1st year essay writing 2009
DESCRIPTION
a guide to essay writing for 1st year university students, especially social science studentsTRANSCRIPT
Essay Writing
Orna [email protected]
Outline• Steps to writing an essay• Discovering what’s wanted?• What does the question mean?• How to start?• Structure• Style• Academic conventions• Marking system
What is special about a Social Science essay?• They require that you support arguments with evidence• The use of theory to build explanations about how the social
world works• Theory is important in social science because the theoritical
orientation of the social scientist will effect their work
Level 1 Essay: Lecturer expectations
Introduction• Shows a clear understanding of the scope of the question and
what is required • the ability to signpost the shape of the essays argument clearly• a basic ability to define termsMain Body• Ability to construct an argument that engages the question• Use relevant examples, sources • Supports arguments with appropriate evidence and examples
drawn from sources• Show familiarity with social science vocabulary and perspectives
Level 1 Essay: Lecturer expectations
Main Body• demonstrate an understanding of the difference
theories • outline strenghts and weaknessess of theories• basic evaluation of theories strenghts and weaknesses
Conclusions• The ability to summarize the content of the essay
clearly and concisely
Common errors in essays
• Failure to observe the word limit• Failure to answer the question• Poor structure• Poor use of social scientific skills such as use of
theory & evidence• Poor grammar, punctuation & spelling• Failure to use your own words
Steps to writing an essay1. Read & pick apart the question2. Brainstorm possible responses3. Do research4. Take notes while reading5. Plan an outline of the essay6. Write a draft introduction7. Start writing, taking it section by section8. Review your drafts, read over as you write9. Referencing & Bibliography10. Write conclusion11. Polish Presentation12. Find a mentor and ask them to check your work
How do I start?
• Look at the assignment question: pick it apart • Check words in the dictionary
• What are the key words and concepts?
• How many parts does the question have?
Brainstorm the topic
• Empty out your mind on the topic without books
• Write down and track
the flow of your ideas • Note down everything
you think might be relevant
Research & reading
• Use the ideas from the brainstorm as your starting point• Look at your class notes first, find anything related to your
brainstorm and the assignment question • Then look at your core textbook, find the relevant chapters
and start with those • Then do a library & internet search• Take notes as you read• Remember you need a minimum of three sources • Dont rely on the internet too much, use academic material
Reading for your assignment
" Before you hit the books, a warning! Its all too easy to pick up a pile of books that appear vaguely useful and browse among them. This might be enjoyable but it wont help you get your essay written" (Greetham 2008: 80) • Read with purpose, only read the sections or chapters that
are related to the assignment • You dont need to read the whole text• Ask your self these questions about a text:• Is it relevant?• If so what sections?• Is it readable?
Planning your essay
• Start by deciding what your opinion on the essay topic is?• This is your argument of thesis• This should form the backbone of your essay
• Then begin deciding how many paragraphs will you have &
what the topic for each pargraph is • Write a draft introduction
Writing the introduction
• Most students find writing the introduction the most difficult part of writing an essay
• In a level one essay the introduction will be from 50-100 words
• It has three major componants 1. Define the essays topic2. State the essays argument/thesis3. Give a roadmap of the essays key points
Introduction: What elements does it contain?
Poverty is a serious problem which needs to be addressed in Ireland.This means that the government should rethink its current strategy on homelessness and child poverty.This essay argues that the current policies on poverty are ineffective and require reform.This essay will examine current government policy, the role of charities, possible solutions to the problem of poverty.In summary, poverty is a serious issue in Ireland.
Paragraphs
• The topic sentence is important because it establishes the topic of the paragraph
• Transition words are often used in topic sentences
• Contrast: "In contrast" " However"
• Extension: "Moreover" "Therefore"
Paragraphs
• When you write a paragraph, you should know what it is meant to do. If your answer is simply, "Well, this paragraph helps explain my topic," then you haven't thought deeply enough.
• How does this particular paragraph contribute to the argument? What logical step does it make? Where does it fit in the overall chain?
• There is no point in having a rule for how long a paragraph should be, however most are between 5-10 lines.
• If you start a new thought, idea, point , start a new paragraph.
Paragraph: example
There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world. First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live.
Conclusions
The aim of a conclusion:· A summary of your main points or a restatement of your argument in different words· Your final comment on the subjectYou should:· Use a concluding transition signal like in conclusion· Emphasise your view point and opinion· Mirror You shouldn’t:· Introduce new ideas in a conclusion
Conclusions
In brief, without well-qualified teachers, schools are little more than buildings and equipment. If higher-paying careers continue to attract the best and the brightest students, there will not only be a shortage of teachers, but the teachers available may not have the best qualifications. Our youth will suffer. And when youth suffers, the future suffers.
Language & Style
Do
• simple & clear style• Short sentences• Write in your own
words• Good presentations • Check your grammar
& spelling• Include relevant
quotes• Include Diagrams
Don't
• Use "I"• Use long sentences• Unnecessary material• Waffle• Use words that you
dont • understand • Use your own
experience• as examples • Use headings & bullet
points• Over use quotes
Editing & Proof reading
Check:
• Spelling• Grammar• Readability• Relevance• Style & Formatting• Referencing • Read aloud
• Get a second person to read your work
Further Reading
• Redman, P.(2007) Good Essay Writing: A Social Sciences Guide. London: Sage.
• Greetham, B.(2008) How to write better essays. London: Palgrave
• http://www.spicynodes.org/a/c5f039a51508d062da60c582dab0a948