As you move to a clearer and more specific position you want to take, you’ll start to see ways to revise your working thesis. You may find that the evidence you collected supports a different thesis, or you may find that your position has changed as you learned more about your topic.

Sometimes a working thesis needs better definition. One effective way to sharpen a working thesis is to put it to the “So what?” test. If you ask “So what?” about your thesis, you might find ways to adjust your purpose, adopt a well-defined stance, and strengthen your argument.

Sometimes a working thesis has a specific problem. It might be too narrow, or too factual, or a simple yes/no question. If that is the case, you might try a problem/strategy approach.

Putting your working thesis to the “So what?” test

Using a problem/strategy approach to revise a working thesis