Essay-writing: do study manuals give relevant advice?

Twenty-eight geography students were questioned about how they had prepared an essay about Africa and their answers were related to their essay marks. Each essay was marked by one of 9 postgraduate tutors and the researcher. Aspects of the students' essays, such as length and number of main points, were analysed and related to the students' marks. Tutors said that, in order to qualify for a high grade, students should have: answered the question, made a readable presentation, a logical presentation, and showed evidence of wide reading. These criteria were positively correlated with the students' marks and consistent with the comments which the tutors wrote on the students' essays. In this study, the students attained higher marks if they: included more main topics in their essays, had a readable writing style, produced more drafts for their essays, and cited more references. The results are discussed in relationship to advice about essay-writing in study manuals and other ways of helping students to improve their essay-writing.