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Lesson 3: Developing, Supporting, and Refining the Thesis. Topics Developing the Thesis Supporting the Thesis Refining the Thesis. English Composition Two. What is a Focused Knowledge?. Focused knowledge Builds on working knowledge.
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Lesson 3: Developing, Supporting, and Refining the Thesis Topics Developing the Thesis Supporting the Thesis Refining the Thesis English Composition Two
What is a Focused Knowledge? Focused knowledge • Builds on working knowledge. • Provides enough information for a 15-20 minute presentation • Is the product of smart research • Depends on what you do with what you find
Developing a Focused Knowledge Use relevant sources to help move your project forward: • Refine the inquiry question • Help the literature review • Reveal interesting patterns
Generating a Tentative Thesis • The thesis is the truth or insight from the author’s point of view. • Your paper needs a thesis for three reasons: • It focuses your drafting • It gives you direction • It guides your readers
Developing a Working Thesis • Discovering a working thesis may depend upon where you started. If you started • With a research question… • … Your working thesis is the concise answer to that question. • By listing ideas… • … Your working thesis is the insight you want to communicate about one of those ideas. • By freewriting… • … Your working thesis is the overall (or the most interesting) insight that emerged from that prewriting.
Developing a Working Thesis (cont’d) A good working thesis makes a point about your topic… • The point needs to be communicated to others • This point is broader than a simple fact • This point is narrower than a topic
Supporting the Thesis • Once a working thesis is developed, it must be supported. • Two main approaches for supporting the thesis include: • Discovery Drafts • Outline your main points
Writing Discovery Drafts • If you like to dive into the writing, consider writing a draft in support of the working thesis. • Write to discover the main points and how to organize them • Write quickly, but take time to think about your ideas • Study the draft for the main ideas • Create a separate outline to organize your ideas
Creating an Outline When creating an outline: • Focus on points not paragraphs • Create a strategy • Remember that different strategies can work • Focus on main points • Ask "What do readers need to know?" • Listen to your thesis • Appeal to conventions of the writing situation
Refining your thesis During planning, the thesis is still a work in progress. • Revise the thesis as writing leads to a more interesting focus • Re-examine the draft often for relevance • Continue writing • Repeat as the draft evolves