Hints on Essay Writing

Whilst the fundamental principles of essay writing are fairly generic, there are some specific expectations attached to degree-level essay writing that some students may not be familiar with. It is also true that within a University, a Faculty and even a department, there may be some degree of variation in the preferences and expectations of particular lecturers and tutors. The purpose of this document, then, is to clarify some of the main expectations and recommended practices associated with writing an essay for this paper. Please bear in mind, however, that it is intended only as a guide and not as a strait jacket designed to stifle creativity or to devalue the range of researching, writing and learning styles or techniques that different students may employ.

THE PROCESS

The process of essay writing can be broken down into phases. Here are some general guidelines on how to approach each of these phases.

Interpretation

· From the start it is vital to analyse the essay question and think about how you might address it. Break it down into sub-questions, key themes and keywords. It is a good idea to have a list of questions and themes written down on no more than one side of paper (and in no particular order at this stage – structure can come later) and have this available as a reference point while you work on the research phase.

Planning

• Although the planning phase is distinct from the research phase, you should begin to plan whilst researching. As your plan develops, your research can become more focused.

• Once the research phase is complete, you should use the notes you have taken to help you draw up an essay plan. You should return to your list of questions and themes and use your research notes to expand and refine this.
• Once you have a clear sense of the questions and themes, you should set about ordering them and planning a logical structure for your essay that will enable points to flow easily from one to the next. It can take some time and many versions to get this bit right, but you should avoid the temptation to just start writing without a watertight plan. (Of course, you may later refine your structure during the writing phase, but it is important to at least start out with solid foundations.)
• At this stage, it is not necessary to plan your introduction and conclusion in as much detail as the body of the essay. (Yes, your essay must have an introduction and conclusion!) But you should now be in a position to write down your “thesis statement” which, in no more than a few sentences, neatly encapsulates the main argument you will construct in the essay. If you cannot express your thesis statement this concisely, you should go back to your plan and refine it until you have a clearer picture. Otherwise, you will probably waffle and drift at the writing stage.
• Bearing in mind the word count for the essay, you should jot down a rough estimate of the word count for each section or topic in your essay (including introduction and conclusion).

• Editing

• Concentrate first on smoothing out the structure of the essay. Try and remove any ‘gear crunching’ and improve the flow between points. Check that paragraphs are neither too short nor too long, and that each paragraph break corresponds to a shift in the argument.
• Then focus on polishing the prose and on correcting grammar, syntax, spelling and other errors.
• A good tip is to read the essay aloud to yourself – in private! This often exposes errors that would not be spotted with silent reading as well as problems with language, style and expression.
• Check that your references and bibliography are complete and consistently organised.

Proof-read your paper! If possible, also get a friend to proof-read it for you in return for proof-reading their paper and ask them to point out not just typos and spelling mistakes but anything that is unclear or difficult to read. Getting someone else to proof-read your paper is a good way to expose errors that you would not spot yourself: when we read our own work we tend to read it how we want it to be read, rather than how it is actually written! But make sure you proof-read it yourself as well.Prepare your final draft, paying attention to presentation. Use at least a 12 point font (nothing fancy). Double space throughout the essay, except for quotes of 3 lines or more which should stand alone indented and single spaced. Print your essay single sided.

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