Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, in other words what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.
a-Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact.
Example: What some people refer to as global warming is actually nothing more than normal, long-term cycles of climate change.
b-Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur.
Example: The popularity of SUV's in
c-Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something.
Example: Global warming is the most pressing challenge facing the world today.
d-Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem.
Example: Instead of drilling for oil in
Which type of claim is right for your argument? Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize, it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.