You will be writing an Informational Research Essay in Harvard Style on one of the topics below. (your topic must be well supported by outside sources)
· Your Informational Research Essay must include a clear thesis statement. This is the last sentence of the Introduction paragraph which clearly states the three ideas you will write about in your essay.
Informational writing, also known as informative writing, is a form of non-fiction writing that aims to educate or inform the reader about a specific topic or event. Here are some key features of informational writing:
Purpose: The primary goal of informational writing is to provide factual information. Unlike fiction or other types of nonfiction texts, it doesn’t involve fictional characters or narratives.
Forms: Informative essays come in various forms:
o Explaining a process: These essays walk the reader through a step-by-step process (e.g., how a system works, how to complete a task).
o Analyzing data: Informative essays can present data and analyze it to draw conclusions.
o Summarizing events: They summarize events, historical occurrences, or significant happenings. o Comparing subjects: Essays that compare two or more subjects fall under this category.
3. Objective and Objective Tone: Informative essays are purely objective. When reading them, the reader should not encounter the author’s opinion or perspective. Instead, they learn something factual.
4. Structure:
o Introduction: The essay starts with an introduction paragraph containing a thesis statement. Unlike persuasive essays,where the thesis reflects the author’s position, in informative essays, it concisely states what the essay will cover. The
introduction also includes points to be discussed in the body paragraphs and an engaging hook to capture the reader’sinterest.
o Body: The body paragraphs make up the bulk of the content. Each paragraph focuses on a specific topic related to the thesis statement. For process essays, the body explains the steps involved. For essays comparing events, each paragraph summarizes one event.
o Conclusion: The conclusion recaps the points made in the body paragraphs and reiterates the thesis statement.
In summary, informational writing provides valuable knowledge without personal bias, allowing readers to learn and understand vari- ous topics1.
Formalities:
Word Count: 1500 to 1800 words.
· Cover page, Index page, References and Appendix are excluded from the total wordcount.
• Prepare an Appendix page to follow the Reference page, for your summaries, paraphrases, graphs, charts, images, etc.
· Font: Arial 12.5 pts.
· Text alignment: Justified.
· The in-text References and the Bibliography in Harvard referencing style.
