Tips for Writing a Persuasive Essay for Conflict Analysis

Developing a clear and compelling argument

Your  work will  be  evaluated based on the following  criteria:   

 

1.  Your  ability  to develop a  persuasive argument. This means that  your purpose  and introduction to the  conflict and the  issue(s) of focus   needs to be  clear, concise, and presented in a  compelling  manner. Professional language  and terminology  relevant to the topic  and field are important! A  number of different resources have  been provided through the course  to model different writing  and analysis  styles.   Look to the  most compelling/clearest and take  your inspiration there.

  

2.  Prepare  your written submission with  your  audience  in mind.  For whom are  you  writing?  What evidence  do  you need to provide  to convince  your  audience  of  you argument?   Is  your use  of language  clear, is  your paper  readable?    

 

3.  Organize  your thoughts. A good paper  can be  ruined if it  lacks organization. If  you are addressing  one  or more  organizations /  contexts in  the  conflict, tell  the reader what these  are early  on. Provide  some  structure  by  arranging  your report according  to how  you think the central argument  should  be  supported; this central  argument relates to  your  analysis  of conflict,  your description of the  relevant factors, and  your  assessment of  appropriate  conflict resolution options.  Start  with a clear introduction  of the  purpose  of  your paper, move quickly into the main description (very  brief),  and  then provide evidence  and supporting claims  in a logical order.   

 

4.  Use evidence strategically.  It’s not  enough for  you  to cite research  and data you must justify  why  the evidence  supports  your argument.  A few key  studies used properly  is more effective  than dozens of references randomly  dispersed throughout a paper. Think about the entire  course, and do not  just  refer to materials from the  beginning  of the  term.  The  full range  of  course  concepts  may  be  relevant in some  way  to  your analysis and report.   

 

5.  First and last impressions  are  important, that’s why  you  always need a  strong  introduction and conclusion. When instructors have  dozens of  papers to read, a  clear and powerful introduction can influence  your  grade.  Introductions also work to draw  readers into  your paper and can tell an  audience right from the  start if something  is worth reading. An introduction should also guide the  reader through  your argument; conclusions serve  to highlight the implications and strengths of these arguments. Use  the conclusion to sum up your  results and recommendations, where applicable.  Remember headings are  your friends! Use headings to  signal the  change  in topic  or focus  and to organize  your work they  also generate an automatic table of  contents for  you  to help with planning  –  please  turn off  the Table of Contents when  you submit  your  final work.   

 

6.  Never regurgitate. Sometimes it  is necessary  to summarize  and quote elements of a  story, case, or  research, but the  point  is for  you to move  on quickly  and make  a  case  for  why  the material is important. There  is often  a  fine  line  between providing  a  meaningful review and excessive  repetition  –  perfecting  this comes with practice  and careful proof  reading. Speaking  of which…   

 

7.  Proof  read, proof  read, proof read. Writing  can seem like a  solitary  business, but it doesn’t have  to be.  Take  a  break  from the  writing and come  back to it with fresh  eyes, reading  it from another perspective, or even reading  it  aloud  to  yourself.   You are  not  to consult with other  students  or external  resources,  however, since  this is an examination essay.