Now That You Ve Gather Sources, Read a Bunch, and Thought About Your Topic, It S Time to Begin

Now that you’ve gather sources, read a bunch, and thought about your topic, it’s time to begin

Mapping Out the Synthesis Term Paper

Order of operations…

1. Create a thesis map

2. Create claims as topic sentences for body paragraphs

3. Craft a final thesis—or ultimate argument

SAMPLE

Thesis Map

Treatment for the severely mentally ill is diminishing while “treatment” for the mildly depressed is on the rise, revealing the lack of public support and funding for the most vulnerable. The mentally ill often go with employment and hence without insurance, further underscoring the need for quality public mental health programs. Meanwhile, insurance companies encourage doctors to medicate rather than pay for treatment, further frustrating the chances the mentally ill will receive care.

(NOTICE that the above statement maps out the paper without making much of an argument. It simply states an overview of the paper’s areas of analysis.)

Claims

1. Often the mentally ill are abandoned because people avoid what makes them uncomfortable.

2. Without public support and funding, the mentally ill go without treatment because they often have no health insurance.

3. The mentally ill are often unemployed because, without treatment, they lack the coping skills necessary for employment.

4. Meanwhile, the mildly-unhappy middle-class is overmedicated with antidepressants, a reflection of easy and relatively inexpensive access to prescription drugs.

5. Unfortunately, the field of psychiatry is in decline since insurance companies tend to pay for medication before treatment.

Final Thesis—the Ultimate Argument

Public support and funding for the severely mentally ill is diminishing, forcing the afflicted to live in horrible, unwarranted conditions. These are societies’ most vulnerable and they need our support. We need to stop doctors and insurance companies from over-medicating the mildly depressed and advocate for real and appropriate care for thementally ill. Once the public pushes for this, we can insure that health care services address what is necessary rather than what is convenient and least expense.

(NOTICE that the ultimate argument is drawing a conclusion based on claims and evidence.

It can’t be written until you’ve gathered all of your information, analyzed it, and synthesized a position. Therefore, it belongs at the END of your paper, near the conclusion!)