Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
How to Write the Perfect Essay
to Write the Perfect Essay
Some important steps
(1) Choose a topic that interests you, and, potentially, raises some interesting
questions.
Some examples/suggestions:
– E.g.: if you choose to write on “Pyramids” Æ consider focus on HOW they
were built Æ involves thinking about what kind of Egyptian technology
, y
was available, and allows you to contrast various theories on how they
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actually managed to build that high up.
– If you write on “Women”, consider contrasting Egyptian women’s status
with that in other societies Æ allows you to make a thesis‐statement
with that in other societies Æ you to make a thesis statement such
such
as “Egyptian women were generally better off than females in other
ancient societies” (or to debunk this theory...)
– If you write on “Funerary beliefs”, you may want to outline their
development over time, or investigate what funerary practices tell us
about the belief‐system underlying them (Æ e.g. the deceased is believed
y),
to still be in contact with his family), or – inversely –
y how such a belief
system (as evinced in, for example, mummification) translates into actual
cultic practice (Æ e.g. offering cult, letters to the dead)
(2) Set up a Work Plan
• Choosing the topic is already a major step in this process!
• Next, think about a potential “Thesis statement”, or a particular question
that you would like to answer with your essay
that you would like to answer with your essay.
• Jot down notes on your Methodology: how do you plan to approach the
topic?
– Are you going to examine both sides of a debated issue, for example,
or pursue one interpretation throughout, mentioning diverging views
only on the side?
Æ This is essentially Part 1 of your First Assignment!
Tip: it is ALWAYS useful to discuss diverging opinions of scholars,
Tip: it is ALWAYS useful to discuss diverging opinions of scholars,
because it
a) Allows you to view the evidence from all sides,
b) Clarifies your own thoughts as to what interpretation you find
more convincing, and
i i d
c) Presents you as a scholar who “knows her stuff” to the reader.
(3) What are your primary(!)
primary(!) sources?
There are millions of non‐egyptologists out there who are fascinated with
the subject but are not trained to look at the actual primary sources from
the subject but are not trained to look at the actual primary sources from
Egypt Æ they are free to publish their opinions on the web (or in books),
and may beget “more of the same” Æ Speculative, “popular” discussions
of Egyptian culture.
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As a university student, you should always strive to back your claims up
with facts
Æ in Egyptology, this means Egyptian
in Egyptology, this means Egyptian texts or images, as far as available.
texts or images, as far as available.
!!! Essays with a large portion of Egyptian materials cited do
– as a general rule –
l l better than those that do not !!!
b tt th th th t d t !!!
(4) … and secondary sources?
• Compile your bibliography, of at least 5 items other than the course
notes.
• General entry‐articles in encyclopedias are fine, but you should not rely
on them entirely.
• As stated before: exercise extreme caution with web‐pages: ideally, only
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use them in support of evidence you have gleaned from the books, and
sparingly.
Only use web‐pages that are listed/have links in one of the web‐sites
cited in your course‐notes.
– (btw: it is very easy to check whether particular statements have
been copied directly from a web‐site!;
– Turnitin makes it even easier...)
• Briefly outline how the different items in your bibliography relate to your
topic, i.e. in support of which point you hope to use each individual item:
this may allow you to narrow down the items in your list, or to realize that
you need more in a particular area.
Æ This is part 2 of your First Assignment
(5) Citation format
• You are expected to credit all sources you have utilized in your resarch Æ
unacknowledged use of the words or ideas of others in any form constitutes
plagiarism
p g Æp penalized
(Æ University guide‐lines under http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice
and in your Course Notes, pp. xxxi‐ii)
Your – alphabetically organized ‐
p y g bibliography
g p y should look something like this:
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Books:
Aldred, C., Egyptian Art. London: Thames and Hudson, 1980
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Articles in edited volumes:
Allen, J.P., “The natural philosophy of Akhenaten”, in W.K. Simpson (ed.), Religion and
Philosophy in Ancient Egypt, 128‐35.
Y l E
Yale Egyptological
l i l Studies 3. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989
S di 3 N H Y l U i i P 1989
Journal Articles:
Baines, J., “Practical religion and piety”, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 73 (1987), 79‐
98
Citation in body of text
• Generally follow the following format:
(Author, Year: Page Number)
(Author Year: Page Number)
e.g. (Butzer, 1976: 15)
• Or a standard footnote format
Or a standard footnote format as your word
as your word‐processing
processing program
program
provides. 1
• When citing the same source twice, repeat either the full citation, or give
an abbreviated version:2
KG1
• When citing web‐pages, give
Author, site address (including page), and date where available.
1
K.W. Butzer, Early Hydraulic Civilization in Egypt (Chicago, 1976), 13
2 Butzer, Early Hydraulic Civilization, 15
Slide 7
Layout
• 9‐10 pages + a title page, bibliography, and illustrations
• Margins: 1 inch on either side
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• Font: 12 point, double spaced
• (Sub‐) Headings if you want
!!! The English must be comprehensible!!!
Æ use your college writing labs!
(7) Structure
• Title page (not counted)
• Introduction
– Æ “mission” or “thesis statement”, sources you use
• Discussion
• Conclusion
– Æ summing up your principal points Æ relate back to introduction.
• Bibliography
Grading Criteria
for NMC 101Y are based on the grading statement from the Arts and Sciences calendar
A number of specific elements:
1. Accuracy. Essays should be free of factual errors. Quotations should reproduce the
1 Accuracy Essays should be free of factual errors Quotations should reproduce the
words of the original exactly (in quotation marks), and summaries should be precise.
2. Research. Essays should be based on reputable and up‐to‐date academic sources such
as scholarly books and articles from scholarly journals. Students are expected to consult a
minimum of five print sources
minimum of five print sources.
3. Primary sources. Students should also try to work directly from such primary sources as
translations of ancient texts, plans or representations of buildings, and pictures of reliefs,
statuary etc.
4. Documentation. Essays must indicate the sources of their information and ideas, using
a standard system of footnotes, endnotes or parenthetical references. All references
should include page numbers. Undocumented use of the words or ideas of others
constitutes plagiarism.
5. Thesis. The essay should have a clearly defined scope and purpose explained at the
beginning and carried out throughout the essay.
6. Originality. Essays should aim at analysing the material clearly and cogently, presenting
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it in a new or different way, bringing together divergent material from different sources,
elaborating on the sources presented, and making distinctions between valid and non‐
valid arguments.
Grading Form
Grading Form
A couple
coup e o
of general
ge e a rules/hints:
u es ts:
• Research from GENERAL (Encyclopedia entry) to SPECIFIC (books or
Research from GENERAL (Encyclopedia entry) to SPECIFIC (books or
journal articles)
• Back up all your claims and important statements with citations of
sources.
• Use iWRITE at http://iwrite.utoronto.ca
Æ Use your student number as log‐in and password once set up
• Also refer to the Essay instructions in your Course‐Notes, where some more
info and links are given
info and links are given
Happy Drafting!