Instructions for writing an essay
An essay can be an independent credit, an option instead of a book examination or a part of a lecture course. These instructions concern the two former essay types. Separate instructions for essays written as a part of a course are given on the course in question. It is possible to choose the literary source or sources for the essay from the selection in the syllabus or a separate book list, if available. The essays written instead of book exams must be confirmed in advance with the responsible teacher. The essays are either handed in to the responsible teacher during their office hours or at the sociology department office. There is no fixed due date for the independent essays if specifically stated so in the study guide. Otherwise, the papers are handed in as agreed upon by the student and the teacher.
About the contents of the essay
Essay, i.e. an analytic scientific literary composition (miniature thesis) can be written in a variety of ways. The most important considerations are narrowing down the topic and choosing a point of view and an idea for the essay, all of which should also be indicated in the title. Whether the essay is an independent credit or written instead of a book examination, it is wise to use a problem-centric approach in narrowing down the topic. This problem-centric analysis can then focus on a specific question or a theme.
One literary work is not enough to base an essay upon; other literary sources must also be used. Additional material may, for example, be literature on the subject of the essay, book reviews etc. This also applies when an essay is written instead of a book examination. For example, an essay worth 2 study points should be based on 3-4 primary literary sources that can either be books or scientific articles, as well as additional material complementing the primary sources.
About writing an essay
An essay is not a repetition of the table of contents of the literary sources or summarizing the content, let alone stealing entire sentences or paragraphs from the sources. A useful guideline is that the sources can be commented upon, the essay text can, in a way, be a dialogue between the source text and the writer’s original text, a discussion in writing. This way, personal opinions stand out better from the other material. It is also possible to compare pieces of literary work or parts of them to each other.
In addition to the aspects mentioned above, the reader must be able to tell, where the material is from. Thus, references must be used throughout the essay, in the exact same way as in the proseminar or seminar presentations. Using references is obligatory, as it is the best way to tell the difference between the writer’s original text and other material. More thorough instructions on using references can be found in the publication "Ohjeisto tieteellisen tutkielman tekoon", available for purchase at the department office. All material that the essay is based on must be analysed independently, critically, and objectively. The arguments in the analysis must be well-founded.
Requirements
The essays are to be 1,5 spaced. The recommended length of an essay worth one credit is 8-10 pages and four study points, respectively, 15-20 pages. It is, however, worth noting that it is the content of the essay that counts, not the length.
As an essay is divided into main and sub-chapters, the contents are organized into a logical entity. In addition to page numbers on each page, an essay must include a separate title page and separate pages for the table of contents and literary sources. The title page includes the writer’s name, Student ID number and e-mail address, as well as the essay title and the date, the course title and the number of study points the essay is worth.
It is worth noting that the evaluation criteria becomes gradually more demanding from basic studies to intermediate studies and, finally, to advanced studies. The essay must be written according to instructions valid at the given time. The instructions are updated every year. These instructions are available on the shelf in the hall in front of the sociology department office. Possible lists of useful literary works and articles can also be found there.
We hope you enjoy writing the essay!
Translation by Anu Autio