Gaia Scerif

Essay Writing

In general:

· Always make sure you answer the question being asked. N.B. There need not be a single answer to the question. A very good essay will present and discuss opposing arguments.

· Your essay should be a clear argument with each point following on logically from the previous point: use links carefully and clearly (see below)

· Avoid sweeping statements that are not supported either by (reliable) empirical evidence (from your references) or from clearly thought and logical arguments.

· You must have evidence to back up your arguments (using references to published material). N.B. This does not mean that you absolutely cannot refer to any thought that has not been explored, tested or published before! If you do not have supporting evidence, show that you have thought about it by suggesting critical experiments that would provide this evidence.

Essay Structure

Introduction: Say clearly what you are going to say

Your introduction should contain:

· Background: Restate the question, giving the reader important information on the topic that is going to be important in order to understand your argument.

· Thesis: Set out your argument, clearly answering the question. The final part of your introductory paragraph should contain your answer to the question (your “thesis”). The reader must know your point of view before reading the paper

In sum, tell the reader:

What it is you are trying to do

How you are going to do it

Main Body: Say it

· This is where you prove your thesis statement, presented in the introduction.

· It is useful to break down your argument in smaller supporting ideas/sources of evidence. Each paragraph should focus on a different supporting idea, but if you have a lengthy idea you could divide it in two or more paragraphs. Importantly, always ask yourself whether the evidence that you are presenting really does address the question that has been set.

· Use links: Each paragraph needs to connect to the following one. Especially if you are moving to a new idea you need to connect with the previous paragraph, to prevent your essay from appearing too fragmented or list-like. This can be a simple as using words that refer to the previous ideas, or with useful connectors such as “However”, “In fact”, “Indeed”, “Nonetheless”, “In addition”, etc. etc.

Conclusion: Summarise what you have said

This part of the essay draws links to your original argument. Start by restating what you have argued and how this has answered the question that has been set. The conclusion should be summing up, do not introduce new material in this part of the essay.

References

Follow the American Psychological Association (APA) style. This is what is used in most journals and provides a consistent way of referencing in any area of psychology. [Here for more details on this]