How to Structure a Politics BSc Essay

It is Important you widely research your topic before you begin writing - Your Politics essay must be well researched, referenced and have a good structure.  Thus you should ensure you read widely, using recommended textbooks, also read outside the reading list, read journals and articles and include if possible any current political issues.  Politics is a subject which is alive and constantly changing.

1.    Read ahead of the lecture or seminar.

·         Firstly read to just to get an understanding of the topic and do not produce any notes, read a number or range of different resources e.g. textbooks, articles, journals, to ensure you have breadth and depth to your discussion.

·         Secondly read to prepare yourself for your lecture or seminar.

·         If you have a seminar or lecture question, then structure your notes as a debate/essay around this topic.  Colour code each section.  Also include some evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of these different argument and suggest which you think is the most useful and why.

·         They key is to include relevant studies, theorists, concepts, debates and contemporary examples within your notes.

·         Use the above to create some of the resources referred to in your study skills toolkit

o   Key concept diary

o   Key study sheets

o   Topic posters

o   Cue cards

o   Evaluation grid

o   Mind maps

·         Thirdly, read after your seminar or lecture, to consolidate your notes, your lecture and any seminar notes.  It will also highlight any issues you might have missed.

·         Divide your topic into and number of different themes, perspectives or issues. And keep your notes under these themes

·         Then finally further subdivide these notes so that will either support or refute one of the relevant arguments (you can colour code your answer in relation to for or against it…)  You should also ensure you include an evaluation grid, highlight the limitation of both interpretation and if possible make a judgement.

·         The above plans and notes will be used by you later in the course to either write a course assignment or to revise from a planned essay.

2.    Visit your Personal Tutor

      Make use of other 2nd/3rd year students, have group and mini-discussions with other regarding your seminar topics.
Even review essays the have completed to different topics to the ones you have done, and share your good ones with them.

      3.    Ask to have a meeting with your seminar tutor and discuss your feedback.  Also download the mark schemes from the websites

     4.    When you actually write your essay, it is important to keep your description to a minimum and ensure you analyse and evaluate effectively the topic and provide as much real word examples as you can.

      5.    As noted in the introduction hand out – ensure you define any key terms, briefly explain in a few sentences what you will be examining or discussing in your essay, demonstrate how your essay will be structured and make a judgement.

      6.    1) Read the question.
2) Plan
3) Answer the question.

      7.    Reading widely may mean that you have a range of different interpretations and reviews on your essay.  However if you stick to your plan this will keep you focused.

      8.    Finish your assignment ahead of time, so you can review it with fresh eyes.  To ensure you have written what you intended to write and answered the question you have been asked.

      9.    The key to good Politics essay is structure, you should focus on the question you are answering, present a balanced debate, justified with evidence and embedded with analysis throughout.

     10. Don’t just regurgitate what the different studies have said, briefly explain, analyse ensuring you maintain your focus on your question, illustrate with examples.  Then evaluate the strengths and limitations of the approach, (even if you are arguing in favour of it) you are discussing, really critically assess each argument, and link back to the question and justify your own argument

     

     11.                       Ensure your argument is concise and coherent (read it out loud to yourself).

12.                       The secret to a high grade for essays are to disagree entirely with the question set (and then back it up obviously).

13.                       Then finally conclude by answering the question.