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How to Write Good Essays

The goal of the essay is to use material from the course to answer a question in a brief and analytically rigorous manner. A good essay states a clear thesis and systematically supports the thesis with evidence from the lecture and readings.

Some general comments about social science writing are in order. Social science writing is fundamentally about making an argument. Writing a social science paper is like having a debate. You, the author, decide upon the position you find most persuasive; it is your job to convince the reader that your interpretation of the evidence is most convincing. This entails citing evidence from the course materials to support your claims and making an argument for why your position is the most convincing interpretation of the evidence. The debate analogy also implies that you succinctly demonstrate why your interpretation is more convincing than the other competing interpretations. These skills take time to perfect.

Answer the question

A good essay answers the question asked. Read the question carefully, and answer it as it is asked. Be careful that you do not answer the question you wish had been asked, or a variant of the question closer to what you know. If the question has multiple components, be sure to address all parts of the question.

Write an outline

Writing an outline before you start the paper is imperative to the coherent organization of the essay. An outline will help you make sure that your thoughts are organized and presented in the most cogent possible manner.

Have an argument

Part of answering the question is crafting an argument. The importance of having a clear argument cannot be overstated. All too often, students submit papers that have the elements of a good paper but lack coherence. This trap can be avoided by presenting your general argument in the opening pages of the paper and then turning to the evidence. Make the argument clearly, cogently, and with logical precision.

Don’t waste space explaining what other people have or have not said, how important the topic is, or why and how it is related to other important themes (on which you know more and feel more comfortable writing).

Use evidence properly

Once you have established the argument, think about how you can illustrate and support it using evidence and facts that you have learned from the lectures and readings. Evidence supports an argument; it does not constitute an argument. Importantly, evidence must be interpreted to explain why it supports your claim.

In other words, do not just present a set of facts or state the argument of a particular author; rather, you should demonstrate precisely how and why this evidence makes it more likely that your argument is correct. Simply presenting information that is vaguely relevant to the question is not marshalling evidence.

Structure effectively

Academic writing involves fashioning a coherent set of ideas into a logically structured paper. This means presenting your points in the order that will make the most sense to a reader. Do not forget to state your argument clearly in the first paragraph of the essay. A good introduction should also present a “road map”

for the paper (i.e., a brief explanation to the reader of how the essay is organized). Since your argument is very likely to evolve as your write, it often easier and more effective to write the introduction last.

Be direct

This is not a course in creative writing; there is no premium placed on maintaining suspense or a sense of drama. Write precisely, clearly, and simply. Obviously, good papers will be free of spelling and grammatical errors. Be sure to leave yourself enough time to edit and proofread your work. If possible, have someone else read your essay before you hand it in.

Be prepared

There is no substitute for knowing the course material. No amount of clarity (or obfuscation) can compensate for a lack of basic knowledge and understanding of the readings and lectures. By the same token, if you know the material very well, and present it clearly, you will do well on the exam.