Tips on writing short essays

Essays should be 3-5 pages (not including bibliography), double spaced, typed.

Each essay (and associated discussion) will address a general question stated on the Readings for Discussion pages (links are on the course home page). The reading for the week represents an entry point to the topic but should not be the only sources used to address it.

Treat the question as representing a true scientific mystery, one that you will attempt to answer using logical arguments and citing evidence as needed. Assume that your readers do not know the answer already, nor why the question is significant, or even what the concepts mean.

Analyse rather than simply list and describe the findings of articles that you used. What did the author show, or what not, and how does this help to answer the question?

Structure tips

Here are a few tips on how to structure your essays.

Introduce the main problem or question at the start of the essay.

Follow with a statement that identifies the purpose of the essay. Inform the reader of the “thread” that runs through the essay and binds it together.

Remaining paragraphs should follow one another logically, making a series of points or arguments.

Use the first sentence of each paragraph to state the main point you want to make. Use the rest of the paragraph to explain, defend, expand or clarify that point. This is the “journalistic” style, and is easier to read than a narrative flow.

Explain concepts clearly — assume that the reader has less background knowledge than you. Failure to clearly outline the concepts (or data or theory) suggests that you don’t understand them yourself.

Avoid quoting words of your sources if at all possible, they are usually taken out of context. We prefer to see your own writings and interpretations than someone else’s.

Do not plagiarize sentences or phrases from your readings: it is illegal and we uphold the law (See notes on how to avoid plagiarism).

Avoid faulty logic. For example, the following argument is very weak:

Wynne-Edwards says these traits are explained by group selection, but provides no proof.
I say that the traits can be explained by individual selection.
Therefore Wynne-Edwards is wrong.

Citations: When you refer to the work or ideas of others, cite them in the text. For example,
Group selection is defined by Wilson and Sober (1989) as …..

Cite only valid scientific literature – class notes and web sites including Wikipedia or Brittanica do not qualify.

Include a Bibliography or Literature Cited section on an extra page at the end of your paper with the reference listed in a standard journal format. For example, the format for the journal Evolution is:
Wilson, D. S. and E. Sober. 1989. Reviving the superorganism. J. theoret. Biol. 136:337-356.

Check your sentence structure, and follow basic rules of English.

The UBC Learning Commons provides support and services to improve writing skills.