Structuring an Essay or Project at an MA Level

By the end of the MATUL you will be writing a major paper. Each course contributes to your skills and knowledge in doing this. The following are some of the critical elements of style you might consider as you write various papers.

In the first paragraphs / section

• Define your aim, or the issue you will deal with either as a question or a thesis.
• And/or Start with a story that identifies the issue
• ...Or a parable ...or a tricky question to capture people's attention

Writing Content

• Make sure your paper achieves its goal,
• Does it demonstrate you have fulfilled one of the learning outcomes of the course?
• Have you interacted with material from the course but with your own perspectives?
• Does your Title poetically express the heart of the content or is it simply a description

Style

• Does it have momentum?
• Is there a clear flow of ideas from section to section?
• Logic - does each paragraph contribute to the logic of what you are discussing, is it linked to the previous thought and to the next?
• Do you show enthusiasm for dealing with the issue?
• Yet objectivity
• Is there a balance of the various themes you are covering
• Show a breadth of readings/research through 3-4 quotes in the document, plus references to key ideas
• Is your data valid
• Do you diagram your thoughts well and is it labeled (i.e. caption above and description of what each part means below -  a picture is worth 1000 words)
• Do you have a conclusion that shows how you have accomplished what you set out to do in the introduction
• Originality: Are you bringing new perspectives, something that the reader will find enlightening?
• Creativity.  Does it have the pizzazz factor?
• Simplicity: Is it written so a 15 year old can read it. USe a grammar checker to evaluate the age level required of readers, go back and take out all jargon using descriptive phrases.

Formatting

• References are clear and consistent
• There is a well developed bibliography formatted from Endnote Apa output.
• You have 3-5 Headings or subheadings formated from a word stylesheet
• It is readable (for example you have done a spell check and a grammar check)
• Quotes are inset and single spaced if over 4 lines
• The cover page is according to the requirements of the school
• Graphical Layout for ease of reading: Consider laying it out on a 2 column template with a graphical laout, boxes for quotes, spaces for pictures, rather than in a standard academic paper.

If English is your second or third language state this as a note on the cover page of your initial assignments.

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