Exploratory essays` secret: what makes a strong essay

One thing you should know about exploratory essays is that you can start writing even without an end in mind. It means that you do not have to know for sure how you feel about this topic and change your opinion in the process. This is very unusual as for an essay but it lets you rather learn something than prove it with facts. It is based on inquiry and the main purpose of such type of essays is to contribute to the arguments more than once widening your vision. Let’s have a look at the main points that make a decent exploratory essay.

Focus and topic

The main focus of exploratory essay is not a thesis (surprisingly) but a question (which is content oriented). There are also two basic strategies that can be implemented: in-process and retrospective. The first one provides spontaneity and the latter one is aimed at more artistically designed papers. The essay considers the strengths and weaknesses of different solutions of a discussed problem and often recreates antithetical positions. The subjects of the exploratory essay may vary: whatever you choose, make sure you are really interested in it so you can make it more interesting to your readers.

Writing process steps

Now we are getting to the main purpose of this article: how to write an exploratory essay. The process is pretty much the same as other essays but it also has its peculiar properties:

What are your main arguments? First of all you should come up with a short outline and think about the topic properly before doing the research.
Now it is time for research: read summary analysis and the articles that may be useful and help to strengthen your opinion;
Discuss your paper with a friend or a group of people to make your work easier and more effective. Let them get a general idea and ask if they have any thoughts on how the paper may be more intriguing and interesting;
Use the visuals to make your point of view easy-to-understand: remember that some people will learn faster if they see graphs, charts, pictures or diagrams;
Make a draft version and do not forget about logical transitions between your paragraphs. If you mention a particular piece of work, take care of naming the author;
Use citations if the content is not yours. Try to focus on the main ideas and make a strong point;
Edit the paper: better ask someone to look at the paper with a fresh view. Make sure you covered all points given by your professor;
Final version: proofread the text and improve the paper if needed.

Primary goals

Your main goal when writing an exploratory essay is to analyze a few different points of view on a particular subject and provide a detailed research. Such papers are applied not only in college but also in business environment and analyzing at least three opinions gives you a better issue understanding so you can come up with the right solution. Research is the most crucial stage of the whole writing process: when researching, take notes in order not to miss anything valuable.Keep in mind that all the arguments you provide need to have logical transitions and going over your notes will help you clearly arrange the information ensuring smooth paper flow and easy understanding. Finally, when writing, stick to the outline you created at the beginning. Even if you have a temptation to add or remove something, following an original plan is always better. Changing the outline also may lead to disrupting of the whole logic of the essay.