Writing an Essay or Project at an MA Level
In the first paragraphs/ section
- define your aim, or the issue you will deal with either as a
question or a thesis.
- Start with a story that identifies the issue
- Or a parable or a tricky question to capture people's attention
Content
- Make sure your paper achieves its goal,
- Does it demonstrate you have fulfilled one of the learning outcomes of
the course?
- Have you interacted with material from the course but with your own
perspectives?
Issues of Style
- Does it have momentum?
- Is there a clear flow from section to section?
- Logic - does each paragraph contribute to the logic of what you are
discussing, is it linked to the previous thought and to the next?
- Do you show enthusiasm for dealing with the issue?
- Yet objectivity
- Is there a balance of the various themes you are covering
- Show a breadth of readings/research through 3-4 quotes in the
document, plus references to key ideas
- Is your data valid
- Do you diagram your thoughts well and is it labelled (i.e. caption
above and description of what each part means below - a picture
is worth 1000 words
- you have a conclusion that shows how you have accomplished what you set
out to do in the introduction
- Originality Are you bringing new perspectives, something that the
reader will find enlightening?
- Creativity. Does it have the pizzazz factor?
Formatting
- References are clear and consistent
- There is a bibliography
- You have 3-5 Headings or subheadings
- it is readable (for example you have done a spell check and a grammar
check)
- quotes are inset and single spaced if over 4 lines
- the cover page is according to the requirements of the school
If English is your second or third language state this as a note on the
cover page.
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