Issue: What is the issue, and what is your stand on it?

Problem: What is the problem, and what solution are you proposing?

Public question: What situation do we face, and how should we respond?

Academic question: What is the phenomenon, and what is your analysis and interpretation of it?

 A good thesis statement

• deals with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment expresses one main idea
• takes on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree
• asserts your conclusions about a subject
• justifies discussion
• takes some sort of stand
• is specific