Statement of Purpose, Essential Question, Thesis Statement

They all amount to the same thing – a clear statement outlining your main idea and what you are trying to accomplish.

The thesis statement is that sentence or two near the beginning of your text containing the focus of your paper or assignment. Your focus needs to be large enough to cover everything you want to discuss in your paper but small enough so that the topic is manageable. A well-written paper grows out its thesis statement. It is the driving force behind your paper and research.