The goal of the essay must be a theoretically informed discussion, in which you show your knowledge of different theories and arguments, present empirical findings in support of different approaches and compare their strengths and weaknesses. In doing so you try to show your own twist: to build your own interpretation/ argument.
This paper needs to examine a specific policy issue/ policy field of your own choice. (The assignment topic)
Structure of the essay
The writing of a scientific text normally involves saying something about:
-Identification of the research problem/ topic,
-Theoretical framework,
-Methods used and sampling of the data,
-Findings (classification of the data),
-Interpretation of the findings and conclusion,
-List of references used.
As long as these elements are dealt with in a systematic way, it is up to the author to decide in which sections/ order to structure the paper.
The most important thing here is that you build up your argument in a systematic way. The setting up of the problem, theory and data analysis must connect with each other in a logical and clear way. Your paper must offer a clear line of argumentation, with explicit thinking steps, and clear transitions between chapters/ sections/ paragraphs. Your conclusions must follow logically from your arguments.