Advice from assignment page:
– Your opening sentence is very important and sets the tone for
the rest of the essay. A quotation is good or use the question; eg ‘Is the
Commission the ‘government’ of the European Union is a question to which there
is no clear answer’
– It is generally better to write in
the abstract …
– ‘This essay will discuss’ rather ‘than I will discuss’
– Double space your work and don’t use
a fancy font, Arial 12 or similar is
fine
– Left-align and don’t use justification
– Use shorter rather than longer
sentences and more rather than fewer paragraphs. It makes your work easier for
the reader to follow and understand. Don’t use sub-headings.
– Do make full use of spellchecks
before you submit your essays
The first time you refer to anyone or
use an acronym, you must introduce them or explain it
– So ‘the then President
of France, Charles de Gaulle’ thereafter De Gaulle is fine
The ‘European Economic
Community (EEC)’ , thereafter just the EEC
is ok
– Always list
the recommended core texts in your bibliography and base your essay on these books or articles, quoting from them wherever
possible. Obviously additional reading and research is also important.
– Stick to answering the question.
Don’t ‘interpret’ or change it. Keep on
message. If the question refers to the 1950s don’t write about the 1920s,
although some background is often necessary.
– Try not to over-complicate your
language or use unnecessarily fancy words. Don’t make up words! (e.g. abolishment,
obligated)
– Don’t mix up your tenses. Think about
what you are writing. Read it out aloud to yourself if you are not sure. This
sometimes helps!
References / Key Reading:
– Dedman, M. J. (1996) The Origins and Development of the European Union,
Routedge.
– Hix, S.and Hoyland, B. (2022) The Political System of the European Union, London:
Bloomsbury.
– Lelieveldt, H. and Princen, S. (2023) The Politics of the European Union,
Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
– Wiener, A.,Börzel, T. A. and Risse, T.(eds.) (2018) European Integration
Theory, Oxford: Oxford University Press.