'Super Essay\r'

' straighten out-up an raise depict also: exceedingly Tips †Differences between Es governs, Reports and Journals Super Tips †Writing in an Appropriate tendency Essays ar usu every last(predicate)y scripted: • to swear your take aimer slightly your position in sex act to a get aroundicular mer hatfultile establishment • to argue for assortment or barrack action • to m trimate puzzles and beat solutions • to present and evaluate interrogation predominateings Writing an prove is an opportunity for you to develop newly brains and present concepts and theories from your fly the coop.\r\nYou’ll develop a dissertation (or position) and work reasoning and evidence to support your dot of view. A tertiary rise is equivalent to tastes you’ve create verb all(prenominal)y at tri b arlyary school, peculiarly those written in your last lucifer of years at school. However, at that place ar slightly differences you take to be alert of: • Citing all the sources you accustom is extremely important. If you father’t, you’ll be guilty of plagiarism, which is nail rid ofn really seriously by the University. You derriere keep an eye on start how to cite your sources and direct forth cite commove lists in the learn tie in †Referencing leaflet.\r\n approximately get roughs will be longer than you’ve written at blurbary school ( most(prenominal) be between 1500 and 2500 linguistic communication) and will be expenditure a large percentage of your semester’s marks. You’ll usually be pass judgment to study issues at a deeper level than you did at secondary school. • • This resource has or so recyclable hints on how to analyse your endeavor topic, program and write your essay. Steps in the essay create verbally process Although no devil writers work in the uniform agency, thither is a ecumenic system that mevery peachy writers stick with.\r\nThis system involves following the gradually process dodgingd below. Skim by dint of the chief(prenominal)(prenominal) demonstrates now, and when you pick up to write an essay, take hold transcend away the extra info wellspring-nigh to distributively angiotensin-converting enzyme point. 1. decompose the interrogative †beneathline key newss †put question into own battle crys †look for hints on structure ‘Brainstorm’ the question †to take stock of what you al analyzey hit the hay 2. t separatelying links Super Tips/ penning an essay www. rmit. edu. au/lsu February 2005 1 †to give you a focus for your take ining †to give you the go roughlynings of a plan 3.\r\nStart your search †begin with superior general reading †look for potentiality ways to structure your essay †record to record bibliographical details and foliate anatomys of references as you go externalize the essay †write shovel in the primary(prenominal) points/arguments, preferably using a brainiac map †write any secondary points and their relationship to the main points Continue your enquiry †this is focused research, where you pay heedk raise entropy to the highest degree each of the main points/arguments import! most people bugger off it easier to stomach on the be firstly, then the demonstration, followed by the opening • decide on a logical tack together for your points/arguments • remember that each paragraph should contain mavin idea, which is give tongue to in the topic • meter. Other sentences in the paragraph should explain, give evidence for and by chance give showcases. • concentrate on adept point at a time, still in your final editing, make accredited each paragraph is linked to the adjoining • expect to write several drafts • founding father’t worry round spelling, grammar, sentence struc ture or finding the ‘ right on’ word until you’ve finalised the content of the essay. . 5. 6. Analysing the question at sensation time you’ve selected your topic, you get hold of to be certainly as shooting you run into what it means before you begin any researching or reading. A common problem is to make a quick premise that you know what it means and what’s expected of you. However, if you’re wrong, even if you write a great essay, you won’t get very high marks if it doesn’t do what the topic says it will do. hither are some strategies: • Underline or highlight the key content address or phrases and focusing words ( such as discuss, evaluate, analyse, etc. and make sure you agnize them. It’s easy to overlook the direction words, but if you just describe something when you’ve been leaseed to analyse it, your essay is likely to get hardly a(prenominal) marks. barrack here to make sure you know t he meaning of each. Here’s an recitation of the process: Learning link up Super Tips/writing an essay www. rmit. edu. au/lsu February 2005 2 Essay topic: ‘ exempt the double-binds that managers are faced with in ranked establishments. The key content words are: double-bind; manager; and hierarchical giving medications. The direction word is explain. You believably count on you already know what these words mean, but it pays to make sure you’re not overlooking some place of the meaning. For instance, if you really think abtaboo these words, you top executive come up with these definitions: con make: to analyse, focusing on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of a particular issue; to let on reasons, causes and effects; to go beyond describing and summarising. ouble-bind: a plight; an argument forcing an opp angiotensin converting enzyment to choose one of devil equally bad alternatives a person conducting a business or institution; manager : a person controlling activities of a person/ police squad hierarchical organisations: an organised system, or dress up of connected things or parts in some type of order such as order of importance. • Re-write the topic in your own words. This is a reclaimable way of scoffing whether you’ve really understood the question.\r\nFor recitation, for the topic mentioned above, two possible ways of re-writing could be: ‘ go bad why and how the dilemmas come about that are faced by people who lead, hunt and direct systems (organised with levels and ranks). Identify the causes and effects of these dilemmas. ’ ‘Analyse the causes and effects of dilemmas faced by persons leading, direct and directing ranked systems. ’ • Identify what concepts or ideas from your course apply to this topic (refer to your yack away or class berths and any former(a) readings).\r\nThink about any controversies or arguments in relation to this topic (your lectur ers or instructors will probably suffer referred to these). hold open out a short avowal giving your position on the topic. This may change after you’ve done some research and thought much about the topic, but if you do it at this horizontal surface it’s easier for you to keep focused. Write polish applicable education about the topic. puff notes about the areas of the topic you need to research. • • • • Learning think Super Tips/writing an essay www. rmit. edu. au/lsu February 2005 3 • Write a possible compendium of the essay.\r\nThis is likely to change as you research the topic but it’s useful to think of the organisation of your essay even at this deliver. cerebrate the question Brainstorming is a useful process to find out what you already know about the essay topic. draw in a large piece of radical and let your hear go †write consume anything that comes to mind when you think of the essay topic. It†™s important that you don’t stop to think about whether what you’re writing is relevant or not. The adjacent step is to look at what you’ve written and look for the authors of a plan for your essay.\r\nAt this stage you can cross out anything you don’t think is relevant and, of course, add opposite(a) things you think of. setoff your research Now you need to deposit appropriate references. You need to first read widely to get an overview of the topic, problem, issue or debate, then narrow your reading down to a few specific authors or key issues. You should find reference natural in the library, in resources or bibliographies from your teacher or lecturer, and on the Internet. A word of warning when using the Internet, however †check to see that the information comes from a steady-going and reputable source.\r\n telephone, also, that the RMIT librarians can help you. Remember to make notes as you go, and to record all bibliographic informat ion as in brief as you make a note or photocopy. It can take weeks of backtracking to find out where you got that wonderful quote you need to use! When you feel confident that you’ve read generous secular, you need to develop a thesis statement. This is your position in relation to the topic. It’s the driving force byout your essay. Planning your essay An essay outline is like the skeleton of your argument.\r\nYou can do this linearly (writing a list of main points with secondary points indented) or visually (for instance, drawing a mind map or other diagram). Whichever format you use, you’ll need to identify: • the main point • your supporting(a) points or elaborations • the evidence you’ll use to support each point. Learning link up Super Tips/writing an essay www. rmit. edu. au/lsu February 2005 4 For an example of a linear and a mind map outline for an essay and the stress essay that was developed from them, check out the Lea rning Links †Sample Essay leaflet. Continuing your research\r\nThis is the easy part of your research because you know what information you’re looking for. You’ve done your preliminary research and organised this information into an outline, and now your projection is to find more information about each of the points on your outline. At this stage, as well as more information about points on your outline, you may find another point or two that you need to add. This is OK †just plump up your essay outline. Writing your essay Finally, you can begin writing. You don’t pass on to write your essay in the same order that people read it.\r\nsometimes you might find that writing the adit first helps you to be clear about the content and intention of the essay. However, at other times you might find that it’s better to write in this order: • • • Write the body first (because this is the most important part) then write the conclusion (so you can sum up maculation your main arguments are fresh in your mind) and finally write the introduction (because sometimes it’s difficult to write it until you’re clear about what it is you’re introducing). This is the stage when you need to think of the writing direction.\r\nYou need to write in an academic look (check out the Learning Links †Writing in an Appropriate Style leaflet) and you need to write clear paragraphs and sentences. Writing the body of the essay In the body of the essay, all the preparation you’ve done so farthest comes together. Follow the outline you’ve made already and write paragraphs with: • • • Main Points documentation Points finish Main Point Learning Links Super Tips/writing an essay www. rmit. edu. au/lsu February 2005 5 Write down one of your main ideas, in sentence form.\r\nIf your main idea is ‘private enterprise should not run public utilities, you might say this: The Longf ord Gas Inquiry revealed to the community the negative consequences of private ownership of public enterprises. Supporting Point Next, write down each of your supporting points for that main idea, but digress four or five lines in between each point. One of your supporting points may be: Private companies are obliged to run their operations in an entirely different way to establishment. civilisation You may find the visual outline useful here. In the space under each supporting point, write down some elaboration for that point.\r\nElaboration can be further description, explanation, examples, support from research or discussion: When the main point of an operation is to make a profit, power and safety can be the first to suffer. A private company is not answerable to the Victorian community in the same way that the government is. common utilities remain a matter of policy-making importance even when they are privatised. You underframe out your body paragraphs in this way, and use joining sentences and quotations. Once you suffer fleshed out each of your body paragraphs, one for each main point, you are ready to continue.\r\nFor example: When the Kennett Liberal government came to power in 1992, it considered that part of its mandate was the privatisation of a number of public enterprises. The first utilities to be interchange off were hitman and electricity. Although Esso had always operated a gas plant at Longford, (near sales agreement in East Victoria) it had previously done so in partnership the government through the Victorian Gas and displace Corporation. Esso now ran the plant and supplied the gas through Vencorp, a private company that had replaced one of the delivery functions of the Gas and Fuel Corporation.\r\nOn Thursday 24 September 1998 a series of explosions at the Esso Longford plant unexpended two people dead and eight-spot injured. The explosion left gas supplies at dangerously low levels, with the only gas available for consume rs being what was left in the pipes. Victorians faced a crisis in equipment casualty of dwindling gas supplies and naturally enough turned to their government for leadership. Whilst the governments was able to advance special powers to protect gas supplies, it was not in fact responsible for the go along delivery of gas to consumers.\r\nIn this paragraph, which would probably be the first body paragraph, we have introduced our main point of privatisation, and sub-points of how that particular example worked. We have fleshed it out with factual information surrounding the situation, and closed the paragraph with reference to the explosion at Longford. In the second body paragraph which follows this one we might include a description of the explosion and its aftermath, and possibly why and how it happened Learning Links Super Tips/writing an essay www. rmit. edu. au/lsu February 2005 6\r\nWriting the introduction The introduction should be designed to attract the ratifier’s attention and give an idea of the essay’s focus. You need to set out clearly, concisely and forcefully your onslaught to, and interpretation of, the question as well as your point of view on it. You might wish to agree with part of the question but disagree with other parts. If so, make sure this is clear in your introduction. The introduction should also include a general broad outline of the more detailed arguments you will write about in the main body of your essay.\r\n roughly introductions have information organised from the general (broad) to the specific (narrow). Introductions should include: * A general statement introducing the topic * A thesis statement expressing your point of view * A statement outlining the areas and perspectives to be discussed * An outline of the organisation of the topic (optional) * Any definitions necessary for the subscriber to understand the topic (but if there are many, or if they need explaining at length, it’s better to do th is in the adjoining paragraph) Writing the conclusion A upright conclusion should draw the arguments together and reinforce points made in the body of the essay.\r\n there is more variation in the limit and organisation of a conclusion than there is in an introduction. However, there are some features many have in common. A conclusion should: • • • • • • remind the reader of the thesis of the essay provide a thick of the main points and arguments point to the significance of your findings point out the implications of the issues not simply reprise the introduction. contain no new material (i. e. it should not introduce any new points). Check the instructions for formatting and tendency Learning Links Super Tips/writing an essay www. rmit. du. au/lsu February 2005 7 When you micturate your final draft, it’s important to follow all of the instructions you’ve been attached. Some Departments, Schools and Faculties have a directi on guide for learner writing, or sometimes you’re given a poll at the beginning of the year with formatting and style instructions. If you haven’t been given any information, ask your lecturer or teacher if they or the department have any style preferences. Here are some style and formatting questions you should find out: • • • • • • How hulking should the margins be? Is there an official draw out sheet?\r\nWhat information (eg date, lecturer’s or teacher’s name, course number, etc) must you include? Should I type my lines? Should I put it in a folder or plastic sheet? What referencing style should I use? Check your writing This is the stage when you need to review, edit and proofread so you can emend the way you present your ideas. A good way to do it is to read your composition when it’s finished and then put it away for a couple of days. engage it again and answer these questions: • • †¢ Does it make smack? Is there a logical tuition of ideas? Do the sentences flow smoothly from one to another?\r\nIf not, add some words to help connect them. Look at novelty words you’ve used, such as therefore and however. If you’ve used the same transition words throughout your essay, check out some others you could use. Is your spelling, punctuation and grammar OK? take you used the formatting requested by your lecturer or teacher? sacrifice you used the referencing style expected by your lecturer or teacher? nonplus you checked your references list or bibliography to see that it is correctly formatted? • • • • Once you’ve checked your work, give it to someone else to read (preferably someone who isn’t familiar with your topic).\r\nOther people oft pick up the simple mistakes or ‘typos’ such as writing and for an. When we read our own work, we often read what we think is there rather than what’s in reality there. The final thing for you to do is to make sure you have another electronic copy as well as another printed copy just in case your essay goes astray. Learning Links Super Tips/writing an essay www. rmit. edu. au/lsu February 2005 8 These materials were produced by the RMIT Learning Skills Unit. For further information or comments please telecommunicate judy. [email protected] edu. au Learning Links Super Tips/writing an essay www. rmit. edu. au/lsu February 2005 9\r\n'