Ten Tips on Essay Writing

These ten tips are not related to any specific department or field of study; you will need to find out about academic writing styles and expectations within your department.

1. Explore the question

Think about the meaning of key words and phrases in the essay title, including 'instructional' terms (compare and contrast; discuss; in the context of ...) Ask yourself: What am I being asked to do here? What are the issues and questions I need to consider and explore in order to answer the whole of this question, thoroughly? Try breaking the title down into shorter questions, and brainstorm your ideas about these questions to get yourself thinking about the scope and breadth of the essay question as a whole.

2. Reading, thinking, weight-lifting

By all means, race to the library to find books before anyone else does! But then stop and think before beginning to read. If you've taken the time to explore the question first (as above) you'll be reading with questions in mind - effective active reading based on the requirements of the essay, not just reading anything that might be vaguely relevant. Staggering away with a mountain of books to read, without thinking about the essay, may be good for weight-lifters but doesn't result in a better essay!

Do some basic reading for the essay and then move on to your first draft of an essay plan.

3. Planning

The essay contains a number of essential sections of which the introduction is first and the conclusion, last. Sketch out a brief plan for your essay, covering whatever you consider the essential sections to be. This is to give you a rough idea of what the essay might look like; you can change it later. It is not a final, set-in-concrete plan.

4. Drafting

Move to a rolling pattern of work. Start with focussed reading and note-taking - don't try to do it all at once. Then modify your essay plan (because you now know more). Continue with reading and note-taking, then modify the essay plan again - and by now you may want to start writing the essay. Keep going till you arrive at a satisfactory draft.

5. Keep checking

At each stage in this pattern of work, check: Am I answering the question - the whole of it? Have I veered off track? Is this developing into a coherent, logical argument/structure? Am I doing what I have been asked to do? Review later drafts with these check points in mind until you reach a satisfactory version.

6. Sleep on it

When you have a draft that is well on the way, set it aside for a day or so. You will return to it with clearer ideas and renewed energy.

7. Final draft

Check it once again. (Am I answering the question? etc.) And check:

  • spelling (check visually as well as using a computer spell-check)
  • grammar.
  • presentation: does it comply with departmental requirements. (You may lose marks if it doesn't)
  • maps, charts, graphs, diagrams: are they properly labelled and located as near to the text discussing their content as possible? Are units of measurement accurate and consistent?
  • bibliography/reading list: alphabetical order by author with full publishing details. (Make sure that you set this out correctly following standard scholarly conventions. Don't just invent your own system)
  • does the work look good? Black print, not grey; good margins all round the page, not just on the left; pages numbered; title page clearly indicating your name, the name of the member of staff the essay is going to, course code, essay title.

8. Deadlines

Don't miss them. But if you think you might, see the seminar leader beforehand; don't wait until the assignment is overdue. Be honest -staff have heard it all before!

9. Learn from feedback on essays

Pay attention to what you got right! Learn from strengths as well as weaknesses. If you don't understand the feedback offered, ask.

10. "I prefer my own approach"

Good! Trust your own strengths, but look at your own approach to essay writing to see if there are areas you might improve on. Incorporate this advice into your own "best practice" to come up with the approach to essay writing that best suits you.

Further Information

  1. Your own department may offer a course guide or leaflets on study skills. Ask your Seminar Leader or the Departmental Office staff. Check the Part One/Part Two/Postgraduate Handbook which may also contain information about assignments.
  2. Try any of the following books. All are available for loan from the Templeman Library or the Student Learning Advisory Service. Most can also be purchased from the campus bookshop.
    1. Patrick Dunleavy (1986), Studying for a Degree in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
    2. Roger Lewis (1993), How to Write Essays, Collins.
    3. Lorraine Marshall & Frances Rowland (1993), A Guide to Learning Independently, Open University Press.
    4. Andrew Northedge (1990), The Good Study Guide, Open University Press.
  3. Planning and Writing Essays: for students with little experience of essay writing, or who want to review the basics. This booklet comprising material from the National Extension College has been reproduced at cost (with NEC permission), and is available from the Computing Lab. Reception Desk, price &pounds;1.50.
  4. The Student Learning Advisory Service runs free workshops on essay writing every term, open to all (undergraduate and postgraduate). No need to book, just turn up -check the workshop programme for details.
  5. Issues relating to essays are often discussed in seminar groups. If you are having difficulties, you may want to see your seminar leader. Check his/her notice-board for office hours, or if your timetable clashes completely with the office hours, ask in the Departmental Office about making an appointment. Individual advice is also available by appointment at the Student Learning Advisory Service, but as there are only a limited number of appointments available, please try the Student Learning Advisory Service workshops first, as that may solve the problem. Otherwise, contact the Student Learning Advisory Service Information Assistant, who will be able to help you determine whether an appointment would be more useful than the workshop.

Improve your Writing Skills is a free downloadable e-Book published by Mantex. It is a guide which takes you through writing skills from commas and paragraphs to editing and presentation. It includes suggestions about tackling writer's block. It runs in Windows 95/98/2000/NT and uses Internet Explorer 4.0 or above. http://www.mantex.co.uk/samples/ebooks.htm

This advice page was written by Jan Sellers.