observation college essay examples

Observation Essay

Observation essay generator.

To properly observe something, you need to make use of all your five senses. Paying attention to all the details and being level-headed is a must. That said, a lot of effort goes into the act of observing something. The data gathered in your observation, whatever it may be, is necessary. Therefore you should write an observation essay and share your findings with the readers. 

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What Is an Observation Essay?

An observation essay is a piece of academic essay that incorporates the observer’s perspective over a situation, event, behavior, phenomenon, and even a person. In this document, the writer should state everything he or she directly noticed on the subject. In addition, they can also use first-person narration in this paper.

How to Write a Well-Versed Observation Essay

Whether you are a student writing an essay of your observation for a school assignment or educational research , or maybe a professional conducting a business analysis , you should compose it critically. The findings you present in your observation essay could be necessary to your field or industry. To keep it professional and informative, incorporate appropriate elements and organize it properly. 

1. Follow Guidelines

If there are guidelines provided, ensure to read them beforehand. The list usually includes instructions regarding the format, the length, essential questions, the structure, and the deadline. To avoid forgetting the items to remember, you can secure a checklist beforehand. These details will act as your guide and will set the limits for your essay writing . 

2. Devise an Outline

Considering that you already finished observing, take out your notes, and start constructing your outline. Consider basing its structure on the guidelines. You should decide what information goes on in a particular paragraph and organize it to be comprehensive to the general readers. You can save your energy by researching sample blank outline templates online instead of starting from scratch.

3. Compose Your Thesis Statement

Write your thesis statement in your introduction. After writing your hook and engaging your readers, it is now time to state what the essay will discuss. What did you observe? What are the general idea and nature of your essay? Your thesis statement will act as the central idea of your descriptive writing. Its length must only be one sentence. 

4. Close With a Detailed Conclusion

After presenting the main ideas and supporting your claims, you should provide a conclusion statement that would sum it all up. In the last paragraph, you should restate the thesis statement and explain how all of these ideas are relevant to each other. Your conclusion should link back to the idea in your introduction.

How do you observe something properly?

The practice of observing is necessary for writing field reports of studies, especially in science and psychology. When you do an observation of something, it is advisable to research the subject you are studying. Also, you need to focus on your visual and hearing senses and your thought process. Avoid or get rid of factors that can distract you.

What are the different methods of observing?

The various methods of observing are categorized based on the level of involvement of the observer with the subject. If an observer is not noticed or personally seen by the participants, then he or she is employing the complete observer method. On the other hand, if the subjects recognize and interact with the observer, the implemented method is observer as participant.

How should you note your observations?

The first step in taking field notes of your observation is, write down the necessary details of the subject. Also, you should include the time and place. In writing your findings, you should stay objective and factual. Also, don’t forget to write a description of the setting and the materials involved.

The readers of your observation essay are not present at the time you did your observation. An observation essay is effective if its content is enough to supply information that would make the readers feel as if they are personally present at that time. Secure an observation essay, and earn an award certificate from your school or your work. 

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Discuss the behavior of animals at a zoo and what it reveals about them in your Observation Essay.

Reflect on the atmosphere of a music concert you attended in your Observation Essay.

How to Begin an Observation Essay: Tips and Strategies

Welcome to our guide on how to start an observation essay . Whether you’re a student or a professional writer, beginning an observation essay can sometimes be a challenging task. It requires careful planning, attention to detail, and an ability to capture the essence of the subject or event you’re observing. In this article, we’ll provide you with valuable tips and strategies to help you kickstart your observation essay effectively.

Here's What You'll Learn

Before we dive into the tips and strategies, let’s briefly discuss what an observation essay is. It is a type of paper where you provide remarks and findings about an individual, group, or event, focusing on specific details. Your goal is to describe your observations on a particular theme, engaging your readers through vivid descriptions and sensory details.

Now, let’s explore some key takeaways that will guide you through the process of beginning your observation essay:

Key Takeaways:

• Write in the present tense to establish a sense of immediacy and connection to the event.
• Structure your essay with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Include a hook, background information, and a clear thesis statement in your introduction.
• Develop your thesis statement with arguments and facts in the body paragraphs.
• Summarize and analyze your main ideas and arguments in the conclusion.

By following these tips and strategies, you’ll be well-equipped to begin your observation essay and captivate your readers from the start. Remember, the more you practice and refine your writing skills, the better your observation essays will become.

Paper Structure for an Observation Essay

The structure of an observation essay is similar to other essays, consisting of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each section plays a specific role in presenting and analyzing the observations made.

The Introduction:

The introduction of an observation essay should grab the reader’s attention and provide background information on the topic. It should also include a clear thesis statement that highlights the main idea or argument of the essay. For example:

“Through the detailed observations of [topic], this essay aims to explore [specific focus or research question].”

The Body Paragraphs:

The body paragraphs of an observation essay are where the writer presents and analyzes their observations. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect or finding, supporting it with evidence and examples. It is essential to use descriptive language and sensory details to paint a vivid picture for the reader. Additionally, incorporating relevant quotes from interviews or other sources can add depth to the analysis.

The Conclusion:

The conclusion of an observation essay should provide a summary of the main points discussed in the body paragraphs. It should also offer a reflection on how the observations connect to the overall thesis statement and research question. This section helps to solidify the writer’s argument and leaves the reader with a sense of closure.

When writing an observation essay, it is important to adhere to the technical requirements set by the academic level and field of study. These may include specific formatting guidelines such as font size, spacing, citation style, and an appropriate structure for headings and subheadings. Following these requirements ensures a cohesive and professional presentation of the essay.

Table: Differences between Observation Essays and other Essay Types

In conclusion , understanding the structure of an observation essay is crucial for effectively presenting your findings and arguments. By following the suggested format, you can create a well-organized and engaging essay that captures the reader’s attention and provides a comprehensive analysis of your observations.

Tips for Starting an Observation Essay

Starting an observation essay can sometimes be challenging, but with the right strategies, you can capture your readers’ attention from the very beginning. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Begin with a brief overview

One effective way to start your observation essay is by providing a concise summary of the topic and your thesis statement. This sets the stage for what readers can expect throughout the essay.

Pose a thought-provoking question

Another approach to engage your readers is by asking a question related to the topic. This invites them to think critically and encourages them to continue reading to find the answer.

Capture attention with an interesting fact or description

Hook your readers by sharing a surprising fact or vividly describing the main setting of your observation. This creates intrigue and makes readers more eager to delve into your essay.

Employ a delay strategy or personal anecdote

To add an element of suspense or connect the past to the present, you can gradually reveal the subject of your observation essay. Alternatively, you can share a personal experience that relates to the topic, drawing readers in through your own perspective.

Remember, the starting strategy you choose should align with your essay’s requirements and target audience. Experiment with different approaches, take breaks to gain fresh perspectives, and seek feedback to refine your observation essay. By implementing these tips, you’ll be well on your way to crafting a captivating and engaging piece.

How should I begin an observation essay?

To start an observation essay, you can use various strategies. One approach is to provide a brief overview of the essay’s topic and thesis statement in a few short sentences. Another effective strategy is to pose a thought-provoking question related to the topic, inviting readers to consider the answer. Alternatively, you can grab readers’ attention by starting with an interesting fact or vivid description of the main setting. Additionally, you can add intrigue by relating a past experience to the present or gradually revealing the subject. Choose a strategy that aligns with your essay’s requirements and engages your target audience.

What is the structure of an observation essay?

The structure of an observation essay typically consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the introduction, you should include a captivating hook to grab the reader’s attention, provide background information on the topic, and present a clear and concise thesis statement that highlights the main idea of your essay. The body paragraphs are used to develop the thesis statement by presenting arguments, supporting evidence, and discussing the pros and cons of certain ideas. The conclusion should analyze how the thesis statement was developed throughout the essay and provide a succinct overview of the arguments and ideas presented.

What are some tips for starting an observation essay?

When starting an observation essay , it’s helpful to create an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure a coherent flow of ideas. To make your essay more engaging, use sensory details to vividly describe the scene and capture the mood in the introduction. End your essay with a powerful conclusion that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Moreover, you can seek assistance and guidance from professional writers who can provide valuable help throughout the writing process.

Source Links

• https://pro-essay-writer.com/blog/observation-essay
• https://essayshark.com/blog/how-to-write-an-observation-essay/
• https://vmagazinespain.com/instructions/starting-observation-essay.php3

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Home ➔ How to Write an Essay ➔ Observation Essay

Guide to Observation Essays

Whether you’re a budding writer, a curious student, or a seasoned professional looking to fine-tune your skills, this comprehensive guide on observation essays is for you. Writing is an art; like any art, it requires practice, understanding, and a touch of creativity. Observation essays, in particular, offer a unique platform to express, explore, and enhance our understanding of the world around us. This guide will provide you with the tools, tips, and insights needed to craft compelling observation essays, inviting your readers to see the world through your eyes.

Understanding the Observation Essay

What is an observation essay? An observation essay is a type of writing that aims to capture and share a personal experience of a particular event, object, or phenomenon through detailed, sensory-rich descriptions. It’s a genre that calls for writers to observe their surroundings, immerse themselves in the scenario, and then articulate their observations in a vivid, engaging manner.

Unlike narrative or reflective essays, an observation essay doesn’t merely tell a story or share a personal reflection. Instead, it places the spotlight firmly on the subject being observed. It’s a bit like a painter capturing a scene – the writer uses words instead of brushstrokes to bring their subject to life. The result? Readers should feel like they’re right there with the writer, experiencing firsthand observation.

Purpose and Importance

Observation essays serve a dual purpose. For the writer, they offer a platform to practice and hone descriptive writing skills. The requirement to delve deep into an observation encourages attentiveness, mindfulness, and a keen eye for detail – all vital skills for any writer. Plus, the freedom to choose your subject allows you to write about what truly interests or impacts you, making the process not just a learning experience but an enjoyable one too.

Observation essays allow the reader to see the world from a different perspective. A well-written essay can transport readers to new places, introduce them to new concepts, or make them see familiar things in a fresh light. It can evoke emotions, provoke thought, and inspire action.

Moreover, observation essays hold significant value in academic and professional contexts. They are commonly used in fields like social sciences, journalism, and creative writing, to name a few. They help students learn how to notice details, analyze their observations, and communicate effectively – skills that are invaluable in many career paths.

Importance of Objectivity

An observation essay is a fascinating blend of objectivity and subjectivity. The objectivity aspect calls for a clear, unbiased representation of what you observe. The goal here is to present your readers with a truthful, accurate depiction of the event, place, object, or person you’re observing without letting personal biases or preconceived notions color your descriptions.

Why is objectivity important? It’s simple – it lends credibility to your observation essay. When your descriptions are factual and unbiased, your readers can trust what you’re saying. This trust forms the bedrock of engaging, impactful writing. It’s what makes your readers feel like they’re right there with you, experiencing the observation firsthand.

However, this doesn’t mean you need to be a passive, emotionless observer. On the contrary, your role as an observer involves a level of active engagement. You need to be alert, attentive, and responsive to your surroundings. Objectivity doesn’t mean stripping your observation essay of emotion – it means ensuring that those emotions don’t distort the truth of your observation.

The Role of Personal Perception and Experience

While objectivity is crucial, it’s only half the story. The other half is your personal perception and experience – the subjective aspect of your observation essay.

Personal perception and experience are what make your observation essay uniquely yours. They allow you to bring a fresh perspective to your subject, highlight aspects others might overlook, and infuse your writing with your voice and style.

When describing your observations, consider how the scene made you feel, what it reminded you of, what surprised or intrigued you. Did it trigger any memories? Did it change your perspective on something? These are the insights your readers are looking for – the human element that transforms a simple observation into a compelling narrative.

However, remember that while personal perception and experience are important, they should never overshadow the observation itself. Think of them as the spice that enhances the flavor of your observation essay, not the main ingredient.

Balancing objectivity with personal perception and experience can be challenging, but it’s also what makes observation essays so rewarding. By learning to navigate this balance, you can create essays that are both credible and captivating – essays that inform and inspire.

The Pre-writing Stage Steps

Before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), some essential groundwork must be done. The pre-writing stage is all about preparation. It’s where you choose your subject, conduct your observation, and gather your notes. This stage is crucial as it sets the foundation for your observation essay. By investing time and thought into this preparatory phase, you can ensure a smoother, more effective writing process.

1. Choose a Subject for Observation

The first step in the pre-writing stage is choosing a subject for your observation essay. Your subject could be almost anything – a place, an event, a person, an object, or even a concept. The key is to choose a subject that you find intriguing or impactful – something that sparks your curiosity or resonates with you on a personal level. This personal interest or connection will not only make the observation process more enjoyable, but it will also shine through in your writing, engaging your readers.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Subject

When choosing a subject, consider its accessibility and observability. Can you spend enough time with your subject to make detailed, meaningful observations? Is it something that lends itself to description? A bustling market, for example, offers a wealth of sensory details to describe, whereas a quiet, empty room might not.

Think about your intended audience as well. What would they find interesting or informative? If you’re writing for a specific assignment, make sure your subject aligns with the assignment guidelines.

Lastly, consider the depth and complexity of your subject. A good subject should offer enough material to explore without being overwhelmingly complex.

Examples of Effective Subjects

Effective subjects for observation essays can range from the everyday to the extraordinary. A tranquil park at sunrise, a lively music festival, a skilled artisan at work, the behavior of birds at a feeder – these are all examples of subjects that offer rich observational opportunities. Remember, it’s not always about what you observe but how you observe it. Even the most mundane subjects can yield fascinating insights when observed with a keen, curious eye.

2. Conduct the Observation

Once you’ve chosen your subject, it’s time to conduct your observation. This is your opportunity to immerse yourself in your subject, to observe it in all its complexity and detail. It’s a process that requires patience, attentiveness, and a touch of creativity.

Tips for Effective Observation

Start by immersing yourself in your observation environment. Try to engage all your senses – not just sight, but also sound, touch, smell, and taste, where applicable. Take note of any details that catch your attention, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.

Keep your mind open and receptive. Don’t rush to make interpretations or draw conclusions – just observe and record. The analysis will come later.

And finally, be patient. Some observations, like the behavior of animals or the unfolding of an event, can’t be rushed. Take your time and enjoy the process.

Ethical Guidelines for Observation

Observing ethically is crucial, especially when your subject involves other people. Always respect people’s privacy and dignity. If your observation involves watching people, ensure you have their consent. Avoid making assumptions or judgments about your subjects – remember, your role is to observe, not to critique.

3. Take Effective Notes

As you conduct your observation, taking effective notes is key. These notes will form the basis of your observation essay, so capturing as much detail as possible is important.

One strategy is to use descriptive phrases and sensory words to record your observations. Try to capture not just what you see but also what you hear, smell, touch, and taste.

Another strategy is to jot down your immediate thoughts and reactions. These can provide valuable insights when you begin writing your observation essay.

It can also be helpful to sketch or diagram your observation, particularly if you’re observing a complex scene or process. Don’t worry about your artistic skills – the goal is not to create a masterpiece but to capture key details and relationships visually.

Organizing Your Notes

Once you’ve gathered your notes, take some time to organize them. Group similar observations together. You might choose to organize them chronologically, thematically, or in order of importance. Look for patterns or interesting details that might serve as focal points for your observation essay.

Remember to keep your notes accessible and understandable. You might find it helpful to use symbols, color-coding, or other methods to highlight key observations or ideas.

Taking effective notes is a skill that improves with practice. So don’t be discouraged if your first few attempts seem chaotic or incomplete. With each observation, you’ll become better at capturing and organizing the details that will bring your essays to life.

The Writing Stage Steps

1. create an observation essay outline.

Creating an outline is one of the most effective ways to ensure a well-structured, cohesive observation essay. An outline serves as a roadmap for your essay, guiding you through each section and helping you organize your thoughts and observations. It helps you identify key points, develop a logical flow, and ensure that each part of your essay supports your thesis statement.

Beyond these structural benefits, an outline can make writing less daunting. Instead of facing a blank page, you’ll have a clear plan to follow, making it easier to get started and keep going.

The elements of an observation essay outline typically include:

• Introduction: This should include a hook to grab the reader’s attention, background information about your subject, and a thesis statement.
• Body Paragraphs: Each paragraph should focus on a specific observation or group of related observations. Start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. Then, provide your detailed observations, using sensory language and vivid descriptions to bring your subject to life. Be sure to include your personal reactions or reflections, but remember to keep the focus on the subject.
• Conclusion: Summarize your key observations and reflect on their significance. This is your chance to leave a lasting impression, so try to end on a thought-provoking note.

Observation Essay Outline Example

Let’s say your subject is a local farmers’ market. Here’s what your outline might look like:

• Hook: A sensory-rich description to immerse the reader in the market scene
• Background: Brief information about the farmers’ market (where it’s located, when it takes place, etc.)
• Thesis statement: The main focus or angle of your observation essay (e.g., “The local farmers’ market is a vibrant testament to the power of community and sustainable living.”)
• Topic sentence: “The first thing that strikes you at the market is the abundance and diversity of fresh produce.”
• Detailed descriptions of the fruits, vegetables, and other items on display
• Your reactions to the variety and quality of the produce
• Topic sentence: “Behind each stall stands a vendor, each with their unique story and passion for what they do.”
• Descriptions of a few vendors, including their appearance, behavior, and interactions with customers
• Your reflections on the importance of supporting local farmers and producers
• Topic sentence: “The market buzzes with life, with customers of all ages and walks of life coming together to shop, eat, and socialize.”
• Observations of the customers and the overall atmosphere
• Your thoughts on the sense of community at the market
• Summary of your key observations
• Reflection on the significance of these observations (e.g., how the farmers’ market embodies values like community, sustainability, and support for local businesses)
• Closing thoughts: A comment or question to leave the reader thinking (e.g., “In a world dominated by supermarket chains, the simple act of shopping at a farmers’ market can be a powerful statement of support for our local communities and our planet.”)

Remember, this is just one possible approach to outlining an observation essay. Feel free to adapt this structure to suit your subject and your personal writing style.

2. Write the Introduction

The introduction is the first part of your observation essay that your readers will encounter, making it a crucial component of your piece. A well-crafted introduction sets the tone for the essay, provides necessary context, and guides your readers into the heart of your observations. It is here you must catch your reader’s attention, provide a sense of what they’re about to experience and assert your main argument or perspective.

How to Craft an Engaging Hook

An engaging hook is your first chance to pique your reader’s interest and entice them to continue reading. It’s the bait that draws them into the depth of your observation. When crafting your hook, aim to evoke an emotion, provoke a question, or paint a vivid picture that your reader will want to explore further.

Here are a few strategies for creating an engaging hook:

• Start with a vivid description: Use sensory language to immerse your reader in your observation right from the start. For example, “The farmers’ market buzzes with life, the air ripe with the scent of fresh fruits and the sounds of lively chatter.”
• Pose a thought-provoking question: A compelling question can intrigue your reader and prompt them to read on for the answer. For instance, “What if you could taste the heart and soul of a community in the food you eat?”
• Share a surprising fact or statistic: If a fact or statistic is related to your observation that might surprise or intrigue your reader, use it as your hook. For example, “Despite the rise of supermarket chains, over 8,000 farmers’ markets continue to thrive across the United States.”

Setting the Scene

Once you’ve hooked your reader, it’s time to set the scene. This is where you provide some background information about your subject. Be careful not to overwhelm your reader with details – just provide enough information to help them understand your observations. For example, you might describe the location of the farmers’ market, the time of day you visited, and any notable features.

Thesis Statement

The final component of your introduction is the thesis statement . This is a concise statement that establishes your main point or perspective on the subject you’re observing. It guides your entire essay, providing a clear focus for your observations.

Your thesis statement should be specific and debatable, sparking interest and guiding your subsequent observations. For a farmers’ market observation essay, your thesis statement might be something like, “The local farmers’ market serves not only as a venue for selling fresh produce but also as a vibrant gathering spot that fosters a sense of community and sustainability.”

Remember, your introduction should entice, inform, and guide. By crafting an engaging hook, setting the scene effectively, and asserting a compelling thesis statement, you set the stage for an enticing observation essay.

Introduction example

As the sun peeks over the horizon, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange, the local town square begins to stir with life. This is no ordinary morning buzz – it’s the herald of the weekly farmers’ market, a vibrant gathering that transforms the sleepy square into a bustling hub of community and sustainability. This is our local farmers’ market, a testament to the power of local produce, community interaction, and sustainable living.

Nestled in the heart of our small town, the market unfurls every Saturday, breathing life and color into the cobblestone square. Farmers and artisans from around the area converge, setting up their stalls under the early morning sky, their goods a tapestry of the region’s bounty.

I will take you on a journey through this vibrant market scene, exploring its abundant produce, passionate vendors, and diverse clientele. More than just a place to buy fresh produce, our local farmers’ market serves as a testament to the strength of community spirit and the importance of sustainable living. Together, we’ll uncover how this bustling market embodies these values, offering a unique perspective into the heart of our community.

3. Write the Body Paragraphs

The body of your observation essay is where you delve into the heart of your subject, exploring it in detail and sharing your insights with your reader. Each body paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of your observation, developing a clear point that supports your thesis statement. Here, you’ll use vivid language and sensory details to bring your observations to life, balancing raw description with thoughtful interpretation.

The Chronological or Thematic Approach

When structuring your body paragraphs, you have two main approaches to choose from: the chronological approach or the thematic approach.

The chronological approach follows the order of your observation, moving through each aspect as it occurred in time. This approach is particularly useful when observing events or processes, as it allows you to capture the progression and dynamics of your subject.

The thematic approach , on the other hand, groups observations by themes or categories. For example, in an observation essay about a farmers’ market, you might have separate paragraphs for the variety of produce, the vendors, and the customers. This approach can provide a more organized and focused exploration of your subject, especially when observing complex or multifaceted subjects.

Using Sensory Details and Vivid Language

A key part of writing an engaging observation essay is bringing your subject to life through detailed descriptions. Try to engage all of your reader’s senses – not just sight but also sound, touch, smell, and taste.

Use vivid language to paint a picture of your subject in the reader’s mind. Don’t just say that the market was busy – describe the hustle and bustle, the clatter of stalls being set up, the chatter of vendors, and the aroma of fresh bread wafting from a nearby stall.

Remember, the aim is not to list facts but to immerse your reader in the experience. Show, don’t tell. Instead of saying, “The apples were fresh,” you might write, “The apples gleamed under the morning sun, their skins smooth and taut, promising a sweet, crisp bite.”

Balancing Description and Interpretation

While rich descriptions are vital to an observation essay, they should be balanced with interpretation. This means reflecting on what you’ve observed and considering its significance.

Interpretation allows you to move beyond mere description to offer insights and analysis. It’s where you connect your specific observations to your broader thesis statement. For instance, after describing the variety of produce at the farmers’ market, you might reflect on what this variety reveals about the richness of local agriculture, the changing seasons, or the value of sustainable farming practices.

Remember, the goal is not to make sweeping judgments but to offer thoughtful, grounded reflections on your observations. By balancing detailed descriptions with insightful interpretation, you can craft body paragraphs that are vivid, engaging, insightful, and meaningful.

4. Write the Conclusion

The conclusion of your observation essay is your final opportunity to leave a lasting impression on your reader. It’s where you tie together your main points and observations and reflect on their broader significance. A well-crafted conclusion should summarize what you’ve observed and explore the meaning and implications of these observations.

Summarizing Key Observations

Start your conclusion by summarizing your key observations. Remind your reader of the main points you’ve made in your body paragraphs. For example, you might recap the variety of produce, the dedication of the vendors, and the vibrant atmosphere at the farmers’ market.

However, avoid simply repeating what you’ve already said. Instead, aim to synthesize your observations, bringing them together in a way that highlights their connections and overall significance.

Personal Thoughts and Lessons Learned

After summarizing your key observations, share your personal thoughts and reflections. This is where you can explore the implications of your observations and what they’ve taught you. For instance, you might reflect on how your visit to the farmers’ market has deepened your appreciation for local produce or how it’s made you more aware of the importance of supporting local farmers and sustainable farming practices.

Conclusion Example

Throughout my observation at the local farmers’ market, I encountered a vibrant community hub, not just a simple venue for buying and selling produce. The wide variety of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables showcased the richness of our local agriculture and the changing seasons. The dedication of the vendors, each passionately explaining their farming practices and the benefits of their produce, highlighted the deep connections between the food we eat, the land it grows on, and the people who cultivate it.

The vibrant atmosphere of the farmers’ market, filled with lively chatter, the hustle of customers, and the tantalizing aromas of freshly baked bread and ripe fruits, left an indelible mark on me. It made me realize how these markets are not just about food but also about community, sustainability, and connection to the land.

This visit has deepened my appreciation for local produce and has made me more aware of the importance of supporting local farmers. It was not just a simple shopping experience but rather an educational journey that has impacted the way I think about food, farming, and community. I hope my observations can inspire others to visit their local farmers’ market, support local farmers, and appreciate the richness and vitality of such community hubs.

Observing the local farmers’ market has been a journey of discovery. Through careful observation and reflection, I’ve come to appreciate this lively marketplace as a symbol of our community’s resilience, a showcase of local agriculture, and a testament to the value of sustainable farming practices. As I continue to visit the farmers’ market, I look forward to observing more, learning more, and deepening my understanding of this vibrant community space.

Language Use, Tone, and Style

As you write your observation essay, keep these writing tips in mind:

• Use clear, concise language: Avoid jargon and unnecessarily complex language. Your goal is to communicate your observations and insights clearly and effectively, not to impress your reader with big words.
• Maintain a consistent tone: The tone of your observation essay should reflect your subject and your approach to observing it. A light, conversational tone might be appropriate for an essay about a lively farmers’ market, while a more serious, formal tone might be better suited to an observation essay about a solemn historical site.
• Vary your sentence structure: To keep your writing engaging, vary your sentence structure. Mix short sentences with longer ones, and vary your use of simple, compound, and complex sentences.
• Show, don’t tell: Instead of telling your reader what you observed or how you felt, show them through vivid descriptions and sensory details.
• Stay focused on your subject: While personal reflections are important, remember to keep your subject at the center of your essay. Your observations and insights should illuminate your subject, not overshadow it.

By keeping these writing tips in mind, you can ensure that your observation essay is detailed, insightful, clear, engaging, and well-crafted.

Finalizing the Essay: Tips for Polishing Your Work

Once you’ve finished the initial drafting of your observation essay, your work is far from over. The final, perhaps most crucial step is revising and editing your essay to ensure it is as polished and effective as possible. Here are some tips to help you finalize your work:

1. Read Your Essay Aloud: Reading your observation essay aloud can help you catch awkward phrasing, run-on sentences, and areas where your flow is disrupted. As you read, listen for places where you stumble or pause – these are likely spots that need smoothing out.

2. Check for Clarity and Coherence: Make sure your ideas are expressed clearly and your points are coherent. Each paragraph should have a clear focus, and all your paragraphs should tie together to support your overall thesis statement.

3. Look for Detailed Descriptions: Go through your essay and check if your descriptions are vivid and engaging enough. Have you used sensory language to bring your observations to life? Can your reader clearly envision what you’ve observed? If not, consider adding more detail or using more vivid language.

4. Balance Description and Interpretation: Ensure that your observation essay balances description and interpretation well. While your descriptions bring your subject to life, your interpretations provide the depth and insight that make your essay truly engaging.

5. Review Your Introduction and Conclusion: Your introduction should effectively hook your reader and provide a clear thesis statement, while your conclusion should summarize your key observations and reflections. Make sure both of these sections are strong and effective.

6. Proofread: Finally, proofread your essay carefully to catch any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Don’t rely solely on spell-check software – they can miss certain types of errors. If possible, have someone else proofread your observation essay as well. They may catch errors you’ve overlooked.

7. Take a Break: If time allows, step away from your essay for a day or two before you begin revising. This can help you approach your work with fresh eyes and spot errors or inconsistencies you might have missed in your initial drafting.

Remember, writing is a process, and it’s okay to make multiple revisions. By carefully polishing your work, you can ensure that your observation essay is not only clear and engaging but also provides a substantial, insightful, and comprehensive exploration of your subject.

Exercises for Developing Observation and Writing Skills

Developing strong observation and writing skills requires practice. Here are some exercises that can help you hone these skills, making your observation essays more detailed, insightful, and engaging.

1. Sensory Exploration: Choose an object, place, or event to observe. Write a paragraph describing it using each of the five senses. This exercise can help you practice using sensory language, which is crucial for bringing your observations to life.

2. People-Watching: Go to a public place and observe the people around you. Write a short description of a person or a group of people, focusing not only on their appearance but also their actions and interactions. This can help you practice observing and describing people, which can be useful for many types of observation essays.

3. Event Analysis: Attend a local event, such as a festival, concert, or sports game. As you observe the event, take notes on what is happening and the atmosphere and the reactions of the people around you. Afterward, write a short essay analyzing the event. This exercise can help you practice observing, note-taking, and analytical writing.

4. Reflective Writing: After observing a subject, write a reflective journal entry about the experience. Explore what you observed and your thoughts and feelings about it. This can help you practice reflective writing, which is important for the interpretation part of an observation essay.

5. Revise and Edit: Choose a piece of writing you’ve completed in the past – it could be a previous observation essay, a school assignment, or even a personal journal entry. Revise and edit it using the tips provided in this guide. This exercise can help you practice the crucial skills of revising and editing.

Remember, the key to improving your observation and writing skills is practice. By regularly engaging in exercises like these, you can continue to grow and refine your skills, enhancing the quality of your observation essays.

How to Write an Observation Essay

Have you ever dreamed of drawing a beautiful picture? Maybe a landscape or a portrait of your favorite actor? Unfortunately, not all of us have an inborn talent for drawing or enough time to practice artistic skills. There is a nice alternative: an observation essay.

Observation essays are almost like pictures. But your major tool to create them won’t be brushes and paints, but words and phrases. Of course, a brilliant observation essay example also requires particular skills (the ones our writers posses providing “ write essay for me ” help. Firstly, you should have either a good memory (when you write about your personal experience) or a good imagination. Secondly, your writing skills also have to be impressive. Finally, it is all about observation. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes and remember (or imagine) the smallest nuances. But you won’t be able to create a good picture without vivid details, right?

Our guide will help you to figure out what makes an observation essay a special type of writing assignment, and how to compose it in a proper way. We’ll also provide you with a well-written observation essay example so you’ll have a template for your own paper. Take a closer look at this genre. We are sure that you’ll fall in love with it as well as our scholarship essay writer .

Observation essay definition

An observation essay is a truly unique type of paper. Officially, it is an academic type of paper. Yet, we’d classify it as a piece of creative writing. (You can check our narrative essay outline example to better understand what we mean here.) Such essays allow readers to feel the atmosphere of the described event or experience. A writer can achieve the effect of presence using accurate wording and vivid details. You can describe in your paper various topics: the first rock con, a weekend with your best friend, or a meeting of a particular support group. Unlike a classification essay outline that is observation essay can show any picture. Everything depends on the painter!

Crafting observation essays is an opportunity to investigate and explore a host of topics, ranging the behavior of human beings to natural occurrences. The goal here is not only to depict what has been observed but also interpret it in a meaningful way.

In order to write a compelling observation essay, there are several key components you should include:

• Clear description of the subject being observed
• Analysis and interpretation of the observations made
• Use of sensory details to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind
• Reflection on the writer’s own experiences and biases in relation to the subject

All in all, an observation essay is a powerful tool for the author to contemplate and comprehend their environment through precise examination and contemplation.

10 quick-fire tips to write an observation essay

Below, you’ll find a list of common and extraordinary observation essay tips. You can use all of them or only a few. (Most will also come in handy when you wonder how to write an academic film review .) Anyway, they’ll make your piece of writing better.

1. First-person narration

Surprisingly, this type of academic writing allows first-person narration , unlike most other academic tasks such as write my term paper or write my dissertation assignments which are more formal and require concise and straightforward language. The main purpose is to give your readers a feeling that your memory is actually theirs. The words “I,” “my,” and “mine” become your best friends when you write an observation essay.

2. Realistic details

The devil is in the details, right? This applies to observation essays. Your task is to stimulate your readers’ imagination. And the best technique is detailing. Eye color, temperature of coffee, your heartbeat – everything matters.

3. All the senses

Although visual perception of information is the most important form for the majority of people, other senses also matter. Try to mention smells, touches, sounds, and tastes in your essay , like you would do if dealing with “ write my personal statement ” prompts, to make it more real for your audience.

4. Perfect wording

Sometimes, even one word can change the meaning of the phrase. Don’t neglect the opportunity to pull the heartstrings of your readers! If you feel that a particular word doesn’t fit well, replace it using synonyms. We are sure that you’ll eventually find the perfect variant.

5. Use of comparisons

Good comparisons are a great tool to create a certain impression. For example: “This cake tastes like a cloud.” You know that clouds are simply drops of water. But when it comes to cakes, this comparison creates a totally different impression, right?

6. Informal language

Forget about formalities, complex words, and terminology. Your purpose is to create a certain atmosphere, not to amaze your readers with your language performance or eloquence. Your manner of writing has to be simple and understandable. In such a way, your readers will easily follow your thoughts.

7. Elegant simplicity

An observation essay has to be simple but not too simple. In other words, it should be as simple as a little black dress, not as ripped jeans and a baggy sweater. We hope that this comparison is enough to understand the principle. If still confused, think of the principles you follow when designing your “ write my PowerPoint presentation ” assignment: straightforward language and comparisons for the audience to get the message properly and prevent controversies.

8. Relaxation

Seriously, relax! When you are nervous, your thinking becomes cloudy. You can’t imagine a clear picture and certainly can’t draw it for your readers. Take a deep breath – the right words will come to your mind automatically!

9. A recent experience

If you decide to describe your personal experience in the essay, we highly recommend you to choose an event that is not old and unfamiliar. Childhood memories might be beautiful, but they’re blurred as well.

10. One shot

We don’t recommend you to extend the pleasure of the writing process for several days. You should write your essay in one shot in order to keep your inspiration and specific mood. On the other hand, the process of editing may take a few days.

How to write an observation essay step by step

When you have all the tips, you need a writing plan. A good instruction can simplify even the most difficult process , and that is why outlining is a must-take step for your “ write my assignment ” inquiries to succeed. Here is your writing plan:

• Choose a topic

If your life is bright and full of great moments that you can share, the choice is obvious. Describing your personal experience is much easier than anything imagined. However, if your fantasy works very well, you can describe whatever you want. Just make sure that it is interesting for your audience, not only for you.

• Use keywords

When the right scene comes to your mind, don’t waste a minute! Write down all the phrases and words that your memory offers you. You don’t have to follow any system or principles like other “ write my college essay ” assignments prescribe , as you’ll structure your thoughts later.

• Close your eyes

That might seem weird, but this tip really works. When you close your eyes, you get totally concentrated on what is happening in your conscious. Plus, it is easier to imagine smells and sounds with your eyes closed.

• Stream of consciousness

Don’t try to control your thoughts. Just let them fly. In such a way, your memory will be able to provide you with really surprising details.

• Make an outline

When you have enough material, it’s the right moment to shape it. Remember about the elements of good narration: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Forget about the standard five-paragraph structure! It is too boring for this type of writing.

• Write the first draft

You’re ready for this serious step! Don’t be too demanding, and give yourself a chance and the right for a mistake. Your observation essay doesn’t have to be perfect on the first try. Nothing is perfect at once, even such formal and complex documents like those you get for “ write my coursework ” inquiries. You’ll have time to make it perfect a bit later.

• Take a break

Yes, we mean it. You do need rest! You’ve done great work, so feel free to make yourself a cup of tea or eat a piece of cake. A nap is also fine in this case. Your brain needs a reset.

It is unlikely that your first draft will satisfy all your demands. Maybe you need to remove a paragraph or add another one. Replace words, expressions, and even whole phrases if necessary.

• Edit and proofread

If you feel like your draft can’t be any better, then it’s time for editing and proofreading. We highly recommend you to use online services to check your text, especially when you ask some “ write my paper for cheap ” experts for help, as the human eye is not always attentive enough.

• Get feedback

This step can also be considered as a part of the editing process. The most important thing is to watch how other people read your observation essay. If you see a display of emotion on their faces, then you’ve done everything right.

An exclusive observation essay example for you

We classify an observation essay as a type of creative writing. This means that there are no strict rules or restrictions, like with write my APA paper or write my research paper tasks, of course, if they are not specified by your instructor. Anyway, we hope that you’ll learn from the observation essay example below about how it should be written. We also hope that you won’t commit plagiarism.

Fall Into the Sky

My bare feet feel the cold metal surface of the pier. It’s so good to feel this coolness after a long walk. My skin is goosebumpy, but excitement overcomes all other feelings. I come to the edge of the pier. The only sounds to break the silence are a gentle whisper of waves and my own breath.

I look down and see nothing. Only black emptiness. There is no moon in the sky, and I can’t see its magnificent reflection. But I keep trying to focus, and after a few moments, I see tiny spots of light on the water surface – shiny stars.

I’ve almost forgotten about my main purpose while watching stars and listening to the silence. A light breeze refreshes my mind and cools my body. My pulse is racing, and my thinking is becoming a bit cloudy. I make a step.

Just for a moment, I don’t feel anything. My body has no weight, and my mind is empty.

Then, I feel my feet hitting the water slightly. The temperature remains the same, as the water is no cooler than air on an August night. My muscles relax, but my lungs remind me that I can’t breathe underwater.

I swim out and take a deep breath. I float on water face up. I see the stars in the sky, and I see their fading reflections. I swim among the stars.

Help with observation essay writing

We are sure that you’ve enjoyed reading our observation essay example. With our instructions, tips, and sample, you are now ready to start writing your own essay without the help of any AI writing tool ! Don’t neglect our recommendations – you’ll provide a real masterpiece with them. EssayShark is always ready to help you with your   “ do my essay ” and any other writing problems, so apply to us if your homework is taking over you!

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Writing an Observation Essay Made Easy

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Global Education Monitoring Report by UNESCO states that the total youth literacy rate in Egypt is 63. How did the organization come up with this conclusion? The answer to this question is observational statistics .

If you want to learn how to write an observation essay, you should know how to carry out the research. This article will provide you with some good topics for an observation essay, its definition, tips on writing, and a vision of this paper’s structure. As another option you can always ask a professional essay writer for help!

Definition & Goals

To define, an observation essay is a paper based on remarks and findings of an individual, group of people, or a specific event . The goal is to describe your observations on a particular theme using many details. Remember that it is not a research paper.

Write your observation essay in the present tense , creating an impression of keeping in touch with the event as if the reader was in the described place or writer’s reality. Sharing feelings and pointing out the notes on the event make the paper more realistic and engaging.

If your instructions do not specify the writing style, choose out of the available formats accepted in any college or university: MLA, APA, Chicago/Turabian, AMA, Harvard or ASA format essay . The choice depends on the academic level and field of study. Select a style with the most formal structure. The majority of writing formats contain the following elements:

• Title/Cover page
• Indents requirements
• Page numbers
• Bibliography page

Paper Structure

As for technical requirements, composing an observation essay, the author needs to write in the first person . Such an essay’s structure is usually similar to the other essays: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Introduction

A decent introduction consists of a hook, background information, and a thesis statement. An essay hook is a sentence or two aimed at catching the reader’s attention to persuade them to carry on reading. Use a subtle joke, informative statistics, exciting facts, or a challenging question, and the reader will more likely proceed reading the rest of your essay.

Make sure to visit our blog on how to write a hook for an essay to create an irresistible opinion essay introduction.

Provided background information will create a total understanding of what the paper is about. The reader will be able to catch the main idea and the content of such a text. The author should be concise and not reveal too many details in the introduction.

The thesis statement most often is a 2-clauses sentence that highlights the main idea of the text. It raises questions and prepares the reader for its development in body paragraphs. The thesis in an observation essay could be a general impression from a subject of observations.

Body Paragraphs

Traditionally, there’s no absolute measurement of how long your text should be. But generally, such a type of paper consists of 3-5 body paragraphs . However, don’t hesitate to specify the amount with your tutor.

Body paragraphs are given to you for disclosing the topic , i.e., developing the thesis statement, providing the reader with arguments and facts on the pros and cons of certain ideas. Writing an observation essay, you can use more figurative language to make your text more immersive.

Also, an observation essay’s purpose requires the writer to use the first person while writing.

The last part of your essay ‒ which usually is 1 paragraph ‒ is the easiest to perform. In conclusion, you need to analyze how you developed the thesis statement, provide the shortest ever overview of your arguments and ideas, and finish the text in a way that makes the reader think of it. Are you looking for an essay conclusion template ? Read our guide.

Observation Paper Writing Tips

Writing an observation essay, you should be more attentive to details: mark how a particular journalist or professional writer plans and structures the recent articles discussing the current events. Daily news events could play a role of an excellent observation essay example to study.

Let’s review some of the tips regarding an observation essay:

• Write an observation essay outline if you are stuck with no idea how to start. Include the details like the number of paragraphs, specify headings, create a thesis statement, highlight main points and issues to cover. It is always a good idea to break down your task into pieces when working on the outline.
• Write down three to five good ideas that you will try to defend in your work on a separate paper sheet. Every page must contain the sound, smell, touch, image, and taste of the chosen subject. Keep in mind that you’re not writing a descriptive essay.
• Present the scene, theme, and mood of the observation essay in your introduction. The scenery will be a good fit as the hook for your reader from the opening lines.
• Fill the body paragraphs with numerous observational details and evidence to support the main argument. Feel free to use figurative language as you need to immerse a reader into your view on the subject. But be attentive while writing, not to fall into descriptive essay examples .
• End your observational writing with a conclusion that leaves a powerful impression on a reader. Reflect on the paper’s thesis statement, list the main arguments and reasons for the further discussion of the subject, and provide some forecasts.
• Use personal experience to meet the paper’s criteria. Working on data & facts shared by other people does not make a legitimate observation essay.
• In case you use quotations, devote the last page to references . List all the cited works with the rights reserved to make your text free of plagiarism and avoid potential problems with intellectual property.

Observation Essay Topics

The list of observation essay topics can be endless – choose the one carefully based on the latest events in the cinematography, literature, music, or entire world. Read through the checklist on how to select a topic for an observation essay:

• Stick to the topic that excites you. Why spend your life on things that make you unhappy when there’s an option to avoid them? Moreover, the final text will be way more attractive for readers if you fill it with your interest in the topic.
• Do a little research. It is crucial to choose the most appropriate angle of your paper. The research will also help you to narrow your topic down and make it more informative.
• Write about familiar things. It is easy to make your paper inappropriate if you try to present a new topic while writing.
• Observe the recent news in different human activity fields to create a list of great topics on a separate page.
• Attend an event to get inspired. Include such details as who attended the event, why people organized that event, the meeting’s goals and place, and how it enriched your personal/professional experience.

If you still encounter difficulties with the choice, take a look at the shortlist of good observation essay topics to pick the best writing idea:

• Why do I find punctuality important?
• The movie I never get tired to re-watch
• Do I value honor more than material goods?
• Three simple ways to get rid of the depression
• Music is the best therapy in many life situations
• What sort of gift I believe is the best for my mom?
• The way we behave is the mirror of our personality
• The role of freedom in the life of the average American citizen

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Congratulations on completing reading an ultimate guide on how to write an observation essay. In case you feel you lack writing experience or have some questions regarding your writing assignment be it an observation essay, a synthesis paper or an exploratory essay , feel free to get help from the professionals without leaving your home! Keep in mind that our writing services are at your disposal round the clock. Contact us, place your order, get a perfect paper, and make the best impression on your teacher and classmates!

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Observation Essay Writing Tips & Topics

Just as the above quote emphasizes, listening and observing are two key factors for gaining new information and add to your personal experience. This can be easily applied to writing observation essays, for example. Observation, inference and fact are the three concepts every student that wants to write a good observation essay has to memorize. The ability to write a good observation essay makes the difference between a writer and a true wizard of words. And in order to achieve such a state you need to make use of all the senses available to you:

If the goal of your essay is to leave an unforgettable mark on the memory of the reader, you can easily achieve that through buying personalized academic papers from a top writing company in the United States.

Outlining Example of an Observation Essay

Continue reading the below guidelines in order to have an example of an outline for any observation essay.

Personal Experience

There’s nothing better to help you describe a situation than going through such an experience yourself. The connection between your personal experience and the subject of your observation essay has to be at a high level in order to be able to share that certain experience with others. That’s why you first need to choose carefully the topic of the essay you’re going to cover.

For Example : when you decide to write an essay on how thrilling downhill biking is, mentioning a handful of statistics and details about how it gets your adrenaline pumping. If you never got on a bike and ride your way down a forest road, you won’t be able to share that experience with others. If you want to support your claim, you must always write from experience. Go to the stadium before writing a piece on a local football team or listen to the entire album before reviewing it.

Taking notes is a vital part of sharing experience, that’s why you will always need to have a good method of writing things down or record them. From the recorded info, you can start writing the first draft of the essay. Make sure to capture the whole process: from going through the security checks, finding your seat, how did the game make you feel, all the way to how it felt being surrounded by all those angry fans that their team just lost. Make sure to also include all your impressions here and also pick some criteria to rate: atmosphere, utilities at the stadium, security lever, etc.

Every time your personal intake of things suffers a modification, make notes about what the change was and when did it happen. Keeping a chronological order of events will help you to reconstruct the journey in the essay. In order to have a complete view on things, take some notes of a friend’s opinion that went with you or ask a supporter sitting next to you about his experience.

Create a Sketch

An outline or sketch is very important to keep your paper logical and structured This is very useful in case you ever get stuck or lost while reconstructing the essay. You may change your final draft, but you must stick to the prepared outline. If your teacher requires, make a separate page with a detailed outline. In case you encounter any kind of issues when writing the outline or any other part of your essay, never hesitate to access professional writing services .

Introduction

Here’s where you should give your audience the opportunity to catch a glimpse of what they’re about to read in the rest of the article. Start with a thesis statement that will serve as the essay’s fundament. Then create a catch sentence to get the attention of your readers. You can also give them some insight into the reason you chose that specific observation topic.

Three-Paragraph Body

The body of the observation essay has the same structure as any other assignment. The most used structure and what experts recommend is having a three-paragraph body with support arguments. The next step is arranging your notes according to the previously-prepared outline on which you will add the details Keep in mind:

“Details create the big picture." Sanford I. Weil

You need to keep this section as simple and straight-forward as possible.Instead, to a summary of your arguments, appeal again to your thesis sentence and then use a call-to-action to finish the paper in such a manner that it will leave a strong impression. A rhetorical action is perfect at the end of your paper. You might think you’re done but you still have one more page to write. This final page of your observation essay must be a complete bibliography where you write down all your sources and references.

Editing and Proofreading

Finishing the actual paper doesn’t mean you’re done with everything. Before submitting your paper, you need to do some proofreading. Naturally, this can’t be done by you as the subjectivism can affect the results. Instead, you should ask someone else to do that for you. Or you can just place an order with an online writing and proofreading service , that assists college students all-round the English-speaking world!

They will be able to assist you with very important aspects regarding your observation essay like:

• Grammar mistakes
• Punctuation and Spelling

15 Examples of Observation Essay Topics

In order to write a high-quality observation essay, students need to possess other two skills. Organization skills and a rich vocabulary are the skills needed. Remember, your goal is not to deliver a message but share your experience with the audience. with your audience. That’s why it is very important to carefully choose your topic. If you need some inspiration, check out some free, useful examples of observation essays.

You can use this list of 16 topics as a starting idea for your essay:

• Important aspects of tattoo and body piercing
• How is important tolerance?
• Can death result from video games?
• The importance of independence and freedom
• The Modern World and the meaning of money
• Leadership developed through sports
• Meeting my favourite Rockstar
• The thrills of downhill biking
• Books appropriate for any age
• New club in the city
• Buying the perfect wedding or birthday gift
• The definition of “loyalty”
• Healing through music, myth or fact?
• Achieving success through writing
• The personality traits of personal idols
• College is too expensive essay

Some Useful Tips for Observation Essay Writing

• Don’t forget the personal touch. Allowing the audience to add your experience to theirs and identifying with it is your main goal.
• Always have something to take notes on. The importance of putting the events on paper as fresh as possible is of extreme importance.
• Avoid using a lot of unnecessary words just to make your essay longer. If you manage to reduce the amount of transitional & introductory words in your essay, you will get a lot more clear topic and thesis statement.
• Always appeal to personal experience by using the situations you faced during your entire life. It helps the readers to identify themselves with you or, at least, to know you better.
• The descriptive narrative and the observation essay have a lot in common so feel free to use the human senses. Try to provoke a reaction that appeals to one of these five during your essay.
• Remain objective at all times.
• Don’t forget about the Bibliography at the end.
• You should know what does proofreading mean .

Keep in mind: you can always emphasize the importance of the selected topic by sharing personal lessons learned. If at any time, you need any help with the essay itself or with proofreading and editing it, you can always order online academic guidance from a trustworthy company.

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Winning Tips and Topics on Writing an Observation Essay

In order for you to come up with an interesting observational essay, you should consider being a good listener and observer of situations. These two factors are essential in acquiring new information that could be a plus to your personal experience . Three concepts that each student should have in their memories to come up with a captivating observation essay are observation, interpretation, and tangible facts. The difference between a word wizard and a good observational essay writer lies on a student’s ability to come up with an excellent observation essay. All our body senses, sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing are crucial towards the crafting of an observational essay. If you intended to impress your readers enough to make them come back for more, then purchasing personalized academic papers from reliable top academy writing websites in the United States might just do the trick.

The outline Template for an Observational Essay

The guidelines below will help you understand the outline of writing an observational essay to enable you to come up with a structure that will give your essay a logical flow of ideas.

Personal Experience

This aspect is the best way to describe the particulars of a situation since you have personally gone through the situation and you understand all angles about it. The connection created by your personal experience and the subject matter under discussion should be on a high level of order, as a way of ensuring you can share the experience with other on a deeper and understanding level. For this reason, you should ensure that you choose the topic of discussion carefully.

For instance: having chosen a topic on how exhilarating biking while hiking is, make sure you describe related factual and statistical data about how it brings out the excitement in you.  However, if you have never experienced hiking while riding a bike, it will be difficult to share such an experience with your audience. Supporting your claim should always be based on personal experience about the subject of discussion. It’s even advisable to try such an experience, before writing the related observational topic. This way, you will gain more tangible information to share with your audience.

It is important to know that note taking is a crucial part of sharing experiences; thus you should come up with reliable ways of writing down your experiences and recording them appropriately. From what has been recorded, you can begin doing a draft of your essay. Capture the whole process of your personal experience. For example, if it’s related to going to a stadium, mention going through security, locating your sitting position, watching the game and what emotions were provoked, and the feeling you felt when you were surrounded by a mob of angry fans whose team took a loss. Don’t forget to note down the impressions and use criteria to rate aspects lie the general atmosphere, utilities at the stadium, the security box among other elements of your story.

If you experience a modification in your personal intake for events that transpired, jot down notes about the change, and the time it happened. All your events should be arranged in chronological order to help you restructure your chain of events as you embark on writing your essay. Ask for a friend’s opinion about their personal experience of going to the stadium and not them down. This will help you have an informed view of events thus come up with a first-class observational topic.

Create an outline

A sketch of your work is important in ensuring that it is well-structured and there is a logical flow of ideas. It is useful to use just in case you face a challenge while restructuring your essay. The final draft can be changed, but bear in mind that you must adhere to the set outline. In case your teacher wants to see an outline, create a separate page that you can outline it for review. After this, if you are challenged with any other aspect, or you do not understand how to formulate an observational essay, do not hesitate to consult the various online professional services for assistance.

Introduction

In this section, you are required to provide a brief, but credible information about what the reader is about to read all through the article. Make sure you begin with a thesis statement which will address the points and arguments that you plan to address. After this, craft a catchy hook sentence that will grab the attention of your readers. It is also advisable to provide them with reasons as to why you chose that specific topic. After addressing the above aspects, your introduction part is now well composed and captivating to keep your readers glued to your observational essay/

The three body paragraphs

At this point, the expressed points of argument in your thesis statement are each handled in its paragraph, with the addition of supporting evidence to give meaning and sense to your argument. Make sure that each paragraph or idea is presented as per the outline you created to give your observation essay more logic and concrete structure.

This section requires simplicity and a summative narrative about the topic of discussion. I stead of just doing a summary of your arguments, restate your thesis statement and appeal to it, as you use a call to action element to give the final input to finish up your paper with a strong impression to the reader. This will allow the reader to reason about your points of view and make a choice if they support still stand by their perspective. Through this, you have engaged your writers effectively and created a strong impression. The use of a rhetorical question will sum up the essay in exclusive style and ensure the audience is fully engaged.

The final page should include a complete bibliography that included all the sources and references used.

Editing and Proofreading

After concluding the writing part of your essay, you should consider going through your work to remove any punctuation or grammatical that might appear. It will be more effective if someone else did it for you or submit it to a professional proofreading service that man college students use to ensure their work is ready for submission.

The three aspects to consider in this section are:

• Grammatical errors
• Punctuation and spelling errors
• The distinctiveness of your observational essay

Examples of Observational Essay Topics

Organization and rich vocabulary skills are the two most important skills that you need to have in order to write a first-class observational essay. Bear in mind that your ultimate goal is to share your personal experience with your target audience. The following are useful examples of observational essay you can use:

• The dynamics of tattoo and body piercing
• Is tolerance an important trait to possess?
• Are video games capable of causing death?
• How important independence and freedom are
• Gaining knowledge and its impact on our lives
• Money and its meaning to an evolved world
• Sports and its contribution to developing leadership
• A chat with your favorite celebrity
• The thrills of biking while hiking
• Age-appropriate movies
• The most epic club in the city
• The flawless gift for a wedding or birthday
• How to define loyalty
• Can music provide a soothing healing effect?
• Success and achievement through professional writing
• Endurance and its effect on our daily lives
• Describing character traits of my favorite idol

Winning Tips to Use in Writing an Observation Essay

• Laying down your work with a personal touch is important. Remember that your main goal is to share your personal experience and let the readers add it to theirs.
• Have a notebook and pen around you! This will ensure that you can jot down events as they happen to have a full view outlook of the experience.
• Don’t use an unnecessary word to make your essay longer. Be brief, precise and straight to the point while addressing the outline content of your work. By reducing the use of introductory and transitional words, you gain to display a clear topic and thesis statement.
• While writing your observation essay, utilize your personal experience by using instances you personally went through in your life. This helps the readers identify themselves with your experiences and understand you better.
• There exist an association between a descriptive narrative and an observation essay, thus use human senses freely when need be. Provoke a reaction from the reader of one, if not several of their five senses.
• Always stick to being objective.
• Remember to include a bibliography page at the end.

A point to remember: an emphasis on the importance of your topic is crucial and should utilize your personal experience. If you face by any challenge, or need proofreading and editing for your work, choose our academic writing help .

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How to write an observation essay answer’s here.

February 20, 2020

Struggling to write your first ever observation essay? If this is the case, you definitely need our help! In this blog post, we will explain what this academic paper is, how to get a good example, and how to write the essay quickly using an easy-to-understand structure. It doesn’t matter if you are tasked by your professor with writing a courtroom observation essay or a child development observation essay.

Just follow our advice and you’ll do a wonderful job. Of course, it goes without saying that you need to do the research yourself, even if it’s just a classroom observation essay you have to write.

What Is an Observation Essay?

Let’s start with the beginning. What is an observation essay? The simple answer is that it is just a piece of direct investigation. You need to observe something (an event, a person, a situation, a concept, or even an area) and then describe it as meticulously as possible. However, things tend to get a bit complicated when it comes to actually writing the paper. Why?

Because even when writing a seemingly simple child observation essay, you need to describe everything as vividly as possible. You need to provide a sensory experience to the reader, which is by no means an easy thing to do. Your observational skills and attention will be put to the test, and so will your observation essay writing skills.

Need an Observation Essay Example?

You probably don’t know much about observational writing. And this is precisely why you need the best observation essay example you can find. Don’t be afraid to contact an academic writing company for one. Even if you’ll have to pay a couple of dollars for a top quality example, this is money well spent. Here is why observation essay examples really matter:

• You will see exactly how a professional writer describes every small detail. Providing a detailed sensory experience to your readers can be difficult without a good example.
• You get to see how such an academic paper is structured. Yes, you can use the same structure for anything, including a preschool observation essay.
• You can quickly understand what you need to pay attention to. You will also probably learn that using first-person singular pronouns is frowned upon in academic writing.
• You will learn how to paint a picture with your words. You’ll learn how to engage all of your audience’s senses by describing smells, colors, sounds, shapes, and even images.

Examples of Nice Observation Essay Topics

Reading even one excellently written children observation essay can greatly improve your odds of getting an A+ or at least an A. However, keep in mind that the observation essay topics you choose also have a great impact. The topic and the thesis statement are usually the first thing your professor sees. Capture his or her attention from the first second and you’ll most definitely get some bonus points. To help you out as much as possible, here are some topics that we consider excellent for 2020:

• Here is why I admire my math teacher the most. (this is a great observation essay on a person)
• Why do children hate school so much?
• What does money mean to us?
• I just found a new restaurant in the city.
• Treating arthritis with geriatric physical therapy. (a fine choice for a physical therapy observation essay)
• Do video games really change our behavior?
• Let’s talk about the recent baseball game.
• How does bullying affect its victims?
• Are animals at the Zoo sad? (excellent choice for a naturalistic observation essay)

How to Write an Observation Essay in 5 Paragraphs?

Of course, you can write about anything you like – if your professor has not assigned you a specific topic. But how do you write an early childhood observation essay the right way? Learning how to start an observation essay can make the difference between working on the paper for 4 days and finishing it in just 2. Here is how you write an observation essay in just 5 paragraphs:

• The introduction. You need to introduce the topic and provide a bit of background information about it. Also, don’t forget to include the thesis statement in the first or second phrase. Alternatively, open your intro with a peculiar fact or an anecdote and include the thesis statement afterwards.
• Three body paragraphs. Remember, all your observations should be vividly described in just 3 paragraphs. Yes, even if you’re writing a preschool child observation essay. Each paragraph should cover one main supporting argument. Focus the entire paragraph on just one important observation and describe it to your readers as best as possible.
• The conclusion. You don’t need a lengthy final paragraph. The body paragraphs already described the subject in great detail. The background information has been included in the introduction. The conclusion should restate your thesis statement, followed by a summary of the three important points you’ve discussed in the body of the paper. Wrap everything up with a call to action and the essay is done!

Well, not exactly done; you still need to edit your work and proofread it thoroughly. Why risk getting a lower grade just because of a couple of typos? Make sure your infant toddler observation essay is written perfectly and you will get a very good grade for your hard work.

Pro Tip: Use an Observation Essay Outline

Now you know why an example is good for you and you also know how to write an observation essay quickly. To wrap everything up, we want to tell you about the one thing that will help you immensely. When it comes to writing an observation essay, there is nothing better than a good essay outline. Really, an outline will prove invaluable regardless of the topic you are writing about (including a daycare observation essay).

But how do you create an exceptional observation essay outline? To write the essay, you will need to carefully observe the subject. You will, of course, take extensive notes during the observation period. To create the observation essay outline, you just need to organize your notes and find the most important aspects you wish to talk about. Keep in mind that an outline is quite similar to a table of contents. It’s the skeleton upon which you build your observation essay. It goes without saying that writing such a complex paper without a good outline won’t end well for the student who attempts it.

Read a good example, find an intriguing topic, start your writing with an outline, and make effective us of the five paragraph essay. That’s all you need to write an observation essay worthy of an A+.

Take a break from writing.

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15 Observation Essay Topics & Tips Used to Write More Brilliant Papers

Table of contents

Let professional writers deal with your paper, quickly and efficiently.

“Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and all that comes under thy observation in life.” Marcus Aurelius

Every person faces various life situations when it is important to acquire information from a primary source to answer specific questions. Grab an observation essay example to see how experts arrange such information. Fact, observation, and inference are three words students should memorize. Writing a good observation essay makes a movie director out of the writer: he/she is focused on describing a particular experience using five senses:

Do you want your essay to make an imprint in the reader’s memory/leave an unforgettable impression? Buy an essay paper online from one of the best writing companies in the US!

What Is an Observation Essay and Its Purpose

Observation essay example of outline.

Read our unique guideline to have an observation essay example of outline!

You should face the problem discussed in your paper at least once in your life. To create a powerful observation essay, the author has to be a topic guru: describe what you survived or what inspires you.

Example: you decide to cover the topic of how safe it is to fly on a plane. It is not enough to take statistics and say it is the safest type of transport in the world without being the passenger. A good writer must share personal experience in order to support this claim. Attend a new restaurant before writing a review. Watch the latest movie before criticizing it in your work.

The planned experience involves taking notes, so carry a blank sheet of paper or mobile phone everywhere to write a part of what you wish to share. Leave the details for your first observation essay draft. Describe the entire process: from entering the restaurant and making an order to accepting the bill from the waiter. Conclude your impressions in the paper’s draft. Select several criteria to put a specific grade: quality of service, a variety of food, the location of the table, etc.

Each time your personal opinion changes (e.g., you order a different dish), write down these modifications. Put the events in a chronological order not to get confused. Ask your friends about the same restaurant to have a fuller picture before concluding.

Do not forget to obtain rights reserved once you’re done so that no one steals your words.

Write an Outline

To have a proper, logical paper structure, it is important to come up with an outline. Every time you get stuck, have a look at your observation essay plan to arrange the thoughts. You may change your final draft, but you must stick to the prepared outline. If your teacher requires, make a separate page with a detailed outline.

Do not hesitate to contact professional writing services in case you have problems with writing an outline or any other page.

1. Introduction

Try to provide the reading audience with the unique opportunity to familiarize them with the described event/experience. Start with creating a sound hook sentence to catch your reader’s eyes. Share some background information to let the readers know why you have chosen the specific observation essay topics. Example: you discuss the political elections campaign; tell several words about the candidates and the general mood of the event. Write your thesis statement at the end of the paragraph. It will be the essay’s fundament.

How to start an observation essay

• shocking statistics
• interesting or unknown fact
• provocative question
• an anecdote
• a relevant quote. Avoid using trivial quotes. If you choose this option, use up-to-date ones, said by successful people of at least 20-21 century
• real- life example. This option usually works well. We recommend to use it to quotes..

2. Three-Paragraph Body

An observational essay has a body like any other type of academic assignment: research paper, article review, book report , etc. Teachers recommend developing a three-paragraph body with three powerful, supporting arguments. Arrange the notes according to your paper’s outline; add more details. Remember:

“Often it is tiny fragments which either make a picture convincing or incidental." Simone Bingemer

3. Concluding

It is crucial to prevent your last paragraph from being wordy. Write a summary of the main points (arguments), restate your thesis sentence, and finish your paper with a call-to-action or another technique applied to leave powerful impressions. You may end with a rhetorical action, for example. Do not forget about the paper’s last page! The last page of an observation essay must contain a full bibliography list (list of references) to stress the author respects works with all rights reserved.

Proofread & Edit!

Want someone to check your final essay page by page? Place an order with the experienced online writing service, which serves college students around the English-speaking world!

Once you are done with your observation essay, do not hurry to submit your paper - there are several factors to check on every page:

• Spelling & Punctuation

Check whether the paper’s formatting corresponds to the instructor’s requirements; scan the final draft to see if it is 100% unique.

15 Most Effective Observation Essay Topics

Impressive vocabulary & organization skills are two other features a student needs to write a good observation essay. The main goal is not to deliver a certain message, but share valuable experience with your audience. It is important to choose the topic carefully. Discover free, useful observation essay examples to grab several great ideas for your personal paper.

Here is the list of observation essay topics to choose from:

• Thoughts on body piercing and tattoo
• Is tolerance important?
• Which video game may result in death?
• Significance of freedom and independence (Look at American Dream essay .)
• Meaning of money in modern world
• Sports develop leadership
• How I met my favorite movie star
• Is it dangerous to fly on the planes?
• Which book is worth reading at any age?
• New restaurant next-door
• The perfect birthday/wedding gift
• How must the word “honesty” be defined in dictionaries?
• Music as a great healing therapy
• How I personally became successful after writing the first page of my short story
• The qualities of true leaders based on people I met in my life

Type the title you like in Google search field to find a good observation essay example to use in your work.

Get Several Good Observation Essay Writing Tips

• Stay concise on the personal impression . Remember: the main goal of your personal paper is to ensure the reader’s experience will be enriched with your impressions.
• Get a notebook or mobile phone writing app to jot down every detail regarding your personal experience. A written word is more powerful than the one said before.
• Do not overload your observation essay with too many words ; try to avoid wordiness by ignoring transitional & introductory words (try to limit their usage). Structure your thesis statement clearly by selecting only the most important words on the chosen topic.
• Apply several examples related to your topic by describing several situations you faced during the entire life in details. It helps the readers to get a wider picture as well as share your personal experience.
• An observation essay has a lot of common features with the descriptive narrative. Play with five human senses. Make sure every page of your paper makes the reader taste, hear, smell, see, and even touch your topic.
• No matter what place or subject you describe, try to remain objective in order to make the readers trust you .
• Do not forget to insert quotes from the reliable primary sources . Mention all works with rights reserved on the last page called Bibliography.

Remember: it is necessary to share lessons learned in order to highlight the importance of your selected topic. You can find excellent observation essay examples online. If you feel your observation essay lacks something, or you want a professional writer to proofread & edit your paper, feel free to order online academic assistance from one of the most credible companies.

Enrich your outlook by getting involved in something completely new. Share your personal experience in your own words!

From Observations to Analysis: Crafting a Meaningful Essay

Updated: July 15, 2024

12 mins read

Table of Contents

1. understand what an observation essay is, 2. know how to format an observation essay, 3. select an observation essay topic, 4. observe and jog down key features of the topic, 5. create an outline, 6. write the observation essay, essential tips for writing an observation essay, observation essay example, in a nutshell.

• Understand what an observation essay is
• Know how to format an observation essay
• Select an observation essay topic
• Observe and jog down key features of the topic
• Create an outline
• Write a draft
• Proofread and edit the draft
• Attentive to detail.
• Patient enough to observe the important aspects.
• Good at taking notes.
• High-level logical reasoning to provide an excellent flow of the topic.
• An extensive vocabulary of mainly adjectives and figures of speech, which you’ll use to describe the topic.
• Background information
• Thesis statement

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See how quick and easy it is to get an exceptional essay with minimal effort on our platform.

• The benefits of communication
• What drives people to get more money
• Reasons why students miss class
• Effects of excessive use of social media
• Differences between millennials and generation Z
• Children’s behavior under several parenting styles
• Climate change causes and impacts
• Novel reading experience
• Describe a wild animal
• Courtroom reflection
• Fitness center observation

● Choose an Object or Event That Interests You

● declare your role, ● use all senses, ● you can use a first-person narrative, ● use present tense, ● take advantage of literary devices, ● contextualize.

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Observation Essay Examples

Traveling is one of the most interesting and exciting experiences a person could obtain throughout life. My last travel destination took a turn to New Orleans that is located in the state of Louisiana in the United States. This trip was different from the others, as for the first time I decided to enjoy my own experience, rather than plan everything in advance. New Orleans is one of those cities that I have heard about, yet never wanted to visit for a specific purpose. In contrast to such popular tourist destinations as New York or Washington, New Orleans holds an incredible non-touristic atmosphere. The majority of the streets are not filled with tourists and people are generally very kind towards visitors. As I stepped off the airplane, I understood that the trip will be one of the most unusual experiences I have ever had. I traveled in April when the sun was already too hot, yet the chill was provided by the windy weather. There are few hotels in the entire city and they are located beside right across the street. It could seem unusual at a first glance. Yet, it is vital to acknowledge that they are located in the developed area of the city. Few years ago New Orleans witnessed one of the most tragic events in the United States environmental hazards. The hurricane immensely harmed the citizens at the same time physically and psychologically. Even though many years had passed, the city recovers slowly.

I booked a room in the Roosevelt hotel that belongs to my favorite Waldorf Astoria network. The most exciting part of the stay was a pool at the roof of the hotel that revealed an incredible view on the city. The most stunning feature of the sight was a once gorgeous skyscraper that was torn in pieces by the hurricane and reminds people of the tragedy.

However, the city should be judged by its people rather than architecture. The most unique experience was that New Orleans has its sound and it is a sound of jazz music that is literally streaming from each corner of the city. People feel comfortable taking a saxophone and playing for their own enjoyment on the main square of the city. The food in the city is too good to be even worded. For me, the taste of New Orleans can be described through macaroons offered in one of the small stores within the French Quarter. As the city lays on the river, its smell is a mixture of freshness and sultriness of the heated pavement. There are plentiful interesting sites in the city, but for me the most pleasant and delightful remembrance remain hand-made scarfs from a store located next to the main square of the city. There is hardly a city that would leave such personal connections as New Orleans.

• Charters, S. (2006). New Orleans: Playing a jazz chorus. New York: Marion Boyars.
• Gotham, K. F. (2007). Authentic New Orleans: Tourism, culture, and race in the Big Easy. New York: New York University Press.
• Karlin, A., & Dunford, L. (2009). New Orleans city guide. Footscray, Vic.: Lonely Planet.
• Levitt, J. I., & Whitaker, M. C. (2009). Hurricane Katrina: America’s unnatural disaster. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
• Tucker, S. (2009). New Orleans cuisine: Fourteen signature dishes and their histories. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.

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Methodology

• What Is an Observational Study? | Guide & Examples

What Is an Observational Study? | Guide & Examples

Published on March 31, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on June 22, 2023.

An observational study is used to answer a research question based purely on what the researcher observes. There is no interference or manipulation of the research subjects, and no control and treatment groups .

These studies are often qualitative in nature and can be used for both exploratory and explanatory research purposes. While quantitative observational studies exist, they are less common.

Observational studies are generally used in hard science, medical, and social science fields. This is often due to ethical or practical concerns that prevent the researcher from conducting a traditional experiment . However, the lack of control and treatment groups means that forming inferences is difficult, and there is a risk of confounding variables and observer bias impacting your analysis.

Table of contents

Types of observation, types of observational studies, observational study example, advantages and disadvantages of observational studies, observational study vs. experiment, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions.

There are many types of observation, and it can be challenging to tell the difference between them. Here are some of the most common types to help you choose the best one for your observational study.

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There are three main types of observational studies: cohort studies, case–control studies, and cross-sectional studies .

Cohort studies

Cohort studies are more longitudinal in nature, as they follow a group of participants over a period of time. Members of the cohort are selected because of a shared characteristic, such as smoking, and they are often observed over a period of years.

Case–control studies

Case–control studies bring together two groups, a case study group and a control group . The case study group has a particular attribute while the control group does not. The two groups are then compared, to see if the case group exhibits a particular characteristic more than the control group.

For example, if you compared smokers (the case study group) with non-smokers (the control group), you could observe whether the smokers had more instances of lung disease than the non-smokers.

Cross-sectional studies

Cross-sectional studies analyze a population of study at a specific point in time.

This often involves narrowing previously collected data to one point in time to test the prevalence of a theory—for example, analyzing how many people were diagnosed with lung disease in March of a given year. It can also be a one-time observation, such as spending one day in the lung disease wing of a hospital.

Observational studies are usually quite straightforward to design and conduct. Sometimes all you need is a notebook and pen! As you design your study, you can follow these steps.

Step 1: Identify your research topic and objectives

The first step is to determine what you’re interested in observing and why. Observational studies are a great fit if you are unable to do an experiment for practical or ethical reasons , or if your research topic hinges on natural behaviors.

Step 2: Choose your observation type and technique

In terms of technique, there are a few things to consider:

• Are you determining what you want to observe beforehand, or going in open-minded?
• Is there another research method that would make sense in tandem with an observational study?
• If yes, make sure you conduct a covert observation.
• If not, think about whether observing from afar or actively participating in your observation is a better fit.
• How can you preempt confounding variables that could impact your analysis?
• You could observe the children playing at the playground in a naturalistic observation.
• You could spend a month at a day care in your town conducting participant observation, immersing yourself in the day-to-day life of the children.
• You could conduct covert observation behind a wall or glass, where the children can’t see you.

Overall, it is crucial to stay organized. Devise a shorthand for your notes, or perhaps design templates that you can fill in. Since these observations occur in real time, you won’t get a second chance with the same data.

Step 3: Set up your observational study

Before conducting your observations, there are a few things to attend to:

• Plan ahead: If you’re interested in day cares, you’ll need to call a few in your area to plan a visit. They may not all allow observation, or consent from parents may be needed, so give yourself enough time to set everything up.
• Determine your note-taking method: Observational studies often rely on note-taking because other methods, like video or audio recording, run the risk of changing participant behavior.
• Get informed consent from your participants (or their parents) if you want to record:  Ultimately, even though it may make your analysis easier, the challenges posed by recording participants often make pen-and-paper a better choice.

Step 4: Conduct your observation

After you’ve chosen a type of observation, decided on your technique, and chosen a time and place, it’s time to conduct your observation.

Here, you can split them into case and control groups. The children with siblings have a characteristic you are interested in (siblings), while the children in the control group do not.

When conducting observational studies, be very careful of confounding or “lurking” variables. In the example above, you observed children as they were dropped off, gauging whether or not they were upset. However, there are a variety of other factors that could be at play here (e.g., illness).

Step 5: Analyze your data

After you finish your observation, immediately record your initial thoughts and impressions, as well as follow-up questions or any issues you perceived during the observation. If you audio- or video-recorded your observations, you can transcribe them.

Your analysis can take an inductive  or deductive approach :

• If you conducted your observations in a more open-ended way, an inductive approach allows your data to determine your themes.
• If you had specific hypotheses prior to conducting your observations, a deductive approach analyzes whether your data confirm those themes or ideas you had previously.

Next, you can conduct your thematic or content analysis . Due to the open-ended nature of observational studies, the best fit is likely thematic analysis .

Step 6: Discuss avenues for future research

Observational studies are generally exploratory in nature, and they often aren’t strong enough to yield standalone conclusions due to their very high susceptibility to observer bias and confounding variables. For this reason, observational studies can only show association, not causation .

If you are excited about the preliminary conclusions you’ve drawn and wish to proceed with your topic, you may need to change to a different research method , such as an experiment.

• Observational studies can provide information about difficult-to-analyze topics in a low-cost, efficient manner.
• They allow you to study subjects that cannot be randomized safely, efficiently, or ethically .
• They are often quite straightforward to conduct, since you just observe participant behavior as it happens or utilize preexisting data.
• They’re often invaluable in informing later, larger-scale clinical trials or experimental designs.

Disadvantages

• Observational studies struggle to stand on their own as a reliable research method. There is a high risk of observer bias and undetected confounding variables or omitted variables .
• They lack conclusive results, typically are not externally valid or generalizable, and can usually only form a basis for further research.
• They cannot make statements about the safety or efficacy of the intervention or treatment they study, only observe reactions to it. Therefore, they offer less satisfying results than other methods.

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The key difference between observational studies and experiments is that a properly conducted observational study will never attempt to influence responses, while experimental designs by definition have some sort of treatment condition applied to a portion of participants.

However, there may be times when it’s impossible, dangerous, or impractical to influence the behavior of your participants. This can be the case in medical studies, where it is unethical or cruel to withhold potentially life-saving intervention, or in longitudinal analyses where you don’t have the ability to follow your group over the course of their lifetime.

An observational study may be the right fit for your research if random assignment of participants to control and treatment groups is impossible or highly difficult. However, the issues observational studies raise in terms of validity , confounding variables, and conclusiveness can mean that an experiment is more reliable.

If you’re able to randomize your participants safely and your research question is definitely causal in nature, consider using an experiment.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Student’s  t -distribution
• Normal distribution
• Null and Alternative Hypotheses
• Chi square tests
• Confidence interval
• Quartiles & Quantiles
• Cluster sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Data cleansing
• Reproducibility vs Replicability
• Peer review
• Prospective cohort study

Research bias

• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Placebo effect
• Hawthorne effect
• Hindsight bias
• Affect heuristic
• Social desirability bias

An observational study is a great choice for you if your research question is based purely on observations. If there are ethical, logistical, or practical concerns that prevent you from conducting a traditional experiment , an observational study may be a good choice. In an observational study, there is no interference or manipulation of the research subjects, as well as no control or treatment groups .

The key difference between observational studies and experimental designs is that a well-done observational study does not influence the responses of participants, while experiments do have some sort of treatment condition applied to at least some participants by random assignment .

A quasi-experiment is a type of research design that attempts to establish a cause-and-effect relationship. The main difference with a true experiment is that the groups are not randomly assigned.

Exploratory research aims to explore the main aspects of an under-researched problem, while explanatory research aims to explain the causes and consequences of a well-defined problem.

Experimental design means planning a set of procedures to investigate a relationship between variables . To design a controlled experiment, you need:

• A testable hypothesis
• At least one independent variable that can be precisely manipulated
• At least one dependent variable that can be precisely measured

When designing the experiment, you decide:

• How you will manipulate the variable(s)
• How you will control for any potential confounding variables
• How many subjects or samples will be included in the study
• How subjects will be assigned to treatment levels

Experimental design is essential to the internal and external validity of your experiment.

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Observation - Essay Samples And Topic Ideas For Free

Observation refers to the active acquisition of information from a primary source. In science, it is the primary mode of acquiring knowledge about the world. Essays on observation could explore various methods of observation in scientific inquiry, the role of observation in different fields, or the philosophical implications of observational knowledge. They might also delve into the challenges and limitations associated with observational methods, or the impact of technology on enhancing or altering our observational capacities. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about Observation you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

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Understanding Slope Equations in Mathematical Analysis

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How To Write An Essay On Observation

Understanding the essence of an observation essay.

Writing an essay on observation involves more than just detailing what you see. It's about conveying your perception of a particular subject, event, or experience through careful and detailed observation. In the introduction of your essay, clarify the focus of your observation. It could be an observation of a place, an event, a person, or an activity. The key is to provide context to the reader about what you are observing and the purpose or perspective of your essay. Explain the importance of observation as a tool for deeper understanding and reflection, setting the tone for a descriptive and insightful narrative.

Engaging in Detailed Description

The body of your observation essay should immerse the reader in the experience through vivid and detailed descriptions. Use your senses to describe what you see, hear, smell, touch, and possibly taste. For instance, if you're observing a park, describe the sights of the children playing, the sounds of laughter and birds, the smell of grass and flowers, and the feel of the breeze. Be as specific as possible to create a vivid picture for your reader. This part of the essay is where you bring your observation to life, making the reader feel as if they are experiencing it alongside you.

Analyzing and Interpreting Your Observations

While detailed descriptions are crucial, a good observation essay also involves analyzing and interpreting what you observe. Reflect on the significance of your observations and what they reveal about the subject. For example, in observing a public space, you might analyze social interactions, behaviors, or the environment's impact on people. This analytical approach adds depth to your essay, moving beyond mere description to a more profound understanding of the subject of your observation. It's where your personal insights, reflections, and interpretations come into play, providing a unique perspective to the reader.

Concluding with Reflection and Insights

Conclude your observation essay by summarizing your main observations and reflections. Restate the significance of what you observed and what insights or understandings you gained from it. This is an opportunity to reflect on the broader implications of your observations, how they might apply to other contexts, or what they suggest about a particular aspect of life or society. A strong conclusion will leave the reader with a lasting impression of your observational skills and your ability to derive meaningful insights from everyday experiences. It should encapsulate the essence of your observations and underscore the value of paying close attention to the world around us.

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How to Write the Oregon State University Essays 2024-2025

Applicants to the Honors College at Oregon State University will need to respond to one essay prompt, as well as four short-response questions with a limit of 100 words each. Any time you’re applying to a more selective program within the university as a whole, you want to make sure your strengths come across fully, and the essays are a fantastic opportunity to contextualize your more objective achievements like grades, awards, and so on.

Want to know how your profile stacks up at Oregon State? Calculate your chances of acceptance for free right now!

Oregon State University Supplemental Essay Prompts

Honors college applicants.

Prompt 1: Choose a specific connection that you consider interesting or unique; describe and explain the connection and its parts and why that connection is meaningful or significant. You can choose from activities, academic subjects, concepts, natural or human phenomena, etc. Write an original essay that clearly and completely addresses the prompt above in 450-500 words in order for your Honors College application to be considered. Making connections and drawing insights from those connections is a central part of the Honors College experience. (450-500 words) ‌ 

Short Answer Prompts: Please address your experience in each category below, keeping in mind how you could contribute to the future community of excellence at OSU. Respond to all four questions and limit answers to 100 words per question.

Describe any special interests and how you have developed knowledge in these areas. Give examples of your creativity- the ability to see alternatives; take diverse perspectives; come up with many, varied, or original ideas; or willingness to try new things. (100 words)

Describe a significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to address this challenge. include whether you turned to anyone in facing the challenge, the role the person played, and what you learned about yourself. (100 words), osu remains committed to creating an inclusive environment and dismantling systems that perpetuate discrimination at various levels. how, specifically, will you contribute to furthering this commitment (100 words), articulate the goals you have established for yourself and your efforts to accomplish these. give at least one specific example that demonstrates your work ethic/diligence. (100 words), honors college applicants, prompt 1, choose a specific connection that you consider interesting or unique; describe and explain the connection and its parts and why that connection is meaningful or significant. you can choose from activities, academic subjects, concepts, natural or human phenomena, etc., write an original essay that clearly and completely addresses the prompt above in 450-500 words in order for your honors college application to be considered. making connections and drawing insights from those connections is a central part of the honors college experience. (450-500 words).

This prompt invites you to explore a specific connection between two or more things that you find interesting or meaningful. Your goal should be to demonstrate your ability to think creatively and across disciplines, and draw insights from seemingly disparate ideas. 

This is also a great opportunity to show off your unique way of looking at the world. The key to a strong response is to not only describe the connection, but also delve into why it’s significant to you.

The broadness of this prompt may seem overwhelming, but take a breath! Here are some questions to help get you thinking about what you might write about. 

• Have you noticed two areas of your life that are unexpectedly related? Maybe you or someone else was surprised by how similar they are, how one influenced the other, or how lessons learned in one context could be applied to another. 
• Have you ever connected two concepts that you had previously seen as unrelated? What led you to make this connection? Why does it stand out in your memory as significant?
• Are there any connections that you have discovered or learned about that shape your understanding of a topic, your community, or even the world? 
• Is there a connection that is particularly significant to you, your worldview, your values, or goals? 

You can use these questions to generate a list of possible topics. We recommend shooting for 5-10–especially for this kind of nuanced prompt, giving yourself more options means you can compare and contrast them, to determine which is truly the strongest. When you’re ready to narrow down your initial list, think about the following considerations. 

First, your topic should be specific and unique. Talking about how art and science connect is not a strong choice, because art and science are each huge fields, and lots of students see some overlap between them. 

A much stronger choice would be writing about how looking at cells under a microscope gave you a much deeper appreciation for the forms and colors of abstract art. Take advantage of the space given to you – with up to 500 words, you have the room to lay out complex connections. In fact, Oregon State tells you directly that’s exactly what they want you to do!

You’ll also want to pick a connection that you have a personal link to. The point of any college essay is to show the admissions committee more about who you are, not just tell them about something you care about. For the above example, the intersection between microbiology and abstract art could be used to show the author’s attention to detail, love of research, and/or open-mindedness about different art forms.

Finally, you want to hint at how this connection you see will allow you to make positive contributions to the Honors College. Oregon State isn’t expecting you to have the next four years fully planned out, but showing that you’ve already thought about how this aspect of your identity would be an asset to the Honors College community is often the thing that takes an essay from good to great.

This may sound like a lot to keep track of, but if you take your brainstorming seriously, incorporating all of these elements can happen quite naturally. Let’s look at some hypothetical student topics that would make strong responses for this prompt. 

• A student passionate about both music and math could explore the connection between musical rhythms and mathematical patterns. They might describe how learning about sequences and series helped them conquer a difficult piece, and why they find beauty in the intersection of rhythm and structure. They might talk about how they look forward to using these insights to help make math less intimidating to artistically minded students. 
• A student interested in environmental science and neuroscience could discuss the relationship between green spaces in cities and mental health. They could explain how their experience volunteering in a community garden taught them to see parks as a key element of public well-being, and how this insight drives their future goals of participating in community gardening at and around Oregon State.
• A student who loves literature and psychology might write about how reading classic novels helped them understand human behavior. They could describe how analyzing characters’ motivations in books like Crime and Punishment deepened their understanding of moral dilemmas and decision-making processes in real life. Perhaps they plan to start a book club on their floor, so that they can get to know others through their connections to fictional characters. 

As you refine your choice of topic, remember that you’ll need to provide specific examples of your points, so make sure you’ll be able to do so. Note that all of the above examples reference particular moments in the student’s life that illustrate how they first made this connection, and why it became so meaningful to them. 

Describing what learning the piano was like for you is far more effective than just stating “I had always seen math and music as separate fields, but when I learned the piano, that changed.” Instead, you could say something like:

“My fingers flew across the black and white keys, trying desperately to keep up with Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. For weeks now, every time I started getting close to the third movement, I would make a mistake I couldn’t recover from. As my left hand slipped, that familiar frustration started crackling in my chest. 

But then, in a fraction of a second, my math lesson from the previous day popped into my head: sometimes, a sequence of numbers doesn’t follow the pattern you expect. This time, rather than giving up, I added a quick series of notes which aren’t in the sheet music, but would connect my mistake to the next measure.”

By immersing us fully in this moment alongside them, the student allows us to see exactly how they think, and ensures that they will stand out even from other students who might be exploring a related topic.

Honors College Applicants, Short Response 1

With just 100 words, you’ll need to choose your topics for these next four prompts carefully, to ensure you’re able to clearly communicate what you want to say even in such a short space. To start, this one focuses on your unique interests and creativity, so you’ll want to select a topic that demonstrates your out-of-the-box thinking. 

Your brainstorming for the prompt above could actually come in handy here. Although you don’t want to write about the same thing, as repeating yourself wastes your precious space, you could potentially write about one of the other options you were considering.

Alternatively, you could ask yourself the following questions, to kick off your brainstorming:

• Examples: Rock climbing, crocheting, Scottish folklore
• Tracking the popularity of various bird seeds at your birdfeeder, doing a painting on your ceiling that incorporates the stain caused by water damage
• Training your pet ferret to roll over, analyzing Shakespeare through the lens of immigration

Regardless of which topic you choose, you’ll want to explain what it is quickly, in around twenty words, so that you can spend the bulk of the response explaining what this particular interest says about who you are more broadly. You’ll also want to use specific, anchoring details to make your essay come alive for your readers–describing your creativity in a creative way can take the essay to the next level.

Let’s look at an example of what a strong response might look like. 

“Last summer, fascinated by sustainable architecture, I built a small model home using recycled materials. I researched eco-friendly construction techniques, such as repurposing materials, and implemented those ideas in my model by using worn out dishrags as insulation and plastic bottle caps as roof shingles. I tested my model by leaving it outside in a rainstorm, and was thrilled when not a single drop got through! This project not only deepened my understanding of sustainable practices, but also pushed me to be attentive to detail and see function rather than solely form.”

‌This example is specific in showing the student’s creativity–it doesn’t just mention the recycled model home project, but also gives details about particular materials they repurposed. We can see that they have a deep knowledge of architectural practices and sustainable design, and an appreciation for both the beauty and necessity of building. 

Hopefully, this essay demonstrates that even in just 100 words, you can seamlessly incorporate many elements, to craft a response that makes a genuine impact on your reader.

Honors College Applicants, Short Response 2

To respond to this prompt, you may want to check out our Overcoming Challenges essay breakdown, as this is an example of that archetype. This supplement, however, is only 100 words, so the response will have to be much shorter than your typical Overcoming Challenges essay. As a result, you’ll want to focus on just the most important aspects of this kind of prompt. 

Helpfully, the basic structure your response should take is laid out in the prompt itself: you should describe an important challenge you’ve faced, the way that you handled this problem, and who or what might have helped you through it. Then, you should reflect on how you might have grown or learned about the world and yourself through this process. 

Given the abbreviated length, you should spend around twenty words describing the problem, forty to fifty describing your response and the resources you used, and the last twenty to thirty words reflecting on the broader impact this challenge and resolution had on you. Note that these are just approximations–every response will be different, but if you’re struggling to stay within the count, this is a good blueprint.

Before you start worrying too much about length, though, here are some guiding questions to help you come up with an appropriate problem to write about.

• Have you faced a challenge where you had to rely on external support or resources to work through it?
• Have you dealt with a challenge that changed your perspective or worldview?
• Are there any obstacles you’re particularly proud of having gotten past? 
• What adverse circumstances have taught you the most about yourself?

Make sure to pick something that you can effectively unpack in 100 words. This is a very short response, so you probably won’t be able to do justice to a long and involved story, even if it was deeply meaningful to you. You still want to pick something significant to you, of course–if you don’t really care about this problem, the admissions committee won’t either–but the problem should be relatively straightforward.

That said, you want to avoid cliché topics like moving to a new place, suffering a sports injury, or working through a difficult class. While you don’t need to find something that admissions officers have absolutely never seen before, as that’s practically impossible, there are some topics that are just too overused.

Here are some examples of experiences that could work well:

• Doing a major group project where the members all had different ideas about what your final presentation should look like, so you organized a meeting with your teacher so she could help you find a middle ground
• Spilling water on your final painting for an art class, and brainstorming ideas with your classmates about how to incorporate the huge blotch into the piece
• Tutoring at an elementary school where many students don’t speak English, and reaching out to language instructors at your local university to learn how to use image-based instructional methods

If your story is not as unique as you might like, that’s okay. Try to find an angle that’s particular to you, or reflect on the experience in a way that demonstrates your unique worldview, values, and personality. There’s no one way to stand out from the crowd, but you want to make sure you incorporate something that shows admissions officers what you have to offer that nobody else does.

After selecting your story, try to pick a few key details to make your account compelling and anchored in something real. You don’t have a ton of room, but even saying something like “The hallway rang with a mix of languages, from Spanish to Korean to Arabic,” rather than “When I arrived at the school, I heard a lot of different languages,” goes a long way.

Honors College Applicants, Short Response 3

‌This prompt asks you to reflect on your personal experiences, beliefs, and values, and explain how you will actively contribute to making OSU more inclusive. To get started, you’ll want to identify a moment or experience where you actively worked towards inclusivity, to demonstrate your personal investment in diversity.

To brainstorm, consider when diverse experiences, identities, or perspectives have made a difference in your own life, or in the lives of those close to you. You don’t have to have created the environment that made this mingling possible yourself, so long as you still learned what a positive diverse environment looks like, and took away lessons that you could bring to Oregon State with you.

While describing past experiences is important, you want to do that relatively quickly, as the real key to this essay is explaining how you will work to embrace diversity on Oregon State’s campus. You’ll want to reflect on what your past experiences taught you about how to make a community more inclusive, and how you plan to put those lessons into action. As always, specificity is crucial, to show that diversity is a genuine value of yours.

Let’s look at some hypothetical examples of what a strong response might include. 

• A student with a foster sibling might write about their efforts to change the language teachers and administrators at their school used around families and parents, and how they hope to start a club or movement on campus around awareness and celebration of nontraditional families. 
• A computer science student passionate about the outdoors might talk about how through coding classes at OSU, they hope to create an app to upload accessibility descriptions to trail maps, to make hiking more accessible to those with disabilities. 
• A student interested in neuroscience might write about how they can’t wait to join clubs and initiatives focused on mental health and lead outreach efforts to struggling students, because in high school they volunteered for a crisis hotline, which taught them that people with mental illnesses must be involved in designing the support systems that are supposed to help them. 
• A student from a rural area might talk about how being from a small town allowed them to get involved in local government even while still in high school, and how they hope to join OSU’s student government and host informal activities like barbeques to encourage all students to have a voice in what happens at the school.

Each of these students has a specific vision for how they will show up for underrepresented students at Oregon State. Even if you haven’t had a chance to do activism work in high school, or don’t have a super specific plan for what you hope to do in college yet, that’s okay–just write about a past experience that taught you about diversity, and how those lessons will guide your future on Oregon State’s campus.

Honors College Applicants, Short Response 4

Here, the qualities you want to demonstrate are your capacity for hard work, dedication, and attention to detail. You’ll also want to showcase a goal you’ve set yourself, to show how those qualities are going to help you grow and develop in college.

First, you’ll want to pick a clear, focused goal. Something like “become a better writer” is a worthy goal, but it’s also one where measuring progress is hard, and one without a clear point at which you could say you’ve “accomplished” it.

Reading the classics for a better understanding of technique, writing 500 words every day for a month, or submitting a piece of work for publication are more specific ways of articulating the same idea as this vague goal.

Your goal should also be relatively ambitious. Choosing something like getting better at chores, or achieving a high score in a video game, may not be taken seriously by an admissions committee. On the other hand, choosing something drastic, like becoming the president of the United States or winning a Nobel Peace Prize, will also come across as disingenuous, so make sure you aim for the middle ground.

The best essay will focus on a goal that is achievable, but also demonstrates that you have confidence and self-motivation, and are eager to employ those traits in service of what matters most to you. You should also be able to cite concrete steps you’ve already taken that prove you’re currently working towards your goal. Your essay might even show grit and perseverance if you’ve overcome setbacks or worked through hardship in pursuit of your goal.

Covering all these bases might sound overwhelming, so let’s look at an example of an essay that puts all these things together. 

“Growing up without much money didn’t just mean going without the 64 pack of crayons. It meant that when I came home after school, my parents were too busy to help me with homework. As a high schooler, I wanted to give others the support I hadn’t had, so I co-founded a free tutoring program at the library for low-income students. Managing volunteers and developing lesson plans while doing my own work has required strong organization skills and the sacrifice of free time, but my efforts have helped over 30 students improve their grades, which is more than worth it.”

This student clearly tells us about how their background shapes their goals: feeling lost academically inspired them to help prevent others from feeling that way. They then explain a step they’ve already taken–starting a tutoring program–that shows they’re willing to put their money where their mouth is, so to speak. They come across as empathetic, altruistic, and genuinely appreciative of education and the opportunities it provides, and they also clearly place a high value on equity.

Whatever story you tell, choose something that showcases your best qualities, your capacity for growth and reflection, and, of course, your readiness to work hard to achieve your dreams. 

Where to Get Your Oregon State Essay Edited For Free

Do you want feedback on your Oregon State University essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

Need feedback faster? Get a free, nearly-instantaneous essay review from Sage, our AI tutor and advisor. Sage will rate your essay, give you suggestions for improvement, and summarize what admissions officers would take away from your writing. Use these tools to improve your chances of acceptance to your dream school!

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