Scholarly Conclusion Writing

1. Take 30 minutes: Read the lecture notes below for Thursday, and take your notes on the points made. Click on the link to the U of Iowa Writing Center, too.

2. Take Another 30 minutes:  Note down 2-3 of the suggestions below and write down possible ways you could use those bullet point suggestions to help you. Brainstorm the end of essay--what are some possibilities?

• I will open my class by asking you about how you are thinking of applying these ideas to your own essay. The success (your understanding and application, and the class time together on Thursday) only comes from your willingness to participate.  

3. Feel free to draft your conclusion draft and have it ready to show or upload, but it will not be due to myLearning before class on Thursday, as originally scheduled. However, the more you have done, the more Professor A. can guide you in your own process with this essay.

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Expanding What A Conclusion Can Be

The last paragraph (or sometimes paragraphs, when writing much longer essays) should reflect upon the thesis statement and its subtopics that you have addressed in your essay. 

However, there are other ways to view your conclusions, and viewing a conclusion in these different ways will help guide you in what else you can say beyond being repetitive. 

Another way of looking at just conclusions and the above general conclusion definition, according to the University of Iowa's Writing Center:

 "The conclusion is a good place to not only sum up the points made in the paper but to suggest the further implications of your argument.  You do not want to simply reiterate the points you have made in your introduction, thesis, or body paragraphs.  

Instead, use the analyses that you have already presented to ask questions, or suggest the possible next logical step in the argument.  You can use the conclusion to draw connections between your chosen text and its genre and historical or cultural contexts.  

You want to make sure that the claims you make in the conclusion are not too far-fetched or wildly out of step with the rest of your paper.  The conclusion should be the final step in the progression of your argument."

You likely will not address each question below each time, but here are some general ideas you may explore in your conclusion rather than simply "restating the thesis." (As a writer, you may find some of these thoughtful actions are useful for other parts of your essay...):

• What is important to the general audience/larger world about what you have argued/analyzed/defined. etc.? What knowledge do you provide us, and why is that important? 

• What is the impact of this knowledge I provide ? Who is affected, how? 

• Where does my idea fit in the larger discussion of the subject addressed in the essay? 

• Quickly state comparison or contrast with socially common views, stereotypes, and/or subjects.

• What recommendations can I make, and why, based on my thesis and other points made in the essay? Or, what recs do I have based on the source author's ideas?

• What is another major point or two about the subject that I did not have 'time' to include in this essay? 

• Pose questions that you haven't addressed that are relevant to what you have already written. 

• Pose questions that further help reader understand the subject's context.

• Suggest next possible step in the author's argument.

• Suggest different types of evidence that were not used in author's argument.

• In third person, briefly provide your own thoughts on any examples used from your source author that matter to you. 

• Example: Tamir Rice...

• Have you read other articles, books, etc., on the subject? Draw connections between your essay subject text and well-known texts in the genre or same time period or cultural perspective.