WRITING AN ACADEMIC ESSAY

The essay is a reflection of how well you have understood the basic course material, how much

extra work you have put into researching the essay topic and how analytical you have been in selecting

and commenting on the material you use

Academic essay

Understanding of course

researchanalysis

Good writing

7 steps to writing a good essay

• Analyze your prompt• Gather your information by research and

reading• Note where your information comes from• Think of your thesis• Organize your material• Draft your essay• Revise your essay

Analyze your prompt

Define your purpose Analyze the key words in the prompt

Consider other important words in

the prompt

The first thing to do is to decide what kind of

essay you are being asked to write

Define your purposeIf you are asked to… Then you will need…

Analyze Find some methodical way of defining a topicFind the course and effect of some phenomenonFind the solution to a given problem

Argue Present your thesis - your stand and the reason for it and persuade the reader by the points that you raise

Compare or contrast Focus on similarities or differences in a topic

Discuss Present your view on a topic; choose your own focus

Explain Show how well you understand a topic

Analyze the key words• Significant words will need to be

defined as a part of your essay

Consider other important words• They will affect how you delinate or

gather your essay points

Gathering information• Interview• Questionnaire• survey• Laboratory experimentsPrimary

research

• To read selectively from a recommended bibliography

• Read around the topic trying to ascertain which information could be most useful

Secondary research

Note where your information comes from

• Acknowledge your sources and distinguish sourse information ends and your own original thinking begins

• It is an academic way of showing that you are not plagiarizing

• Keep careful notes about where your material comes from

Think of your thesis

• The thesis controls the entire essay• All main points will be a development of it• All the minor supporting details will illustrate

it • Make sure that the thesis expresses a central

idea that is neither too broad nor too specific to develop effectively and that it does not simply state the obvious

Organize your materialIntroduction •give brief background to the topic

• address definition of key words and issues•state your thesis•outline your main points• provide transition into body paragraphs

Body paragraph • provide a topic sentence which says what the main point of each paragraph is• provide supporting details for your topic sentence based on your research• synthesize what you have read (show what different people think about the same point)• show some critical thinking ( tell what you think of what you have read)• provide in-text citations for your information

Conclusion • recap your maim points• reiterate your thesis• give your final word

References List the references for each in-text citations

Draft your essay

• Using your outline write an essay• Get all your thoughts down on paper• Choose the most precise words• Aim for a fluent and coherent style • Referring to sources, paraphrase and use

reported speech rather than a lot of direct quotation

Revise your essay• Read through the essay again• Ask how well organised it is• Ask how well your ideas are developed• Is your choice of words accurate?• Is your writing concise?• Are the links within and between paragraphs clear?Editing

• Read through your essay profoundly looking for obvious errors (spelling, grammar, punctuation)

• Check specific submission details (front size, margins. Etc.)Proofreading

the essay