The fundamentals of essay writing For the Psychology context Developed by Learning Advisers, UniSA
This resource provides an overview of:
The essay writing process• A breakdown of the essay writing process into manageable steps
The essay structure• The overall essay• Paragraph writing (introduction, body and conclusion)
Academic style• Voice• Language
Referencing (APA style)
The essay writing process
Assignment process – not linear, but with back-looping
• Understanding requirements
• Planning
• Researching
• Organising
• Drafting
• Editing & proofreadingImage: University of Wollongong, 2000
Finding information about the assignment
Refer to your Course Outline, and Learnonline site
Identify the following:
• the assignment structure and format
–What type of assignment is it?
–What should it look like and how should it be organised?
• the word count and overall weighting of the assignment
–the greater the word count and weighting, the more detail required
• the due date, time and other submission details
Understanding the assignment typeAssignment types (essays, reports, literature reviews, etc.) vary in their purpose, structure and language
Purpose of an essay• To present a well-informed, evidence-based argument• To engage and convince your reader
Structure of an essay• Introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion• Reference list• See your Course Outline for formatting instructions (font size, style, etc.)
Language used in an essay• Academic and discipline-specific (for your audience)• Professionally presented and grammatically correct
Identifying key words and phrases
The instruction words in the assignment task (e.g. discuss, evaluate, compare)
– These words will guide your approach to the task
– For example, if you are asked to ‘discuss something’, this will require a different
approach to ‘arguing for something’
Identify the content words in the assignment task (i.e. the key words and phrases)
– What do these words and phrases mean in the context of Psychology?
Identify the limits of the assignment task (i.e. parameters)
– Information limits (e.g. time, age group, context)
– Practical limits (e.g. word count, task)
Additional resources: www.unisa.edu.au/studyhelp
Go to ‘Improving your academic skills’ and access this handout from the
‘Planning’ section: ‘Understanding assignments and instruction words’
Identifying the task question
Having a question to answer often makes it easier for you to research and respond to the task.
Example essay topic:With reference to personality theories, discuss what is known about the effects
of a person’s early interpersonal environment (EIE) on their development of
personality.
Turn the essay topic into a question(s):• What are the key effects of EIE on personality development? • What do different personality theories say about these effects? • What are the various perspectives on this (across and within theories)?
Reading and note-taking
• Do some background reading about the content words and phrases to make sure you understand their meaning in the field of Psychology.
• Read around the topic itself – what do different authors say about this topic? Is there a common theme? Are there any differences of opinion?
• Read relevant texts and specific sections critically, in more detail and with the essay question in mind.
TIP: Ask the library on how to locate relevant readings for Psychology assignments.
Additional resources: www.unisa.edu.au/studyhelp
Go to ‘Improving your academic skills’ and access useful handouts from the ‘Reading’ section (i.e.
strategies, note-taking, critical reading, etc.)
Reading with purposeIs the article relevant?
What are the arguments and how are they organised?
Which sections are relevant? What will you read in more detail?
Reading and note-taking
(Going back to school 2011)
(Lee 2011)
Read and take notes of the main ideas AND add your comments
Identifying your answerIn one or two sentences, what is your response to the essay question? • This may be presented as a ‘thesis statement’, ‘argument’, or as ‘the aim’ or
‘purpose’ of your essay
Planning your approachHow are you going to develop your response?• How will you organise your ideas in the essay to convince your reader?
TIP: Plan the overall structure of your essay. What will go in each paragraph?
Think about the following
• Your chosen essay topic
– What is the question you need to answer?
• Your response (your main argument / position)
– What is your answer to the question in one or two sentences?
• How might you develop and support that response? - What key ideas will you focus on and in what order?
- Is this plan different to the approach you took earlier? If yes, why?
Essay structure
Introduction (10% of word count) Introduce the topic (general statement) Identify key issues/problems (related to the essay topic) State your thesis statement/argument or aims* Provide the scope (the order of ideas presented in the body)**NOTE: Order of argument/aim and scope can be interchangeable.
Body paragraphs (80% of word count) Introduce your key point in each paragraph
(topic sentence) Expand this with supporting statements and/or examples
(evidence & justification with in-text references)
Conclusion (10% of word count) Restate thesis statement (main message) Interpret/recap key ideas Conclude argument
Introduction (example)Scientific studies on personality have in recent decades provided insight into areas previously considered inexplicable. A particular research area is that of Early Interpersonal Environment (EIE) and its effects on personality development. EIE can be referred to as any context in which a young child regularly engages with others. Individuals could include not only those considered as family, but others such as peers and staff within the school system (Costa, Benoit, & Ollendick, 2010). To explain the influence which EIE may have on personality, this paper will refer to psychodynamic theories, psychosocial stages of development and behaviourist theories, and provide examples to illustrate. Furthermore, empirical studies will be used to demonstrate that while these theories afford some insight into the effects of EIE on personality development, there are a number of inconsistencies which require further examination.
General statement about the topic
Key issues related to the topic
and definitions (if appropriate)
The scope of this essay
The thesis statement or aim
(position)
NOTE 1: The order of scope/position can be interchangeable depending on what reads more logically. Proofread to check the flow/sequencing of your ideas in the introduction.NOTE 2: The purpose of an introduction is usually to let the reader know what will be presented in the body. Use references sparingly in the introduction, and more so in the body where you develop and support your ideas.
Body paragraphs (example)One particular model of psychodynamic theory suggests that personality growth is scaffolded across 3 developmental stages: the Id, Ego and Superego. The Id refers to basic human instincts and is related to satisfying fundamental needs and desires (Ellis, Abrams, & Abrams, 2009). An example of this is when a newborn cries to signal hunger or discomfort. The Id is therefore connected to ….. The second developmental stage, the Ego, is when a child begins engaging with the physical world (Ellis, Abrams ,& Abrams, 2009). Burton, Westen, and Kowalski (2006) state “the ego is the structure that must somehow balance desire, reality and morality and it is responsible for cognition, problem solving and emotions” (pp. 422-23). This suggests that when toddlers interact with the outside world, they …. The final element, the Superego, involves much more complex thought processes as its role is to distinguish between right and wrong (Brenner, 2002). While all three elements are important, the Superego is a particularly crucial aspect of EIE and its influence on personality development, as it relates to the growth of core beliefs and values.
The topic sentence introduces the
point that will be discussed in this
paragraph.
Develop / support your argument
Your argument should be expanded
logically in relation to what was
introduced in the topic sentence.
Use evidence (facts, examples and
expert voice) and in-text references
when referring to other’s ideas.
Use your voice to explain how/why
the evidence is relevant to your
argument / essay topic.
Have a concluding statement to
indicate what this means for the
point you are making in this
paragraph.
TIP: Organise your body paragraphs in the same order as outlined in the scope of your introduction.
Sometimes you may be asked to use headings/sub-headings in your essay. Check with your tutor.
Conclusion (example)
In conclusion, the theories related to personality development include Psychodynamic Theory, Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of Development and the Behaviourist Theories of Pavlov and Skinner. These key theories provide explanations on how EIE can impact personality growth during early childhood. According to Psychodynamic Theory, the Id, Ego and Superego create human behaviour, whereas through Erikson’s model, it is suggested that personality develops during a series of Psychosocial Stages in which interpersonal relationships are crucial. Lastly, Behaviourist Theories focus on how EIE controls human behaviour through conditioning, and in turn contributes to personality. While these theories provide insight, studies indicate that there are a number of factors which have yet to be understood. These include X, Y and Z. Further research is required in the field of Psychology to better explain these factors and how they may contribute to EIE and personality formation.
Restate the thesis statement
(your main message)
Recap key points/ideas
discussed in the body
(do not include any new points)
Write a final statement that
concludes your essay focus
Academic style: voiceOne particular model of psychodynamic theory suggests that personality growth is scaffolded across 3 developmental stages: the Id, Ego and Superego. The Id refers to basic human instincts and is related to satisfying fundamental needs and desires (Ellis, Abrams & Abrams, 2009). An example of this is when a newborn cries to signal hunger or discomfort. The Id is therefore connected to ….. The second developmental stage, the Ego, is when a child begins engaging with the physical world (Ellis, Abrams, & Abrams, 2009). Burton, Westen, and Kowalski (2006) state “the ego is the structure that must somehow balance desire, reality and morality and it is responsible for cognition, problem solving and emotions” (pp. 422-23). This suggests that when toddlers interact with the outside world, they …. The final element, the Superego, involves much more complex thought processes as its role is to distinguish between right and wrong (Brenner, 2002). While all three elements are important, the Superego is a particularly crucial aspect of EIE and its influence on personality development, as it relates to the growth of core beliefs and values.
The writer’s voice (this is your voice)
Direct quotes(“exact quotes” from your readings)
Paraphrasing & summarising(ideas from your readings written in your own words & cited)
Use literature to provide an informed argument.
TIP: Use direct quotes sparingly. Paraphrase/summarise other people’s ideas in your own words
more, as this demonstrates your understanding of what you have read. Also, include your voice to
link the cited ideas to the essay topic and/or your argument.
Academic style: language
Objective and formal language• Distant and not personal• Avoid using ‘I’, ‘my’, ‘we’• Use full forms and not contractions (i.e. “does not” rather than “doesn’t”)
Evidenced• Avoid anecdotes or personal opinion to support your arguments/ideas
Appropriate and varied use of reported speech• For example, “Smith (2012) states…” / “Pavlik (2010) mentions…” / “Marshall and
Kingsbury (2010) argue…”• Use reporting verbs to show your interpretation of what you have read
Professional• Check your grammar and expression of ideas• Clear, coherent and error free language adds to the professionalism of your writing
Additional resource: www.unisa.edu.au/studyhelp
Go to ‘Improving your academic skills’ and access
resources from the ‘Academic style’ section
Referencing
Additional resource: www.unisa.edu.au/referencing
Access an interactive APA referencing resource
which shows you how to format your references.
Refer to the official APA style guide (ask your tutor
about what this is and which edition you are required
to refer to).
Include in-text references when referring to ideas or
information which are not your own.
- practise ‘Academic Integrity’
Basic rule for APA in-text citations:• author’s family name or authoring body/organisation
• year of publication
• page number (if applicable)
(Martin, 2010, p. 14)
(UniSA, 2010)
APA style in-text references
Additional resource: www.unisa.edu.au/referencing
Access an interactive APA referencing resource
which shows you how to format your references.
Refer to the official APA style guide (ask your tutor
about what this is and which edition you are required
to refer to).
APA style reference list
Tips•List the references in alphabetical order
•Check your use of commas, full stops and italics for each reference (this will vary depending
on text type: journal, book, online article, etc.)
•Indent each reference on the left from the second line and thereafter
•Include the DOI where available for online sources (or URL if DOI is not available)
Example
Hodges, C.A., O’Brien, M.S., & McGorry, P.D. (2007). Headspace: National youth mental health
foundation: Making headway with rural young people and their mental health. Australian Journal
of Rural Health, 15, 77-80. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1584.2007.00868.x.
Matthews, I., & Crawford, K. (2011). Evidence-based practice in social work. Exeter: Learning Matters.
Additional resource: www.unisa.edu.au/referencing
Access an interactive APA referencing resource
which shows you how to format your reference list.
Refer to the official APA style guide (ask your tutor
about what this is and which edition you are required
to refer to).
Learning supportLearning Advisers can provide you with resources and advice on areas such as:
Understanding different assignment tasks Academic writing Referencing and academic integrity Adapting to university study
Participate in a workshop, drop-in with a quick query, explore our online resources or make an appointment (f-2-f, phone or email)
www.unisa.edu.au/StudyHelp (including online booking link)Contact Campus Central for appointments: 1300 301 703
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