Writing an Academic Essay – By

Daniel Tarker
The Purpose and Process of Academic Writing
Some Parameters
 We will not exhaust every aspect of academic writing
 We will focus on the overall process of writing an
academic paper
 We will not focus on rules
 We will instead focus on strategies
What Is The Purpose of the Academic
Essay?

The word “essay” is derived from the Latin verb “exigere”,

which means to:

 Examine
 Test
 Drive out

 Given this definition, what could the purpose of an essay

be?
Other Purposes
 Discover knowledge
 Make a point
 Persuade the reader
 Share information
 Synthesize Information
 Analyze a topic
 Document your observations
 All of the above
Think of Writing as a Step-by-Step Process
 Read and Research
 Brainstorm Ideas
 Develop a Working Thesis and Outline
 Write a Rough Draft
 Review for Content
 Revise Rough Draft
 Review for Grammar and Mechanics
 Revise Second Draft
 Continue Reviewing and Revising as Needed
Where Do I Get Ideas To Write About?
 Read texts related to your topic
 Use brainstorming techniques like:
 Listing ideas
 Clustering or mind mapping
 Free writing
 Discuss the issue with others
 Research the topic
Reading a Text
Compare these two images about Japanese Concentration
camps during World War II. The first is by American
photographer Ansel Adams. The second is a cartoon by
Theodore “Dr. Seuss” Geisel.
Contrasting the Two Texts
 Ansel Adams
 Uses photograph
 Creates sympathy
 Documents history
 Subtle
 Politically motivated
 Captures humanity
 Shows us the suffering
 Emphasizes helplessness
 Focused on the individual
 Dr. Seuss
 Uses cartoon
 Stirs animosity
 Used for propaganda
 Exaggerated
 Politically motivated
 Uses stereotypes
 Makes characters look happy
 Emphasizes danger
 Focused on the larger view
Clustering
 Write your main point in the center of the page and
circle it
 As ideas come to you, branch off from the main point
 Think of the cluster as a tree, each idea branching off a
previous idea
 Do not censor or edit yourself
Cluster Example
Develop a Working Thesis
 A thesis comes at the end of the introduction section of your
paper
 It lets the reader know exactly what overall point you are
trying to make
 It should be specific, not general
 It can be used by the reader and the writer as a road map for
the rest of the paper
 It is not fixed; it can and should evolve as your ideas evolve
 What you present in the paper should not deviate from what
you promise in the thesis
 Establishes expectations
Thesis Examples
 Dr. Seuss’ propaganda cartoons during World War II reduced
Japanese Americans to stereotypes, played on the fears of the
American public during a time of war, and focused on the
broad, generalized issues of the situation rather than the
individual circumstances of the people involved.
Developing an Outline
 Once you establish a thesis, use it to help you develop an
outline of the paper
 An outline will:
 Help you organize your ideas
 Keep you focused
 Save time
 For every main point, you’ll need several supporting
details
Outline Example
 Thesis
 Main Point
 Supporting Point
 Detail
 Detail
 Supporting Point
 Detail
 Detail
 Main Point
 Supporting Point
 Detail
 Detail
 Supporting Point
 Detail
 Detail
 Supporting Point
 Detail
 Detail
 Main Point
 Supporting Point
 Detail
 Detail
 Supporting Point
 Detail
 Detail
 Conclusion
Writing the Rough Draft
 Now that you have a thesis and outline, you may begin
writing your rough draft.
 As you write this rough draft, keep the following
strategies in mind:
 Organize information in your body paragraphs
 Hook the reader in the introduction
 Keep your paper coherent with transition words and
sentences
 Wrap up your paper with a strong closing
 Utilize academic writing conventions
 Follow the writing process
Introductions
 The purpose of the introduction paragraph is to:
 Hook the reader
 Contextualize your argument or topic
 Provide necessary background information about the topic
Strategies to Hook the Reader
 Ask a question
 Tell a story
 Use a quote
 Provide interesting statistics
 Share an anecdote
 Make a provocative statement
Give Context in the Introduction
 What does the reader need to know to understand this
paper?
 Historical background
 Issues relating to the topic
 Important authors and texts you will be referring to
 Cultural issues
 Why this topic is important or relevant
Start Your Body Paragraphs with Clear
Topic Sentences
A topic sentence:

 Comes at the beginning of a paragraph

 Presents the most important point you want to make in
that paragraph
 Is specific (or not so broad it would require a full essay to
explore)
Use Compelling Supporting Points to
Support Your Topic Sentence
 Supporting points are examples or pieces of evidence
that support the claim you have made in your topic
sentence.
 They can be:
 Facts
 Examples
 Anecdotes (Stories)
 Expert Testimony
 Quotes
 Observations
 Statistics
Make Sure to Elaborate with Concrete
Details
 Once you have listed your supporting points, you can
now elaborate on them by adding details or explaining
what you mean further.
Example
Topic Sentence: Dr. Seuss emphasized the danger posed by
Japanese Americans during World War II.

Main Point: His pictures show a parade of smiling Japanese

marching down the West Coast collecting explosives.

Detail: Each box of TNT these cartoon characters carry

plays on the often-irrational fears Americans felt toward
Japanese Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
An Alternative: Using the PIE Formula
 Another useful strategy to organize information is to use
the PIE formula
 PIE
 P = Point = The main point you want to make
 I = Illustration = A quote or paraphrase from the text
 E = Explanation = Your explanation about what the quote or
paraphrase means
Use Transitions to Create Coherence
 Use transition words or sentences to bridge ideas so the
reader does not get confused
 First
 Second
 In addition
 Nevertheless
 In contrast
 Furthermore
 Therefore
 Etc.
Strategies for a Conclusion
 Re-state your thesis statement in a different way.
 Make a strong closing comment.
 Leave the reader with a closing thought.
Academic Conventions: Things to Avoid
 Avoid using personal pronouns like “I”, “We”, and “You”.
 Avoid not use contractions like “isn’t”, “they’re”, “wasn’t”,
etc.
 Avoid slang
 Avoid a personal tone
 Avoid vague ideas
 Avoid plagiarism
Academic Conventions: Things to Do
 Do address both sides of an argument
 Do cite your sources
 Do use a formal tone
 Do take a stand
 Do use concrete details
 Do give yourself time to develop your paper
Remember, Writing is a Process
 Every writing assignment is practice for the next one
 Writing takes time
 Go through every step of the process
 Focus on your ideas first
 Focus on grammar and spelling last
 Get feedback from a peer, instructor, or tutor