Now that you have chosen a topic, narrowed it, and formulated a research question, you need to do some preliminary research in order to come up with a thesis statement. To begin preliminary research, you will research tertiary sources like Wikipedia and dot-com websites. Now remember that NONE of these types of sources can be used in your final paper. They are only here to help you understand your topic better and to gain a full understanding of both sides of the argument. Follow the steps below to complete preliminary research and formulate a working thesis:

1. Read all of the opinion articles over your topic from Opposing Viewpoints if your chose a topic from there.
2. Do a general Google search over your research question/topic and read newspaper articles and other dot-com websites. Be aware that some of these sites might be VERY BIASED. So make sure you read both sides of the debate!
3. Read about your topic on Wikipedia to understand it fully.
4. Read and annotate the PPT over “Creating Thesis Statements”
5. Answer your research question with your stance on the topic. That will be your working thesis. Do not include your reasons in your thesis. They belong as the topic sentences of your body paragraphs!

Post your working thesis in this discussion board. Then comment on at least two of your peers. But be sure to read everyone’s thesis. Reading everyone else’s thesis will help you know if you are on the right track or not when creating a claim. When commenting on your peers, consider these questions. Is the thesis statement narrow and qualified (see the PPT over thesis statements for more information about qualifying)? Is the thesis a claim that can be proved with reliable and credible evidence? Is the topic interesting and relevant? 

Remember, that this is the thesis you will use in your argumentative research essay!

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