Thesis Statements, Claims , & Evidence

topic

the subject of a speech or essay. This may be a single word or phrase.

thesis

a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved. It may preview the main points of the essay or address the counterargument.

claim

The position taken in a paragraph of the essay to prove the thesis. It is also called an assertion or proposition, and it has to be arguable.

open thesis

Thesis that does not list the main points the writer intends to cover in the essay. It is effective for long essays.

closed thesis

A statement of the main idea of the argument that also previews the major points the writer intends to make. It is effective for short essays.

counterargument thesis

Previews the counterargument using words such as: although, usually, however, or while
Makes the argument seem stronger and more reasonable
Helps with the transition to the counterargument and rebuttal to be addressed later in the paper

claim of fact

asserts that something is true or not true

claim of value

argues that something is good or bad, right or wrong

claim of policy

a claim asserting that specific courses of action should be instituted as solutions to problems

argument

The ultimate goal is not to destroy your opponents or dismantle their viewpoints but rather to reach a conclusion that is satisfying to all participants.

Rogerian argument

based on the assumption that having a full understanding of an opposing position is essential to responding to it persuasively and refuting it in a way that is accommodating rather than alienating

first-hand evidence

something you know, whether it's from personal experience, anecdotes you've heard from others, observations, or your general knowledge of events

second-hand evidence

Evidence that is accessed through research, reading, and investigation. It includes factual and historical information, expert opinion, and quantitative data.

quantitative data

Statistics, surveys, polls, census information

expert

Someone with published research on a topic or whose job or experience gives them specialized knowledge.