Katarzyna Gromek Broc University of York Your essay how to make the essay more analytical than descriptive how to acknowledge sources in a more interesting way how to engage the reader with the vibrant discussion and how to link the arguments together ID: 409781
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Slide1
How to make essay of a higher value
Katarzyna
Gromek
Broc
University of YorkSlide2
Your essay
how
to make the essay more analytical than descriptive, how to acknowledge sources in a more interesting way, how to engage the reader with the vibrant discussion and how to link the arguments together.Slide3
Your essay
Once
you
have identified your claim you need to come with some arguments supporting it.
1. Make
a little plan around your arguments and how you are going to support them. At this stage it is important to gather relevant literature, different views and think what you can make of the different opinions and how well they would support your arguments. It is useful to look at legal controversies surrounding the subject.Slide4
Your essay
2
. You
can make some
notes evaluating your material
, the things that you agree with and those that are not convincing. Try to link those that would support your claim. You need to demonstrate the development of your ideas in a logical manner and a coherent progression of your thoughts.Slide5
Your essay
2. You
should use your own opinions/views on what you have read (and on the subject more broadly) as spring-boards for future research (rather than simply including them in an essay as ideas on their own).Slide6
Your essay
3. In
structuring your piece
you need to incorporate those positions and evaluate them in line with your argumentation. You can also explore the theoretical background related to the subject, and provide some critical analysis. Discuss the issues and possibly enclose thoughtful personal perspective. Possibly look at multiple line of argumentation. Slide7
Your essay
3, The
structuring of a good piece of analytical writing is helped hugely by having a clear argument/thesis/theme upon which to build. It helps to try and encapsulate the overall argument in a sentence or two and to make sure that everything that is built upon it (i.e. the essay) has something to do with developing that argument.Slide8
Your essay
4.The
best answers will engage with theoretical backgrounds
- law exists in a wider social, political and philosophical world so legal analysis should not necessarily stop at the end of the law bookshelves. However, these wider backgrounds need to be related to the legal analysis required in the question.Slide9
Your essay
Your arguments need to be backed by evidence. They need to be presented in order to support your claim. They can prove or disapprove the current position.
Evidence tends to include the rules derived from statutes and cases (and sometimes their factual scenarios) and other important incidents. It also includes the writing of theorists. Be aware of the relative strength and credibility of sources (
i.e
beware the
internet
!)Slide10
Your essay
5.
‘An argument is a journey from problem to solution through the medium of the interpretation and application of legal rules to legal problems’.
Interpretation of the writings of others involves critical interpretation. This can often involve exploring the tensions both within a particular source (are stated or unstated assumptions true, do theories in one pat contradict another? etc) and between sources (can
x's
theory be reconciled with
y's
theory, what are the differences between case x and y that make a difference here).Slide11
Your essay
6.
illustrate your power of persuasion
7.
If you aim for a higher mark you need to show breadth and accuracy in covering relevant issues.
8. It
is also useful to contextualise your discussion within the wider spectrum in the field.
9. You
should show how your argument relies on factual analysis, legal reasoning, persuasion and critical thinkingSlide12
Your essay
10.The
conclusion should reflect the logical progression of your arguments. It should at least convince the reader/listener that this is one of the possible approaches to the subject.
Having a clear answer in one's own head (even if is not one which you are completely confident about) will help make a clear conclusion and a clear thesis.Slide13
Your essay
Final remarks.
Always
leave time and space to be self-critical. A piece of writing (or notes for a speech)
have to be looked at from the point of view of a stranger. This requires distance from the
act of writing it. Reading over an essay or some notes the minute they have been
completed will never give critical distance. This means leave plenty of time for gaining
critical distance and acting upon it.