1. WRITING AN ACADEMIC ESSAY
The essay is a reflection of how well you have understood the basic course material, how much extra work you have put into researching the essay topic and how analytical you have been in selecting and commenting on the material you use

2. Understanding of course
Academic essay
Understanding of course
research
analysis
Good writing

3. 7 steps to writing a good essay
Analyze your prompt
Gather your information by research and reading
Note where your information comes from
Think of your thesis
Organize your material
Draft your essay
Revise your essay

4. Analyze the key words in the prompt
Analyze your prompt
Define your purpose
Analyze the key words in the prompt
Consider other important words in the prompt
The first thing to do is to decide what kind of essay you are being asked to write

5. Define your purpose If you are asked to… Then you will need… Analyze
Find some methodical way of defining a topic
Find the course and effect of some phenomenon
Find the solution to a given problem
Argue
Present your thesis - your stand and the reason for it and persuade the reader by the points that you raise
Compare or contrast
Focus on similarities or differences in a topic
Discuss
Present your view on a topic; choose your own focus
Explain
Show how well you understand a topic

6. Consider other important words
Analyze the key words
Significant words will need to be defined as a part of your essay
Consider other important words
They will affect how you delinate or gather your essay points

7. Gathering information
Interview
Questionnaire
survey
Laboratory experiments
Primary research
To read selectively from a recommended bibliography
Read around the topic trying to ascertain which information could be most useful
Secondary research

8. Note where your information comes from
Acknowledge your sources and distinguish sourse information ends and your own original thinking begins
It is an academic way of showing that you are not plagiarizing
Keep careful notes about where your material comes from

9. Think of your thesis The thesis controls the entire essay
All main points will be a development of it
All the minor supporting details will illustrate it
Make sure that the thesis expresses a central idea that is neither too broad nor too specific to develop effectively and that it does not simply state the obvious

10. Organize your material
Introduction
•give brief background to the topic
• address definition of key words and issues
•state your thesis
•outline your main points
• provide transition into body paragraphs
Body paragraph
• provide a topic sentence which says what the main point of each paragraph is
• provide supporting details for your topic sentence based on your research
• synthesize what you have read (show what different people think about the same point)
• show some critical thinking ( tell what you think of what you have read)
• provide in-text citations for your information
Conclusion
• recap your maim points
• reiterate your thesis
• give your final word
References
List the references for each in-text citations

11. Draft your essay Using your outline write an essay
Get all your thoughts down on paper
Choose the most precise words
Aim for a fluent and coherent style
Referring to sources, paraphrase and use reported speech rather than a lot of direct quotation

12. Proofreading the essay
Revise your essay
Read through the essay again
Ask how well organised it is
Ask how well your ideas are developed
Is your choice of words accurate?
Is your writing concise?
Are the links within and between paragraphs clear?
Editing
Read through your essay profoundly looking for obvious errors (spelling, grammar, punctuation)
Check specific submission details (front size, margins. Etc.)
Proofreading the essay