essay based on study skills

Essay and dissertation writing skills

Planning your essay

Writing your introduction

Structuring your essay

• Writing essays in science subjects
• Brief video guides to support essay planning and writing
• Writing extended essays and dissertations
• Planning your dissertation writing time

Structuring your dissertation

• Top tips for writing longer pieces of work

Advice on planning and writing essays and dissertations

University essays differ from school essays in that they are less concerned with what you know and more concerned with how you construct an argument to answer the question. This means that the starting point for writing a strong essay is to first unpick the question and to then use this to plan your essay before you start putting pen to paper (or finger to keyboard).

A really good starting point for you are these short, downloadable Tips for Successful Essay Writing and Answering the Question resources. Both resources will help you to plan your essay, as well as giving you guidance on how to distinguish between different sorts of essay questions. 

You may find it helpful to watch this seven-minute video on six tips for essay writing which outlines how to interpret essay questions, as well as giving advice on planning and structuring your writing:

Different disciplines will have different expectations for essay structure and you should always refer to your Faculty or Department student handbook or course Canvas site for more specific guidance.

However, broadly speaking, all essays share the following features:

Essays need an introduction to establish and focus the parameters of the discussion that will follow. You may find it helpful to divide the introduction into areas to demonstrate your breadth and engagement with the essay question. You might define specific terms in the introduction to show your engagement with the essay question; for example, ‘This is a large topic which has been variously discussed by many scientists and commentators. The principle tension is between the views of X and Y who define the main issues as…’ Breadth might be demonstrated by showing the range of viewpoints from which the essay question could be considered; for example, ‘A variety of factors including economic, social and political, influence A and B. This essay will focus on the social and economic aspects, with particular emphasis on…..’

Watch this two-minute video to learn more about how to plan and structure an introduction:

The main body of the essay should elaborate on the issues raised in the introduction and develop an argument(s) that answers the question. It should consist of a number of self-contained paragraphs each of which makes a specific point and provides some form of evidence to support the argument being made. Remember that a clear argument requires that each paragraph explicitly relates back to the essay question or the developing argument.

• Conclusion: An essay should end with a conclusion that reiterates the argument in light of the evidence you have provided; you shouldn’t use the conclusion to introduce new information.
• References: You need to include references to the materials you’ve used to write your essay. These might be in the form of footnotes, in-text citations, or a bibliography at the end. Different systems exist for citing references and different disciplines will use various approaches to citation. Ask your tutor which method(s) you should be using for your essay and also consult your Department or Faculty webpages for specific guidance in your discipline. 

Essay writing in science subjects

If you are writing an essay for a science subject you may need to consider additional areas, such as how to present data or diagrams. This five-minute video gives you some advice on how to approach your reading list, planning which information to include in your answer and how to write for your scientific audience – the video is available here:

A PDF providing further guidance on writing science essays for tutorials is available to download.

Short videos to support your essay writing skills

There are many other resources at Oxford that can help support your essay writing skills and if you are short on time, the Oxford Study Skills Centre has produced a number of short (2-minute) videos covering different aspects of essay writing, including:

• Approaching different types of essay questions  
• Structuring your essay  
• Writing an introduction  
• Making use of evidence in your essay writing  
• Writing your conclusion

Extended essays and dissertations

Longer pieces of writing like extended essays and dissertations may seem like quite a challenge from your regular essay writing. The important point is to start with a plan and to focus on what the question is asking. A PDF providing further guidance on planning Humanities and Social Science dissertations is available to download.

Planning your time effectively

Try not to leave the writing until close to your deadline, instead start as soon as you have some ideas to put down onto paper. Your early drafts may never end up in the final work, but the work of committing your ideas to paper helps to formulate not only your ideas, but the method of structuring your writing to read well and conclude firmly.

Although many students and tutors will say that the introduction is often written last, it is a good idea to begin to think about what will go into it early on. For example, the first draft of your introduction should set out your argument, the information you have, and your methods, and it should give a structure to the chapters and sections you will write. Your introduction will probably change as time goes on but it will stand as a guide to your entire extended essay or dissertation and it will help you to keep focused.

The structure of  extended essays or dissertations will vary depending on the question and discipline, but may include some or all of the following:

• The background information to - and context for - your research. This often takes the form of a literature review.
• Explanation of the focus of your work.
• Explanation of the value of this work to scholarship on the topic.
• List of the aims and objectives of the work and also the issues which will not be covered because they are outside its scope.

The main body of your extended essay or dissertation will probably include your methodology, the results of research, and your argument(s) based on your findings.

The conclusion is to summarise the value your research has added to the topic, and any further lines of research you would undertake given more time or resources. 

Tips on writing longer pieces of work

Approaching each chapter of a dissertation as a shorter essay can make the task of writing a dissertation seem less overwhelming. Each chapter will have an introduction, a main body where the argument is developed and substantiated with evidence, and a conclusion to tie things together. Unlike in a regular essay, chapter conclusions may also introduce the chapter that will follow, indicating how the chapters are connected to one another and how the argument will develop through your dissertation.

For further guidance, watch this two-minute video on writing longer pieces of work . 

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Writing critically and structuring your essay - Academic Study Skills

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Cardiff University offer a wide range of online tutorials and other study-skills support aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate taught students. These include tips on how to study more effectively, time management, what is meant by critical thinking, as well as specific guidance on writing to a university standard.

This resource was provided by Cardiff University and is part of the University Ready hub .

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Academic Skills and Writing Development

Study tips and reflections from newcastle university's academic skills team.

Tackling essay-based exams

Exam season is almost upon us and one challenge you may find yourself facing is revising for essay-based exams. These can cause a lot of anxiety, not least because essay-based assessments are often something we are used to doing over the course of several weeks. How do you plan, structure and write an essay in the space of a couple of hours? And how on earth do you revise when you don’t know what you’ll be asked? 

Read on for our guide to effective revision and exam technique for essay-based exam questions:

What are essay exams testing?

Before you jump into your revision, it can be helpful to remember that essay exams are not just testing your memory. Instead, your lecturers are looking for evidence of how well you can  apply  the knowledge you have gained throughout the course to solve a problem or answer a question under timed conditions. Therefore, whilst memory is still important – you’ll need to be able to recall that knowledge in the exam – it’s only part of the story. You’ll also need to make sure you have an in-depth understanding of that knowledge and have practiced applying it to different questions, problems, and contexts.

How do I revise for essay exams?

You may be tempted to write a ‘generic’ essay on each of the topics you’re revising and memorise them so you can repeat them in the exam room. However, keep in mind that your lecturers are asking you to solve the specific problem they’ve set for you and simply ‘dumping’ everything that’s relevant won’t address the question and is unlikely to earn you good marks.

A more effective approach to revising for essay exams is incorporating strategies that develop your understanding of the topic so you can apply your knowledge to different problems effectively. Some revision strategies you might want to try for this are:

• Questioning and interrogating the knowledge: why does this happen? How does it happen? Does it always happen this way? Is this always true? What about if we apply it to a different context? What are the implications of this?
• Try applying the knowledge to case studies or different scenarios to get a better understanding of how theory works in practice.
• Look at past papers or devise your own questions and either answer them in full or sketch out an essay plan under timed conditions. This will help you to test your recall and practice skills you’ll be using in the exam.
• Compare and weigh up different approaches to the topic. Does everyone agree on this? Why? Why not? Which perspective is stronger?
• Identify gaps in your knowledge and do some additional reading to fill them.

What about strategies for the exam itself? 

You might be used to spending hours or even days planning, writing, and editing a coursework essay and be wondering how on earth you do all of this under timed conditions. Keep in mind that your lecturers  know  that this is a big ask and they are not expecting the same level of sophistication in the way you construct your arguments that they would be looking for in a coursework essay. However, it’s still necessary that your lecturers can follow your answer and see clearly how it addresses the question so:

• Spend some time at the beginning paying attention to what the question is asking you. Our video on question analysis offers some strategies for understanding essay questions: 
• Sketch out a basic structure to follow. This needn’t be more than the main points you want to argue and the order you want to argue them in.
• Clearly state your point or communicate your main focus at the beginning of each paragraph to help your reader get their bearings and follow your argument.
• If you find yourself running out of time, write down a few bullet points around your remaining points – you may still pick up a few extra marks for this! 

Do I need to reference sources in an essay exam?  

While you won’t be expected to reference others to the extent you do in a coursework essay, it’s worth incorporating a few references to back up your points and show how you worked out your answer.

Try to memorise a couple of key arguments and/or debates made by others for each topic as well as the authors’ surname(s) and the year of the article so that you can cite it in the exam. Don’t worry about the details – just one or two lines summarising their main argument is enough.

What about other types of exams?

Exams exist in various formats in addition to the traditional essay-based exam type. For example, your course may also have multiple choice papers, vivas/oral presentations or exams relating to specific processes, techniques and interactions. All types of exams test your ability to recall and apply your subject knowledge, so most advice on revision and exam technique is applicable to different exam types. Effective revision trains your brain both to retain and to retrieve information; a process that’s equally useful for all exam formats. However, different types of exams can also present different challenges, and transitioning from online to in-person exams is a key change for this year. For more details on this and other exam-related issues, see our  ASK Exams Collection  and our  calendar  for upcoming workshops on revision and exam preparation.

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12 Ways to Quickly Improve Your Academic Essay Writing Skills

#scribendiinc

Written by  Scribendi

Anyone can learn to produce an academic essay if they begin with a few basic essay-writing rules. 

An academic essay must be based upon a solid but debatable thesis, supported by relevant and credible evidence, and closed with a succinct and thorough conclusion.

By adhering to the best way to write an essay, you can create valuable, persuasive papers even when you're under a time crunch!

What Makes a Good Essay?

As previously noted, the foundation of any good academic essay is its thesis statement. 

Do not confuse your thesis with your opening sentence. There are many good ways to start an essay , but few essays immediately present their main ideas.

After you draft your thesis, you can begin to develop your essay around it. This development will include the main supporting points of your essay, which will scaffold its main body. 

Essays also typically include a relevant and compelling introduction and conclusion.

Learn How to Write a Great Thesis Statement .

Understanding How to Write a Good Essay

When writing an academic essay, you must take a number of qualities and characteristics into careful consideration. Focus, development, unity, coherence, and correctness all play critical roles when it comes to distinguishing an exceptional essay from one that is less than perfect.

The following essay-writing tips can help writers organize, format, and support their essays in ways that fit their intended purpose and optimize their overall persuasiveness. Here are 12 essay tips for developing and writing your next academic paper.

1. Know What You Are Going to Write About Before You Start Writing

While untrained writers might just sit down and start typing, educated and experienced writers know that there are many steps to writing an essay.

In short, you should know what you want to say before you type a single word. The easiest way to narrow down a thesis and create a proper argument is to make a basic outline before you begin composing your essay.

Your outline should consist of rough notes that sketch out your introduction (including your thesis), the body of your essay (which should include separate paragraphs that present your main supporting points with plenty of evidence and examples), and your conclusion (which ties everything together and connects the argument back to your thesis).

2. Acquire a Solid Understanding of Basic Grammar, Punctuation, and Style

Before getting into more refined essay-writing techniques, you must have a solid grasp of grammar, punctuation, and style. Without these writing fundamentals, it will be difficult to communicate your ideas effectively and ensure that they are taken seriously.

Grammar basics include subject and verb agreement, correct article and pronoun use, and well-formed sentence structures. Make sure you know the proper uses for the most common forms of punctuation. Be mindful of your comma usage and know when a period is needed.

Finally, voice is tremendously important in academic essay writing. Employ language that is as concise as possible. Avoid transition words that don't add anything to the sentence and unnecessary wordiness that detracts from your argument.

Furthermore, use the active voice instead of the passive whenever possible (e.g., "this study found" instead of "it was found by this study"). This will make your essay's tone clear and direct.

3. Use the Right Vocabulary and Know What the Words You Are Using Actually Mean

How you use language is important, especially in academic essay writing. When writing an academic essay, remember that you are persuading others that you are an expert who argues intelligently about your topic.

Using big words just to sound smart often results in the opposite effect—it is easy to detect when someone is overcompensating in their writing.

If you aren't sure of the exact meaning of a word, you risk using it incorrectly. There's no shame in checking, and it might save you from an embarrassing word misuse later!

Using obscure language can also detract from the clarity of your argument—you should consider this before pulling out a thesaurus to change a perfectly appropriate word to something completely different.

4. Understand the Argument and Critically Analyze the Evidence

While writing a good essay, your main argument should always be at the front of your mind. While it's tempting to go off on a tangent about an interesting side note, doing so makes your writing less concise.

Always question the evidence you include in your essay; ask yourself, "Does this directly support my thesis?" If the answer is "no," then that evidence should probably be excluded. 

When you are evaluating evidence, be critical and thorough. You want to use the strongest research to back up your thesis. It is not enough to simply present evidence in support of an argument. A good writer must also explain why the evidence is relevant and supportive.

Everything you include should clearly connect to your topic and argument.   

5. Know How to Write a Conclusion That Supports Your Research

One of the most overlooked steps to writing an essay is the conclusion. Your conclusion ties all your research together and proves your thesis. It should not be a restatement of your introduction or a copy-and-paste of your thesis.

A strong conclusion briefly outlines the key evidence discussed in the body of an essay and directly ties it to the thesis to show how the evidence proves or disproves the main argument of your research.

Countless great essays have been written only to be derailed by vague, weakly worded conclusions. Don't let your next essay become one of those.     

6. Build a Solid Thesis to Support Your Arguments

A thesis is the main pillar of an essay. By selecting a specific thesis, you'll be able to develop arguments to support your central opinion. Consider writing about a unique experience or your own particular view of a topic .

Your thesis should be clear and logical, but it should also be debatable. Otherwise, it might be difficult to support it with compelling arguments.

7. Develop an Interesting Opening Paragraph to Hook In Readers from the Get-Go

No matter how you begin your essay, you must strive to capture the reader's interest immediately. If your opening paragraph doesn't catch the eye and engage the brain, any attempt at persuasion may end before the essay even starts. 

The beginning of your essay is crucial for setting the stage for your thesis.

8. Always Remember to Edit and Proofread Your Essay

Any decent writer will tell you that writing is really rewriting. A good academic essay will inevitably go through multiple drafts as it slowly takes shape. When you arrive at a final draft, you must make sure that it is as close to perfect as possible.

This means subjecting your essay to close and comprehensive editing and proofreading processes. In other words, you must read your paper as many times as necessary to eliminate all grammar/punctuation mistakes and typos.

It is helpful to have a third party review your work. Consider consulting a peer or professional editing service. Keep in mind that professional editors are able to help you identify underdeveloped arguments and unnecessarily wordy language, and provide other feedback.

Get Critical Feedback on Your Writing

Hire an expert academic editor , or get a free sample, 9. when developing your essay's main body, build strong and relevant arguments.

Every sentence in the main body of your paper should explain and support your thesis. When deciding how much evidence to include in an academic essay, a good guideline is to include at least three main supporting arguments.

Those main supporting arguments, in turn, require support in the form of relevant facts, figures, examples, analogies, and observations. 

You will need to engage in appropriate research to accomplish this. To organize your research efforts, you may want to develop a list of good research questions . 

10. Choose the Format of Your Essay before Writing It

The final shape that your essay takes depends a great deal on what kind of format you use. Popular college essay format types include the Modern Language Association of America ( MLA ), American Psychological Association ( APA ), and Chicago Manual of Style ( Chicago style).

These formats govern everything from capitalization rules to source citation. Often, professors dictate a specific format for your essay. If they do not, you should choose the format that best suits your field.

11. Create Clear Transitions between Your Ideas

Although unnecessary transition words are the enemy of clarity and concision, they can be invaluable tools when it comes to separating and connecting the different sections of your essay. 

Not only do they help you express your ideas but they also bring a cohesive structure to your sentences and a pleasant flow to your writing. Just be sure that you are using the right transition words for the right purpose and to the proper effect.

12. Always Include an Organized Reference Page at the End of Your Essay

As a key component of MLA, APA, and Chicago Style formatting, the reference or Works Cited page is an essential part of any academic essay.

Regardless of the format used, the reference page must be well organized and easy to read so that your audience can see exactly where your outside information came from. 

To produce a properly formatted reference page, you may have to familiarize yourself with specialized phrases and abbreviations, such as " et al ." 

How to Write a Good Hook for an Essay

The key to a good hook is to introduce an unexplored or absorbing line of inquiry in your introduction that addresses the main point of your thesis. 

By carefully choosing your language and slowly revealing details, you can build reader anticipation for what follows. 

Much like an actual worm-baited fishing hook, a successful hook will lure and capture readers, allowing the writer to "reel them in."

How to Get Better at Writing Essays

You can get better at writing essays the same way that you improve at anything else: practice, practice, practice! However, there are a few ways that you can improve your writing quickly so you can turn in a quality academic essay on time.

In addition to following the 12 essay tips and guidelines above, you can familiarize yourself with a few common practices and structures for essay development. 

Great writing techniques for essays include brainstorming and tree diagrams, especially when coming up with a topic for your thesis statement. Becoming familiar with different structures for organizing your essay (order of importance, chronological, etc.) is also extremely helpful.

How to Write a Good Introduction for an Essay

To learn how to write a good essay, you must also learn how to write a good introduction. 

Most effective essay introductions begin with relatively broad and general subject matter and then gradually narrow in focus and scope until they arrive at something extremely specific: the thesis. This is why writers tend to place their thesis statements at the very end of their introductory paragraph(s).

Because they are generally broad and often relate only tangentially to an essay's main point, there is virtually no limit on what the beginning of a good introduction can look like. However, writers still tend to rely on somewhat cliché opening sentences, such as quotations and rhetorical questions.

How to Write a Good Conclusion for an Essay

Briefly put, a good conclusion does two things. It wraps up any loose ends and drives home the main point of your essay. 

To learn how to write a good conclusion, you will want to ensure that no unanswered questions remain in the reader's mind. A good conclusion will restate the thesis and reinforce the essay's main supporting points.

Take Your Essay from Good to Great

About the author.

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing turn into a great one after the editing process. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained nearly 20 degrees collectively. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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"The Complete Beginner's Guide to Academic Writing"

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• How to Do Research for an Excellent Essay: The Complete Guide

One of the biggest secrets to writing a good essay is the Boy Scouts’ motto: ‘be prepared’. Preparing for an essay – by conducting effective research – lays the foundations for a brilliant piece of writing, and it’s every bit as important as the actual writing part. Many students skimp on this crucial stage, or sit in the library not really sure where to start; and it shows in the quality of their essays. This just makes it easier for you to get ahead of your peers, and we’re going to show you how. In this article, we take you through what you need to do in order to conduct effective research and use your research time to best effect.

Allow enough time

First and foremost, it’s vital to allow enough time for your research. For this reason, don’t leave your essay until the last minute . If you start writing without having done adequate research, it will almost certainly show in your essay’s lack of quality. The amount of research time needed will vary according to whether you’re at Sixth Form or university, and according to how well you know the topic and what teaching you’ve had on it, but make sure you factor in more time than you think you’ll need. You may come across a concept that takes you longer to understand than you’d expected, so it’s better to allow too much time than too little.

Read the essay question and thoroughly understand it

If you don’t have a thorough understanding of what the essay question is asking you to do, you put yourself at risk of going in the wrong direction with your research. So take the question, read it several times and pull out the key things it’s asking you to do. The instructions in the question are likely to have some bearing on the nature of your research. If the question says “Compare”, for example, this will set you up for a particular kind of research, during which you’ll be looking specifically for points of comparison; if the question asks you to “Discuss”, your research focus may be more on finding different points of view and formulating your own.

Begin with a brainstorm

Start your research time by brainstorming what you already know. Doing this means that you can be clear about exactly what you’re already aware of, and you can identify the gaps in your knowledge so that you don’t end up wasting time by reading books that will tell you what you already know. This gives your research more of a direction and allows you to be more specific in your efforts to find out certain things. It’s also a gentle way of introducing yourself to the task and putting yourself in the right frame of mind for learning about the topic at hand.

Achieve a basic understanding before delving deeper

If the topic is new to you and your brainstorm has yielded few ideas, you’ll need to acquire a basic understanding of the topic before you begin delving deeper into your research. If you don’t, and you start by your research by jumping straight in at the deep end, as it were, you’ll struggle to grasp the topic. This also means that you may end up being too swayed by a certain source, as you haven’t the knowledge to question it properly. You need sufficient background knowledge to be able to take a critical approach to each of the sources you read. So, start from the very beginning. It’s ok to use Wikipedia or other online resources to give you an introduction to a topic, though bear in mind that these can’t be wholly relied upon. If you’ve covered the topic in class already, re-read the notes you made so that you can refresh your mind before you start further investigation.

Working through your reading list

If you’ve been given a reading list to work from, be organised in how you work through each of the items on it. Try to get hold of as many of the books on it as you can before you start, so that you have them all easily to hand, and can refer back to things you’ve read and compare them with other perspectives. Plan the order in which you’re going to work through them and try to allocate a specific amount of time to each of them; this ensures that you allow enough time to do each of them justice and that focus yourself on making the most of your time with each one. It’s a good idea to go for the more general resources before honing in on the finer points mentioned in more specialised literature. Think of an upside-down pyramid and how it starts off wide at the top and becomes gradually narrower; this is the sort of framework you should apply to your research.

Ask a librarian

Library computer databases can be confusing things, and can add an extra layer of stress and complexity to your research if you’re not used to using them. The librarian is there for a reason, so don’t be afraid to go and ask if you’re not sure where to find a particular book on your reading list. If you’re in need of somewhere to start, they should be able to point you in the direction of the relevant section of the library so that you can also browse for books that may yield useful information.

Use the index

If you haven’t been given specific pages to read in the books on your reading list, make use of the index (and/or table of contents) of each book to help you find relevant material. It sounds obvious, but some students don’t think to do this and battle their way through heaps of irrelevant chapters before finding something that will be useful for their essay.

Taking notes

As you work through your reading, take notes as you go along rather than hoping you’ll remember everything you’ve read. Don’t indiscriminately write down everything – only the bits that will be useful in answering the essay question you’ve been set. If you write down too much, you risk writing an essay that’s full of irrelevant material and getting lower grades as a result. Be concise, and summarise arguments in your own words when you make notes (this helps you learn it better, too, because you actually have to think about how best to summarise it). You may want to make use of small index cards to force you to be brief with what you write about each point or topic. We’ve covered effective note-taking extensively in another article, which you can read here . Note-taking is a major part of the research process, so don’t neglect it. Your notes don’t just come in useful in the short-term, for completing your essay, but they should also be helpful when it comes to revision time, so try to keep them organised.

Research every side of the argument

Never rely too heavily on one resource without referring to other possible opinions; it’s bad academic practice. You need to be able to give a balanced argument in an essay, and that means researching a range of perspectives on whatever problem you’re tackling. Keep a note of the different arguments, along with the evidence in support of or against each one, ready to be deployed into an essay structure that works logically through each one. If you see a scholar’s name cropping up again and again in what you read, it’s worth investigating more about them even if you haven’t specifically been told to do so. Context is vital in academia at any level, so influential figures are always worth knowing about.

Keep a dictionary by your side

You could completely misunderstand a point you read if you don’t know what one important word in the sentence means. For that reason, it’s a good idea to keep a dictionary by your side at all times as you conduct your research. Not only does this help you fully understand what you’re reading, but you also learn new words that you might be able to use in your forthcoming essay or a future one . Growing your vocabulary is never a waste of time!

Start formulating your own opinion

As you work through reading these different points of view, think carefully about what you’ve read and note your own response to different opinions. Get into the habit of questioning sources and make sure you’re not just repeating someone else’s opinion without challenging it. Does an opinion make sense? Does it have plenty of evidence to back it up? What are the counter-arguments, and on balance, which sways you more? Demonstrating your own intelligent thinking will set your essay apart from those of your peers, so think about these things as you conduct your research.

Be careful with web-based research

Although, as we’ve said already, it’s fine to use Wikipedia and other online resources to give you a bit of an introduction to a topic you haven’t covered before, be very careful when using the internet for researching an essay. Don’t take Wikipedia as gospel; don’t forget, anybody can edit it! We wouldn’t advise using the internet as the basis of your essay research – it’s simply not academically rigorous enough, and you don’t know how out of date a particular resource might be. Even if your Sixth Form teachers may not question where you picked up an idea you’ve discussed in your essays, it’s still not a good habit to get into and you’re unlikely to get away with it at a good university. That said, there are still reliable academic resources available via the internet; these can be found in dedicated sites that are essentially online libraries, such as JSTOR. These are likely to be a little too advanced if you’re still in Sixth Form, but you’ll almost certainly come across them once you get to university.

Look out for footnotes

In an academic publication, whether that’s a book or a journal article, footnotes are a great place to look for further ideas for publications that might yield useful information. Plenty can be hidden away in footnotes, and if a writer is disparaging or supporting the ideas of another academic, you could look up the text in question so that you can include their opinion too, and whether or not you agree with them, for extra brownie points.

Don’t save doing all your own references until last

If you’re still in Sixth Form, you might not yet be required to include academic references in your essays, but for the sake of a thorough guide to essay research that will be useful to you in the future, we’re going to include this point anyway (it will definitely come in useful when you get to university, so you may as well start thinking about it now!). As you read through various books and find points you think you’re going to want to make in your essays, make sure you note down where you found these points as you go along (author’s first and last name, the publication title, publisher, publication date and page number). When you get to university you will be expected to identify your sources very precisely, so it’s a good habit to get into. Unfortunately, many students forget to do this and then have a difficult time of going back through their essay adding footnotes and trying to remember where they found a particular point. You’ll save yourself a great deal of time and effort if you simply note down your academic references as you go along. If you are including footnotes, don’t forget to add each publication to a main bibliography, to be included at the end of your essay, at the same time.

Putting in the background work required to write a good essay can seem an arduous task at times, but it’s a fundamental step that can’t simply be skipped. The more effort you put in at this stage, the better your essay will be and the easier it will be to write. Use the tips in this article and you’ll be well on your way to an essay that impresses!

To get even more prepared for essay writing you might also want to consider attending an Oxford Summer School .

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• Peterborough

Studying for Essay Exams

• Can you study for an essay exam? 
• The challenge of essay exams
• Study Strategy 1: Create a study guide
• Study Strategy 2: Try to guess the questions
• Study Strategy 3: Study from old exams
• Study Strategy 4: Outline or write possible answers
• Study Strategy 5: Study in a group

Can you study for an essay exam?

Yes, you can! Many students mistakenly think that, because essay exams focus on analysis rather than memorization, they cannot really “study” for an essay exam. However, essay exams generally require you to pull together information from different parts of the course to create a coherent answer and to support an interpretation with specific examples. That is pretty hard to do well if you haven’t studied the course material! Indeed, there are a number of study strategies that are well-suited to preparing for an essay exam.

The Challenge of Essay Exams

Essay exams require you to interpret a complex and often lengthy question, develop a coherent thesis statement that addresses this question, and write an essay that provides specific evidence to develop and support this thesis. And, it requires you to do all of this under time pressure.

Meeting these challenges will require that you study in ways that will allow you to recognize both the major themes and ideas of the course as well as the specific facts, events, authors, or examples that are associated with those themes.

Study Strategy 1: Create a Study Guide

Essay exams require you to show connections between details, to gather up the specifics and tie them together with the major themes of the course. One of the best ways to prepare for this is to create a study guide.

A study guide is a document that attempts to identify the major themes and synthesize information from different units or weeks of the course. In a study guide, you list information from different units together under thematic categories. Here are some tips on creating a good study guide.

Step 1 : Read through lecture notes and reading notes and list the main themes of the class. This is not a list of facts, dates, events or authors, but of themes and ideas.  For example, in your History 1500, this would NOT be a list of events or dates. It would be themes: terror and the state, religion and terror, technology and terror. In English 1000, your list would NOT be a list of authors or books that you have read. Instead, it would be a list of themes that are common to them: literary techniques, self and society, gender etc.

Step 2 : Now go back and read through your notes again. This time, you are looking for details such as authors, key terms, events, and examples. Use these details to flesh out your study guide and to show how the details build your understanding of the themes.

Sample Study Guide for History 1500

Theme: Religion and Terror

Module: Witch Craze

• Catholicism and beliefs in white and dark magic
• The Reformation/Wars of Religion brought social, cultural, and economic disruption, which bred anxiety.
• Most intense hunting = 1550-1650 (religious wars = c.1540-1648)
• Proximity to religious tension increases tendency to burn witches

Module: Crusades – List relevant examples

Study Strategy 2: Try to Guess the Questions

When professors write essay questions, they usually review the material they have covered and try to choose topics that will require students to bring together the major themes of the course. By guessing the questions that will be on the exam, you will engage in the same process. Look through your syllabus, lecture and reading notes, and study guide. What concepts or themes have been developed throughout the term? What questions would you ask if you were the professor?

Study Strategy 3: Study from Old Exams

While you are guessing the questions and preparing for an essay exam, it can be very helpful to consult previous exams in the course. While it is unlikely that a professor would use exactly the same questions again on your exam, it can be helpful to get a sense of the types of questions that have been asked in the past. Some professors share old exams with their classes. However, in classes where this is not the case, you can seek out sample questions from your textbook, syllabus, or assignment instructions. There are great online sources of sample questions from textbook publishers, but take caution when searching online. Some sites that crowdsource student work encourage acts of academic dishonesty; students should  never share old exam questions or answers. 

Study Strategy 4: Outline or Write Possible Answers

Trying to identify what questions might be on the exam is, of course, only one part of studying for the exam. You also need to try to create answers to these questions. You can do this by outlining answers. Begin with a clear thesis that addresses the question, and then create a section of the outline that develops each part of your thesis. Finally, add in specific examples that you would use to support your ideas in the appropriate section.

You can also write full answers to the essay questions you devise as you study. The act of writing will help you to remember the material, and although the identical question may not appear on the exam, you will usually be able to employ the connections and supporting details in a response that addresses similar issues.

Study Strategy 5: Study in a Group

One of the best ways to learn material is to talk about it with others. As you do, you deepen your understanding not only by having to explain concepts or themes to others but also by hearing their perspective on the central issues of the course.

While you will ultimately take an exam, and thus need to know course information, on your own, study groups can be a great supplement to independent study activities. Each group member could come prepared with one or two potential exam questions, and then other group members could try to answer them. Or, the entire group could review the course syllabus together and identify central themes or particularly challenging material. Through the process of discussing the information with others, you will increase your understanding and thus be studying for your essay exam.

Home Essay Examples Education Study Skills

Study Skills: My Learning Journey

• Category Education
• Subcategory Learning
• Topic Study Skills

Study Skills: My Learning Journey 

This assignment will discuss my learning journey as a mature student, as I return to higher education with an aim of registering as a nurse. I started my journey with the University Certificate course as my stepping-stone and my first module being Study Skills, which I am going to be reflecting on in this discussion. I am going to focus mainly on three topics, procrastination, time management and motivation, I chose those three topics because they are the ones I seem to have struggled with the most. I also aim to reflect on the challenges which I encountered with those topics and how I have managed to overcome them in my learning journey with the help of Study skills, which has helped me to understand the type of learner that I am and what works best for me. On this reflection discussion I have chosen to use Gibbs reflective module, because of the way it is laid out. I feel it gives the reader a clear understanding of my journey and what I could do better next time.

Description

At the beginning of my course I found myself struggling quite a lot with procrastination. According to Steel, (2007) “To procrastinate is to voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse of the delay”. It was very difficult for me to bring myself to do my work, instead I would find myself on social media or making unnecessary phone calls to friends, just to delay starting my assignments. According to Tefula, (2014:8) he states that they are four Ps of procrastination: (1) Probability of pay off (2) Pursuit of pleasure (3) Prevention of pain (4) Postponement of punishment (or Payoff). Out of the four mentioned they are two which were quite significate in my journey. Probability of pay off which means, we prefer tasks in which we are likely to achieve more, compared to those we are less likely to excel Tefula, (2014:1). In my situation I lacked confidence, had low self-esteem and so much fear of failure, I never thought I would accomplish any tasks set before me. Self-esteem has been reviewed as a frame of mind towards self (Rosenberg, 1965), this has both emotional and functional elements as in all attitudes. Nevertheless, it is often believed that self-esteem is essentially based on our emotions (Alan, 2012:36). In addition, the fact that I am Dyslexia did not help in doubting myself, as l would say to myself am not good enough like the other students. I felt they picked up stuff quicker and understood straightway what was being asked off us, better than myself. Alan, 2012:46) states that, students with low self-esteem lack a straightforward, coherent and cohesive perception of who they are and have less specific opinions of what they are like relative to others. Fear of failure affects procrastination tendencies especially when combined with low performance which can prevent us from meeting our deadlines on assigned tasks Tefula, (2014:12). The second P is Postponement of punishment (or Payoff) which means, it is unchallenging to postpone work because the outcome gives satisfaction, as stated by (Tefula,2014:12). With postponement of punishment, it affected me in a way, because I would find excuses to put off the work I had before me. I would tell myself I can do it the next day, and instead will choose to do other things like go on my social media or catch up on my favourite television shows because I found that to be more fun and interesting than doing my assignments or any of my course tasks so because of all these delays and setbacks I found myself having to work under so much pressure because of time.

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This then influenced my time management, having a good sense of time management involves making sure that the task at hand is well understood with a goal in mind, whilst also considering the priorities and making use of the time that is available (Craig, 2009). As a single parent trying to run a home single-handedly was a challenge on its own, without the added pressure of university work on top of everything else, and my ability to manage time effectively was very poor at the beginning of my course. McMillian and Weyers (2012) suggest that organising of everyday activities using a diary or calendar helps a person to think diligently about their time.

As I lacked organization, prioritizing and planning in my day to day life. Despite having full days, where does the time go? Moore et al., (2010). I found myself not copying and sometimes becoming very stressed as I ended up having so much work to do and not enough time, because of poor time management. Poor time management can cause you to end up stressed, which may also affect your mental health and emotional wellbeing (Bloomsbury, 2010). I felt as if my life had changed overnight, and now I had loads of things to do but still could not manage (Forsyth, 2016) suggest that organisation and time management go hand- in- hand. My motivation was deflected, to the extent that I forgot my main and most important goal of what I wanted to achieve, becoming a registered nurse, something I have been passionate about for a very long time (Mclean, 2012:9) when we do stuff for our own purpose, pleasure and satisfaction it gives us sense of gratification throughout a task, this is when we are intrinsically motivated, however, progress in any form of study specifically needs learners to adhere to both intrinsic and extrinsic forms of motivation, working on an assignment is rewarding for intrinsic purposes but also improves academic success. It was really challenging for me without self-motivation. Motivation is what drives our actions and movements to doing something (Beck 2004). It is hard to commit to something without the drive to succeed (Moore et. al. 2010). I soon realised I had to practice self-determination, which is any attempt to influence change, behaviour, emotions and opinions (Mclean, 2012:9). Self-determination and self-motivation became my driving force.

On reflection, I feel if I had been more organised from the start, I would not have gone through the stress. Having to work under pressure with not enough time was quite frustrating for me. I felt I had let myself down and should have done better. Alternatively, I feel it made me focus and pushed me to create time and work towards completing my assignment, rather than relax.

On understanding and learning more through Study Skills, I realised my strength was motivation, because once I knew how to self-motivate, I realised I worked better and pushed myself towards my goal. “The best moments occur when a person’s mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worth-while’ (Alderman,2004:132). I motivated myself by writing down small realistic goals to be completed in a week and learned to work towards them and achieve my goal within the time scale, for example, my goal would be to write at least 500 words per week towards an assignment. My weaknesses were, procrastination and time management, I think I could have done better if I had not wasted so much precious time putting off doing my work.

Cottrell, S. (2019) suggest that lack of motivation can lead to increased levels of stress and she goes on to say it can also have an effect on student’s performance regardless of how much one enjoys the topic or how much one wants to achieve a good score. They are situations where student’s find themselves, weak and begins to question if it is even worth doing. This is also supported by Zeller, D (2018) who states that procrastination will result in unmanageable workloads as deadlines approach. In addition, he goes on to say the burden does not go away by putting off doing the task at hand, but instead the inability of doing it can induce either emotional distress or physical stress caused by sleep deprivation. Furthermore, Nayak, S.G (2018) suggests that student’s progress reflects on how well they manage their time. She expands by saying, implementing change is very crucial where time management is concerned, when good time management is applied correctly it produces increased productivity, less tension, better performance and more incentives for academic development. By comparison if not handled efficiently it may lead to outcomes such as missed deadlines and not up to standard work. She stresses that individuals who are, able to manage their time effectively tend to achieve great results with less strain and gain more personal growth. This is supported by a study carried out by (Ghiasvand et al., 2017) students who have acquired the skill of managing their time well tend to achieve better academically and they also go on to use this skill in their professional lives, the effort of this achievement is referred to as academic motivation, but there are still some nursing students who find themselves stressed and anxious because of inadequate academic motivation which can result in poor performances or quitting all together. They also carried out a study were 441 student nurses took part. This study showed that half of the students were at a moderate level of time management skill. According to this outcome, it is important to develop time management skills, this will help minimize levels of stress within students and at the same time increase academic motivation.

According to an analysis carried out by Hussain et al., (2010) shows that procrastination is common in most university students, their research suggests that procrastination influences student attainment and self-belief, which tends to lead to lack of dedication, lack of motivation, poor time management and emotional stress. In addition to this O’Callaghan et al., (2008) concluded that extreme procrastinators are more likely to suffer from academic strain and worry. Hussain et al., (2010) further suggests that procrastination has an adverse effect on student’s performance, which will result in them getting low grades and it can also induce fear of failure. They also state a few steps to help manage or mitigate procrastination: accessing adequate guidance and counselling provided by your university, taking all constructive feedback from tutors positively and using it to perform better in future, creating good ties, communicating issues and finding effective solutions.

From this experience, I have gained a broader understanding of effective time management, with help from Cottrell, S., (2019: 127) she listed 10 steps to good time management. Following these steps has had an overall impact of my learning journey, once you know how to manage your time well everything else falls in place. Another area where I have developed is Self-efficacy skills (Cottrell, S., 2019:21) suggests that effective self-control is important in further education because of the high demands in independent development and personal freedom. She listed 10 qualities which help reduce the challenges I faced earlier into my study, once I started to apply these qualities into my learning journey, I realised how effective they were and wish I had followed this from the start, it would have reduced the levels of stress and worry I subjected myself to.

Action Plan

For my future personal development, I am going to use the S.M.A.R.T GOAL: Goals help to you focus on key tasks and clarify a way forward. Having a study timetable and goals provide structure and guide you in a focused way. They focus on your personal learning and development by tracking your success. This in turn increases confidence and morale (Skills you need, 2016)

SPECIFIC: First: I intend on working on managing my mindset, I feel this will help me understand how I think, what triggers my stress, how best to deal with it and how to avoid such challenges in future. Second: I will work on developing my resilience as a student, because this is one area I really struggled with, when it came to juggling family and my studies. Cottrell, (2019:162) suggests 4 points on how resilience contributes to success:

• It gives you the ability to handle situations when they become difficult.
• It offers an understanding of how to get back up, and manage problems as they arise
• It boosts faith in yourself, even when things or situations do not appear right.
• It builds your courage to take chances, engage, and boosts your willingness to experiences new things.

Third: I want to work on improving effective time managing skills, I feel that once I gain the ability to successfully manage my time, this will help reduce workloads and working under pressure.

Fourth: I want to work on keeping myself motivated. Cottrell, (2019:113) highlights some of the signs of weak motivation, I experienced in the journey, “finding excuses not to study, not being able to settle down to study, losing interest, becoming easily distracted and giving up quickly”.

I feel that once I apply all the above, mentioned strategies it will be easier to manage procrastination.

MEASURABLE: I am going to create a quiet study area at home, organise my books and everything I need when studying. When I get an assignment, I will look at the time scale I have to complete it and add it into my planner. I will then work out from everything else I have in my planner, what I can prioritize and divide my time accordingly, I intent to study at least 2 hours, three days a week and leave weekends for family.

ACHIEVEABLE: My 2 hours of study, three days a week are very possible because, I am usually free when kids are in school and every evening when they go to bed. This will give me time to either work on any assignment or reading this will also keep me motivated.

REALISTIC: For my intended days of study, I will do meals preparation earlier than I normally would and attend to house chores as soon as kids are off to school, during holidays I will work in the evenings when they are in bed.

TIME-BOUND: My short-term goal is to achieve 6-8 hours of study time a week. My long-term goal is to increase my study time to at least between 10-13 hours a week, this I hope to achieve by the end of the year.

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A (Very) Simple Way to Improve Your Writing

• Mark Rennella

It’s called the “one-idea rule” — and any level of writer can use it.

The “one idea” rule is a simple concept that can help you sharpen your writing, persuade others by presenting your argument in a clear, concise, and engaging way. What exactly does the rule say?

• Every component of a successful piece of writing should express only one idea.
• In persuasive writing, your “one idea” is often the argument or belief you are presenting to the reader. Once you identify what that argument is, the “one-idea rule” can help you develop, revise, and connect the various components of your writing.
• For instance, let’s say you’re writing an essay. There are three components you will be working with throughout your piece: the title, the paragraphs, and the sentences.
• Each of these parts should be dedicated to just one idea. The ideas are not identical, of course, but they’re all related. If done correctly, the smaller ideas (in sentences) all build (in paragraphs) to support the main point (suggested in the title).

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Most advice about writing looks like a long laundry list of “do’s and don’ts.” These lists can be helpful from time to time, but they’re hard to remember … and, therefore, hard to depend on when you’re having trouble putting your thoughts to paper. During my time in academia, teaching composition at the undergraduate and graduate levels, I saw many people struggle with this.

• MR Mark Rennella is Associate Editor at HBP and has published two books, Entrepreneurs, Managers, and Leaders and The Boston Cosmopolitans .  

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Effective Study Skills, Essay Example

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Students must know themselves and adapt effective study skills to be effective learners. The attitude and approach towards learning determines the success of a student. Most of the successful students have learned how to prioritize stuff while working smarter, and not harder. Study skills helps one understand more about how learning tailor to an individual’s thinking styles (Lengefeld 69). Effective studying skills revolve around the knowledge of one’s learning style, time management, and self-organization among many other factors that this paper discusses.

Learning styles are the different approaches to retaining knowledge. It would be best to find one’s learning style whether visual, kinesthetic, or auditory. To process information learners must rely on their senses and it is essential to learn the style that applies to every individual. If, for example, a person learns by listening, he /she should not adopt a visual learning style. It would be more effective for him /her to use techniques that focus on auditory styles. Such students should attend lectures, take notes and consult peers to ascertain that they have the correct details. They should involve them selves in discussion groups, dialogues and debates to achieve their goal of obtaining knowledge.  A kinesthetic learner retains information best through experience (Lengefeld 15). In the kinesthetic tactile, students learn by being involved in physical activities like movements and demonstrations.  A kinesthetic learner could gain nothing or rather remarkably little  knowledge in learning activities that involve  purely involve  listening and viewing, as they would lose interest unusually fast. Such learners should involve themselves in drama, games, and learn to memorize their studies using body language and gestures. A visual learner is one who learns through observation. They are proficient in recalling what they saw especially in diagrams, charts, graphs, and videos. They use written notes to learn and draw instructions. Such students advised to use handouts for studying, and make sure they watch subject related films gain knowledge. They should try as much as possible to make diagrams from notes to gain a better understanding. The other learning styles include tactile learning where learners learn best by touching and manipulating objects. Such students perform well in practical studies. There are the active learners who gain knowledge through discussion groups, and the reflective learners who learn by thinking.

The other trick behind learning is time management. Time is as precious as the money spent on education (Martens MJC et al. 189). For best results in managing time, one ought to develop a schedule.  A schedule assigns time for every activity of the day. It allocates class time, lab time, social work time, study time, recreation time, and some free time for any emergencies, that may arise. Study time planned strategically to be at a time when one is rested, relaxed, and alert. Weekly schedule works well with minimum time wastage.

Self-organization marks a particularly crucial strategy to developing effective study skills. Self-organization is all about being able to manage all the workload entailed in every subject. The questions behind self-organization in learning include:

1)        When should one study lecture courses?

2)        How and when, should one-study recitation courses?

3)        How should one plan a schedule?

4)        How should one use time?

5)        Where and when should one study?

6)        When should one start revising for exams?

With these above questions in mind, one can organize him/herself perfectly. A study schedule will allocate the daily activities and the lecture notes read after or before lectures. If before lectures, one should read all assignments and make notes of what not understood. It is wise to review lecture notes after lectures when the information is still fresh. Recitation courses as learning of foreign languages studied before the lecture. A schedule planned in a manner that can accommodate revision (Martens MJC et al. 190). One ought to start revision right from the begging of the semester and studies should take place in the library, or in a cool, comfortable environment.

In conclusion, effective study skills differ from one person to another depending on the learning style and the IQ level. The grasping ability differs in different people. While some people may take a short while to learn and grasp something, others will take ages. Therefore, to make a successful student, one should understand his/herself to adapt effective learning skills (Lengefeld 56).

Martens MJC, Duvivier RJ, van Dalen J, Verwijnen GM, Scherpbier AJJ, van der Vleuten CPM,. “Student views on the effective teaching of physical examination skills: a qualitative study”. Medical Education. 2009: 184-91.

Lengefeld, Uelaine A., Study Skills Strategies: Get the Most from Every Minute of Learning . Axzo Press. 2009.

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Learning Styles and Study Skills Essay

Learning is a challenging task to do because it requires all of the individual’s concentration, dedication, and persistence to succeed. The course proposes learning techniques which help to study, memorize information, and apply it. There are several teaching and learning strategies, which are universal; however, there are also useful techniques for an individual approach. The course helped me to understand the methodology of learning, what is necessary, how to use new knowledge and preserve it. Hence, it is a critical module that sets the basic understanding of how teaching and learning work together, instead of focusing on studying only.

Before the course, I had a stereotype that education utilizes reading as a primary method. In fact, all a student has to do is read, reread, and memorize information. However, this habit was proven to be ineffective, according to the course’s methodology. The active learning consists of writing and modeling a situation which uses the studied material. Hence, I changed my attitude to memorizing and manipulating with the learned information. The priority for me is to repeat the content by writing about it and trying to teach someone else, as these are practical techniques to increase comprehension and fill the gaps I might have. Nonetheless, overall I have become more of an active learner, more involved in learning, instead of only reading and seeing examples.

The understanding of how learning works and how it influences the overall academic success helps to prioritize the core aspects of education. For instance, instead of concentrating on an ineffective approach, it is more natural and more beneficial to take some practical tasks and test a real level of knowledge one has. By having a list of priorities, it is possible to manage time better as useless techniques should not take as much time as the effective ones. Typically, the student learns and reads everything without any system or time management, which decreases academic success. I believe prioritizing methods and subjects will improve my grades significantly as I would not spend limited resources on something irrelevant.

The module clearly states that writing is a vital component of any successful learning experience. It is a primary tool to memorize and use the knowledge in the future. However, nowadays, writing is underestimated, but it is one of the most effective techniques to learn anything. I would try to use writing as much as possible during lectures and labs as it positively influences memorizing and comprehending new information. As the course suggests, it is a universal method for everyone, despite one’s preferences. However, it is necessary to consider carefully what kind of information is important and what is useless for the course and oneself. A lack of a plan could create an unhealthy environment for education while prioritizing the tasks prevents it.

Overall, the course provides valuable and applicable information which helps to understand the methodology behind teaching and learning. It is a difficult job to study and be open to new information. However, it improves one’s understanding of the academic courses and experience from learning. Therefore, the course is useful and could be applied to different disciplines in the future. Without these concepts, new information would be much more ineffective and forgettable. New information needs time and effort to stay inside one’s head and be used as a helpful tool in the future. My personal, academic success and the level of understanding would only benefit from the strategies I have learned.

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• Cheating in the Test: Issue Review
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• How to structure an essay: Templates and tips

How to Structure an Essay | Tips & Templates

Published on September 18, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction , a body , and a conclusion . But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body.

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Table of contents

The basics of essay structure, chronological structure, compare-and-contrast structure, problems-methods-solutions structure, signposting to clarify your structure, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay structure.

There are two main things to keep in mind when working on your essay structure: making sure to include the right information in each part, and deciding how you’ll organize the information within the body.

Parts of an essay

The three parts that make up all essays are described in the table below.

Order of information

You’ll also have to consider how to present information within the body. There are a few general principles that can guide you here.

The first is that your argument should move from the simplest claim to the most complex . The body of a good argumentative essay often begins with simple and widely accepted claims, and then moves towards more complex and contentious ones.

For example, you might begin by describing a generally accepted philosophical concept, and then apply it to a new topic. The grounding in the general concept will allow the reader to understand your unique application of it.

The second principle is that background information should appear towards the beginning of your essay . General background is presented in the introduction. If you have additional background to present, this information will usually come at the start of the body.

The third principle is that everything in your essay should be relevant to the thesis . Ask yourself whether each piece of information advances your argument or provides necessary background. And make sure that the text clearly expresses each piece of information’s relevance.

The sections below present several organizational templates for essays: the chronological approach, the compare-and-contrast approach, and the problems-methods-solutions approach.

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The chronological approach (sometimes called the cause-and-effect approach) is probably the simplest way to structure an essay. It just means discussing events in the order in which they occurred, discussing how they are related (i.e. the cause and effect involved) as you go.

A chronological approach can be useful when your essay is about a series of events. Don’t rule out other approaches, though—even when the chronological approach is the obvious one, you might be able to bring out more with a different structure.

Explore the tabs below to see a general template and a specific example outline from an essay on the invention of the printing press.

• Thesis statement
• Discussion of event/period
• Consequences
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement
• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages
• Background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press
• Thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation
• High levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe
• Literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites
• Consequence: this discouraged political and religious change
• Invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg
• Implications of the new technology for book production
• Consequence: Rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible
• Trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention
• Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation
• Consequence: The large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics
• Summarize the history described
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period

Essays with two or more main subjects are often structured around comparing and contrasting . For example, a literary analysis essay might compare two different texts, and an argumentative essay might compare the strengths of different arguments.

There are two main ways of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay: the alternating method, and the block method.

Alternating

In the alternating method, each paragraph compares your subjects in terms of a specific point of comparison. These points of comparison are therefore what defines each paragraph.

The tabs below show a general template for this structure, and a specific example for an essay comparing and contrasting distance learning with traditional classroom learning.

• Synthesis of arguments
• Topical relevance of distance learning in lockdown
• Increasing prevalence of distance learning over the last decade
• Thesis statement: While distance learning has certain advantages, it introduces multiple new accessibility issues that must be addressed for it to be as effective as classroom learning
• Classroom learning: Ease of identifying difficulties and privately discussing them
• Distance learning: Difficulty of noticing and unobtrusively helping
• Classroom learning: Difficulties accessing the classroom (disability, distance travelled from home)
• Distance learning: Difficulties with online work (lack of tech literacy, unreliable connection, distractions)
• Classroom learning: Tends to encourage personal engagement among students and with teacher, more relaxed social environment
• Distance learning: Greater ability to reach out to teacher privately
• Sum up, emphasize that distance learning introduces more difficulties than it solves
• Stress the importance of addressing issues with distance learning as it becomes increasingly common
• Distance learning may prove to be the future, but it still has a long way to go

In the block method, each subject is covered all in one go, potentially across multiple paragraphs. For example, you might write two paragraphs about your first subject and then two about your second subject, making comparisons back to the first.

The tabs again show a general template, followed by another essay on distance learning, this time with the body structured in blocks.

• Point 1 (compare)
• Point 2 (compare)
• Point 3 (compare)
• Point 4 (compare)
• Advantages: Flexibility, accessibility
• Disadvantages: Discomfort, challenges for those with poor internet or tech literacy
• Advantages: Potential for teacher to discuss issues with a student in a separate private call
• Disadvantages: Difficulty of identifying struggling students and aiding them unobtrusively, lack of personal interaction among students
• Advantages: More accessible to those with low tech literacy, equality of all sharing one learning environment
• Disadvantages: Students must live close enough to attend, commutes may vary, classrooms not always accessible for disabled students
• Advantages: Ease of picking up on signs a student is struggling, more personal interaction among students
• Disadvantages: May be harder for students to approach teacher privately in person to raise issues

An essay that concerns a specific problem (practical or theoretical) may be structured according to the problems-methods-solutions approach.

This is just what it sounds like: You define the problem, characterize a method or theory that may solve it, and finally analyze the problem, using this method or theory to arrive at a solution. If the problem is theoretical, the solution might be the analysis you present in the essay itself; otherwise, you might just present a proposed solution.

The tabs below show a template for this structure and an example outline for an essay about the problem of fake news.

• Introduce the problem
• Provide background
• Describe your approach to solving it
• Define the problem precisely
• Describe why it’s important
• Indicate previous approaches to the problem
• Present your new approach, and why it’s better
• Apply the new method or theory to the problem
• Indicate the solution you arrive at by doing so
• Assess (potential or actual) effectiveness of solution
• Describe the implications
• Problem: The growth of “fake news” online
• Prevalence of polarized/conspiracy-focused news sources online
• Thesis statement: Rather than attempting to stamp out online fake news through social media moderation, an effective approach to combating it must work with educational institutions to improve media literacy
• Definition: Deliberate disinformation designed to spread virally online
• Popularization of the term, growth of the phenomenon
• Previous approaches: Labeling and moderation on social media platforms
• Critique: This approach feeds conspiracies; the real solution is to improve media literacy so users can better identify fake news
• Greater emphasis should be placed on media literacy education in schools
• This allows people to assess news sources independently, rather than just being told which ones to trust
• This is a long-term solution but could be highly effective
• It would require significant organization and investment, but would equip people to judge news sources more effectively
• Rather than trying to contain the spread of fake news, we must teach the next generation not to fall for it

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Signposting means guiding the reader through your essay with language that describes or hints at the structure of what follows.  It can help you clarify your structure for yourself as well as helping your reader follow your ideas.

The essay overview

In longer essays whose body is split into multiple named sections, the introduction often ends with an overview of the rest of the essay. This gives a brief description of the main idea or argument of each section.

The overview allows the reader to immediately understand what will be covered in the essay and in what order. Though it describes what  comes later in the text, it is generally written in the present tense . The following example is from a literary analysis essay on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

Transitions

Transition words and phrases are used throughout all good essays to link together different ideas. They help guide the reader through your text, and an essay that uses them effectively will be much easier to follow.

Various different relationships can be expressed by transition words, as shown in this example.

Because Hitler failed to respond to the British ultimatum, France and the UK declared war on Germany. Although it was an outcome the Allies had hoped to avoid, they were prepared to back up their ultimatum in order to combat the existential threat posed by the Third Reich.

Transition sentences may be included to transition between different paragraphs or sections of an essay. A good transition sentence moves the reader on to the next topic while indicating how it relates to the previous one.

… Distance learning, then, seems to improve accessibility in some ways while representing a step backwards in others.

However , considering the issue of personal interaction among students presents a different picture.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
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The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

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Study skills are not subject specific - they are generic and can be used when studying any area. You will, of course, need to understand the concepts, theories and ideas surrounding your specific subject area. To get the most out of your studies, however, you’ll want to develop your study skills.

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At SkillsYouNeed we provide quality content on many life skills – and many of these are relevant to studying.

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Getting Organised to Study

Getting organised is an important first step to effective study.  Our page covers the basic organisation skills you need to consider – fundamentals such as where and when to study and the importance of developing a network of contacts who can help you when you need it.

This page covers some of the basic principles of time management – with reference to study. If you manage your time badly then you will be less productive, which can lead to stress and anxiety. This page will help you by outlining the importance of a personal study timetable and how to set goals and prioritise your time.

Sources of Information for Study

Learn what is meant by, and the importance of, primary, secondary and tertiary documents and how you may source such information in a library or online.

By understanding different writing styles you can put what you read into perspective. This page covers the main writing styles that you are likely to come across, including academic, journal, and journalistic styles.

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Research-supported techniques.

Outside of lecture, university students are commonly expected to master course content on their own. However, multiple research studies have found that many university students are commonly unaware of, and seldom use, effective learning techniques. 1,2 In the following section (and the linked pages below) we discuss important do’s and don’ts of successful learning, plus introduce several of the most promising and effective evidence-based learning methods . These are backed by a growing body of learning science research – a substantial portion of which has been conducted right here at UCSD and in this very department. By taking advantage of these methods, students can transform their learning activities to be more efficient (make better use of time) and more effective (resulting in learning that is more comprehensive and lasts longer).

What Students Need to Do to Succeed

Psychology courses, as well as those in many other departments and at other universities, revolve around high-stakes tests (for example, midterms, final exams). In fact, on average, 80% of the course grade in PSYC classes at UCSD is determined by exam performance. 3 In order to perform well on such exams, it is crucial for students to master a wide range of course content.

How can that objective be accomplished? Through the use of evidence-based learning methods. Note that these are not described as “study methods”. Although it is common to describe preparing for an exam as “studying”, which is why this page is titled as such, simply “studying” information multiple times (“restudying”, “rereading”, or “reviewing”) is by itself often not very effective. 4,5 Instead, as described below, other methods are far more powerful at improving the learning of course content.

The Most Effective Learning Techniques

If you have only limited time to read this page, at least check out the following two points. For further details, click on the links to learn more.

Based on decades of learning science research, the two most effective methods known to date are:

• Spaced practice / distributed practice – learning that occurs over multiple sessions at different points in time (for example, revisiting a textbook chapter once every three days). This technique refers to when you should be preparing for course exams (that is, multiple sessions spread out over several weeks).

► Further information: Spaced Practice

• Retrieval practice / practice testing – instead of simply restudying information, attempting to recall that information from memory (such as by taking a practice test). This technique refers to what you should be doing to prepare for course exams (that is, test yourself via practice tests or other recall-based techniques).

► Further information: Retrieval Practice

Spaced practice involves when you should “study” and retrieval practice involves how you should  “study”. When you use both (for instance, you can prepare for your exams using a spaced practice schedule and then use retrieval practice during each session), they make a powerful combination.

Additionally, if you perform retrieval practice across multiple days – and, each time, practice recalling information until you attain 100% accuracy (a method called successive relearning ) – then recent research shows that your ability to retain that information over long periods of time is maximized. 6

Finally, besides spaced and retrieval practice, there are some additional learning techniques that you may wish to try. These included interleaved practice, self-explanation, and others.

► Further information: Other Learning Techniques

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• For in-person discussion of these techniques, please consider attending this department’s “How to Study Less and Remember More” workshop (for dates and times, please check the undergraduate workshops calendar).
• How to Study Less and Remember More [ PDF ]

Further Resources

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• Scientific American article, “What Works, What Doesn’t" (2013)
• Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning (2014)
• Cornell University: How to Study Effectively (videos)

1 Kornell, N., & Bjork, R. A. (2007). The promise and perils of self-regulated study. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review , 14 (2), 219-224. 2 Karpicke, J. D., Butler, A. C., & Roediger III, H. L. (2009). Metacognitive strategies in student learning: do students practise retrieval when they study on their own? Memory , 17 (4), 471-479. 3 Based on analysis of PSYC 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 60, 101, 102, 103, 105, 106, 120, 144, 145, 154, 163, 164, 161, 171, 181, 182, 190, 191, and 193 courses at UCSD, taught between 2013-2017. 4 Pashler, H., Bain, P. M., Bottge, B. A., Graesser, A., Koedinger, K., McDaniel, M., & Metcalfe, J. (2007). Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning. IES Practice Guide. NCER 2007-2004. National Center for Education Research . 5 Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest , 14 (1), 4-58. 6 Rawson, K. A., Dunlosky, J., & Sciartelli, S. M. (2013). The power of successive relearning: Improving performance on course exams and long-term retention. Educational Psychology Review , 25 (4), 523-548.

Prepared by s. c. pan for ucsd psychology, graphic adapted with permission from ccnlab.net under creative commons attribution-share alike 4.0 international license..

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• Open access
• Published: 29 March 2024

A feasibility study of a handmade ultrasound-guided phantom for paracentesis

• Chien-Tai Huang 1 , 2 ,
• Chih-Hsien Lin 2 ,
• Shao-Yung Lin 2 ,
• Sih‑Shiang Huang 2 &
• Wan-Ching Lien 2 , 3  

BMC Medical Education volume  24 , Article number:  351 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

173 Accesses

Metrics details

Simulation-based training is effective for ultrasound (US)-guided procedures. However, commercially developed simulators are costly. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a hand-made phantom for US-guided paracentesis.

We described the recipe to prepare an agar phantom. We collected the US performance data of 50 novices, including 22 postgraduate-year (PGY) residents and 28 undergraduate-year (UGY) students, who used the phantom for training, as well as 12 emergency residents with prior US-guided experience. We obtained the feedback after using the phantom with the Likert 5-point scale. The data were presented with medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) and analyzed by the Wilcoxon rank sum test.

While emergency residents demonstrated superior performance compared to trainees, all trainees exhibited acceptable proficiency (global rating of ≥ 3, 50/50 vs. 12/12, p  = 1.000) and comparable needle steadiness [5 (5) vs. 5 (5), p  = 0.223]. No significant difference in performance was observed between PGYs [5 (4–5)] and UGYs [5 (4–5), p  = 0.825]. No significant differences were observed in terms of image stimulation, puncture texture, needle visualization, drainage simulation, and endurance of the phantom between emergency residents and trainees. However, experienced residents rated puncture texture and draining fluid as “neutral” (3/5 on the Likert scale). The cost of the paracentesis phantom is US$16.00 for at least 30 simulations, reducing it to US$6.00 without a container.

Conclusions

The paracentesis phantom proves to be a practical and cost-effective training tool. It enables novices to acquire paracentesis skills, enhances their US proficiency, and boosts their confidence. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to assess its long-term impact on clinical performance in real patients.

Trial registration

NCT04792203 at the ClinicalTrials.gov.

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Introduction

Clinical procedures involve a complex combination of technical skills and cognitive decision-making. Achieving expert performance and sustaining skills necessitate deliberate practice [ 1 ]. Traditionally, procedural skills were acquired, and experience accumulated through direct application on real patients. However, concerns about patient safety and rights have escalated with inexperienced physicians performing procedures directly on patients. Simulation-based medical education provides an alternative for skill proficiency [ 2 ], particularly in ultrasound (US)-guided procedures [ 3 ].

Paracentesis is a commonly encountered procedure in clinical practice. The use of ultrasound guidance diminishes the risk of a dry tap (failure to obtain fluid) during paracentesis and reduces the likelihood of complications such as bleeding, abdominal hematoma, and puncture site infection [ 4 , 5 ]. Additionally, US-guided procedures are integral to emergency medicine training [ 6 ]. However, commercially developed simulators for US-guided procedures are often prohibitively expensive for many emergency departments.

An increasing number of low-cost, handmade phantoms have been developed for US-guided biopsy, thoracocentesis, and pericardiocentesis [ 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. However, options for paracentesis remain limited [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Furthermore, more evidence is needed to assess the learning impact of using handmade phantoms for paracentesis training. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a handmade phantom for US-guided paracentesis.

This prospective study was conducted at the Emergency Department of the National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) from August 2022 to July 2023. It was approved by the institutional review board of the NTUH (202011111RIND) and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04792203). Informed consent was obtained from each participant.

Phantom preparation

Agar substrate

The agar substrate was created by dissolving 10 g of agar powder in 1000 cc of water. After thorough heating to melt the agar powder, the solution underwent filtration to remove impurities. The resulting clear solution was tinted with dark blue food coloring additives.

Paracentesis phantom

A cotton rope, at least 30 cm in length, was inserted into a 10-inch balloon to simulate the bowel. The balloon was then filled with yellowish water dyed with food coloring additives to mimic ascites. After tying the balloon securely, it was affixed to the bottom of the container using super glue (Fig.  1 A). The balloon was covered with the agar substrate, replicating the appearance of human skin and the subcutaneous area. The thickness of the covering could be adjusted based on different body habitus. The phantom was refrigerated for a minimum of 4 h to enhance its longevity (Fig.  1 B).

( A ) The balloon was tied in the container; ( B ) The phantom; ( C ) The simulated sonographic image of the phantom

The resulting phantom exhibited easily distinguishable echogenic structures (Fig.  1 C, Supplementary  Video ). The balloon effectively delineated boundaries between the peritoneum and the subcutaneous area.

US-guided paracentesis using the hand-made phantom

We recruited 50 trainees, comprising 22 postgraduate-year 1 (PGY-1) residents and 28 undergraduate-year (UGY) students, for participation in a US training curriculum. To assess their experience and confidence in using US, the trainees completed a survey using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not confident at all; 2 = slightly confident; 3 = somewhat confident; 4 = fairly confident; 5 = completely confident). Subsequently, they attended a 30-minute didactic session covering the theory of US and US-guided paracentesis, followed by small-group hands-on training utilizing the agar phantom. The instructors, were certified by the Taiwan Society of Emergency Medicine.

Following the curriculum, all trainees underwent a skill test, performing paracentesis. The performance was evaluated using an assessment form (Table  1 ) in which the items of the assessment was developed to to encompass the training domains based on expert consensus. Three experts, certified by the Taiwan Society of Emergency Medicine and with over 10 years of US experience, participated in establishing this consensus.

Two independent evaluators, not involved in enrollment and training, graded the performance—one on-site, and the other assessed video recordings with trainee faces masked. Subsequently, trainees provided feedback on the phantom through a survey using a 5-point Likert scale (Supplementary Table  1 ).

Additionally, 12 emergency residents were enrolled to use the phantom without didactics and hands-on training. Their performance was graded, and a survey regarding the phantom was collected.

US machines (Xario 100, Canon, Japan, and Arietta 780, Fujifilm Healthcare, Japan) equipped with a 2–5 MHz curvilinear transducer were used.

Statistical analysis

All data were analyzed by SAS software (SAS 9.4, Cary, North Carolina, USA). Initially, we conducted the Shapiro-Wilk test to assess the normality of continuous data. If the data did not follow a normal distribution, it was presented using medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs). For the comparison between residents and trainees, as well as between PGYs and UGYs, we employed Wilcoxon’s rank-sum test.

To assess inter-rater reliability between two evaluators for the items on the assessment form and global scores, we utilized the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between the total score and the global score. The total score represented the sum of each item on the assessment form. The internal reliability of the assessment form was estimated by employing Cronbach’s alpha coefficient [ 21 ]. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Following the assessment of normality, it was determined that the scores for each item on the assessment form, the global score, and feedback to the phantom were not normally distributed (all p  < 0.0001). Therefore, these data were reported using medians and IQRs.

US performance

The 50 trainees were all considered US novices (Table  2 ). The 12 emergency residents had previous experience with US-guided paracentesis on more than 20 real patients. The ICC for the global score was 0.94 (95% CI, 0.90–0.96), indicating strong inter-rater reliability, as was observed for the items on the checklist (Supplementary Table  2 ). The Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.67–0.87) between the total score and the global score, indicative of strong correlation. The standardized Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.75, suggesting good internal reliability.

While the performance of emergency residents surpassed that of trainees, all trainees demonstrated acceptable performance (global rating of ≧  3). Trainees exhibited less familiarity with US-guided localization, visualization of the needle, and fluid aspiration (Table 2 ). No significant differences were found in the performance between PGYs and UGYs (Supplementary Table  3 ).

There were no significant differences observed in terms of image stimulation, puncture texture, needle visualization, drainage simulation, and endurance of the phantom between emergency residents and trainees. However, it is noteworthy that the residents rated puncture texture and draining fluid as “neutral (Table  3 ). Trainees reported increased confidence in paracentesis after using the phantom, compared with their pre-curriculum survey [4 (3–5) vs. 1 (1), p < 0.0001].

The US phantom could be utilized at least 30 times for practicing paracentesis within one curriculum. The cost of the handmade phantom with a container was approximately $16. Without the container, the cost was reduced to approximately $6.

Commercial US phantoms for paracentesis remain extremely expensive rendering them inaccessible for many training centers. Inexpensive, do-it-yourself phantoms play a crucial role in paracentesis training. In this study, we presented a low-cost, and easily reproducible phantom with echogenicity similar to human tissue and proved its feasibility. Utilizing the phantom facilitates the acquisition of paracentesis skills among novices, enhancing their US abilities and boosting their confidence. While novices demonstrated acceptable performance in paracentesis, it still lags behind that of experienced residents.

Apart from their higher cost, commercial phantoms may degrade with repeated use, requiring an additional fee for fixation. These phantoms typically incorporate polymers, resulting in an excessively firm texture. In contrast, our agar phantom, while having a semi-firm texture that may not perfectly replicate human skin, received a median rating ranging from 3 to 4 from experienced emergency residents in terms of feedback, encompassing image stimulation, puncture texture, needle visualization, and drainage simulation.

Reviewing the literature, some examples of inexpensive, handmade paracentesis phantoms were reported. Wilson et al. documented a gelatin phantom [ 18 ], and Kei et al. employed a water jug covered with pork belly [ 20 ]. Mesquita et al. used multiple gloves filled with various colors to simulate ascites and abdominal organs, elucidating students’ perceptions of the simulator [ 19 ]. In our study, we contribute additional evidence supporting the viability of a handmade phantom, reporting on the performance and feedback of novices in comparison to experienced residents.

Moreover, our phantom exhibited variability and flexibility. For instance, the fluid within the phantom could be altered to appear red or include debris content (such as adding talc), replicating hemoperitoneum or pus, respectively. Additionally, the ratio of fluid to ropes could be adjusted to simulate either a small or a large amount of ascites, depending on the desired training difficulty.

Lower-fidelity modalities are designed to concentrate on a specific learning task and skill acquisition, making them suitable for early learners or novices. In contrast, higher-fidelity simulations are employed for complex tasks, providing cognitive stimuli [ 1 ]. Our handmade phantom is a tool with lower fidelity in external appearance but exhibits high fidelity in ultrasound appearance, making it well-suited for paracentesis training, with novices demonstrating proficiency after completing the curriculum. It is important to note that the long-term impact on skill retention and the translation of acquired skills to proficiency in clinical settings remains unknown.

Gelatin is frequently employed as the primary substrate for homemade phantoms in ultrasound training [ 12 , 18 , 22 ]. However, gelatin necessitates refrigeration to solidify the model. In contrast, agar serves as a vegan-friendly alternative that can set the model without the need for refrigeration. Agar is capable of producing an ultrasound image that closely mimics real tissue and is durable enough to withstand high-volume training [ 23 ]. In this study, we opted for agar as the substrate, and the resulting echogenicity was deemed acceptable.

The assessment form was developed through expert consensus to ensure content validity. Our results also demonstrated good internal and interrater reliability of the assessment form. Research indicates that global rating scales effectively capture various proficiency levels compared to checklists and are user-friendly for examiners [ 24 ]. In this study, the global rating score was utilized to evaluate performance in conjunction with the items on the assessment form.

The main limitation of this study was the inclusion of trainees and emergency residents from a single institution, who voluntarily participated and exhibited high motivation, potentially introducing selection bias. Therefore, caution should be exercised when generalizing these results. Secondly, the study involved a substantial amount of labor and time, approximately 30–60 min for agar preparation and an additional 30 min for phantom assembly, which could limit its feasibility due to time constraints. Third, there may be a potential issue with the image quality of the phantom, as a small amount of air might have been introduced into the balloon during fluid aspiration. However, both trainees and residents reported acceptable image quality. Fourth, while the trainees had prior experience in blood drawing and needle catheterization through routine medical training, feedback concerning human tissue and draining sensation should be interpreted cautiously. Notably, residents with real-world experience rated “neutral” on aspects such as “puncture texture mimics human skin and subcutaneous area” and “draining fluid is realistic.” Lastly, the focus of this study was on evaluating the feasibility of the phantom. Factors such as skill retention and the clinical performance of trainees in real-world scenarios were not investigated. Additionally, the learning effect of using handmade phantoms was not compared with that of using commercial phantoms due to the latter’s high cost. These aspects should be addressed in future studies.

The paracentesis phantom proves to be a practical and cost-effective training tool. It facilitates the acquisition of paracentesis skills among novices, enhancing their US abilities and boosting their confidence. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to assess its skill retention and long-term impact on clinical performance in real patients.

Data availability

All data analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Abbreviations

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (MOST 110-2511-H-002-009-MY2) for financial support.

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST 110-2511-H-002-009-MY2).

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Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Chien-Tai Huang

Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, No.7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, 100, Taiwan

Chien-Tai Huang, Chih-Hsien Lin, Shao-Yung Lin, Sih‑Shiang Huang & Wan-Ching Lien

Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

Wan-Ching Lien

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Contributions

CT and WC conceived the study and designed the trial. CT, CH, SY, SS, and WC acquisition of the data. CT and WC analysis and interpretation of the data. CT and WC drafted the manuscript, and all authors contributed substantially to its revision. WC critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content and took responsibility for the paper as a whole. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Wan-Ching Lien .

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This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Research Ethics Committee of the National Taiwan University Hospital (202011111RIND). Informed consent was obtained from each participant.

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Huang, CT., Lin, CH., Lin, SY. et al. A feasibility study of a handmade ultrasound-guided phantom for paracentesis. BMC Med Educ 24 , 351 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05339-9

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Received : 07 October 2023

Accepted : 22 March 2024

Published : 29 March 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05339-9

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