Writing Your Assignment

Writing Your Assignment You can also use a quote or phrase to name your essay. In case you are unable to think of a suitable title, do it after writing the essay. Keep yourself updated and informed on latest issues and topics of national importance. Having a sound knowledge of various issues will help you justify your ideas in an essay. You’ll hear this quite a lot, and you’ll probably wonder what on earth it means. It’s important to understand it, because it can be the key to getting a high mark. Every question has hidden assumptions behind it. You should acknowledge existing and possible objections to your arguments and respond to them, discrediting them or showing why they don’t hold true in your case. If relevant and important, you should also address counterargument you cannot refute and concede to them. There is a difference between reading to understand the topic, and reading that you plan to reference. It is totally fine to use Wikipedia, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, lecture notes etc to familiarise yourself with the key arguments and concepts. Have a think, put the argument and essay together. Find relevant books and articles from the reading list and/or Google Scholar searches. The length of sections should be proportionate to the size of your essay. So a 1 page introduction to a 5 page essay is too much. Paraphrase your thesis and demonstrate how you have proven it with your arguments. Addressingcounterargumentsis also an important part of developing a strong argument. It shows you have done extensive research and you have a good understanding of the topic in question. In fact, write down a few potentially useful quotes verbatim. I still handwrite quotes in my notes, and I’m working on my PhD. There aren’t many ways in which I’d recommend being like me. You need to inculcate a habit of diverse reading in order to widen your knowledge base. In the context of the question you’re answering, and the frame you’ve provided for your argument, why should I care about the point you’re making at this point in the essay? Once you’ve proven that your argument stands, I want to know the significance of it. Sometimes it’s enough to point out that these assumptions exist, and then to proceed with the essay by clarifying the definitions you’re using and the assumptions you’re working with. Sometimes you might think that the assumptions are fundamentally mistaken, or disguise a more important question. In that case, you’ll need to point this out, and then proceed to explain why, and to make your arguments within the essay using your revised understanding of the question. If the question is “what is the best solution to the demarcation problem? ”, you’re going to want to identify what you think the examiner means by the terms ‘solution’ and ‘demarcation problem’. How are you going to define and operationalise those terms in your essay? This is essential, because your argument has to have a clear definition of the terms you’re using in order for it to be coherent and responsive. It is always a good idea to start your essay with a quote or anecdote. Also, make sure that it is relevant to the topic. The first paragraph of the essay holds great significance. You need to pay special attention to the introductory paragraph of your essay. The title of the essay should reflect the essence and content of the essay. This doesn’t mean you should use lazy constructions like “I am going to define ‘demarcation problem’ as ‘the question of how we can define ‘science””. That’s a perfectly reasonable definition (if you can defend it, and you should give a reason you’ve chosen a certain definition), but you need to be a little less clunky. Make sure you take notes on everything you read.