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Planning your essay is just as important as writing it!
This first stage is an opportunity to set out what you need to discuss, identify what areas you need to do more research on, and how you're going to tie the whole thing together.
Before you start planning what you're going to write, you need to get a firm grasp on what the essay question is asking and what is expected of you. It's helpful to understand the different parts of the essay question and highlight them. This is also really useful to help you identify keywords which you'll need for your research.
Let's start with this example:
"Critically evaluate the effectiveness of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) in the treatment of mood disorders in an adolescent population."
"Critically evaluate..."
Find the verb in your essay question. This is the instruction which tells you what you need to do in your essay. In this example, the instruction is to "critically evaluate". This means that you need to weigh arguments for and against something, assessing the strength of the evidence on both sides.
This is the general subject area of the essay. In this case, you now know that you will be writing about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
The topic area might be very broad, so have another look at the question to see if it gives you any more information to narrow it down.
"...the effectiveness of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy..."
"...in the treatment of mood disorders..."
This helps you narrow down the topic to a more specialised area. Now you know that you need to discuss CBT for the treatment of mood disorders.
Look for any limitations on your discussion. For example, you might be restricted to discussing a certain period of time or specific characteristics. In this example, you are expected to concentrate on the teenage population.
"...in adolescents."
A thesis statement is a concise, declarative statement that presents the main point or argument of an essay or research paper. Typically found at the end of the introduction paragraph, its purpose is to guide the reader by indicating the essay topic and line of argument.
A thesis statement should:
Ensure your thesis statement is clear and concise, summarizing your main point and setting up your essay for a focused and coherent argument.
When crafting your thesis statement it is essential to create a clear and concise argument summarizing the main point of your essay. The thesis statement should distinctly present your stance or viewpoint on the topic.
Let's say you have this essay prompt: "Evaluate the effect of social media on mental health outcomes".
Now take a look at the example of a strong argument:
"The detrimental impact of social media on mental health outcomes can be attributed to factors such as increased social comparison, cyberbullying, and addictive usage patterns"
A strong hypothesis within the thesis statement sets the stage for your essay by proposing an idea to be tested or explored. In academic essays, especially in the humanities and social sciences, the "hypothesis" is more of a proposed explanation or argument.
"The decline in mental well-being associated with social media usage can be attributed to constant exposure to idealised lifestyles, negative feedback loops, and the reinforcement of unrealistic beauty standards."
Now that you've explained what your argument is and picked out how you're going to demonstrate it, it's time to combine your argument and hypothesis into a concise thesis statement.
Take a look at this example:
"The widespread use of social media has significantly impacted mental health outcomes, leading to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and decreased well-being among users."
This thesis statement clearly presents the topic area of the essay (the effect of social media on mental health), states the writer's position (highlighting negative impacts such as anxiety and depression), and provides a road map for the essay (addressing increased rates of anxiety, depression, and decreased well-being among social media users).