Overview of Academic Essay

This blog shows an overview of the basic structure of an academic essay.

An academic essay usually contains:

Contents

Clear Thesis (Purpose)

A thesis is a line of argument and identified purpose
It can be an argument that needs support and discussion, an enquiry that requires exploration, a suggestion that requires evaluation, etc.
A thesis should be clearly stated in the introduction.
All paragraphs (topics/points) should be linked clearly to the thesis (purpose) of the essay
- This is normally done in the first and/or last sentence of the paragraph

Introduces why this topic is interesting
- Justify why this should be written and read
Summarises key points that will be discussed later
- Show the reader what issues will be covered and how your essay is organised
Offers a thesis statement
- State the purpose of the essay and the point(s) it is making

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Is written in the introduction, usually as the last sentence(s)
Shows very clearly what the focus of the essay is and what it is doing
States the nature and purpose of the essay (e.g. to argue, analyse, suggest, identify, evaluate, etc.)
Communicates the position of the author to the subject.
- Unlike many novels or stories, surprises or twists should not appear in essays
- The opinion and ideas of the author must be clear in the thesis statement and in the essay as a whole

Divides part of the discussion into topics
Keeps topics in paragraphs of similar sizes
Offers evidence, details and deep discussion that are not in the introduction and conclusion
Maintains focus on answering the essay question throughout
Divides purposes of topics – e.g. cause & effect, problem & solution, analysis & interpretation

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Reminds the reader of the thesis (main purpose / point of the essay)
Summarises the key points of the discussion / information above
- This does not include unnecessary details or new information: Details and important points should be in the body
Offers a conclusion based on the discussion so far
- This can include implications, future possibilities, suggestions or recommendations, or a concluding point

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Shows what the author has read
Allows the reader to check information and find further reading
Makes it clear that ideas and evidence can be located in publications/sources
- This shows that it is not false information or opinions
Complies to laws of copyright and academic integrity, which are important parts of academic practice

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