Essays generally contain information relevant to the topic at hand. All this information is collected through comprehensive research, meticulously checked for relevance, and are methodically analysed. The information gathered, together with the findings, is presented in a way that is easy to understand by readers.

The importance of choosing the right topic has been discussed in previous blog entries. Aside from that important first step, essay writing involves the following factors:

Gathering Relevant Information:

This step involves a lot of research. Writing an essay requires comprehensive research on the topic being discussed. One cannot just establish a thesis and write about it without examining the subject further. The information used in an essay should also be relevant to the topic. Only appropriate and applicable data should be included in the essay to provide sufficient support for the thesis presented.

• Analysis of collected data. The data collected should undergo some form of analysis. One should not simply copy the text or quote the source and leave it at that. An essay should discuss how the data relates to the topic; and the method of analysis used should be appropriate as well.
• Presentation of Findings The result of the analysis should be presented in a cohesive and coherent way. The research and analysis of data will not be as effective in making a point if it is not presented well. All the statements contained within the essay should have a flow, be easy to read, and be easy to understand.

These three steps are very important. No essay can be finished successfully if any of the steps are disregarded. The presentation of the findings however, is probably the most important step. As previously stated, all the research conducted and the analysis of data, no matter how well done, is tantamount to nothing if not presented well. Always aim to present the data in a good way as that is where a writer gets to address the audience and communicate with them.