Structuring your essays

Dr Peter Levin

(Teaching and Learning Centre, LSE)

http://learning.lse.ac.uk/studyskills.asp

When I sit down to write an essay I find it very difficult to get started. I can sit and stare at the screen for days, or I keep feeling I have to do more reading before I can start. What’s wrong with me?

I’ve been told that a good way to start an essay is with a quotation. Is that right?

Our teachers keep telling us they want to see a ‘strong argument’. What does that mean? What exactly do they expect?

‘In this book, “to give an argument” means to offer a set of reasons or evidence in support of a conclusion.’

Anthony Weston, A Rulebook for Arguments (3rd edition, Hackett 2000)

Is it a good idea to back up my argument with evidence?

Two kinds of writing

Writing as thinking (usually slow, sporadic, not systematic; done for your private use only)

Writing for presentation (involves assembling material that you already have to hand; can be quite quick; results are for others to see)

Keep these kinds of writing separate!

Writing an essay

First draft – thinking

Final draft – ‘assembly job’

Why have a structure?

A good structure will help you to ‘assemble’ – put together – your essay in such a way that it is logically ordered and the reader finds it easy to follow your reasoning.

But …

Before you can structure your essay, you have to structure your thoughts.

Structuring your thoughts - Overview (background/context)

- Interpretation of the topic

- Methodology (how to answer the question/ test the proposition)

- Materials (e.g. ‘raw’ data, extracts from the literature)

- ‘In this essay I shall ...’

You now have a basis for your introduction!

Overview (background/context)

Is the subject a phenomenon? a theme? an issue?

What makes the subject interesting?

Is there currently a debate taking place?

Are you dealing with the real world or the world of writings? Or both?

Interpretation of the topic

Examinations nowadays are a test not only of your knowledge of the subject but of your ability to interpret the topic (i.e. the question or proposition).

If you want to do well in LSE exams you must bear this in mind!

Interpretation of the topic:1. Instructions

Discuss! Consider the view that ...! Evaluate! Critically evaluate! Account for ...! Explain ...!

What exactly am I expected to do?

Interpretation of the topic:2. Language

Look for (and translate when necessary)

Technical terms, ‘academic-speak’

Metaphors and colloquial language

Facts, assumptions, reasoning

Generalizations, hidden questions

‘Judgmental’ words

Interpretation of the topic:

3. Misleading v straightforward questions

Misleading:

What is globalization?

Straightforward:

What is meant by ‘globalization’?

Methodology

For a question: ‘How can I tell (discover, find out) what the answer is?’ For a proposition (statement): ‘How can I tell (discover, find out) whether the proposition is valid or not?’

Materials

What information sources are available that would be useful to me?

(1) ‘Raw’ data: empirical evidence (e.g. from case-studies), public records, official statistics, etc.

(2) Academic writings: commentary, criticism, debate, etc.

Applying methodology to materials generates

- findings: description, evidence, facts

- reasoning: analysis, synthesis - results: association, correlation, identification of mechanisms at work, etc.

- discussion and conclusions: re reliability of results, inferences as to cause and effect, likely outcomes, value judgments (good/bad), validity of views found in literature, etc.

This sequence provides a logical basis for structuring your essay.

Some other structures (1)

Introduction

Main body

Conclusion

Some other structures (2)

Beginning

Middle

End

Some other structures (3)

Points for

Points against

Summary

An all-purpose essay plan

1 Introduction 2 Methodology 3 Materials used 4 Findings/Reasoning/ Results 5 Discussion 6 Conclusions

1. Introduction

> Context/background > Interpretation of topic/question > Methodology (very brief) > Materials used (very brief) > Outline of following sections

2. Methodology

> Analytical perspectives > Data processing > Testing against evidence > Logical testing > Comparing and contrasting > Synthesizing > Evaluating

3. Materials used

> ‘Raw’ material > Case studies/research reports > Reference materials > Academic writings/debate > Other literature

4. Findings/Reasoning/Results

> Findings: taken directly from materials > Reasoning (applying methodology to materials) > Results (what you get from applying reasoning/analysis)

5. Discussion

> Validity of your results > Implications of your results > Comments on literature > Judgments arrived at > Answer to the question (including conditions/qualifications/ limitations)

6. Conclusions

> Briefest possible summary of Discussion > ‘Revisit’ your starting point

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