Your essay needs to demonstrate some degree of critical thinking and argumentation. The degree will depend on your education level (on a scale from Foundation to Postgraduate) and on the specific essay brief (for example, some assignments, especially in the natural sciences, may not demand you defend an argument).
This page gives you some tips on how to write critically and argue effectively.
It may happen to receive feedback on your essay stating that your writing is too descriptive, not showing enough criticality: "too descriptive", "not supported by enough evidence", "unbalanced", "not presenting enough critical analysis". How to include more criticality in your writing? How to move from mere description to analysis and evaluation?
Consider the differences between descriptive and critical writing:
Critical thinking entails:
Check the guide on Critical Thinking and Writing for more information on writing critically.
Presenting and defending an argument with reasons and evidence is a main expectation (and assessment criterion) of most essays. With argumentation you demonstrate critical thinking as you not only understand a topic, but also draw conclusions and formulate a position on it.
What is an argument?
In academic writing, an argument is the reason or set of reasons that demonstrate the validity of a thesis statement.
What is a thesis statement?
The view/position that you defend is called a thesis statement.
Why arguments?
When writing an essay, you are not expected to identify the 'right' answer to the essay question, but to demonstrate that you are familiar with a range of views and are able to develop and defend your own view.
In fact, there my not be a 'right' answer to to an essay question. This relates to the concept that essays often deal with complex, 'ill-structured problems', which do not bear a right or wrong solution, but better or worse views. The 'better views' are those that are argued with better reasons, evidence and rhetoric.
The handout below looks at the difference between everyday arguments and arguments in academic writing:
After you analyse the essay question and undertake reading and research you should develop a general view in relation to the essay question/topic. The view that you defend in your essay is called a thesis statement.
Your thesis statement should be:
A note on thesis statements:
It can feel scary to commit yourself to a thesis statement because thesis statements seem to speak with tremendous certainty! However, consider that your thesis statement may be nuanced - it doesn't have to present an 'extreme', 'black or white' position.
Example 1:
Essay question: ‘Discuss the claim that mass public schooling provides equal access to high quality education.’
Thesis: This essay will argue that while the introduction of mass public schooling was a great advancement in ensuring equal access to education, the influence of socio-economic status on educational attainment has not yet been overcome.
"This essay will argue" → Signposting phrase to introduce your argument
"while mass public schooling was a great advancement in ensuring equal access to education, the influence of socio-economic status on educational attainment has not yet been overcome" → Clearly indicates your position on the issue
Example 2:
Essay question: To what extent is there a 'participation crisis' in UK politics?
Thesis: If we define 'participation' as xyz, it can be argued that there is not in fact a participation crisis in UK politics.
To present an effective argument try to provide the following:
In defending your thesis statement, you will likely have to break it down into separate issues, or aspects, which are dealt with separately.
In discussing these separate aspects, you might develop smaller thesis statements, which are related to your larger thesis statement.
This means that your essay will have a "tree structure".
Essay tree structure
An example of a more developed tree structure:
Thesis: Digital technology will lead to greater social mistrust and dysfunctionality rather than greater social cohesion
| Aspect 1: Dehumanisation | Aspect 2: Anonymity | Aspect 3: Manipulation |
| Sub-thesis: We are more likely to dehumanise others when relating to them remotely, via media, or representations. |
Sub-thesis: Anonymity in digital environments decreases trust and accountability in social interactions. |
Sub-thesis: The gathering of data on many aspects of our experience means that bad actors could easily manipulate us. |
|
Point 1: We have more information about what others are feeling when we relate to them in-person. Evidence (studies, texts, statistics) Reasoning Consideration of counter-arguments |
Point 1: Anonymity in digital environments means that false personas and false claims can proliferate. Evidence (studies, texts, statistics) Reasoning Consideration of counter-arguments |
Point 1: Data-gathering has improved in sophistication, and increased exponentially, over the last 15 years. Evidence (studies, texts, statistics) Reasoning Consideration of counter-arguments |
|
Point 2 ... |
Point 2 ... |
Point 2 ... |
|
Point 3 ... |
Point 3 ... |
Point 3 ... |
| At various points within this argument, you will consider how this sub-thesis, and these points, relate to the thesis. |
At various points within this argument, you will consider how this sub-thesis, and these points, relate to the thesis. |
At various points within this argument, you will consider how this sub-thesis, and these points, relate to the thesis. |
|
Research, not speculation! Your thesis, your sub-theses and your points, should all be based on reading and evidence. You should not develop arguments based on what you think is probably true, or ‘common knowledge’, and then look for readings to support your views. Each point in the outline above is supported by evidence gathered in the reading stage and this evidence is linked to the point with reasoning. How, exactly, does the evidence support the point? |
