endnote for thesis writing

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Learn the more advanced tools in EndNote including working with journals term lists, merging multiple documents, editing output styles and troubleshooting library issues.

It is recommended that EndNote: Getting started  online tutorial is completed first . 

Visit the EndNote for thesis and publications writing online tutorial .

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Combining thesis chapters

How to combine thesis chapters.

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• EndNote and combining chapters using Word

Many students who are writing a thesis keep each chapter as a separate Word document with

EndNote creating a bibliography in each document. The steps below detail how to create a single

document and bibliography from separate chapter documents.

Step 1. Copy each chapter

Make a copy of each chapter, e.g. chapter1-copy.doc; chapter2-copy.doc. You will work with

these copies. If something goes wrong, you can return to your original documents and start again.

Step 2. Unformat citations

If you have been using EndNote's instant formatting, your references will already be formatted,

for example (Smith, 1999), and you will have a bibliography at the end of each chapter.

Open each document (chapter1-copy.doc, etc.) in Word, and from the EndNote menu in Word

select the Convert Citations and Bibliography >>> Convert to Unformatted Citations command.

(In earlier versions of EndNote, use the Unformat Citations command.) This will remove the

bibliography at the end of each chapter and change the references in the text into their

unformatted form, for example {Smith, 1999 #13}. Save these changes.

Step 3. Combine the chapters

Open chapter1-copy.doc in Word. Then open chapter2-copy.doc and select the whole document

(Ctrl+A), copy it and paste it at the end of chapter1-copy.doc.

Continue copying and pasting each chapter at the end of chapter1-copy.doc, until the whole thesis

is in one document.

Rename chapter1-copy.doc to thesis-master.doc. This is the master copy of your thesis, and any

subsequent changes should be made to this document. Save this document.

Step 4. Format citations in the thesis

Open thesis-master.doc in Word. From the EndNote menu in Word select the Update Citations

and Bibliography command. (In earlier versions of EndNote, use the Format Bibliography

command.) EndNote will format all the references in your document and create a single

bibliography at the end of the thesis. Save the changes.

Note: Unformatting the citations (at Step 2 above) disables the instant formatting in Word. If you

prefer to work with instant formatting, go to the Bibliography Preferences by clicking on the

small arrow at the very bottom of the Bibliography group on the EndNote menu in Word, and

then select the Instant Formatting tab and click on the Turn On button. (In earlier versions of

EndNote, access the Instant Formatting tab via the Format Bibliography command.)

Step 5. Remove field codes (Final step before submitting thesis)

Your thesis-master.doc contains hidden field codes which link it to EndNote. The final step before submitting your thesis is to  is to

create a copy which is not linked to EndNote. From the EndNote menu in Word select the

Convert Citations and Bibliography>Convert to Plain Text command. (In earlier versions of

EndNote, use the Remove Field Codes command.)

This will create a copy of your thesis which is no longer linked to EndNote. Save this copy as

thesis-unlinked.doc. This is the copy which you should submit. This is not your master copy.

Any changes must be made to thesis-master.doc.

If you need to make changes to your thesis, make them in thesis-master.doc and then use the

Remove Field Codes command to make a new copy of thesis-unlinked.doc.

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What Are Endnotes? | Guide with Examples

Published on March 29, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on June 7, 2022.

Endnotes are notes that appear at the end of your text in a piece of academic writing. They’re indicated in the text with numbers (or occasionally other symbols). Endnotes are used:

• For citations in certain styles
• To add extra information that doesn’t fit smoothly into the main text

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Table of contents

Endnotes vs. footnotes, how to use endnotes, endnotes in chicago style, endnotes in apa style, endnotes in mla style, how to insert endnotes in word, frequently asked questions about footnotes and endnotes.

Endnotes are sometimes confused with footnotes . Footnotes are also used to provide citations and/or supplementary information, but they appear at the bottom of the relevant page instead of all together at the end.

• Clutter your writing less than footnotes, since they’re all grouped together instead of spread throughout the text
• Are less convenient, since the reader has to flip to the back to read the notes
• Are convenient, since the reader finds the additional information on the same page as the relevant part of the text
• Can make your text appear messy, especially if there are a lot of them

You should usually choose either footnotes or endnotes and use them consistently. Your instructor may tell you which style of note to use.

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Endnote numbers appear at the end of the clause or sentence the endnote relates to. The number appears after any punctuation, unless the clause ends with an em dash, in which case it appears before it. There’s no space added after the number.

The general consensus now—though there are dissenting voices 1 —is that this experiment was simply too methodologically flawed to produce valid results. 2

Endnotes are numbered consecutively in the order they appear in your text. Each note has a unique number; don’t repeat the same number even if you cite the same source more than once.

In Chicago notes and bibliography style , you use endnotes (or footnotes) for citations. Either kind of note can also be used to add extra information: further examples, commentary on the sources you cite, or more detailed discussion of ideas you mention in the text.

Place your Chicago endnotes at the end of the relevant clause or sentence. A citation endnote provides full information about a source the first time you cite it, and shortened information for any further citations of that source.

                    1. Hanna Pickard, “What Is Personality Disorder?” Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology 18, no. 3 (September 2011): 182. https://doi.org/10.1353/ppp.2011.0040.

          2. Pickard, “What Is Personality Disorder?” 182.

You should still include a full list of your sources in a bibliography after the endnotes, unless you’re writing a very short paper and have been told you don’t need to.

The endnotes page appears just before the bibliography and starts with the title “Notes” written in bold and centered. The notes themselves are formatted as follows:

• Leave a blank line between endnotes, and single-space the notes themselves.
• Indent the start of each endnote.
• Write the note numbers in normal text, not superscript, followed by a period and then a space.

Either endnotes or footnotes may be used in APA Style to provide additional information. They’re not used for citation; for that you’ll use APA in-text citations instead.

APA endnotes are used to provide copyright attributions where necessary. They can also be used, for example, to elaborate on ideas in the text or provide further examples. Do this sparingly, however; APA cautions against adding unnecessary details.

1 Copyright 2022 by Scribbr. Reprinted with permission.

        2 Admittedly, the issue is not as straightforward as this brief summary suggests. See Prakash (2019) for a more in-depth consideration of …

Endnotes appear on a separate page after the reference list , with the heading “Footnotes” (confusingly, APA doesn’t use the term “endnotes”) in bold and centered at the top.

The notes are written as double-spaced indented paragraphs. Start each note with its number, in superscript and followed by a space.

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MLA in-text citations appear in parentheses in the text, but you can use endnotes to avoid cluttering the text if you need a lot of citations in one place.

MLA endnotes may also be used to provide additional information—any necessary clarifications, further examples, or expansions of ideas covered briefly in the text.

      1 See James 35; Lanning 15–25; and Johnson 77.

       2 Other nations, including Italy and France, were undergoing similar political convulsions during the same period.

List your endnotes on a separate page before the Works Cited list, and title them either “Notes” or “Endnotes.” Indent the first line of each endnote, and start the note with the number in superscript followed by a space. Endnotes should be double-spaced.

It’s straightforward to insert endnotes automatically in many word processors, including Microsoft Word. Just follow these steps:

• Click on the point in the text where you want the endnote number to appear.
• Open the “References” tab at the top, and click on “Insert Endnote.”
• Type something in the endnote that appears at the end of your document.

But if you’re following one of the styles covered above, do adjust the formatting to match their requirements and add a heading for the endnotes page.

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page they refer to. This is convenient for the reader but may cause your text to look cluttered if there are a lot of footnotes.

Endnotes appear all together at the end of the whole text. This may be less convenient for the reader but reduces clutter.

Both footnotes and endnotes are used in the same way: to cite sources or add extra information. You should usually choose one or the other to use in your text, not both.

To insert endnotes in Microsoft Word, follow the steps below:

• Click on the spot in the text where you want the endnote to show up.
• In the “References” tab at the top, select “Insert Endnote.”
• Type whatever text you want into the endnote.

If you need to change the type of notes used in a Word document from footnotes to endnotes , or the other way around, follow these steps:

• Open the “References” tab, and click the arrow in the bottom-right corner of the “Footnotes” section.
• In the pop-up window, click on “Convert…”
• Choose the option you need, and click “OK.”

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If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2022, June 07). What Are Endnotes? | Guide with Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/endnotes/

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Best Practices for Document Management

Importing from databases.

Because a dissertation or thesis is an extended project, and because of the anticipated timeline and number of references, certain methods of working with the computer files are recommended that will avoid common frustrations with the EndNote program as the document grows and the final copy is produced:

1.  Whenever an entry is made in the EndNote Library, verify immediately that the formatting is correct for the style that is in use (i.e. APA, Turabian). The Bibliography/Reference list entry can be checked using the Preview tab. Any changes that may be required should be made immediately. Edit the Output Styles for non-standard resources as soon as possible, and do not procrastinate. Waiting until when the final copy is needed is inviting major frustration.

2. Use only one EndNote library file for the entire dissertation. Check routinely for duplicates, and carefully avoid using duplicate entries of the same source in the dissertation/thesis.

3. The working copy of the dissertation/thesis and the EndNote library should be kept in the same folder at all times. All new work on the document or in the library should use these exclusively. Backup copies can and should be routinely stored elsewhere, but all new work should be continued using the original document and library files.

4. Unless specifically requested, all readers and editors should work on a Plain Text copy of the dissertation. This retains all Word processor formatting, but the embedded codes that link the EndNote library are removed. This avoids any software conflicts that might get in the way of the reader/editor. It also avoids conflicts between the working EndNote Library and the travelling EndNote library associated with the document, such as become evident when readers attempt to edit or change a reference.

EndNote is a tool that can improve efficiency in managing bibliography and incorporating reference styles in a document. But it is not a substitute for the author's competence in using it effectively and correctly.

Importing bibliographic details from databases is an efficient method of entering references into the EndNote library.

1. The overall accuracy of the bibliographic details varies from database to database. Imported citation entries must always be verified.

•  Importing citations from periodical databases such as those from Ebsco, ProQuest and JSTOR may be reasonably reliable, but doing this from other databses such as Google Scholar need careful scrutiny (when Google Scholar harvests the bibliographic details from a major publisher, it will probably be fine; but if the bibliographic details are harvested from an institutional repository, a government website, a library catalog, etc., interesting irregularities are common). This category of import must be corrected.
•  All records imported from a library database, whether JeWeL, MelCat, or WorldCat, will be entered with the Reference Type of book as default, even though it might be an edited book, e-book, dissertation, or audio-visual item. This category of import must be corrected.

2. Styles have differing requirements.The bibliographic details that are imported into EndNote do not necessarily reflect the style in use, so some elements may not be reflected. This category of import must be corrected. For example,

•    Turabian uses headline style for titles, APA uses a modified sentence style.
•    Turabian uses the full author name, APA uses last name with initials. 
•    Turabian uses series titles, APA does not.

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EndNote & EndNote Web

• Using EndNote for Graduate Theses and Dissertations
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A common request from graduate students who are writing their thesis or dissertation is for instructions on how to use EndNote and Cite While You Write to create a "journal-style" bibliography - one where each chapter of the document has its own bibliography rather than the document as a whole having one big one at the end. There are different ways to accomplish this that depend on whether you are using the full EndNote software or EndNote Web.

EndNote Software

The full EndNote software can leverage the document structure tools within Microsoft Word itself to accomplish this.

The first thing to do is to make sure that you have created a new Section for each segment of your document that you wish to have its own bibliography. You do this by placing the cursor where you wish the current section to end, then from the Layout tab select the Breaks dropdown and select the Section break type that matches your preference.

The second required element is simply to be using a citation style in Cite While You Write that uses these section breaks. If the one you've already selected is set to do so and you've already inserted the citations into your paper, the above step should have resulted in the new bibliographies automatically. If you're unsure, it's an easy thing to check in EndNote itself.

If you're using EndNote 20 or later, click in the Tools menu and then go to Output Styles and click on Open Style Manager. If you're using EndNote X9 or earlier, you start in the Edit menu instead of Tools.

From there, find the style that you're interested in using and double click (or click once to select it and then click the Edit button). In the window this opens, browse into the Sections area.

From there you can select the option that matches how you wish to have Cite While You Write manage the document sections. That is, you can have one bibliography at the end, a new bibliography for each section (with or without continuous numbering throughout the document), or both.

EndNote Web

Unfortunately, the free web-based version of EndNote cannot support multiple bibliographies, even if the citation style selected in Cite While You Write is configured to do so. As such, we need to use a work-around of one form or another. All of which simply require that you save each "section" of your final document as its own Word file while you're working and simply use Cite While You Write normally within each document.

Most of this process from here on will assume that you've completed your writing and are simply preparing the final document.

You will want to make sure that all documents have used the same citation style in Cite While You Write so that everything is consistent and that the bibliographies are complete. Additionally, they should be titled such that alphabetical ordering has them in the correct sequence - the methods we'll be using to combine them later default to file name order.

Now that you have your collection of separate files for your various chapters, there are two main methods to combine them: using Word itself or Adobe Acrobat. Both programs have methods of building a new file from a series of existing ones.

Instructions for Microsoft Word

It is strongly advised that you save a backup copy of all of your files at this point . We are about to make one-way transformations that cannot be undone, so having a backup is important.

In each document, in the EndNote tab there is a drop-down menu for Convert Citations and Bibliography. Click into that and then on Convert to Plain Text and save the new document separately so that you do not overwrite the old version. This command strips out all of the internal "hooks" in the document that EndNote and Cite While You Write use to edit your document automatically.

Once that is done for all sections, open a new blank document and click into the Insert menu. One option available is for Object with a sub-option of Text From File.

The window this opens allows you to select all of the files to be combined into a single Word Document. In my testing, this appears to be a one-time event so editing the base documents does not edit the final one so this step will need to be repeated if you do make any edits to the base documents. You may find that you need to add page breaks between your sections, but because we're still within a Word context you can still use automated page numbering.

Because we stripped out all of the EndNote "hooks" in the previous step, you cannot edit the imported text using Cite While You Write. If we had not done so, you could still edit the citations here, but any editing "event" that triggers CWYW to update the citations and bibliography will simply create an updated, full-document bibliography at the end of the file and will not update any internal bibliographies. It's simpler and less likely to cause problems if you strip out that functionality ahead of time.

Instructions for Adobe Acrobat

You will likely want to edit the page numbering of every file in turn so that they begin on the page following the end of the previous file. You can do this in Word by clicking into the Header/Footer to bring up the appropriate menu. From there select the Page Number option and click on Format Page Numbers. In the window that brings up, simply select the Start At radio button and enter the appropriate page to begin the current document.

In Adobe Acrobat (either on its own or via the Adobe Creative Cloud package), you can combine discrete Word documents into a single file. Under the Tools menu there is a Combine Files option. Simply drag the files you wish to combine into the designated space in the order you wish them to appear and click on Combine. This option will automatically start each document on a new page, but won't renumber them, which is why we needed to do that step earlier. Additionally, since Acrobat doesn't have any equivalent functionality to Cite While You Write further edits can't be made using EndNote directly.

Comprehensive Bibliography

If you wish to also have a bibliography at the end of your document, it's relatively straightforward do create one in one of two ways.

The first option requires you to have done some organizational work ahead of time or to do so now. The EndNote Web interface itself can generate a bibliography for you based on a "Group" of references. If you've already been organizing the references you're using for this project into a single Group you're all set, otherwise you'll have to build that Group now.

Once that's done, you can click into the Format --> Bibliography section of your account. In the three drop-down menus, select the name of the Group that your references are in, the citation style you've used for your paper, and RTF format (the other options are a Text file which wouldn't be able to include things like italicized text and HTML which would likely work, but Rich Text is more likely to copy and paste into Word cleanly).

Clicking Save should process the references and save a .rtf file in your usual downloads location. You will want to open that file in Word and edit it to use the same formatting style as the rest of your document (typeface, font size, margins, etc.). From there you can either include it in the "combining" steps above or if working in Word you can simply copy and paste the text at the end of the document.

The other option for creating a comprehensive bibliography is a bit messy. We'll just be opening each file comprising your documents various sections, copying the contents, and then pasting everything into a single Word file. If you had already written your paper before coming to this guide, you likely already have a suitable file saved somewhere. Once you've got all of your content in this one file, click on Update Citations and Bibliography button in the EndNote menu of Word and it should build the single bibliography at the end of your document. Save a backup and go through the Convert To Plain Text steps mentioned in the "Instructions for Microsoft Word" section above to get a version of the bibliography that you can copy and paste freely without worrying about CWYW making further edits. At that point you can add it to your paper using the methods described above.

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General notes

See APA Referencing Style Guide -Theses & Dissertation for definitive examples of  APA-compliant references.

Theses & dissertations – common issues

• Master's thesis / dissertation, Doctoral thesis / dissertation, Exegesis etc
• Full name of university/institution awarding the degree and its location (city, country or city, state for US)
• All theses and dissertations are considered unpublished regardless of format (print or digital) or source (institutional repository, aggregated archive etc)

Workarounds

When EndNote output does not follow the exact APA style try the following:

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EndNote is the most commonly used reference manager at RMIT University. RMIT University pays for an institutional licence for all staff and students, and one of the main benefits of using EndNote is the support available from the Library.

Features of EndNote

In addition to the main features common to all reference managers, EndNote:

• provides unlimited storage for full-text documents and associated files
• works with a wide range of word processing applications including MS Word (Windows and Mac), OpenOffice and Apple Pages. EndNote also works reasonably well with Google Docs
• has a ‘Find full text’ function as well as the ability to attach full-text documents
• has good tools for editing existing referencing styles or creating new ones
• allows for the transfer of a Mendeley or Zotero library via a RIS, X ML or BibTeX file using the import functionality.

EndNote also provides an online version called EndNote Online . EndNote Online has limited functionality, for example, you can’t edit styles or use term lists for journal abbreviations. However, you can use EndNote Online to sync between devices and share groups, or your Library with others. Storage capacity for EndNote Online is dependent on your account type.

Pros and cons of EndNote

How to use EndNote 21 in seven minutes: Windows  (7:52 mins)

How to use EndNote 21 in seven minutes: Windows (7:52 mins) by EndNote ( YouTube )

How to use EndNote 21 in seven minutes: macOS  (7:52 mins)

How to use EndNote 21 in seven minutes: macOS (7:52 mins) by EndNote ( YouTube )

There are a number of resources for EndNote available. These include:

RMIT University Library guide – EndNote: a beginner’s guide

RMIT University Library website – EndNote reference manager

Instructional guides from Research Plus webinars – EndNote for your thesis

Research and Writing Skills for Academic and Graduate Researchers Copyright © 2022 by RMIT University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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EndNote Guide / APA Referencing Guide

• About EndNote and APA referencing
• Accessing EndNote on campus computers
• Setting the reference style to APA 7th edition
• Navigating EndNote
• What are in-text citations and references?
• Manually adding references
• Exporting a reference from online databases
• Exporting a reference from Google Scholar
• Exporting a reference from Ebook Central
• Exporting a reference from eBook Academic Collection
• Editing a reference
• Attaching and annotating files
• Adding your own research notes
• Books, Ebooks & Book Chapters
• Journal, Magazine & Newspaper Articles
• Reports & Legislation
• Conference Papers, Posters & Presentations
• Dissertations & Theses
• Film, Television & Videos
• Audio works
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• Social Media
• Using groups
• Searching and sorting your references
• Dealing with duplicate references
• Backing up your EndNote Library
• EndNote tab in Word
• Formatting your reference list
• Inserting and editing an in-text citation
• Inserting a secondary citation
• Deleting an in-text citation
• Mac computer EndNote tab loading issue
• Quick reference guides for using EndNote on Mac & Windows devices

Which fields are required for dissertation & thesis references in EndNote?

Important instructions:

• Capitalise the first word in the title and for a two-part title also capitalise the first word of the second part.  Proper nouns in the title require the first letter to be capitalised (e.g. The making of a journalist: The New Zealand way).
• If there is a publication number, enter this number in the Document Number field.
• Enter the name of the granting institution in the University field.
• Enter the name of the repository or database in the Name of Database field. 

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• Academic essay overview
• The writing process
• Structuring academic essays
• Types of academic essays
• Academic writing overview
• Sentence structure
• Academic writing process
• Improving your academic writing
• Titles and headings
• APA style overview
• APA citation & referencing
• APA structure & sections
• Citation & referencing
• Structure and sections
• APA examples overview
• Commonly used citations
• Other examples
• British English vs. American English
• Chicago style overview
• Chicago citation & referencing
• Chicago structure & sections
• Chicago style examples
• Citing sources overview
• Citation format
• Citation examples
• College essay overview
• Application
• How to write a college essay
• Types of college essays
• Commonly confused words
• Definitions
• Dissertation overview
• Dissertation structure & sections
• Dissertation writing process
• Graduate school overview
• Application & admission
• Study abroad
• Master degree
• Harvard referencing overview
• Language rules overview
• Grammatical rules & structures
• Parts of speech
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Endnotes – Guide to How to Use Them Correctly

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Citing sources properly is required to give acknowledgement to the writers whose work influenced your own, to direct readers to the sources you used, and to demonstrate the scope of your research. Although endnotes are used less frequently in student or academic papers than in-text citations or footnotes, they are extremely prevalent in books, where they contribute to a cleaner page. This article provides a thorough guide to using endnotes correctly with examples.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 Endnotes – In a Nutshell
• 2 Definition: Endnotes
• 3 Endnotes vs. footnotes
• 4 How to use endnotes
• 5 How to insert endnotes in Word

Endnotes – In a Nutshell

• They may be used instead of a list of cited sources, depending on the writing style.
• Even with the advent of word-processing software, these notes are considerably simpler to include in a document.
• Unlike footnotes, they don’t take up much space on the page.

Definition: Endnotes

Endnotes are the notes that come at the end of the text in an academic paper. They are denoted in the text by numbers or, occasionally, other symbols.

They are employed:

• for citations in particular styles
• to add supplementary material that does not flow with the primary text

Endnotes vs. footnotes

Endnotes and footnotes are commonly mistaken. Footnotes are similarly used to offer citations or additional information; however, they appear at the bottom of each page rather than at the conclusion .

Footnotes or endnotes should typically be used consistently. Your instructor may advise you on the appropriate note format.

How to use endnotes

Endnote numbers are placed after the clause or sentence to which they pertain. Unless an em dash concludes the sentence, the number comes before the punctuation , after which it is displayed. There is no space following the number.

The general agreement now—though there are dissenting voices 1 —is that this experiment was too methodologically faulty to provide valid results. 2

Notes are consecutively numbered in the order that they occur in the text. Each endnote is assigned a unique number; do not reuse a number, even when citing the same source multiple times.

Endnotes in Chicago style

Using footnotes or endnotes for citations is standard practice in Chicago style bibliographies and notes. Either type of note may also provide additional information, such as more examples, commentary on the sources you quote, or a more in-depth analysis of concepts mentioned in the text.

Place Chicago endnotes after the clause or sentence to which they pertain. A citation note provides complete information on a source the first time it is cited, and simplified information for subsequent citations.

You should still provide a complete list of your sources in a bibliography following the notes unless you are writing a brief paper and have been instructed otherwise.

The notes page follows the bibliography and begins with the word “Notes” printed in bold and centered. The basic format of the notes is as follows:

• A blank line should separate the notes, and the notes should be single-spaced.
• Start each note with an indentation.
• Place a period and a space after the note numbers, which should be written in regular text rather than a superscript.

Endnotes in APA style

Additional information can be included in endnotes or footnotes when writing in APA style . They are not used for citations; instead, use APA in-text citations .

When applicable, copyright attributions are included using APA endnotes. In addition, they can be used to build on the text’s themes or provide further instances. However, do so sparingly, as the APA advises against including redundant information.

The notes are placed on a separate page following the reference list, with the heading “Footnotes” (APA does not use the phrase “endnotes”) bold and centered at the top.

The notes are formatted as indented, double-spaced paragraphs. Each note should begin with its number in superscript, followed by a space.

Endnotes in MLA style

Endnotes can be used instead of MLA in-text citations if you must include many references in a single paragraph.

MLA notes may also convey more information, including clarifications, further illustrations, or elaboration of concepts briefly discussed in the text.

They should appear on a separate page before the Works Cited list and be titled “Notes” or “Endnotes.” Each endnote’s first line should be indented, and the number should be superscripted, followed by a space. They must use double spacing.

How to insert endnotes in Word

Many word processors, such as Microsoft Word, make it simple to insert notes automatically. Follow the steps below:

• Click the point within the text where the note number should appear.
• Click “Insert Endnote” after opening the “References” tab at the top.
• Input text in the note that appears at the end of your manuscript.

However, if you use one of the above styles, you must alter the formatting to meet their criteria and include a heading for the notes page.

What should I write in an endnote?

Footnotes and endnotes perform the same function. These are brief clarifications, additions, or copyright information. You can improve the reader’s experience by adding an endnote example outside the text.

How do I make the endnote numbers?

Don’t enter the numbers manually! The “Insert Citation” or “Insert Reference” function in your word processing software (such as MS Word) will add the note numbers and make room for the note automatically. This function’s name differs slightly between programs.

How is an endnote supposed to look?

A five-space indentation marks the first line of each endnote, and subsequent lines are flush to the left margin. Each endnote number should be preceded by a period and space, with the right note following the space.

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MLA Endnotes and Footnotes

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Because long explanatory notes can be distracting to readers, most academic style guidelines (including MLA and APA, the American Psychological Association) recommend limited use of endnotes/footnotes. However, certain publishers encourage or require note references in lieu of parenthetical references.

Bibliographic Notes

MLA discourages extensive use of explanatory or digressive notes. MLA style does, however, allow you to use endnotes or footnotes for bibliographic notes , which refer to other publications your readers may consult. The following are some examples:

To cite a lengthy string of sources.

¹See Said, Culture and Imperialism and Orientalism ; Serres, The Natural Contract ; Foucault, The Foucault Reader , esp. Part II.

²For more material related to Postcolonial Studies and Technology, see McClintock, Imperial Leather ; De Landa, War in the Age of Intelligent Machines.

To explain an unusual documentation practice.

³Italicised words denote translations for which there are no clear equivalents in the original Chinese.

To flag editions and translations used. Editions and translations usually require a note only when more than one edition or translation is cited. This can be done by placing a note in the text where the work is first referenced. Alternatively, an initial and unnumbered note may be created.

⁴Citations of The Odyssey refer to Emily Wilson’s translated version unless otherwise noted.

⁵Translations are provided by Emily Wilson unless otherwise noted.

Content Notes

You can also use endnotes/footnotes for occasional explanatory notes (also known as content notes), which refer to brief additional information that might be too digressive for the main text:

To amplify.  Writers may feel that amplifying certain sections of their content will allow readers to better understand the context which affected/affects the following circumstances. 

¹Kujou and Yanagi are often confused by their misinterpretation of each other’s words, actions, and interactions with others.

²Beach considers Readicide to be a necessary read for all incoming Student Teachers, including it in recommended words for all his students.

³Culler makes it clear that “Literature” is “an institutional label that gives us reason to expect that the results of our reading efforts will be ‘worth it’” (28).

To explain word choice.

⁴She refers here to a branch of physiological research.

⁵He chose to translate the verb (first translated by Yang as “to feel”) as “to understand” to point to the character development.

To justify the scope of your study. Justifying the scope of your study can help readers better understand what to expect from reading your work by specifically pointing to what will or will not be explored, and why.

⁶Whether or not Beowulf as a character is justified in his actions is not relevant to my point.

⁷The efforts of decolonization are beyond the extent of my essay, but I point readers to Garvey’s work.

To provide more examples.

⁸Readers can think about Atwood’s inclusion of insects in her literary work

⁹This same idea applies to queer youth, as Chelsea Monheim’s “Percieved social norms and acceptance of transgender students in gendered restrooms” addresses.

To provide counterexamples.

¹⁰Bankfeld (99-102) calls for an alternative call to action.

To identity of comment on allusions.

¹¹The reference to ‘Westword’ in Iron Man 3 recalls the 1973 movie Westworld, starring Yul Brynner as a killing cyborg.

To point to an area of future research.

¹²More extensive research remains to be done on this subject. 

To identify authors whose names appear as et al. in documentation.

¹³The contributing authors of Teaching Literature to Adolescents are Deborah Appleman, Bob Fecho, and Rob Simon.

To acknowledge.

¹⁴Anna Turner, from a local veterinary clinic, brought distinctions between small and large animal care to my attention.

Numbering endnotes and footnotes in the document body

MLA notes may be styled either as footnotes or endnotes. Endnotes and footnotes in MLA format are indicated in-text by superscript Arabic numbers after the punctuation of the phrase or clause to which the note refers:

Note that when a long dash appears in the text, the footnote/endnote number appears before the dash:

Do not use asterisks (*), angle brackets (>), or other symbols for note references. The list of endnotes and footnotes (either of which, for papers submitted for publication, should be listed on a separate page, as indicated below) should correspond to the note references in the text.   Do not use the abbreviation ibid. in a note to refer readers to the information provided in the note right above it.

Placement of Notes in the Text

Use parentheses around page numbers when page numbers interrupt a sentence or are given at the end of a sentence. Similar to parenthetical citations within text, citations in notes are usually placed at the end of a sentence. Alternatively, parenthetical citations may be placed mid-sentence.

¹As Danes (45) and Gilmore (151) argue, caffeinated beverages play a vital role in American business environments.

²Gilmore considers the relationship between caffeine, productivity, and success (151).

Do not place parentheses around page numbers if the note is utilized to direct readers to the location of information. For example:

³See Gilmore 151.

Notes in MLA format are typically indicated in-text by superscript Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, …) after the punctuation mark of the phrase or clause to which the note refers. Whenever possible, place the superscript numbers at the end of sentences. Keep in mind that word processing programs will likely style note numbers in the text and notes section as superscript by default .

Audience members generally responded positively to the racial representation in the musical.¹

Marquis de Lafayette uses a stereotypical White American accent to say the word “anarchy.”²

Aaron Burr advises a young Alexander Hamilton to “talk less, smile more” (16).³ 

Note that when a dash appears in the text, the note number appears before the dash.

After finding out about her daughter’s passion for music, Cho⁴—surprised, impressed, and a little confused—purchased a piano and allowed her daughter to take lessons.

If a note number must be placed somewhere other than at the end of a sentence or a sentence requires more than one note, the note number should be placed in the least distracting unambiguous spot. For instance: 

Placement of a note mid-sentence, for clarity of citations.

Despite the awareness from her past mistakes,⁵   Britney “did it again” and thus continued to face the consequences of her actions (203).

Placement of more than one note in a sentence.

Crystal’s love of farmers markets—especially those located in their hometown (which they support by “getting up at 7am every Saturday to go to” [Webb 21]⁶)—has become apparent even on social media platforms.⁷  

Formatting endnotes and footnotes

Endnotes Page

MLA recommends that all notes be listed on a separate page entitled Notes (centered). Title the page Note if there is only one note. The Notes page should appear before the Works Cited page. This is especially important for papers being submitted for publication.

The notes themselves should be double-spaced and listed by consecutive Arabic numbers that correspond to the notation in the text. The first line of each endnote is indented five spaces, and subsequent lines are flush with the left margin. Place a period and a space after each endnote number, and then provide the appropriate note after the space.

Footnotes (below the text body)

The ninth edition of the MLA Handbook states that notes may be styled either as footnotes or endnotes. See the  MLA Style Center   for additional guidance on this topic and follow your instructor's or editor's preferences.

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I’m looking into getting the iPad 10 as well, so I was hoping for something that would allow me to read and work on everything on that and then on my laptop (not an Apple product).

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Any advice would be appreciated.

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What a Thesis Paper is and How to Write One

From choosing a topic and conducting research to crafting a strong argument, writing a thesis paper can be a rewarding experience.

It can also be a challenging experience. If you've never written a thesis paper before, you may not know where to start. You may not even be sure exactly what a thesis paper is. But don't worry; the right support and resources can help you navigate this writing process.

What is a Thesis Paper?

A thesis paper is a type of academic essay that you might write as a graduation requirement for certain bachelor's, master's or honors programs. Thesis papers present your own original research or analysis on a specific topic related to your field.

“In some ways, a thesis paper can look a lot like a novella,” said Shana Chartier , director of information literacy at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). “It’s too short to be a full-length novel, but with the standard size of 40-60 pages (for a bachelor’s) and 60-100 pages (for a master’s), it is a robust exploration of a topic, explaining one’s understanding of a topic based on personal research.”

Chartier has worked in academia for over 13 years and at SNHU for nearly eight. In her role as an instructor and director, Chartier has helped to guide students through the writing process, like editing and providing resources.

Chartier has written and published academic papers such as "Augmented Reality Gamifies the Library: A Ride Through the Technological Frontier" and "Going Beyond the One-Shot: Spiraling Information Literacy Across Four Years." Both of these academic papers required Chartier to have hands-on experience with the subject matter. Like a thesis paper, they also involved hypothesizing and doing original research to come to a conclusion.

“When writing a thesis paper, the importance of staying organized cannot be overstated,” said Chartier. “Mapping out each step of the way, making firm and soft deadlines... and having other pairs of eyes on your work to ensure academic accuracy and clean editing are crucial to writing a successful paper.”

How Do I Choose a Topic For My Thesis Paper?

What your thesis paper is for will determine some of the specific requirements and steps you might take, but the first step is usually the same: Choosing a topic.

“Choosing a topic can be daunting," said Rochelle Attari , a peer tutor at SNHU. "But if (you) stick with a subject (you're) interested in... choosing a topic is much more manageable.”

Similar to a thesis, Attari recently finished the capstone  for her bachelor’s in psychology . Her bachelor’s concentration is in forensics, and her capstone focused on the topic of using a combined therapy model for inmates who experience substance abuse issues to reduce recidivism.

“The hardest part was deciding what I wanted to focus on,” Attari said. “But once I nailed down my topic, each milestone was more straightforward.”

In her own writing experience, Attari said brainstorming was an important step when choosing her topic. She recommends writing down different ideas on a piece of paper and doing some preliminary research on what’s already been written on your topic.

By doing this exercise, you can narrow or broaden your ideas until you’ve found a topic you’re excited about. " Brainstorming is essential when writing a paper and is not a last-minute activity,” Attari said.

How Do I Structure My Thesis Paper?

Thesis papers tend to have a standard format with common sections as the building blocks.

While the structure Attari describes below will work for many theses, it’s important to double-check with your program to see if there are any specific requirements. Writing a thesis for a Master of Fine Arts, for example, might actually look more like a fiction novel.

According to Attari, a thesis paper is often structured with the following major sections:

Introduction

• Literature review
• Methods, results

Now, let’s take a closer look at what each different section should include.

Your introduction is your opportunity to present the topic of your thesis paper. In this section, you can explain why that topic is important. The introduction is also the place to include your thesis statement, which shows your stance in the paper.

Attari said that writing an introduction can be tricky, especially when you're trying to capture your reader’s attention and state your argument.

“I have found that starting with a statement of truth about a topic that pertains to an issue I am writing about typically does the trick,” Attari said. She demonstrated this advice in an example introduction she wrote for a paper on the effects of daylight in Alaska:

In the continental United States, we can always count on the sun rising and setting around the same time each day, but in Alaska, during certain times of the year, the sun rises and does not set for weeks. Research has shown that the sun provides vitamin D and is an essential part of our health, but little is known about how daylight twenty-four hours a day affects the circadian rhythm and sleep.

In the example Attari wrote, she introduces the topic and informs the reader what the paper will cover. Somewhere in her intro, she said she would also include her thesis statement, which might be:

Twenty-four hours of daylight over an extended period does not affect sleep patterns in humans and is not the cause of daytime fatigue in northern Alaska .

Literature Review

In the literature review, you'll look at what information is already out there about your topic. “This is where scholarly articles  about your topic are essential,” said Attari. “These articles will help you find the gap in research that you have identified and will also support your thesis statement."

Telling your reader what research has already been done will help them see how your research fits into the larger conversation. Most university libraries offer databases of scholarly/peer-reviewed articles that can be helpful in your search.

In the methods section of your thesis paper, you get to explain how you learned what you learned. This might include what experiment you conducted as a part of your independent research.

“For instance,” Attari said, “if you are a psychology major and have identified a gap in research on which therapies are effective for anxiety, your methods section would consist of the number of participants, the type of experiment and any other particulars you would use for that experiment.”

In this section, you'll explain the results of your study. For example, building on the psychology example Attari outlined, you might share self-reported anxiety levels for participants trying different kinds of therapies. To help you communicate your results clearly, you might include data, charts, tables or other visualizations.

The discussion section of your thesis paper is where you will analyze and interpret the results you presented in the previous section. This is where you can discuss what your findings really mean or compare them to the research you found in your literature review.

The discussion section is your chance to show why the data you collected matters and how it fits into bigger conversations in your field.

The conclusion of your thesis paper is your opportunity to sum up your argument and leave your reader thinking about why your research matters.

Attari breaks the conclusion down into simple parts. “You restate the original issue and thesis statement, explain the experiment's results and discuss possible next steps for further research,” she said.

Find Your Program

Resources to help write your thesis paper.

While your thesis paper may be based on your independent research, writing it doesn’t have to be a solitary process. Asking for help and using the resources that are available to you can make the process easier.

If you're writing a thesis paper, some resources Chartier encourages you to use are:

• Citation Handbooks: An online citation guide or handbook can help you ensure your citations are correct. APA , MLA and Chicago styles have all published their own guides.
• Citation Generators: There are many citation generator tools that help you to create citations. Some — like RefWorks — even let you directly import citations from library databases as you research.
• Your Library's Website: Many academic and public libraries allow patrons to access resources like databases or FAQs. Some FAQs at the SNHU library that might be helpful in your thesis writing process include “ How do I read a scholarly article? ” or “ What is a research question and how do I develop one? ”

It can also be helpful to check out what coaching or tutoring options are available through your school. At SNHU, for example, the Academic Support Center offers writing and grammar workshops , and students can access 24/7 tutoring and 1:1 sessions with peer tutors, like Attari.

"Students can even submit their papers and receive written feedback... like revisions and editing suggestions," she said.

If you are writing a thesis paper, there are many resources available to you. It's a long paper, but with the right mindset and support, you can successfully navigate the process.

“Pace yourself,” said Chartier. “This is a marathon, not a sprint. Setting smaller goals to get to the big finish line can make the process seem less daunting, and remember to be proud of yourself and celebrate your accomplishment once you’re done. Writing a thesis is no small task, and it’s important work for the scholarly community.”

A degree can change your life. Choose your program  from 200+ SNHU degrees that can take you where you want to go.

Meg Palmer ’18 is a writer and scholar by trade who loves reading, riding her bike and singing in a barbershop quartet. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English, language and literature at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and her master’s degree in writing, rhetoric and discourse at DePaul University (’20). While attending SNHU, she served as the editor-in-chief of the campus student newspaper, The Penmen Press, where she deepened her passion for writing. Meg is an adjunct professor at Johnson and Wales University, where she teaches first year writing, honors composition, and public speaking. Connect with her on LinkedIn .

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Speaker 1: Writing your thesis used to be this really lonely academic process where you sit in a library or wherever you want to be and you're just like, oh, oh, what am I writing? Oh, this is so sad, am I writing that the right way? But now with AI tools, it's become easier than ever to keep that creative juice flowing and use it as like a research assistant as you're writing. This is what I would do. The first thing I'd like to do is head over to ChatGPT or you could even use Perplexity or whatever sort of like large language model you like. But this is why I use ChatGPT is because if I'm undertaking a large project, I'm going up here and I'm clicking on Customize ChatGPT and it's this dialog box that is really, really useful because here you can add custom instructions. So here it says, what would you like ChatGPT to know about you to provide better responses? And they've got some thought starters there. So if you're starting a big research project like writing your thesis, writing a dissertation, you should actually go in and change how you want GPT to interact with you. So where are you based? That's not super important. What do you do for work? Now that's very, very important. What you do for work at the moment is you are a thesis writer. You need to be that specific to make sure that it gets all of the information in a useful format for you. And then you've got what are your hobbies and interests? Not super useful. And then what subjects can you talk about for hours? What are some goals you have? So here you just need to talk about the fact that you're writing a thesis, that you need help writing that thesis by bouncing off ideas and sort of like correcting any academic writing, that sort of stuff. And then down here, how would you like ChatGPT to respond? How formal or casual should ChatGPT? Now this is super powerful. You can say, I want it to be academically focused. I want academic language that is suitable for a thesis or dissertation. How long or short should they be? You want longer responses if you're writing your thesis or dissertation, because then it will give you more to work with, more to think about, more to add, more to subtract, more to edit. That's the stuff you really want. How should you be addressed? It doesn't matter. Should ChatGPT have opinions on topics or remain neutral? You don't want any opinions. You want to stick to fact-based stuff. So you can say in there, stick to facts. Stick to scientific data. Do not give me opinions on anything that you think about this writing. That sort of stuff should all be included in your customized ChatGPT option, and I haven't seen this anywhere else other than ChatGPT, which is why it is my go-to at the moment. So this is the sort of stuff you can do. So make this paragraph sound more academic. Now as you're writing, when I was writing my thesis, this one, where is it? Look at this. I would sit there for hours thinking about how to look the best way to write this, and I would get stuck in my own mind, ruminating over the same sentences. Here, now you can use ChatGPT as that kind of writing assistant. So make this paragraph sound more academic, and then I post it in the paragraph, and it's given me an option. Figure X illustrates the morphology of silver nanowire only and silver nanowire carbon nanotube, nanocomposite films, blah, blah, blah. And so I obviously had to come up with the first draft. The thing about your thesis is you can't get ChatGPT to write about your results unless you put those results in as a figure, but even then, you need to be the one that really drives that first draft, in my opinion. And so now we've got this, the AFM data presented in blah, blah, blah. So that will make it sound much more academic, and you can go through and be like, yes, I like this bit, I don't like this bit, but that's how I would use it. The second way I would use ChatGPT is by making sure that I'm using the appropriate academic language. Now, when you're entering a research field, there's all this language you need to get used to, but it doesn't come naturally, or at least it didn't to me. So if I wanted to talk about a certain aspect of my study, quite often I'd have to go and read about it to go, oh, that's how they explain it. Now, that's super easy because you can use a prompt like this. What is the best way to describe the process of delamination? So I wanted to say that something delaminated, but I want to know about the language, about the use of different terminologies that I could use in my own report or my dissertation. So here, delamination is the process where layers in a composite material separate. So I need to make sure that I mention composite material and that it's likely to distress and fatigue or imperfection. So all of these are ways that I can talk about delamination that I didn't know about before. Stress concentration, that is very important for me. Fatigue, propagation, separation. So those are the steps that I need to make sure I address if I'm writing about delamination of my transparent electrodes. And this makes it so easy to sound more professional, to sound more academic, to make sure you're using the right terms and you're not just sort of like using high school level terminology to be like, oh yeah, it kind of splits and separates here. You can start to go in and talk about all of that for the propagation, separation. You can talk about stress concentration, fatigue and imperfections, all of that sort of stuff. Now you have the language at your fingertips to talk about anything academic that you want. Sometimes as you're writing your thesis and dissertation, there's just that one sort of like perfect reference that you need to find. And it's really hard to find it because it's just lost to the world. This is where I use things like Site Assistant or Syspace. So Site Assistant, if you go to site.ai, which is here and then you click up here into Assistant, you click there and then you get access to this AI research partner and you can ask a question. But go down here, go to settings first. So here you can actually sort of change how it responds. So I want to make sure that, let's have a look. Okay, I always want to use references. I want both huge structures response, yes. If I've got a certain year range for a paper, you know, if I want something more recent, I can put it in here. But I make sure that that is set appropriately for the sort of response I want. And if you're writing your PhD thesis or your dissertation for your master's, whatever it is, you have to make sure that you are getting appropriate responses that will match what you want to say and for a thesis, you want that to be as academic and referenced as possible. So I'll go in here and I'll ask questions. As I'm sort of, you know, typing up my thesis, I'll be like, oh, I need a little reference just to say this. Or I know that there was this paper that said this, I can go in and find it using an AI research partner where I can go and find those references. Another one I would use, and this is probably one I use more often is Syspace. And I'll go in and once again, I will ask a question here. If I've got a specific PDF, I can ask questions about that PDF. I'm going to extract data, I can paraphrase, I can do everything that I really want to do in Syspace for a thesis or dissertation, which is why it's my go-to. So as I'm writing my thesis, I'm sort of juggling those two things, creating really sort of rigorous academic language, but also I'm trying to find evidence at the same time to support what I'm saying. For example, with the delamination thing, I can go find examples about delamination in the literature, something that I wouldn't have necessarily done during my literature review. And it just sort of like works together. You're just sort of like writing, referencing, writing, referencing, reading, reading, reading, referencing, you know, you've got to read these references, by the way. The last way that's really valuable for enhancing your academic writing is by using AI proofreaders. There's two that I really like. The first one is Trinker. Trinker by Enargo here is a really great way to actually check your academic writing. I've tested it on a range of different papers that I've had in the past. This is what they look like. So once you get it sort of like checked by Trinker, you do get a tracked changes word document. And that is just like your supervisor, at least my supervisor used to give back to me. So it is a nice first step for checking all of your academic writing. I really like it. And then, you know, it's got little comments down the side here. It's got the track changes. That is exactly what I want when I am looking through that first draft or trying to make it better. You get up to 30,000 words in one go. One credit will use 5,000 words. So you do get quite a generous free limit with Trinker. But if you're checking your thesis or your dissertation, you need to make sure that you're checking it all in one go or you're sort of like putting it in in sections or putting it in in chapters. The last thing I really like is PaperPal. PaperPal, this is their edit PaperPal section. This is their web interface, but you can also install it on Word. Go check out my other video where I talk about using PaperPal in more detail. But the one thing I like about this is you can paste in sections and then you get all of these checks along the side here. So you can see that this one, you know, it doesn't like that and it's changing it to the green. And then it's got this one from these images. It is clear. Yes, okay. So by using these tools, you'll be making sure that your supervisor isn't distracted by those silly little mistakes. They're actually addressing the underlying science and research that you want to address. Those are the most important changes. I used to get backstabbed all the time being like full stop here. Make sure you do the thing there. The, the, the, the, the, the. And I was like, yes, I get it. I get it. I get how bad at putting full stops. But what do you think of the actual science in here? That was far more useful because that's the thing that actually gets you a PhD or gets you through your master's, not the position of certain full stops or, you know, commas or semi-colons, however you use them. If you like this video, go check out this one where I talk about AI enhanced academic writing where there's more tools to make sure that your academic writing is chef's kiss.

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Home > Blog > Thesis Statement Essays Examples

Thesis Statement Essays Examples

• Smodin Editorial Team
• Updated: August 30, 2024
• General Guide About Content and Writing
• Step-by-Step Instructions for Writing

Writing an essay can seem challenging, but a solid thesis statement can make it easier. A thesis statement is a crucial part of any essay. It gives your reader a clear understanding of your main idea. The goal should be to deliver a strong, concise, yet compelling statement that immerses the reader in your writing. A strong thesis statement means a strong start to your essay !

We’ve developed this comprehensive guide to explore what makes a good thesis statement. We’ll discuss different thesis statement essay examples and show you steps on how to write a strong statement. Whether you’re writing a research paper, argumentative essay, or policy proposal, a solid thesis statement is key.

What Is a Thesis Statement?

To put it simply, a thesis statement summarizes your entire paper. It usually appears at the end of the first paragraph, known as the essay introduction. Your thesis should be specific, concise, and clear.

It should express one main idea and guide your writing. For example, if your paper explains climate change, your thesis might assert that “Climate change poses a significant threat to global ecosystems.”

How To Write a Thesis Statement: Example and What To Include

In this section, we include how to write a thesis statement with an example to help you out in the process. Below, we have listed some of the steps involved, while compiling a thesis statement.

Start With a Question

Every good thesis statement starts with a question. Think about what you want to explore or decide about your topic. For example, “Has the internet had a positive or negative impact on education?”

Write Your Initial Answer

After some research, write a simple, tentative answer to your question. This will guide your research and writing process. For example, “The internet has had a positive impact on education.”

Refine Your Thesis Statement

Your final thesis should ultimately tell the reader why you hold this position. You can elaborate and explain what they’ll learn from your essay and the key points of your argument.

For example, “The internet’s positive impact on education outweighs its negatives by providing easier access to information. Exposure to different perspectives and a flexible learning environment for students and teachers contributes to this”.

A Good Thesis Statement Example

A good thesis statement is concise, coherent, and contentious. It should clearly state your main idea and be backed up by specific evidence. Take a look at the following good thesis statement example:

“While many people believe climate change is a natural phenomenon, evidence shows that human activities significantly contribute to its acceleration.”

This statement is clear, concise, and debatable. It presents a strong position that can be supported with evidence.

Types of Thesis Statements

Your thesis should match the type of essay you’re writing. Here are some examples of different types of thesis statements.

Argumentative Thesis Statement

In an argumentative essay , your thesis should take a strong position.

For example:

“The government should implement stricter regulations on carbon emissions to combat climate change.”

An argumentative paper makes a clear, debatable claim that requires evidence and reasoning. This thesis presents a clear argument that will be supported with evidence throughout the essay.

Expository Thesis Statement

In an expository essay , your thesis should explain the facts of a topic or process.

“The invention of braille improved the lives of blind people by allowing them to read and write independently.”

This statement explains the impact of braille without taking a position.

Thesis Statement Essay Examples for Different Types of Papers

Let’s look at some thesis statement essay examples to understand how to craft one effectively.

Example 1: Argumentative Paper

Topic: The impact of surveillance on society

Thesis statement: “Although surveillance is often viewed negatively, its positive effects on public safety outweigh its downsides.”

This thesis presents a clear argument that will be supported with evidence throughout the essay.

Example 2: Expository Paper

Topic: The history of the internet

Thesis statement: “The internet revolutionized communication by allowing instant access to information and connecting people globally.”

This statement explains how the internet has changed communication without presenting an argument.

In both examples, the thesis statements are clear and concise, and provide a roadmap for the essay.

Example 3: Analytical Paper

Topic: The impact of social media on mental health

Thesis statement: “Social media influences mental health by increasing anxiety, promoting unrealistic body images, and enhancing social connections.”

An analytical thesis statement breaks down an idea into parts to examine and interpret. This example shows the impact of social media into specific components for detailed analysis. An analytical paper breaks complex subjects into components for detailed examination and analysis.

Characteristics of a Good Thesis Statement

An effective thesis statement is the backbone of a well-structured essay. Thesis statement examples help illustrate the differences between strong and weak thesis statements. Here are the essential characteristics of a good thesis statement.

Concise Summary

The best thesis statements should be brief and to the point. Avoid unnecessary words. For instance, instead of saying, “In this essay, I will discuss the reasons why climate change is a critical issue that needs urgent attention,” you can say, “Climate change demands urgent attention due to its severe impact on global ecosystems.” This keeps your thesis clear and focused.

The aim is to bring the statement to the concluding point as effectively as possible.

Specific Evidence

In academic writing, your thesis statement should be backed up by specific evidence. It should not just make a claim but also provide a hint of the evidence that supports it. For example, “Human activities, such as deforestation and fossil fuel consumption, significantly contribute to climate change,” indicates that the essay will discuss these specific activities.

A strong thesis statement clearly states your main idea. It should convey the central point of your essay in a way that is easy to understand. For example, “Renewable energy sources are essential for reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change,” clearly states the essay’s main idea.

3 Common Mistakes to Avoid

According to the Guardian , teachers are observing that students are continuously having issues with writing essays. This may be due to various reasons like a lack of foundational skills in writing or the likelihood of them making specific mistakes when compiling their essays and thesis statements.

Below we have listed some of the common errors students can make when writing a thesis statement for their paper.

1. Being Too Broad

A thesis statement that is too broad lacks focus and fails to provide a clear argument. For example: “Climate change is bad,” is too broad. Instead, narrow your focus to something more specific, like, “Climate change significantly impacts coastal cities by increasing the frequency of flooding.”

2. Not Getting Into Specifics

A vague thesis statement doesn’t give specific details, making it difficult for the reader to understand your argument. For example, “Climate change affects the environment,” is too vague. A more precise thesis would be, “Climate change accelerates the melting of polar ice caps, leading to rising sea levels.”

3. Just Stating a Fact

In a great research paper, a thesis statement that states a fact rather than an argument is not debatable. For example, “Climate change exists,” is a statement of fact and not arguable. A more debatable thesis would be, “Immediate action is required to mitigate climate change impacts on future generations.”

How To Strengthen a Weak Thesis Statement

If your thesis statement is weak, here is how you can strengthen it:

• Contextualize your topic: Understand the broader context of your topic. This helps in narrowing down the focus and making it more specific.
• Make it arguable: Ensure your thesis is something that can be debated. A strong thesis often takes a clear stance on an issue.
• Support with evidence: Be prepared to back up your thesis with specific evidence. This adds credibility and strength to your statement.

Example of a Weak Thesis

A weak thesis statement, such as “The internet is useful,” is too general and lacks specificity. It doesn’t provide any direction for the essay, leaving readers unclear about what the essay will address. A weak thesis statement:

• Lacks focus: The statement “The internet is useful” doesn’t specify how or why the internet is useful. This lack of focus can confuse readers and make it challenging to develop supporting arguments.
• Is not honing in on a specific topic: This thesis is overly broad, covering too many potential topics without honing in on a specific aspect.
• Doesn’t leave room for a debate: It doesn’t present a debatable claim. A strong thesis should make a claim that others might dispute, providing a basis for argumentation and discussion.

For instance, an essay based on the weak thesis “The internet is useful” could meander through various topics like online shopping, social media, and research, without a clear structure or argument. This makes it difficult for readers to grasp the main point or purpose of the essay.

Example of a Strong Thesis

A strong thesis statement, like “The internet is useful for education because it provides access to a wealth of information and resources,” is specific and provides a clear argument supported by evidence. It also indicates what the essay will discuss, which helps guide the reader.

Therefore, a strong thesis statement should:

• Have a clear focus: This thesis specifies that the essay will focus on the educational benefits of the internet. This clarity helps readers understand the essay’s purpose from the beginning.
• Be to the point: The thesis mentions “access to a wealth of information and resources.” So, it provides a specific angle on how the internet is useful, which helps to narrow the scope of the essay.
• Include a debatable claim: The statement makes a claim that could be argued. It posits that the internet is beneficial for education. But, it also implies that there are specific ways in which this is true. Thus, the statement opens the door for discussion and analysis.
• Guide the essay: This strong thesis provides a roadmap for the essay. It suggests that the following paragraphs will explore how the internet facilitates education through information access and resource availability.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in a thesis statement.

A thesis statement is a sentence that summarizes the main point of your essay. It usually appears at the end of the first paragraph.

Can a thesis statement be more than one sentence?

Ideally, a thesis statement should be one or two sentences long.

Where should I place my thesis statement?

Your thesis statement should be at the end of the first paragraph, known as the essay introduction.

Improve Your Thesis Statements With Smodin.io

A good thesis statement is the backbone of your essay. It guides your writing and tells your reader what to expect. By following the steps we’ve outlined in these examples, you can write a strong thesis statement.

Ready to improve your writing skills and create compelling essays? Enhance your writing with Smodin’s AI writing tool. Whether you’re writing a research paper or an argumentative essay, Smodin can help you craft a strong thesis statement. Join us now at Smodin.io and take your writing to the next level.

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