Writing an academic essay is predominately about research and structure. If you fail to meet the standard in either of these two categories, then it is likely you will present a substandard essay.
Personally I believe structure is the key component to a successful essay and I always begin my essays with the basic structure of Introduction, Body Paragraphs and Conclusion. After which I add concept ideas to each body subheading from the research I have undertaken.
My next step is to structure my individual paragraphs to support my argument. I use the Topic, Restriction and Illustration style (TRI) (Jenkins Thomas, 2009) as my paragraph structure and always try to ensure that I use relevant references to support my argument.
I often write an introduction to begin, however I always return to my introduction after writing the body of the essay to clarify my thesis statement and make sure it is relevant to the topics I have discussed.
Finally, my conclusion is designed to restate my initial argument and summarize the body of essay.
I find writing academic essays challenging, but highly rewarding. It is very different from the journalism style of writing that is my main interest. Academic writing gives me the opportunity to research an idea in great depth and present my point of view in a concise and professional way.
References:
Jenkins, G & Thomas, G. (2009), KKB101 Week 9 Lecture Slides: Accessed 5 May 2010, from. http://delicious.com/kkb101_09SE1/week09+lecture
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