Improving the Research Essay

When professors are reluctant to assign research essays, they often claim that students cannot write clearly and logically, synthesizing sources and evaluating data to draw closely argued conclusions. Most often, these weaknesses are not the result simply of poor writing skills, but also of poorly defined criteria that students don't grasp. Fortunately, there are several strategies that teachers can use to improve the research essay.

• Excellent goals for assigning research essays
• Questions to ask about how students will perceive your goals
• Three points to consider