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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