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The Academic Essay

One of the most common written assessment tasks you will be required to submit at university is the essay. Essays are written for various purposes: to inform/to entertain/to challenge/to explore/to convince.

The academic essay is generally written in response to a question. You are expected to present a point of view (expressed in a thesis statement) that is informed by research. Your aim is to develop a support argument for the thesis you propose.

Different disciplines within the university may require different styles and approaches to essay writing. Make sure that you ascertain what approach is required by your faculty/school. You can do this by reading all associated faculty information/guides or by discussing this with your lecturer or tutor.

There are no foolproof recipes for producing a quality assessment item. Each student will employ an individual approach to essay writing; however, what follows is an outline of the fundamental steps involved in the essay writing process.


Click on the following links for information about the Stages of the Essay:

  1. Choose a Topic
  2. Analyse the Question
  3. Construct an Initial Outline Plan
  4. Locate and Evaluate Resources
  5. Research/ Organise Notes
  6. Construct a Final Essay Plan
  7. Prepare the Rough Draft
  8. Redraft and Edit
  9. Prepare the Final Draft