For your reading and writing pleasure, the Possums (that is, Andrea, Susanna and Virginia from the University of South Australia) and the Owls (that is Brady and colleagues at Purdue) present our series 'The anatomy of an essay'.
Ultimately, essay writing at university is designed to test your critical thinking and writing skills. It is a way to synthesize your knowledge about the topics you are learning, while demonstrating your ability to find strengths, weaknesses, comparisons and solutions. These skills are directly transferable to decisions you make at work and in daily life.
- Have you answered the question properly? Do you understand the directive words? Arguing the case for or against something is very different to defining an issue.
- Do you meet the word limit set by your lecturer? In some instances, there is an unwritten 'agreement' that 10 percent over or under is acceptable. You need to check this out, as well as whether the reference list or bibliography is included.
- Is your case well supported by plenty of relevant references and citations? 'Millions of people think' is very different to 'A survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009) found...' Avoid bold and subjective statements and use an objective writing tone (unless asked to do otherwise)
- Is your work backed up with plenty of examples ('an example of this is where'....'this can be seen where'...'for example...')
- Have you proofread properly? This is the thing we leave the least amount of time for and sometimes find it lets us down terribly.
- Do you have a good introduction (usually 10% of the paper); balance in your argument and a strong conclusion (with a strong, definitive statement about your position - perhaps even speculating about the future)?
- Do you define key terms using both your own interpretation and supporting these with literature:
Here are some of the areas which really let people down:
- Sparse reference lists (a 5000 word essay would have between 15 - 20 references)
- Bold statements and generalisations not backed up with theory or evidence (I think...)
- Lack of proofreading
- Not answering the question properly.
Here are some things which attract great marks:
- Meaty reference lists - plenty of citations which are relevant and recent. (This is strictly between you and me*, but I have a sneaking suspicion some lecturers and professors go straight to the reference list, looking for breadth and currency, before they look at the rest of the paper!)
- Balance in arguments - use of linking words to show contrast and similarity; structure and alternative ideas
- Use of objectivity in expression (an academic tone avoids the first person 'I')
What are your thoughts about essays? Do you have some pointers to share? What have you learnt through the essay writing process?