I posted in the flies important readings they gave us from book use these and include at least 5-8 quality sources.
Key Things to Focus On
Clear, Structured Writing: Stay organized with clear sections and a logical flow.
Use of Evidence: Support all claims with credible sources.
Professional Tone: Match the style to the professional context you’re simulating (e.g., persuasive for an editorial, factual for an analytical report).
This detailed guide should help you fully understand how to tackle your essay! Let me know if you’d like any further clarification on specific sections.
Step 1: Choose Your Writing Style
You’re asked to replicate a writing style used in professional practice, which means you need to pick a style that aligns with your career interests. Here’s how to choose and approach each option:
Policy Briefing: This is typically written for policymakers and includes:
Key Policy Recommendations: Suggest actions or changes.
Justification: Explain why these changes are necessary based on evidence.
Implementation Plan: Provide practical steps for carrying out these recommendations.
Political Editorial: This is more like a persuasive opinion piece, often published in newspapers or journals:
Opinion/Argument: A clear stance on a political issue.
Evidence: Use statistics, historical examples, or current events to support your argument.
Persuasion: The tone should convince the reader to agree with your viewpoint.
Analytical Report: This style is common in think tanks or consultancy work:
Executive Summary: A short, concise summary of the main points of your analysis.
Detailed Analysis: Break down the issue using data, empirical evidence, or case studies.
Conclusion/Recommendations: Based on your analysis, propose potential solutions or actions.
Grant Bid: This is used to secure funding for a project:
Problem Statement: Clearly define the problem your project will solve.
Solution Plan: Detail your proposed solution and how it will work.
Justification for Resources: Explain why you need specific funds and how they will be used effectively.
Step 2: Pick a Topic
The essay must cover one of the provided topics. Choose a broad topic and then narrow it down into a more precise research question. Here’s a breakdown of potential topics and how to narrow them:
Achieving peace in the Middle East:
Narrow it to: “The Role of International Mediation in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”
Dealing with the UK asylum backlog:
Narrow it to: “Improving the Efficiency of the UK Asylum System Through Digital Tools.”
The effects of political polarization in the USA:
Narrow it to: “The Role of Social Media in Deepening Political Polarization in the USA.”
Addressing the gender pay gap and gender equality:
Narrow it to: “The Effectiveness of Recent UK Legislation in Closing the Gender Pay Gap.”
Reducing poverty without increasing inequality:
Narrow it to: “Universal Basic Income: Reducing Poverty While Managing Economic Inequality.”
Reducing global climate change successfully:
Narrow it to: “The Impact of Renewable Energy on Global Climate Change Mitigation.”
The global impact of social media on politics:
Narrow it to: “The Role of Social Media in Influencing Elections in Developing Countries.”
Global health crises and how to plan for them:
Narrow it to: “Building Pandemic Resilience: Lessons Learned from COVID-19.”
Step 3: Structure the Essay (1500 words)
Once you’ve chosen a topic and writing style, the next step is to plan the structure of your essay. You’ll need to follow the conventions of the specific style you’ve chosen.
1. Introduction (150-200 words)
The introduction should:
Introduce the issue: Provide some context for why this issue matters.
State the purpose: Clarify the objective of your essay (e.g., to provide policy recommendations, analyze a situation, argue for a viewpoint).
Preview your main argument or findings: Give a brief idea of what the reader should expect.
For example, if you’re writing a policy briefing on renewable energy and climate change, your introduction might look like this:
“This policy briefing addresses the growing urgency of global climate change and the role renewable energy plays in mitigating its effects. It proposes a strategic increase in investment into solar and wind energy, supported by evidence showing significant reductions in carbon emissions in countries leading the renewable energy transition.”
2. Main Body (1200-1300 words)
This is where you present the bulk of your research. Your approach will vary depending on the writing style:
Policy Briefing:
Section 1: Problem Overview: Explain the issue in detail (e.g., current problems with climate change).
Section 2: Policy Recommendations: Present specific recommendations (e.g., increasing renewable energy subsidies).
Section 3: Justifications: Use data or case studies to justify your recommendations.
Section 4: Implementation: Describe how the recommendations can be implemented in practice (e.g., through governmental incentives).
Political Editorial:
Section 1: Position: Clearly state your opinion on the issue.
Section 2: Evidence: Use strong evidence to support your argument, whether it’s statistical data, historical facts, or expert opinions.
Section 3: Counter-arguments: Address potential opposing views and explain why your argument is stronger.
Section 4: Conclusion: Restate your position and emphasize the importance of action.
Analytical Report:
Section 1: Executive Summary: Condense the entire analysis into a short paragraph for busy readers.
Section 2: Issue Analysis: Break down the problem using data and evidence, providing a thorough analysis.
Section 3: Evidence and Findings: Present data, charts, or case studies that back up your analysis.
Section 4: Conclusion: Summarize findings and suggest what should happen next.
Grant Bid:
Section 1: Problem Definition: What’s the key issue your project aims to solve?
Section 2: Proposed Solution: Outline your plan to solve the issue, focusing on innovation and feasibility.
Section 3: Resource Justification: Break down your funding needs and explain how each resource will be used.
3. Conclusion (150-200 words)
Summarize the key points you’ve made in your essay.
Reinforce your recommendations or final stance.
Emphasize why this issue requires attention and action now.
Step 4: Reflection (300 words)
This is where you reflect on the process and how it helped your professional development. Structure your reflection as follows:
How is this assessment different from an academic essay?
Consider the practical nature of the assignment. Unlike academic essays, this writing mirrors real-world scenarios where clarity and actionable insights are key.
What did you find useful about the assessment?
Mention how it forced you to engage with professional writing practices, learn how to simplify complex information, or practice making persuasive arguments.
What did you find difficult?
You might talk about challenges such as adapting to a specific writing style or distilling large amounts of information into a concise format.
How does this writing style connect to your career goals?
Discuss how the assignment prepares you for future work. For instance, if you want a career in policy, explain how writing policy briefings or analytical reports will be useful in your future role.
Step 5: Proofreading and Referencing
Proofreading: Carefully check your essay for clarity, coherence, and grammar. Make sure your arguments are logically structured.
Referencing: Be sure to cite all the sources you used and include a properly formatted bibliography.
3. **Conclusion** (150-200 words)
– Summarize your key points.
– Reinforce the main takeaway or call to action (especially if writing a policy briefing or editorial).
Step 4: Reflective Writing (300 words)
– **How was this different from an academic essay?** (e.g., less theoretical, more practical and focused on real-world applications).
– **What was useful about this assessment?** (e.g., learning to write in a professional context, organizing complex information).
– **What was difficult?** (e.g., adapting to a specific writing style, synthesizing large amounts of data).
– **How does this writing style connect with your career goals?** (e.g., if you’re interested in policy work, explain how writing policy briefings will be helpful).
Step 5: Proofreading and Referencing
– Make sure your essay is clearly written, with good grammar and structure.
– Reference all your sources properly and include a bibliography.
Resources to Use
Books & Journals: Use university databases to access articles on the topic you’ve chosen. Databases like JSTOR, ProQuest, or Google Scholar are great for finding academic sources.
Government Reports: For policy-related essays, government publications or official reports can provide real-world data and insight.
News Outlets: For political editorials or analysis, reputable news sources (e.g., The Guardian, BBC, The New York Times) are helpful for current events.
NGO or Think Tank Publications: If you’re writing on global issues or grant proposals, reports from organizations like the World Bank, United Nations, or think tanks like Chatham House can offer in-depth research.