how to write uk assignment

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Academic writing

Advice and resources to support you with effective academic writing.

Approaches to writing

Assignment writing is a process which involves planning, drafting and reviewing what you are going to say. You will find you need to review your initial plan and edit it as you go along. You should expect to have to redraft some sections of writing.

You should also check any guidance given to you as part of your course, as conventions vary between subject areas.

One of the hardest things can be to get started writing an assignment. Sometimes this is a question of taking the time to reflect on what you are being asked to do in the assignment brief. 

Getting started with an assignment

The handout Getting started suggests a way in which you can break down your task, think about aspects of it and commit some of your initial ideas to paper. It also suggests ways you can start to adapt this method to suit you. Alternatively you may prefer to use a prompt list to start to analyse your title.

Getting started (pdf)       Getting started (Word rtf)

Essay title prompts (pdf)       Essay title prompts (Word rtf)

You will want to respond to the assignments you have been set as well as you can. This means paying attention to key words in the question or assignment brief. These are sometimes known as command or directive words because they tell you what to do. The document Directive words provides definitions of some of the commonly used words.

Directive words (pdf)       Directive words (Word rtf)   Directive words – British Sign Language translation (Media Hopper video)

Getting your ideas in order

In any written assignment you will be expected to organise and structure information which is synthesised from a range of sources. You will need to make notes from your readings to help you consolidate and connect your research to your question. The Reading at university page has strategies to help you develop effective skills for making notes from reading.

Reading at university

Making notes means you end up with lots of bits of writing which you need to link together for your reader. Sometimes it can be hard to know what to select and how to identify relationships between ideas and concepts.

There are suggestions in the Getting your ideas in order handout of practical ways in which you might reorganise your material in response to the task set. Playing around with the order can help you arrive at a line reasoning that will convince the reader. Aim to experiment and find out what works for you.

Getting your ideas in order (pdf)           Getting your ideas in order (Word rtf)

Essay parts and paragraphs

If you have been asked to write an academic essay, and you haven't done this before, you may be unsure of what is expected. The Parts of an essay handout gives a brief introductory overview of the component parts of an essay.

Parts of an essay (pdf)           Parts of an essay (Word rtf)

Paragraphs are the building blocks of an essay and are a way of organising your thinking and making your meaning clear in your writing for your reader. The handout Developing writing in paragraphs encourages you to think about the way you shape your paragraphs and when to move on to a new one.

Developing writing in paragraphs (pdf)          Developing writing in paragraphs (Word rtf) 

Build an argument as you go

Identifying and writing about good evidence is not enough. You need to build an argument. An argument is:

Using reasons to support a point of view, so that known or unknown audiences may be persuaded to agree. Cottrell, S. (2011)Critical thinking skills: developing effective analysis and argument. 2nd edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, p52.

You can develop your argument as you read and write by creating a working hypothesis or basic answer in response to the assignment brief.  

Building an argument as you go (pdf)            Building an argument as you go (Word rtf)

As you move through your studies lecturers will expect more from your written work. They will expect the accurate attribution of ideas from others (including academic and other authors, and the ideas of those who teach you). There is general advice and resources for referencing and citations (and avoiding plagiarism) on the Referencing and citations page.

Referencing and citations

Your marker(s) will expect written pieces to be logically structured with fluid expression of thought, and with deeper and more critical engagement with the subjects and ideas you are reading and learning about. 

Aim to become familiar with the level of writing required by reading good quality examples.  At an advanced level you are aiming to write to the style you read in academic journals. 

As your written tasks become longer and more complex it can be helpful to reflect on your own writing process.

Reflect on your writing process (pdf)            Reflect on your writing process (Word rtf)

Different types of academic writing

Academic writing is much more than just an essay. You might be asked to write a lab or business report, a policy brief, a blog post, a journal article or a reflection piece for example. These tend to be subject and task specific so you need to check the assignment brief and any criteria for details of their purpose, formatting, structure, things to include etc.

Reflective academic writing

In some subjects, assessment may be based on critical reflection. This can be a challenge as it is a very particular style and form of writing which you may not have come across before. As well as check your assignment brief for specifics, the University’s Employability Consultancy have created a Reflection Toolkit of resources, models and questions to help you develop your reflective writing skills.

The Reflection Toolkit

School-level support

Take advantage of any writing development sessions organised through or learning materials offered by your School, Deanery or course. These will help you develop the specific writing skills you need for your discipline or subject area.

Writing your own title

If you have to write your own title in response to the brief you have been set, you need to think about how to frame this.  The Formulating your own title handout suggests some aspects to consider.

Formulating your own title (pdf)          Formulating your own title (Word rtf)

Differences from non-academic writing

If you are studying during a career break, or part-time while still working, you need to be aware that academic writing is a very different skill from other forms of writing you may have done in the workplace. Academic writing tends to be more formal, requiring succinct prose rather than bullet points, and it is more about the argument than simply conveying, or describing, information. Writing for assessment requires you to think carefully about your assignment and criteria, your argument and content, use of your subject specific conventions (e.g. language, style etc.), and your audience.

Your written work needs to be grounded in and backed up by appropriate and informed opinion and sources, rather than solely by personal opinion and experience. Academic written work will also make fewer absolute statements. Language is often more tentative or cautious.

Academic Phrasebank is a collection of general phrases taken from academic sources created by John Morley at the University of Manchester. The phrases are sorted into writing and assignment themes such as being critical and writing conclusions.

This article was published on 2024-02-26

Basic essay structure

Improve your writing

Organise your essays to demonstrate your knowledge, show your research and support your arguments

Essays are usually written in continuous, flowing, paragraphed text and don’t use section headings. This may seem unstructured at first, but good essays are carefully structured.

How your assignment content is structured is your choice. Use the basic pattern below to get started.

Essay structure

An essay consists of three basic parts:, introduction.

The essay itself usually has no section headings. Only the title page, author declaration and reference list are written as headings, along with, for example, appendices. Check any task instructions, and your course or unit handbook, for further details.

Content in assignment introductions can vary widely. In some disciplines you may need to provide a full background and context, whereas other essays may need only a little context, and others may need none.

An introduction to an essay usually has three primary purposes:

• To set the scene
• To tell readers what is important, and why
• To tell the reader what the essay is going to do (signposting)

A standard introduction includes the following five elements:

• A statement that sets out the topic and engages the reader.
• The background and context of the topic.
• Any important definitions, integrated into your text as appropriate.
• An outline of the key points, topic, issues, evidence, ideas, arguments, models, theories, or other information, as appropriate. This may include distinctions or contrasts between different ideas or evidence.
• A final sentence or two which tells the reader your focal points and aims.

You should aim to restrict your introduction to information needed for the topic and only include background and contextual information which helps the reader understand it, or sets the scene for your chosen focal points.

In most essays you will have a considerable range of options for your focus. You will be expected to demonstrate your ability to select the most relevant content to address your focal points.

There are some exceptions. For example, if an assignment brief specifically directs the essay focus or requires you to write broadly about a topic. These are relatively rare or are discipline-specific so you should check your task instructions and discipline and subject area conventions.

Below are examples of an opening statement, a summary of the selected content, and a statement at the end of the introduction which tells the reader what the essay will focus on and how it will be addressed. We've use a fictional essay.

The title of our essay is: 'Cats are better than dogs. Discuss.'

To submit this essay you also would need to add citations as appropriate.

Example of opening statements:

People have shared their lives with cats and dogs for millenia. Which is better depends partly on each animal’s characteristics and partly on the owner’s preferences.

Here is a summary of five specific topics selected for the essay, which would be covered in a little more detail in the introduction:

• In ancient Egypt, cats were treated as sacred and were pampered companions.
• Dogs have for centuries been used for hunting and to guard property. There are many types of working dog, and both dogs and cats are now kept purely as pets.
• They are very different animals, with different care needs, traits and abilities.
• It is a common perception that people are either “cat-lovers” or “dog-lovers”.
• It is a common perception that people tend to have preferences for one, and negative beliefs about and attitudes towards, the other.

Example of closing statements at the end of the introduction:

This essay will examine both cats’ and dogs’ behaviour and abilities, the benefits of keeping them as pets, and whether people’s perceptions of their nature matches current knowledge and understanding.

Main body: paragraphs

The body of the essay should be organised into paragraphs. Each paragraph should deal with a different aspect of the issue, but they should also link in some way to those that precede and follow it. This is not an easy thing to get right, even for experienced writers, partly because there are many ways to successfully structure and use paragraphs. There is no perfect paragraph template.

The theme or topic statement

The first sentence, or sometimes two, tells the reader what the paragraph is going to cover. It may either:

• Begin a new point or topic, or
• Follow on from the previous paragraph, but with a different focus or go into more-specific detail. If this is the case, it should clearly link to the previous paragraph.

The last sentence

It should be clear if the point has come to an end, or if it continues in the next paragraph.

Here is a brief example of flow between two summarised paragraphs which cover the historical perspective:

It is known from hieroglyphs that the Ancient Egyptians believed that cats were sacred. They were also held in high regard, as suggested by their being found mummified and entombed with their owners (Smith, 1969). In addition, cats are portrayed aiding hunters. Therefore, they were both treated as sacred, and were used as intelligent working companions. However, today they are almost entirely owned as pets.

In contrast, dogs have not been regarded as sacred, but they have for centuries been widely used for hunting in Europe. This developed over time and eventually they became domesticated and accepted as pets. Today, they are seen as loyal, loving and protective members of the family, and are widely used as working dogs.

There is never any new information in a conclusion.

The conclusion usually does three things:

• Reminds your readers of what the essay was meant to do.
• Provides an answer, where possible, to the title.
• Reminds your reader how you reached that answer.

The conclusion should usually occupy just one paragraph. It draws together all the key elements of your essay, so you do not need to repeat the fine detail unless you are highlighting something.

A conclusion to our essay about cats and dogs is given below:

Both cats and dogs have been highly-valued for millenia, are affectionate and beneficial to their owners’ wellbeing. However, they are very different animals and each is 'better' than the other regarding care needs and natural traits. Dogs need regular training and exercise but many owners do not train or exercise them enough, resulting in bad behaviour. They also need to be 'boarded' if the owner is away and to have frequent baths to prevent bad odours. In contrast, cats do not need this level of effort and care. Dogs are seen as more intelligent, loyal and attuned to human beings, whereas cats are perceived as aloof and solitary, and as only seeking affection when they want to be fed. However, recent studies have shown that cats are affectionate and loyal and more intelligent than dogs, but it is less obvious and useful. There are, for example, no 'police' or 'assistance' cats, in part because they do not have the kinds of natural instincts which make dogs easy to train. Therefore, which animal is better depends upon personal preference and whether they are required to work. Therefore, although dogs are better as working animals, cats are easier, better pets.

Download our basic essay structure revision sheet

Download this page as a PDF for your essay structure revision notes

Better Essays: Signposting

Paragraphs main body of an assessment

Planning and Structuring Assignments

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Steps to planning your writing

Understanding the assignment, planning your content, structuring your answer, writing your answer, signposting language.

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Planning is an essential part of writing a successful assignment and ensuring you reach your full potential. Key benefits to a clear plan are that it:

• Helps you to manage and make efficient use of your time
• Ensures that you understand and appropriately fulfil the assignment criteria
• Makes the writing process easier and helps you to produce a coherent and well-structured assignment.  

At the start of writing your assignments, it is helpful to create a schedule to help organise your time and break the assignment process up into manageable chunks. Your schedule should include:

• Analysing the question
• Research, reading and note taking
• Planning your answer
• Writing the first draft
• Time to meet with your tutor or module lead (if needed)
• 1 st edit, further research, amendments
• Proofing and formatting

What type of assignment is it?

It’s crucial to understand what type of assignment you are being asked to produce – is it an essay, a literature review, a report, annotated bibliography, or a piece of reflective writing? Each type of assignment has different conventions and will have different requirements to be successful.

Understanding the title

Break down your question to make sure you understand what is being asked of you and what your focus should be.

Questions can usually be split into three sections:

• Instruction words – these will guide/instruct you in how you should approach addressing the question . A list of definitions for commonly used instruction verbs can be downloaded at the bottom of this box.
• Topic words – these will tell you the primary subject of the assignment and may draw your attention to an aspect of the subject that should be given consideration in your response.
• Limiting words – these function as restrictions that help narrow the scope of the question and focus your response.

Let’s look at an example:

The green topic words give us our focus – these can be used as key search terms in Library Search as a way of kickstarting your research on the topic. The red term acts as a restriction – if we started to write about how Batman’s actions had impacted crimes in neighbouring cities, or on a national scale, this would fall outside of the boundaries of the question, and therefore would not gain any marks in this particular assignment.

Question the question

Once you understand the assignment type and have analysed the question, there are a few more questions you should ask:

• Are there key concepts/theories that you will need to define?
• Are there particular aspects of the topic that you want to emphasise?
• If you are required to make a judgement, or give a verdict on something, how will you make this decision?
• Are you going to impose any of your own limiting factors? (This can be a helpful way of focusing a very broad question topic. You can impose your own limiting factors by including them in the introduction of your essay)

Practical considerations

Finally, there are a few practical considerations before you start your essay plan:

• What’s the word count?
• What’s the referencing style? For help with APA referencing look here [insert hyperlink]
• How am I being asked to present my work? Can I include subheadings? What are the requirements for font and size?

It’s useful to know these from the start to save time making changes later in the process.

• Essay terms explained Download our list of instruction words and their definitions to help identify the tasks from your assignment briefs and assessment criteria.
• Essay planning template An A3 guide to essay structure and what each section should include.

Prior knowledge and resources

As you start to plan your answer, the first step should be to consider what you already know about the topic. Think about what has been covered in your lectures/seminar/labs/reading – you may already have quite a lot of relevant information to help you. Likewise, check to see if there are any online reading lists available as these are a very useful starting point.

From here you should have a good idea of what aspects of the question you will need to research in greater detail and where to focus your reading.

When you are reading, your note taking should be an active process. This means engaging with the text rather than just being a passive reader mindlessly highlighting large chunks of text. Here are some key tips to make sure you are an active reader/note-taker:

• Keep your notes selective and concise
• Write notes in your own words as this will help your understanding of the topic
• If you do want to use any direct quotations, keep them short and purposeful. Also, remember to note down the page number straight away so you don’t struggle to find it later!
• Look out for links between what you are reading and what you’ve previously read - do authors agree/disagree? Are theories/models well supported/poorly supported? Are there key challenges?
• Use sub-headings to organise your notes as this well help when you come to write your essay plan.
• Don’t be afraid of making your notes memorable – use colours, underlining and highlighting to draw attention to important information.

For more information, visit our online study guides to critical writing and effective reading .

Throughout this process you should try to reflect on your position in relation to the question and start thinking about what your conclusion might be. This is especially important for questions that are looking for you to give your verdict or opinion on a topic/debate. To help support this it can be useful to try and sum up your argument in one or two short sentences; this helps to ensure that your argument is clear and will help keep your response well-structured and coherent once you start writing.

Now that you’ve completed your reading, it’s time to structure your writing:

• Establish links between different parts of your reading through mind-mapping or identifying common themes.
• Create headings to organise your links – these will become the basis for your paragraphs.
• Start to structure these headings into a logical order and consider how you will order and use these examples to construct and support your response to the assignment.
• There are several different ways you can structure your response, and this might be dependant on what your assignment is asking you to do. For example, if your assignment is organised around themes it might be structured something like this:

Alternatively, if you were contrasting two theories it might look like this:

Of course, these aren’t the only ways to structure your writing and it’s likely that you will need to adapt your plan for each assignment depending on what is required. However, remember that a plan should always help to organise your content so that your response is clear, coherent and well-structured. 

In the same way that essays have a clear structure (introduction, main body, conclusion), the paragraphs within your essay should also follow a pattern. Considering how you structure your paragraphs is important as it helps to improve the clarity of your writing by presenting your chosen evidence and subsequent critical response in a clear and effective way.

Paragraphs should be TIED together:

• Topic sentence – The first sentence of your paragraph should introduce the main topic, theme or next step of your argument. It should summarise what the reader can expect from your paragraph. If the paragraph links directly to the question or assessment criteria you’ve been set, think about what key words make this clear to the reader.  
• Introduce evidence - Before discussing your evidence, it is helpful to signpost to the reader what aspect of the literature you will talk about in more detail. This can be achieved by drawing their attention to something interesting or contextually important that will be relevant in the following section of the paragraph.  
• Evidence – This is where you introduce references and highlight how these support your argument. You could also include counterpoints to your position within this section (and why these challenges are not upheld) or you could have this as a separate paragraph – the choice is up to you!  
• Discussion – Your paragraph should end with your interpretation of the evidence and how this links back to the assignment topic. Within these sentences you may explore ideas such as relevance, significance, impact and future directions – for more help with this, check out our guide to critical writing [insert hyperlink]

Let’s look at this in an example:

"As noted by Alexander (2017), talk has always been an essential component of teaching, and, consequently, learning. Evidence has demonstrated that talking about prose can enhance written responses to texts through increasing student confidence about qualities such as character, theme, and motifs ( Coultas , 2006). Despite this however, the most recent version of the National Curriculum has hugely decreased the role of speaking and listening; this includes even going so far as to remove speaking and listening from formal assessment in GCSE specifications. Furthermore, as noted by Yandell (2013), this has included moving the focus of talk as a collaborative experience to only being on the speaker, thus relegating listening as a key skill. Parallel to this, the types of talk discussed within the classroom has considerably narrowed, to the extent that what students now understand as spoken English, is little more than public speaking. Consequently, teachers are now faced with the responsibility of instilling the foundational skills of speaking and listening in students at an earlier age, to ensure that they have the necessary skills to navigate the complex social world.

Linking your ideas

Signposting language is also a key part of academic writing. Signposts are words or phrases that show a link between two ideas and can also be used to signal transition in your writing. This helps to make your writing more coherent and avoids any jarring changes of topic that leave your reader struggling to understand the connection between two paragraphs. Likewise, you can use signposting to develop your argument by identifying ideas that support or contrast one another, or ideas/findings that have built upon the outcomes of prior work. Ultimately, signposting helps to show the reader the structure of your argument and the direction of your response.

In terms of your planning and structuring, you should think carefully about to use signposting language to link the ideas between your paragraphs, signal key transitions develop your argument. Some examples are included below:

To reference other parts of your essay

• As noted above
• As previously stated,
• Given the evidence outlined earlier in the essay

To introduce a supporting point

• In the same way,

To introduce a contrasting point

• Against this,
• A clear challenge for
• By contrast

To introduce reason/outcomes

• Consequently,
• Taken together the evidence seems to suggest
• Accordingly,

To introduce a conclusion

• As this essay has demonstrated
• From the evidence detailed here, it seems that
• In summary,
• In conclusion,
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5 tips on writing better university assignments

Lecturer in Student Learning and Communication Development, University of Sydney

Disclosure statement

Alexandra Garcia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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University life comes with its share of challenges. One of these is writing longer assignments that require higher information, communication and critical thinking skills than what you might have been used to in high school. Here are five tips to help you get ahead.

1. Use all available sources of information

Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make available an increasing number of resources. But students often overlook these.

For example, to understand how your assignment will be graded, you can examine the rubric . This is a chart indicating what you need to do to obtain a high distinction, a credit or a pass, as well as the course objectives – also known as “learning outcomes”.

Other resources include lecture recordings, reading lists, sample assignments and discussion boards. All this information is usually put together in an online platform called a learning management system (LMS). Examples include Blackboard , Moodle , Canvas and iLearn . Research shows students who use their LMS more frequently tend to obtain higher final grades.

If after scrolling through your LMS you still have questions about your assignment, you can check your lecturer’s consultation hours.

2. Take referencing seriously

Plagiarism – using somebody else’s words or ideas without attribution – is a serious offence at university. It is a form of cheating.

In many cases, though, students are unaware they have cheated. They are simply not familiar with referencing styles – such as APA , Harvard , Vancouver , Chicago , etc – or lack the skills to put the information from their sources into their own words.

To avoid making this mistake, you may approach your university’s library, which is likely to offer face-to-face workshops or online resources on referencing. Academic support units may also help with paraphrasing.

You can also use referencing management software, such as EndNote or Mendeley . You can then store your sources, retrieve citations and create reference lists with only a few clicks. For undergraduate students, Zotero has been recommended as it seems to be more user-friendly.

Using this kind of software will certainly save you time searching for and formatting references. However, you still need to become familiar with the citation style in your discipline and revise the formatting accordingly.

3. Plan before you write

If you were to build a house, you wouldn’t start by laying bricks at random. You’d start with a blueprint. Likewise, writing an academic paper requires careful planning: you need to decide the number of sections, their organisation, and the information and sources you will include in each.

Research shows students who prepare detailed outlines produce higher-quality texts. Planning will not only help you get better grades, but will also reduce the time you spend staring blankly at the screen thinking about what to write next.

During the planning stage, using programs like OneNote from Microsoft Office or Outline for Mac can make the task easier as they allow you to organise information in tabs. These bits of information can be easily rearranged for later drafting. Navigating through the tabs is also easier than scrolling through a long Word file.

4. Choose the right words

Which of these sentences is more appropriate for an assignment?

a. “This paper talks about why the planet is getting hotter”, or b. “This paper examines the causes of climate change”.

The written language used at university is more formal and technical than the language you normally use in social media or while chatting with your friends. Academic words tend to be longer and their meaning is also more precise. “Climate change” implies more than just the planet “getting hotter”.

To find the right words, you can use SkELL , which shows you the words that appear more frequently, with your search entry categorised grammatically. For example, if you enter “paper”, it will tell you it is often the subject of verbs such as “present”, “describe”, “examine” and “discuss”.

Another option is the Writefull app, which does a similar job without having to use an online browser.

5. Edit and proofread

If you’re typing the last paragraph of the assignment ten minutes before the deadline, you will be missing a very important step in the writing process: editing and proofreading your text. A 2018 study found a group of university students did significantly better in a test after incorporating the process of planning, drafting and editing in their writing.

You probably already know to check the spelling of a word if it appears underlined in red. You may even use a grammar checker such as Grammarly . However, no software to date can detect every error and it is not uncommon to be given inaccurate suggestions.

So, in addition to your choice of proofreader, you need to improve and expand your grammar knowledge. Check with the academic support services at your university if they offer any relevant courses.

Written communication is a skill that requires effort and dedication. That’s why universities are investing in support services – face-to-face workshops, individual consultations, and online courses – to help students in this process. You can also take advantage of a wide range of web-based resources such as spell checkers, vocabulary tools and referencing software – many of them free.

Improving your written communication will help you succeed at university and beyond.

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How to Write an Assignment

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Write an Assignment – Easy-to-Follow Guide

Our article focuses on how to write an assignment effectively, highlighting the challenges students face in navigating complex tasks. It emphasizes the need to alleviate these struggles by demystifying the process and empowering students to approach tasks with confidence and competence. 

The article promises a comprehensive step-by-step guide from experts in the field, providing both theoretical advice and practical tips from seasoned writers and educators who have successfully navigated the intricacies of assignments. 

This structured approach dismantles the complexities of assignment writing, making the process more manageable and rewarding. The guide is based on real-world experience and academic wisdom, ensuring readers can benefit from the insights gained from those who have mastered the art of assignment writing.

Prewriting Stage

Before starting the writing process, it is essential to understand how to write an assignment prompt. This involves identifying key instructions, determining the purpose of the task, and identifying any specific requirements. By breaking down the language and expectations, writers can establish a solid foundation for the whole writing process. Practical examples and strategies are provided to help writers approach complex prompts with clarity and confidence.

Next, writers must research and gather relevant information. Effective research strategies include using academic databases, libraries, and online resources. Critical evaluation of sources is crucial to ensure the information is relevant and contributes to a well-informed discussion.

A well-defined thesis statement is at the core of any well-crafted assignment, encapsulating the main argument or purpose. This part of the prewriting process guides writers in formulating a clear statement that aligns with the assignment prompt and reflects their understanding of the subject matter.

Importance of Writing an Assignment

Assignment writing is crucial for academic success as it allows students to explore subject matter and apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios. It influences grades and cultivates a deeper understanding of the subject matter, laying the groundwork for long-term academic success. 

Effective assignment writing is connected to comprehensive learning as it fosters deeper engagement with course content, encourages independent exploration, and enhances research, analytical, and communication skills. This symbiotic relationship between mastering assignment writing and achieving a more comprehensive and enduring understanding of academic material is undeniable, as it helps students develop a deeper understanding of the material and reinforces learning objectives.

Assignment Writing Structure Nuances

Developing a strong introduction, organizing an influential body, and providing a captivating conclusion are essential skills for anyone starting an assignment writing journey. We dissect the craft of each section in this brief manual, offering useful advice on how to write an assignment. Together, let’s examine the intricate procedure.

Introduction

The introduction of an assignment is an important element that sets the stage for a captivating performance. It should capture the reader’s attention from the very first sentence, using techniques such as thought-provoking questions, relevant quotes, or compelling anecdotes. This section aims to equip writers with the tools to create introductions that grab attention and establish the tone and context for the entire assignment.

A well-crafted introduction should also serve as a roadmap, providing the reader with a clear understanding of the assignment’s purpose and scope. It is crucial to articulate the assignment’s objectives succinctly, whether it involves analyzing a specific topic, presenting an argument, or exploring a particular theme. By incorporating examples and breaking down the components of purpose and scope, writers can navigate the fine balance between providing enough information to orient the reader and maintaining intrigue that propels them further into the assignment. The emphasis is on clarity and conciseness, setting the stage for a well-structured and purposeful piece of writing.

The body of an assignment is the intellectual core, where ideas unfold, arguments develop, and concepts are explored in depth. It provides strategies for dividing content logically, such as dividing discussions based on key themes, chronological order, or contrasting perspectives. This helps students in writing an assignment that is structured and reader-friendly.

The strength of any academic assignment lies in its ability to present a compelling and logically sound argument. This section focuses on constructing coherent and logical arguments that address the assignment prompt and contribute to a robust and persuasive narrative. It examines examples of effective argumentation and provides step-by-step guidelines to empower writers with the skills needed to construct a compelling academic discourse.

Writers learn how to write an assignment judiciously and incorporate scholarly sources, data, and real-world examples to bolster their arguments. Comprehending the balance between quantity and quality of evidence enhances the persuasiveness of their arguments, fostering deeper engagement with the reader and establishing credibility within the academic discourse.

The conclusion of an assignment is a reflection of the main ideas and findings presented throughout the body. It serves as a synthesis of these ideas, offering a clear understanding of the key points discussed. This section focuses on summarizing key findings effectively, distilling complex information into concise yet impactful statements.

It emphasizes identifying the assignment’s core takeaways, ensuring the reader leaves with a clear understanding. By providing examples and practical guidelines, this subsection empowers writers for writing an assignment conclusion that resonates with the overall purpose of the assignment, leaving a lasting impression on the reader. The conclusion is not only a summary but also a reinforcement of the assignment’s central argument. It guides writers in restating the thesis and reinforcing the main points, ensuring the reader is left with a lasting impression of the assignment’s core arguments.

The Best Way to Write Assignment Projects

To know how to write an assignment effectively, you should avoid common pitfalls such as vague language, excessive wordiness, and unclear expressions. By understanding these pitfalls and learning strategies, writers can enhance the impact of their writing assignments, ensuring their ideas resonate with the reader effectively.

Clarity and coherence in sentences and paragraphs are crucial for well-crafted writing. Techniques to ensure meaningful contributions to the narrative and seamless paragraph flow are explored. By organizing ideas logically, employing effective transitions, and structuring sentences for maximum impact, clear and coherent writing enhances understanding and showcases a writer’s mastery of the subject matter.

Incorporating appropriate academic language is essential for effective communication in scholarly writing. By understanding how to write good assignments with precise vocabulary and navigating academic tone conventions, writers can tailor their language to the expectations of their audience. By incorporating discipline-specific terminology and adhering to established writing conventions, writers can convey their ideas with authority and credibility, contributing to the overall effectiveness of their academic communication.

Writing an Assignment Following Citation Styles

The foundational principle of accurate and ethical citation is crucial in academic writing to avoid plagiarism. This principle involves understanding various methods of attribution, such as in-text citations and footnotes, to integrate others’ ideas into one’s work while giving due credit. By mastering paraphrasing and quoting, writers can maintain academic integrity and contribute responsibly to the scholarly conversation. 

Academic disciplines often follow specific citation styles, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago, which ensure clarity, consistency, and demonstrate a writer’s commitment to scholarly standards. The ultimate goal of proper citation practices is the creation of a comprehensive bibliography or works cited page, which includes a list of sources consulted during the research and writing assignment process. This comprehensive bibliography provides a comprehensive and accurate list of references, adding a layer of professionalism to understanding how to write an assignment.

Final Words on Writing and Editing

The process of editing and proofreading is crucial for ensuring the clarity and coherence of a university assignment . It involves systematically reviewing the work, focusing on the flow of ideas and logical progression, and ensuring each paragraph contributes to the assignment’s central theme. Reputable essay writing services can provide valuable support in this process, employing professional editors who specialize in refining academic writing. These services can help writers enhance the structure and coherence of their work, leading to a polished final product.

The credibility of an assignment writing is also crucial, and it is essential to check for grammatical and spelling errors. Writers learn essential proofreading techniques to identify and rectify common language mistakes, enhancing the professionalism of the work and contributing to the writer’s reputation as a skilled communicator.

Proofreading services often teach how to write assignments, proofread, and identify and correct grammatical and spelling errors, providing an additional layer of assurance for a polished final draft.

Collaboration and feedback are essential in the refinement process, and assignment help services can offer additional layers of feedback through their review and critique services. Experienced professionals provide constructive comments on the content, structure, and style of the university assignment , offering valuable perspectives for enhancement. Engaging with such services allows writers to benefit from expert evaluations, further refining their work before submission.

Essay and dissertation writing skills

Planning your essay

Writing your introduction

Structuring your essay

• Writing essays in science subjects
• Brief video guides to support essay planning and writing
• Writing extended essays and dissertations
• Planning your dissertation writing time

Structuring your dissertation

• Top tips for writing longer pieces of work

Advice on planning and writing essays and dissertations

University essays differ from school essays in that they are less concerned with what you know and more concerned with how you construct an argument to answer the question. This means that the starting point for writing a strong essay is to first unpick the question and to then use this to plan your essay before you start putting pen to paper (or finger to keyboard).

A really good starting point for you are these short, downloadable Tips for Successful Essay Writing and Answering the Question resources. Both resources will help you to plan your essay, as well as giving you guidance on how to distinguish between different sorts of essay questions. 

You may find it helpful to watch this seven-minute video on six tips for essay writing which outlines how to interpret essay questions, as well as giving advice on planning and structuring your writing:

Different disciplines will have different expectations for essay structure and you should always refer to your Faculty or Department student handbook or course Canvas site for more specific guidance.

However, broadly speaking, all essays share the following features:

Essays need an introduction to establish and focus the parameters of the discussion that will follow. You may find it helpful to divide the introduction into areas to demonstrate your breadth and engagement with the essay question. You might define specific terms in the introduction to show your engagement with the essay question; for example, ‘This is a large topic which has been variously discussed by many scientists and commentators. The principle tension is between the views of X and Y who define the main issues as…’ Breadth might be demonstrated by showing the range of viewpoints from which the essay question could be considered; for example, ‘A variety of factors including economic, social and political, influence A and B. This essay will focus on the social and economic aspects, with particular emphasis on…..’

Watch this two-minute video to learn more about how to plan and structure an introduction:

The main body of the essay should elaborate on the issues raised in the introduction and develop an argument(s) that answers the question. It should consist of a number of self-contained paragraphs each of which makes a specific point and provides some form of evidence to support the argument being made. Remember that a clear argument requires that each paragraph explicitly relates back to the essay question or the developing argument.

• Conclusion: An essay should end with a conclusion that reiterates the argument in light of the evidence you have provided; you shouldn’t use the conclusion to introduce new information.
• References: You need to include references to the materials you’ve used to write your essay. These might be in the form of footnotes, in-text citations, or a bibliography at the end. Different systems exist for citing references and different disciplines will use various approaches to citation. Ask your tutor which method(s) you should be using for your essay and also consult your Department or Faculty webpages for specific guidance in your discipline. 

Essay writing in science subjects

If you are writing an essay for a science subject you may need to consider additional areas, such as how to present data or diagrams. This five-minute video gives you some advice on how to approach your reading list, planning which information to include in your answer and how to write for your scientific audience – the video is available here:

A PDF providing further guidance on writing science essays for tutorials is available to download.

Short videos to support your essay writing skills

There are many other resources at Oxford that can help support your essay writing skills and if you are short on time, the Oxford Study Skills Centre has produced a number of short (2-minute) videos covering different aspects of essay writing, including:

• Approaching different types of essay questions  
• Structuring your essay  
• Writing an introduction  
• Making use of evidence in your essay writing  
• Writing your conclusion

Extended essays and dissertations

Longer pieces of writing like extended essays and dissertations may seem like quite a challenge from your regular essay writing. The important point is to start with a plan and to focus on what the question is asking. A PDF providing further guidance on planning Humanities and Social Science dissertations is available to download.

Planning your time effectively

Try not to leave the writing until close to your deadline, instead start as soon as you have some ideas to put down onto paper. Your early drafts may never end up in the final work, but the work of committing your ideas to paper helps to formulate not only your ideas, but the method of structuring your writing to read well and conclude firmly.

Although many students and tutors will say that the introduction is often written last, it is a good idea to begin to think about what will go into it early on. For example, the first draft of your introduction should set out your argument, the information you have, and your methods, and it should give a structure to the chapters and sections you will write. Your introduction will probably change as time goes on but it will stand as a guide to your entire extended essay or dissertation and it will help you to keep focused.

The structure of  extended essays or dissertations will vary depending on the question and discipline, but may include some or all of the following:

• The background information to - and context for - your research. This often takes the form of a literature review.
• Explanation of the focus of your work.
• Explanation of the value of this work to scholarship on the topic.
• List of the aims and objectives of the work and also the issues which will not be covered because they are outside its scope.

The main body of your extended essay or dissertation will probably include your methodology, the results of research, and your argument(s) based on your findings.

The conclusion is to summarise the value your research has added to the topic, and any further lines of research you would undertake given more time or resources. 

Tips on writing longer pieces of work

Approaching each chapter of a dissertation as a shorter essay can make the task of writing a dissertation seem less overwhelming. Each chapter will have an introduction, a main body where the argument is developed and substantiated with evidence, and a conclusion to tie things together. Unlike in a regular essay, chapter conclusions may also introduce the chapter that will follow, indicating how the chapters are connected to one another and how the argument will develop through your dissertation.

For further guidance, watch this two-minute video on writing longer pieces of work . 

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A simple but effective guide to writing a perfect assignment

The idea of writing assignments can be daunting; feeling under pressure, and unsure of if you've prepared enough to tackle the question effectively. Remember it does not have to be like this; the most important thing is to start – and start early.

Starting your assignment in good time will allow you to keep looming deadline pressures down. This should help you to maintain a better headspace; which will increase your ability to focus.

Keep reading for our quick guide to writing assignments; perfect for all levels. We recommend you also read the more detailed ABE Assignment Guide document below and, of course, work closely with your ABE tutors.

1. Read the Question

This may seem like an obvious step, but it is one that is often overlooked. Many of us do not take the time to carefully read the assignment question, and instead, skim-read. This can be risky as although you may have identified some of the keywords you think are important, you need to fully understand what is being asked and what answer the examiner is looking for.

Read our guide to command words here:

It is easy to get carried away and delve into writing your assignment without really answering the question. A good way to avoid this is to take some time to consider the keywords within the question and what they are prompting you to do. Understanding directive words such as 'evaluate', 'discuss', and 'explain', are vital when writing an assignment, as they provide instruction on how you are supposed to answer the question. It is a good idea to highlight or underline these words within the question, to help you keep them in mind as you progress through your assignment.

Sometimes the question can be written in a manner that makes it appear more intimidating than it is. Once you have read (and re-read) the question, you may find that what is being asked is actually quite straightforward. You may also benefit from rewriting it in a way that you are able to process the instructions  better .

2. Research & Planning

Carefully researching and planning your assignment will give you a structure to follow when it comes to writing it. Research and planning will allow you to be better prepared and could make the difference between a mediocre piece of work and an exceptional one.

This is your chance to consider any specifications for the assignment such as word count, the points you would like to include, and how it needs to be set out.

When planning the points for your assignment it is important to understand what you are working towards. You should refer to the learning outcomes and assessment criteria for the assignment to help you with this. You can find these on the assignment brief as well as within the syllabus, in your Study Guide or in the Qualification Specification document for your course.  

As well as researching the topic, it is also a good idea to find good source materials to include in your assignments beforehand. It's a good idea to do wider reading from reputable sources to gain different perspectives to support your answer.

3. Structure

Before you start, it can help to create an assignment structure. This can be as detailed as you like but the basic structure should be your introduction, key arguments and points, and your planned conclusion.

Introduction

This refers to a short paragraph that explains what you are going to be discussing. It should outline your argument and reference the key issues within the question.

This is where you should focus on structuring your argument. You may need to compare or critically evaluate two or more different methods or theories to explain your choices or recommendations. Examiners are looking to see if you can analyse information and make decisions accordingly. You should make sure that your ideas and claims are supported with research when required.

-   When you start to discuss a new idea, you should start another paragraph

- When using a lot of different sources for supporting evidence, it can be easy to forget to add them to your reference list. To avoid this, reference as you go along

The conclusion is your final chance to summarise what you have discussed. You should be careful not to introduce new points that you did not mention within your assignment. A good conclusion will leave a lasting impression on the examiner, so make it count.

- Recap the key points in your assignment, including supporting evidence if needed.

4. Drafting

Ask your teacher for feedback by submitting the first draft of your assignment a few weeks before the final hand-in date. This will help you improve your assignment before submitting your final version.

- Make sure it is your own work; although your teacher can give you some advice on how to improve your work, you must write the assignment yourself

5. Proofread

Editing and proofreading can help you to improve your assignment even after you’ve finished writing it. Before doing this, it is important to get some distance from your work. Taking a short break will help you to come back and check it over with fresh eyes.

When proofreading, as well as grammatical; and spelling errors; you should be checking that the structure of your assignment is clear and that you have properly addressed all of the question.

- It can often be difficult to see mistakes in your own work, if possible ask a friend or family member to proofread your assignment for you

- Refer back to the assignment objectives; have you answered the question?

- Make sure that your assignment reads well, and that you are within the word count

6. Plagiarism & Referencing

Not taking the time out to reference properly is the biggest way to lose marks on an assignment. When using books, cases and journals you must reference to show where you got your information from.

When writing ABE assignments, you should use  Harvard Referencing  to correctly cite information sources and include a bibliography at the end. Citations should be listed in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. If there are multiple sources by the same author, then citations are listed in order by the date of publication. Also, read the ABE Assignment Guide for more helpful information about referencing.

Using your own words, and correctly citing information sources mentioned within your assignment will help you ensure you have not committed  plagiarism .

- Use anti-plagiarism software such as  Quetext  to check your work before submission, to pick up any risk of plagiarism. Your examiner will also be checking for plagiarism when marking; remember it’s not worth the risk – your assignment could be rejected if you get caught.  

Writing assignments is something most of us cannot avoid; following these steps should make the process a lot easier. 

We wish you every success. Do share any top tips of your own.

Happy writing.

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Academic and assignment writing

During your time at university you will be asked to produce a range of assessments, which will need be written academically. To produce these assessments, the procedure you will follow will include reading, planning, structuring and editing your work. You will also need to focus on the language, the flow of your writing and include evidence from academic sources. Use the guides provided by Study Hub to support your skills in academic writing.

Our guides are available as Word documents. If you need an alternative format, please email [email protected] .

A range of English resources are available via our BREO site. Visit Study Hub: Online and see the folder  Spelling, punctuation and grammar resources .

Writing academically

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For resources on formatting your dissertation in Microsoft Word, see the Format and manage your dissertation page

See more on these topics at our  Readinglists site  or see our readinglist by topic below.

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Plan your writing

Interpret your assignment.

Planning how you approach your writing will make sure that you understand the task, can manage your time, and present a researched, structured and focused assignment.

Before you start writing, you need to understand what type of writing you are required to produce. For example, you might be asked to produce a report, an essay, an annotated bibliography or a literature review. This will shape how you will prepare, research and write your assignment. Take time to understand the conventions of each type of assignment and what is expected of you.

Understand instructional words

Instructional verbs in the assignment task will indicate how to plan your approach. Choose the instructional words that you have been given below to reveal what they mean.

Instructional verbs

Examine an issue in close detail and break it into its constituent parts. Look in depth at each part, consider the evidence, and show you understand the relationship between them.

Decide on the importance or usefulness of something and give reasons and evidence for your decision.

Identify similarities and differences between two or more things, problems or arguments. Draw a conclusion about which (if either) you think is preferable or more convincing.

Outline the meaning of a word, concept or theory as it is used in your discipline. In some cases it may be necessary or desirable to examine different possible, or often used, definitions.

Present factual information about something, using appropriate evidence to support your description.

Examine the arguments and the evidence to support them. Consider different sides of the issue and weigh up the implications of each argument.

Make an appraisal of the worth of something, an argument or a set of beliefs, in the light of its validity or value. This does involve making your own judgements, but they must be supported by an evidenced argument and justification.

Explain or clarify something using evidence, diagrams, figures, or case studies.

Provide adequate reasons for a decision or a conclusion by supporting it with sufficient evidence and argument; answer the main objections that are likely to be made to it.

Summarise the main features or the general principles of a subject, topic or theory.

Provide a thorough examination of a topic. You may be asked to draw your own conclusions.

To what extent

Explore and present the argument(s) for a particular topic and state the degree to which you agree with them.

Accordion 1

Sample accordion 1

Adapted from: Greetham, B. 2018. How to write better essays . 4th ed. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Scope and focus

Look at the assignment task to identify whether there is a specific aspect of the topic that you are being asked to focus on. For example:

• Is the topic or question limited to a certain time period, region, or group of people?
• Are you being asked to consider a particular angle (for example, political, social, economic aspects of the topic)?

If the assignment task does not include information about the scope or limitations of the topic, you should choose these yourself. Think about what key issues have been covered in your module and whether you could use any of these to produce a focused answer to the question.

If something in the assignment brief is unclear, check with your module leader as soon as possible before starting to plan your answer.

Watch this short video on how to plan and get started with your assignment.

Define your purpose and reader

The next step before writing is to clearly define the purpose of the writing and the audience.

Most formal academic writing at university is set by, and written for, an academic tutor or assessor. There should be clear criteria against which they will mark your work. Your tutor may ask you to write for different audiences such as a lay audience or your peers, so make sure you know who your intended audience is before you start writing.

Once you have a clear idea of what is required for your assignment, you can start to plan what you are going to write.

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Formatting your assignments

Illustrated step-by-step guides to help you understand the formatting and presentation expectations of university assignments.

Introduction 

Although formatting your essay, report or dissertation can feel like a lesser priority than the process of research and writing itself, it is an important way to ensure your ideas are given the spotlight through visually accessible, professional presentation. Formatting can be a minefield, especially when you’re formatting at the last minute; it’s important to leave a few days at the end of your essay writing process for working on your formatting, and to spend some time familiarising yourself with the different aspects of formatting.

301 Recommends:

Our Essay Structure and Planning workshop will outline how to analyse your essay question, discuss approaches logically structure all your ideas, help you make your introductions and conclusions more effective, and teach how to link your ideas and ensure all essay content flows logically from the introduction.

Below, you will find some general introductions to the key areas. 

Action: know the rules 

Because formatting rules can vary greatly depending on your department or assignment, it’s crucial to check the formatting specifications in your assignment description/rubric, and any general departmental presentation standards, as a first port of call. Many referencing systems also have specific rules about how to format your work, so make sure to familiarise yourself with the university library’s referencing guides . Many referencing systems also have more detailed style guides available via their websites.

Formatting key information  

Assignment cover sheets .

In some departments, you may be expected to include a cover sheet on the front page of your assignment. This is a page including key information about your assignment, such as your module number, student registration number, essay title, and submission date.

You may be asked to submit a plagiarism declaration and to make your markers aware of any disabilities through the yellow sticker system . If you are asked to include a cover sheet in your assignment, your department should make you aware of where you can access this.

Assignment titles

Place your assignment title at the top of your first page, either centre or left aligned, in bold font. At university, you may be assigned a pre-designed essay title/question, or asked to select from several possible titles. You may also be asked to design your own essay title. Here are some top tips on designing your own title:

• To bring focus to your essay, draft a working title at the essay planning stage. You can come back and review this title in light of your finished essay draft.
• Make sure to use action words in your essay title that reflect the skills your assessors are looking for, both in the assignment description and the marking criteria you have been given. For example, if heavy emphasis is placed on critical analysis, you could use a title like ‘Analyse the effect of…’ See this glossary of essay terms , containing examples that you can use in your own titles. 
• The action words you choose can also help you to reflect the structure of the essay in your question. For example, an essay using the action word ‘Discuss’ might use a for/against/conclusion or advantages/disadvantages/conclusion structure, or an essay using the term ‘Analyse’ might break an issue down into parts, e.g. into key themes, to understand its meaning as a whole. Think about the type of essay you want to write: do you want it to be comparative, look at several topics equally, or do you have a clear argument that you want to put forward? You can then create a question that gives you the opportunity to approach the topic from your own perspective.
• Make sure to include the main terminology you are working with in your assignment title.
• Make sure your question has a realistic scope, without being so broad that you cannot answer it within the limitations of your essay. To limit your question, you could include any limiting factors you are working with, such as specific time periods, geographical regions or sub-themes within the overall topic area. For example, in the title ‘Evaluate the proposition that a global monoculture will destroy diversity and difference’, the broad topic of global monoculture is limited down through a specific sub-focus on diversity and difference.

Stating word counts 

Depending on the instructions you have been given, you may be asked to state your word count, either on your cover sheet or at the beginning of your essay. If you are asked to include this information, make sure your word count accurately reflects the assessment guidance: for example, are references included in your word count?

Visual clarity  

Line spacing .

Most assignment descriptions specify that you should increase the space between each line on the page, from the standard 1.0 spacing to either 1.5 or 2.0 spacing. You are asked to do this to make the essay more visually accessible and easier to read, by breaking up the number of lines on each page. 

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to line spacing in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Fonts 

All non-examination based assignments should be word processed rather than handwritten. Most assignment descriptions will specify that for visual clarity, and to ensure a professional appearance, you should use a plain, sans-serif font such as Arial. For readability, this should be in 11 or 12 point size. Check your departmental or assignment guidance for any specific rules about font choices. 

Page numbering, headers and footers  

Including page numbers in your assignments makes them more accessible. Depending on the departmental guidance you have been given, you may be asked to include these in either the header or the footer of your essay (the blank space above and below where the text would go on a normal page in a word processor). It may also be helpful to include your registration number and the module code of the essay in the same header or footers that specify the page number. 

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to adding page numbers and using headers and footers in Microsoft Word and Google Docs. 

Page layout   

Margins .

A margin is the amount of blank space on either side of a paragraph in a normal word processor. Traditionally, assignment descriptions specified that the margins should be made wider at the binding edge (the left hand side) of the page, to allow for easier reading of printed essays. However, with the shift to online essays, you might not be asked to do this any more and the default settings on your word processor are likely to be sufficiently wide.

For printed dissertations and theses, you may receive specific guidance about the suitable layout of margins, as these are more likely to be printed: see this university guide on formatting PhD theses . 

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to adjusting margins in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Paragraph alignment 

Most formatting instructions specify that paragraphs should be lined up in a straight line (aligned) on the left hand edge, but left jagged on the right hand edge (like this page). This is called left alignment, or flush-left style, and should be the default alignment setting for your word processor. This style can be helpful for visual accessibility, but check any specific instructions you have been given by your department to see which style of alignment you have been asked to use. 

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to adjusting paragraph alignment in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.  

Paragraph indentation

You may be asked to add indents to your paragraphs: an indent is an additional small gap between the margin and the beginning of a paragraph (it makes a ‘dent’ in the first line of your paragraph). Indents are used to provide extra clarification that the reader is starting a new paragraph after finishing the last one: therefore, they should not be used in the first paragraph of your essay. Indents are not always required, and whether you are expected to use them may depend on your referencing style , and any formatting instructions you have been given by your department.

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to indenting paragraphs in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Formatting referenced material 

Footnotes and endnotes .

Some referencing systems require you to use footnotes or endnotes to format your references (make sure to check the library’s referencing guide to familiarise yourself with the expected format of your referencing style). Inserting a footnote into your word document when you have cited from a source adds a superscript number (a number formatted in a smaller font) to the sentence. It creates a note with a matching number at the bottom of the page you are working on (in the footer), which you can add the reference information to.

Endnotes work in the same way, but instead of appearing at the bottom of the page, the reference list appears at the end of the document.

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to manually inserting footnotes and endnotes in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.  

References and bibliographies  

Instead of, or alongside footnotes/endnotes, some referencing systems ask you to include a bibliography and/or a reference list at the end of the essay (make sure to check the library’s referencing guide to familiarise yourself with the expected format of your referencing style). A reference list is a list of all the sources you have directly referred to in the essay, which could be ordered numerically or alphabetically, depending on your referencing style.

A bibliography could be used alongside, or instead of, a reference list, depending on your referencing style; here, you list all the sources you have consulted that have influenced your ideas, whether they are included in the essay or not. The way this is ordered also depends on your referencing style. 

If you auto-generate your citations in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, you can auto-generate your bibliography instead of creating it manually: instructions for doing so are in the resource below. If you use a different reference manager, such as Mendeley, Zotero, or Endnote, these have their own specific instructions for auto-generating bibliographies. See the reference management resources offered by the university. 

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to manually or automatically formatting a bibliography or reference list in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Block quotations  

When you need to include a quotation in your essay that is three or more lines long, you can add this as a block quotation. A block quotation appears on a separate line to the other parts of the paragraph, and is indented (i.e. there is a wider gap between a block quotation and the left-hand margin than there is between the rest of the paragraph and the left-hand margin). Block quotations aren’t placed in quotation marks, so the indentation is used to indicate that you are using a quotation.

Check your referencing guide and any departmental guidance to learn more about the specific rules on formatting block quotations in your department. Because they take up large chunks of your word count, and break up the flow of your texts, make sure to use block quotations sparingly: they are especially helpful when you are going to perform close analysis of a large section of text. For more information on different types of quotation and how to use them, see our workshop on paraphrasing and using academic sources.

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to formatting block quotations in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Advanced formatting 

Headings and contents tables .

Most standard short essays do not include headings, other than the essay title and reference list and/or bibliography. Section headings may be required for some longer or more structured types of academic writing, such as reports; reports often follow a very closely prescribed structure, so it is essential to pay very careful attention to the specific guidelines issued with your brief. Make sure that any system you use for numbering your headings and subheadings is consistently applied throughout the document.

Depending on the advice you have been given, and the length and complexity of a lab report, you may also be required to include a table of contents to help the reader navigate between headings. Contents tables are generally standard practice in longer assignments such as dissertations and theses. Make sure to check any departmental guidance you have been given about formatting reports.

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to formatting headings and contents tables in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

301 Recommends: Scientific Writing and Lab Reports Workshop

This workshop  will help you to familiarise yourself with some of the specific expectations associated with this assignment format.

Figures and tables 

Some kinds of essays, dissertations and reports will require you to make use of figures (pictures, diagrams, and graphs) and tables (any data in a table format). Figures and tables are normally numbered in sequence, e.g. ‘Table 1’, ‘Figure 4’, and are directly referred to in the text according to their number, rather than according to their location on the page (e.g. ‘as shown in Table 2’ rather than ‘as shown below’). 

If your text is of dissertation or thesis length, or if your text has several figures, it may also be helpful to include a list of figures immediately after the table of contents. Some referencing guides have specific rules about presenting and referencing tables and figures, so make sure to familiarise yourself with these and carefully read any specific instructions about figures and tables in your assignment brief. 

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to inserting figures and tables and creating lists of figures/tables in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Top tips for formatting tables and figures:

• Make sure that any tables or figures you use are placed below the paragraph where you refer to them, and that you have directly referred to all figures and tables in the text of the essay.
• The caption for a table usually acts as its title, so this is placed above the table in the document. The caption for a figure is usually placed underneath the figure. Do not include unnecessary additional titles in the graph image itself, if the title is already included in your image caption. 
• Make sure to label your captions consistently, choosing between ‘Fig.’ or ‘Figure’ and consistently using either a full stop or a colon after the label (i.e. ‘Figure 1:’ or ‘Fig. 1.’) 
• Your caption should clearly and succinctly explain what the figure or table is. If the figure is taken from an external source, you must provide a reference that accurately reflects its copyright status (see these university library guides to inserting and attributing images and figures in university work). 
• Make sure to include legends in any charts you use (a key that helps to explain the data in the chart). Any data series you use should be clearly distinguishable from each other (e.g. avoid printing a report with coloured graphs in black and white!) If you are only using one series of data, a legend is not always necessary. 
• Make sure tables are clear and easy to read, using sans serif fonts, a readable font size, and avoiding unnecessary use of colour. 
• Make sure graphs are clear and easy to read, with clearly and appropriately labelled axes. Be wary of 3D effects that may obscure the clarity of a graph.
• Make sure to avoid presenting the same information in a graph and a table.
• Images and figures in printed essays, such as dissertations and theses, should be large enough for the text and numbers to be legible on the printed copy. Make sure they do not extend beyond the print margins of the document. 

301 Recommends: Displaying Data in Graphs and Tables Workshop

This workshop will provide more technical advice on using graphs and tables in your work. See also this Engineering department guidance on formatting graphs and tables in Engineering lab reports.

Appendices 

Appendices commonly appear in dissertations, theses, and lab reports. An appendix provides supporting information that gives the reader a better understanding of the essay, but that might be too long, detailed or awkward to insert into the main body of the essay without breaking up its flow. Interview questions or transcripts, sample questionnaires, raw data, figures, photographs, large/complex datasets, and diagrams are all examples of information that could be included in an appendix, if it is relevant to do so.

The reader should be able to understand the essay without reference to this supporting information, as all the most important and relevant information needed to answer the question should be included in the body (i.e., the appendix should not be used to make room for content that doesn’t fit within your word count). Your appendices must be clearly signposted and explained in the body of your report, highlighting any information that is essential for your reader to understand. Do not include any appendices that are not referenced in the text itself.

The appendices should be placed in numerical or alphabetical order, and signposted according to this specific system (e.g. ‘Appendix B indicates that…’) They should be clearly labelled, using headings that match up to the in-text reference. Appendices usually appear at the very end of the assignment, after your references/bibliography. Make sure to list any appendices used in your table of contents; if you have been instructed to do so by your department or within your referencing system, you could include a list of appendices separate to your contents list. 

The specific format of the appendix heading, and the reference made to the appendix in the text, depends on your referencing style , so make sure to carefully review this information before you design your appendices.

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to inserting appendices and creating lists of appendices in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Tips and resources

• Use this 301 proofreading checklist to check over your work when you are finished.
• Use the University Library referencing guide for advice about referencing and formatting that is specific to your referencing style. If you need extra clarification about formatting rules, it is often possible to download an extended style guide from the official website for a specific referencing system. 
• For further training on referencing, using reference generators, and using images in your work, see the University Library workshop programme .

Related information

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Help Centre

Drafting your answer preparing assignments.

This is the creative part of the process! Many people go through a rough three-stage process when drafting assignments.

• Organise your ideas in a plan.
• Write the first draft.
• Write a fully formed second draft.

Writing a plan

It's very easy to stray off course when you are writing assignments, partly because you may get carried away with what you are writing about. You need to keep an overview of the assignment writing process while you are working. By writing a plan (a rough outline of the structure of your assignment) you can start to sort out what’s relevant and shape the structure and progress of your arguments, keeping them pertinent to the question and logically ordered.

I personally would prefer a short concise essay or assignment that actually addresses the real question that you're being asked rather than somebody write pages and pages on the issue. You just won't get marks for that. All the courses are about showing your understanding. Eulina (OU tutor)

Starting to think

Getting going on the first draft can be difficult. If you're stuck and don't know how to start, try the following.

• Create a  mind map , a useful way of organising your initial thoughts.
• Brainstorm ideas by challenging any facts or assertions in the title and by thinking of analogies. Concentrate on a word or concept and think of any related points that come to mind.
• Put your ideas on sticky notes that can be re-ordered later.
• Record your ideas on audio or video. Listen to your audio and use sticky notes to rework the ideas.
• Create an outline using your word processor and paste in your notes.
• Try colour coding your different sets of ideas, using highlighters or coloured sticky notes.

Lynn's advice on using notes for an assignment

Lynn (Student): Before I start my assignment I will have done all the work that it tells me to do. All the chapters and I will have made notes right through the whole chapters. As I am making my notes I mark in highlighter or something what I think will be useful for the TMA and I put little post-its all over the page and sticking out the side. And I constantly have my question beside me and the notes. So I sort of really start the assignment as soon as I start making the first notes. And then when it comes to actually doing the assignment and the blank page is there it's just a question of thinking I can do this I have done the notes, I have done the work I can do it. And then you have to focus. Some days it doesn't work. And I have to go away and do something else and come back later. But you have to do it.

Cynthia and Robin's approach to the writing process

Cynthia (Student): Keep the question in front of you. I write it on a little card and put it in front of me at all times. And that way I stay focussed on it. But that's as much advice, and he may well have given me more but I can't actually bring any more to mind. It's planning, planning, planning. And mind-mapping. Robin (Student): Well I use mind-maps for everything from the planning stage to collating information to the final delivery. It will all tend to be on one mind-map. And then I'll put it into some sort of formal essay or however it's required. In the format that's required for the assignment.

Your first draft

Look back at the feedback you've had for previous assignments and check if there's anything new you should be doing. Then start to write.

• Build up from the outline content in your plan.
• Create the first sentence for each of your main points.
• Write in paragraphs.
• Where you need to add evidence, decide where you want to use paraphrasing and where quotes might be better.

As you compose your draft, bear in mind you need to keep your assignment to a certain length. To find out what word count you should work to, consult the information on your module website. For more information about using the Word Count tool in Word see  Using Microsoft Word for study .

James's advice on starting an assignment

James (Student): The best piece of advice I think I could give for writing a TMA would be to say, you have to think of it as an argument. What you're writing is a position that you believe in. So write it concisely about "this is what I believe" statements, this, this, this and so it builds up a coherent argument. Best way to do that is to look at the question early on in the context of what you're doing. You can do things like, write it in the centre of the paper - the question - and then kind of divide up your word limits. So 200, for your aim, 200 words. Then 400 for different paragraphs about different areas of the question, because there's usually a couple of areas in the question that you can focus on. Then with 200 words for your conclusion basically. And work it like that. So be quite scientific about, make sure you do it like that I think.

Try to write your first draft quickly. If you have to write yours by hand into an assignment booklet, always use spare paper for your first draft so you can make changes. If you are using a word processor, make sure that cutting and pasting words into different sections hasn't introduced repetition or an illogical ordering of your argument. Add reference information as you go.

Don't spend ages perfecting sentences and ideas at this stage. You may find yourself coming out with a stream of consciousness, if so just get it down on paper. Then read it through and ask yourself some searching questions.

• Have I answered the question?
• Are my arguments objective, logical and precise and supported by evidence?
• Does my essay flow in an understandable way?
• Have I shown that I understand the module material?
• Have I referenced my evidence properly?

Your second draft

The aim of a second draft is to improve on what you've already written, rather than do any major restructuring.

• Add any points that you might have forgotten.
• Look at your sequence of paragraphs. Do they move logically from one to the other?
• Check your sentence structure,  grammar and punctuation .
• Make sure your style of writing and use of vocabulary is appropriate.

Keeping on track

Students often inadvertently misread the question and end up losing marks by answering a completely different question. Contact your fellow students and tutor about your thoughts so far – just to check that you are on the right track.

Useful resources

The OU Library's page on how to cite the original material you refer to in your assignments

Gives advice on writing in your own words

OU Library webpage leading to useful online dictionaries and thesauri, some of which are subject-specific.

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Essay writing: Introductions

• Introductions
• Conclusions
• Analysing questions
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“A relevant and coherent beginning is perhaps your best single guarantee that the essay as a whole will achieve its object.” Gordon Taylor, A Student's Writing Guide

Your introduction is the first thing your marker will read and should be approximately 10% of your word count. Within the first minute they should know if your essay is going to be a good one or not. An introduction has several components but the most important of these are the last two we give here. You need to show the reader what your position is and how you are going to argue the case to get there so that the essay becomes your answer to the question rather than just an answer.

What an introduction should include:

• A little basic background about the key subject area (just enough to put your essay into context, no more or you'll bore the reader).
• Explanation of how you are defining any key terms . Confusion on this could be your undoing.
• A road-map of how your essay will answer the question. What is your overall argument and how will you develop it?
• A confirmation of your position .

Background information

It is good to start with a statement that fixes your essay topic and focus in a wider context so that the reader is sure of where they are within the field. This is a very small part of the introduction though - do not fall into the trap of writing a whole paragraph that is nothing but background information.

Beware though, this only has to be a little bit wider, not completely universal. That is, do not start with something like "In the whole field of nursing...." or "Since man could write, he has always...". Instead, simply situate the area that you are writing about within a slightly bigger area. For example, you could start with a general statement about a topic, outlining some key issues but explain that your essay will focus on only one. Here is an example:

The ability to communicate effectively and compassionately is a key skill within nursing. Communication is about more than being able to speak confidently and clearly, it is about effective listening (Singh, 2019), the use of gesture, body language and tone (Adebe et al., 2016) and the ability to tailor language and messaging to particular situations (Smith & Jones, 2015). This essay will explore the importance of non-verbal communication ...

The example introduction at the bottom of this page also starts with similar, short background information.

Defining key terms

This does not mean quoting dictionary definitions - we all have access to dictionary.com with a click or two. There are many words we use in academic work that can have multiple or nuanced definitions. You have to write about how you are defining any potentially ambiguous terms in relation to  your  essay topic. This is really important for your reader, as it will inform them how you are using such words in the context of your essay and prevent confusion or misunderstanding.

Stating your case (road mapping)

The main thing an introduction will do is...introduce your essay! That means you need to tell the reader what your conclusion is and how you will get there.

There is no need to worry about *SPOILER ALERTS* - this is not a detective novel you can give away the ending! Sorry, but building up suspense is just going to irritate the reader rather than eventually satisfy. Simply outline how your main arguments (give them in order) lead to your conclusion. In American essay guides you will see something described as the ‘thesis statement’ - although we don't use this terminology in the UK, it is still necessary to state in your introduction what the over-arching argument of your essay will be. Think of it as the mega-argument , to distinguish it from the mini-arguments you make in each paragraph. Look at the example introduction at the bottom of this page which includes both of these elements.

Confirming your position

To some extent, this is covered in your roadmap (above), but it is so important, it deserves some additional attention here. Setting out your position is an essential component of all essays. Brick et al. (2016:143) even suggest

"The purpose of an essay is to present a clear position and defend it"

It is, however, very difficult to defend a position if you have not made it clear in the first place. This is where your introduction comes in. In stating your position, you are ultimately outlining the answer to the question. You can then make the rest of your essay about providing the evidence that supports your answer. As such, if you make your position clear, you will find all subsequent paragraphs in your essay easier to write and join together. As you have already told your reader where the essay is going, you can be explicit in how each paragraph contributes to your mega-argument.

In establishing your position and defending it, you are ultimately engaging in scholarly debate. This is because your positions are supported by academic evidence and analysis. It is in your analysis of the academic evidence that should lead your reader to understand your position. Once again - this is only possible if your introduction has explained your position in the first place.

An example introduction

(Essay title = Evaluate the role of stories as pedagogical tools in higher education)

Stories have been an essential communication technique for thousands of years and although teachers and parents still think they are important for educating younger children, they have been restricted to the role of entertainment for most of us since our teenage years. This essay will claim that stories make ideal pedagogical tools, whatever the age of the student, due to their unique position in cultural and cognitive development. To argue this, it will consider three main areas: firstly, the prevalence of stories across time and cultures and how the similarity of story structure suggests an inherent understanding of their form which could be of use to academics teaching multicultural cohorts when organising lecture material; secondly, the power of stories to enable listeners to personally relate to the content and how this increases the likelihood of changing thoughts, behaviours and decisions - a concept that has not gone unnoticed in some fields, both professional and academic; and finally, the way that different areas of the brain are activated when reading, listening to or watching a story unfold, which suggests that both understanding and ease of recall, two key components of learning, are both likely to be increased . Each of these alone could make a reasoned argument for including more stories within higher education teaching – taken together, this argument is even more compelling.

Key:   Background information (scene setting)   Stating the case (r oad map)    Confirming a position (in two places). Note in this introduction there was no need to define key terms.

Brick, J., Herke, M., and Wong, D., (2016) Academic Culture, A students guide to studying at university, 3rd edition. Victoria, Australia: Palgrave Macmillan.

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Referencing and empowerment

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Teaching Referencing as an Introduction to Epistemological Empowerment

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Academic essays part 3: how to pass an assignment.

John Fowler

Educational Consultant, explores how to survive your nursing career

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John Fowler , Educational Consultant, explores academic writing

Writing an academic essay is a skill, and like any other skill it can be learnt and improved upon. This is easier if the skill is broken down into steps that can be identified, followed and practised. Whereas nurse educators recognise the need to teach practical skills by identifying the various steps involved in the process—such as nursing assessments or applying sterile dressings—they are not so good at helping students identify the essential components of a successful academic essay. If the student can appreciate why these components are essential, they can be honed and practised to improve academic performance. These principles can also be used to give structure for lecturers introducing an assignment or formulating individual feedback.

Essential components of a successful essay

I've been setting and marking essays for over 30 years, supporting a range of staff from first-year students to specialist nurses undertaking Masters and PhDs. From this, I've identified eight components that make up the skill of successful academic essay writing:

• Clear thinking and factually correct The essay is a clear and logical exploration of the question set, based on the best available evidence. This demonstrates that the student has understood the subject and researched the question, going beyond their own opinions.
• Use of evidence-based literature and correct referencing technique The subject is explored using published evidence from journals and appropriate sources such as www.nice.org.uk and Cochrane databases. This demonstrates that the student can extract up-to-date information from reliable sources and reference the sources correctly as per the specific university guidelines.
• Evaluation of the evidence Rather than just repeating that an author said ‘A+B = C’ the student asks questions of the reliability of the evidence in terms of research style and sample size. Do the findings from one clinical setting transfer to another setting? This demonstrates that although the student understands the importance of evidence-based practice, they are not just accepting that anything in print can be directly applied without question.
• Comparative analysis The essay is not just a list of what different authors have said. It demonstrates that the student has read different papers and has attempted to make sense of how the opinions and findings agree or disagree. For example: Brown and Smith (2015) identified ‘patient-controlled analgesia’ as an important factor in a patient's perception of postoperative pain on a surgical ward. This was supported by Raby (2019) with patients on a orthopaedic ward, but not identified by Raine (2018), whose work centred on palliative care wards .
• Use of own experience to comment on the literature The student uses their own experience to comment on the literature, either agreeing, disagreeing or offering an explanation. This is very different from the student stating an opinion and then saying Smith (2010) agrees with me . Thus in the example above of factors affecting a patient's pain perception, the student might add an opinion as to why the results from a palliative care setting did not identify patient-controlled analgesia as an important factor. It is important that the nurse's experience is offered as a possible explanation rather than as a solid fact.
• Identification of gaps in the literature Once the evidence from the literature has been collected the student can use their clinical experience to comment on possible gaps in the literature. This is a valuable way to use clinical experience. It demonstrates understanding of the principles regarding the topic set in the question and acknowledges that there are many aspect of nursing not fully explored in the literature. It can also demonstrate originality of thought and ideas.
• Development of an argument The essay is not just a collection of ‘stand alone’ paragraphs. There should be a structure to the essay in which the main theme of the question set is explored, with each paragraph exploring a different sub theme. These sub themes should build together, linking and complementing each other. As the essay progresses it develops the interaction of the themes and the deepening of the argument based on the assignment question.
• Clear conclusion The conclusion should be about 8-10% of the essay. It should draw out the findings from the body of the essay and present them clearly and concisely. The argument that has been developed in the essay should be summarised and the implications for nursing discussed. The student should be succinctly answering any points in the original question.

Essay writing is a skill. Too often students of all professions are left to develop this skill by trial and error, never really understanding why one essay achieved a high mark and the next one didn't. Once you begin to understand the various components of this skill then you can begin to incorporate and build them into your work. Understanding why they are important and then practising them will help you develop and improve this important skill.

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70 Unique Psychology Essay Topics for Your Next Assignment

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Sometimes, it seems like coming up with unique psychology essay topics is more challenging than writing an essay itself. Psychology is a broad subject, so choosing a topic that allows you to cover the subject in depth without being stressed with information is important. A good topic not only captures the interest of the readers but also contributes meaningfully to their field of study.

In-depth research for psychology essays is important for the expansion of the understanding of human behaviour and for the treatment of various psychological conditions. Students feel burdened by the pressure of picking something new and important for their work. It leaves them feeling unsure of the approach to adopt for picking the right essay topics on psychology. During such times, you can get timely advice from your teachers, peers or expert essay writers online .

This blog explores the 70 best psychology essay topics that you can use to craft your essay papers. You can dive right in and start working on your homework after choosing a suitable topic for yourself.

A List of Trending Psychology Research Essay Topics

Whether you are a high schooler who is looking for essay topics in psychology or a college student in search of a compelling title for your paper, this piece of writing has got you covered. We have divided this list of essay topics about psychology into 7 different categories. Students at any academic level can benefit from these lists; there is something for everyone to engage with.

All of these topics for psychology essays are research-based and are related to the modern age psychology research problems. Let’s explore them in detail.

Biological Psychology Essay Topics

Sometimes known as behavioural neuroscience, biological psychology focuses on the study of neurotransmitters and the brain. Bio psychologists examine how these transmitters influence the feelings, behaviours, and thoughts of human beings. They also see how different biological processes interact with the cognitive functions of a person. If you are assigned to write an essay on this subject, but you can’t find any suitable topic, some of the best and trending biology psychology essay topics are listed here for your help:

• Explain the functioning of the endocrine system in detail and highlight how the hormones and glands actually work.
• What is the effect of people's multicultural background on their identity?
• Explore in detail the relationships between human beings and the electromagnetic fields.
• What is the impact of young maternal age on the cognitive and psychological effects, and how does it affect the elements of child development?
• Describe in detail the importance of health psychology when it comes to understanding the concept of diseases and health.
• To what extent can education be said to assume the scientific development that has been achieved in the study of biological integrity?
• What exactly is the neuroscience of addiction? Explain the circuitry and reward pathways of the brain.
• Explore the role played by hormones in controlling the social behaviour and aggression of individuals.
• What are the ethical considerations related to the usage of animal models in the field of biological psychology research?
• How are epigenetics and behaviour related to each other? Highlight the concept of interactions between the environment and genes.

Clinical Psychology Essay Topics

The clinical psychology research is often considered synonymous with counselling psychology. It is a discipline that is focused on the diagnosis, assessment, treatment and prevention of different emotional, mental and psychological disorders in different individuals. Here are the ten best clinical psychology essay topics that you can pick and use for your homework:

• What are the assessment options, diagnosis and treatment methods for anxiety plus other personality disorders in people?
• What is the impact of social media on how people behave and interact with each other?
• Explore the effect of ageing on mental illnesses. What particular challenges are faced by the old people who are diagnosed with mental health problems?
• Enlist the medications, therapy and psychosocial interventions associated with Schizophrenia.
• Explore in detail the impact of violence shown in media and video games on the behaviour of children.
• What kinds of therapy are found to be most suitable for people having behavioural issues since their childhood?
• Highlight the significance of anxiety disorders and their effect on the daily functioning of humans. Are there any new therapies available that can cure this problem?
• What are the ways in which the social and political climates of an environment affect the mental health of an individual?
• How does the substance use disorder impact a family, and how can the family members help with the treatment of the disorder?
• Is online therapy effective? Enlist its pros and cons and explore how people with no technical literacy can navigate it.

Cognitive Psychology Essay Topics

As a student of cognitive psychology, you will have to develop a systematic understanding of different cognitive processes. Since writing on such psychology topics is a bit tough, you can buy essay online from cognitive psychologists who write academic papers for students. Here are some of the best and trending cognitive psychology essay topics to consider for your work:

• What is the relationship between the cognitive psychology, positive psychology and the humanist psychology?
• Describe in detail some of the crucial cognitive aspects that are vital for decision-making in medical ethics.
• What is the relationship between memory consolidation and sleep? Provide a detailed meta-analysis.
• Investigate the effect of bilingualism on the executive functioning and cognitive flexibility of humans.
• What are the cognitive mechanisms that are associated with the placebo effects? Explain in detail.
• Analyse in detail the impact of socio-economic status on the cognitive performance of British students in the modern age.
• Are there any cognitive differences in the decision-making skills of non-entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs? If yes, what are those?
• Does sleep deprivation affect the cognitive performance of the students? Explain the reasons in further depth.
• What is the reason behind the premature ageing of some people? Present a perspective from cognitive psychology.
• How have the attention spans of children changed for the last 100 years? Support your answer with examples.

Compare and Contrast Essay Topics Psychology

How about plunging into some exciting argumentative essay topics psychology for your homework? In such compare and contrast essays, you provide a comparison of similarities and dissimilarities for both sides of the subject. The key points of both sides should be strong enough to convince the readers. Here are some of the psychology essay topics which you can use for the contrast essays:

• Behaviourism versus Gestalt psychology
• Cognitive behavioural therapy versus Freudian psychoanalysis
• Self-determination theory versus self-efficacy theory
• Biomedical model of health and illness versus biopsychosocial model
• Self-perception theory versus cognitive dissonance theory
• Milgram experiment versus Stanford Prison experiment
• Environmental versus biological factors in mental health disorders
• Social cognitive theory versus social learning theory
• The effect of nurture versus nature on the development of human personality
• Operant conditioning versus classical conditioning

Criminal Psychology Essay Topics

This branch of psychology refers to the observation of the intentions, thoughts, and actions of criminals. Criminal psychology students strive to understand the motives of criminals for committing crimes and attempt to study their minds. Here are some of the latest trending criminal psychology essay topics for you to review and use for your college and university papers:

• Explore the basic determinants of the incidents where a murder is committed. Provide sufficient examples and the investigative study of the serial killers.
• What are the social factors which change the naïve people into criminals? Explain in depth.
• Are there any loopholes in the criminal justice system that actively promote crime in our society? Discuss the social disparities between the rich and the poor.
• What is the impact of natural disasters on the increase in social crimes? Provide a case study of criminal behaviour psychology during the period of Corona.
• Analyse the role played by social media in inciting crimes. Provide case studies of hate speeches that were made in public and support your stance.
• What are the general sentiments of the serial rapists? Highlight and support with examples.
• Does pornography and vulgarity promote the rape culture in a society?
• Provide a qualitative analysis of the different development stages of criminal mindset in a society.
• How can you control or trickle down the harmful effects of crimes taking place in a community?
• Is poverty a driving force behind the increasing crime rate in a country, especially in the impoverished societies of developing countries?

Developmental Psychology Essay Topics

Topics in this field of study range from prenatal development of childhood life to the final stages of the life of a person. It is a broad field that involves the study of how people change throughout their lives. Some of the developmental psychology essay topics that you can use for writing your academic papers are listed here:

• What is the effect of different parenting styles on the personality development and the behaviour of children?
• Do factors like peer influence and socialisation impact the process of identity formation in the human mind?
• What are the developmental trajectories related to the mental health problems, chronic pain, and other disorders faced by people in their adolescence?
• Explore in detail the diagnosis and intervention strategies related to the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders in the kids.
• Describe in detail the impact of early childhood education on the academic achievements and problem-solving skills of young kids.
• Explain in detail the concept of cognitive development in infancy from the Vygotskian and Piagetian perspectives.
• Do the students who eat breakfast daily perform better in their classes than the students who do not have breakfast regularly?
• What is the impact of bullying on the achievements of students? Are bullied students more likely to get bad grades than students who are not bullied in school?
• How can technology be used for the social and emotional development of humans in the period of their adolescence?
• What is the impact of social media on forming body image in the minds of teenagers?

Educational Psychology Essay Topics

Educational psychology covers topics related to children staying in educational settings. It covers topics like aptitude assessment, self-motivation, parental involvement, technology, teaching methods and more. A good essay on such topics informs the readers about learning styles, cognitive development, and impactful teaching strategies. Here are some psychological topics for essays in the field of psychology:

• Is it beneficial for children to use different educational and high-quality teaching methods at different times of the day?
• Does the duration and quality of sleep really impact the academic performance of students?
• Can daily medication at school influence the mental health and academic performance of students?
• What is the impact of regularly listening to classical music on the test scores of a student?
• What is the connection between knowledge retention and sugar consumption ratios among students?
• Explore the effectiveness of the interventions encompassing positive behaviours for the reduction of disruptions in the classroom.
• Assess the effect of Brexit on the educational experiences of international students in the United Kingdom.
• What is the relationship between the educational outcomes and the socio-economic disparities in the UK? Discuss in detail.
• Analyse the role of cultural diversity in shaping the classroom dynamics in the schools of 3 rd world countries.
• Provide a critical analysis of the impact of literature on parental involvement and student success.

You can choose from a diverse range of psychology essay topics that we have added in this article. You can also overlap and intersect various specialities and craft research questions for your next assignment. From clinical studies to cognitive psychology, each detailed essay focuses on a deeper understanding of human behaviour. It is important to understand the relevance of these research questions and give the readers insight across different areas of study.

If you want personalised help with the fulfilment of your homework requirements, you should hire psychology essay writing services in the UK from The Academic Papers UK. Their seasoned writing experts are best suited to cater to the needs of clients across the globe, and they can craft essay assignments tailored to your needs.

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