1. choose a strong essay topic 
	- theoretical depth and conflicting viewpoints 
	- formulate a clear question

2. develop a clear thesis
	- a thesis should take a clear stance on the issue 
	- why does the topic matter in cog sci 	
	- mentions differing viewpoints 
	- map thesis to arguments 
	- eg :While GPT - 4 generates human like responses, it does not truly understand language because it lacks semantic grounding
		- section 1 : how it gives human like responses - evidence 
		- section 2 : what is true understanding and why cant gpt 4 do that
		- section 3 : go deep in semantic grounding etc. 

	- nuanced, sophisticated arguments
	- use professional language 

3. structuring an argument
	- assume a naive reader
	- introduction 
		- present the issue and its relevance 
		- clearly state the thesis
		- outline the structure of your paper
	- bg and theoretical context
		- define key terms and concepts
		- provide a brief history of the debate / exegesis
	- main argument - supporting evidence 
		- each section shud develop a logical step in the argument
		- use empirical evidence and logical reasoning
		- keep engaging with counterarguments 

4. counterarguments and rebuttals 
	- addressing opposing views with charitable interpretation 
		- charitable interpretation - be professional about others' counterarguments 
		- measured opinion 
	- show why your position may be stronger

5. conclusion 
	- summarize key points
	- suggest implications
	- pose future research qns
	- show what might need to be proven to falsify your hypothesis
		- show that we've not found that yet or that it's a rare / outlier case




eg : viewing empathy from the view of embodied cognition 

1. history of disembodied cognitive science of empathy
2. intro to embodied cognitive science 
3. neuro bg of emotion and cognition loop
4. give a little counterargument as a segue into the next section (potentially) - like at the psych level, emotion and cognition are separate
5. defend against the counterargument, show why your argument is strong
6. conclude - streamline