Module 1.4: Planning your answer

Because an essay or assignment is long and complex, it needs to be well planned. So it is important to organise your thoughts and outline what you plan to include. Take time to consider the best possible organisation. Planning involves several stages:

Deciding on the central idea of your essay
  • Read widely and think about to your essay question
  • Will you agree with the essay question?
  • Partially agree?
  • Disagree?
  • Partially disagree?

This is called your thesis or position

Organising your material
  • Decide what position you are most likely to adopt.
  • Select only the most relevant points and explore these points in depth.
  • Think about the order of presentation of the ideas so that you develop your argument logically.

For more information on organising your material refer to:
Module 1.2 How to be analytical
Module 3 Essay Body

 Note: You may decide to change your position which may require you to do further reading. This is a normal part of the academic process.

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