How to Write an Effective Discussion Essay Paper-Full Guide

Discussion essay papers are an effective way to explore complex topics. They’re also a great way to practice writing in a concise, scholarly way, similar to what you’ll be expected to do when writing a literary analysis or other school assignments. Below, we’ve included everything you need to know about discussion essay papers, from what makes one different from any other type of essay to how you can most effectively write one for school or publication. Let’s get started!

Read also: How to Write a Consulting Proposal Paper

What is a discussion essay?

A discussion paper is a paper that presents the pros and cons of an issue. It is a type of essay, which means it has a thesis statement that presents its argument in one sentence.

However, unlike other types of essays (like research papers), the goal of writing a discussion essay paper is not to prove your opinion as factually correct or incorrect. Instead, the goal is to present different viewpoints on an issue and allow the reader to develop their own opinion on what they think about said topic.

The Ultimate Guide to Discussion Essay Writing 

To make sure you don’t lose sight of this distinction, keep these things in mind:

Step 1. How to Get the Discussion Essay Plan

The first step is to formulate an idea and get an overall structure for your essay. In other words, you need to decide on a topic and write an introduction that will lead into the body of your paper. The most common argumentative essay outline format is:

• Introduction (why you should care about this issue)
• Arguments & Evidence (evidence that supports your argument)
• Counterarguments (how others could argue against your view)
• Conclusion (what you learned).

Decide What’s the Idea

The first step in writing an effective discussion essay paper is to decide what’s the idea. This is a task that requires you to choose a topic that interests you, something that you can write about, and it should be:

• Current and relatable. The topic must be relevant at this time in history. If the argument is outdated or has been done before, people will not be interested in reading it. Also, make sure it isn’t too narrow because only a few people will know of it. At the same time, others may not have any knowledge at all, which means they won’t have any basis for discussion when writing their papers on similar topics later on down the line so try not to be too narrow!
• Debatable and arguable. Your paper should discuss something controversial within its field; otherwise, there wouldn’t be anything worth arguing about.
• It’s researchable. You want something that has enough evidence to support your argument or at least something where there is enough controversy surrounding the issue so that there’s plenty of room for interpretation and new ideas to develop.
• It’s controversial (but not too controversial). We all know what happens when someone tries to make a point with an offensive or inflammatory statement—the audience immediately shuts down, refusing to engage in any discussion because they’re too busy feeling uncomfortable and angry at the speaker’s insensitivity/ignorance/stupidity (whichever failing they attribute it to). Even if you manage to get through the initial resistance (and trust me, it will be difficult), people will remember how horrible the presentation was for weeks after, decreasing its usefulness as a discussion starter in other classes or papers later on; down the line.”

Good Examples of Discussion Essay Topics IELTS

Take the time now to browse through these good discussion essay topics and find one that sparks your interest:

• Why do we need public libraries?
• Is there such thing as too much technology?
• How has social media impacted our lives for better or worse?
• Do religious movements cause war?
• Everyone should study at least two languages at school.
• There should be censorship online.
• Coronavirus is beneficial for nature.
• Why are US citizens rapidly becoming more obese?
• Communism and capitalism have a lot in common.

Choose the Model of Argument

The first step in writing an effective discussion essay paper is to choose the model of the argument you will use. There are three main models:

• The Aristotelian or classical approach to argumentation
• Rogerian method of argumentation
• Toulmin Argument Model

1. The Aristotelian or Classical Approach to Argumentation

This approach is based on the Aristotelian theory of argumentation, which suggests that three different types of premises can be used to support an argument. The first type of premise is the major premise, which is the claim you are trying to prove.

The second type of premise is a minor premise or premiss, and it supports and strengthens your main point (the major premise). For example: “All cats are mammals” would be a major premise; “All dogs are mammals” would be a minor premise supporting this statement because it supports our original claim about cats being mammals by saying that dogs are also mammals.

The third type of premises used in classical argumentation is called intermediate conclusions or inferences; these statements help us reach our conclusion but do not have as much weight as major or minor premises.

2. Rogerian Method of Argumentation

The Rogerian argument is a method of argumentation based on the idea that people have different perspectives and that these perspectives are not necessarily right or wrong but are simply different. This method aims to understand how someone came to their conclusion and why they hold this belief.

You can use this approach for any discussion essay paper; however, it is particularly useful when you want your reader to understand your perspective rather than agree with it outright (e.g., if you’re writing an essay about why you like one movie over another).

3. Toulmin Argument Model

Toulmin’s argument model is a framework for developing and evaluating arguments. Toulmin developed this model to evaluate the quality of arguments, but philosophers and historians have also used it to study how people argue.

Toulmin’s argument model is useful for evaluating arguments in various contexts and situations, including academic contexts.

Step 2. How to Write the Introduction

The introduction is where you hook your reader, lay out your thesis, and give them a clear idea of what they will read. It would be best to keep it short, interesting, and engaging. The best way to get all of these things right is by following this formula:

Hook

The hook is that ‘aha’ moment that makes you want to keep reading. It’s why readers will stop scrolling through their Facebook feed and click on an article in their newsfeed instead—it’s why they’ll pick up your paper instead of another one on their desk or laptop. Make sure that hook is engaging enough for people to want more!

Hooks are an important part of any essay. Hooks are used to grab your reader’s attention, introduce them to the topic and thesis, and set up your main points. A good hook will make it more likely that they will read the whole paper.

It is important not to overuse hooks in your paper. You want the reader to feel like they can trust you as a writer because you don’t waste their time with unnecessary fluff or filler sentences. You don’t want them thinking that you didn’t take enough time editing out all of those things before submitting it for review by someone else or getting published somewhere else (like here).

Discussion essay thesis statement

This is what you’re arguing about in your paper; it’s the point at which we can begin building our argument and adding additional evidence later on in our paper/discussion board post/etc… This should also be stated very clearly because if someone doesn’t understand what we’re trying to say, there won’t be any meaningful discussion about our topic whatsoever! A good rule-of-thumb here would be: “If I could tell someone my entire argument without mentioning any sources, my thesis needs some work.”

Background

It’s important to start by laying out your topic’s background. This will include what you know about the topic, its history, context, scope, and problem. You can also include some information about the solution if you’d like to discuss that before moving on to analyzing it.

Claim

The core of any paper is its claim. A claim is what you believe to be true and want your reader to believe. Your paper’s central argument should be supported by evidence from cited sources. Still, it’s also important that you provide enough details so that readers can understand why you believe what you do and how those beliefs were formed in the first place. This way, even if someone disagrees with your central idea or interpretation, they’ll still be able to appreciate how your thinking process led up to it.

A counter-claim is when someone takes issue with another person’s assertion—in this case, yours! This might seem like a bad thing at first (and sometimes it is), but if done correctly, writing a strong counter-claim can help strengthen both sides’ arguments and help everyone learn more about the subject matter at hand!

Step 3. How to Write the Body of Your Essay

Next, you’ll need to explain the topic of your essay in detail. This is the body of your paper, and it will be where you make all of your arguments.

It would be best if you also clearly explain your thesis statement in this section. Your thesis is like a summary of what you’re saying: it should be clear and concise while still accurately reflecting the rest of your paper (it’s okay if it’s not 100% accurate).

Now that you’ve introduced yourself and explained why writing this paper is important to you, it’s time for some details! Provide examples from both stories or articles that support or refute your thesis statement. A great way to make sure these examples are relevant is by connecting them with other points being made in class discussions or lectures – this way, readers know exactly how they relate together again later on when it comes out as evidence towards proving/disproving another point brought up during class discussion time.”

Tips for crafting a good discussion section

The discussion section of your paper is the most important part. It’s where you can show off your critical thinking skills and make a meaningful contribution to the topic at hand. But if you don’t know how to write an effective discussion, it can be hard to get this part right!

Here are some tips for crafting a good discussion section:

• Use direct quotes from sources when possible. This will help you avoid making unsupported statements about what other people think or believe; instead, you can use the author’s own words as evidence of how they think on their grounds.
• Use examples from history and current events to illustrate your ideas about culture and society. You don’t want all of your examples coming from one source—this will make things seem too biased towards that source’s perspective—but don’t forget that there are many different perspectives out there in the world, so try not having any of them underrepresented in what gets included in your paper!
• Employ effective transitions between paragraphs when transitioning between ideas within each paragraph itself; these should appear at least once per paragraph while reading through it, so readers know where they’re going next before continuing further down below into those same topics later on down this list here today with us now!”
• Use clear language. Don’t use complicated jargon or unfamiliar concepts that your reader may not be familiar with.
• Use a logical structure. Organize your ideas in an orderly fashion so that your reader can follow along easily and structure them logically (for example, using an introduction followed by body paragraphs and ending with a conclusion).
• Use a variety of sentence structures and lengths. Long sentences aren’t necessarily better than short ones; neither are complex sentences better than simple ones. Make sure each sentence conveys one idea clearly, without unnecessary words or phrases that don’t add anything to the message you’re trying to get across.
• Limit each paragraph to one idea–this will help keep things organized for readers! It’s also good practice because it’ll be harder for people to read if you try adding multiple ideas into one paragraph (or even worse: just cramming everything into one sentence).
• Get your facts straight. You have to be 100% sure that what you write is correct because if it’s wrong, then it will undermine your credibility and make your reader doubt everything else in the paper. So check every fact with multiple sources before writing it down (and then double-check again).
• Check your sources. It’s important to give credit where credit is due—but don’t just copy other people’s work verbatim! Be honest about where you got your information from so that readers can follow up on any questions or ideas they might have. Also, make sure that all of the information in the discussion section was cited properly, using APA style or MLA style formatting guidelines and citations (if necessary).

Step 4. How to Write the Discussion Essay Conclusion

The conclusion is the last thing you’ll write, so you need to make sure it’s strong. Like your thesis and introduction, it should be concise. It should also summarize what you’ve said in the paper and why it’s important:

• Restate your argument in different terms, then restate it again.
• Summarize each of the points you’ve made in order of importance (the most important first). If several arguments were equally significant but not all mentioned at length, then mention them here.
• State how readers can apply the information they’ve received from reading this paper. Make a call to action! Say something like “These findings highlight how better X and Y would benefit everyone” or “If we continue doing things A through Z for another 100 years then we will achieve our goal of becoming an effective organization.” Then give some suggestions about how people could go about achieving these goals (e.g., starting with step 1).
• Use a strong closing statement that leaves readers feeling confident about their ability when faced with similar situations in the future: “We hope this article has given insight into what makes for an effective discussion essay paper format.”

Bonus Step. How to Finalize Your Discussion Essay Paper

• Finalize your research paper. You’re done with the hard part! Now it’s time to take a breather and review what you’ve done. This can be a great time to reread your introduction and summary and any other sections that may have been difficult to write because they required so much research or thought.
• Submit your research paper. Once you feel confident in your draft, make sure that you submit it on time—late submissions are not acceptable! If possible (depending on the class), try submitting earlier than necessary. If there are any issues with formatting or editing, you’ll have ample time to fix them before the deadline arrives.
• Receive feedback on your research paper from an expert in your field (your professor). Wait patiently for feedback from an expert in your field who will offer insight into how successful or unsuccessful this project has been thus far based on their years of knowledge and expertise! Consider any suggestions given by this individual carefully before revising accordingly if necessary; there could be some valuable information about writing style or presentation structure here, which will help improve future projects even further down the line…
• Revise again based on feedback from an expert in one’s field (the professor). This step shouldn’t need much explanation—you get it now, right?

Final Thoughts

You’ve done it! You’re now ready to write your discussion essay paper. Remember that your goal is to get people talking and thinking critically about a topic, so use our tips and tricks above to achieve that. Good luck!

Get Help from our Experts with your Discussion Paper

Our team of writers is the best in the business. They have a lot of experience, and they’re qualified to help you with your discussion essay paper. Our experts can help you:

• Think through your ideas and make them stronger
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Elaina Ferrell

With a deep understanding of the student experience, I craft blog content that resonates with young learners. My articles offer practical advice and actionable strategies to help students achieve a healthy and successful academic life.