Political science essay PDF

Preview

Summary

introduction to political science essay format guidelines...

Description

How should I approach Writing my Poli Sci 1020E Essay? Why should I read this Essay writing guide? There are many writing guides available in the Bookstore and Libraries. Below is a guide that focuses on our Poli Sci 1020E Essay. It proceeds by asking common and reasonable essayrelated questions and then proceeds to answer them so you can write a strong, well-argued, well-evidenced essay. The goal is to provide you effective direction and guidance, and avoid many of the common mistakes and pitfalls that befuddle essays. Your TA will also provide you information and support, so do speak to them as well, especially because a dynamic discussion – sharing ideas back and forth – is usually the best way to learn and get on track with the Essay. What is an Argumentative Essay? You will be writing An Argumentative Essay. This is one type of essay and its main goal is to defend a thesis by giving supporting reasons and evidence. Thus, you should write a clear thesis – your position on the question – which you will support through making arguments, providing evidence from sources, and addressing objections to your thesis. Before you write your essay or develop your thesis, make sure you understand the question and spend some time brainstorming responses. As well, do read all the sources so you will know what is the breadth and depth of the issue. Thus, your essay should be using of the approach of “This essay argues” or “I will argue” as the catalyst and frame for doing the essay (it is okay to use “I” in the essay if you prefer, but either way is fine). When do I start the Essay? Now. Who is the audience for your essay? While your essay will likely only be read by you and the TA-Marker who marks your essay, you should not be writing with that TA or Professor in mind. Instead, consider writing the essay with a fellow student in mind. This is a good strategy because it will force you to write so another person can read it and understand it. You will avoid writing an obtuse, inaccessible or jargonfilled essay. Instead, your essay will be readable by anyone because you have written it clearly and succinctly, explaining or defining terms, and make arguments that can be understood. As well, you will provide proper evidence and examples to that the reader can intelligently and readily follow your arguments and see they are supported. Another important point: you will need to walk your reader through the essay step-by-step so you will need to develop your ideas to show them, rather than assume they are self-evident because you stated them. In other words, your ideas and evidence need to convince the average reasonably informed reader, so write accordingly. © N. Narain, Political Science 1020E 002 & 003, 2019-20, Term 1: Page 1 of 6

How should I approach Writing my Poli Sci 1020E Essay? What is the thesis? Your thesis is your main claim or position in response to the question your essay is addressing. Your thesis is the main point or goal or purpose you are going to defend with arguments and evidence. You should state your thesis as a single sentence, such as “I argue …” or “The state’s policy on gambling should be …”. If you have reasons or arguments in support of this position, you can put those in the next sentence or sentences. Also, once you have completed your whole essay, go back and check over your thesis to make sure you have argued and supported your thesis – otherwise change your thesis so that it concords with what you have argued and proven in the essay. Also, what you argue is up to you as long as your thesis is reasonable and can be supported by the evidence in the sources. What should be in my Introduction? The Introduction is the first paragraph of your essay and it should, above all else, tell us what is your topic-question and what is your thesis. You can state the question you have chosen and, in the next sentence, state your thesis. Then, consider answering the ‘so what’ question: why is this topic important to consider? Give us some idea why this might be an important topic in your view. You can also provide some context or background that you think is relevant. However, avoid ‘cosmic clichés’ or ‘grandiose claims’ like ‘since the dawn of time’, ‘there is only one issue that has ever mattered to anyone’, etc. As well, you may give us a ‘road map’ of your essay that gives a preview of how your essay is structured and flows (this helps the reader know how you are going to proceed through the essay). In addition, you may want to define select terms that have specific meanings or definitions, but you do not need to define everything and some of these terms may be better defined in the body of your essay. In short, the Introduction should ensure that, at the least, the reader: 1. Knows the question which the essay is addressing (the essay question) 2. Knows your position or claim in response to the question (your thesis) 3. Understands why you think the topic is important to consider Note, however, a simple Introduction – just doing the above in 3 sentences – is a bad Introduction as it should also introduce or contextualize the topic and question, and show you understand the topic and question more fully than just the bear minimum. Also, you can put your thesis wherever you think is appropriate but ensure you use words – ‘This essay argues’, ‘The claim here is’, ‘I will prove that’ – to make clear the thesis to the reader – it is the writer’s job to make sure their thesis can be identified and understood by the reader in the essay. What is the Body? The Body is not a single thing; the Body of your essay is many paragraphs composed of many sentences. Do not write a ‘hamburger’ or ‘3 para’ essay for 2000-words, across 6-8 pages – such essays don’t do well. The Body has many paragraphs, and these paragraphs will bring © N. Narain, Political Science 1020E 002 & 003, 2019-20, Term 1: Page 2 of 6

How should I approach Writing my Poli Sci 1020E Essay? forward your arguments and their evidence, the objections to your thesis & their evidence, and your reply to the objections. Thus, you will need many paragraphs to do this – and many sentences (minimum of 3) inside each paragraph. Think of each paragraph as ‘unit of thought’: opening sentence is sign-post telling the reader what the paragraph is about; then put forward your argument or arguments; provide the evidence, sources and support for those arguments; and, close the paragraph by summarizing for the reader the main point of the paragraph. Thus, the first sentence of the paragraph should tell us what the paragraph will put forward but also how it is connected to the paragraph before it, e.g. ‘I begin by arguing ‘no platform…’ so next paragraph may start ‘Having covered ‘no platform’, we can now look at the first objection to this …’. Thus, the Body will bring forward your various arguments and your researched evidence. What is the ‘Argument, Objection, Reply’ (AOR) format? While your thesis is your main claim, you will need to make arguments. Well-argued essays generally will follow Graff & Birkenstein’s ‘They Say/I Say’ format which focuses on laying out arguments and analyses of others and then responding to them. In the case of our essay, we are suggesting a modified version of this. First, show the reader your main Argument (in support of your thesis): what are you arguing in order to prove your thesis and what is your evidence and support for this argument from your sources? Next, show the reader an Objection or Objections to your argument, again providing evidence that backs up the objection – this is also called a ‘charitable’ presentation of the objection(s) because you want to show the reader you understand and can present the objection properly, not sloppily or dismissively. Finally, Reply to the Objections: what do you argue to refute, oppose, disprove the Objections, based on evidence and sources. In all cases, you are using your sources to provide evidence to back up your arguments, objections and replies. In addition, the AOR format will ensure you show you can reason and understand your thesis with a number of supporting arguments, but also defend against reasoned and understood objections. This also creates a conversation flow to your essay, so the reader sees your arguments develop and will see if you can defend them against objections. How many arguments do you need to support your thesis? Here it is important to stress we are looking for quality not quantity. For example, if you decide to make 5 arguments with objections and replies, your essay will have no depth and lack sources and evidence to support them – an argument every 350 words. However, if you do 2-3 arguments, and their objections and replies, you are more likely to have depth – evidence, examples, sources and quotes – to support your thesis, and will do better on the essay. Consider, for example, Wolff does that in the Introduction to Political Philosophy, whereby he presents an overall argument or position and the authors who put that forward, then considers different objections to that argument or position, and then provides a reply to that objection (hint: re-read any of Wolff’s © N. Narain, Political Science 1020E 002 & 003, 2019-20, Term 1: Page 3 of 6

How should I approach Writing my Poli Sci 1020E Essay? chapters looking just at his format and style of writing to get examples of what to do). Thus, do not aim for quantity of arguments but depth of arguments. So, what makes a good Argument’? A good argument puts forward a reasonable point or claim that links to the thesis, then seeks to prove it with evidence, sources, quotes, examples, etc. A good argument supports the thesis and is itself supported. Consequently, the good argument is reasonable, defensible and evidenced. It also follows the saying: “Show me, don’t tell me”; in other words, prove it with evidence and sources to persuade the reader, and do not rely on or demand the reader has to take your word for it (they will not as they are expecting you to do your job and prove your points). So, what makes a good Objection and good Reply? In both cases, as with a Good Argument, you need to provide evidence and proof. As well, you need to provide ‘charitable’ presentation of the Objection; this means present it properly with evidence, as if you were making that as your argument, and do not simply choose those parts of the Objection that are easy to shoot down because they are, in fact, an incomplete or incorrect or skewed presentation of the Objection. Give the Objection a reasonably positive or favourable presentation before your Reply – critique, disprove or pull apart – to the Objection. Once you have laid out the Objection, think of a strong Reply to the Objection, and make sure you provide evidence to back up your Reply. Again, as with the good Argument, choose quality over quantity, so you have depth to your analysis. Also, don’t be shy: edit and be a ruthless editor. Pick only your strongest arguments to put forward, that is, arguments you can discuss and prove with depth, i.e. sources and evidence. Similarly, pick the best Objections and Reply to them. Avoid choosing ‘novel’ or ‘unique’ arguments for the sake of ‘being different’; novelty without depth is not going to receive a good grade. What is the Conclusion? The Conclusion ties together your essay. In it, you want to remind the reader of the question you responded to, your thesis, and a summary of your arguments, objections and replies. Never introduce new information, arguments, etc., that has not already been argued or discussed in the essay. In addition, based on what you have argued, you are welcome to suggest further research questions or ideas others can research or analyse. Why do I need to Revise, Review or have a Friend look it over? Avoid submitting your first-and-only version of your essay. You need to learn to manage your time to research, to write, and give yourself time to edit. A great saying from one of prof’s: “Writing is easy; re-writing is hard”; editing means looking over your words, making sure you have selected the right words to make your points, or provided the best evidence to support © N. Narain, Political Science 1020E 002 & 003, 2019-20, Term 1: Page 4 of 6

How should I approach Writing my Poli Sci 1020E Essay? your arguments, or ensuring your arguments prove your thesis, or making sure your spelling and grammar are not problematic or incorrect. One way to avoid a lot of errors: have a friend or someone else read it over because sometimes what you have written is not the same as what was in your mind or your choice of words does not make that point. Many essays drop in overall grade because of careless errors and problems which make them difficult to read, flow or understand, and all that could have been avoided by taking a few minutes to edit the essay. As well, note that Clarity and Organization are important criteria in assessing your essay, so get someone to read over and critique your essay, so it is clearer and better argued. Do I have to use the assigned Essay Readings or should I find other stuff? You need to show you have read and understand the Essay Readings for each essay question. Then, it is necessary to cite to show you have used the Essay Readings in the actual essay. It is recommended you avoid looking around for other sources as you will largely find Google or others will give you ridiculous amounts of sources, largely from non-academic sources, and the sources likely will lack depth and evidence, so your essay will mirror that same problem of lack of evidence and depth. As well, you are being assessed on your ability to use the Sources we have provided, so unless you are using those Sources and more, do not substitute your sources for the provided ones. Why I should cite from the Readings? It is important to cite your ideas, quotations, etc., to show the reader you got those materials from the sources. The more you use the sources in the essay and provide the citations, it is likely you will do better because the TA will see you have used all sources and have grappled with the issue in the different. When you cite, you are giving a clear indication to the reader your ideas are supported, backed or drawing on others who have made similar arguments or provide proof for your ideas. Similarly, for Objections and Replies, sources show you properly understand the other sides to the debate, that is, you did not just pull stuff out of the air. How should I incorporate my Sources into my essay? There are many ways to do this. You can do the well-known ‘quotation sandwich’: introduce the quote or quote’s author, then provide the quote, and then explain the point or connection of the quote to your argument. You can claim ‘As Narain argues, …” and paraphrase their point (don’t use some or part of their words; if you are using their words, then just quote them). You can provide your evidence or discuss your examples, etc., and then cite the source where it comes from. Again, all this will help the reader to know you did your research and have understood the necessary ideas, etc. As well, you will do better on your essay overall because you will have proven and supported your claims.

© N. Narain, Political Science 1020E 002 & 003, 2019-20, Term 1: Page 5 of 6

How should I approach Writing my Poli Sci 1020E Essay? What is Plagiarism? If you pass off other people’s word, ideas, examples, etc., as your own in your essay, that will constitute plagiarism. Just as you do not want someone to steal your ideas, words, etc., do not steal those of others, either. The Course Outline, the Appendices, and various documents on UWO’s websites provide fuller details of the standards and possible punishments. Should I do an Essay Outline? Yes, this is a great idea. It would be especially helpful to do this and meet with your TA to make sure you are on track. Your Essay Outline should have your question, your stated thesis, your arguments and their objections. Again, the more specific and defined your Essay Outline is, the more likely you will get better feedback from your TA. Can I bring in a draft to be read? While we will not be reading over drafts, you can bring in your draft to your TA for quick glance (again: not a thorough read), so they can give you some useful advice. That said, you can use the PSA Essay Clinic to have an upper-year Poli Sci student go over your completed draft essay (see OWL site). One final advice: Pick an Essay topic-question that you will enjoy doing – if you have fun doing it, you will likely do better on it. If you have questions or concerns, please talk to your TA or me; we are always ready to help and guide you.

Good luck! J

© N. Narain, Political Science 1020E 002 & 003, 2019-20, Term 1: Page 6 of 6...