Critical Essay Writing

  1. Study the Mark Scheme

    • Understand that studying the mark scheme is the essential skill that will increase your marks on assignments and exams.

    • Always check the mark scheme before starting your essay.

    • Split your screen to view your planning document alongside the mark scheme.

    • Pay attention to the top band criteria to understand how to achieve high marks.

  2. Planning Your Essay

    • Create a structured plan before answering any essay question.

    • Use organized paragraph structures to avoid waffle and ensure that all written content is relevant.

    • Write a coherent plan that you can continuously refer back to while drafting your essay.    

  3. Paragraph Structure

    • Use a first class degree paragraph structure:

    • Topic Sentence: Start with a clear and concise statement that introduces the main idea of the paragraph.

    • Evidence: Follow up with relevant examples or quotations that support the topic sentence, ensuring to cite sources appropriately.

    • Analysis: Provide a detailed explanation of how the evidence relates to the overall argument, highlighting its significance.

  4. Concluding Sentence: Wrap up the paragraph by reiterating the main point and linking it back to the thesis or transitioning into the next paragraph.

    • Point: Start with a clear and concise statement that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. This sets the stage for what you will be discussing and helps the reader understand the direction of your argument.

    • Evidence: Follow up your point with relevant examples or quotations that support your topic sentence. This could include data from research studies, reputable sources, or theoretical perspectives. Ensure you cite sources appropriately to enhance credibility.

    • Explain: After presenting your evidence, provide a detailed explanation of how this evidence supports your main argument. Discuss the meaning of the evidence and why it is significant in the context of your topic. This helps to clarify the relationship between your evidence and your initial point.

    • Critical analysis: Engage in a critical examination of your evidence, considering alternative viewpoints or potential limitations. Discuss any gaps in the existing knowledge or research and question the validity of the evidence presented. This should reflect a deeper level of thinking and demonstrates your ability to engage critically with the material.

    • Another explanation: Offer an additional layer of explanation or another perspective on the evidence or point made. This could involve discussing implications, real-world applications, or contrasting theories that provide depth to your argument.

    • Link back to the question: Conclude the paragraph by reiterating the main point and linking it back to the essay question or thesis statement. This not only reinforces your argument but also helps to maintain coherence throughout your essay by consistently relating back to the central issue or question being addressed.

    • Start each paragraph with a clear point that identifies the argument.

    • Provide synthesized evidence from multiple academic sources to strengthen your argument.

  5. Critical Analysis

    • Include evidence that contradicts your main point to discuss limitations and gaps in existing knowledge.

    • Use academic phrase banks for effective critical analysis.

    • Aim to avoid descriptive writing and instead engage in critical questioning of research validity and relevance.

  6. Research and Preparation

    • Keep an Excel spreadsheet for collating information from academic sources:

      • Author, date, title, main arguments, limitations, intended message, and potential biases.

      • Review previous dissertation examples and examiner comments to enhance your writing strategy.

    • Utilize textbooks on dissertation writing available in your university library to clarify specific components of your dissertation.

  7. Utilize Your Dissertation Supervisor

    • Maintain communication with your supervisor throughout the dissertation process.

    • Seek guidance from them as they possess knowledge on the marking scheme and have experience evaluating dissertations.

  8. Final Tips

    • Stay organized and revisit your planning document consistently.

    • Maintain an awareness of all existing research and tie it back into your arguments.

    • Continuously assess your writing against the mark scheme for the best results.