• Identify the question/problem you are investigating. Keep our course theme in mind. We are not simply asking what is the truth of something, but rather interrogating how confidently we can comment on the “truth”.
• Articulate stakes: why your question matters and to whom. How does your topic relate to other people and issues?
• Accurately summarize common ideas about the problem, drawing on evidence. Use everything you’ve read to unpack the conversation about your topic. Identify and elaborate ongoing debates about your topic. What can you concede? What arguments do you counter?
• Analyze multiple kinds of evidence in detail. Create a conversation between multiple sources of evidence (at least two sources, preferably a combination of interview/survey you personally conducted and peer reviewed articles).
• Make a persuasive argument that resolves your question. Most thesis statements will look something like this: “There is an ongoing debate about . While some people think , based on their expertise in , other sources contend , because . I argue is the most trustworthy interpretation of the issue, because ___.”