Study Skills Workshops
2015
Essays/ Assignments
Structuring
Session Aims
To discuss:
• Planning and structuring essays
• The writing process/ developing your writing
• Academic writing
• Reading, note-taking and referencing
Planning and structuring
• Answering the ‘question’ (Essay Title)
Is the question open-ended or closed?
Underline key words
Try breaking the question down into sub- questions
Top tip:
Set the question in context – how does it fit with the key
issues, debates and controversies in your module and
your subject as a whole? An essay question often asks
about a specific angle or aspect of one of these key
debates. If you understand the context it makes your
understanding of the question clearer.
Planning and structuring
• Before reading – generate some ideas..
- What do you already know about the topic – from
lectures, seminars, general knowledge?
- What things don't you know about the topic, but need
to find out in order to answer the question?
- What are your initial responses or answers to the
question – what you think your conclusion might
possibly be?
• After reading – summarise your findings..
– Use 1 A4 page
– Mind map or list points
– Bring together key points – use colour or symbols to
group ideas/themes together
– Begin mapping an essay structure for your main
points
Planning and structuring
Introduction: Address the question, show why
it's interesting and how you will answer it.
Main Body: Build your argument. Put your
groups of ideas in a sequence to make a
persuasive argument. One main point in each
paragraph.
Conclusion: Summarise your arguments and
evidence, and show how they answer the
original question.
Academic writing
Avoid shortened forms:
• Shouldn't, it's for it is
Avoid popular phrases or cliches such as:
• at the end of the day; in a nutshell; when it comes to
the crunch
• Replace with: finally, in summary, in a crisis
Avoid:
• subjective descriptions ("this beautiful sculpture")
• phrases that sound like speech ("well, this bit is really
fascinating")
• casual everyday words such as really, okay, maybe.
Where possible use the third person (“it can be argued”
rather than “I think”)
Academic writing – including evidence
and your own ideas
A suggestion on how you can construct a paragraph that
includes evidence and your own ideas:
• Introduce your point (your own words)
• Add the evidence to support your point (quoted or
paraphrased evidence that needs to be referenced)
• Explain how and why this evidence supports your point
and what you think of it (your own interpretation and
critical thinking)
• Explain how the point helps answer the question (your
own argument)
Some ways to get more critical
analysis into your essays
• Avoid unnecessary description
• Don’t just summarise what you have read
• Interpret your evidence – preferable from
more that one source
• Be specific
• Use counter-arguments to your advantage
Referencing
Referencing includes:
• Citations (direct quotes, paraphrases, reference
to other peoples ideas or work)
• Bibliography/ reference list – alphabetical list of
sources
Find out which style your subject area uses.
Harvard? Chicago?
Use referencing software e.g. Endnote or Zotero
Editing and proofreading
• Are your points in the right order and relevant to
the question?
• Be ruthless – irrelevant? Cut it out!!
• Are your points clear? Any gaps?
• Leave at least a day before re-reading
• Read your essay aloud or use text reading
software
• Check your references are complete and accurate
Useful links
• Free software and handouts https://www.dnamatters.co.uk/resources/
• For sessions on Endnote and mindmapping
software go to:http://about.brighton.ac.uk/is/studentloco/lo
co.php