the write stuff - how to write essays (and other things)

Careers Advisory Service

451 3391/6 [email protected] www.hw.ac.uk/careers

Essay Writing

Isabelle Pottinger

Effective Learning Advisor/Academic Counsellor

Effective Learning Service


451 3391 [email protected]



Definition of ‘Essay’

• A short piece of prose writing on a specific topic.



Essay Writing

• Research Topic

• Plan

• Draft

• Review

• Revise

• Edit



Getting started

• Clarify the task - seek guidance, if required.

• Clarify the word length and completion date.



Researching the Topic

• Make a start on the background reading required.

• Consider taking bullet point notes of technical content to reduce the risk of plagiarism.

• Record full references for all the books/ journals/ websites etc. that you use.



Planning the essay

• Plan the whole essay before you begin to write it.



Planning the essay

• Start to arrange your thoughts and ideas in a logical, sensible order that answers the question.

• Order and re-order your bullet point notes to match this essay plan.



Planning the essay

• Ask yourself:– How and where within your essay might you

use the information you have so far collected?– Are there still gaps in information?– Is further research necessary?



Planning the essay

• You may need to go around this Researching-and-Planning loop more than once to collect enough relevant information.



Using Library Resources



HWU Library

• Home page:

http://www.hw.ac.uk/library/



HWU Library – Subject Librarians

• http://www.hw.ac.uk/library/faculty.libs.

html

Civil and Structural Engineering:

• Subject librarian: Sarah Kelly

• E-mail: [email protected]

• Tel: 0131 451 3574



References

• Use a suitable referencing system

e.g. the Harvard system

http://www.hw.ac.uk/library/howtobuilding.html#REFERENCES

http://www.hw.ac.uk/library/howtobuilding.html



Reference style - Book

The correct reference for a book includes author, initials, title, edition (if not first), place of publication, publisher and year of publication. e.g.

• Sime, J.D. Safety in the built environment. London: Spon, 2005.



- Journal/ Periodical

• The correct reference for a periodical article includes author and title of article, periodical title, volume and part number, year and pages, e.g.

• Stamp, G. Clouded vision. Architects Journal V.177(9), 1999, 25-31.



- Website

• The author or editor

• Date of ‘publication’(in brackets)

• Title (in italics or underlined)

• The type of resource (in square brackets)

• The URL

• The date the resource was accessed (in square brackets)



Referencing websites

• University of Bradford, (1999). Making the most of presentations [online]. Available: http://www.brad.ac.uk/admin/stedev/pres.html [accessed 12 August 2004]



Essay Writing

• Now let’s turn our attention to writing the essay.



Essay Writing

• Essay has three main sections:

• Introduction: 5% of length

• Main body: 80% of length

• Conclusion: 15% of length



Introduction

• Tells the reader how you will answer the question

• 5% of length of essay

• Written last



Body of Essay

• Answers the question

• In a chain of linked paragraphs that build and present a case.



Each paragraph:

• One big idea

• Introduce

• Define

• Offer Argument

• Offer evidence and discuss

• Make final point



Your writing should answer:

• What is this paragraph about?• What exactly is that?• What is your argument on this (in relation

to the question)?• What is your evidence? What does it

mean?• What is the final point (in relation to the

question)?



Linking and signposting

• Use link words and phrases– However; nevertheless; not only…but also

• Signposting– In short; as we have seen; to summarise

• Paragraphs are part of the signposting

• Vary sentence length (max 40 words)



Conclusion = 15% length

• Re-state arguments

• Re-state points

• Show that you have answered the whole question

• Could make recommendation

• NB: No new evidence introduced



Take-home message

• Allow adequate time to research and write the essay

• Follow the guidelines given

• Write in own words

• Acknowledge all sources of information

• Check that you have answered the question



Contact Details

• Isabelle Pottinger

• Effective Learning Advisor/

Academic Counsellor

• Effective Learning Service

• Ext: 3062

• E-mail: [email protected]

the write stuff - how to write essays (and other things)

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