modified my stock classification of Blue Owl Capital from ‘Sell’ to Hold , predominantly because the business development company profited from a higher-for-longer interest rates given its heavy dependence on floating-rate loans in its investment portfolio.

I am modifying my stock classification from ‘Hold’ to ‘Buy’ considering that the stock declined in price lately and is presently available to passive income investors at a discount to book value.

First Lien-Centric Investment Portfolio With A Pronounced First Lien Focus

In addition to solid dividend coverage, a business development company’s portfolio focus is one of the most important decision parameters for me. Since the BDC’s stock is now finally selling at a discount to net asset value (something that I have been waiting for a while), I think that the risk/reward relationship has become more compelling on the drop.

Blue Owl Capital is a First Lien-centric business development company that is primarily focused on First Lien Investments. First Liens accounted for 75% of investments as of June 30, 2024 with another 6% being added on top of this in terms of Second Liens.

Other investments of lesser importance include joint ventures, Equity and Unsecured Debt Investments. What should be noted about Blue Owl Capital is that the business development company’s debt investments are 97% floating-rate.

Portfolio Highlights (Blue Owl Capital Corporation)

Blue Owl Capital’s First Lien share increased 2 percentage points QoQ due to new investment activities getting carried out in the First Lien segment. The business development company had $1.16 billion in net funded new investments in 2Q24, and 91% of all new investments went to First Liens in the second quarter.

Portfolio Highlights - New Quarterly Activity (Blue Owl Capital Corporation)

The third-biggest business development company by market value produced $396.8 million in total investment income in 2Q24, up 0.6% YoY. Interest from investments (mainly floating-rate loans in the middle market segment) produced the majority of income for Blue Owl Capital, though the BDC generated practically no growth here in 2Q24. Fees, such as prepayment fees for loans that borrowers chose to repay ahead of schedule, rose 141% YoY to $10.3 million.

With operating expenses staying flat at $205.2 million YoY, Blue Owl Capital produced net investment income of $189.1 million, up 1.3% YoY.

Total Investment Income (Blue Owl Capital Corporation)

Dividend Pay-Out Metrics

Blue Owl Capital produced $0.48 per share in net investment income in the last quarter which compares to a dividend of $0.37 per share. The dividend pay-out ratio in the second quarter was 77% which translates to a high margin of safety for passive income investors. Blue Owl Capital also pays supplemental dividends ($0.06 per share in 2Q24) which lifts the dividend pay-out ratio to 90%.

Ares Capital Corp. ( ARCC ) paid out 83% of its net investment income in the second quarter and does not pay any supplemental dividends. This means that Blue Owl Capital presently offers passive income investors a slightly safer 10% investment yield.

Dividend (Author Created Table Using BDC Information)

Finally A Bargain

I have been on the fence with regard to Blue Owl Capital for much of the last year, but finally think that the business development company’s stock is a Buy. I think this because Blue Owl Capital is finally selling at a discount to net asset value which as of June 30, 2024 stood at $15.36 per share (my intrinsic value estimate) which implies a 7% discount to book value.

BDC valuations have gotten hammered lately, predominantly because of a poorly received labor market report that came in way below investor expectations, which I think creates an opportunity here for passive income investors.

Major business development companies including Ares Capital Corp., Goldman Sachs BDC Inc. ( GSBD ) and Blackstone Secured Lending ( BXSL ) have also suffered blows to their valuation multiples, particularly last week, with Blue Owl Capital and Goldman Sachs BDC now selling at discounts to net asset value.

Taking into account that Blue Owl Capital still solidly covers its dividend with net investment income, I think the discount valuation is particularly compelling.

Why The Investment Thesis Might Not Pan Out

Blue Owl Capital has a considerable percentage of its investments allocated to floating the-rate loans. With the central bank supposedly getting ready to slash short-term interest rates, Blue Owl Capital might see headwinds to its interest income generated from its floating-rate loan investments.

Loans that get repaid earlier will have to get invested at lower rates, potentially leading to a decline in net investment income moving forward which in turn might equate to a lower margin of safety for passive income investors.

My Conclusion

I have been sitting on the fence with respect to Blue Owl Capital for quite a while, but now I think that the business development company’s valuation has fallen to a level that could justify a ‘Buy’ stock classification: The BDC’s stock is now available to passive income investors at a discount to book value, the business development company comfortably covered its dividend with net investment income and pays special dividends as a means to distribute excess portfolio income.

The 10% yield is as solid as it gets, in my view, and I think that passive income investors should consider buying the drop here.

This article was written by

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of OBDC either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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What we did on our summer vacation - Mechanical Engineering - Purdue University

What we did on our summer vacation

Alex chortos.

At the ASME Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference (MSEC) in Knoxville, Tennessee, I presented an invited talk on the use of 3D printing for making bio-inspired soft electronics like 3D artificial muscles.

At TechConnect in Washington DC , my company PolyC Plastics and Composites received an award for the "Top 15% most innovative companies." Miko Cakmak and I, and a Purdue PhD student (Michael Sotzing), are scientific advisors for PolyC, and displayed product concepts and discussed with investors at the booth. TechConnect is America's premier conference for entrepreneurship and startup investment. This summer, I joined with Monique McClain and Heather Liddell to run a summer course for high school students that teaches product design and entrepreneurship using 3D printing. 43 students designed a product, printed it, and pitched their product ideas to a panel of judges. As the top design, the judges chose a modular storage solution for wheelchairs, while students chose a project on custom cleats.

Andrea Vacca

One of my Ph.D. students (now graduated) Xin Tian became a finalist for the 2024 Giuseppe Pellizzi Prize , representing the best international Ph.D. thesis on agricultural mechanization. Her thesis was " Methods to reduce energy consumption in the hydraulic system: toward the next generation of green, high-efficient agricultural tractors. "

Dave Cappelleri

We had a few trips this summer:

• IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Yokohama, Japan
• NSF ERC IoT4Ag Annual Retreat , Merced, CA
• IEEE International Conference on Manipulation, Automation, and Robotics at Small Scales (MARSS) , Delft, Netherlands (Fun fact:  I will be organizing this conference next year at Purdue!)

I also received the official Guinness World Record for 3D printing the world's smallest drum !

David Warsinger

I also received the Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award in Heat Transfer at the ASME Summer Heat Transfer Conference in Anaheim, California.

Davide Ziviani

The Herrick Conferences took place here at Purdue just two weeks later, for which I served as chair of the International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference. My students won several awards:

• Steven Liang, current PhD candidate at Herrick Labs co-advised by Jim Braun and myself, received the Best Paper Award in the International Compressor Engineering Conferences. He prototyped a novel reciprocating compressor with vapor injection that will enable next generation high-efficiency domestic refrigerators. He also received the Dave Tree Distinguished Service Award for his work in managing all the conferences’ papers, presentations, program and activities " the first time this award has been given to a student.
• Jan Spale is a PhD student from Czech Technical University in Prague and was a Fulbright Scholar at Herrick Labs for approximately 1 year under my supervision. He received the 2nd place in the Student Paper Competition, writing about high temperature heat pumps .

Eric Holloway

I was part of various teams that presented six papers at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon from June 23-26. Two of the papers that had the most significance for Mechanical Engineering were:

• A Framework for Students’ Professional Development When Meeting with Employers in a Microelectronics Workforce Development Program, co-authored by ME undergraduate Benjamin Burson (who I mentored for three semesters) and myself, focused on helping students in the Purdue-led SCALE microelectronic consortium prepare to meet with employers.
• Validity Evidence for the Sophomore Engineering Experiences Survey, co-authored by ME faculty Beth Holloway, myself, and our graduate student Fanyi Zhang, received Honorable Mention for the Best Paper in the Education Research and Methods (ERM) Division of ASEE. The ERM Division is generally considered the most stringent and has the most papers submitted for review.

Guillermo Paniagua

A good summer update from the team here at Purdue Experimental Turbine Aerothermal Laboratory (PETAL) . Aubrey McKelvy and coauthors were awarded the Best Paper Award in “Controls, Diagnostics & Instrumentation” at the ASME Turbo Expo , which took place in London. McKelvy A., Braun J., Paniagua G., Andre T., Choquet E., Falempin F., 2023, “Quantitative Definition of Spray Edge With Extinction Diagnostics for Liquid Jets in Supersonic Cross-flow”. Proceedings of the ASME Turbo Expo 2023. Paper GT2023-102536. Boston, USA. June. https://doi.org/10.1115/GT2023-102536

I have several undergraduate students who won awards at NOISE-CON 2024 in New Orleans, the annual conference of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE-USA) .

• Ruxin Li (incoming graduate student in my group, starting Fall 2024): Leo Beranek Student Medal for Excellence in Noise Control
• Shaocheng Wu (ME, Junior): Hallberg Foundation Award and Undergraduate Research Project Award
• Yijie Zhang (AE, Senior): Hallberg Foundation Award and Undergraduate Research Project Award

Partha Mukherjee

In June, I attended the Gordon Research Conference in Maine, focused on Understanding and Exploiting Structure, Property, and Novel Synthesis for Next Generation Energetic Materials. Our group had several posters presented and Diane Collard and Monique McClain were invited speakers.

Also in June, I attended the Workshop on Pyrotechnic Combustion where I gave an invited presentation, and the  International Annual Conference of the Fraunhofer ICT , both in Karlsruhe, Germany.

In July I attended the International Pyrotechnic Society meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ph.D. student Bekah Travis gave a presentation and we had several posters.

In July I was an invited speaker at the 14th International Workshop on Combustion and Propulsion in Pescara, Italy.

Oh, and did I mention I got to visit an aircraft carrier ?

Stuart Bolton

Thomas Siegmund

Xiulin Ruan

Two of my students won awards at the ASME Summer Heat Transfer Conference in Anaheim, California. Gilbreth Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Xiaojie Liu received a K9 Session Presentation Award for her talk entitled “Low-emissivity colored paints enabled by conductive polymer coating for year-round energy-efficient buildings.” PhD student Andrea Felicelli received a K9 Session Presentation Award for her talk entitled “Structural Radiative Cooling in Highly Reflective White Snail Shells as Adaptation to Extreme Heat Environments.”

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Why include writing in engineering courses?

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Writing assignments incorporated into engineering courses allow students to both “write to learn” and “learn to write.” The concepts “writing to learn” and “learning to write” are integral to the study of how writing is used in all disciplines across the university. Writing studies scholars call this “writing across curriculum” because it promotes writing instruction in courses where students may not expect to encounter writing assignments and courses that students take throughout their undergraduate education.

When students write to learn, they are actively engaging with material by thinking through and articulating important concepts and issues addressed within the course. Writing in an engineering course will not only help students learn subject matter, but also enable them to synthesize and organize their thoughts to better retain information learned in the course. Furthermore, writing to learn enables students to make connections and understand the importance of the course beyond the classroom.

Assignments that emphasize “writing to learn” serve several purposes:

• Promoting a deeper understanding of course material
• Building critical thinking skills in students
• Showing students linkages to real-world applications
• Building students’ confidence in their ability to utilize technical content

Although the assignments provided in this resource primarily focus on “writing to learn,” students will also gain skills associated with “learning to write,” such as

• Developing design skills
• Practicing technical writing genres

For more information on “writing to learn” and “learning to write,” consult the OWL’s “Writing Across the Curriculum: An Introduction”

You might also check out the OWL vidcast, "An Introduction to Writing Across the Curriculum" on the Purdue OWL's YouTube Channel.

Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Create Writing Prompts

This page provides examples for how to modify a standard end-of-chapter homework problem to craft write-to-learn exercises at all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, a framework for classifying educational learning objectives.

Types of Writing Assignments

This page provides an overview and description of many types of writing assignments suitable for use in engineering homework and class activities.

Writing Tips for Students

This page provides instructors with quick tips that they can give their students to help them navigate the writing process, from the pre-writing to revising stages.

Assessment and Feedback of Engineering Writing Assignments

These resources describe easy-to-implement grading and feedback schemes for engineering writing assignments. Grading is one of the key obstacles to implementing writing in engineering courses as class sizes may be large, or instructors/TAs may teach multiple sections. Therefore, this section also provides techniques for quicker streamlined grading practices.

This work was supported by a Research Initiation Grant in Engineering Education (RIGEE) grant from the Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) Division of the National Science Foundation (grant no. EEC-1340491). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.