analysing an essay question

ANALYSING AN ESSAY QUESTION

Learning Centre University of Sydney

What do markers want when setting essays

No matter what course you are doing its designed with two specific goals in mind

to show knowledge of a particular subject

to show your skills in thinking and communication

Introduction

Common criteria of undergraduate essay writing focus on the following requirementsstudents need to be analytical and critical in their responsestudents need to structure their writing logicallystudents need to be persuasive writers

students need to answer the question

Essay QuestionsSet questions are usually written in order to judge your ability to understand a topic or theme and to relate general ideas to specific applications (or vice versa)

In order to demonstrate that you can do these things you must be able to correctly identify the focus of the questiondeal with it consistently and within the terms of the essay and disciplineThat is you must answer the set question

Exercise 1First year students were asked to write an essay on the following questionldquoThe science of ergonomics is central to good modern designrdquo Discuss this statementAbout half of the group wrote essays that answered this question appropriately The other half wrote essays which really answered other questions Read the essay extracts below and match each essay extract with the question it appears to be answering Write the letters a) - d) in the boxes

Essay extractsa)Ergonomics is important in design as it can cut down workloads and the energy needed to perform a taskb)During the industrial revolution the word ergonomics had a rather negative implication about it However the word has taken on a different meaning through timec)Whilst the statement seems straight forward enough I take issue with the words modern and goodd)If we were to design a chair we should have an understanding of the purpose of the chair - will it be used for work or just to sit on and eat Essay questions[ ] Discuss the wording of this question[ ] Why is ergonomics important[ ] Describe an ergonomically designed object[ ] What is ergonomics

Extracts Questions

Ergonomics is important in design as it can cut down workloads and the energy needed to perform a task

Why is ergonomics important(ie some students gave reasons why ergonomics is important)

During the industrial revolution the word ergonomics had a rather negative implication about it However the word has taken on a different meaning through time

What is ergonomics(ie some students defined the term)

Whilst the statement seems straight forward enough I take issue with the words modern and good

Discuss the wording of this question(ie some students criticised the wording of the question)

If we were to design a chair we should have an understanding of the purpose of the chair - will it be used for work or just to sit on and eat

Describe an ergonomically designed object(ie some students described an ergonomic object - usually a chair)

Analysis is the process of

bullbreaking down a topicconceptgroup of facts into components or categories

bulllooking for relationships between them

bullunderstanding how each component contributes to the whole picture

bulldrawing conclusions about their significance

There may also be some sections of your essay where you will write descriptively However most disciplines especially in the Arts Humanities and Social Sciences will set essay questions that involve the process of analysis

For example an essay question such as ldquoHow does play contribute to the development of the primary school-aged child rdquo (Education)requires you to

bullunderstand what is meant by the two key concepts of play and development

bullidentify different types of play for example board games group games solitary play imaginative play

bullorganise these different types of play into logical groupings or categories for your discussion for example inside versus outside play group versus solitary play organised versus spontaneous play and so on

bullidentify different areas of development for example social cognitive emotional physical language and psychological development and so on bullthen by referring to the research literature show how (= in what ways) the different categories of play contribute to different areas of development

PROCESSTYPE PURPOSE

EXPLANATION to offer explanation on why things happen

INTERPRETATION

to look at assumptions information in terms of key model framework

EVALUATION to present and justify a value judgement about certain information

ARGUMENTATION

to take and justify a position on some issue debate

Essay questions requiring analysis may also involve some (or all) of the following processes

Adapted from Martin J R amp Peters P [1985] On the analysis of exposition in Hasan R (Ed) Discourse on Discourse ALAA Occasional Papers No 7 p 88)

ExplanationWhy was the early 19th century so important for the development of archaeology(Archaeology)

This essay question assumes that the 19th century was very important in the development of archaeology and is asking you to explain why it was so important and to give your reasons for each of the points made or issues raised

InterpretationJemma (aged 14 years) fights a lot with her parents but not with her friends She used to be a keen student but now seems to have lost interest in both her school studies (she wants to leave school next year) and outside school activities She does however take a passionate interest in the environment and in boyslsquo Interpret these behaviours in the light of Eriksons stage theory on adolesence (Education)

This essay question is asking you to interpret particular behaviours in a brief case study of an adolescent in terms of Eriksons theory on adolescence

EvaluationEvaluate the role of JSMills in the transition from Classical Political Economy to Modern Economics with particular reference to value and distribution (Economics)

This essay question is asking you to make a judgement on the contribution made by JSMills giving the reasons for your judgement By making a judgement you are also taking a position - that he played a major role or a minor one

ArgumentationNursing practice has been crucial in preventing the spread of disease Do you agree(Nursing)

This essay question is asking you to discuss the relationship between nursing practice and the prevention of the spread of disease You would select and show how different examples of nursing practices have prevented the spread of diseases and you would take a position on this relationship ie that nursing practice has been crucial or has not been crucial in preventing the spread of disease

Look closely at what you are being asked to do in yourassignment(Deconstructing the Question)There are1048698 lsquocontentrsquo words1048698 lsquotaskrsquo words1048698 lsquolimitrsquo words and1048698 The Assignment Structure

Definitions

The content words tell you the subject matter of the essayquestion

The task words set out the academic action you must undertake

The limit words are those that tell you the boundaries ofthe essay

The Assignment structure tells you what type of writing youshould produce (Academic Action) essay report criticalreview literature review reflective journal portfolio and caseStudy

Commonly Used Task Words Overview

analyse examineargue explain

assess illustratecompare interpret

contrast justifycriticise outlinedefine provedescribe review

discuss summariseevaluate trace

enumerate

Analysis in Action

For example look closely at the following questionDiscuss the effects of the 2000 Olympic Games onAustraliarsquos international reputation (2500 word essay)

In this question1048698 The assignment structure is lsquoessayrsquo ndash the format of the writing1048698 The content words are lsquothe effects of the 2000 Olympic Gamesrsquo andlsquoAustraliarsquos international reputationrsquomdash the subject matter1048698 The limit words are - lsquo2000 Olympic Gamesrsquo and lsquo2500rsquowords1048698 lsquodiscussrsquo is the task (direction)

Your Turn1048698 Try out your analysis skills with a partnerPresent a written argument or case on the following statementThe internet will bring about a new freedom of information and so narrow the technology gap between developed and developing countries

Using the above essay topic divide it into its various parts1048698 Decide what the assignment structure is likely to be1048698 Highlight the content words1048698 Circle the direction word1048698 Put square brackets around the limits of the topic

Summary

Deconstructing the question guides your writing in terms of what theassignment is asking of you (as well as setting limits to what you do)

You should1048698 Identify the key points and note them down

Ask yourself1048698 What specific material needs to be addressed1048698 What specific issues need to be explored1048698 What commentators and theories are particularly relevant1048698 What questions need to be considered

Consider this question from a first year International Relations course

What is the ldquoworld food crisisrdquo What are the political causes of it and what might be the political responses to it (2000 words)

While you are reading the following section on subject angle and process think about how they apply to the question above

Subjectangleprocess

Analysing the question in terms of subjectangleprocess helps you identify the task in preparation to developing a plan

bull The subject of your essay is the broad field or topic - it is the ldquowhatrdquo your topic is about ask yourself ldquoWhat do I have to demonstrate knowledge aboutrdquo

bull The angle of your essay is the controversy or debate that is at the heart of the subject - ldquowhyrdquo you should examine this topic ask yourself ldquoWhat questions do I have to answerrdquo

bull The process is the ldquohowrdquo your essay is going to proceed in answering the ldquowhatrdquo and the ldquowhyrdquo ask yourself ldquoHow should I answerrdquo The process is the way in which you demonstrate your academic point of view using evidence to develop your answer to the question

If you look at the handout What do markers want in an essay youll notice that - the subject above corresponds to the ldquofocus the angle corresponds to the ldquowide and critical readingrdquo and the process corresponds to the ldquoargumentldquo

In the essay question above the subject is the ldquoworld food crisisrdquo In this question the angle for International Relations is to identify what the ldquoworld food crisisrdquo is the political causes of it and the possible political responses to it The process involves explaining the politics of trade and the inequalities of wealth and some suggestion of how these might be overcome Now you are in a position (though this will adapt and evolve) to develop an argument ask yourself ldquoWhat do I want to persuade (with evidence) the reader to thinkrdquo

The first point is about the subject matter if you are studying commerce you will learn the significance of a debt to equity ratio and how to read a companyrsquos financial statements

The second point is more complicated these skills in thinking and communication are often not acknowledged explicitly in your courses but improving these skills is fundamental to successful university study

In developing your knowledge about the subject - whatever subject it is - you will need to develop reading skills to order test and evaluate ideas and evidence assess the relationships of these ideas to other ideas and evidence and formulate questions about these ideas and evidence become an increasingly independent learner develop a nuanced coherent position which can be substantiated with evidence develop a questioning and academically critical mind learn writing and communication skills in order to express your position with clarity

and precision

With this list in mind markers assess your ability as it is demonstrated in your assignment This assessment can be considered as four areas of competence focus wide and critical reading argument and presentation

FocusIn order to demonstrate your questioning and critical mind it is expected that your essay focuses clearly on the issues of the question you have been given This involves several tasks

bull understanding the question(s) or task(s) you have been given what knowledge or skill are you being required to demonstrate

bull identifying relationships between ideas are these ideas in opposition with each other in support of each other or somewhere in between

bull what in a nutshell are the most significant elements that you explore to answer the question

Wide and critical readingOf all the skills developed at university reading is perhaps the most important Reading widely - from a variety of sources authors and points of view - enables you to understand the spectrum of points of view relevant to the topic Whatever the topic its likely that there is a range of views which take different positions contradict each other support each other use alternative evidence refute the positions of others and so on As you read widely your ideas will be tested your assumptions may be made clearer to you and this will help you to develop a coherent argument for your essay

Reading ldquocriticallyrdquo means reading for strengths and weaknesses to gain a deeper understanding of a point of view rather than necessarily accepting the writerrsquos position Ask yourself

bull what is the writerrsquos argumentbull what evidence is used to substantiate the argumentbull what are the limitations to the argumentbull what are the assumptions used by the writerbull what evidence might refute or question the writerrsquos argumentbull how does this writerrsquos argument relate to other arguments

ArgumentThe ldquoargumentrdquo in this sense is not a dispute Your argument is a combination of reason analysis and evidence constructed coherently and logically intended to persuade the reader to this position

The argument of your essay is your answer to the question and is a demonstration of your academic point of view

A reasoned argument requires

bull coherence its parts fit logically together the argument announced in your introduction develops through your paragraphs and is confirmed in your conclusion

bull explanation background theories specialist terminology evidence and conclusions are clearly identified and framed so that the reader gains a better understanding of the topic

bull evidence examples source documents the arguments of others and results of experiments from your wide and critical reading are explored so that they explain support and develop your point of view or refute the point of view of others

bull reason logical connections are made between actions or phenomena and results or implications so that the reader better comprehends your argument

Argument is the key to a successful essay but it is important to realise that your argument relies on the focus of your essay the wide and critical reading you demonstrate and the presentation of your essay

PROBLEMSSOLUTIONS

Living in a foreign country can be fun and exciting but it can also be problematic One of the most serious problems that people living in a foreign country face is culture shock What ways can you think of to help people deal with this problem

Culture ShockFrustration anxiety and stress occur whenever people canrsquot do all the things they are accustomed to doing in their everyday lives

Problem

Solution

Communication ndash language ndash friendship Environment ndash biggersmaller weather ways of dressing Transport Shopping Food Money problemsAccommodation Values ndash religion moral behaviour justice

Learn the way your hosts do things from as simple as shaking hands to what is taboo Be more flexible in your thinking Join as many different groups that will allow you to mix and form friendships be prepared to open up to new experience at least once to broaden your outlook be prepared but if not learn quickly become familiar with your surroundings expect and learn to cope with teasing and ridicule talk with people who have ldquobeen there done thatrdquo meet someone local who can guide you through the problems that may arise try talking to counsellors and teachers

Understanding the Question Example 2

Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topicWe live in a technological age However technology cannnot solve all the worldrsquos problems Therefore some people argue that we need to place less emphasis on technological solutions and more on other valuesbull To what extent do you agree or disagree with this

opinionbull You should use your own ideas knowledge and

experience to support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence

Understanding the Question Example 2The first part of the instruction makes it clear thata) you need to present a serious argument in a formal style (for an educated reader)b) you are not being tested on your deep knowledge or understanding of the subject (with no specialist knowledge)

The last part of the instruction offers a suggestion about what to include (Youshould use your own ideas knowledge and experience to support your argumentswith examples and relevant evidence)

Now let us look at the question itself This also has two components

a) the description of the topic which is usually expressed as a point of view on a current situation and

b) a question asking you what your opinion is

Understanding the Question Example 2

Part a) is generally expressed in 1 to 3 sentences One or two sentences may present a statement or a question about a situation (rsquoWe live in a technological age but technology cannot solve all our problems) The second part will probably present a conclusion that some people draw from this situation (therefore we should place less emphasis on technology and more on other values) This is designed to help you to think about the contents

Part b) asks the question This may be phrased as to what extent do you agree orwhat is your opinion or do you agree with this or words to that effect

Understanding the Question Example 2Now what is your task

a) to present both sides of the argumentb) to either strongly support or strongly oppose the argument depending on your own personal opinionc) to partly support or partly oppose the argument depending on yourown personal opinion

The correct answer is either b) or c)

The words to what extent mean the same as how much That is your answer will express one of these attitudes

a) I agree completelyb) I agree partly and disagree partlyc) I disagree completely

We live in a technological age However technology cannnot solve all the worldrsquos problems Therefore some people argue that we need to place less emphasis on technological solutions and more on other values

Finding the Focus

a) Many people believe that the Internet is the most revolutionarynew invention of the last century Do you agree

b) The Internet has revolutionized the modern world but manypeople argue that it has also created new problems and inequalitiesWhat is your opinion

c) The Internet could revolutionize the world in future if everyonecould have easy access to all the information that is available onthe World Wide Web Do you agree or disagree with this statement

Finding the Focus

Each question has a topic of the internet and its role in the worldHowever each must be answered differently How

a) Many people believe that the Internet is the most revolutionarynew invention of the last century Do you agree

b) The Internet has revolutionized the modern world but manypeople argue that it has also created new problems and inequalitiesWhat is your opinion

c) The Internet could revolutionize the world in future if everyonecould have easy access to all the information that is available onthe World Wide Web Do you agree or disagree with this statement

You can see that

a) involves comparing the Internet with other inventions and arguing that it is or is not the most revolutionary On the other hand

b) expects you to accept that it is revolutionary and to consider both its benefits and the problems it has created Finally

c) wants you to speculate about the future and to consider how much you believe the future benefits will change the world

Which of the following basically ask the same question (In each case the statement would be followed by a question asking for your opinion)

a)Tertiary education is of greater benefit to the individual receiving it than to the society as a whole It is therefore not desirable for governments to spend the taxpayers money on supporting students just so that they can earn more money in future

b) Parents have a greater influence on their childrenrsquos future success than schools do Governments should therefore provide lsquoparent training coursesrsquo rather than teacher training courses

c) Free tertiary education is essential for every country since tertiary graduates are the only qualified and educated people that can help countries to progress in the modern world

d) Education is the most important source of childrenrsquos development no matter what their background if children have good schools and teachers they can progress Governments should therefore put their major resources into school education

e) Modern science and technology can solve environmental problems such as pollution and global warming if we apply enough resources to research

f) People throughout the world are ignoring the dangers of environmental pollution and of global warming in the hope that science and technology can find solutions This is not true We all need to take responsibility for the damage we are causing and must change our life-styles

TASK ANSWERSa)and c) ask the same question but from

opposing ends

b ) and d) both compare the role of the home and the school in education

e ) and f) deal with the same question from opposing ends