how many references for a 2000 word essay university

The Critical Turkey

Essay Writing Hacks for the Social Sciences

How many sources should I use in my essay?

Possibly the most frequently asked question when it comes to social science essay writing (certainly in first and second year courses) is how many sources should be used in an essay. This is a very legitimate question, especially if you don’t have much essay writing experience to start with. But the answer is not very straightforward. It depends. Rather than providing a fixed number, this blog post lays out what it depends on, and what kinds of parameters play a role in determining the number of readings.

The purpose of referencing

First, however, a short reflection on why you need to use references in the first place. Anchoring this discussion to its purpose will help you gain a deeper understanding of the issue, and the rest will make more sense. It is tempting to see this as a tick-box exercise of a specific number of readings you need to cover. But providing references goes deeper than that.

What distinguishes academic writing from other forms of writing is that indeed, it builds on what others have written before, and makes explicit reference to it. This is because social science is ever-evolving. When we write about social class today, we stand on the shoulders of giants , scholars like Marx, Weber, or more recently, Pierre Bourdieu. And those are only the big names. Hundreds of other authors have dedicated their scholarly lives to academic research, and added bits and pieces to an ever-evolving body of knowledge, be it on social class or any other topic we write about.

Providing references to their work pays tribute to this. It is a sign of respect for the work of others. But it also a way of showing your own awareness of the different debates and different perspectives in the field. And it is a way of showing where your position is. For example, if your analysis of class follows a Marxist tradition, this will show in the readings you use, as you will be drawing primarily on authors that have also followed this tradition (and probably some original Marx as well).

Rather than this being a tick-box exercise, then, referring to the work of others has a deeper meaning. It is about who you are, and where you see yourself, as a budding scholar. And you might not think of yourself as a budding scholar (yet?), but hey, we all have to start somewhere.

Parameter 1: Your ambition

And this brings us to the first parameter, your ambition. If all you want is write a reasonably well-informed essay that achieves a solid pass and a not unreasonable grade (a perfectly legitimate ambition. In our school this corresponds to a grade in the 50s range), fewer sources will do. You still need to demonstrate you have read, and are building on the literature, but there is less emphasis on integrating, for example, different perspectives. If, however, you want to demonstrate that you really know some stuff, and are aware of at least some of the different perspectives (in our school, a 60s essay), you will typically use a few more sources, integrate a few more perspectives, and a little more data and evidence. If you are aiming for those really high grade ranges (in our school, 70 and above), you want to show more of an ‘overview of the topic’, an awareness of a slightly bigger part of the body of knowledge that exists, which will result the use of additional sources, and an extended bibliography.

Okay, I know you want numbers. Here we go then. Let’s say this is a typical 1,500 to 2,000-word essay, first or second year, Social and Political Science at Edinburgh University (if you’re at another school or university this might be different. Even some individual courses might be different. Always check for local conditions): a typical 50s essay here will probably use four or five sources; in the 60s, it tends to be around five to ten, and typical 70s or above essays use probably somewhere between eight and 15 substantive sources. These are rough estimates, though. And importantly, these numbers are not deterministic. You could write a brilliant essay based on just five or six sources and still get that first. Or you could use 15 sources in your essay, but if your argument is off, or your writing is incomprehensible, or the sources aren’t very good, you might still only get a 50s grade.

Parameter 2: The kind of question

The second parameter to consider is the kind of question you are addressing. There are two main distinctions to make here: first, whether the question is mostly on a specific theory or on a topic. More theoretical questions tend to need fewer readings. For example, it could ask about a specific concept by a specific author, say Foucault’s concept of power/knowledge, or Mead’s idea of the Self. Rather than looking at several different viewpoints, this kind of essay question is asking you to engage in detail with only one author’s perspective. This means there is less importance on breadth of reading (expressed in a higher number of readings). However, this does not necessarily make things easier, as there is instead more emphasis on depth of reading. You need to engage thoroughly with that one text, more that you would otherwise. And even though the emphasis is on one author’s theory, depending on your ambition, you still want to consult additional literature, and see how other authors have interpreted and contextualised this particular theory.

If the essay question is on a specific topic, on the other hand, say globalisation, gender inequalities or social class, there is usually more of an emphasis on the breadth of reading, and of you demonstrating awareness of different perspectives and interpretations. This tends to result in a higher number of bibliography entries.

The second aspect of the ‘kind of question’ parameter you need to consider is how many dimensions the question has. In the above example, if the question is about one theorist, you will typically need fewer readings than if the question is asking you to compare theories, for example, compare Foucault’s notion of how power and knowledge are connected to what Marx and Engels wrote about the issue. Both might be 2,000 word essays, but the number of readings is likely to be twice as many if you add this comparison.

The same goes for topic questions. These, too, can involve several dimensions. A question that asks about the impact of globalisation on cultural practices in Japan is more likely to be focused on a selected number of core readings. If a similar question asks about the impact of globalisation on culture, the economy and politics in Japan, this multitude of dimensions will require additional readings for the additional dimensions.

Parameter 3: Quality of sources

Another parameter that determines the number of sources you need to use is the quality of your sources, and the kinds of sources you use. Once again, two distinctions are important here. First, there is a difference between core readings, and ones that are more peripheral. The core readings should indeed provide the core of your argument, and the basis for the essay to build on. They are usually provided in the course material, either as essay readings, or for the respective lectures or course units the essay builds on. The decisive point, however, and what defines these as core readings for the purpose of your essay, is that they touch on the core of what the essay is about. Peripheral readings are ones that provide examples, additional material, data and illustration. They help your essay branch out, and cover just that little bit more ground. The point, however, is that they are additional, and if push comes to shove, you could probably do without them. The core readings, in contrast, are indispensable.

This distinction is important for how you count your number of readings. Core readings count fully; peripheral readings, not quite so much. This can become a problem if your bibliography is overly weighted towards peripheral readings. If you have, say, ten readings in your bibliography, but only one or two are on the core of the topic, this will be insufficient, despite the relatively high number of readings. If we take the above example of the effects of globalisation on Japanese culture, if only one or two readings are on globalisation, and ten others on examples, this might leave the core a little hollow, and the discussion of globalisation in a more general sense might just not have sufficient substance. I have used the word ‘might’ here, because this does depend on the kinds of readings, and there is a chance that this bibliography actually does work. The important point is that this is something you need to pay attention to, and ultimately it is your judgment call.

The second distinction of the kinds of sources is between academic and non-academic sources. As a rule of thumb, you should be very careful about using non-academic sources in the first place. All of the above is written on the assumption that we are talking about academic (i.e. peer-reviewed) journal articles and books. Under certain circumstances, however, it is possible to use non-academic sources, such as news articles or blogposts, mostly to provide current examples and illustration of whatever you are writing about. If you do use such sources, however, they should never be seen as a replacement for academic sources. And when you count how many sources you have used, you should simply take these out of the equation. If you have used, say three academic sources and 15 non-academic sources, in the eyes of your marker (at least if I am that marker) you have only used three sources, plus some additional, peripheral, illustrative material. This is not to say that this additional material cannot also be very useful. But as discussed above, academic essay writing starts with an acknowledgment of what is already out there in terms of academic literature and research, and is based on the body of knowledge that has evolved over time on a specific topic, not on yesterday’s news.

Parameter 4: specific instructions

The last parameter to consider can throw the entire calculation over board. It is whether the essay question comes with specific instructions. Such instructions could be, for example, that an essay in social theory really only needs to engage with this one theory. This gives you permission to limit the number of readings. However, be careful here, as this can be a false friend. Reading additional secondary literature on the theory might actually help you understand it better.

Or you might be encouraged to use news articles to provide examples for your discussion. This can potentially lead to a much higher number of bibliography entries. But as discussed above, this should not replace academic literature, and the latter should always form the basis and core of your discussion.

These four parameters are what I think are the most relevant determinants for the number of readings you need to use in your essay. But maybe I missed something? What other considerations do you think are important? Or maybe you disagree with some claim made in this article? Do let me know in the comments below.

3 thoughts on “How many sources should I use in my essay?”

These articles are so, so helpful. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much! This helps me a lot : )

This is so helpful and clear, thanks a lots

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How Many References For a 2000 Word Essay?

Table of Contents

How many references do i need for a 2000 word essay.

• Why it’s important to use References in Essays?

How Many Pages in 2000 Words Essay?

Q1. how many references are compulsory to add in a 2500-word essay, q2. how much time it will take to write a 2000-word essay, q3. is it possible to write a 2000-word essay in one day, q4. how can i improve my essay-writing skills, q5. is 8 references enough for a 1500-word essay.

The number of References in any Essay depends on the word count and guidelines. In Universities, when writing an essay, so you need to add references. If you don't have any idea about references for a 2000-word essay then you can talk to assignment help in London that offers their free assistance to their clients. 

So in our mind, there are so many questions like how many references I use for such length? Are too many references bad for my essay? So let's know all the details here. 

If you already know how to Write References in an Assignment and now you are worried about several references you should put them in your Essay. The length of the essay is 2000 Words, so you should add at least 12 to 15 references. The simple rule to add references is you can aim for one reference per 150 words. 

So If your Essay is approx 1500 Words, you can add 10 sources in the reference part. Please Keep in mind that, this part always varies according to the university's assignment requirement.

In the UK, students choose Assignment Help , because they don't have time to write essays, and also students fail to put references. The 2000 Word Essay should consist of the following parts:

Introduction

The introduction part is the first part of the essay and it takes 8 to 10% of the word count. If you are writing a 2000 Essay, the first introduction section should be 100 to 200 Words also you can check the Best Ways to Begin a Reflective Essay for Students .

The Body section is the essential part of your essay after completing the introduction part. So this part takes 60 to 70% of the word count and the word count is approx 600 to 1600 words. If you're doing a part-time job in the UK and do not have time to do such work so choose Assignment Writing Services . 

The last part of your Essay. In the Conclusion part, we need to summarize all the research that we covered in the essay. This part also takes 8 to 10% and it's 200 Words long also you can read the How to Write Conclusion in Dissertation .  

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Why it’s important to use References in Essays?

References are the assurance of the originality of your essay. It is very necessary to add references in your essay as references represent that you have given appropriate credit to the sources from which you have taken inspiration and information of any kind. 

References are necessary for any kind of essay writing or dissertation writing because they allow the reader to locate and check the source of your information. References will help you validate the arguments you have proposed in your essay and will provide more weightage.

To avoid plagiarism in your essay make sure you have added sufficient references. If your essay shows plagiarised content then it will be declared as Re-do by the university and you will have to write the entire essay again. To avoid plagiarism in your essay writing you should know how to write a plagiarism-free assignment , this will help you in writing an essay with almost zero plagiarism.

For writing a 2000-word essay it will consume about 4 pages as one page can take around 500 words of your essay. While writing an essay, your introduction will need at least 1 page of your essay because the introduction needs to have all the information about the essay topic and the findings. Most of the people struggling with writing their essay have found a lot help from tips that should be kept in mind before start writing an assignment . 

The pages of your 2000-word essay also depend on the type of spacing you are using in your essay. There are 2 types of spacing that people generally use in essay writing and is also considered the correct format of spacing in essay writing i.e. single spacing in which you use single space in two words and double spacing in which you use double space between 2 words.  

Writing an essay with single spacing your essay will take around 5 pages and with double pages, it will take around 7-8 pages. Globally 3 fonts are used mostly and considered as appropriate fonts for essay writing i.e. Times New Roman, Calibri, and Arial. Using these fonts you can be assured that your essay will look professional and well-structured.

Adding in your essay is a very important step in writing an essay. The main reason to add references in your essay is to make sure you are giving appropriate credit to the sources of your information. A 2000-word essay needs to have at least 15-20 references to make sure your essay is not declared plagiarised. Also to write a good essay with appropriate references you need to have good academic writing skills so that your essay is perfect.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions by students.

Ans. If you are writing a 2500 words essay then you have to add references for almost every 200-250 words.

Ans. If you are a good or even an average writer with decent writing speed it will roughly take you around 2 hours to complete a 2000 words essay. 

Ans. Yes, it is completely possible to finish a 2000-word essay in a single day even if you do it very slowly. If you have written a dissertation during your coursework it will be very easy for you if you know how to write references in a dissertation because the process of adding references in both is similar. 

Ans. If you want to improve your essay writing skills you need to practice writing by keeping track of time and giving yourself a daily target of writing which is time-bound. You can work as a freelance content writer to improve essay writing skills, check out the best part-time jobs for students in UK to know more about content writing pay-out and other jobs.

Ans. Even if you are writing a short essay of 1500 words, you need to mention at least 10 references in your essay to make it legitimate.

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How to write a 2000-word Essay: What works Best?

Writing a remarkable 2000-word essay is an overwhelming task for students. This type of essay requires an overwhelming amount of knowledge, time to write, and the ability to organize your thoughts concisely. This guide will explain everything you need to complete a 2000-word essay.

How long is a 2000-word essay?

In academic writing, a 2000-word essay is the same as four pages of a single-spaced document or eight pages double-spaced one . Double spacing means there should be blank lines between each line of text that prevent them from blurring together. Your instructor may ask you to double-space the essay to make it easier to read and to allow reviewers to make comments or suggestions about the assignment.

Each page of single-spaced content has 500-550 words, while a double-spaced page has 250-275. If you are using MLA or APA formatting style, the formatting standard for an essay should be (1) double-spaced, (2) Times New Roman font, and (3) one-inch margins all around. If you use Ariel font pages

How Many Paragraphs is a 2000 Words Essay

A 2000-word essay consists of between 7 and 9 paragraphs, each having between 3 and 5 or more full and coherent sentences. Please note that there are no proper rules on how many sentences your paragraph should have since each paragraph discusses different ideas relating to the main topic of your essay.

Some paragraphs could be shorter and others longer. Some paragraphs could be a sentence shorter, and others about half a page long. What matters more is how you structure and complete the paragraphs.

However, you should not concern yourself with the length of your paragraph that you forget what matters most: the content of the paragraphs. Communicate effectively the quality of the message to ensure you answer the topic.

Can I Write 2000 Words in Two Hours?

Writing a 2000-word article in two hours is challenging but not impossible. Typically, a good essay requires in-depth research, a clear structure for the paper, and an organization of your ideas, which requires adequate time.

However, quickly completing an essay depends on your familiarity with the topic and typing speed. Most adults have an average typing speed of 40 words per minute (WPM). However, for experienced typists, the average typing speed is about 76 words per minute. Many college students trying to finish their assignments on time usually type 60-70 words per minute.

If you are having an essay crisis and can’t seem to figure out how to write a 2000-word essay in two hours, use the following tips;

Plan your essay

Take 10 – 15 minutes to organize your thoughts by identifying your essay's main topics and ideas. Focus only on key ideas and avoid unnecessary details to save time. Then, decide how you will organize them in your paper. A great tip is to have a logical order, ensuring a link between all ideas.

Research Efficiently and effectively

All academic papers, especially long-form essays like a 2000-word essay, require in-depth research to gather supporting information for your topic. You need to dedicate a few minutes to gather sources before writing.

Write the Introduction

Use 5-10 minutes to write a compelling introduction, beginning with a hook to grab readers' attention. Then, provide some context about the topic and state your thesis statement.

Write the Body Paragraphs

Allocate 10- 15 minutes to discuss each idea supporting your main topic. If you have 5 ideas, it will take you about 50 minutes to finish writing the body of your essay.

Write Your Conclusion

Use 10-15 minutes to finalize your essay by restating your thesis statement, summarizing the main points, reminding the readers why they should care, and providing recommendations/ suggestions for the main topic.

Revise Your Essay

Use 20 minutes to review your draft to correct any mistakes you made while writing. The final draft should be free of any errors (punctuation, grammar, and spelling) and be plagiarism-free. You must also ensure that all ideas are clearly and concisely written.

Please note that writing a 2000-word essay under time constraints will likely affect the quality of your work; however, following the above tips ensures you finish a well-structured 2000-word essay quickly.

What is the Format for a 2000 Word Essay?

A 2000-word essay is an academic paper with the same format as others. This means it has an introduction, a body paragraph, and a conclusion. Your introduction and conclusion should comprise approximately 25% of the total word count of the essay, while the rest of 75% should be dedicated to the body.

Introductions

An introduction of a 2000-word essay is 5-10% of the total word count. It should be between 100 – 150 words of concisely written content. If you have no idea what to include in the introduction, the following tips will offer a starting point.

• Set the scene
• Introduce the topic or problem under discussion.
• If needed, provide definitions of complex concepts.
• An explanation of why the topic or problem matters. (provide the size or the scope of the matter).
• The purpose of the essay.
• Introduce the thesis statement, which is the central idea of the essay.
• Briefly provide the outline you will use to explain the paper's logic.

Your introduction should be a paragraph or two long since a paragraph is made of 100 words.

The Main Body

A body of a 2000-word essay will make up about 75% of the total word count. It should be divided into 5-7 paragraphs, each discussing one central idea that identifies the main topic. These paragraphs should be 150- 250 words, each supported by 2 or more references. Note that the longer the assignments, the more important it is to provide links that refer to earlier points, thus connecting ideas.

When you begin writing the body, your ideas will likely flow randomly from the mind. Since you are writing for readers with different backgrounds and viewpoints, you must organize these ideas to make it easier for them to process and understand. Use the following format to organize the body of your essay;

• Write a topic sentence that identifies the paragraph topic you will discuss.
• Supporting information , such as examples, details, and evidence, contributes to the main topic. When you provide evidence, ensure you explain why it is relevant to the topic.
• A concluding sentence also acts as a transition to the next paragraph. Provide a conclusion that reminds readers of what they have read and shows the topic's significance.

Use the above format to organize the rest of the body paragraphs. Consider writing this plan on paper and pinning it on your desk to remind yourself whenever you write an essay. 

Additionally, consider using the following writing techniques and tools to help finish your essay in under two hours.

Technique 1: The Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro Technique. This technique involves working continuously for 25 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break. The Pomodoro technique is effective because it allows you to focus while avoiding burnout. Research shows that taking regular breaks can increase well-being and performance.

Technique 2: Write in Batches

Writing in batches is an effective method to finish a 2000-word essay in two hours. It involves dividing your essay into sections and working on them before taking a break.

Use tools such as Grammarly and Hemingway Editor to help edit your work and ensure no errors before submission.

This is the final paragraph of your essay. Like an introduction, a conclusion makes up about 5-10% of a 2000-word essay. This means that a conclusion for a 2000-word essay has approximately 100-150 words.

If you follow the above format, the total word count will 2050.

How Long Will It Take to Write a 2000 Words Essay?

Finishing a 2000-word essay will take 6-8 hours on average. However, if you are just typing the essay without doing any in-depth research, outlining the work, or adding citations and references, it will take about 50 minutes. For a handwritten essay, it takes about 1.7 hours to finish a 2000-word essay.

Please note that some students can finish a 2000-word essay in just under two hours, while others can take at least five days (2 for in-depth research, 2 for writing the essay, and one for revising and editing) to finish. All this will depend on the complexities of the topic. A complex topic will probably require more time for research, especially if getting the sources for the topic is challenging.

The assignment deadline will also influence whether someone can finish the essay quickly or not. Many students often find themselves swamped with assignments, wondering which to prioritize. If you have a 1000-word essay and another for 2200 words, prioritize the latter and focus on finishing the shorter one later.  

If you want to finish your essay quickly, avoid distractions such as social media, TV, friends, etc.

How Many References Are in a 2000 Words Essay

A 2000-word essay should have between 10 and 20 high-quality references. Please take note that these are just suggestions. Logically, there should be a source in every paragraph. Each argument supported by credible evidence must have a reference. Some factors that will determine how many references each of your paragraphs will have include:

The Type of Research

If you are conducting empirical research, you will need more references compared to doing research for a theoretical paper. This is because the latter focuses on synthesizing existing concepts.

Depth of the Research

If your 2000-word essay is about a complex topic, you must do more thorough research to locate all the evidence supporting or refuting your claims. This means your essay will have more references than one that does not need much research.

Assignment’s Requirements

Your instructors will specify the number of references to use in your essay; they might verbally communicate this in class or highlight it on the assignment prompt. Thus, it's essential to always read and understand your prompt before working on the assignment.

If there are no specifications about essay references, check with your instructor how many are appropriate for the type of essay you are writing.

Writing Time by Word Counts

The following table outlines how long it takes to complete an essay, depending on the number of words.

From the above table, it's clear that a person's typing speed will dictate whether they can finish an assignment quickly or not.

Writing Time by Page Counts

Wondering how long it takes to complete a page? The table below will let you know how long it will take to finish an essay based on page counts.

This rough estimate is based on slow, average, and fast writers.

Tips to Help You Finish a 2000 Words Essay

So, you left your 2000-word essay until the last minute and can't seem to figure out how to finish it on time? No worries. The following tips can help.

Eat a Good Breakfast

A study published in the National Library of Medicine has shown that eating a good breakfast is associated with positive outcomes for learners and professionals. Breakfast gives you energy after fasting overnight for more than 7 hours. Take some brain food fuel, such as yogurts topped with berries, to give you steady energy as you write your essay. This will prevent you from feeling hungry, which could be a distraction.

Pick Your Equipment and Workstation

When you sit down to write, everything must be within reach. So, pick a conducive environment away from distractions and collect all materials like your laptops, pens, notebooks, etc.

Set Time Management Goals

When you have an urgent assignment that is 2000 words long, time management is key to success. Good time management skills will help you finish the task quickly while avoiding distractions. You can break up your tasks into chunks and work on them individually.

Use Online Tools to Speed Up the Research Process

Research can take an awful amount of time, especially for a complex topic. So, speed up the process by using online tools like Google Scholar to find sources for your essay.

Also, check if your instructor has published a list of sources on your module's online platform. Most of them are kind enough to put them online.

Write Your Notes directly on Your Laptop.

Normally, when researching a topic, you will write ideas in a notebook and then use it later when typing on your laptop. However, since you are in a hurry, skip this step and directly type the ideas and their sources on our computer. Once you are done, you can drag and drop paragraphs in the correct order.

An essay that is 2000 words long is a common type of essay you will encounter in school. You must be well prepared by understanding what it takes to complete this type of essay. Whether you are a seasoned writer or a beginner, the above guide will be helpful when writing a 2000-word essay.

If you are struggling with writing a paper or essay that is 2000 or 2200 words long, we can help. EssayManiacs has a team of professional writers who can write such an essay in under a day or between 7 and 8 hours or less. Therefore, if you want help with your assignments , we are online and ready to help. Please place an order, and we will assign your paper to a writer within the next few minutes. In terms of cost, it should cost you around $18-25/page, depending on the urgency. Engage us for a discount.

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• Writing Tips

A Student’s Guide to Finding Quality Sources for Essays

9-minute read

• 1st August 2023

So, you’ve been assigned your first college essay. You need to write at least a thousand words but have one issue: you must include quality sources, which will go in the reference list. Your professor has only told you, “Utilize academic databases and scholarly journals.”

Okay, so how exactly do you find credible sources for your essay ? Well, we’ll guide you through that in today’s post. We’ll explore finding quality sources and why you need them. By the time you finish reading, you’ll be ready to find sources for your essay.

Why Do I Need Sources?

You likely learned the importance of sources in high school. You need them to show that you are well-read on your chosen topic. You can’t ignore the importance of conducting academic research , as it will be part of your daily college grind.

Submitting an essay without sources would be like serving a hamburger with just the bun and beef patty. Think of sources as toppings on a burger. An essay lacking sources will undermine your credibility, leaving your professor wondering, “How do you know that?”

You also need to include citations to support your claims, which come from the sources you choose.

Finding Sources

Finding sources will depend on whether you want primary or secondary sources . Primary sources provide first-hand facts about your topic. For example, if your topic is related to literature, you would seek novels or poems as your primary sources. Secondary sources contain information from primary sources, such as journal articles.

Whether they’re primary or secondary sources, here are our suggestions for finding them.

1.   Consult the Textbook

Your course textbook is a great starting point, as it will likely contain valuable and relevant information about your topic. Many students believe the textbook won’t be accepted as a source for an essay, but this is false. Your professor will welcome citations from the textbook.

2.   Head to Your School’s Library

No, we’re not suggesting heading to the library’s on-site Starbucks, hoping for source-searching inspiration as you sip that frothy latte! Your school’s library contains numerous print sources, such as books, magazines, and newspapers. College libraries also subscribe to databases containing journal articles.

Journal articles are highly valued in academic research; every professor will expect at least a few of them in a reference list. Journal articles, or academic journals, are the most current sources in academia written by renowned scholars in the chosen field of study. Additionally, journal articles contribute to the field, summarize the current situation of it, and add new insight to the theory. They are also credible, as field experts review them before publication.

You don’t have to leave your dorm and head to the library. You can access various sources from your school’s library database online. Here’s an example of a student accessing the University of South Florida’s library database from their favorite coffee shop.

Navigating your library’s database can seem daunting; however, the library staff will be more than happy to help you, so don’t be afraid to seek help.

Finally, your institution’s library uses an inter-library loan system, allowing students to request out-of-stock print or online sources. If the library doesn’t have a specific item you need, there’s a good chance they can get it from another library.

3.   Research Databases

You can use online research databases to find journal articles, other scholarly sources, and specific books. Research databases, which feature various search functions, can help you find the most current and relevant sources.

These research databases are available through your school library, giving you access to popular subject-specific databases such as JSTOR, Project Muse, and PubMed. You can download and save relevant articles from such databases; however, you must be logged into your student account to access and download full-version articles.

Knowing the essay’s scope and relevant keywords is essential for an optimal experience with databases. Once you become familiar with databases, they’ll be your best friends when conducting academic research.

4. Google Scholar

If Google is your preferred poison, we suggest using Google Scholar . It’s Google’s academic search engine, which works like an ordinary Google search except that it finds relevant academic print and online sources. Take this example of a student using Google Scholar to search for sources related to cyberbullying in schools.

Google Scholar presents various journal articles for the student. You can refine your search to find articles that have been published within the last year. One distinguishing Google Scholar feature is its Cited by function that shows the number of times a source has been cited. This function can inform you about a source’s credibility and importance to your topic.

5.   Boolean Operators

We suggest using Boolean operators if your essay topic contains multiple search terms. Boolean operators expand or narrow your search parameters when using research databases. They use AND , OR , and NOT to include or exclude keywords from your search, allowing students to connect various keywords to optimize their search results. Boolean operators can be tricky if you aren’t familiar with using AND, OR, and NOT in search parameters.

Let’s say you’re searching for an article on cyberbullying written by an author named Bales in 2003. You can use AND to find the title of the article using keywords.

This will tell the database that all three terms must be present in the search result.

You can use OR to connect two or more similar concepts and broaden your search. This means any search terms you input can appear in the search results.

You can use NOT to exclude words or terms from your search by typing the excluded word after OR.

The search result will include soccer and omit football . This can be very useful in this example, as football is the UK word for soccer. It also means American football in US English. Because the student only wants to find soccer results, excluding football will avoid pulling up results related to American football.

Boolean operators are helpful if you clearly understand the scope of the assignment and know relevant keywords.

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6.   Additional Online Sources

Searching for general online sources is another way to go. You can find potential sources from websites and blogs. We suggest consulting popular news websites such as BBC News and the New York Times, as they often have current and relevant articles related to the topic.

We encourage you to err on the side of caution when using non-academic online sources. You need to ensure that online sources are credible . We recommend looking for sites with trusted domain extensions, such as . edu, .org , and .gov . URLs with .edu endings are educational resources, while .org endings are resources from organizations. Endings with .gov are government-related resources.

It’s also a good idea to look for sources that contain a Digital Object Finder ( DOI ). A DOI is a permanent string attached to online journal articles and books, making it simple to retrieve them. Articles with DOIs indicate that they have been published in peer-reviewed articles.

How Many Sources Should I Have?

The essay rubric will probably specify the number of sources required. However, this is not always the case, so you need to use some judgment. The basic rule is to gather sources until you have enough information to support your claims. If you’re writing an essay of 2,000 words, you should have at least six sources. Remember that your professor expects variety. Try this approach:

–    One book (if possible)

–    Two to three journal articles

–    One additional online source (preferably with a trusted domain extension)

Depending on the field of study, you may find that most of your sources come from journal articles.

 Here’s a recap of finding quality sources for your essay:

●  Professors want you to find a variety of sources (print and online)

●  Your school’s library has access to thousands of highly-valued journal articles from its database

●  Have a solid understanding of the topic and relevant keywords when using Boolean operators to narrow your search results

●  Evaluate the credibility of additional online sources

●  Look for websites with trusted domain extensions

●  As a rule, use at least six sources for an essay of 2,000 words

By following our suggestions, you can get your search off to a flying start. We also recommend keeping track of your sources as you conduct your research. This will make it easier to correctly format citations from your sources.

Finally, we urge you to search for sources right after your professor assigns the essay. Waiting until a few days before the essay is due to start searching is a bad idea.

1. What Types of Sources Are Recommended?

We recommend credible websites, books, journal articles, and newspapers.

2. How Do I Know if a Source Is Credible?

 A source is credible if:

●  The author is an expert in the field or is a well-respected publisher (New York Times)

●  It contains citations for sources used

●  The website has a trusted domain extension

●  It has current information on your topic

3. How Can I Get the Most Out of Research Databases?

Brainstorm specific keywords related to your topic. This will help you efficiently use Boolean operators. You should also have a clear understanding of the scope of your essay. Finally, use databases that are related to your topic. For instance, if your topic is literature then JSTOR is a good option.

4. Is Writing the Reference List Difficult?

This will depend on the required referencing style, such as APA, MLA, and Chicago. Remember to list the sources alphabetically in the reference list.

Once you’ve written the list, we recommend proofreading it. Your professor will be checking that your reference list meets the referencing style guidelines. A second pair of eyes always helps, so we recommend asking our proofreading experts to review your list . They can check that your sources are listed alphabetically. Additionally, our proofreaders will check that your list meets referencing style guidelines. Our proofreaders are pros with popular referencing styles such as MLA and APA. Consider submitting a 500-word document for free!

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How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

Are you feeling overwhelmed by referencing?

When you’re first asked to do referencing in an essay it can be hard to get your head around it. If it’s been a while since you were first taught how to reference, it can be intimidating to ask again how to do it!

I have so many students who consistently lose marks just because they didn’t get referencing right! They’re either embarrassed to ask for extra help or too lazy to learn how to solve the issues.

So, here’s a post that will help you solve the issues on your own.

Already think you’re good at referencing? No worries. This post goes through some surprising and advanced strategies for anyone to improve no matter what level you are at!

In this post I’m going to show you exactly how to reference in an essay. I’ll explain why we do it and I’ll show you 9 actionable tips on getting referencing right that I’m sure you will not have heard anywhere else!

The post is split into three parts:

• What is a Reference and What is a Citation?
• Why Reference? (4 Things you Should Know)
• How to Reference (9 Strategies of Top Students)

If you think you’ve already got a good understanding of the basics, you can jump to our 9 Advanced Strategies section.

Part 1: What is a Reference and What is a Citation?

What is a citation.

An in-text mention of your source. A citation is a short mention of the source you got the information from, usually in the middle or end of a sentence in the body of your paragraph. It is usually abbreviated so as not to distract the reader too much from your own writing. Here’s two examples of citations. The first is in APA format. The second is in MLA format:

• APA: Archaeological records trace the original human being to equatorial Africa about 250,000–350,000 years ago (Schlebusch & Jakobsson, 2018) .
• MLA: Archaeological records trace the original human being to equatorial Africa about 250,000–350,000 years ago (Schlebusch and Jakobsson 1) .

In APA format, you’ve got the authors and year of publication listed. In MLA format, you’ve got the authors and page number listed. If you keep reading, I’ll give some more tips on formatting further down in this article.

And a Reference is:

What is a Reference?

A reference is the full details of a source that you list at the end of the article. For every citation (see above) there needs to be a corresponding reference at the end of the essay showing more details about that source. The idea is that the reader can see the source in-text (i.e. they can look at the citation) and if they want more information they can jump to the end of the page and find out exactly how to go about finding the source.

Here’s how you would go about referencing the Schlebusch and Jakobsson source in a list at the end of the essay. Again, I will show you how to do it in APA and MLA formats:

• APA: Schlebusch, C. & Jakobsson, M. (2018). Tales of Human Migration, Admixture, and Selection in Africa. Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics , 11 (33), 1–24.
• MLA: Schlebusch, Carina and Mattias Jakobsson. “Tales of Human Migration, Admixture, and Selection in Africa.” Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics , vol. 11, no. 33, 2018, pp. 1–24.

In strategy 1 below I’ll show you the easiest and fool proof way to write these references perfectly every time.

One last quick note: sometimes we say ‘reference’ when we mean ‘citation’. That’s pretty normal. Just roll with the punches. It’s usually pretty easy to pick up on what our teacher means regardless of whether they use the word ‘reference’ or ‘citation’.

Part 2: Why Reference in an Essay? (4 Things you Should Know)

Referencing in an essay is important. By the time you start doing 200-level courses, you probably won’t pass the course unless you reference appropriately. So, the biggest answer to ‘why reference?’ is simple: Because you Have To!

Okay let’s be serious though … here’s the four top ‘real’ reasons to reference:

1. Referencing shows you Got an Expert’s Opinion

You can’t just write an essay on what you think you know. This is a huge mistake of beginning students. Instead this is what you need to do:

Top Tip: Essays at university are supposed to show off that you’ve learned new information by reading the opinions of experts.

Every time you place a citation in your paragraph, you’re showing that the information you’re presenting in that paragraph was provided to you by an expert. In other words, it means you consulted an expert’s opinion to build your knowledge.

If you have citations throughout the essay with links to a variety of different expert opinions, you’ll show your marker that you did actually genuinely look at what the experts said with an open mind and considered their ideas.

This will help you to grow your grades.

2. Referencing shows you read your Assigned Readings

Your teacher will most likely give you scholarly journal articles or book chapters to read for homework between classes. You might have even talked about those assigned readings in your seminars and tutorials.

Great! The assigned readings are very important to you.

You should definitely cite the assigned readings relevant to your essay topic in your evaluative essay (unless your teacher tells you not to). Why? I’ll explain below.

• Firstly, the assigned readings were selected by your teacher because your teacher (you know, the person who’s going to mark your essay) believes they’re the best quality articles on the topic. Translation: your teacher gave you the best source you’re going to find. Make sure you use it!
• Secondly, by citing the assigned readings you are showing your teacher that you have been paying attention throughout the course. You are showing your teacher that you have done your homework, read those assigned readings and paid attention to them. When my students submit an essay that has references to websites, blogs, wikis and magazines I get very frustrated. Why would you cite low quality non-expert sources like websites when I gave you the expert’s article!? Really, it frustrates me so, so much.

So, cite the assigned readings to show your teacher you read the scholarly articles your teacher gave to you. It’ll help you grow your marks.

3. Referencing deepens your Knowledge

Okay, so you understand that you need to use referencing to show you got experts’ opinions on the topic.

But there’s more to it than that. There’s actually a real benefit for your learning.

If you force yourself to cite two expert sources per paragraph, you’re actually forcing yourself to get two separate pieces of expert knowledge. This will deepen your knowledge!

So, don’t treat referencing like a vanity exercise to help you gain more marks. Actually view it as an opportunity to develop deeper understandings of the topic!

When you read expert sources, aim to pick up on some new gems of knowledge that you can discuss in your essays. Some things you should look out for when finding sources to reference:

• Examples that link ideas to real life. Do the experts provide real-life examples that you can mention in your essay?
• Facts and figures. Usually experts have conducted research on a topic and provide you with facts and figures from their research. Use those facts and figures to deepen your essay!
• Short Quotes. Did your source say something in a really interesting, concise or surprising way? Great! You can quote that source in your essay .
• New Perspectives. Your source might give you another perspective, angle or piece of information that you can add to your paragraph so that it’s a deep, detailed and interesting paragraph.

So, the reason we ask you to reference is at the end of the day because it’s good for you: it helps you learn!

4. Referencing backs up your Claims

You might think you already know a ton of information about the topic and be ready to share your mountains of knowledge with your teacher. Great!

So, should you still reference?

Yes. Definitely.

You need to show that you’re not the only person with your opinion. You need to ‘stand on the shoulders of giants.’ Show what other sources have said about your points to prove that experts agree with you.

You should be saying: this is my opinion and it’s based on facts, expert opinions and deep, close scrutiny of all the arguments that exist out there .

If you make a claim that no one else has made, your teacher is going to be like “Have you even been reading the evidence on this topic?” The answer, if there are no citations is likely: No. You haven’t.

Even if you totally disagree with the experts, you still need to say what their opinions are! You’ll need to say: “This is the experts’ opinions. And this is why I disagree.”

So, yes, you need to reference to back up every claim. Try to reference twice in every paragraph to achieve this.

Part 3: Strategies for How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

Let’s get going with our top strategies for how to reference in an essay! These are strategies that you probably haven’t heard elsewhere. They work for everyone – from beginner to advanced! Let’s get started:

1. Print out your Reference Style Cheat Sheet

Referencing is hard and very specific. You need to know where to place your italics, where the commas go and whether to use an initial for full name for an author.

There are so many details to get right.

And here’s the bad news: The automated referencing apps and websites nearly always get it wrong! They tell you they can generate the citation for you. The fact of the matter is: they can’t!

Here’s the best way to get referencing right: Download a referencing cheat sheet and have it by your side while writing your essay.

Your assignment outline should tell you what type of referencing you should use. Different styles include: APA Style, MLA Style, Chicago Style, Harvard Style, Vancouver Style … and many more!

You need to find out which style you need to use and download your cheat sheet. You can jump onto google to find a cheat sheet by typing in the google bar:

Download a pdf version of the referencing style cheat sheet, print it out, and place it on your pinboard or by your side when writing your essay.

2. Only cite Experts

There are good and bad sources to cite in an essay.

You should only cite sources written, critiqued and edited by experts. This shows that you have got the skill of finding information that is authoritative. You haven’t just used information that any old person popped up on their blog. You haven’t just gotten information from your local newspaper. Instead, you got information from the person who is an absolute expert on the topic.

Here’s an infographic listing sources that you should and shouldn’t cite. Feel free to share this infographic on social media, with your teachers and your friends:

3. Always use Google Scholar

Always. Use. Google. Scholar.

Ten years ago students only had their online university search database to find articles. Those university databases suck. They rarely find the best quality sources and there’s always a big mix of completely irrelevant sources mixed in there.

Google Scholar is better at finding the sources you want. That’s because it looks through the whole article abstract and analyses it to see if it’s relevant to your search keywords. By contrast, most university search databases rely only on the titles of articles.

Use the power of the best quality search engine in the world to find scholarly sources .

Note: Google and Google Scholar are different search engines.

To use Google Scholar, go to: https://scholar.google.com

Then, search on google scholar using keywords. I’m going to search keywords for an essay on the topic: “What are the traits of a good nurse?”

If you really like the idea of that first source, I recommend copying the title and trying your University online search database. Your university may give you free access.

4. Cite at least 50% sources you found on your Own Research

Okay, so I’ve told you that you should cite both assigned readings and readings you find from Google Scholar.

Here’s the ideal mix of assigned sources and sources that you found yourself: 50/50.

Your teacher will want to see that you can use both assigned readings and do your own additional research to write a top essay . This shows you’ve got great research skills but also pay attention to what is provided in class.

I recommend that you start with the assigned readings and try to get as much information out of them, then find your own additional sources beyond that using Google Scholar.

So, if your essay has 10 citations, a good mix is 5 assigned readings and 5 readings you found by yourself.

5. Cite Newer Sources

As a general rule, the newer the source the better .

The best rule of thumb that most teachers follow is that you should aim to mostly cite sources from the past 10 years . I usually accept sources from the past 15 years when marking essays.

However, sometimes you have a really great source that’s 20, 30 or 40 years old. You should only cite these sources if they’re what we call ‘seminal texts’. A seminal text is one that was written by an absolute giant in your field and revolutionized the subject.

Here’s some examples of seminal authors whose old articles you would be able to cite despite the fact that they’re old:

• Education: Vygotsky, Friere, Piaget
• Sociology: Weber, Marx, C. Wright Mills
• Psychology: Freud, Rogers, Jung

Even if I cite seminal authors, I always aim for at least 80% of my sources to have been written in the past 10 years.

6. Reference twice per Paragraph

How much should you reference?

Here’s a good strategy: Provide two citations in every paragraph in the body of the essay.

It’s not compulsory to reference in the introduction and conclusion . However, in all the other paragraphs, aim for two citations.

Let’s go over the key strategies for achieving this:

• These two citations should be to different sources, not the same sources twice;
• Two citations per paragraph shows your points are backed up by not one, but two expert sources;
• Place one citation in the first half of the paragraph and one in the second half. This will indicate to your marker that all the points in the whole paragraph are backed up by your citations.

This is a good rule of thumb for you when you’re not sure when and how often to reference. When you get more confident with your referencing, you can mix this up a little.

7. The sum total of your sources should be minimum 1 per 150 words

You can, of course, cite one source more than once throughout the essay. You might cite the same source in the second, fourth and fifth paragraphs. That’s okay.

But, you don’t want your whole essay to be based on a narrow range of sources. You want your marker to see that you have consulted multiple sources to get a wide range of information on the topic. Your marker wants to know that you’ve seen a range of different opinions when coming to your conclusions.

When you get to the end of your essay, check to see how many sources are listed in the end-text reference list. A good rule of thumb is 1 source listed in the reference list per 150 words. Here’s how that breaks down by essay size:

• 1500 word essay: 10 sources (or more) listed in the reference list
• 2000 word essay: 13 sources (or more) listed in the reference list
• 3000 word essay: 20 sources (or more) listed in the reference list
• 5000 word essay: 33 sources (or more) listed in the reference list

8. Instantly improve your Reference List with these Three Tips

Here’s two things you can do to instantly improve your reference list. It takes less than 20 seconds and gives your reference list a strong professional finish:

a) Ensure the font size and style are the same

You will usually find that your whole reference list ends up being in different font sizes and styles. This is because you tend to copy and paste the titles and names in the citations from other sources. If you submit the reference list with font sizes and styles that are not the same as the rest of the essay, the piece looks really unprofessional.

So, quickly highlight the whole reference list and change its font to the same font size and style as the rest of your essay. The screencast at the end of Step 8 walks you through this if you need a hand!

b) List your sources in alphabetical order.

Nearly every referencing style insists that references be listed in alphabetical order. It’s a simple thing to do before submitting and makes the piece look far more professional.

If you’re using Microsoft Word, simply highlight your whole reference list and click the A>Z button in the toolbar. If you can’t see it, you need to be under the ‘home’ tab (circled below):

You’ve probably never heard of a hanging indent. It’s a style where the second line of the reference list is indented further from the left-hand side of the page than the first line. It’s a strategy that’s usually used in reference lists provided in professional publications.

If you use the hanging indent, your reference list will look far more professional.

Here’s a quick video of me doing it for you:

9. Do one special edit especially for Referencing Style

The top students edit their essays three to five times spaced out over a week or more before submitting. One of those edits should be specifically for ensuring your reference list adheres to the referencing style that your teacher requires.

To do this, I recommend you get that cheat sheet printout that I mentioned in Step 1 and have it by your side while you read through the piece. Pay special attention to the use of commas, capital letters, brackets and page numbers for all citations. Also pay attention to the reference list: correct formatting of the reference list can be the difference between getting the top mark in the class and the fifth mark in the class. At the higher end of the marking range, things get competitive and formatting of the reference list counts.

A Quick Summary of the 9 Top Strategies…

Follow the rules of your referencing style guide (and that cheat sheet I recommended!) and use the top 9 tips above to improve your referencing and get top marks. Not only will your referencing look more professional, you’ll probably increase the quality of the content of your piece as well when you follow these tips!

Here’s a final summary of the 9 top tips:

Strategies for How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

• Print out your Reference Style Cheat Sheet
• Only cite Experts
• Always use Google Scholar
• Cite at least 50% sources you found on your Own Research
• Cite Newer Sources
• Reference twice per Paragraph
• The sum total of your sources should be minimum 1 per 150 words
• Instantly improve your Reference List with these Three Tips
• Do one special edit especially for Referencing Style

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 20 Montessori Toddler Bedrooms (Design Inspiration)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 21 Montessori Homeschool Setups
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 101 Hidden Talents Examples

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English and Related Literature

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How to Reference your Essays

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Rules for referencing and citation

Why  reference essays.

Referencing your work properly is one of the most important ways that you can establish the authority of your ideas, and allows you to situate your own ideas and arguments in relation to those of other scholars.

Referencing is also an important way of acknowledging your debts to other scholars. Properly referencing your work is one of the best ways of avoiding plagiarism.

You can find out more about referencing by browsing the university's  academic integrity pages

How to reference essays

The English department requires that you reference your essays in accordance with either the Chicago Manual of Style or the MLA Style guide.

The university produces handy guides to these referencing systems, which you should consult:

• Chicago style referencing
• MLA style referencing

For instructions how to reference a wide variety of different sources, consult the examples collected in the university's academic integrity site:

This article is available to download for free as a PDF for use as a personal learning tool or for use in the classroom as a teaching resource.

Department of English and Related Literature University of York , York , YO10 5DD , UK Tel: work +44 (0) 1904 323366 | [email protected]

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How Many References for a 2000 Word Essay -Uniresearchers

In coursework writing be it an essay, report or a dissertation, students are asked by their tutors to provide reference for the content that they have written. Academic writing is a formal kind of writing and thus, it becomes important to reference and cite the content written from other scholars’ works. However, students find it difficult to write references because they are not well-versed with references. This article solves this problem by providing a basic guide on how to reference. To start with, students should be able to understand what a reference is. A reference is a list which provides all the sources that are used to write the research paper. Students need to get a full understanding of the reference by reading about references thoroughly. Apart from the meaning of the reference, students must be aware of the type of references, significance of reference in academic writing and the number of references to be used. Many times, scholars worry about references which further hamper their academic writing and thus, reading about references will make the students more confident about their ability to reference.

Role of reference in an academic paper

The very purpose of reference in academic writing is to include citations of other writers’ or scholars’ work in university tasks. The main idea behind it is to provide proof to support arguments and claims in the task.

References are written at the end of the essay but are equally important to complete an academic piece of writing. One crucial aspect of referencing is the formatting style of writing a reference which is the trickiest part for the UK students. Sometimes, tutors advise the students to write the referencing in a particular format whereas, sometimes, students themselves have to choose the formatting style. Some of the most common formatting styles are Chicago, Harvard, APA and MLA which are preferred for academic purposes. Another important aspect of writing reference in the essay is identifying the total number of references to be written in an essay as per word count of the essay. The number of references in academic writing depends on the type of academic piece of writing. For instance, if a reflective essay is written, it is likely to have less references as major part of the essay is baed on personal experience Similarly, in the dissertation where primary data is collected, there will be no references in the primary data part as the data is collected for the firts time and has not been taken from any other writer’s work. On the contrary, in case of secondary data in dissertation, students must ensure that references are provided as secondary data was already collected beforehand and thus, needs to be referenced. Majority of the students have doubts regarding the article of two thousand words. Students should note that an article of two thousand words consists of about fifteen hundred words in the main body. Main body is the most crucial part of an article which consists of about three or four main points and arguments. For every point made, there should be at least two to three references. Thus, it can be said that in an essay of two thousand words, a student should write about 8 references by adding 2 references each per point made. Eight is the minimum number as students can write about 8-10 references in the main body part. Remaining 500 words are taken by introduction and conclusion. Students should keep a note that conclusion part concludes the overall article and thus, need no referencing. However, around 1 or 2 references should be done in the introduction part as students need to reference to other scholar’s work to introduce the topic. Hence, it can be said that overall, students must write 8-12 references in a two thousand word article. Considering how many pages is 2000 words, an article of 2000 words is accommodated in around 4 pages when the document is single- spaced and 8 pages when the document is double-spaced. Every page can contain about 1-2 references in case of double spacing and about 3 references per page in case of single- spacing. This will help students not only in writing references for a two thousand word

article but will also help them in identifying the total number of references to be written in articles having different word counts. Students can write references as per the tutor and their will and there is no ideal number but providing a certain number of reference per thousand words provides a basic idea of writing references which is neither too less nor more. Now students can get a basic idea of writing references appropriately. They can feel more relaxed now as referencing has become more transparent. It is high time that students practice writing references which would be helpful for them in their coursework writing . Adding to this, students can practice the art of references by counting the number of referrals to be written in 2000 words, 3000 words or more words. Considering the significance of academic writing and getting good grades, there are many essay writing services in UK which provide guidance and help to students regarding their academic work. These writing services also help students in referencing and thus, provide them with better grades. References are not just about including links of sources. Students need to put authentic references and should be well-aware of the number of references to be done and the correct format in which it is to be done. For high-quality work, students are advised to include more than average number of references as it makes the piece of writing more credible and informative.

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Essay Referencing Guide

Writing an essay is never a walk in the park, especially if you are a freshman. Many students are surprised at first when they need to write an essay, because of all the demands that go with it. We are not just talking about doing research and writing at a very high level, but also about essay referencing. In the beginning, it’s difficult to wrap your head around a concept like that. Also, it can still seem pretty daunting if it’s been a while since you’ve done it.

Poor essay referencing is one of the main reasons why students lose points on their essays and receive lower grades, despite the strength of their arguments and their writing chops. Referencing your sources is a must in academic circles, because everything else is considered plagiarism. This means that every time you use a piece of data, images, graphics, or words from someone else’s paper or dissertation, you need to provide a citation and its matching reference. With that in mind, let’s take a look at our essay referencing guide that will help master the skill of referencing once and for all. Keep on reading to find out more.

What Is Referencing And Why Is It Important?

Essay referencing enables you to acknowledge the authors and their contributions, which have been used in your own work. Every essay ever written is underpinned by ideas, research, or finding of other writers, which is why it’s crucial that your essay contains proper citations. There are several reasons why referencing is so important. The most important ones are:

• You avoid plagiarism - this is probably the most obvious reason why you should reference the original authors. It’s perfectly fine to use someone else’s work and findings to act as a basis for your own writing, but if you fail to cite your sources, it is considered a very serious academic offense. Not only is it considered unethical, but you are also violating a number of intellectual property rights every author is entitled to. Pretty much every academic institution has a clear, and usually very strict, policy on plagiarism.
• It provides credibility to your work - regardless of what your essay topic is, there will be a whole raft of previous works available on it. Being able to do your research and pick the most relevant and compelling ones is a skill in itself, which is why essay referencing also gives additional credibility to your writing. It also allows you to bolster your own data with similar research already done by another author, which is something that essay writing service professionals adhere to at all times.
• It shows that you acknowledge research that was done previously - not only is this respectful to other authors, but also shows that you haven’t picked your sources randomly, and that you are well familiar with the subject matter and capable of extracting data that is the most useful and relevant to your essay.

Essay Referencing Systems

Referencing is required for just about every single piece of academic writing, and that includes essays. Now, unfortunately for students, there is no universal referencing system. Instead, there are several different ones that are used in the academic community. Ideally, you get to choose which one to use, but in most cases, the choice is made for you by a specific publication or academic institution you are attending. The most common essay referencing systems are:

Lately, Harvard, which is also knowns as the Author Date system, has been the most prevalent system for essay referencing. It uses short citations inside the text itself, unlike most of the other systems which rely on footnotes at the end of the paper.

When to Use References

Generally speaking, you always need to cite the original author of the work you are using, be it a book, industry publication, or even a website. Now, in order to avoid confusion as to what qualifies as using someone else’s work, we have put together a short list that lets you know when you should reference. You should reference in case you are:

• Directly quoting someone else’s work, regardless of the publication type
• Using a famous quotation
• Paraphrasing someone else’s writing and findings
• Summarizing data points and ideas from someone else’s paper, book, or article
• Using charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, images, or statistical data published by another author
• Using someone else’s idea

That pretty much covers all cases where essay referencing is required. Now, if you are writing from your own experience, using personal anecdotes, opinions, or experiments, you won’t need to reference anything. The same goes for stuff that is common knowledge or a generally accepted fact.

How to Reference

One of the most common mistakes students make when it comes to essay referencing is to write a list of references at the very end of the writing process. In that case, you will need to go through the entire paper and try and find the works which you have cited, which can take a lot of time, and can be very tedious. Instead, try writing down your references as you go along. That way, by the time you are done writing, you will have a complete list of references, and you won’t have to worry about missing any of them, and getting accused of plagiarism.

For every reference, you will need the following details:

• Name of the original author
• The edition, in case it’s not the first
• The year the work was published, as well as the city
• Publisher’s name
• Name of the article if it’s an article, page numbers, or numbers
• In case it’s an online resource, provide the address, as well as the date you accessed the source
• Page number if you are quoting the source directly

Obviously, each referencing system has its own specifics, but for the most part, this is what you should expect to provide for each reference.

How Many References Do You Need?

While there are no strict rules when it comes to the number of references in your essay, there are some general essay referencing guidelines that you’ll want to follow. For example, you might want to include one unique citation per every 150 words of your essay. Of course, you can cite one source more than once, but you should also aim to get data from multiple sources in order to make it more diverse and compelling. Also, you’ll want to include different opinions and view the topic from multiple angles when coming up with your own conclusion.

Depending on essay length, you’ll want to include the following number of references in the reference list:

• 1500-word essay - 10 references or more
• 2000-word essay - 13 references or more
• 2500-word essay - 16 references or more
• 3000-word essay - 20 references or more
• 3500-word essay - 23 references or more
• 4000-word essay - 26 references or more
• 5000-word essay - 33 references or more

While putting together a list of references for your essay requires a lot of work and focus, once you learn all the ins and out of essay referencing, it becomes much easier. We hope that you have found our guide helpful, and that you will start implementing the tips we have shared when writing your next essay.

Written by Michael Writer

Publish Date: August 19, 2022

Michael Writer

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Structure and Flow - Skills Guide

Essay structure.

• Paragraph Structure
• Creating Flow
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• Audio Playlist
• Downloadable Resources
• Further Reading

Introduction

What is a good structure?

A good structure to your academic work is vital to make it understandable, easy to read and engaging. An essay or report tells a story, so as any good story does, it needs a beginning, a middle and an end. It's not just the work as a whole that needs structure but your paragraphs too. This section includes guidance on how to create a good overall essay structure. For more information about creating structure for your individual paragraphs see our paragraph structure guide .

Why do I need to learn structure?

To gain good marks and fulfil the learning outcomes of your assignments, you need to demonstrate that you understand the concepts and the work that you have used to form your argument. Structure also ensures that:

• you avoid repeating yourself
• you include information that leads from one concept to another
• you show understanding of your thought process
• you don't forget a piece of information along the way

How do I use structure?

The basic structure of any academic work looks something like this:

• Title/Question
• Introduction (approx. 10% of the word count)
• Main body - development of argument (approx. 80% of the word count)
• Conclusion (approx. 10% of the word count)
• References/Bibliography

Creating sections helps you to plan how much you need to write on each area. This breaks the task down into smaller chunks.

For example:

Essay word count - 3,000 words Introduction - 300 words Main body - 2,400 words Conclusion - 300 words

If your subject has three major themes you can then break the main body down again:

Essay word count - 3,000 words Introduction - 300 words Main body - 2,400 words (theme 1 - 800 words; theme 2 - 800 words; theme 3 - 800 words) Conclusion - 300 words

This is not a precise rule; you can adjust the word counts to accommodate where more emphasis is needed or not, but it can be used to break a large word count into manageable sections.

Structure Resources

• Essay planning table
• Point, Evidence, Explain Example
• Academic Language at Level 6
• Words to Create Flow

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Importance of Referencing in Academic World

Role of referencing in different types of essays, different types of referencing, points to remember while referencing an essay, some mistakes to avoid in referencing, how many references should you use in each essay, how native experts can make r referencing in an essay easy for you.

While writing essays, you are entitled to add references to the sources you used to collect information for your study. Without referencing it doesn't appear professional or authorised. Referencing is a sincere act of respecting authors and publications that helped you add a different perspective to your paper.

As small-term referencing seems, it plays a vital role in deciding whether your work is satisfactory. In this article, you will learn different types, styles, numbers and importance of referencing and how it varies from essay to essay depending upon your university guidelines.

Referencing is very important in the academic world. Referencing was discovered to help authors use information from other sources in their publication and as a means of giving the recognition it deserves. It is beneficial for both parties. As soon as referencing came to light, many benefits were witnessed by authors which include:

Showed Research Skills of authors

With referencing, readers can know how knowledgeable the writer has become with this research. Showing your knowledge helps in gaining the trust of readers in your research.

Removed the problem of plagiarism

When you are at the learning stage and want to look for inspiration in other’s work, it would lead to plagiarism. Referencing allowed writers to take text from others and still not present a plagiarised work.

Gave recognition to authors

When your article is used as a reference by others, your work also gets recognised at different levels by authors who use it. It makes your work even more valuable and acceptable in the academic world.

Definitive Essays

These are the creative part of the academic world. This is where use different sources and provide different definitions so that readers have multiple explanations leading to the same meaning. For citing you need to quote the sentences and add the name, publication, and year in the manner suggested by your guide.

Analytical Essays

If you are given an analytical essay, know that you have to follow the university guidelines cautiously. One of the important requirements is to add references properly. analytical essays in any subject sculpt your professional writing skills with referencing being a major part of it. Being obedient, alert and consistent is what is required from you in commencing proper referencing in essays.

Research Essays

It is an integral part of your graduation. You research and collect information and methods from different sources. You need a strong literature review to add weight to your research essay. It will be checked for plagiarism and your task is to defend yourself by citing each reference properly.

There are different types of referencing styles that you can use in your essays. Here are some methods that are common among UK universities. Refer to your guidelines and get to know about basics and style in the following context.

This was developed in 1929 by the American Psychology Department. This style is mainly used in English, psychology and science fields of study. In this type of referencing you need to use the author’s name, publication and date of publication.

This type of citation style was developed by the Modern Language Association. In this type of referencing you need to include all the references within the text and make a separate reference list at the end of the essay.

This type of publication was developed by Chicago University. Such types of references are used in Business, History and Fine Arts. It is a very flexible type of referencing in which you need to add the author's surname and year of publication.

In this type of referencing you need to include the author name, volume number, issue number title of the article and date of publication in the text citation as well as at the end of the citation list.

Here are some points that can help you in writing references in better ways:

• Make notes while collecting data : While you are collecting data for your work, note down all the sources, sequentially. Through this, you can keep a record of sources and cite properly.
• Understand University Guidelines : Every university has different guidelines for citations. When you write essays, you need to ensure that you follow the guidelines suggested by the university.
• Be consistent : Learn the citation style so well that you can maintain the same process throughout the essay. If you change the citation style it will show that you are not maintaining the right type of referencing.
• Coordinate between intext and reference list : When you are writing references, you need to make sure that the references that you add in texts match with your reference list which is usually posted where the essay ends.
• Mention the right sources : You must ensure that you use the right sources to add references to your essays. Invalid sources will not add much value to your content and in turn, disturb your referencing list.
• Use quotation or paraphrasing methods : When you are mentioning the text in your essays either use quotation if you are taking content as it is. You can also paraphrase if you are going for more professional referencing.
• Don't put irrelevant references : Adding references which are not related to your essays is not a rightful practice. This is why don't put references that will decrease the value of your essays.
• Cross-check after completion : When you have completed referencing, you must cross-check with your in-text citations. Check the complete text to see if any references.
• Check for plagiarism : The most important thing in referencing is checking whether it is completely free from plagiarism or not. There are some reliable plagiarism checkers you can use. You can also ask our experts who can detect and remove plagiarism completely.

Referencing can be a little tricky, especially for beginners like UK university students. Here are common mistakes that you must carefully administer to avoid plagiarism.

Repetition of the same references

This is a very common yet unavoidable mistake students make in their essays so stay ahead of it. It can confuse your readers and lead to misjudgement about the authenticity of your content.

Incorrect Page number

In some citation styles, page number plays an important role helping in locate your reference. Adding the wrong page number is misleading and might cancel out your reference as a whole.

It is customary to put quotations around your sentences, to let the readers know that you have taken this from other sources. If your context lacs these quotes, your referencing would be considered incomplete.

Not arranging alphabetically

To bring order to your references, you need to arrange them alphabetically. If such doesn't show in your essay, it would give an impression that you are not aware of proper referencing techniques.

Adding Improper punctuation

Punctuations are also very important in creating a better overview for your essays. When there are mistakes in punctuation, your referencing is not considered accurate.

Leaving citation undefined

If you use, “some studies” or “earlier studies”, it is considered vague or poor referencing because you have not defined which studies or sources you are referring to. You need to specify the sources from where you learned about certain information.

Every student has a curiosity to know how many references are enough for any particular essay with a particular word count. Although it completely depends on factors like the topic, university guidelines, and research methods, you need to make sure that your references are just in an adequate amount (not too much and not too little).

For example, if your essay is 1000 words, it is suggested to use 8-12 references at least, if your word count increases up to 2000 words, you must include 16 references on average. There are certain factors you need to consider before deciding on reference numbers, which include-

• Research potential of essay topic
• No of subtopics
• Guidelines are given by the university
• Number of paragraphs in each heading
• Versatility or reference sources

References in essays are something no UK student can escape. It is an important part of essay completion and to make sure that you have accurately composed the referencing methods there are certain do and don't that you must follow. An improper reference will not be acceptable to your professors and it will also show plagiarism in your work.

Referencing in essays is associated with different citation styles and word count. The number of word counts you need to use in your essay completely depends on your essay and its property. Make sure to include just the right amount, so that it appears professional.

When you want to write essays but don't know how to properly add references, we got you covered. Through our website Native Assignment Help , you will not only submit a brilliantly referenced essay but also a qualitative work. We will deliver a plagiarism-free, properly referenced essay to you right on your deadline. Aval our affordable prices and become a member today.

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A Comprehensive Guide on Writing a 2000 Word Essay for Students

As a student, you’ll frequently get tasks to write essays on a wide range of topics in various subjects. These essays are a crucial component of academic life, regardless whether they are for a class assignment or a scholarship application. Writing a 2000-word essay can be intimidating, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with the format and structure.

Fear not! In this article, we provide a comprehensive guide for students that will walk you through the steps of crafting a 2000-word essay. We’ll cover everything from selecting a topic to organizing your essay neatly. Also, you can find some advice on how to make your essay stand out among papers of other students. So, it’s time to grab your pen and paper to take notes, and get started.

What is a 2000-Word Essay? Let’s Find Out

A 2000-word essay is an academic writing task that requires a student to create a comprehensive essay on a certain subject. By assigning this task, professors and instructors usually aim to evaluate a student’s knowledge and comprehension of a particular topic. It necessitates the writer to conduct research, critically assess the information, and present it in a coherent and logical manner.

How Long Is a 2000 Word Essay?

Before we study the specifics of writing, let’s answer a common question: how many pages is a 2000-word essay? The volume of writing often depends on various factors, including font size, spacing, and margins. 2000-word essay length is typically around 5-6 pages typed with 12-point font, double spacing, and 1-inch margins. However, keep in mind that the length may differ based on the instructions provided by your professor.

Don’t Underestimate the Value of 2000-Word Essay Outline

An outline is often undervalued and omitted. However, it is important part of the writing process as it serves as a roadmap to guide you through each step. While it is similar to other outlines, below we provide one as a 2000-word essay template:

I. Introduction

• Background information
• Thesis statement

II. Body Paragraph 1

• Topic sentence
• Supporting evidence

III. Body Paragraph 2

Iv. body paragraph 3, v. conclusion.

• Summary of main points
• Restate thesis statement
• Final thoughts

While you may wonder how many paragraphs in a 2000 word essay, we suggest that there should be at least 5. Yet, be sure to modify the outline and number of paragraphs to suit the topic and assignment’s requirements.

2000 Word Essay Structure

To create a well-organized paper, you must know how to structure a 2000-word essay. Yet, the basic structure is the same as in other essay types and includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Let’s review each section:

Introduction

The introduction should briefly introduce the topic and include a thesis statement. It should grab the reader’s attention and establish the tone for the remainder of the essay. To make readers interested in reading the rest of your paper, you can include a hook and some capturing background information as well as give some insight as to the purpose of your essay.

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs should expand on the topic and offer supporting evidence for the points in thesis statement. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence that relates to the main argument. Mind that usage of examples, statistics, and quotes to support your points will help you make your essay stronger and more appealing. Remember to use transitions between paragraphs to ensure a smooth flow of ideas.

The conclusion should recap the main points and restate the thesis statement. Depending on the purpose of your essay, you can either offer recommendations or suggest further research on the topic. However, refrain from introducing any new ideas in the conclusion.

2000 Word Essay Topics

The first important step in the writing process is selecting a topic that appeal to you. Below we suggest some topics that you can elaborate on in a 2000-word essay:

• The impact of social media on mental health
• The pros and cons of online education
• The consequences of climate change on the environment
• The function of technology in contemporary society
• The significance of art in education
• The history and development of human rights
• The ethical issues surrounding genetic engineering
• The effects of globalization on local cultures
• The influence of advertising on consumer behavior
• The future of renewable energy sources
• Strategies for reducing your carbon footprint
• The effect of technology on human communication
• The history of ancient civilizations
• The importance of financial literacy in today’s world

Ensure that you select a topic that interests you and aligns with the specific requirements of your assignment.

How to Write a 2000 Word Essay in One Day

Oftentimes, students ask their senior mates the question “how long does a 2000 word essay take?”. While there is no definite answer to that as this depends highly on writing skills and proficiency of a student, we suggest few points to consider before you start:

• Start early: Begin as soon as possible to give yourself enough time to work on the essay. Avoid procrastination, as it can lead to last-minute stress and frustration.
• Choose a familiar and appealing topic: If you choose a topic, you’re familiar with, you can save time on research and focus on writing.
• Develop an outline: An outline helps you organize your thoughts and ensures you don’t miss any essential points. You can use the outline template we provided earlier in this article.
• Take breaks: If you plan your time accordingly and take breaks, you will be able to stay focused and prevent burnout. Consider taking short breaks every hour or two to get rest and refresh your mind and thoughts.
• Utilize online resources: Use online resources such as Google Scholar, Wikipedia, and online libraries to research your topic quickly.
• Break the writing into sections: Divide your essay into sections and write them separately. This approach can help you manage your time and ensure you finish the essay on time.
• Edit and proofread: After finishing the essay, take some time to proofread and edit it. Recheck for possible grammar and spelling mistakes and typos. Utilize online tools, like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor, to check your writing.
• Use clear and concise language: It’s crucial to use clear and concise language when writing your essay. You should use simple language instead of complicated vocabulary to make your essay easy to read and understand.
• Use evidence to support your argument: Make sure to use evidence to support your main argument. For this, find relevant examples, statistics, and quotes from credible sources.

Follow formatting guidelines: Lastly, it’s essential to follow the formatting guidelines required by your professor. Make sure you use correct citation style and format your paper accordingly.

Get 2000 Word Essay Help When You Need It

Students often find writing a 2000-word essay challenging. But if you approach this task right, it can be a fulfilling experience. If you follow the steps described in this guide, you should get on well crafting an essay that will earn you a high grade. Just put some effort and dedicate sufficient time to the process, and you’ll be able to write a great essay. So, what are you still waiting for? Brainstorm ideas, do a thorough research of materials, and follow the steps outlined in this article. Yet, if you still think you can’t handle the task, turn to our writing service and get 2000-word essay help from our professionals.

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How to Write a 2000-Word Essay and How Many Pages Is It?

You can easily compose a 2000-word essay with the help of ChatGPT or any other AI text generator. It will be well-written and resemble human writing; your professor might even believe you wrote it. However, using your academic writing skills is a better option if you want to create an essay that stands out.

Our expert team wants to demonstrate that essay writing can be enjoyable and exciting; just take the correct steps and use our tips! In this article, we’ll explain how to write an outstanding 2000-word essay in one day.

• 📝 2000 Word Essay
• ✅ 2000 Word Essay – Step by Step
• 📚 Essay Example
• ✍️ Writing Prompts
• 🔎 More Essay Topics
• 🔗 References

📝 What Does a 2000 Word Essay Look Like?

If you’re familiar with the structure and formatting requirements, writing a 2000-word essay should be easy. In the following section, we’ll outline the different parts of a 2000-word academic paper and explain how to approach each section.

2000 Word Essay Structure

A 2000-word essay is an extended form of an academic paper with no significant differences in structure and formatting. It consists of 3 main parts:

Let’s look at each section of a 2000-word essay separately.

Introduction

An introduction is the first paragraph or two of a 2000-word essay. It aims to grab the reader’s attention and introduce the topic. A good introduction includes the following elements:

• A hook . Usually, a hook is the first sentence of a paragraph that grabs readers’ attention by telling a story, discussing an interesting quote, or providing statistics or facts.
• Background information . Here, you must provide context and necessary information so readers know what to expect from the essay. For example, include key definitions, a summary of relevant theories, or a brief description of a debate you’re addressing.
• A thesis statement . A thesis statement is the most essential part of an introduction. It narrows down the topic and sums up the main arguments.

An essay longer than 1000 words is recommended to have headings and subheadings. Headings help readers to navigate the essay easily, and writers to structure the paper. They should be as simple and contain the main idea expressed in the section.

Subheadings are essential in the body section, as it consists of multiple paragraphs with different key ideas. The body paragraphs prove the thesis and connect the introduction to the conclusion. Each body paragraph needs to include the following elements:

• The topic sentence . The topic sentence is the statement that contains the main idea of the body paragraph.
• The evidence . Evidence supports your topic sentence. Examples of evidence include quotations, facts, statistics, or personal experiences.
• The analysis . This part of the paragraph explains the evidence. You need to ensure that the evidence is connected back to the paragraph’s main idea or topic sentence.
• The transition . Transition is the final sentence of a paragraph that helps you connect the ideas and move smoothly to the other part.

A conclusion is the last section of your paper; for a 2000-word essay, you might need two or three paragraphs. A conclusion usually does one of the two—or both at the same time:

• Paraphrases the thesis statement and summarize the arguments . Since the conclusion is the last part of your paper, it’s important to remind readers of the point you’ve made before. Even though you repeat what has already been said, try using different words and sentence structures not to repeat the thesis exactly but, instead, to restate it.
• Explains the significance of the arguments . Sometimes, after restating the thesis, you may need to emphasize the importance of your studies or, in other words, answer the “so what” question and show the readers why your arguments matter .

2000 Word Essay Length

Writing a 2000-word essay might feel overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time. Let’s start with the basics and see how many pages and paragraphs the paper takes.

2000 Words to Pages

• A double-spaced 2000-word essay is 7+ pages (275 words on each page).
• A single-spaced 2000-words essay is of 3,5 pages (550 words per page).
• A handwritten paper with 2000 words is around eight pages long.

In general, the number of pages depends on the font, font size, line spacing, paragraph spacing, margins, and the number of headings.

2000 Words: Paragraph Count

• A regular 2000-word essay consists of around 10-20 paragraphs, with one paragraph being 100-200 words long.
• The introduction and conclusion take 5-10% of the paper or 1-2 paragraphs each.
• The main body constitutes 80-90% of the paper or around 1600-1800 words.

To structure your essay, consider how many words you need for each part separately.

✅ How to Write a 2000-Word Essay

Writing an essay may seem challenging if you’re unsure how to start. Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing a 2000-words essay on any task.

Step 1: Pick a Topic

Sometimes, you may have your topic assigned by a professor. If you’re given a topic, make sure it’s specific enough. Often a given topic needs to be narrowed down so you can focus on a particular aspect and present thorough research in your paper.

If you haven’t been assigned a specific topic , choose one that interests or is relevant to you. Picking a subject that sparks your curiosity is essential because it will motivate you throughout the writing process.

Step 2: Prepare an Outline

To write a well-structured essay, you should organize your ideas first. Consider what you already know and what areas of the topic you need to research more. Don’t try to keep everything in your head. Instead, write your thoughts and ideas down, or create a mind map. It’ll help you see connections between ideas and arguments more clearly.

Step 3: Develop Your Thesis Statement

The next step is to create a thesis statement. A thesis statement should summarize the main point of your essay. Remember that a good thesis statement should contain your stance on the topic. Later, in the main body of your essay, you’ll need to support your thesis with relevant arguments.

Step 4: Write the Body

The essay’s body explains, argues, or describes the topic and supports the thesis statement. Each body paragraph follows a similar structure. It starts with a topic sentence that expresses the main idea and is followed by evidence and examples to support your position .

Step 5: Complete the Introduction

You can complete your introduction when your essay’s thesis statement and body are ready. Remember that the introduction needs to grab readers’ attention. You can use a thought-provoking question, shocking fact, statistics, or quotation for a hook. It’s also essential to provide readers with the context or background information on the topic so that they know what to expect from your paper.

Step 6: Write the Conclusion

The conclusion summarizes the main ideas and paraphrases the thesis statement. Don’t add any new information to the final part of your essay. You may mention the significance of your studies and explain why your arguments matter. However, the primary purpose of a conclusion is, to sum up the paper and remind readers of the main points.

📚 2000 Word Essay Example

Let’s have a look at one of our 2000-word essay samples. It’s called “The United Kingdom Employment Rights Act” and perfectly illustrates the abovementioned essay structure.   

✍️ 2000 Words Essay: Writing Prompts

Need help coming up with fresh ideas for a 2000-word essay? Check out our essay samples on the most burning topics for inspiration!

• 2000 Words Essay on Global Warming Climate change is a commonly chosen topic for essays as it discusses various issues, such as wildfires, floods, hurricanes, prolonged droughts, and other weather-related events. You can discuss how climate change and global warming affect people’s life and the natural environment in different parts of the words.
• Artificial Intelligence Essay: 2000 Words There’s an ongoing debate regarding Artificial Intelligence and its future. In the essay, you can talk about how new technological developments affect people’s everyday life and professional environment, considering both positive and negative changes. You can also mention the rising concern surrounding AI’s ethical impact and contribute to the discussion.
• 2000 Words Essay about Globalization An essay on globalization can cover various topics related to the increasing interconnectedness of the world’s economies, cultures, and societies. It may explore the causes and effects of globalization. The essay can also discuss the role of multinational corporations, governments, and international organizations in shaping the global economy and the challenges posed by globalization, such as political instability, inequality, and cultural homogenization.
• 2000 Words Essay on Organizational Behavior An essay on organizational behavior can explore topics like individual and group dynamics, leadership styles, communication patterns, and workplace culture. It can discuss how these factors influence employee behavior, motivation, and performance and how they affect the organization’s overall effectiveness and success. The paper may also delve into the various theories and models of organizational behavior and their practical applications in the business world.
• 2000 Word Essay on Accountability in the Army One more interesting topic to explore in your essay is military leadership and accountability. In the army, people learn to be accountable to their superiors and fellow officers for their actions. In your paper, you can explore how accountability in the military can be achieved and how it can help you become a good leader.
• Time Management Essay: 2000 Words In your essay about time management, you can explore factors that negatively impact effective time utilization, including procrastination, lack of sleep, and stress. You can also give some tips on how to use time more wisely or describe popular time-management techniques. By addressing these topics, the essay can offer valuable insights into the importance of effective time management for personal and professional success.

🔎 Topics for a 2000 Word Essay

• Modernism in literature.
• Describe your experience as a foreign exchange student.
• Your idea of a high-value individual.
• What are your life goals?
• The relationship between health and mental well-being.
• Describe how music affects your mood.
• How do you cultivate teamwork and cooperation?
• High school vs. college.
• Should smoking in public be banned?
• Tattoos and their perception in various cultures.
• Why is abortion a problem in modern society?
• How does domestic violence affect the behavior of a kid?
• The changing attitude towards gender roles in society. Does it solve most problems or cause them?
• Does your diet affect your productivity?
• Should vaccines be mandatory?
• Music Artists and Advertising Deals.
• Human Resource Management: Benefits and Key Issues.
• Touch of Hitchcock: Psycho and Vertigo.
• Americanization Is Not a Synonym for Globalization.
• Organizational Culture – Types and Importance.
• Human Factors and Risk Management in Aviation.
• The Theme of Transitioning into Adulthood in “Spirited Away” by Hayao Miyazaki and “Spring Awakening” by Frank Wedekind.
• The Main Themes in the Novel “Passing” by Nella Larsen.
• Organizational Behaviour in Teams and Groups.
• Diversity in the Workplace: Bridging the Gap.
• Virtue Ethics – The Environmental Documentary.
• Fad Diet, Their Threats, and Public Education Plan.
• Airport Security and the Reduction of Skills in Security Staff.
• Biotechnology: Methodology in Basic Genetics.
• Psychological Criticism in Allende’s “The House of Spirits.”
• Self-Care in Elderly as a Nursing Concern.
• The Evidence Forms of Law.
• Nursing History: Today and Beyond.
• Mayan Civilization: Political Collapse Theories.
• The Role of Disney Propaganda During the Cold War.
• Globalization’s Impact on Banks in Canada.
• Effects of Music Therapy on the Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia.
• Path-Goal Approach to Leadership.
• Depressed Women and Art Therapy.
• Modern Technology and Engineering: The Prospects for the Development.
• Health Psychology and Stress: Correlations.
• Managing Organizational Changes.
• Hospitality Environmental Management Plan.
• The American Civil Liberties Union and the Legislative Branch.
• Sugar Processing: Term Definition.
• How Reality Television Influences Teenagers.
• Adidas Corporation’s Organizational Justice.
• Islamic Architecture in Its Historical Context.
• Wind Energy as an Alternative Source.
• Innovation as a Contemporary Issue in Business.

❓ 2000 Words Essay Example: FAQ

How long is a 2000-word essay.

A 2000-word essay consists of 10-20 paragraphs, depending on the font, font size, and margins. The introduction and conclusion each take around 1-2 paragraphs, while the body paragraphs should include 80-90% of the total word count.

How Many Pages Is a 2000 Word Essay?

The number of pages depends on the font, font size, the number of headings, and other parameters:

• Double-spaced : slightly more than 7 pages (275 words each).
• Single-spaced : take around 3,5 pages (550 words each).

How Many Sources for a 2000 Word Essay?

According to the general rule, you need one source for each page of an essay. That means that for a 2000 words essay, you need to use at least eight sources. However, the number of articles also depends on the topic’s complexity. It’s also important to check your assignment’s requirements because the exact number of sources might be stated there.

How Long Does It Take to Write a 2000-Word Essay?

Many factors influence how long it’ll take you to finish the paper. Mostly it depends on your writing skills. If you’re used to academic writing, you may complete an essay within 2 hours. However, if the topic is complex, you may need at least 7 hours to do the research, create an outline, and write and proofread your essay.

How Much Is a 2000-Word Essay?

Most academic essays allow 10% deviation. That means a 2000-words paper can be 1800-2200 words in total. However, it’s better to make your essay as close to 2000 words as possible. You can also reference the assignment guidelines or consult your professor regarding the word limit.

🖇️ References

• Paragraphs-The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill  
• Developing A Thesis | Harvard University  
• How to Write a Topic Sentence (With Examples and Tips) | Indeed.com  
• Make Your Essay Flow Using Transitions | ThoughtCo  
• How Do I Write an Intro, Conclusion, & Body Paragraph? | U-M LSA Sweetland Center for Writing  
• Writing The Main Body of Your Essay | Surrey-Content  
• How to Write an Analytical Essay in 6 Steps | Grammarly  
• MLA Formatting and Style Guide – Purdue OWL – Purdue University  
• Basic Essay Structure | University of Portsmouth  

How to Write a 1200 Word Essay: Length, Structure & Examples

The gray rock method 101: what it is & how to use it effectively, how to write a 3000 word essay: free guide with tips & examples, how to write a 1000 word essay: length, tips & free samples, how to write a 300-word essay: length, examples, free samples, how to write a 500 word essay & how many pages is it + examples.

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• Knowledge Base
• How long is an essay? Guidelines for different types of essay

How Long is an Essay? Guidelines for Different Types of Essay

Published on January 28, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The length of an academic essay varies depending on your level and subject of study, departmental guidelines, and specific course requirements. In general, an essay is a shorter piece of writing than a research paper  or thesis .

In most cases, your assignment will include clear guidelines on the number of words or pages you are expected to write. Often this will be a range rather than an exact number (for example, 2500–3000 words, or 10–12 pages). If you’re not sure, always check with your instructor.

In this article you’ll find some general guidelines for the length of different types of essay. But keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity – focus on making a strong argument or analysis, not on hitting a specific word count.

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Table of contents

Essay length guidelines, how long is each part of an essay, using length as a guide to topic and complexity, can i go under the suggested length, can i go over the suggested length, other interesting articles.

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In an academic essay, the main body should always take up the most space. This is where you make your arguments, give your evidence, and develop your ideas.

The introduction should be proportional to the essay’s length. In an essay under 3000 words, the introduction is usually just one paragraph. In longer and more complex essays, you might need to lay out the background and introduce your argument over two or three paragraphs.

The conclusion of an essay is often a single paragraph, even in longer essays. It doesn’t have to summarize every step of your essay, but should tie together your main points in a concise, convincing way.

The suggested word count doesn’t only tell you how long your essay should be – it also helps you work out how much information and complexity you can fit into the given space. This should guide the development of your thesis statement , which identifies the main topic of your essay and sets the boundaries of your overall argument.

A short essay will need a focused, specific topic and a clear, straightforward line of argument. A longer essay should still be focused, but it might call for a broader approach to the topic or a more complex, ambitious argument.

As you make an outline of your essay , make sure you have a clear idea of how much evidence, detail and argumentation will be needed to support your thesis. If you find that you don’t have enough ideas to fill out the word count, or that you need more space to make a convincing case, then consider revising your thesis to be more general or more specific.

The length of the essay also influences how much time you will need to spend on editing and proofreading .

You should always aim to meet the minimum length given in your assignment. If you are struggling to reach the word count:

• Add more evidence and examples to each paragraph to clarify or strengthen your points.
• Make sure you have fully explained or analyzed each example, and try to develop your points in more detail.
• Address a different aspect of your topic in a new paragraph. This might involve revising your thesis statement to make a more ambitious argument.
• Don’t use filler. Adding unnecessary words or complicated sentences will make your essay weaker and your argument less clear.
• Don’t fixate on an exact number. Your marker probably won’t care about 50 or 100 words – it’s more important that your argument is convincing and adequately developed for an essay of the suggested length.

In some cases, you are allowed to exceed the upper word limit by 10% – so for an assignment of 2500–3000 words, you could write an absolute maximum of 3300 words. However, the rules depend on your course and institution, so always check with your instructor if you’re unsure.

Only exceed the word count if it’s really necessary to complete your argument. Longer essays take longer to grade, so avoid annoying your marker with extra work! If you are struggling to edit down:

• Check that every paragraph is relevant to your argument, and cut out irrelevant or out-of-place information.
• Make sure each paragraph focuses on one point and doesn’t meander.
• Cut out filler words and make sure each sentence is clear, concise, and related to the paragraph’s point.
• Don’t cut anything that is necessary to the logic of your argument. If you remove a paragraph, make sure to revise your transitions and fit all your points together.
• Don’t sacrifice the introduction or conclusion . These paragraphs are crucial to an effective essay –make sure you leave enough space to thoroughly introduce your topic and decisively wrap up your argument.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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