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Thesis Summary: A Detailed Academic Writing Guide

A thesis summary is a highly condensed version of the longer paper. It highlights the main points that have been covered in the paper while concisely describing the content of the thesis. In most cases, the summary of a thesis and the abstract serve the same purpose. They provide an overview of all the major points of a thesis. Thus, a reader can quickly see the main content of your thesis when they read the summary. This enables them to determine whether they are interested in your work or not.

What is Included in a Thesis Summary?

When asked to summarize something, you’re simply required to condense the text to the main points. As such, a good summary of thesis research should include important elements only. It should capture the main idea in the paper and the supporting points that may be interwoven with content that is of lesser importance.

Many learners confuse a thesis statement summary with an analysis. An analysis is a discussion of the techniques, ideas, and meaning in the text. On the other hand, a summary does not entail responding or critiquing the ideas in the text. Analyzing a paper entails summarizing its content to establish the ideas that you will be analyzing. A summary does not substitute for analysis.

Here are some of the things that a Ph.D. or master thesis summary should include: A title that is similar to that of your thesis The main purpose of your thesis The main topic of your thesis The research methods used to gather the information The sub-sections of your thesis Recommendations, results, and conclusions

Essentially, a summary should present the points of the author in a straightforward structure. Therefore, read the thesis carefully to determine the major and minor components or points of the argument and summarize them in an organized manner.

A point that the author makes at the beginning and another one at the end should concisely be included in a summary of thesis to convey the main argument of the author. Thus, you should read, understand, and reconstruct the thesis into a more concise, shorter form.

How to Write an Executive Summary for Thesis

Perhaps, you have written a short thesis that is not longer than ten pages. In that case, follow these steps to write a summary thesis:

• Summarize every paragraph in one sentence
• Summarize the entire text in a single sentence
• Write a single paragraph that starts with a sentence that summarizes the entire text followed by a paragraph of summary sentences
• Rewrite and rearrange your paragraph to ensure that it’s concise and clear.
• Eliminate relatively minor and repetitive points and include transitions.

Make sure that the final summary is complete, coherent, and unified.

How to Write Summary of Ph.D. Thesis and Longer Texts

A longer text like a Ph.D. requires time to summarize. That’s because you have to read and understand the document before you summarize it. Here’s how to write a summary thesis for longer papers.

• Outline the thesis by breaking it down into different major sections. To do this, group the paragraphs that focus on a similar topic and then list down the supporting points for different sections.
• Write a sentence or two that summarizes every section.
• Create a single sentence that summarizes the entire text. Look for the topic sentence in the thesis to guide you.
• Write one paragraph or several to start the overall summary sentence. Follow it with sentences that summarize different sections.
• Rearrange and rewrite the paragraphs to make the text concise and clear while eliminating repetitious and relatively minor points. Also, include transitions in your summary.

The final summary should include the main supporting points of every idea. Make the final version coherent, unified, and complete.

When is the Summary of Findings in Thesis Necessary?

The summary and conclusion thesis serves the purpose of providing an overview of the paper. As such, students are required to write a summary in many instances. In some cases, an educator can assign learners to write a page or two after reading a paper or article. They can also be asked to come up with a summary of their text as part of their critique or response after reading a paper.

Students can also write article summaries as a part of their planning or note-taking process when writing a research paper. These summaries or their parts can be included in the final papers. When writing a research paper, an author can depend on the summary as their reference to source materials. A summary enables a writer to condense broad information so that they can explain and present the relevance of the sources that deal with a similar subject.

A paper can also be summarized in the introduction to present a precise and concise overview of the main ideas to be discussed in the rest of the text. The length of a summary should depend on the complexity and length of the paper. Additionally, the purpose of a summary should determine whether it will be a few sentences, a shorter paragraph, or even several paragraphs. You can even come across a thesis summary sample that looks like an entire paper.

Qualities of a Good Summary Thesis Sample

When learning how to write summary and conclusion in thesis, many students use samples as their guides. But, how do you know that you’re using a good thesis summary example? Here are the qualities to look for:

• Comprehensiveness : A good summary should be comprehensive. All important points should be isolated from the original passage and noted down in a brief list. These are the ideas that should form the summary because they are indispensable to the development of the thesis.
• Conciseness : An ideal summary should be free of repetitions. Do not repeat the same points even if they have been restated in the main document. The summary should be shorter while providing a brief overview of the paper. Therefore, avoid repetition of the main point and supporting ideas.
• Coherence : A good summary makes sense. It’s not a piece that looks like it’s been taken from the main document. It should also not sound like a collection of disjointed sentences from the main document that is being summarized.
• Independence : When writing a summary, your work is not to imitate the main text’s author. Instead, you are expected to showcase your style and voice in the summary. Thus, you should not just quote the main text’s author. Instead, express how you understand the document in your words. A summary should be based on your understanding and interpretation of the main ideas or points of the writer. Nevertheless, a good summary does not create distortion or misrepresentation through the introduction of criticisms or comments.

It’s also crucial to note that a good summary thesis example uses a structure that features an introduction, the body, and a conclusion. It presents the goal or purpose, results, and conclusion or recommendations. What’s more, it features logical connections of the included information without adding new information.

To write a great summary, work on this part after completing your thesis. Make sure that you’re guided by the main points of your thesis. What’s more, use a good executive summary for thesis sample to guide you. The length of your summary should depend on its purpose and the length of the main document. Once you have written the summary, read it carefully, and eliminate all errors when proofreading and editing it. Alternatively, ask our thesis editors to proofread the summary for you.

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While Sandel argues that pursuing perfection through genetic engineering would decrease our sense of humility, he claims that the sense of solidarity we would lose is also important.

This thesis summarizes several points in Sandel’s argument, but it does not make a claim about how we should understand his argument. A reader who read Sandel’s argument would not also need to read an essay based on this descriptive thesis.  

Broad thesis (arguable, but difficult to support with evidence) 

Michael Sandel’s arguments about genetic engineering do not take into consideration all the relevant issues.

This is an arguable claim because it would be possible to argue against it by saying that Michael Sandel’s arguments do take all of the relevant issues into consideration. But the claim is too broad. Because the thesis does not specify which “issues” it is focused on—or why it matters if they are considered—readers won’t know what the rest of the essay will argue, and the writer won’t know what to focus on. If there is a particular issue that Sandel does not address, then a more specific version of the thesis would include that issue—hand an explanation of why it is important.  

Arguable thesis with analytical claim 

While Sandel argues persuasively that our instinct to “remake” (54) ourselves into something ever more perfect is a problem, his belief that we can always draw a line between what is medically necessary and what makes us simply “better than well” (51) is less convincing.

This is an arguable analytical claim. To argue for this claim, the essay writer will need to show how evidence from the article itself points to this interpretation. It’s also a reasonable scope for a thesis because it can be supported with evidence available in the text and is neither too broad nor too narrow.  

Arguable thesis with normative claim 

Given Sandel’s argument against genetic enhancement, we should not allow parents to decide on using Human Growth Hormone for their children.

This thesis tells us what we should do about a particular issue discussed in Sandel’s article, but it does not tell us how we should understand Sandel’s argument.  

Questions to ask about your thesis 

• Is the thesis truly arguable? Does it speak to a genuine dilemma in the source, or would most readers automatically agree with it?  
• Is the thesis too obvious? Again, would most or all readers agree with it without needing to see your argument?  
• Is the thesis complex enough to require a whole essay's worth of argument?  
• Is the thesis supportable with evidence from the text rather than with generalizations or outside research?  
• Would anyone want to read a paper in which this thesis was developed? That is, can you explain what this paper is adding to our understanding of a problem, question, or topic?
• picture_as_pdf Thesis

How To Write The Conclusion Chapter

The what, why & how explained simply (with examples).

By: Jenna Crossley (PhD Cand). Reviewed By: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | September 2021

So, you’ve wrapped up your results and discussion chapters, and you’re finally on the home stretch – the conclusion chapter . In this post, we’ll discuss everything you need to know to craft a high-quality conclusion chapter for your dissertation or thesis project.

Overview: Dissertation Conclusion Chapter

• What the thesis/dissertation conclusion chapter is
• What to include in your conclusion chapter
• How to structure and write up your conclusion chapter
• A few tips  to help you ace the chapter

What exactly is the conclusion chapter?

The conclusion chapter is typically the final major chapter of a dissertation or thesis. As such, it serves as a concluding summary of your research findings and wraps up the document. While some publications such as journal articles and research reports combine the discussion and conclusion sections, these are typically separate chapters in a dissertation or thesis. As always, be sure to check what your university’s structural preference is before you start writing up these chapters.

So, what’s the difference between the discussion and the conclusion chapter?

Well, the two chapters are quite similar , as they both discuss the key findings of the study. However, the conclusion chapter is typically more general and high-level in nature. In your discussion chapter, you’ll typically discuss the intricate details of your study, but in your conclusion chapter, you’ll take a   broader perspective, reporting on the main research outcomes and how these addressed your research aim (or aims) .

A core function of the conclusion chapter is to synthesise all major points covered in your study and to tell the reader what they should take away from your work. Basically, you need to tell them what you found , why it’s valuable , how it can be applied , and what further research can be done.

Whatever you do, don’t just copy and paste what you’ve written in your discussion chapter! The conclusion chapter should not be a simple rehash of the discussion chapter. While the two chapters are similar, they have distinctly different functions.  

What should I include in the conclusion chapter?

To understand what needs to go into your conclusion chapter, it’s useful to understand what the chapter needs to achieve. In general, a good dissertation conclusion chapter should achieve the following:

• Summarise the key findings of the study
• Explicitly answer the research question(s) and address the research aims
• Inform the reader of the study’s main contributions
• Discuss any limitations or weaknesses of the study
• Present recommendations for future research

Therefore, your conclusion chapter needs to cover these core components. Importantly, you need to be careful not to include any new findings or data points. Your conclusion chapter should be based purely on data and analysis findings that you’ve already presented in the earlier chapters. If there’s a new point you want to introduce, you’ll need to go back to your results and discussion chapters to weave the foundation in there.

In many cases, readers will jump from the introduction chapter directly to the conclusions chapter to get a quick overview of the study’s purpose and key findings. Therefore, when you write up your conclusion chapter, it’s useful to assume that the reader hasn’t consumed the inner chapters of your dissertation or thesis. In other words, craft your conclusion chapter such that there’s a strong connection and smooth flow between the introduction and conclusion chapters, even though they’re on opposite ends of your document.

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How to write the conclusion chapter

Now that you have a clearer view of what the conclusion chapter is about, let’s break down the structure of this chapter so that you can get writing. Keep in mind that this is merely a typical structure – it’s not set in stone or universal. Some universities will prefer that you cover some of these points in the discussion chapter , or that you cover the points at different levels in different chapters.

Step 1: Craft a brief introduction section

As with all chapters in your dissertation or thesis, the conclusions chapter needs to start with a brief introduction. In this introductory section, you’ll want to tell the reader what they can expect to find in the chapter, and in what order . Here’s an example of what this might look like:

This chapter will conclude the study by summarising the key research findings in relation to the research aims and questions and discussing the value and contribution thereof. It will also review the limitations of the study and propose opportunities for future research.

Importantly, the objective here is just to give the reader a taste of what’s to come (a roadmap of sorts), not a summary of the chapter. So, keep it short and sweet – a paragraph or two should be ample.

Step 2: Discuss the overall findings in relation to the research aims

The next step in writing your conclusions chapter is to discuss the overall findings of your study , as they relate to the research aims and research questions . You would have likely covered similar ground in the discussion chapter, so it’s important to zoom out a little bit here and focus on the broader findings – specifically, how these help address the research aims .

In practical terms, it’s useful to start this section by reminding your reader of your research aims and research questions, so that the findings are well contextualised. In this section, phrases such as, “This study aimed to…” and “the results indicate that…” will likely come in handy. For example, you could say something like the following:

This study aimed to investigate the feeding habits of the naked mole-rat. The results indicate that naked mole rats feed on underground roots and tubers. Further findings show that these creatures eat only a part of the plant, leaving essential parts to ensure long-term food stability.

Be careful not to make overly bold claims here. Avoid claims such as “this study proves that” or “the findings disprove existing the existing theory”. It’s seldom the case that a single study can prove or disprove something. Typically, this is achieved by a broader body of research, not a single study – especially not a dissertation or thesis which will inherently have significant and limitations. We’ll discuss those limitations a little later.

Step 3: Discuss how your study contributes to the field

Next, you’ll need to discuss how your research has contributed to the field – both in terms of theory and practice . This involves talking about what you achieved in your study, highlighting why this is important and valuable, and how it can be used or applied.

In this section you’ll want to:

• Mention any research outputs created as a result of your study (e.g., articles, publications, etc.)
• Inform the reader on just how your research solves your research problem , and why that matters
• Reflect on gaps in the existing research and discuss how your study contributes towards addressing these gaps
• Discuss your study in relation to relevant theories . For example, does it confirm these theories or constructively challenge them?
• Discuss how your research findings can be applied in the real world . For example, what specific actions can practitioners take, based on your findings?

Be careful to strike a careful balance between being firm but humble in your arguments here. It’s unlikely that your one study will fundamentally change paradigms or shake up the discipline, so making claims to this effect will be frowned upon . At the same time though, you need to present your arguments with confidence, firmly asserting the contribution your research has made, however small that contribution may be. Simply put, you need to keep it balanced .

Step 4: Reflect on the limitations of your study

Now that you’ve pumped your research up, the next step is to critically reflect on the limitations and potential shortcomings of your study. You may have already covered this in the discussion chapter, depending on your university’s structural preferences, so be careful not to repeat yourself unnecessarily.

There are many potential limitations that can apply to any given study. Some common ones include:

• Sampling issues that reduce the generalisability of the findings (e.g., non-probability sampling )
• Insufficient sample size (e.g., not getting enough survey responses ) or limited data access
• Low-resolution data collection or analysis techniques
• Researcher bias or lack of experience
• Lack of access to research equipment
• Time constraints that limit the methodology (e.g. cross-sectional vs longitudinal time horizon)
• Budget constraints that limit various aspects of the study

Discussing the limitations of your research may feel self-defeating (no one wants to highlight their weaknesses, right), but it’s a critical component of high-quality research. It’s important to appreciate that all studies have limitations (even well-funded studies by expert researchers) – therefore acknowledging these limitations adds credibility to your research by showing that you understand the limitations of your research design .

That being said, keep an eye on your wording and make sure that you don’t undermine your research . It’s important to strike a balance between recognising the limitations, but also highlighting the value of your research despite those limitations. Show the reader that you understand the limitations, that these were justified given your constraints, and that you know how they can be improved upon – this will get you marks.

Next, you’ll need to make recommendations for future studies. This will largely be built on the limitations you just discussed. For example, if one of your study’s weaknesses was related to a specific data collection or analysis method, you can make a recommendation that future researchers undertake similar research using a more sophisticated method.

Another potential source of future research recommendations is any data points or analysis findings that were interesting or surprising , but not directly related to your study’s research aims and research questions. So, if you observed anything that “stood out” in your analysis, but you didn’t explore it in your discussion (due to a lack of relevance to your research aims), you can earmark that for further exploration in this section.

Essentially, this section is an opportunity to outline how other researchers can build on your study to take the research further and help develop the body of knowledge. So, think carefully about the new questions that your study has raised, and clearly outline these for future researchers to pick up on.

Step 6: Wrap up with a closing summary

Quick tips for a top-notch conclusion chapter

Now that we’ve covered the what , why and how of the conclusion chapter, here are some quick tips and suggestions to help you craft a rock-solid conclusion.

• Don’t ramble . The conclusion chapter usually consumes 5-7% of the total word count (although this will vary between universities), so you need to be concise. Edit this chapter thoroughly with a focus on brevity and clarity.
• Be very careful about the claims you make in terms of your study’s contribution. Nothing will make the marker’s eyes roll back faster than exaggerated or unfounded claims. Be humble but firm in your claim-making.
• Use clear and simple language that can be easily understood by an intelligent layman. Remember that not every reader will be an expert in your field, so it’s important to make your writing accessible. Bear in mind that no one knows your research better than you do, so it’s important to spell things out clearly for readers.

Hopefully, this post has given you some direction and confidence to take on the conclusion chapter of your dissertation or thesis with confidence. If you’re still feeling a little shaky and need a helping hand, consider booking a free initial consultation with a friendly Grad Coach to discuss how we can help you with hands-on, private coaching.

Psst… there’s more (for free)

This post is part of our dissertation mini-course, which covers everything you need to get started with your dissertation, thesis or research project. 

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17 Comments

Really you team are doing great!

Your guide on writing the concluding chapter of a research is really informative especially to the beginners who really do not know where to start. Im now ready to start. Keep it up guys

Really your team are doing great!

Very helpful guidelines, timely saved. Thanks so much for the tips.

This post was very helpful and informative. Thank you team.

A very enjoyable, understandable and crisp presentation on how to write a conclusion chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks Jenna.

This was a very helpful article which really gave me practical pointers for my concluding chapter. Keep doing what you are doing! It meant a lot to me to be able to have this guide. Thank you so much.

Nice content dealing with the conclusion chapter, it’s a relief after the streneous task of completing discussion part.Thanks for valuable guidance

Thanks for your guidance

I get all my doubts clarified regarding the conclusion chapter. It’s really amazing. Many thanks.

Very helpful tips. Thanks so much for the guidance

Thank you very much for this piece. It offers a very helpful starting point in writing the conclusion chapter of my thesis.

It’s awesome! Most useful and timely too. Thanks a million times

Bundle of thanks for your guidance. It was greatly helpful.

Wonderful, clear, practical guidance. So grateful to read this as I conclude my research. Thank you.

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How to write an excellent thesis conclusion [with examples]

Restate the thesis

Review or reiterate key points of your work, explain why your work is relevant, a take-away for the reader, more resources on writing thesis conclusions, frequently asked questions about writing an excellent thesis conclusion, related articles.

At this point in your writing, you have most likely finished your introduction and the body of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper . While this is a reason to celebrate, you should not underestimate the importance of your conclusion. The conclusion is the last thing that your reader will see, so it should be memorable.

A good conclusion will review the key points of the thesis and explain to the reader why the information is relevant, applicable, or related to the world as a whole. Make sure to dedicate enough of your writing time to the conclusion and do not put it off until the very last minute.

This article provides an effective technique for writing a conclusion adapted from Erika Eby’s The College Student's Guide to Writing a Good Research Paper: 101 Easy Tips & Tricks to Make Your Work Stand Out .

While the thesis introduction starts out with broad statements about the topic, and then narrows it down to the thesis statement , a thesis conclusion does the same in the opposite order.

• Restate the thesis.
• Review or reiterate key points of your work.
• Explain why your work is relevant.
• Include a core take-away message for the reader.

Tip: Don’t just copy and paste your thesis into your conclusion. Restate it in different words.

The best way to start a conclusion is simply by restating the thesis statement. That does not mean just copying and pasting it from the introduction, but putting it into different words.

You will need to change the structure and wording of it to avoid sounding repetitive. Also, be firm in your conclusion just as you were in the introduction. Try to avoid sounding apologetic by using phrases like "This paper has tried to show..."

The conclusion should address all the same parts as the thesis while making it clear that the reader has reached the end. You are telling the reader that your research is finished and what your findings are.

I have argued throughout this work that the point of critical mass for biopolitical immunity occurred during the Romantic period because of that era's unique combination of post-revolutionary politics and innovations in smallpox prevention. In particular, I demonstrated that the French Revolution and the discovery of vaccination in the 1790s triggered a reconsideration of the relationship between bodies and the state.

Tip: Try to reiterate points from your introduction in your thesis conclusion.

The next step is to review the main points of the thesis as a whole. Look back at the body of of your project and make a note of the key ideas. You can reword these ideas the same way you reworded your thesis statement and then incorporate that into the conclusion.

You can also repeat striking quotations or statistics, but do not use more than two. As the conclusion represents your own closing thoughts on the topic , it should mainly consist of your own words.

In addition, conclusions can contain recommendations to the reader or relevant questions that further the thesis. You should ask yourself:

• What you would ideally like to see your readers do in reaction to your paper?
• Do you want them to take a certain action or investigate further?
• Is there a bigger issue that your paper wants to draw attention to?

Also, try to reference your introduction in your conclusion. You have already taken a first step by restating your thesis. Now, check whether there are other key words, phrases or ideas that are mentioned in your introduction that fit into your conclusion. Connecting the introduction to the conclusion in this way will help readers feel satisfied.

I explored how Mary Wollstonecraft, in both her fiction and political writings, envisions an ideal medico-political state, and how other writers like William Wordsworth and Mary Shelley increasingly imagined the body politic literally, as an incorporated political collective made up of bodies whose immunity to political and medical ills was essential to a healthy state.

Tip: Make sure to explain why your thesis is relevant to your field of research.

Although you can encourage readers to question their opinions and reflect on your topic, do not leave loose ends. You should provide a sense of resolution and make sure your conclusion wraps up your argument. Make sure you explain why your thesis is relevant to your field of research and how your research intervenes within, or substantially revises, existing scholarly debates.

This project challenged conventional ideas about the relationship among Romanticism, medicine, and politics by reading the unfolding of Romantic literature and biopolitical immunity as mutual, co-productive processes. In doing so, this thesis revises the ways in which biopolitics has been theorized by insisting on the inherent connections between Romantic literature and the forms of biopower that characterize early modernity.

Tip: If you began your thesis with an anecdote or historical example, you may want to return to that in your conclusion.

End your conclusion with something memorable, such as:

• a call to action
• a recommendation
• a gesture towards future research
• a brief explanation of how the problem or idea you covered remains relevant

Ultimately, you want readers to feel more informed, or ready to act, as they read your conclusion.

Yet, the Romantic period is only the beginning of modern thought on immunity and biopolitics. Victorian writers, doctors, and politicians upheld the Romantic idea that a "healthy state" was a literal condition that could be achieved by combining politics and medicine, but augmented that idea through legislation and widespread public health measures. While many nineteenth-century efforts to improve citizens' health were successful, the fight against disease ultimately changed course in the twentieth century as global immunological threats such as SARS occupied public consciousness. Indeed, as subsequent public health events make apparent, biopolitical immunity persists as a viable concept for thinking about the relationship between medicine and politics in modernity.

Need more advice? Read our 5 additional tips on how to write a good thesis conclusion.

The conclusion is the last thing that your reader will see, so it should be memorable. To write a great thesis conclusion you should:

The basic content of a conclusion is to review the main points from the paper. This part represents your own closing thoughts on the topic. It should mainly consist of the outcome of the research in your own words.

The length of the conclusion will depend on the length of the whole thesis. Usually, a conclusion should be around 5-7% of the overall word count.

End your conclusion with something memorable, such as a question, warning, or call to action. Depending on the topic, you can also end with a recommendation.

In Open Access: Theses and Dissertations you can find thousands of completed works. Take a look at any of the theses or dissertations for real-life examples of conclusions that were already approved.

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Guide On How To Write a Thesis Summary In 2023

So, you just found out that you need to write a thesis summary. In most cases, students who encounter this requirement for the first time start to panic. Frankly, not everyone knows what this thesis summary is. And let’s not forget that most students have no clue how to write one. Don’t worry about it too much though.

What is a thesis summary?

Why use a thesis summary, how to write an effective thesis summary in 2023, master thesis summary example.

A thesis summary is a document that summarizes the points of a longer essay, thesis, or dissertation. Readers will often find a summary to be helpful as it offers a succinct overview of the document’s contents. A Thesis Summary should not be confused with an abstract as they both refer to separate documents that serve different purposes.

The steps involved in writing a Thesis Summary depend on what type of thesis you are summarizing. If you’re summarizing a text-based thesis, then your first step should be to read the Thesis and make note of any major key points and conclusions made by the author(s). You then assemble your notes into one coherent paragraph detailing each one of the major key points. Keep in mind that this initial paragraph will serve as an introduction to your Thesis Summary; therefore, it should not contain the thesis’ main points. Once you’ve completed this step, use these Main Points (identified in your thesis) as a guide for writing the body of your document.

If you’re developing a summary thesis that’s math-related, then you’ll first need to take note of the main conclusions. Second, you must determine how these conclusions were reached by noting each step in the proof. Finally, you’ll have to explain why each step is true using logic statements and definitions from the thesis.

These are the two standard ways to write a thesis summary. However, you can also include your insights, opinions, and comments if you choose.

The steps for writing a ‘ Thesis Summary in 2023’ are just about the same as they’ve always been. They’re pretty much set in stone because this is how students have written thesis summaries for decades.

For both types of thesis summaries, you should include a final paragraph that ties everything together with a brief conclusion. This final paragraph should highlight the key points and conclusions made throughout your document as well as offer a brief statement about why these points matter.

Step 1: Read the Text

The very first thing you’ll want to do is read the entire text. When you’re reading, make note of any major key points and conclusions made by the author(s). If you’re summarizing a text-based thesis, then these major points will form the basis for your introduction paragraph. However, don’t include these points in this introduction.

Step 2: Get to Work

After reading the entire document, it’s time to get started! Begin by taking notes on what you’ve learned from the text and organize them into one coherent paragraph. Make sure that this introduction doesn’t contain the thesis’ main points. Next, use these Main Points (identified in your thesis) as a guide for writing the rest of your thesis summary.

Step 3: Proof it Out

If you’re summarizing a math-related thesis, then you’ll first need to take note of the main conclusions and purposes stated within the document. Next, determine how these conclusions were reached by noting each statement or step in the proof. Finally, complete your Thesis Summary by explaining why each step is true using logical statements and definitions from the thesis.

Step 4: Wrap it Up

Once you’ve finished writing the body of your Thesis Summary, include a final paragraph that ties everything together with a brief conclusion. This final paragraph should highlight the key points and conclusions made throughout your document as well as offer a brief statement about why these points matter.

The best reasons to use a thesis summary are that it will both summarize the relevance of the document and add relevance to an argument. If someone is looking for a specific point or conclusion from the original text, then a Thesis Summary provides them with a quick breakdown of what they can find in the document’s introduction.

You should include a thesis summary in your writings when you believe that there may be too many arguments within your writing. It will help you put together the important points from the different arguments into one concise section.

If you’re summarizing a math-related thesis, they will ensure that you proof every step of the proof given in your paper. It will make sure that you do not miss any details.

There are a few key things that you should keep in mind when writing an effective thesis summary.

• When you’re summarizing a math-related paper, make sure to highlight the main conclusions and how they were arrived at.
• Tell the reader why these conclusions matter by explaining each one with logical statements and definitions from the original document.
• Include a brief conclusion paragraph that ties everything together and highlights the key points covered throughout your work.
• If your thesis is text-based, make sure to include important points throughout the body of your work.
• Last but not least, remember that you are writing a summary so don’t use big words or complex sentence structures! Your goal is to be understood by anyone who reads it in the future.

This Thesis Summary sample is based on a text-based document. Please note, as far as the format and structure are concerned, there’s not much difference between a summary of a bachelor thesis example, an example of a Ph.D. thesis summary, and a thesis chapter summary from a Master thesis summary.

The introduction to the original document should be written as such:

“In this thesis, we’d like to introduce a new framework for understanding how we learn and teach math. The topic of learning and teaching should be the focus of mathematics education.”

Then, point out the main points and conclusions made throughout the body of your work:

“One conclusion that we’ve drawn from our research is that children’s conceptions should be taken into account when designing an appropriate math curriculum for them.”

“A second conclusion that we’ve drawn from our research is that children are more likely to develop their ideas about math if they are encouraged to think critically.”

Finally, make a brief statement about why these points matter using logical statements and definitions from the thesis:

“These conclusions highlight how important it is to focus on children’s conceptions when designing curricula because if we don’t take them into account, we miss out on our student’s potential.”

“These conclusions also show that we need to emphasize critical thinking as a means for children to develop their ideas about math.”

Now, you’ve successfully written an effective thesis summary! Keep in mind that your goal is to highlight the main points and conclusions of the original document as well as boast about their significance. To make this process easier for you, we hope that our tips come in handy.

You should now have a good idea about what a thesis summary or dissertation summary is, why you should use them, and how to write one.

A thesis summary is an overview of the main points and conclusions made in a text-based document or simply put, a summary of the research paper. A Thesis Summary should be included when you believe there are too many arguments within your writing, or if you’re summarizing math-related papers for proofing purposes. Key things to keep in mind while writing one include highlighting important concepts that were previously mentioned, explaining why these new ideas matter with logical statements and definitions from the original work, and providing a brief conclusion paragraph that ties everything together. If you want thesis help with any part of this process from reading or understanding complex texts to organizing them into coherent paragraphs let us know! Our team of thesis writers will be happy to help you complete your thesis summary!

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Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

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Thesis Summary

Considering that you have finished writing your thesis, it is high time that you started working on your thesis summary or abstract as the last and final part of your research paper before submitting it to your instructor. Writing an abstract is actually the simplest way for your audience, the teachers and the panel of publishers (if you wish for it to be published) to know what your research paper is about without going through the bulk of your paper.

What is an Abstract?

According to an article found in the Simon Fraser University database, the abstract is deemed a critical part of your thesis and it is presented at the beginning of the thesis, as it is a summary of the whole thesis. The thesis summary is a substantive description of your work read by an external examiner by presenting all the major elements of your work in a highly condensed form.

Size and Structure

Normally, a thesis summary would only contain 120 or less (for undergraduate theses), 150 words (for Masters theses) and 350 words (for a doctoral dissertation).

• For doctoral dissertations, it is best to limit it to only 280 words with a format of one double-spaced page, to preserve visual coherence.
• The structure of the abstract should mirror the structure of the whole thesis, and should represent all its major elements.
• For instance, if your thesis has five chapters (rationale, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion), limit each chapter to only a sentence or two for each chapter in order to maximize some parts that need more substantial backing.

Clearly Specify Your Research Questions

• Research questions are important in making sure that the abstract is coherent and logically structured as they form the backbone to which other elements adhere; they should be presented near the beginning of the abstract.
• Depending on the length of your research paper, there is only room for one to three questions. If there are more than three major research questions in your thesis, try to rearrange them by reducing some to subsidiary status.

Don’t Forget the Results

• One of the most common mistakes in writing abstracts is the failure to indicate the results.
• The primary function of your thesis (and by extension your abstract) is not to tell readers what you did, it is to tell them what you discovered. Other information, such as the account of your research methods, is needed mainly to back the claims you make about your results.
• The final part of your thesis should be about summarizing your results as well as interpreting them.
• Although it is sometimes not necessary, you can choose to add keywords below your abstract as the most important terms that can be found in the thesis.

Listed below are some thesis summary examples:

This study aimed to analyze and identify the most frequent news category and rhetoric of the three local English dailies as well as assess whether they align to the readers’ news preference. These factors served as the sources of the data gathered by the researchers: ninety tertiary students, each local publication’s respective editorial board, and banner stories. Findings indicated that even though the editors would usually select their stories based on impact, the banner story content however focused more on news like crime and politics which are mostly conflict-based issues, instead of human interest stories that readers prefer the most. In conclusion, the respective editorial boards of each publication are not presenting the readers with their main interests in the banner story. Keywords: banner stories, news values, news categories, gatekeeping/gatekeepers, and readers’ preference

An example of a summary format The aim or goal or purpose of this graduation thesis (title) is to … (analyse, characterize, compare, examine, illustrate, present, survey, design, reconstruct) … The graduation thesis is composed of five chapters, each of them dealing with different aspect of … Chapter 1 is introductory and (defines, describes, reviews, deals with) … The chapter is subdivided into two parts. Part 1 describes … and explains … . Part 2 deals with … Chapter 2 examines … . The chapter consists of three parts. Part 1 focuses on … . Part 2 investigates … . Part 3 addresses the issue of … . Chapter 3 is subdivided into two parts and provides an outline of relevant … Part 1 illustrates … . Part 2 looks at … . Chapter 4 concentrates on problems resulting from … Part 1 describes …. Part 2 recommends changes to be made in legislation … Conclusions are drawn in Chapter 5. The main aim of the graduation thesis has been reached. The author suggests that …………………… should be changed/introduced/applied.

The aim of this graduation thesis entitled Development of Yamakawa Technologies to Ascertain the Existence of Cheese on the Moon is to test the use of Yamakawa technologies in ascertaining the existence of cheese on the moon. Yamakawa technologies have been successfully used to test the existence of water in Wakanda, but to date no further applications are known. For this reason the author decided to test further applications, with the aim of describing the technology’s suitability for further development. This thesis first examines the testing procedures for the water in Wakanda experiment, and presents the results. In a second stage several adaptations to Yamakawa for the testing of the existence of cheese on the moon are undertaken. Finally the technology is applied to the question of cheese on the moon, within a six-week testing phase. At the end of each week the testing apparatus is fine tuned, and experiment results are charted every twenty-four hours. The results of the experiment show that Yamakawa technologies are well suited to ascertaining the presence of water in Wakanda, but were unable to be sufficiently modified for the purpose of ascertaining the existence of cheese on the moon. The author recommends further modification to the technology before any other uses are considered.

After writing the said abstract in your research paper, then congratulations! You are now ready to move to the next step of your thesis journey, defending it. Just remember this, always know your thesis by heart. Believe me, if you do, you will not have a hard time and eventually, you will learn to enjoy it too. Good luck!

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Writing a Paper: Thesis Statements

Basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

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Future outlook

Chapter 8: thesis summary and future outlook, 8.2 future outlook.

Having brought improvements to the properties of the materials presented there are still areas where further enhancements can be made. The following paragraphs discuss some potential routes for further investigations of the materials presented so far, as well as some more ambitious ideas based on recent discoveries in materials science.

Figure 8-1. Temperature dependence of transmittance at 500 nm for a PBzMA solution in [Cnmim][NTf2]. (yellow square): [C1mim][NTf2]; (red circle): [C2mim][NTf2]; (green inverted triangle): [C4mim][NTf2]; (blue triangle): [C6mim][NTf2]. [Cnmim] represents the 1-alkyl-3 methylimidazolium cation.[3]

Considering the NIPAM-based ionogels, experiments in our laboratory have shown that the polymerisation of NIPAM proceeds generally faster in imidazolium ionic liquids and gives even higher distortions of the LCST behaviour. Therefore, one could carry out a parallel study where same anions as in Chapter 3 are used but an imidazolium cation is chosen instead of the phosphonium. This way a broader understanding of the interactions between NIPAM, ILs and the system’s LCST can be obtained. Polymers normally not exhibiting LCST can exhibit such

behaviour in the presence of ionic liquids.[4] Therefore, different ILs could be used not only to tune the poly(NIPAM)’s LCST but also to induce LCST behaviour in polymers. Figure 8-1 shows that a poly(benzylmethacrylate) exhibits LCST behaviour in an imidazolium IL and this LCST is dependant on the length of the alkyl chain on the IL molecule. Shifts in the LCST can also be realised by a standard route of copolymerising monomers of different lypophilicity (Figure 8-2). All this is possible without the presence of water, making these systems IL-only with all the benefits of the IL low vapour volatility, thermal stability etc.

Figure 8-2. Temperature dependence of transmittance at 500 nm for a PBzMA solution in [C2mim][NTf2]. The transmittance of 100% indicates that the solution is a single-phase one (transparent), while that of 0% indicates that it is phase-separated (turbid). Inset shows the comparison of the turbidity measurements forBzMA copolymers with St orMMA.(red circle): PBzMA homopolymer, (Mn)28 300 g/mol, Mw/Mn ) 2.76); (yellow diamond): P(BzMA-co-St) (1.6 mol %) (Mn ) 19 100 g/mol, Mw/Mn ) 2.34); (green square): P(BzMA-co-St) (8.7 mol %), (Mn ) 13 100 g/mol, Mw/Mn ) 1.88); (blue inverted triangle): P(BzMA-co-MMA) (5.1 mol %), (Mn ) 21 600 g/mol,Mw/Mn)2.22); (black triangle): P(BzMA-co-MMA) (10 mol %), (Mn ) 21 500 g/mol, Mw/Mn ) 2.15).[3]

The photoresponsive gels demonstrated in Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 have been optimised to some extent, but still possess limitations. Protonation of the spiropyran-NIPAM system will always depend on the pKa of the open merocyanine and the surrounding availability of protons. One cannot alter the electronic structure of the molecule to induce faster isomerisation without compromising the stability.[2] Given this, it is reasonable to look for alternative derivatives of spiropyran or other molecules that have faster isomerisation kinetics. As the pKa of the spiropyran/merocyanine currently limits these systems to pH < 7 one could also speculate to utilise alternative photoswitch systems where the change of hydrophilicity is not accompanied by pH changes. Azobenzenes might provide a solution to this problem.

A recently published photoresponsive ionogel briefly discussed in Chapter 1 is based on a poly(benzylmethacrylate) copolymerised with 3 mol% azobenzeneacrylate.[5] This gel exhibits shrinking under visible light irradiation and swelling under UV light irradiation at 83 ˚C (Figure 8-3). This behaviour is believed to be possible due to the interactions of the azobenzene, the benezene pendant rings on the polymer chains and the presence of the hydrophobic imidazolium Ntf2 ionic liquid. This demonstrates that polymers that normally do not posses LCST can exhibit such behaviour when combined with ILs. Bearing in mind the almost unlimited combinations of cations and anions one can speculate that almost any polymer can be made into an ionogel that will exhibit a desired LCST or USCT (upper solution critical temperature) behaviour. This area of research is gaining increased attention due to the exciting possibilities to engineer the properties of ionogels for non-volatile and robust actuator applications and beyond.[3] Although azobenzene has been tested in the LCST ionogel system it would be very interesting if similar only-IL-containing light responsive ionogels with spiropyran could be synthesised. Having an ionogel with a tuneable actuation temperature or light responsiveness but filled with a non- volatile IL presents great advantages over the current actuator gels. It must be noted here that the photoresponsive spiropyran based ionogels reported so far [6] would still require to be soaked in aqueous HCl. Therefore, they are not pure ionogels.

Figure 8-3. Light induced swelling and shrinking of a poly(benzylacrylate)-co- poly(azobenzeneacrylate) ionogel in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane

sulfonyl)amide ([C2mim][NTf2]) at 83 ˚C.

Similarly, azobenzene acrylate copolymer gel systems have certain limitations. For example, experiments in our laboratory have shown that the presence of azobenzene comonomer in the polymerisation mixture inhibits the polymerisation. Using linear polymerisation of NIPAM or

N,N-dimethylacrylamide with azobenzene acrylate, conversions only up to ~60 % and ~40 %

line with previous reports showing that azobenzenes can inhibit polymerisation.[7] Moreover, azobenzenes absorb strongly in the same range as most UV and Vis photoinitiators (350 - 450 nm) rendering photopolymerisation, so useful in microfluidic gel actuator system, impossible. Therefore, it is suggested that azobenzenes may be more suited as thin film liquid crystal actuators. In such an arrangement, they have been shown to bend reversibly within several seconds.[8] This thin film crystal actuator approach operates on a bimetallic strip principle (Figure 8-4) and allows generation of forces higher than human muscles and in this respect they are significantly superior to the hydrogel approach. [9]

Figure 8-4. Ilustration of the working principle of a diarylethene cocrystal that converts light into mechanical work. [9]

Another very interesting field where actuators are developing is the magnetic materials area. However, magnetic responsive materials are not very popular in the field of sensors and fluidics due to the high power consumption of electromagnets. Therefore, new concepts must arise to utilise the high magnetic forces provided by cheap and strong permanent magnets. One futuristic idea is to use a spin crossover phenomenon[10] as an external stimulus to switch the material between magnetic and non-magnetic states. This way a material present in a magnetic field of a permanent magnet would only be attracted (or repelled) by the magnet if the magnetism of the material is switched on. The possibility to switch magnetism on and off has

been demonstrated even with light. [11] Therefore one can speculate that an actuator can be constructed where the material incorporating the magnetic spin crossover particles is constantly within a field of a permanent magnet but it becomes magnetic only under light irradiation and consequently affected by the magnet (Figure 8-5). Theoretically such system would require relatively low power to support the light source, possibly an LED, as the permanent magnet does not require any power input to operate.

Figure 8-5. The principle of operation of an photo-magnetic actuator based on a material exhibiting a photo-induced magnetic spin crossover.

Lastly, one should consider extensive research in the field on LCST polyILs discussed in Chapter 7. As presented, initial tests have been carried out to mimic the spiropyran-NIPAM system using a polyIL that exhibits LCST much like poly(NIPAM) gels. The LCST ILs offer higher tunability of the LCST than poly(NIPAM) and therefore could be the basis of a next generation of photoresponsive gels. However, obtaining a photoresponsive actuator based on the LCST polyILs and spiropyran is not straightforward. The author has investigated LCST polyILs based on the monomers in Figure 8-6.

Incorporation of spiropyran into these gels did not pose a problem and reversible photochromism was observed (Figure 8-7). What is surprising is that the when the copolymer is dissolved in water the spiropyran comonomer undergoes spontaneous protonation without the addition of acid. It has been speculated that the IL polymer might be acidic in nature as the pH of the pure polyIL in water was 4.8. Moreover, the polyIL environment has shown to enhance the kinetics of spiropyran deprotonation compared to poly(NIPAM) systems (Table 8-1). No LCST shift has been observed when the spiropyran is isomerised. This applies to both linear polymers and gels. The gels decolourise but no light induced shrinking was observed. However, it must be noted that gels based on both [P4,4,4,4][SS] and [P4,4,4,6][SPA] decolourised slightly but the ones based on [P4,4,4,6][SPAAm] turned opaque upon decolourisation and the whole process happened much faster than in the case of the other gels. Moreover, it would seem that the polymerisation of [P4,4,4,6][SPAAm] is slow and yields polymers of low molecular weight. This is based on the observation that very little polymer is left after the linear polymer purification precipitation step and that similar observations were made for the NIPAM-azobenzene polymers discussed above.

Figure 8-7. Photochromism of spiropyran copolymer with [P4,4,4,4][SS]. Work carried our by an ENSIACET internship student Stephane Louisia.

Table 8-1. Protonation and deprotonation kinetic constants for Poly(NIPAM)-co-BSP and Poly([P4,4,4,4][SS])-co-BSP linear polymers in DI water. Work carried our by an ENSIACET internship student Stephane Louisia.

Protonation Deprotonation (white light) k [s-1]

Poly(NIPAM)-co-BSP 7.28 x 10-4 8.59 x 10-3

Poly([P4,4,4,4 ][SS])-co-BSP 4.04x x 10-4 1.18 x 10-2

Faced with such challenges in synthesising a LCST polyIL photoresponsive gel, it is proposed to use the reliable poly(NIPAM)-co-BSP gel system and interpenetrate it with a polyIL network. This interpenetrating network gel (IPN) approach presents several benefits. First, the ionic liquid would be permanently immobilised in the gel and will not leach out. Secondly, as the photoresponsive character is given by the first poly(NIPAM) network the polyIL network does not necessarily need to have the LCST property. The IL cation/anions can also be varied, depending on the desired effect on the gel properties. This effect could include tuning the LCST of poly(NIPAM) or affecting the equilibrium and kinetics of spiropyran isomerisation. Not to mention tuning the overall hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the IPN gel. Lastly, interpenetrating networks are well known for having superior mechanical properties compared to standard gel networks.[12]

Investigations into the reasons for which the LCST of crosslinked poly IL gels is so broad should also be undertaken. The assumption that our photopolymerisation of the pIL gels produces an inhomogeneous structure and uneven polymer chains has been dis-proven by using RAFT agents to control the polymerisation process. The RAFT chain transfer agent (2- (Dodecylthiocarbonothioylthio)-2-methylpropionic acid) did not affect the broad distribution of the DSC peak of the polyIL gels from Chapter 7. Therefore, more ambitious approach would be to prepare sliding ring (SR) crosslinked polyIL gels.[13-15] This advanced polymer chemistry technique produces crosslinks that are not fixed to one point in the chain. Such polymer networks would allow the release of any molecular stress and therefore mimic a linear polymer solution system.

Many new concepts in material science arise every day. The miniaturisation of sensors and microfluidic platforms constantly drives the development of stimulus responsive materials for both sensing and actuating. In this chapter, only a few ideas for possible further exploration were presented. As time passes, many of these concepts will become redundant, for example, as disruptive discoveries arise that change our approach to materials synthesis. However, the author believes that this work has introduced some exciting knowledge into the field of stimulus responsive materials and I hope that it will assist and inspire new research investigations based

References:

1. Satoh, T.; Sumaru, K.; Takagi, T.; Takai, K.; Kanamori, T., Isomerization of spirobenzopyrans bearing electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups in acidic aqueous solutions. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2011, 13, 7322-7329.

2. Satoh, T.; Sumaru, K.; Takagi, T.; Kanamori, T., Fast-reversible light-driven hydrogels consisting of spirobenzopyran-functionalized poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). Soft Matter

2011, 7, 8030-8034.

3. Ueki, T.; Watanabe, M., Lower Critical Solution Temperature Behavior of Linear Polymers in Ionic Liquids and the Corresponding Volume Phase Transition of Polymer Gels. Langmuir 2006, 23, 988-990.

4. Ueki, T.; Watanabe, M., Macromolecules in Ionic Liquids: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities. Macromolecules 2008, 41, 3739-3749.

5. Ueki, T.; Yamaguchi, A.; Watanabe, M., Unlocking of interlocked heteropolymer gel by light: photoinduced volume phase transition in an ionic liquid from a metastable state to an equilibrium phase. Chemical Communications 2012, 48, 5133-5135.

6. Benito-Lopez, F.; Byrne, R.; Raduta, A. M.; Vrana, N. E.; McGuinness, G.; Diamond, D., Ionogel-based light-actuated valves for controlling liquid flow in micro-fluidic manifolds. Lab on a Chip 2010, 10, 195-201.

7. Luo, C.; Zuo, F.; Ding, X.; Zheng, Z.; Cheng, X.; Peng, Y., Light-triggered reversible solubility of α-cyclodextrin and azobenzene moiety complexes in PDMAA-co-PAPA via molecular recognition. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 2008, 107, 2118-2125. 8. Harris, K. D.; Cuypers, R.; Scheibe, P.; van Oosten, C. L.; Bastiaansen, C. W. M.; Lub,

J.; Broer, D. J., Large amplitude light-induced motion in high elastic modulus polymer actuators. Journal of Materials Chemistry 2005, 15, 5043-5048.

9. Morimoto, M.; Irie, M., A Diarylethene Cocrystal that Converts Light into Mechanical Work. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2010, 132, 14172-14178.

10. Renz, F., Physical and chemical induced spin crossover. Journal of Physics: Conference

Series 2010, 217, 012022.

11. Garcia, Y.; Ksenofontov, V.; Lapouyade, R.; Naik, A. D.; Robert, F.; Gütlich, P., Synthesis and magnetic properties of an iron 1,2-bisthienyl perfluorocyclopentene photochromic coordination compound. Optical Materials 2011, 33, 942-948.

12. Muniz, E. C.; Geuskens, G., Polyacrylamide hydrogels and semi-interpenetrating networks (IPNs) with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide): Mechanical properties by measure of compressive elastic modulus. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine

2001, 12, 879-881.

13. Tan, S.; Blencowe, A.; Ladewig, K.; Qiao, G. G., A novel one-pot approach towards dynamically cross-linked hydrogels. Soft Matter 2013, 9, 5239-5250.

14. Ito, K., Novel Cross-Linking Concept of Polymer Network: Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of Slide-Ring Gels with Freely Movable Junctions. Polymer Journal 2007,

39, 489-499.

15. Fleury, G.; Schlatter, G.; Brochon, C.; Travelet, C.; Lapp, A.; Lindner, P.; Hadziioannou, G., Topological Polymer Networks with Sliding Cross-Link Points:  The “Sliding Gels”. Relationship between Their Molecular Structure and the Viscoelastic as Well as the Swelling Properties. Macromolecules 2007, 40, 535-543.

Appendix A:

Mechanical properties and u.v. curing, behaviour of poly(n-isopropylacrylamide) in, phosphonium based ionic liquids., purification of ionic liquids..

Tetradecyl(trihexyl)phosphonium chloride [P6,6,6,14][Cl]

Purchased from Cytec Industries. 20 ml of the ionic liquid was decolorized by redissolution in 30 mL of acetone followed by treatment with activated charcoal (Darco-G60, Aldrich) at 40 oC overnight. Carbon was removed by filtration through alumina (acidic, Brockmann I, Aldrich) and the solvent removed under vacuum at 40 oC for 48hrs at 0.1 Torr.

Tetradecyl(trihexyl)phosphonium dicyanamide [P6,6,6,14][dca]

Tetradecyl(trihexyl)phosphonium dodecylbenzenesulfonate [P6,6,6,14][dbsa]

Tetrabutyl(methyl)phosphonium tosylate [P1,4,4,4][tos]

Purchased from Cytec Industries; purified according to the procedure for [P6,6,6,14][Cl]. 1

ES-MS: ES+ m/z 217 [P 1,4,4,4 ]+ ES- m/z 171 [Tos]-.

Synthesis of Tetradecyl(trihexyl)phosphonium tosylate[P6,6,6,14][tos]

Heat of polymerisation: DSC chamber setup.

Figure A 1. The sample chamber and LED array holder printed with a 3D printer. Design by B.Z.

Figure A 2. In house 3D design of the chamber. The carving on the edge was filled with an O-ring for minimising heat noise. Design by B.Z.

UV curing rheology

Figure A 3. Storage (A) and loss (B) moduli during UV polymerisation of a) Pi-Tos, b) P-dbsa, c) P- Tos, d) P-Cl, e) P-DCA.

Thermal Analysis of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) polymers.

Figure A 4. A: DSC heat flow curves for the UV-initiated polymerisation of linear pNIPAM in a) Pi-Tos, b) P-dbsa, c) P-DCA, d) P-Tos and e) P-Cl.The heat flow is expressed in Watts per mole of NIPAM monomer; B: Integrated DSC heat flows for a) P-DCA, b) P-dbsa, c) Pi-Tos, d) P-Tos and e) P-Cl. The total heat released is expressed in Joules per mole of NIPAM monomer The UV LEDs were switched on after 2 minutes

Figure A 5. DCS scans showing the LCST temperature for the water-swollen ionogels: a) xP-Cl, b) xPi-Tos, c) xP-dbsa, d) xP-Tos, e) xP-DCA.

Figure A 6. Plots of storage modulus versus time during a temperature step program for water swollen ionogels. a) xP-DCA: the temperature was raised from 25 ˚C to 45 ˚C (20 ˚C/min) starting at t = 5 min and was decreased at t = 15 min from 45 ˚C to 25 ˚C (20 ˚C/min); b) xP-Cl: the temperature was raised from 5 ˚C to 25 ˚C (20 ˚C/min) starting at t = 5 min and was decreased at t = 15 min from 25 ˚C to 5 ˚C (20 ˚C/min).

Figure A 7. The sample gap during the experiments from Figure 4 and 5. a) xP-Cl, b) xP-DCA, c) xPi-Tos, d) xP-Tos, e) xP-dbsa.

Table A 1. Thermal data of cross linked and non crosslinked phosphonium based samples. Tg represents the glass transition temperature and Tdec is the decomposition temperature (onset) of the polymers. Sample Tg (oC) Tdec (oC) P-NTf2 -58.65 430 P-dbsa - 421 P-Tos -59.40 421 P-DCA -59.52 370 P-Cl -58.38 361 xP-NTf2 - - xP-Tos -60.28 425 xP-dbsa - 408 xP-DCA -58.43 374 xP-Cl -58.61 370

Appendix B:

Self-protonating spiropyran-co-nipam-co-, acrylic acid hydrogels as reversible, photoactuators, synthesis of bsp-acrylate.

Acrylation of trimethyl-6-hydroxyspiro-(2H-1-benzopyran-2,2’indoline) (abb. BSP-OH) was done as follows. 500 mg of BSP-OH was dissolved in 20 mL of anhydrous dichloromethane in a 100 mL round bottom flask. The flask was placed in an ethanol bath to which liquid nitrogen was poured until bubbling stopped. To such cooled mixture under magnetic stirring, 0.6 mL of triethylamide was added followed by 0.2 mL of acryloyl chloride added dropwise. The reaction was allowed to stir for 48 hours during which the mixture warmed up to room temperature as the ethanol evaporated. The reaction mixture was washed with a saturated solution of NaHCO3 and deionised water several times to remove the byproducts. The coloured water phase was also washed with dichloromethane. The combined organic phases were evaporated on a rotary evaporator with an addition of column silica powder. The BSP-acrylate was purified by column chromatography using ethyl acetate/hexane 1:8 mixture as the mobile phase. After evaporation of the solvent and vacuum drying (0.1 mBar), 400 mg of white powder was obtained. Yield 67 %

Gel shrinking measurements

Since the cut gel samples are never ideal circles several diameters were measured before the light irradiation. Then as the gel shrunk the ratio in shrinking separately for every diameter was expressed in percent. The standard deviations were then calculated between the shrinking ratios for the given time interval. A calculation of the relative swelling percent example for the 0-0 blank poly(NIPAM) gel is given below.

The ratio of the diameter of the dried gel and fully swollen gel is:

The measured shrinking of 3 dimensions of the gel versus the light irradiation in µm is given:

0 min 5 min 10 min 20 min

Diameter 1 3876 3845 3794 3721

Diameter 2 3526 3484 3464 3433

Diameter 3 3879 3802 3818 3770

For every diameter the swelling ratios are calculated for each time interval and expressed in %:

0 min 5 min 10 min 20 min Diameter 1 100.0% 98.8% 98.2% 97.4% Diameter 2 100.0% 99.2% 97.9% 96.0% Diameter 3 100.0% 98.0% 98.4% 97.2%

Then for every given time interval the average swelling percent is calculated along with the standard deviation:

0 min 5 min 10 min 20 min Average swelling 100.0% 98.7% 98.2% 96.9% Standard

deviation - 0.5% 0.2% 0.6%

After applying the following formula 100%

) ( ) ( 1 min max max ⋅             − − − = d d d d D x we obtain the

following relative swelling values.

0 min 5 min 10 min 20 min Average swelling 100% 98.03% 97.27% 95.30% Standard

deviation - 0.76% 0.30% 0.91%

The standard deviations were multiplied by 1.5151 66 . 0 1 1 max min = = d d

Therefore, the relative swelling percent we use expresses the change in dimensions between the fully swollen state and the dried dehydrated state. See

Figure B 1: Graphical representation of the relative percent of swelling used. Blue represents the fully swollen diameter dmax (100 % relative swelling); orange represents the diameter of the dried gel dmin (0 % relative swelling); yellow colour is the actuator operating range.

UV-Vis Spectroscopy

Changes in the absorbance spectra of the spiropyran hydrogels under different illumination conditions were recorded in reflectance mode using two fiber-optic light guides connected to a Miniature Fiber Optic Spectrometer (USB4000 - Ocean Optics) and aligned using an in-house made holder (Figure B 2). The in-house-designed holder was fabricated using a 3D printer (Dimension SST 768) in black acrylonitrile butadiene styrene co-polymer (ABS) plastic in order to minimise interferences from ambient light. The two parts of the holder (one to be placed

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In this chapter, the results of previously presented studies are discussed in detail and are critically reflected by considering the overall research objective of the dissertation. In doing so, the relationships between the individual research milestones are highlighted and their respective significance for answering the research questions are reflected on an interrelated meta-study perspective.

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