Planning essays effectively

1
Planning essays effectively

• What is an essay?
• Stages of essay planning
• Analysing a question
• Gathering ideas
• Devising a plan to suit you
• How to get started

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What is an essay?

• A continuous piece of writing, arranged in
  clearly demarcated paragraphs, in which an
  argument is developed
• The argument is supplemented by evidence, which
  you are required to analyse and evaluate, before
  reaching a conclusion

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What is an essay not?

• An essay is not a piece of writing designed to
  reproduce information available elsewhere, but
  something new and expressive of your individual
  abilities to analyse and synthesise
• It is not just a test of your abilities, but also
  a learning activity in itself

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Principles of essay writing

• Essays must be
• Clearly and accurately written
• Well presented
• Relevant
• Academically honest, avoiding plagiarism

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Analysing a question

• Make sure you have a question!
• Be clear about the topic
• Be clear about the focus of the topic
• Be clear about your instructions what does your
  tutor want you to do?
• Write down the title and underline key terms
  what would constitute a logical answer?

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Common essay terms

• Analyse
• Assess
• Compare/contrast
• Criticise
• Define
• Describe
• Discuss

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More common terms

• Evaluate
• Examine
• Explain
• Illustrate
• Justify or prove
• Review
• Summarise
• To what extent

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Relevance and logic a reminder

• Your written answer must be wholly relevant to
  the essay title (dont include other material
  just because you can!)
• Your answer must develop logically and have clear
  signposts from one paragraph to the next
  indicating the direction of your argument

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Essay planning

• An essay plan is a flexible guide for your own
  use, to help you stay focused on the question.
  Think about
• What are the main ideas to cover?
• How will you cover these ideas? What will your
  evidence be?
• What are the key points you want to make?

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Essay planning (2)

• What examples, references, quotations will be
  useful?
• How will you organise these?
• What conclusions will you reach?
• What are the theoretical/practical implications
  of your conclusions?

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Gathering together your ideas

• Brainstorm possible responses to the question and
  relevant ideas
• Write a mind map, linking ideas together
• Talk to others to clarify ideas
• Organise your thoughts into a beginning, middle
  and end

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Make your plan suit you

• Remember that different learners have different
  learning styles
• Visual learners can use pictures/
• diagrams to plan
• Verbal learners can use bullet pointed phrases or
  headings, put into sequence
• Auditory learners can benefit from talking
  through the argument onto tape and listening to
  it back

13
Getting started blank page syndrome

• Promise yourself that if you prepare (get
  paper/pens/books together) you can have a break
  before starting
• Promise yourself that if you write the first
  twelve words you can have a break
• Many people find it best to write the
  introduction last, not first

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Getting started (2)

• Have quotations/references/evidence to hand
  record them carefully
• Think about your working environment
• Make sure that others respect your working time
• If you get really stuck before you start, speak
  to your tutor
• Next week Writing excellent degree level essays