How To Write Better Undergraduate Essays

How To Write Better Undergraduate Essays Sometimes, using a certain number of class readings is a requirement. It is also a good idea when defining concepts to use class sources and material. Remember to never… EVER use Wikipedia as a cited source. It is a great way to get a better idea of different topics, concepts, people, and trivia, but not acceptable for an academic paper. You won’t remember any of it, it will drain all of your energy, and you only get one reference and viewpoint out of it. Read the intro and conclusion so that you get the gist of their argument. Pick a chapter from the contents page which looks like it’s relevant to your essay. As above, find relevant references and follow them up. Addressingcounterargumentsis also an important part of developing a strong argument. It shows you have done extensive research and you have a good understanding of the topic in question. This arises with the question “but why” with the development of your arguments. You also might need to find more supporting evidence to present a more convincing claim. Start with class resources and then move to library resources. This could be the specific time period you are discussing, country/location, specific case, etc. Being specific about the scope of your paper is like an academic safety guard, diminishing any criticisms for not addressing issues outside of your specified scope. As well, be aware of biases in sources, both academic and news media. Be prepared to go back and research further while you are writing, in order to fill gaps in your arguments. You should acknowledge existing and possible objections to your arguments and respond to them, discrediting them or showing why they don’t hold true in your case. If relevant and important, you should also address counterargument you cannot refute and concede to them. Reading good journal articles will help you write better by observing how academics develop their arguments. Ask your professor or TA to suggest a couple of well-written articles that you can learn from. Some general things to keep in mind when doing your research is to be careful to stay on topic and always double check with yourself that the research is relevant to your essay. This provides excellent tips to support students structure, organise and develop their academic writing. Students can use the suggestions to effectively upskill their drafts. Build a set of concepts and questions, compare different views and arguments and their relevance and importance to your research. Instead of just listing and summarizing items, assess them, discussing their strengths and weaknesses. Importantly, students can use the text to target specific areas for development and engage with useful examples. This book is very valuable for any student intending to write an academic essay. This is essential, because your argument has to have a clear definition of the terms you’re using in order for it to be coherent and responsive. This doesn’t mean you should use lazy constructions like “I am going to define ‘demarcation problem’ as ‘the question of how we can define ‘science””. That’s a perfectly reasonable definition (if you can defend it, and you should give a reason you’ve chosen a certain definition), but you need to be a little less clunky.