Essay Structure

[Bizarre Atheist]

Do you think it's better to write an essay packed full of your own tantalizingly brilliant ideas based entirely on the primary material, or is evidence of secondary reading more important in the long run? I hate diluting my ideas with other peoples' but it just seems the done thing...

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[Frank]

Quoting Bizarre Atheist from 13:21, 25th Feb 2007
Do you think it's better to write an essay packed full of your own tantalizingly brilliant ideas based entirely on the primary material, or is evidence of secondary reading more important in the long run? I hate diluting my ideas with other peoples' but it just seems the done thing...

I suppose it depends upon the nature of the essay. If it is simply a case of expounding your own wonderful theories on life, the universe and everything, then sticking to your own theories but acknowledging where others contributed, is probably more desirable.

If, however, you're simply analysing something, it's best a mix of the two. We can assume (though perhaps unfairly) that your ideas aren't going to be unique enough to win a PhD or other high-award with nothing but themselves, so demonstrating your ability to collate a ton of other people's ideas and link them all using your ideas (or again, someone elses) is likely far more indicative of accuracy than simply garbling around working the entire thing from first principles in your head.

But then, what would I know? I'm just a whale biologist...

(theoretical physicist, actually, but the Futurama reference was funnier IMO)

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"There is only ever one truth. Things are always black or white, there's no such thing as a shade of grey. If you think that something is a shade of grey it simply means that you don't fully understand the situation. The truth is narrow and the path of the pursuit of truth is similarly narrow."

[Sketch Artist]

As much as I hate sticking other people's ideas into my own vision of an essay, it really is necessary to at least put in a couple references to critical views or outside texts. In first year I decided to rebel for one essay, and write solely using the primary text (TS Eliot's the Waste Land, in first year English). That mark still stands as the lowest I have received so far at university. It was an OK mark, but it could have been a lot better, and my tutor even specified it was because of my lack of secondary reading.

I think it's best to use secondary references sparingly but effectively, to support or complement your own unique ideas. That way, you're not rehashing someone else's views, but you show your tutor that you thoroughly investigated multiple angles and really considered the depth of the material. And if you actually couldn't be arsed, a few references sprinkled here and there are a great way of faking it..

[novium]

what school is it for? What kind of course? what is the purpose of the essay?

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tamen ira procul absit, cum qua nihil recte fieri, nihil considerate potest.

[DrAlex]

Quoting Frank from 13:26, 25th Feb 2007

But then, what would I know? I'm just a whale biologist...

Better do as he says, he's a whale biologist. Bring on the DVD movies...

[hr]

The Sinner: Where no one ever learned "if you haven't got any thing nice to say, don't say anything at all."

[Okocim]

Or if your ideas are that good - why not use them to criticise the secondary sources?

[maenad]

I don't think I could write an essay without secondary reading, but I always need to read to fully understand the historical and cultural background. That said, most of my essays seem to be made up of other people's ideas and it's frustrating. Sometimes I'll have an opinion and then find someone's already written about it and I'm scared it'll look like plagiarism if I don't footnote it. I can think of a couple of times I've put in my own interpretations of a text. Each time that passage has come back with a comment along the lines of 'Well, not necessarily/I don't agree with this'. I don't feel inspired.

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Tommy can you hear me?

[Bizarre Atheist]

The essay in question is a second-level English essay on a couple of Shakespeare plays. Many thanks for your input all, have elected to pepper my essay with a few bon mots that at least allow me to cite a few references at the bottom.

I'll be sure to post what mark it gets in a fortnight...

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[Bizarre Atheist]

The above essay got me my highest mark ever at Univeristy! 18!! I'm going to consult Sinners before all essay submissions in future.

I'm very pleased with myself.

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