An effective thesis is narrow and limited in scope; it is not too broad.

If a freshman-level thesis requires more than four or five pages to be fully developed and supported, the thesis needs to be further narrowed.

Too Broad: “People should not go on fad diets.”

Revised: “Fad diets can be dangerous when they deprive the body of essential nutrients or rely on excessive quantities of potentially harmful foods.”

Fowler, H. Ramsey, and Jane E. Aaron. The Little, Brown Handbook. Glenview, IL: Scott Foresman, 1989. 37.