Skip to content
Writing Commons
  • Citation
  • Collaboration
  • Genre
  • Grammar

      Encyclopedia for Writers

      AI-Assisted Writing & Critical AI Literacy

      Courses

      Projects

      Contribute

      WritingCommonsDefault
      Email

      Rhonda Dietrich

      Articles

      Dietrich, R. (2021, June 11). The Guiding Idea and Argumentative Thesis Statement. Writing Commons.
      https://writingcommons.org/article/the-guiding-idea-and-argumentative-thesis-statement/

      Citation

      Grammar

      Rhetoric

      Collaboration

      Information Literacy

      Style

      Composing with AI

      Literacy

      The Writing Process

      Design

      Mindset

      Writing Studies

      Discourse

      Organization

      Genre

      Research

      • Citation
      • Collaboration
      • Design
      • Discourse
      • Genre
      • Grammar
      • Information Literacy
      • Literacy
      • Mindset
      • Organization
      • Research
      • Rhetoric
      • Style
      • The Writing Process
      • Writing Studies
      • About Us
      • Contribute
      • Courses

      Copyright © 2025 Writing Commons LLC. All Rights Reserved.

      Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. While copying, sharing, or redistributing content published under traditional copyright is generally prohibited, educators are permitted to print articles for classroom use. In turn, articles published under Creative Commons licenses may be used, shared, or adapted in accordance with their specific license terms, which require proper attribution and compliance with the designated Creative Commons conditions.

      About

      Awards

      Project History & Acknowledgements

      Terms of Service & Privacy

      Grammar

      Mechanics

      Modifiers, Modification

      Parallelism

      Sentences

      The 9 Parts of Speech

      Rhetoric

      Rhetorical Moves and Academic Writing

      Rhetorical Reasoning

      Rhetorical Situation

      Rhetorical Stance

      Rhetorical Theory

      Citation

      APA

      Attribution

      Citation Guide

      Citation Tools

      MLA

      Information Literacy

      Authority & Credibility

      Evidence

      Information Ethics

      Information Evaluation

      Information Literacy Ecosystem

      Style

      The Elements of Style

      Writing Styles

      Collaboration

      Coauthorship

      Collaboration Tools

      Conflict Resolution

      Critique

      Peer Review

      Team Leadership

      Teamwork

      Literacy

      Cognitive

      Communication

      Critical Literacy

      Digital Literacy

      Quantitative Literacy

      Semiotics

      Symbolic Communication

      Symbolic Systems

      Visual Language

      Visual Literacy

      Writing

      Composing with AI

      Pedagogy

      Research

      Resources

      Theory

      Mindset

      Growth Mindset

      Habits of Mind

      Intellectual Openness

      Professionalism & Work Ethic

      Resilience

      Self-Regulation & Metacognition

      The Writing Process

      Discovering Your Unique Writing Process

      Drafting

      Editing

      How to Leverage Inner Speech

      Invention

      Preliminary Research

      Visual Brainstorming

      Planning

      Prewriting

      Problem-Solving Strategies for Writers

      Rereading

      Revising

      Sharing – Publishing

      The 7 Habits of Mind & The Writing Process

      The Embodied Writing Process

      The Ultimate Blueprint

      Design

      Design Principles

      Elements of Art

      Elements of Design

      Information Design and Architecture

      Page Design

      Universal Design Principles

      Usability & User Experience

      Visualization Techniques

      Organization

      Organizational Patterns

      Organizational Structures

      Paragraphs

      Sentence Schemas

      Discourse

      Causes & Effects

      Classification

      Comparison & Contrast

      Dialogue

      Definition

      Description

      Discourse Conventions

      Exemplification

      Exposition

      Narration

      Research

      Applied Research, Basic Research

      Epistemology

      Research Ethics

      Research Methodology

      Research Methods

      Writing Studies

      Communication Studies

      Composition Studies

      Psychology & Writing Studies

      Research on Mindset

      Rhetoric & Technology

      Workplace Writing

      Writers @ Work

      Genre

      Annotated Bibliography

      Argument, Argumentation

      Autobiography

      Conclusions

      Cover Letter, Letter of Transmittal

      Executive Summary

      Formal Reports

      Infographics

      Instructions & Processes

      Introductions

      Pitch

      Presentations

      Problem Definition

      Progress Reports

      Proposals

      Recommendation Reports

      Research Proposal

      Research Protocol

      Reviews and Recommendations

      Subjects & Concepts

      Team Charter

      Featured Articles

      Student engrossed in reading on her laptop, surrounded by a stack of books
      "Academic Writing" by AUM OER, CC BY 2.0

      Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

      "Professional Writing" by Internet Freedom Fellows, CC BY-ND 2.0.

      How to Write for the Professional World – Guide to Professional and Business Communication

      an illustration of a scale. "Opinion" is being weighed on the left side of the scale. "Facts & Research" are being depicted on the right side. It's clear from the illustration that "facts & research" weigh more than "opinion."
      In this illustration, "opinion" weighs more than "facts and evidence." While in academic and professional writing, facts and research typically outweigh opinion in terms of credibility and authority, this dynamic can shift in rhetorical situations where emotional filtering and information bias come into play. In such contexts, individuals may prioritize opinions that align with their beliefs over objective facts. Crafting truly authoritative texts requires more than just presenting data; it involves skillfully integrating evidence, acknowledging diverse perspectives, and demonstrating a nuanced understanding of the subject matter. Effective writers balance factual information with insightful analysis, creating work that is both well-supported and intellectually engaging, even in environments where opinion may carry more weight than facts.

      Credibility and Authorial Authority – How to Develop Readers’ Trust and Respect