Once in a while you get hit with it: the 15- to 25-page research paper, also called the term paper or semester project. This is your chance to join the community of the 20 percent or so of college professors who are actually doing research. How do they do it? And how can you? Have a look at our seven best tips for doing research like a professor:
1. Start from where you are. The professor has a research program; you have the course. Carefully consider all the assigned paper topics, trying to pick one that seems interesting to you and about which you think you'll have something to say. If the professor is requiring you to propose a topic of your own, scour all the course materials (e.g., lecture notes, readings, syllabus, handouts, discussion sections, and course bibliography) for possible topics. Then meet with the prof to see if your proposed topic is one you could actually do, given what you know and what there is to know. A bad topic will net not only weeks of frustration but a bad paper in the end.
2. Think E. Many up-to-date research materials are now available electronically. The best place to start is not with Google, Bing, or Wikipedia but with E-reserves that the professor has listed. These are found at your school library's Web page (or, sometimes, the course Web page) and have been carefully selected for relevance, level of depth, and general appropriateness for your particular course. Next stop: the electronic resources (or E-resources) at the library Web page. Usually, they are divided into more general, though still scholarly, sources (such as InfoTrac, OneFile, LexisNexis Academic, and ProQuest) and more scholarly or "academic" sources (for example, EBSCOHost, Expanded Academic ASAP, JSTOR, Periodical Contents Index, and Web of Science/Web of Knowledge). Another useful resource is the subject guide. The databases here are divided up by area—all the way from aerospace engineering up to women's studies. These can be incredibly helpful if you're just beginning to think about a topic. Columbia University's library site is an especially clear example of this.
Extra Pointer. When using E-resources, be sure to distinguish electronic databases, which are lists or directories of different journals, from E-journals, which are the actual journals or periodicals themselves (in electronic rather than print form).
5-Star Tip. Always be on the lookout for "top 10" lists of databases at your library's Web page. These have been selected by librarians based on general usefulness or on frequency of use by patrons.
3. Discover WorldCat. One of the best resources is www.worldcat.org, a free and public catalog of more than a billion (with a "b"!) items available from more than 10,000 libraries worldwide. Best of all, you don't have to leave your dorm to use it: It's available in all modalities including online and mobile (with downloadable apps for iPhone, BlackBerry, and most Web-enabled phones).
4. Learn the shortcuts. You'll have a much easier time conducting your search if you master advanced techniques. Use wild-card characters—typically a question mark (?), pound sign (#), or asterisk (*)—when you know only the first few letters of a word or when you want to find all the words that start with a certain string of letters. Use the Boolean and operator (typically AND or +) to limit the results of a search, and the or operator (OR or -) to expand the topic. And take out any apostrophes (in words such as O'Reilly) and replace foreign language characters (ç, ü) with their English equivalents (c, u).
5. Use the resources that live and breathe. If 21st-century research is already giving you a headache, make your way to the reference desk at the bricks-and-mortar library. The librarians there will be happy to help you with your electronic searches and might even walk you over to some of the (gasp!) print books. Bigger universities even have reference librarians trained in specific study areas (humanities, social sciences, business, and natural sciences, for example). Use them.
6. Learn about ILL. If, for whatever reason, your library doesn't have a particular print book and an E-book or article isn't available in some database, go to the interlibrary loan department of your library. The ILL crew will get you the physical book or a copy of the article from another library, usually free and in plenty of time for you to do your research paper (sometimes even on the same day).
7. Look for "gateway" sources. When beginning to do your research, it's often best to start with broadly conceived sources that survey the problem, area, or subject you're researching and point the way to further, more specific studies. They might have names like Cambridge Companion to X, Stanford Encyclopedia of Y, Grove Dictionary of Z, or Oxford Illustrated History of A (ask your prof or TA for names in your field). And whenever reading any source, look in the footnotes and bibliography for direction to further sources you might read.
Original source: Grab Your Example Essays Now
Showing posts with label How To.... Show all posts
Showing posts with label How To.... Show all posts
Friday, April 15, 2011
Top Tips for Research Skills
You’re going to need good research skills to deal with all sorts of questions and assignments. These tips are designed to help you develop the research skills you already have and to share some good ideas you might not yet have come across.
All observations have been collected from real people who have experience of research themselves and know the best ways of going about it. The tips come from the same people and should make your research easier and better. And who knows - before long, someone might be asking you for tips too!
There are three screens in this section:
* using books and journals
* using the Internet
* sorting your information
Observation:
Librarians say that most students start their research by using the Internet.
Tip:
This is understandable — it gives you the feeling that you’re in control, for a bit, anyway. The tip here is to realise that basic information can often be quicker and easier to find in a book and encyclopaedia.
Observation:
Librarians say that students often ask for information, and then say they’re not sure what they want.
Tip:
Be really sure that you understand the question you’re answering. If you find it difficult to explain it to someone else, then go back to your tutor and check your understanding. You have a better chance of good grades if you feel confident that you understand what’s expected of you.
Observation:
Librarians say that if the title of the book doesn’t appear to relate exactly to a student’s research question, then the book isn’t thought relevant.
Tip:
If you’re feeling stressed, this is understandable - you want good sources, quickly. The tip here is to look through the index — a small amount of information can be as useful as a large amount.
Observation:
Librarians say that when tutors recommended a particular journal or other source, then students use it.
Tip:
Check whether your tutor is able to recommend particular journals. Check whether there is a reading list for the subject you’re dealing with.
Observation:
Librarians say that when students are unsure how the library cataloguing system works, they are less likely to use books as a source.
Tip:
Even if you’ve been shown how to use the catalogue, it’s easy to forget. Do ask for advice and help — it feels good when you know how.
Observation:
Librarians say that students don’t always note down the details of the books or journals that they’ve used. They also report that many students don’t know why they need a bibliography.
Tip:
Have you ever experienced the hassle of not having the information to complete your bibliography? Develop a routine of writing down the author, title, place of publication, publisher, date of publication and page numbers for articles from magazines, newspapers, encyclopaedias or in anthologies. That way you’ll build a thorough bibliography as you go along.
Observation:
IT workshop tutors say that some students sometimes think they are using the Internet for an hour for assignment research, when what actually happens is this:
* 10 minutes spent on research - with lots printed out!
* 20 minutes on checking and sending e-mails
* 20 minutes on general sites — shopping/music/cars/soaps/phones/films
* 10 minutes on research — with more printing
Tip:
This is probably part of your working or learning style, but it is not effective as a research strategy. You need a sense of purpose, so how about analysing your research topic, then making a list of 4 or 5 questions you want answers to? Keep your searching focused and ask for help if you get stuck.
Observation:
IT workshop tutors say that some students believe everything they read on screen.
Tip:
The web address (URL) gives clues about the information. A quality information checklist and quick quiz is at http://www.quick.org.uk/menu.htm. Please note that the BBC is not responsible for the content of other websites.
Observation:
IT workshop tutors say that some students give up easily, claiming ’there wasn’t
anything there’.
Tip:
There nearly always is something to be found, but you need smart searching tactics to find it. Your aim must be to get the most relevant pages to the top of the results list. Ask others what works for them, and look on the Internet for a guide to using search engines. Think about the scale of the task — one search engine currently has 3 083 324 642 web pages to be searched.
Observation:
IT workshop tutors say that some students use the Internet to look for images.
Tip:
Most search engines allow you the option of searching for an image only. Take a moment to check the toolbar; you’re sure to find features you haven’t found before - images can be useful for key skills presentations.
Observation:
IT workshop tutors say that some students feel overwhelmed by the amount of information.
Tip:
Information overload is a problem. Write out a list of questions you want to find answers to, and reject information that doesn’t help answer them. If you’re new to research, select the best two or three sources and forget the rest. You can always come back for more.
Observation:
Workshop tutors say that some students feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they have photocopied or printed off. Here are some tips for making the most of it:
Photo of a pile of papers
Photo of someone sorting through their research
Tips. . .
* Go back to your research question and ask yourself what it means
* Make sure you know how much you’re expected to write
* Underline the key words
* Write down what information you need
* Plan your essay or report — the structures are different for each, so take advice if you’re unsure
* Work out how many words you can write on each point
* Relax for active reading!
* As you read, look for answers to your questions
* Tell yourself the main points or ideas of what you’ve just read
* Link ideas using a mind map
* Use your word limit to guide your reading
* Reject information that is far too detailed for your purpose
* Gain confidence
* Start realising that some bits don’t fit in — you can discard them
* Take notes in whatever way works for you
* Start writing to your plan — start with whatever seems easiest and keep going without worrying about style. It’s a good idea to start by stating things clearly and simply in short sentences
* Work on your first draft — each time you work on your draft it will get better
* Remember to write out your bibliography
* Enjoy improving your work!
* Ask someone to read what you’ve written and give you feedback
Original source: Grab Your Example Essays Now
All observations have been collected from real people who have experience of research themselves and know the best ways of going about it. The tips come from the same people and should make your research easier and better. And who knows - before long, someone might be asking you for tips too!
There are three screens in this section:
* using books and journals
* using the Internet
* sorting your information
Observation:
Librarians say that most students start their research by using the Internet.
Tip:
This is understandable — it gives you the feeling that you’re in control, for a bit, anyway. The tip here is to realise that basic information can often be quicker and easier to find in a book and encyclopaedia.
Observation:
Librarians say that students often ask for information, and then say they’re not sure what they want.
Tip:
Be really sure that you understand the question you’re answering. If you find it difficult to explain it to someone else, then go back to your tutor and check your understanding. You have a better chance of good grades if you feel confident that you understand what’s expected of you.
Observation:
Librarians say that if the title of the book doesn’t appear to relate exactly to a student’s research question, then the book isn’t thought relevant.
Tip:
If you’re feeling stressed, this is understandable - you want good sources, quickly. The tip here is to look through the index — a small amount of information can be as useful as a large amount.
Observation:
Librarians say that when tutors recommended a particular journal or other source, then students use it.
Tip:
Check whether your tutor is able to recommend particular journals. Check whether there is a reading list for the subject you’re dealing with.
Observation:
Librarians say that when students are unsure how the library cataloguing system works, they are less likely to use books as a source.
Tip:
Even if you’ve been shown how to use the catalogue, it’s easy to forget. Do ask for advice and help — it feels good when you know how.
Observation:
Librarians say that students don’t always note down the details of the books or journals that they’ve used. They also report that many students don’t know why they need a bibliography.
Tip:
Have you ever experienced the hassle of not having the information to complete your bibliography? Develop a routine of writing down the author, title, place of publication, publisher, date of publication and page numbers for articles from magazines, newspapers, encyclopaedias or in anthologies. That way you’ll build a thorough bibliography as you go along.
Observation:
IT workshop tutors say that some students sometimes think they are using the Internet for an hour for assignment research, when what actually happens is this:
* 10 minutes spent on research - with lots printed out!
* 20 minutes on checking and sending e-mails
* 20 minutes on general sites — shopping/music/cars/soaps/phones/films
* 10 minutes on research — with more printing
Tip:
This is probably part of your working or learning style, but it is not effective as a research strategy. You need a sense of purpose, so how about analysing your research topic, then making a list of 4 or 5 questions you want answers to? Keep your searching focused and ask for help if you get stuck.
Observation:
IT workshop tutors say that some students believe everything they read on screen.
Tip:
The web address (URL) gives clues about the information. A quality information checklist and quick quiz is at http://www.quick.org.uk/menu.htm. Please note that the BBC is not responsible for the content of other websites.
Observation:
IT workshop tutors say that some students give up easily, claiming ’there wasn’t
anything there’.
Tip:
There nearly always is something to be found, but you need smart searching tactics to find it. Your aim must be to get the most relevant pages to the top of the results list. Ask others what works for them, and look on the Internet for a guide to using search engines. Think about the scale of the task — one search engine currently has 3 083 324 642 web pages to be searched.
Observation:
IT workshop tutors say that some students use the Internet to look for images.
Tip:
Most search engines allow you the option of searching for an image only. Take a moment to check the toolbar; you’re sure to find features you haven’t found before - images can be useful for key skills presentations.
Observation:
IT workshop tutors say that some students feel overwhelmed by the amount of information.
Tip:
Information overload is a problem. Write out a list of questions you want to find answers to, and reject information that doesn’t help answer them. If you’re new to research, select the best two or three sources and forget the rest. You can always come back for more.
Observation:
Workshop tutors say that some students feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they have photocopied or printed off. Here are some tips for making the most of it:
Photo of a pile of papers
Photo of someone sorting through their research
Tips. . .
* Go back to your research question and ask yourself what it means
* Make sure you know how much you’re expected to write
* Underline the key words
* Write down what information you need
* Plan your essay or report — the structures are different for each, so take advice if you’re unsure
* Work out how many words you can write on each point
* Relax for active reading!
* As you read, look for answers to your questions
* Tell yourself the main points or ideas of what you’ve just read
* Link ideas using a mind map
* Use your word limit to guide your reading
* Reject information that is far too detailed for your purpose
* Gain confidence
* Start realising that some bits don’t fit in — you can discard them
* Take notes in whatever way works for you
* Start writing to your plan — start with whatever seems easiest and keep going without worrying about style. It’s a good idea to start by stating things clearly and simply in short sentences
* Work on your first draft — each time you work on your draft it will get better
* Remember to write out your bibliography
* Enjoy improving your work!
* Ask someone to read what you’ve written and give you feedback
Original source: Grab Your Example Essays Now
9 tips to write an effective reflective essay
A reflective essay is an exploration of a topic using personal thought and experience. By using the topic at hand as a springboard, a writer can reflect on world events, personal history, emotional experience or objective fact. The goal of the reflective essay is ultimately to weave together reflections in a way that conveys a new thought to the reader. Ironically, this seemingly flowing essay requires a large amount of planning and structure during preparation.
Difficulty:
Moderately Challenging
Instructions
1.
* 1
Create your opening paragraph. Just like other forms of essays, your opening paragraph must be strong. Paint a picture to create a "hook" so that the reader becomes engaged. You can tell a brief story or weave together various facts with the same theme. End with your thesis sentence, a cohesive springboard for the reflections to come, rather than a single point that you will prove throughout the essay.
* 2
Make a "mind map" on a separate sheet of paper. Draw a circle with your topic written in the center and draw lines around it, extending out. At each point, create categories such as "experiences," "facts" and "world events." Draw circles around those categories, each with lines extending to further, more specific ideas. Brainstorm which personal experiences you can disclose in your essay, as well as facts or events you might include. From each specific idea, map out your thoughts and reactions.
* 3
Prepare and double-check any nonpersonal facts you will be using. The credibility of your essay will depend not only on the voice you develop as an author but also on the veracity of your facts or the historic events you recount.
* 4
Create an outline from your mind map. Select your strongest experiences and points and group them into paragraphs. Order the paragraphs in a logical way, focusing on the reflections the reader should absorb to follow the evolution of your thought. For instance, if you are writing about grief, you would want a paragraph dealing with reactions to death to precede one that centers on coping mechanisms.
* 5
Include specific personal experiences. Any experiences you recount should be brief, but make sure they are unique and concrete. Focus your memories to a short incident or experience, rather than leaning on vagary. For instance, in an essay about personal conflict, talk about a specific heated exchange with your father, rather than the fact you simply "fight a lot."
* 6
Write your essay using your outline as a guide. As you write, focus on vivid, honest language. Weave your points and experiences together in cohesive paragraphs. Keep one point or experience and its reflections to a single paragraph.
* 7
Set aside your work and review it after a break. Smooth out your transitions between paragraphs. One of the hardest parts of a reflective essay is to keep the reader tracking with your mental or emotional journey. Ask yourself how the reader would feel with all of this new information, and try to accommodate the uninitiated. Add explanation where necessary. Eliminate redundant sentences or paragraphs.
* 8
Broaden your point into a universal truth. After you have written your essay, write your conclusion. In the first sentence of your last paragraph, sum up what you have written so far. Your final goal in the rest of your closing paragraph is to push your essay one step further, toward a universal truth that applies to the topic at hand. Ask yourself some of these questions as you conclude your essay: What did you learn through these realizations and experiences? What action should an individual facing these issues take next? How can you reconcile your experience with the rest of the world?
* 9
Edit your work. When you think your essay is short enough, edit some more. First drafts of reflective essays are prone to rambling. Ensure your transitions are easy to follow and smooth, and that your points are salient. Seek to eliminate any excess phrasing. Ask friends to review your essay and to point out any awkward or confusing passages so you can fix them
Read more: How to Write an Effective Reflective Essay | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4531607_write-effective-reflective-essay.html#ixzz1JbJjmgML
Original source: Grab Your Example Essays Now
Difficulty:
Moderately Challenging
Instructions
1.
* 1
Create your opening paragraph. Just like other forms of essays, your opening paragraph must be strong. Paint a picture to create a "hook" so that the reader becomes engaged. You can tell a brief story or weave together various facts with the same theme. End with your thesis sentence, a cohesive springboard for the reflections to come, rather than a single point that you will prove throughout the essay.
* 2
Make a "mind map" on a separate sheet of paper. Draw a circle with your topic written in the center and draw lines around it, extending out. At each point, create categories such as "experiences," "facts" and "world events." Draw circles around those categories, each with lines extending to further, more specific ideas. Brainstorm which personal experiences you can disclose in your essay, as well as facts or events you might include. From each specific idea, map out your thoughts and reactions.
* 3
Prepare and double-check any nonpersonal facts you will be using. The credibility of your essay will depend not only on the voice you develop as an author but also on the veracity of your facts or the historic events you recount.
* 4
Create an outline from your mind map. Select your strongest experiences and points and group them into paragraphs. Order the paragraphs in a logical way, focusing on the reflections the reader should absorb to follow the evolution of your thought. For instance, if you are writing about grief, you would want a paragraph dealing with reactions to death to precede one that centers on coping mechanisms.
* 5
Include specific personal experiences. Any experiences you recount should be brief, but make sure they are unique and concrete. Focus your memories to a short incident or experience, rather than leaning on vagary. For instance, in an essay about personal conflict, talk about a specific heated exchange with your father, rather than the fact you simply "fight a lot."
* 6
Write your essay using your outline as a guide. As you write, focus on vivid, honest language. Weave your points and experiences together in cohesive paragraphs. Keep one point or experience and its reflections to a single paragraph.
* 7
Set aside your work and review it after a break. Smooth out your transitions between paragraphs. One of the hardest parts of a reflective essay is to keep the reader tracking with your mental or emotional journey. Ask yourself how the reader would feel with all of this new information, and try to accommodate the uninitiated. Add explanation where necessary. Eliminate redundant sentences or paragraphs.
* 8
Broaden your point into a universal truth. After you have written your essay, write your conclusion. In the first sentence of your last paragraph, sum up what you have written so far. Your final goal in the rest of your closing paragraph is to push your essay one step further, toward a universal truth that applies to the topic at hand. Ask yourself some of these questions as you conclude your essay: What did you learn through these realizations and experiences? What action should an individual facing these issues take next? How can you reconcile your experience with the rest of the world?
* 9
Edit your work. When you think your essay is short enough, edit some more. First drafts of reflective essays are prone to rambling. Ensure your transitions are easy to follow and smooth, and that your points are salient. Seek to eliminate any excess phrasing. Ask friends to review your essay and to point out any awkward or confusing passages so you can fix them
Read more: How to Write an Effective Reflective Essay | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4531607_write-effective-reflective-essay.html#ixzz1JbJjmgML
Original source: Grab Your Example Essays Now
Tips to write an effective critical essay
The word "critical" has positive as well as negative meanings. You can write a critical essay that agrees entirely with the reading. The word "critical" describes your attitude when you read the article. This attitude is best described as "detached evaluation," meaning that you weigh the coherence of the reading, the completeness of its data, and so on, before you accept or reject it.
A critical essay or review begins with an analysis or exposition of the reading, article-by-article, book by book. Each analysis should include the following points:
1. A summary of the author's point of view, including
a brief statement of the author's main idea (i.e., thesis or theme)
an outline of the important "facts" and lines of reasoning the author used to support the main idea
a summary of the author's explicit or implied values
a presentation of the author's conclusion or suggestions for action
2. An evaluation of the author's work, including
an assessment of the "facts" presented on the basis of correctness, relevance, and whether or not pertinent facts were omitted
an evaluation or judgment of the logical consistency of the author's argument
an appraisal of the author's values in terms of how you feel or by an accepted standard
Once the analysis is completed, check your work! Ask yourself, "Have I read all the relevant (or assigned) material?" "Do I have complete citations?" If not, complete the work! The following steps are how this is done.
Now you can start to write the first draft of your expository essay/literature review. Outline the conflicting arguments, if any; this will be part of the body of your expository essay/literature review.
Ask yourself, "Are there other possible positions on this matter?" If so, briefly outline them. Decide on your own position (it may agree with one of the competing arguments) and state explicitly the reason(s) why you hold that position by outlining the consistent facts and showing the relative insignificance of contrary facts. Coherently state your position by integrating your evaluations of the works you read. This becomes your conclusions section.
Briefly state your position, state why the problem you are working on is important, and indicate the important questions that need to be answered; this is your "Introduction." Push quickly through this draft--don't worry about spelling, don't search for exactly the right word, don't hassle yourself with grammar, don't worry overmuch about sequence--that's why this is called a "rough draft." Deal with these during your revisions. The point of a rough draft is to get your ideas on paper. Once they are there, you can deal with the superficial (though very important) problems.
Consider this while writing:
* The critical essay is informative; it emphasizes the literary work being studied rather than the feelings and opinions of the person writing about the literary work; in this kind of writing, all claims made about the work need to be backed up with evidence.
* The difference between feelings and facts is simple--it does not matter what you believe about a book or play or poem; what matters is what you can prove about it, drawing upon evidence found in the text itself, in biographies of the author, in critical discussions of the literary work, etc.
* Criticism does not mean you have to attack the work or the author; it simply means you are thinking critically about it, exploring it and discussing your findings.
* In many cases, you are teaching your audience something new about the text.
* The literary essay usually employs a serious and objective tone. (Sometimes, depending on your audience, it is all right to use a lighter or even humorous tone, but this is not usually the case).
* Use a "claims and evidence" approach. Be specific about the points you are making about the novel, play, poem, or essay you are discussing and back up those points with evidence that your audience will find credible and appropriate. If you want to say, "The War of the Worlds is a novel about how men and women react in the face of annihilation, and most of them do not behave in a particularly courageous or noble manner," say it, and then find evidence that supports your claim.
* Using evidence from the text itself is often your best option. If you want to argue, "isolation drives Frankenstein's creature to become evil," back it up with events and speeches from the novel itself.
* Another form of evidence you can rely on is criticism, what other writers have claimed about the work of literature you are examining. You may treat these critics as "expert witnesses," whose ideas provide support for claims you are making about the book. In most cases, you should not simply provide a summary of what critics have said about the literary work.
* In fact, one starting point might be to look at what a critic has said about one book or poem or story and then a) ask if the same thing is true of another book or poem or story and 2) ask what it means that it is or is not true.
* Do not try to do everything. Try to do one thing well. And beware of subjects that are too broad; focus your discussion on a particular aspect of a work rather than trying to say everything that could possibly be said about it.
* Be sure your discussion is well organized. Each section should support the main idea. Each section should logically follow and lead into the sections that come before it and after it. Within each paragraph, sentences should be logically connected to one another.
* Remember that in most cases you want to keep your tone serious and objective.
* Be sure your essay is free of mechanical and stylistic errors.
* If you quote or summarize (and you will probably have to do this) be sure you follow an appropriate format (MLA format is the most common one when examining literature) and be sure you provide a properly formatted list of works cited at the end of your essay.
It is easy to choose the topics for critical essay type. For example, you can choose a novel or a movie to discuss. It is important to choose the topic you are interested and familiar with. Here are the examples of popular critical essay topics:
* The Politics of Obama
* The Educational System of US
* My Favorite Movie
* Home Scholl
* “The Match Point” by Woody Allen
* Shakespeare “The Merchant of Venice”
Original source: Grab Your Example Essays Now
A critical essay or review begins with an analysis or exposition of the reading, article-by-article, book by book. Each analysis should include the following points:
1. A summary of the author's point of view, including
a brief statement of the author's main idea (i.e., thesis or theme)
an outline of the important "facts" and lines of reasoning the author used to support the main idea
a summary of the author's explicit or implied values
a presentation of the author's conclusion or suggestions for action
2. An evaluation of the author's work, including
an assessment of the "facts" presented on the basis of correctness, relevance, and whether or not pertinent facts were omitted
an evaluation or judgment of the logical consistency of the author's argument
an appraisal of the author's values in terms of how you feel or by an accepted standard
Once the analysis is completed, check your work! Ask yourself, "Have I read all the relevant (or assigned) material?" "Do I have complete citations?" If not, complete the work! The following steps are how this is done.
Now you can start to write the first draft of your expository essay/literature review. Outline the conflicting arguments, if any; this will be part of the body of your expository essay/literature review.
Ask yourself, "Are there other possible positions on this matter?" If so, briefly outline them. Decide on your own position (it may agree with one of the competing arguments) and state explicitly the reason(s) why you hold that position by outlining the consistent facts and showing the relative insignificance of contrary facts. Coherently state your position by integrating your evaluations of the works you read. This becomes your conclusions section.
Briefly state your position, state why the problem you are working on is important, and indicate the important questions that need to be answered; this is your "Introduction." Push quickly through this draft--don't worry about spelling, don't search for exactly the right word, don't hassle yourself with grammar, don't worry overmuch about sequence--that's why this is called a "rough draft." Deal with these during your revisions. The point of a rough draft is to get your ideas on paper. Once they are there, you can deal with the superficial (though very important) problems.
Consider this while writing:
* The critical essay is informative; it emphasizes the literary work being studied rather than the feelings and opinions of the person writing about the literary work; in this kind of writing, all claims made about the work need to be backed up with evidence.
* The difference between feelings and facts is simple--it does not matter what you believe about a book or play or poem; what matters is what you can prove about it, drawing upon evidence found in the text itself, in biographies of the author, in critical discussions of the literary work, etc.
* Criticism does not mean you have to attack the work or the author; it simply means you are thinking critically about it, exploring it and discussing your findings.
* In many cases, you are teaching your audience something new about the text.
* The literary essay usually employs a serious and objective tone. (Sometimes, depending on your audience, it is all right to use a lighter or even humorous tone, but this is not usually the case).
* Use a "claims and evidence" approach. Be specific about the points you are making about the novel, play, poem, or essay you are discussing and back up those points with evidence that your audience will find credible and appropriate. If you want to say, "The War of the Worlds is a novel about how men and women react in the face of annihilation, and most of them do not behave in a particularly courageous or noble manner," say it, and then find evidence that supports your claim.
* Using evidence from the text itself is often your best option. If you want to argue, "isolation drives Frankenstein's creature to become evil," back it up with events and speeches from the novel itself.
* Another form of evidence you can rely on is criticism, what other writers have claimed about the work of literature you are examining. You may treat these critics as "expert witnesses," whose ideas provide support for claims you are making about the book. In most cases, you should not simply provide a summary of what critics have said about the literary work.
* In fact, one starting point might be to look at what a critic has said about one book or poem or story and then a) ask if the same thing is true of another book or poem or story and 2) ask what it means that it is or is not true.
* Do not try to do everything. Try to do one thing well. And beware of subjects that are too broad; focus your discussion on a particular aspect of a work rather than trying to say everything that could possibly be said about it.
* Be sure your discussion is well organized. Each section should support the main idea. Each section should logically follow and lead into the sections that come before it and after it. Within each paragraph, sentences should be logically connected to one another.
* Remember that in most cases you want to keep your tone serious and objective.
* Be sure your essay is free of mechanical and stylistic errors.
* If you quote or summarize (and you will probably have to do this) be sure you follow an appropriate format (MLA format is the most common one when examining literature) and be sure you provide a properly formatted list of works cited at the end of your essay.
It is easy to choose the topics for critical essay type. For example, you can choose a novel or a movie to discuss. It is important to choose the topic you are interested and familiar with. Here are the examples of popular critical essay topics:
* The Politics of Obama
* The Educational System of US
* My Favorite Movie
* Home Scholl
* “The Match Point” by Woody Allen
* Shakespeare “The Merchant of Venice”
Original source: Grab Your Example Essays Now
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