Essay writing is a common practice in the academic world. No matter what you study, whether it's literature, history, or political science, you occasionally have to write articles. But what is the reason for this?

Writing papers is a typical assignment for most academic degrees because it allows students to apply what they have learned in lectures. For professors, in turn, the essay shows how well their students have understood the material and used it to find solutions to specific problems.

But let's narrow the range of essay writing to political science courses. If you need to write a political science paper, you've come to the right place. The following guide from essayassistant.net includes everything you need to know to write a functional, first-rate, thought-provoking political science paper from scratch!

Understand the basic question

The first step to writing any paper is based on reading and understanding. Without it, you are doomed to write a clumsy and generally weak essay. So, first of all, make sure you read the assignment and understand what it's about. What does it tell you and require you to do in the prompt? What is the central question about? Is it short or does it contain multiple questions?

If the main question includes sub-questions, try to break it down into several parts and understand what you are being asked. Remember that some questions may not be necessary at all. That's why it's important to do some analytical work before you start writing.

Also, pay close attention to the requirements. They always contain important information that will help the writer choose the right writing strategy. In other words, the requirements contain information about sources, evidence, and other equally important things that students must do.

Brainstorming in Political Science

Generating thoughts is not easy, especially in a political science essay. In the latter case, you need to approach the topic from different angles to generate relevant, meaningful, and unique ideas.

You can brainstorm your topic using a variety of methods, such as clustering, free writing, or listing. It is up to you to decide which strategy may be most useful when writing a political science essay.

Research Sources

The process of finding authoritative sources can sometimes be the most difficult and time-consuming, especially when it comes to political science. The problem is that the number of scholarly articles, journals, books, and other sources is so large that it is difficult to find credible materials that support your claims.

But that doesn't mean it's impossible. It is important to make sure that you look for reliable and up-to-date sources published within the last few years. Also, try to check the authors and their previous work. If their latest material is contradictory, you can call the source questionable and keep looking for another.

Summarize your political science essay work

Suppose you have read and understood what you need to do, formed critical ideas, and found the necessary sources for the paper. What will you do next? Develop an outline, of course!

The outline is simple and easy to create, and it's a great way to outline your strategy and create a plan to follow. The best thing about this design is that no forms are required. That is, you can create an outline in the form of a bulleted list, clouds, or even a summary.

More importantly, the material should contain all the information you need and help you write your paper. Depending on how much time you can dedicate to writing your outline, you can make it more or less detailed. Even a few sentences about each paragraph will be helpful.

Start with the introduction

Every essay should strictly follow a certain format. Depending on the article and word count, the structure may contain a different and unique set of sections. In general, every written essay should have a clear introduction, main body, and conclusion. Let's take a look at the elements an introductory paragraph should have:

• The introduction: the opening sentence is designed to grab the reader's attention and generate their enthusiasm to continue reading the article. It often includes a joke, a quote, a misconception, a shocking statement, etc.

• Background: The background is an integral part of the introduction because it helps the audience get the bigger picture and understand what the story is about.

• The thesis statement: The thesis statement is the last and most significant component of the introductory paragraph. It includes the main points that the writer will develop next.

Move on to the body part

The body part follows the introduction and traditionally consists of the following elements:

• Topic sentence: The topic sentence refers to one paragraph of the thesis.

• Evidence: all data designed to support the author's argument. Regardless of format (direct or indirect citation), all borrowed intellectual property should be cited appropriately.

• Conclusions: A conclusion is required for each body paragraph; it encapsulates key information.

• Transitions: Transitions allow the writer to improve the coherence and accuracy of the narrative. They are also necessary.

It is advisable to include at least one paragraph with counterarguments to show the writer's awareness of the existence of such opposing positions.

Make a conclusion

Writing a conclusion may seem elementary at first glance. In reality, however, constructing a reliable and accurate conclusion is not easy. To help you with the last part of the essay, take a close look at these elements:

• Summarize the key ideas: no matter how short your political science essay is, it is crucial to summarize the most important information.

• Restate the thesis: It is necessary to repeat the thesis to remind the audience of the key points of the article and to build a logical chain of supporting arguments that support the author's point of view.

• Emphasize the importance of the topic: It is important to emphasize the importance of the article and leave a strong impression on the reader. This will motivate them to explore the topic further.

Tips for speeding up your writing

To end on a high note, here are some quick tips to help you write a political science essay quickly and without help:

• Don't forget to cite sources right away: this will keep you from getting lost in articles and books and help you create a reference page.
• Write your paper as quickly as possible: this will reduce your time to write a full paper.
• Start with any section: don't get discouraged if you feel like writing a body part first!
• Take a break before editing the paper: restore your focus and productivity before revising the essay.

We hope, with our tips you will write a great political science essay!