Essay Writing

Orna Farrellorna.farrell@dbs.ie

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