What Is an Organizational Thesis?
An organizational thesis is a sentence that explains to readers exactly what a paper will be about. The thesis is a significant part of any paper and the organization of the piece hinges largely on the quality of the thesis statement. Though some papers have implied thesis statements, which means 1 the actual statement is not written anywhere in the paper, most professors and professionals require clear and descriptive thesis statements.
Content
An organizational thesis must reflect the content of the paper, as it is the hinge pin of the entire piece. If the thesis statement is even slightly off topic, the paper will not be properly organized. For example, if the paper is about equestrian law, but the thesis is about horseback riding, the paper will not be properly organized.
Location
The organizational thesis statement can appear anywhere in a paper. However, it is most common for it to be placed within the introductory paragraph of the paper. In the rare case that a paper has more than one introductory paragraph, the thesis is placed in the last paragraph before the body. It is generally the last sentence in the introductory paragraph, though in some rare occasions it can be placed in the beginning of the paragraph.
Structure
An organizational thesis statement should be a complete sentence, including a subject and verb. However, the sentence should be complex enough to encompass the entirety of the paper's subject. Thus, other grammatical components, such as prepositional phrases, objects, adjectives and adverbs should be included where necessary to add complexity and specificity to the thesis statement.
Specificity
It is also necessary for organizational theses to be specific enough to stabilize the paper. Specific thesis statements are more valuable because the thesis serves to centralize the paper and unify the paragraphs and main points. For example, if the paper is about equestrian law and the thesis is about a closely related topic, such as animal law, the broad thesis will detract from the paper. The thesis should also be specific enough to allow for several body paragraphs to follow. For example, the statement "equestrian law is good," is too vague, and the statement "equestrian law was created for the benefit of horses, horse owners and the general public," is much more specific, making it a better thesis.
References
Writer Bio
Tessa Holmes has been writing professionally since 2007. Her short stories and articles have been published on Relevantmagazine.com and in the "Cypress Dome." She has worked with the "Florida Review." She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Central Florida.
