Draft an essay on Nelson Mandela Highlighting his life Achievment journey

Writing A Paper

An essay, report, or project often requires several sources of information to be used. This  task will be made easier by following a simple plan which includes the following seven steps. 

1. Choose wisely 
2. Narrow the topic 
3. Use a recording system 
4. Outline the paper 
5. Write the first draft 
6. Edit the paper 
7. Write the final copy 

Choose wisely 

If you are allowed a choice of topics, make sure you choose one that you know something  about. Your paper should be a well organised answer using facts to prove or support the  situation you are presenting. A good test to see whether you do know enough about the topic  is to write as many main points and facts as you can in two or three minutes. If you have  trouble doing this, you have probably chosen the wrong topic. Try another one while you  have time. 

Narrow the topic 

Don’t choose a topic that is going to take too long to complete. Find out how much you are  expected to write and organise your topic accordingly. For example, a short project on  “Australian business” would be too general a topic. It would be far better to narrow the topic  to “A major manufacturing company’s organisation structure” or “How an Australian company  markets its products or services”. This would allow you to make a selection within the topic  and fully develop your answer. In the same way an essay on “Pollution control” should be  narrowed to “Controlling water pollution”, or “Some key strategies for lowering air pollution”.

Use a recording system 

Many term papers and projects require you to use information from a number of sources.  There are many handy ways to organise your materials from good old filing card systems,  through electronic memo managers, to major referencing and note making software such as  ‘Endnotes’. Whatever your system it should enable you to record the following information; 

• Subject 
• Author(s) 
• Title  
• Date 
• Publisher 
• Page number 
• Main idea 
• Details 

When you have collected the material and recorded the information, sort it into the various  sections of the topic. Remember to give credit to any direct quote you use in your work by  using quotation marks and citing the name of the author, the date and the page number  (Refer to the pamphlet on the Author-Date Referencing System). All references must also be  listed at the end of the paper in the accepted manner. 

Outline the paper 

Think carefully about the topic and what you are going to write. Check the best way of  organising the material. Think of a good title or heading for the paper. Lay out a plan of  sections and the main points of each section to achieve a logical flow for your discussion  argument. 

Write the first draft 

Follow the outline you have prepared and write the body of your paper. Next, begin your  introduction by stating the purpose of the paper and include this in the introductory first  paragraph. Finally, finish your paper by making a conclusion in a final paragraph or section. 

Edit the paper 

Check what you have written, slowly and carefully. If possible, read the paper a day or two  after you have written the first draft. 

• Read your work aloud to make sure that it makes sense and answers the question  tasks. 
• Check for correct spelling, usage, punctuation, and sentence structure. 
• See that any pictures, tables, maps or graphs have proper headings and are in the  right place.
• Check that all references you have used are included. 

Write the final draft 

Class assignments should be produced to meet all format, protocol and academic  requirements. Do a final proof (perhaps get an independent person to read and critique)  before you submit your paper. 

Important essay and test words 

Good answers to essays and test questions often depend upon a clear understanding of the  meaning of important words. Knowledge of the subject matter you are dealing with is  essential, but the way you answer questions asking you to compare, contrast or summarise  will greatly affect your final mark. 

The following words are often used in essay questions and in tests and examinations. Make  sure you understand their meanings. 

Analyse: Work out the main parts or important features of the material and present them  clearly in your answer. e.g. Analyse the elements present in the experiment. 

Argue/argument: Put forward a case or an argument for a particular point of view. e.g.  Argue for or against the use of capital punishment. 

Compare/comparison: Look for those qualities or characteristics that are similar in the  subject you are discussing. You may mention some differences in your answer but  concentrate on aspects that are much the same. e.g. Compare the pricing strategies of  company A and company B. 

Contrast: Stress the qualities or characteristics that are different in the things you are  discussing .e.g. Contrast the leadership styles of Richard Branson and John Howard. 

Criticise: State what you think is fair judgement of the events under discussion. Give points for and against, not just against .e.g. Criticise the use of nuclear power as a source of  electricity 

Define/definition: Explain the meaning in clear, concise terms. Also show the limits of what  you are defining and the class or category to which it belongs. e.g. Define the meaning of the  term ‘motivation at work’ 

Describe/description: Try to give the reader a “word picture” of what you are describing by  including the main parts, colours, shapes, sensations etc. as vividly as possible. e.g.  Describe your workplace. 

Discuss: This term means that you should give a complete and detailed answer. Make sure  that you examine, analyse and present all points of view regarding the topic you are  discussing. e.g. Discuss the importance of empowerment in the modern workplace. 

Enumerate/list: Make a list or outline of the main points in your answer. e.g. List the key  causes of new business failure. 

Evaluate: Present a value judgement, stressing advantages and disadvantages of the  situation. e.g. Evaluate the contribution of e-business to corporate financial success.

Explain: Set forth or explain the topic clearly in all its detail and make plain the causes that  brought about the present situation. e.g. Explain why a knowledge of the Mandarin language  is becoming increasingly valuable to Australian business leaders. 

Illustrate: Give examples to help explain your answer, and if possible present a diagram,  picture or small drawing. However illustration usually requires more than making a drawing.  e.g. Illustrate the sequence of events in a corporate take-over. 

Interpret: Aim to give the meaning of the topic or point of view in the material. e.g. Interpret  the results presented in the following table. 

Justify: Prove or show evidence why certain decisions or actions have been taken. e.g.  Justify the value of a sound selection procedure. 

Narrate/relate: Tell a story or give an account of events or experiences. e.g. Narrate the  events leading to the collapse of Enron. 

Outline/Sketch: Indicate the main points and important details of the material in a systematic  arrangement, but not an extended account. e.g. Outline the key steps in writing an academic  report. 

Prove/Show: Give evidence or use logical reasoning to establish how true or genuine a  statement is in the topic. e.g. Show that people at work value independence. 

Review: Make a general survey or examination of the major points in the material. A review  can also often be a critical report of a situation or problem. e.g. Review the main arguments  for nuclear energy as a source of electricity. 

State: Set out the main points in clear, concise expression without minor details or the use of  examples. e.g. State what you think is the major influence on 21C leadership. 

Summarise: Give a brief and full presentation of the main points or statements. Leave out  minor details, illustrations and explanations. e.g. Summarise the ways manufacturing  companies can minimise pollution. 

There are other additional ‘key’ terms that could be applied to tests, examinations, or class  papers. However, knowledge of this list will be extremely valuable in helping you decide what  to do with a topic or question. A good idea is to underline or mark the key words before you  start to collect and analyse information and write your answer. This will help you to  understand what is required and will also help you to plan your work. 

Information Presentation Formats

Essay

The essay should seek to persuade readers to accept an argument or premise by providing  evidence to support and substantiate that proposition. It seeks to specifically answer a set  question. The structure of an essay usually follows the form 

• Introduction
• Establishment of a theory base 
• Discussion of the specific question using the theory base as a basis for the essay’s  argument 
• A summarising conclusion 
• List of references cited during the essay. 

Normally headings and sub-headings are not necessary. An essay should contain relevant  examples and supporting evidence and information from academic texts or resources. For a  more complete discussion of the essay form please see http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib

Report

Reports focus on a particular case or business problem. They are addressed to a ‘client’ and  usually contain recommendations in relation to the case or business problem pertinent to the  client. Reports have a format that always uses section headings. The sections of a report  follow the order 

• Title Page 
• Executive Summary 
• Table of Contents 
• Introduction 
• Literature Review 
• Methodology 
• Results 
• Discussion 
• Conclusions 
• Recommendations 
• References 
• Appendices 

For a more complete description of the report form please see  

http://www.deakin.edu.au/studentlife/academic_skills/handouts/report.php 

A literature review 

A literature review requires the student to summarise and evaluate a text or several texts  dealing with a specific topic. Books, book chapters and journal articles can be the focus of a  critical review. The selected items are read comprehensively, their content summarised and  key ideas extracted and these are subjected to an evaluation utilising relevant points of  theory for the field. Structure for a Critical Review is usually 

• Introduction 
• Summary 
• Critique 
• Conclusion 
• List of references 

For a more detailed description of Critical Reviews please see  

http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/

Annotated Bibliography

An annotated bibliography is a short account of the literature on a certain topic. It contains a  list of the relevant items in alphabetical order of author surname, with a brief summary of the  key points for each item in the list. The format for each item is generally 

• Citation 
• Introduction 
• Aims and research methods 
• Scope 
• Usefulness 
• Limitations 
• Conclusions 
• Reflection http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/

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