ABEL's expert Insights & Practical Tips

Written by one of our Consultants, this guide shares some valuable insights and practical tips to help you enhance your essay writing skills.

Enhance your essay writing skills with our expert consultant’s insights. In this blog post you will learn about assignment prompts, critical thinking, research, citation practices, and more. 

Using ABEL’s practical tips, you will be able to craft exceptional essays and easily get the high marks you deserve, freeing up more time to spend on other projects or enjoy in more active and social ways!

1. Understanding the Assignment Prompt

A crucial starting point for crafting an exceptional university-level essay lies in the comprehensive understanding of the assignment prompt. This necessitates a degree of critical thinking; what is the question asking you to do, and why? What might be the underlying expectations in asking such a question? The initial step is deciphering the key terms. 

Let’s use some example assignment prompts to help you get to grips with this idea: 

Example 1:

‘Evaluate the impact of social media on interpersonal communication’. 

‘Evaluate’ prompts an in-depth analysis, whilst ‘impact’ directs attention to consequences. Focusing on ‘interpersonal communications’ narrows the scope to human interactions. This understanding guides the approach to the rest of the essay.

Example 2: 

‘Analyse the impact of technological advancements on society.’ 

A superficial understanding of the task might lead to a broad and generic essay covering various technologies and their general effects. However, developing a deep understanding involves identifying specific aspects like social interactions, job markets, or privacy concerns. 

A well-crafted essay, based on a thorough understanding, delves deeply into these aspects — providing a focused and insightful analysis.

Example 3:

‘Compare and contrast two literary works from different historical periods.’ 

A basic interpretation might lead to a side-by-side comparison of the plots and characters. However, a more insightful understanding involves recognising the socio-political contexts of each period, the authors' unique styles, and the cultural influences on their works. 

An in-depth understanding paves the way for an essay that not only highlights similarities and differences but also explores the underlying societal dynamics that shaped the literature.

The above examples emphasise that understanding the assignment prompt is not just about deciphering the literal meaning but delving into the nuances and subtleties embedded within. 

A successful essay emerges when this understanding is translated into a targeted and well-structured response that directly addresses the intricacies outlined in the prompt. This ensures that your writing is not aimless but purposeful, resulting in a great essay that can hit the higher levels of the rubric, and shows you have mastered the course content.

2. Conduct thorough research

Depth and breadth of research are crucial. You need to show that you have used academic databases, scholarly articles, and reputable sources well to build your argument. 

Research efforts should be targeted towards gathering information that directly addresses the essay question or supports the central thesis. 

It can be tempting to go down the rabbit hole and explore subjects that are not directly related to the essay prompt, but that will lead to an unfocused and ill-defined essay. Stay focussed! 

It is helpful to have your essay prompt written out by hand on a post-it note with key terms such as ‘analyse’, ‘explain’ or ‘identify’ highlighted or underlined, depending on your note-taking style. 

This will help you to maintain focus on what the assignment is asking you to do.

What information to include

Make sure that your sources are credible. Use academic journals, books by recognised scholars, and peer-reviewed articles in your reference list. Your assessor will need to see that all the sources you include have been peer-reviewed and offer reliable information and insights that strengthen your argument. 

Use a range of information sources to show a well-rounded understanding of the topic. By including your own thoughts on various perspectives, you can demonstrate critical thinking.

Government reports and policy documents can give you a macroscopic view of societal trends and interventions, enriching the essay with contextual information. 

For example, exploring a policy document on educational reform gives added depth and contextual specificity to an essay on social mobility and equality. 

Applying a feminist theoretical perspective sheds light on gender dynamics within the workplace, adding more layers to your analysis and improving your marks.

Similarly, using statistical databases and survey data provides quantitative insights into social trends and patterns. However, make sure that the sources are reputable. 

This type of analysis gives an overview of the subject, but social science essays often need a coherent, qualitative view that explores subjective experiences and perspectives. 

Engaging with qualitative research enables a nuanced exploration of social phenomena that purely quantitative studies might miss.

Any material that you include must be critically evaluated for its reliability, relevance, and credibility. For instance, an article that was published 10 years ago may have little relevance to an essay task that states you should use recent studies. 

So, theoretical frameworks provide a conceptual structure that guides researchers in interpreting, analysing, and understanding social phenomena. This involves understanding the core aspects of the theory and exploring how it aligns with the specific social context being examined. You also need to show that you have and assessed the framework’s relevance, applicability, and potential limitations.

By applying relevant theoretical frameworks or concepts to the analysis process, you will demonstrate your understanding of the topic and be able to reach the higher grades you deserve.

Keep it current!

It is important that your essay engages with current debates, discussions, and controversies surrounding your topic. Analysing public discourse and media representations offers insight into prevailing social narratives, making your essay more relevant and impactful.

Cite, cite, cite!

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it is crucial that you reference sources properly, avoid plagiarism, and be academically honest. Properly documenting sources involves adhering to established citation styles such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. 

This includes accurately citing direct quotes, paraphrased information, and ideas borrowed from other sources. Each citation style has specific guidelines for formatting citations within the text and creating a corresponding bibliography or works cited page. 

Your thesis statement serves as the foundation of your essay. Craft a clear and concise thesis that encapsulates the main argument or purpose of your paper. 

A well-formulated thesis provides a roadmap for both you and your reader, guiding the development of your ideas and maintaining a cohesive structure throughout the essay.

Through the research that you have conducted, identify the central argument or main point of your essay. This involves critically analysing the essay prompt and determining the key perspectives that your essay will convey. 

Be direct!

Make a clear and specific assertion about a topic, supported by evidence from your research. Make sure that it is supported by information from credible sources and logical reasoning. 

Preempt questions

Considering counter arguments and addressing them within the thesis statement adds depth and complexity to the argument, demonstrating critical thinking. 

For example, the following example thesis statement hints at the topics that will be explored in the text and provides a solid foundation for the arguments presented in the essay:

‘The rise of social media has revolutionised communication patterns, fostering both positive and negative impacts on interpersonal relationships, mental health, and societal dynamics, underscoring the importance of digital literacy and responsible online behaviour in contemporary society’. 

Guide your reader

Signposting is a crucial component of an exceptional essay, guiding the reader through the essay. In the introduction, provide a brief road map of the themes or key points to be explored, with topic sentences outlining the main idea of each paragraph. This acts as a logical signpost, with transition phrases or sentences used to smoothly guide the reader from one point to the next. 

Include words like, ‘Furthermore’ or ‘Conversely’, indicating the relationship between your ideas. 

For example, a transition might be:

‘Having explored the impact on job markets, attention is redirected towards the evolving landscape of personal relationships’.

Structure your writing

Generally speaking, sub-headings can be used in essays over 1000 words in length, although it’s wise to check with your university first. 

If you use sub-headings, this macro-level signposting clearly delineates separate sections of your essay, making it engaging and accessible to your audience and ensuring that your ideas are presented in a logical sequence.

Mastering the art of social science essay writing requires a deep understanding of the assignment prompt, showing that you have put the effort into your research, thoughtful use of theoretical frameworks, engagement with current debates, proper citation practices, and the development of a strong thesis statement. 

By using the help provided in this blog page, you can craft focused and insightful essays that clearly address the assignment’s prompt to get the top marks.

Structuring your writing effectively with clear signposting ensures that your ideas are presented cohesively and logically. With ABEL’s insights and practical tips, you can easily enhance your essay writing skills. 

Use what you have learnt here to produce exceptional university-level essays that demonstrate mastery of course content, show the reviewer your critical thinking abilities, and hit the higher attainment levels — improving your marks and giving you more free time!

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