How to Write a Critical Essay on Human Trafficking

Writing guide
Posted on April 6, 2016

If your instructor told you to write a critical essay on human trafficking, we can help you with the topics through our 10 facts on human trafficking for a critical essay and 20 topics on human trafficking for a critical essay guides. However, the technical aspects of this academic piece of writing are completely different.

Writing critical essays helps students understand concepts, get more in-depth knowledge of the subject, and understand the broader context of the topic under review. The task of writing one involves two major goals: briefly summarizing the information gleaned from your source material and critically evaluating it.

If your instructor told you to write one, do not worry. The following guides will help you develop an informative and interesting piece of writing.

The 4 Characteristics of an Essay and How to Get Them Right Every Time

Your teacher will evaluate the content, organization, style and correctness of your work to grade it. To help you focus on them, here is a quick breakdown of each.

  1. Content – Try to choose an interesting and appropriate topic. It should show a clear focus; so do not make it too narrow or too broad. This will throw off the balance and logical structure of your essay. Provide sufficient arguments, examples, and evidence to support your topic.
  2. Organization – The introduction and conclusion should state the same idea. Try to add your thesis in the beginning for maximum impact. Make your topic paragraphs clear, provide concrete evidence from reputable sources. Since this essay is about human trafficking, factual information must be taken from authoritative sources.
  3. Style – This is a critical essay, so it must be written in a formal, academic style. Use a serious and reflective tone. This, however, does not mean your work has to be dull. Be creative with how your present facts and theories.
  4. Correctness – Double-check the grammar, punctuation and overall structure of the essay. Proofread and edit your work at least twice.

The Step by Step Guide to Writing a Great Critical Essay

In addition to the four characteristics of the critical essay, you need to keep the following steps in mind while drafting one on behavioral ecology subjects such as human trafficking.

  • Step 1: Understand the Requirements
    The first thing you have to do is understand the topic. Read any guidelines your instructor has provided. Most teachers are very specific about their grading criteria, so make sure to ask any questions you have if you do not understand the rules.
  • Step 2: Research
    Lookup authoritative reference materials on the assigned topic. As you research, you will find that a lot of questions/ideas occur to you. Note these down and annotate as you read through the material. When you have a sufficient list of questions, start finding answers and add them to your list of ideas.
  • Step 3: Develop a Topic/Thesis
    Take the list of ideas and organize them according to importance or categories. If the assigned topic is too broad, use your ideas to narrow your topic. For example, if you are writing about human trafficking, focus on a specific geographical region, country, type of trafficking, eradication efforts, history, or whichever aspect you find more interesting. Your list of ideas will help you develop a thesis, a central idea which you will present. Just remember that your thesis should be concise and easy to sum up in a sentence.
  • Step 4: Plan the Line of Reasoning and Topic Paragraphs
    Outline key themes; each theme will serve as a separate topic paragraph in the body of your essay. Write how you intend to prove the statement of the theme and then provide your evidence. Each of the topic paragraphs will represent your main ideas about the topic. Since this is a critical essay, make sure to include counter-arguments or differing statements to show that you have considered the thesis from different perspectives.
  • Step 5: Write the Essay
    A critical essay contains three main parts: an introduction, body, and conclusion.
    The introduction serves as a summary of your concepts. It shows how well you understood the topic and how much effort you put into your research. Write your main thesis, describe what ideas you will be exploring, and how you plan to support your ideas.

The body is where you state your main ideas and provide the information you have worked so hard to gather. Cover different aspects of the topic, issues, arguments, and counter-arguments. Each of these must be presented in such a way that they fit together logically and structurally. Your body will contain three to four topic paragraphs, each of which will begin with a topic sentence. Provide evidence, and tie in with your main thesis.

The conclusion is a simple summation of major ideas. Do not include any new information in the conclusion. Simply restate your main ideas, highlight any areas of doubt, and point out any new research avenues.

This guide will prove very helpful to students looking to write a critical essay on any subject related to human trafficking. Critically analyzing complex issues is a challenge for sure as the sheer amount of matter available on the subject is overwhelming. Luckily, you can get your essay right and get a good grade if you stick to these instructions.

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