Related Study
What is a related Study?
It is an essay of between 1000-3000 words. It must be Harvard referenced and have a bibliography.
It is an investigation into a subject of your choice. It is best to choose a subject that goes alongside that of your practical coursework, making use of the information you have found.
Choose something you are genuinely interested in......
General Information
Use Harvard Referencing
This is a formal document - NO SLANG
' ' For quotes, facts or anything from another source
Must include a bibliography
You should mention 2 photographers throughout and your own responses to their work.
Your essay should be between 1000-3000 words, with an introduction, discussion (Your main part of the essay), conclusion and bibliography.
Harvard Referencing
Aim for 1 reference every 250 words = 2000 ÷ 150 = 8
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Harvard Referencing – The easiest way is to use Word’s own version
(Ask for help with this, it saves so much time!)
But how do you reference IN-TEXT?
USE WORD'S REFERENCE MAKER
This is an example of HOW to reference in-text:
Self-employed people may be more supported in the future with new methods coming in to bolster their income. ‘The size of the grant they can access will also be doubled to £3,750’(Allegretti, 2020). This suggests that their economic position may be more positive than it has previously been within the pandemic, due to this extra monetary increase.
BLACK - Discussion
RED - Quote
BLUE - Reference
This is the reference IN TEXT
This is the quote itself, with ' ' marks around it
Harvard Referencing is:
‘Including the quote or fact within speech marks, like this’ (Author’s Last Name, Year Published). Continue on with your point you make, most likely talking about the quote you have just included.
We reference so the reader knows where our information came from. Otherwise, how would they know if we are backing up our statements?
Your Title
For now, start with a working title
This just means, a title that is not set in stone...something that can be changed...or 'it's constantly being worked'
A good place to start is by trying to pose a question...this gives you something to answer and directs the reader.
A good title should not be too broad, but tells the reader what to expect during the essay.
Below are some good starting points to use at the beginning of a title...
To what extent...
A quote...
Does the...
The importance of...
Is it just a....
The impact of...
To what extent has landscape photography helped establish, promote and protect national parks?’
I have used the title above....
- It poses a question using 'To What extent'
- It tells the reader what they are going to be reading
- I have introduced some key words that the reader will find within the essay (Establish, Promote and protect)
Introduction
Your introduction should be an OPENER to the essay.
You should be setting up your chosen topic and GRABBING the reader’s attention.
This should be your chance to get someone hooked and explain what this essay is going to be about.
A good way to start the essay, is to use a chosen quote that summarises the entire subject. A good fact could also be used to back this up, or instead of the quote if you wish. There are lots of ways to do this, but all can be effective.
For example, if my essay title is.....
To what extent has landscape photography helped establish, promote and protect national parks?’
…I may start something like this:
‘The idea of America’s national parks that's ingrained in the collective consciousness has been shaped through more than 150 years of photographing them’ (Mansky, 2016). The use of photography in the establishment of national parks has proven to be key for providing a subconscious opinion. Ansel Adams and Stephen Shore were at the forefront of this movement and were responsible for some of the most well-known images taken of Yosemite at the time. ‘On 1st March 1872, President Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into Law’ (National Park Service, 2020). The idea behind this was to allow the public to enjoy a space that was free from development and could not be sold; purely to benefit the people. As media was not as readily available as it is today, many people relied on what was in a Newspaper or what was seen in town. This is where the photographers played their part. But was this solely down to the photographers providing these images for these people to see, or were there other factors that played a part in establishing, promoting, and protecting these national parks?
So what has actually been done within this introduction?
I have immediately started with a quote from an ‘industry professional’ that draws my reader in. This is referenced correctly, providing the source of the information.
I have introduced what my essay will be covering.
I have introduced my two artists that I am going to be talking about and then provided a fact to put this information into context.
I have continued by using key words from my title (Establish, Promote and Protect) to keep a coherent message throughout.
I have finally rounded off my introduction with a rhetorical question (One that does not need to be answered directly) that leaves the reader thinking about what is coming next….and leads me nicely into the next paragraph.
Your reader should understand the WHAT, WHY and HOW of your essay
DISCUSSION
This is where the main bulk of your essay comes from
The part where you make most of your points and discuss the title, using your chosen photographers, and responses to them, to lead the reader through to the conclusion.
The most important aspect here, is a CLEAR JOURNEY. You should make sure your paragraphs LEAD into each other (Don’t jump around)
A good place to start would be the first photographer/artist you want to include within your related study. Mention their work and give an example of how they relate to the title.
For example:
Ansel Adams, born in 1902 (The Ansel Adams Gallery, 2022), could be considered as a key member in the establishment and preservation of national parks and some have suggested that America would not be conserving as effectively as they are now if it was not for him. His work (figure 1.) on Yosemite allowed the general public to witness what these national parks were and how spectacular they could be. Without this imagery, would the average person have been able to see and appreciate this?
Figure 1. (The Ansel Adams Gallery, 2022)
It is really important that you make sure this flows as ONE essay and not as separate paragraphs.
Relate the paragraphs BACK TO THE TITLE to remind your reader that this is the overall point of the essay. This can be done like this…for example:
……This poses the question of whether landscape photography did actually make an impact on the establishment, promotion and preservation of the national parks. Ansel Adams was clearly a strong believer of the cause, and this is shown through his passion. Landscape photography allows those who have not been to the area to witness it themselves, as it was then. This can also be seen in my own response to this work….
Linking sentences and comparing the work of yourself and the chosen photographer(s) will be key to allowing the work to flow as an essay. Some of the words below will be really useful in allowing your paragraphs to connect to one another and keep the momentum.
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Whilst…
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Similarly ….
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By contrast…
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Unlike….
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Comparatively….
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Whereas…
These are some really good ways to link sentences and start a new paragraph. It can be key to allowing the reader to flow through the essay and not be thrown around suddenly.
What is really key here, is showing you UNDERSTAND the work that you are providing within the related study.
Using the CORRECT TERMINOLOGY within the essay massively helps the reader to correctly understand what is being said and keep the content consistent as well as being accurately translated.
If you use words such as ‘stuff’ or ‘dotty’…this can mean different things to different people. Whereas, ‘Aspects’ and ‘Noisy’ (in photography) have a general meaning.