Writing an Essay or ISU

Keys to a good essay or independent study

• Use research from a variety of places and get your data and statistics from a number of sources such as books, encyclopaedias, textbooks, and government websites. Good research takes time, so start early!

• You are not researching a topic to describe a subject.  Your goal is to ANALAYSE and reflect on a research question or thesis topic.  LESS DESCRIPTION, MORE REFLECTION. That means you have to use more than one source and collect notes on each sourse.

• Write usig your own words, using language to the best of your ability.  This will require re-writing and editing sections a number of times (...start early....)

Your Thesis statement

Read about your topic before you construct a thesis.  Start by using an encyclopaedia to get the big picture of your topic.  Once you understand your topic, you will be able to narrow it down to a thesis statement.  Remember, topic =big picture.  thesis statement= your idea about an aspect of your topic.

A thesis statement is stating what you expect to find once you have finished your work.  There is no right or wrong regarding a thesis statement.  The strength of your conclusion depends entirely on your ability to defend the viewpoint using what you have researched.

A Good thesis statement is an introductory paragraph that includes

1. a general and brief description of the subject about which you will be writing

2. a very brief plan or outline of how you will prove your point (a summary of 3 arguments)

3. a statement of what you expect to find or conclude.  A strong thesis statement takes time, research and reflection.  In general, you must follow the required PROCESS elements of the ISP in order to receive feedback.

Each department will have their own respective requirements for formulating a thesis statement for their essay, the above is a general guide to a thesis.

Researching your topic

The research you do should now be in support of your thesis statement.  You will need strong arguments in favour of your statement.  A strong argument is made when you have information that is backed up by statistics or conclusions from verified sources.  

Verified sources are the following:  Encyclopaedias, Research Journals, subject specific books, websites ending in .org   or .edu, anything from the EBSCO database.

Wikipedia is not a good source because the information is not verified.  If you find information from a wikipedia article that you would like to use, click on the source of the information to see if it is from a verified source.  If it is, read it and reference it from the original source.  If not, don't use it!

Primary Sources vs Secondary Sources

The most significant difference between two different types of sources is that primary sources gives direct access to the subject of the research, while secondary sources provide second-hand information and commentary from other researchers

As you are researching, make sure to 

1) copy down the information for your bibliography- this saves a lot of work in the end

2) make a note of any information that you use that is directly from your source, so you can cite it.