Academicians often stress the importance of narrowing a thesis to state something meaningful, specific, and defensible. Even beyond the central claim of in argument, writers tend make statements that are hard to defend.

While we might feel compelled to state, for instance, that “corporations exploit developing countries,” or that “conservatives are xenophobic racists,” these types of blanket statements do not hold up to scrutiny. Just one counterexample undermines the argument.

In your writing, work to:

• Be precise and use modifiers
• Make realistic remarks that value multiple realities
• Recognize that general statements sound like personal opinions
• Minimize exaggerative claims

Be precise: Instead of saying, “Children today are digital natives,” write “Children who grow up in families that encourage technological interactions often become what is referred to as ‘digital natives’” (Coskun, 2021, p. 345).

Be realistic: Instead of claiming that “Trump supporters spread false claims,” a more sophisticated argument might be that “Liberals often contend that Trump supporters spread misinformation, and yet this may indicate competing ideologies.”

Be less general: Instead of saying that “William Faulkner and James Joyce were both famous writers from different countries,” we might argue that “Both Faulkner and Joyce use colloquial language to give authenticity to their characters rooted in a specific place, culture, and historical period.”

Avoid hyperbole: Instead of saying, “Climate change threatens to end all life on earth,” a better way to say it might be that “Some climate scientists predict that at-risk ecosystems will be disrupted due to anthropogenic climate change.”

Successful academic writing uses modest and defensible claims that can be supported by literature and is considerate of alternative perspectives.