Examples logo

Exploratory Essay

Exploratory Essay

Writing an essay could be very tiring yet a fascinating thing to do. Each of the documents and paper we write has their own unique purpose and distinguishing features. Try to observe essays such as a descriptive essay , narrative essay , informative essay , etc. They all serve a purpose intended for a specific audience. Today, we will be talking about exploratory essay. Structuring an exploratory essay may sometimes be tricky. It is not an easy task to do, but the process of writing it may be able to increase our interest. The question is “how to write an exploratory essay?”

10+ Exploratory Essay Examples

1. drafting an exploratory essay.

drafting an exploratory essay

Size: 79 KB

2. Annotated Exploratory Essay

annotated exploratory essay

Size: 189 KB

3. College Exploratory Essay

college exploratory essay

Size: 654 KB

4. Fiscal Sociology Exploratory Essay

fiscal sociology exploratory essay

Size: 23 KB

5. Exploratory Essay on Human Resource

exploratory essay on human resources

Size: 421 KB

6. Democracy Exploratory Essay

democracy exploratory essay

Size: 191 KB

7. Exploratory Essay of Humans

exploratory essay of humans

Size: 369 KB

8. Exploratory Essay in Documentation

exploratory essay in documentation

Size: 83 KB

9. Water Exploratory Essay

water exploratory essay

Size: 750 KB

10. Financial Services Exploratory Essay

financial services exploratory essay

Size: 266 KB

11. Exploratory Essay Sheet

exploratory essay sheet

What is an Exploratory Essay?

An exploratory essay is a work of nonfiction where the writer deals with a problem or an idea without providing any evidence or thesis statement. A title of an exploratory essay explains the main idea. While writing this type of essay, we are not going to persuade readers. We aim to examine an idea to explore problems and arrive at a certain solution. It is also imperative to cite your sources properly.

Structure of an Exploratory Essay

Exploratory essays are said to be different from any other essays. Other essays would require to make a persuasion to convince your audience of your thesis statement . In this essay, you are to write for the purpose of finding out a problem to form initial conclusion and to look for its possible solution. It may also describe how and why you are able to complete a particular research. You introspect in order to have a well-written exploratory essay.

Below are the structures of your exploratory essay:

Introduction

Your introduction should highlight the importance of your problem and what is it all about. You should be able to discuss the causes of the problem, people involved in the problem, and the possible solutions to the problem.

These part should discuss about the process on how you researched about the problem. It should contain the title, name of the author, publisher, publication date, etc. and the reason why you chose it in your exploration. You should also put the important information you have found during your research and the explanation on why you think that the information is considered necessary. Is the information useful in finding ways to solve the problem? Lastly, you may also consider writing some personal insight about how your research helped you and allowed you think more about the problem.

The conclusion is responsible of  summary writing  about the whole idea of the essay. It should restate the problem, show an outline of the causes, give information about the people involved and highlight the solutions.

Examples of Exploratory Essays

Check out the following examples of exploratory essay written by famous authors:

“The Battle of the Ants”, by Henry David Thoreau

“How It Feels To Be Colored Me”, by Zora Neale Hurston

“Naturalization”, by Charles Dudley Warner

“New Year’s Eve”, by Charles Lamb

“Street Haunting: A London Adventure”, by Virginia Woolf

www.thoughtco.com

How to start an exploratory essay.

You may start an exploratory essay by mentioning all the issues you want to write about and outlining the purpose of your essay.

How to end an exploratory essay?

Always make sure that you end it by mentioning the main problem and writing about the main points. You should also summarize what you have researched.

What could be some of the interesting topics to use in writing an exploratory essay?

You may have topics about technology, family, culture, arts, health, business, etc.

Exploratory essays are not for persuading or for giving an advise. It is made for the purpose of providing information to find a solution for a problem. Choose a great topic for your exploratory essay. In that manner, you will be able to produce an output that will surely interests your readers.

exploratory essay sample pdf

Exploratory Essay Generator

Text prompt

  • Instructive
  • Professional

Write an Exploratory Essay on the ethical implications of cloning

Discuss possible solutions to climate change in an Exploratory Essay

BibGuru Blog

Be more productive in school

  • Citation Styles

How to write an exploratory essay [Updated 2023]

How to write an exploratory essay

Unlike other types of essays, the exploratory essay does not present a specific argument or support a claim with evidence. Instead, an exploratory essay allows a writer to "explore" a topic and consider tentative conclusions about it. This article covers what you need to know to write a successful exploratory essay.

What is an exploratory essay?

An exploratory essay considers a topic or problem and explores possible solutions. This type of paper also sometimes includes background about how you have approached the topic, as well as information about your research process.

Whereas other types of essays take a concrete stance on an issue and offer extensive support for that stance, the exploratory essay covers how you arrived at an idea and what research materials and methods you used to explore it.

For example, an argumentative essay on expanding public transportation might argue that increasing public transit options improves citizens' quality of life. However, an exploratory essay would provide context for the issue and discuss what data and research you gathered to consider the problem.

What to include in an exploratory essay

Importantly, an exploratory essay does not reach a specific conclusion about a topic. Rather, it explores multiple conclusions and possibilities. So, for the above example, your exploratory essay might include several viewpoints about public transit, including research from urban planners, transportation advocates, and other experts.

Finally, an exploratory essay will include some reflection on your own research and writing process. You might be asked to draw some conclusions about how you could tackle your topic in an argumentative essay or you might reflect on what sources or pieces of evidence were most helpful as you were exploring the topic.

Ultimately, the primary goal of an exploratory essay is to make an inquiry about a topic or problem, investigate the context, and address possible solutions.

What to expect in an exploratory essay assignment

This section discusses what you can expect in an exploratory essay assignment, in terms of length, style, and sources. Instructors may also provide you with an exploratory essay example or an assignment rubric to help you determine if your essay meets the appropriate guidelines .

The expected length of an exploratory essay varies depending on the topic, course subject, and course level. For instance, an exploratory essay assigned in an upper-level sociology course will likely be longer than a similar assignment in an introductory course.

Like other essay types, exploratory essays typically include at least five paragraphs, but most range from a few pages to the length of a full research paper .

While exploratory essays will generally follow academic style guidelines, they differ from other essays because they tend to utilize a more reflective, personal tone. This doesn't mean that you can cast off academic style rules, however.

Rather, think of an exploratory essay as a venue for presenting your topic and methods to a sympathetic and intelligent audience of fellow researchers. Most importantly, make sure that your writing is clear, correct, and concise.

As an exploration of your approach to a topic, an exploratory essay will necessarily incorporate research material. As a result, you should expect to include a bibliography or references page with your essay. This page will list both the sources that you cite in your essay, as well as any sources that you may have consulted during your research process.

The citation style of your essay's bibliography will vary based on the subject of the course. For example, an exploratory essay for a sociology class will probably adhere to APA style , while an essay in a history class might use Chicago style .

Exploratory essay outline and format

An exploratory essay utilizes the same basic structure that you'll find in other essays. It includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction sets up the context for your topic, addresses why that topic is worthy of study, and states your primary research question(s).

The body paragraphs cover the research that you've conducted and often include overviews of the sources that you've consulted. The conclusion returns to your research question and considers possible solutions.

  • Introduction

The introduction of an exploratory essay functions as an overview. In this section, you should provide context for your topic, explain why the topic is important, and state your research question:

  • Context includes general information about the topic. This part of the introduction may also outline, or signpost, what the rest of the paper will cover.
  • Topic importance helps readers "buy in" to your research. A few sentences that address the question, "so what?" will enable you to situate your research within an ongoing debate.
  • The last part of of your introduction should clearly state your research question. It's okay to have more than one, depending on the assignment.

If you were writing an exploratory essay on public transportation, you might start by briefly introducing the recent history of public transit debates. Next, you could explain that public transportation research is important because it has a concrete impact on our daily lives. Finally, you might end your introduction by articulating your primary research questions.

While some individuals may choose not to utilize public transportation, decisions to expand or alter public transit systems affect the lives of all. As a result of my preliminary research, I became interested in exploring whether public transportation systems improve citizens' quality of life. In particular, does public transit only improve conditions for those who regularly use these systems? Or, do improvements in public transportation positively impact the quality of life for all individuals within a given city or region? The remainder of this essay explores the research around these questions and considers some possible conclusions.

Body paragraphs

The body paragraphs of an exploratory essay discuss the research process that you used to explore your topic. This section highlights the sources that you found most useful and explains why they are important to the debate.

You might also use the body paragraphs to address how individual resources changed your thinking about your topic. Most exploratory essays will have several body paragraphs.

One source that was especially useful to my research was a 2016 study by Richard J. Lee and Ipek N. Sener that considers the intersections between transportation planning and quality of life . They argue that, while planners have consistently addressed physical health and well-being in transportation plans, they have not necessarily factored in how mental and social health contributes to quality of life. Put differently, transportation planning has traditionally utilized a limited definition of quality of life and this has necessarily impacted data on the relationship between public transit and quality of life. This resource helped me to broaden my conception of quality of life to include all aspects of human health. It also enabled me to better understand the stakeholders involved in transportation decisions.

Your conclusion should return to the research question stated in your introduction. What are some possible solutions to your questions, based on the sources that you highlighted in your essay? While you shouldn't include new information in your conclusion, you can discuss additional questions that arose as you were conducting your research.

In my introduction, I asked whether public transit improves quality of life for all, not simply for users of public transportation. My research demonstrates that there are strong connections between public transportation and quality of life, but that researchers differ as to how quality of life is defined. Many conclude that public transit improves citizens' lives, but it is still not clear how public transit decisions affect non-users, since few studies have focused on this distinct group. As a result, I believe that more research is needed to answer the research questions that I posed above.

Frequently Asked Questions about exploratory essays

You should begin an exploratory essay by introducing the context for your topic, explaining the topic's importance, and outlining your original research question.

Like other types of essays, the exploratory essay has three primary parts:

Although an exploratory essay does not make a specific argument, your research question technically serves as your thesis.

Yes, you can use "I" throughout your paper. An exploratory essay is meant to explore your own research process, so a first-person perspective is appropriate.

You should end your exploratory essay with a succinct conclusion that returns to your research question and considers possible answers. You can also end by highlighting further questions you may have about your research.

How to write an argumentative essay

Make your life easier with our productivity and writing resources.

For students and teachers.

Illustration

  • Essay Guides
  • Main Academic Essays
  • Exploratory Essay: Definition, Outline & Examples
  • Speech Topics
  • Basics of Essay Writing
  • Essay Topics
  • Other Essays
  • Research Paper Topics
  • Basics of Research Paper Writing
  • Miscellaneous
  • Chicago/ Turabian
  • Data & Statistics
  • Methodology
  • Admission Writing Tips
  • Admission Advice
  • Other Guides
  • Student Life
  • Studying Tips
  • Understanding Plagiarism
  • Academic Writing Tips
  • Basics of Dissertation & Thesis Writing

Illustration

  • Research Paper Guides
  • Formatting Guides
  • Basics of Research Process
  • Admission Guides
  • Dissertation & Thesis Guides

Exploratory Essay: Definition, Outline & Examples

Exploratory Essay

Table of contents

Illustration

Use our free Readability checker

You may probably ask yourself a question like, “What is exploratory writing?” An exploratory essay displays people's shared understanding of a subject while laying forth their points of view on it. You must reflect deeply to write a fantastic essay. Although proof of answers is not required for an exploratory essay, various rules must be followed. Also, a plethora of topics can be investigated for exploratory essays, including business, education, psychology, etc. They can be anything from a lengthy research report to a brief paper. In this article, we will discuss exploratory essay samples, outline, format, and tips on how to write this paper. 

What Is an Exploratory Essay: Definition

An exploratory essay is defined as a writing type where the author examines potential solutions to an issue. Simply put, it provides an overview of issues and draws some early judgments about the proposed solution. Exploratory essays allow you to fully comprehend a subject without worrying about being right or wrong. Your principal objective when preparing this essay is to undertake a thorough investigation first, then think about and assess a few distinct viewpoints on a specific topic. These papers are used in commercial settings and colleges. Studying a minimum of three points helps you grasp the problem correctly in finding the best answer. Exploration essays aim to investigate the subject critically and then offer your readers the research results. Based on its objective, it can take many forms. For instance, a sociology review of literature is an illustration of an exploratory essay.

Peculiarities of Exploratory Writing

Exploratory essay writing is distinct from other types of essays. You will be writing to learn about an issue and find a solution to the matter presented. An exploratory paper is a type of writing that discusses how you arrive at an idea. It also sheds some light on approaches used to examine it, for instance, convincing readers of your standpoint. Conversely, an exploratory paper begins without a firm perspective. While you might support one idea above others, you will not conclude the paper with a clear solution. Instead, it considers a range of findings and alternatives you must know.

Exploratory Essay Outline

We will discuss how crucial it is to generate an outline for exploratory essay. Many overlook this stage because they want to finish writing quickly. Avoid making this error since it causes huge problems. You are ready to start as soon as you design an exploratory essay outline example. The entire writing procedure can be streamlined simply because you already understand the objectives and where to place your quotations.  In this context, outlines also give you a perspective on the next steps to take and divide your work into manageable parts. These are helpful for those who detest spending a significant amount of time thinking and writing as they can get more detail on key areas and then pause. Lastly, creating an outline will spare you time since your essay will be straightforward, accurate, and uncomplicated. Your lecturer may value the care placed into your work arrangement. The exploratory essay outline format is as follows:

The opening section (introduction and thesis statement)

  • Present your subject and its significance.
  • Provide background information.
  • State a thesis statement.

Body paragraph 1

  • Explain your source, including the author and publication date.

Body paragraph 2

  • Discuss crucial information about your issue from the source.
  • Explain why the information is valuable.

Body paragraph 3

  • Write a reflection on how the material benefited you, changed the way you thought about the issue, or even did not meet your goals.

Last section (conclusion)

  • Reintroduce your topic.
  • Outline some potential solutions.

How to Write an Exploratory Essay

Preparing an exploratory essay assignment is simple and perceived differently from other essays. Here are five steps on how to write exploratory essay.

Step 1: Select a topic

Give prefenrence to contentious exploratory essay topics with various opposing viewpoints that can be investigated. Picking a subject with insufficient evidence or one that merely offers a "for" or "against" argument is not recommended. Begin with a more general topic. An example of a good topic would be "Impact of digital platforms on family and group values."

Step 2: Select three points

Choose a minimum of three viewpoints in the body paragraphs to examine in your essay after researching the subject. When undertaking research, consider several ideas related to the topic and pinpoint arguments for or against it. Note that an exploration essay is different from a persuasive essay. An exploration essay seeks to find and analyze numerous points of view on a particular topic. This contrasts with outlining the different sides of a topic and supporting one aspect over another.

Step 3: Decide on the readers

Decide on your target audience and the restrictions you might encounter during this process. These may encompass anything that reveals why specific attributes, ideas, and situations lead people to uphold their views.

Step 4: Answer questions

Respond to the inquiries raised by the research body. Determine how to address any concerns the work may raise.

Step 5: Commence writing

Finally, begin writing and use a sample exploratory essay for reference. In addition, make sure that you adhere to the steps discussed above to make your exploratory essay epic.

Exploratory Essay Introduction

Understanding how to start off an explanatory essay is vital before writing. The exploratory essay introduction paragraph lays background information on your issue and its significance. It also outlines the study questions. This section could summarize aspects covered in the remaining part of your essay and the importance of the topic, which inspires readers to trust your study. Do this by including a few phrases that answer the "so what?" query. To increase your readers' interest and engross them, begin your introduction with an attention grabber. This may be a claim predicated on your assessments of a situation or anything that would make clear why the issue is important to you. Expand on the hook by addressing some underlying causal factors of the issue if your theme permits it. Your main claim should be explicitly stated in the final section of your introduction.

Exploratory Essay Thesis Statement

The essay's central idea needs to be briefly summarized in the exploratory essay thesis statement. Use it in explaining its significance among viewers. Mapping out your facts is crucial when creating an effective thesis. In an exploration essay, you may only raise and explore questions about a subject. Choose the principal subject for your paper, which should be related to the thesis. There are numerous exploratory essay thesis examples. Assuming your topic is "How Can Technology be Improved in Schools?" The exploratory thesis statement would be:

Technology advancements significantly impact how individuals are educated and their quality of life. From calculators, which made math simple, to text editors, which revolutionized how research papers are produced and delivered. Yet, more advanced technology should be adopted to increase interactivity and improve overall school appointment.

Exploratory Essay Body

Exploratory essay structure also encompasses the body. An overriding aim of exploratory essay body paragraph is to offer facts and arguments in favor of your thesis. Begin by first explaining why you opted to pursue the initial idea that came to your mind. Next, discuss the form of materials you used and data you gleaned from them. Explore the value of researched data depending on the subject matter and present your exposition. Describe how the answer and resources you used changed your perspective on the issue. If possible, explain how it pointed you in a different path. After that, use a transition to help readers move from one section to the next. For all the following points and references, maintain this fundamental format. The second section of the body complements the initial section by providing space for expressing other points of view. It seeks to justify why people see things from their own perspective.

Exploratory Essay Conclusion

Conclude an exploratory essay by condensing the research questions, suggested solutions, and views you picked up along the way. First, reaffirm your thesis statement. This strengthens your argument and draws the reader's focus directly to the central idea. Further, summarize three supporting arguments you discussed in the body and briefly recap their relevance. This will demonstrate that you have convincingly supported your exploratory thesis, strengthening your work. Your ending must not contain brand-new information, but you can discuss new issues as you study. You may also share your thoughts and why more research should be conducted. It is a great idea to conclude by urging your viewers to take action.

Exploratory Essay Format

There are global formatting guidelines that are involved in producing high-quality papers. These standards have varied characteristics and adhere to guidelines by major corporations. To format an exploratory essay, you should utilize APA, Chicago, or MLA styles. The primary goal of these formatting styles is to disseminate knowledge to the public in the most effective manner possible. For APA, maintain uniform margins on the page's right, left, bottom, and top. Utilize it for Education, Psychology, and Sciences. Including an abstract in an example of an exploratory essay is one component of APA. MLA format requires you to leave one-inch margins across the paper. It is used for disciplines like Humanities . Each paragraph's initial word should be indented. Chicago style is widely utilized in the disciplines of History and Art. The texts should be double-spaced, and paragraphs indented by 0.5 inches.

Exploratory Essay Examples

To make you comprehend the topic better, we have prepared one of the great exploratory essay examples that will give you an overall idea of what we have discussed in this article. Feel free to download the available materials or use a short exploratory essay sample attached below as a source for inspiration. We hope this reference will help you organize your thoughts, give direction for research, and create an outstanding essay.

Illustration

Liked examples? Did you know that you can place an essay order at StudyCrumb and get a custom paper written according to your instructions? All you need is to provide us with your requirements.

Exploratory Writing Proofreading Checklist

A checklist helps learners comprehend the abilities required for preparing essays. It demonstrates an easy method for a hesitant writer to incorporate the essential components. Below is a simple checklist used in preparing an exploratory draft.

  • checkbox Is the opening sentence intriguing? Does it encourage you to read more?
  • checkbox Does the transition between the body paragraphs make sense?
  • checkbox Does language used, paper length, and sentence arrangement require any changes?
  • checkbox Is the title of the essay fascinating and relevant?
  • checkbox Have you used enough sources to underpin your arguments?
  • checkbox Do you follow the design suggestions given by your professor (such as MLA, Chicago, and APA paper format )?

Extra Tips on Writing an Exploratory Paper

Writing an exploratory paper is not a walk in the park. You may require specific valuable tips to get started. For instance, consider the paper's length, style, and source to use. Here are a few extra tips to get started.

  • Conduct detailed research on the topic Whatever your intentions for writing an exploratory paper are, research is crucial. Online resources have a ton of written information. Check out a variety of sources and choose those that are most pertinent to your work.
  • Begin early Stop delaying your task. You have a limited amount of time to complete all the appropriate steps. So, get a head start to have enough time to produce a good paper.
  • Design an outline Creating an outline is crucial since it ensures you cover all information that needs to be included in your exploratory writing.
  • Take notes At the conclusion of your research, you will need to review your notes. Reorganize points logically and keep in mind that all claims must have insightful transitions. This will guarantee easy material flow and ensure your work is more understandable.
  • Proofread your work It is okay to make errors in your work, hence, give yourself enough time to edit your paper. Check that you have done it correctly and it is coherent. Furthermore, believe in your abilities to make it work.

Final Thoughts on Exploration Essay

Exploratory essays provide a deeper understanding of an issue. They explain its causative factors, effects on readers, and potential solutions. To put it differently, an exploratory essay sheds some light on the subject and examines initial findings. Notably, learners ought to comprehend how to write an exploratory paper. Do not hesitate to read through exploratory writing examples. You must delve as deeply as you can into the issue. Nevertheless, it would help if you did not try to influence the audience to engage with your viewpoint. The key is to impartially convey a fact and response so that readers can understand what the paper entails.

Illustration

Delegate this tedious task to professionals. Our college essay writers have extensive experience in preparing high-quality papers on a range of topics. Leave your instructions and have an essay done by one of our experts.

FAQ About Exploratory Essays

1. what is the purpose of an exploratory essay.

An exploratory essay asks you to consider and respond to various ideas instead of a single opinion. It is more concerned with a subject matter instead of a thesis, implying that the paper keeps track of your research activities and subsequent thoughts. The essay answers questions on specific content and rhetorical queries about potential solutions to the situation.

2. What is the difference between an exploratory essay and argumentative essay?

Argument papers look into a particular perspective, while exploratory essays clarify several points. Some self-reflection on your writing process may be included in the exploratory essay. In an argumentative essay, you may be requested to formulate findings on how to approach your subject. You may also consider proofs and links that were useful during the research investigation.

4. Can I use the first person in an exploratory essay?

A first-person viewpoint is acceptable because an exploratory essay should discuss your research procedure. As a basic rule, utilizing first-person pronouns is critical. When writing an exploratory essay, it makes the article less professional than a third-person pronoun. This makes the work more neutral in style. Exploratory writing demands subjective judgments; thus, a first-person tone is ideal.

3. How to start an exploratory essay?

To begin an exploratory essay, you need to introduce the background of your issue. Additionally, discuss its significance, and lay out your primary research query. This academic work is largely based on reliable information. Be careful to take down all the pertinent specifics from your sources and incorporate them as supporting materials in your work.

Daniel_Howard_1_1_2da08f03b5.jpg

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

You may also like

thumbnail@2x.png

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Introductions, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions for Exploratory Papers

OWL logo

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

This resource will help you with exploratory/inquiry essay assignments.

Many paper assignments call for you to establish a position and defend that position with an effective argument. However, some assignments are not argumentative, but rather, they are exploratory. Exploratory essays ask questions and gather information that may answer these questions. However, the main point of the exploratory or inquiry essay is not to find definite answers. The main point is to conduct inquiry into a topic, gather information, and share that information with readers.

Introductions for Exploratory Essays

The introduction is the broad beginning of the paper that answers three important questions:

  • What is this?
  • Why am I reading it?
  • What do you want me to do?

You should answer these questions in an exploratory essay by doing the following:

  • Set the context – provide general information about the main idea, explaining the situation so the reader can make sense of the topic and the questions you will ask
  • State why the main idea is important – tell the reader why they should care and keep reading. Your goal is to create a compelling, clear, and educational essay people will want to read and act upon
  • State your research question – compose a question or two that clearly communicate what you want to discover and why you are interested in the topic. An overview of the types of sources you explored might follow your research question.

If your inquiry paper is long, you may want to forecast how you explored your topic by outlining the structure of your paper, the sources you considered, and the information you found in these sources. Your forecast could read something like this:

In order to explore my topic and try to answer my research question, I began with news sources. I then conducted research in scholarly sources, such as peer-reviewed journals. Lastly, I conducted an interview with a primary source. All these sources gave me a better understanding of my topic, and even though I was not able to fully answer my research questions, I learned a lot and narrowed my subject for the next paper assignment, the problem-solution report.

For this OWL resource, the example exploratory process investigates a local problem to gather more information so that eventually a solution may be suggested.

Identify a problem facing your University (institution, students, faculty, staff) or the local area and conduct exploratory research to find out as much as you can on the following:

  • Causes of the problem and other contributing factors
  • People/institutions involved in the situation: decision makers and stakeholders
  • Possible solutions to the problem.

You do not have to argue for a solution to the problem at this point. The point of the exploratory essay is to ask an inquiry question and find out as much as you can to try to answer your question. Then write about your inquiry and findings.

Exploratory Essay Examples

An exploratory essay is different from any other academic text. There’s no need to convince the audience. Instead, you should “explore” a problem in all its complexity and generate preliminary conclusions. You can use this text as a research proposal later.

A distinctive feature of the essay is that you track your thinking process. When, how, and why did you carry out such or another research? It is a powerful self-discipline practice for a future scientist.

You’ll need an exploratory essay sample if you don’t know how to write in the genre. You can access these exploratory essay examples for free. We hope you will find them helpful in your creative process.

289 Best Exploratory Essay Examples

Reflective thinking – globalization.

  • Subjects: Economics Globalization

Globalization and Gay Tourism: Learning to Be Tolerant

  • Subjects: Sociological Issues Sociology

The Camper Showroom in Shanghai

  • Subjects: Design Urban Planning in Architecture

Chinese Path of Socialism

  • Subjects: Political Culture Politics & Government
  • Words: 2227

Purchase and Product Involvement when Buying

  • Subjects: Consumer Science Economics
  • Words: 2539

Love in Different Cultures of the World

  • Subjects: Cultural Issues Culture

Globalization and Its Effects on Businesses

  • Words: 1145

Napoleon Bonaparte: His Successes and Failures

  • Subjects: Historical Figures History

Securing Wireless Networks

  • Subjects: Other Technology Tech & Engineering

The Dangers and Risks of Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Gases

  • Subjects: Environment Environmental Studies
  • Words: 1524

The Italian Town Siena: Continued Inspiration for Urban Designers

  • Words: 2245

Innovation in Brazil: Organizations and Institutions

  • Subjects: Government Politics & Government

Theory Integration in Intelligence

  • Subjects: Military Politics & Government

Critical Thinking and Development of the Writer’s Reflection Techniques

  • Subjects: Education Writing & Assignments

The Connection Between Totemism and Structuralism

  • Subjects: Anthropology Sciences
  • Words: 2215

The Rwandan Genocide: Hutus and Tutsi Ethnic Hatred

  • Subjects: Contemporary History History

Gender Politics in Early Modern Russia

  • Subjects: History Women Studies
  • Words: 1929

Human Rights Violations in Chile

  • Subjects: Judicial Process on Criminals Law

Developing and learning new information

  • Subjects: Curriculum Development Education
  • Words: 1128

Marx, Wallerstein and Baudrillard

  • Subjects: Political Ideologies Politics & Government
  • Words: 1982

The Effect of Science on Climate Change

  • Subjects: Ecology Environment

Social Media Marketing and Consumer Transactions

  • Subjects: Business Marketing
  • Words: 1454

Water Purification Process

Water quality & drinking water treatment, modern architecture in china.

  • Subjects: Design Worldwide Architecture

The Family of Woody Guthrie: A Long Way to Oklahoma

Anatomy of the human chest.

  • Subjects: Health & Medicine Other Medical Specialties

Destination Attributes and Motivations Between First-Time and Repeat Travellers in the International and Interstate Tourism: Melbourne

  • Subjects: Tourism Tourism Destinations
  • Words: 1398

Religious and Cultural Conflicts in Syria

  • Words: 1673

Electricity Production and Consumption in the US

  • Words: 1225

Skype: All you Need to Know

  • Subjects: Phones Tech & Engineering
  • Words: 1390

The Features of African-American Christianity

  • Subjects: Religion Religion History
  • Words: 1388

Importance of Marketing Functions in Organizational Success

Measurement and early geometry.

  • Subjects: Education Education System

Tunnel Design and Cunstruction

  • Subjects: Construction Engineering Design
  • Words: 1349

Identifying Potential Malicious Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities

  • Words: 1119

Emerging IT-Related Technology’s Ethical Issues

  • Subjects: Internet Tech & Engineering

Teachings of Jesus and Kant

  • Subjects: Philosophy Philosophy of Religion

Autism: Pathogenesis and Intervention

  • Subjects: Health & Medicine Psychiatry
  • Words: 1653

How historical time has been theorised by three different historians

  • Words: 3040

Significance of Chinese Revolution Led by Mao Zedong in Term of the Search for Modern China

  • Subjects: Asia History
  • Words: 2224

Natural Capitalism in Economic

  • Subjects: Business Management Theories

Big Data: Statistics as an Evidence

  • Subjects: Math Sciences

Topics in Ethical Dilemma: When the Choice Becomes too Complicated

  • Subjects: Business Business Ethics
  • Words: 1231

Ronald Reagan Revolution Through Obama

  • Subjects: Politicians Politics & Government
  • Words: 1210

Computer Security – Information Assurance

  • Subjects: Computer Science Tech & Engineering
  • Words: 1159

Growth Strategy and Its Key Fundamentals

  • Subjects: Business Strategy

Explaining Survey Research from a Personal Perspective

  • Subjects: Sciences Scientific Method
  • Words: 1121

Research of China’s economy

  • Subjects: Economics Political Economy Processes

Photography and Beauty Perception

  • Subjects: Art Photography

Business Growth Beyond the First Year of Operation

  • Subjects: Business Management

Liberty! The American Revolution

  • Subjects: History United States

Entrepreneurs and Opportunity Recognition

  • Subjects: Business Entrepreneurship
  • Words: 2804

Asian-Americans Workplace Discrimination

  • Words: 2014

Negotiations in International Trade and Politics

  • Subjects: International Trade Politics & Government

Student Debt Crisis in America

Ethical practices of technology usage, management practices in the navy.

  • Words: 1409

The Danger of Intelligence Politicization

  • Words: 2521

A Dream Job: Human Resource Management

  • Words: 1694

Obesity and Fast Food

  • Subjects: Diet & Nutrition Nutrition

Promotional Strategy for Best Clothing

  • Subjects: Business Marketing Project
  • Words: 3478

Administration for Executive Assistants

  • Words: 2249

Hurricane Sandy on Long Island, New York

  • Subjects: Disasters Environment

The North American City on the Ground

  • Subjects: Countries Studies Sciences

Energy and Society Carbon Footprint

  • Words: 1396

Success in Interpersonal Communication

  • Subjects: Interpersonal Communication Episodes Psychology
  • Words: 1695

Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress

Three names of nelson mandela, human defence mechanism.

  • Subjects: Psychology Social Psychology Deviations

Water Pollution and Its Challenges

Warfare and violence in ancient times.

  • Subjects: Ancient History History
  • Words: 2212

Electronic Cigarettes: Could They Help University Students Give Smoking Up?

  • Subjects: Health & Medicine Public Health
  • Words: 1064

Forms of Technical Communication

  • Subjects: Communications Sociology
  • Words: 1463

American Government and Bureaucracy

  • Subjects: Politics & Government Public Administration Activity

War on Terrorism: How to Cope With the Global Threat?

  • Subjects: Terrorism Prevention Warfare
  • Words: 1122

Business Strategies and Models

  • Words: 1748

Major Shifts in the Politics of Republican and Democratic Parties

Characteristics of the order primate.

  • Subjects: Evolution of Humans Sciences

Movement Against the British Rule in India

  • Subjects: History World History

Entrepreneurial Personality Essay: Traits & Characteristics

Globalization is not a peaceful process.

  • Words: 2021

John Lewis Gaddis: “The Cold War: A New History”

  • Words: 1376

Power and Change in Louisiana

  • Words: 1300

Getting Back on the Diploma Track

The crusaders and the church.

  • Subjects: History Medieval History
  • Words: 1367

Different Developments in the British Sociology of Education

  • Words: 6015

Social Cognition Aspects

  • Subjects: Cognition and Perception Psychology

Process Involved in Choosing a Measurement Tool for Variables in Research

Working across boundaries analysis.

  • Words: 3005

Understanding Research Methods in Technology

  • Words: 1380

Credit Default Swaps in the US and UK

  • Subjects: Economics Finance
  • Words: 2318

The Common Theories of Leadership

  • Words: 2502

Total Rewards Program Development

  • Words: 2004

International Business Administration

  • Subjects: Business Logistics

Nanotechnology in the Food Industry

  • Subjects: Business Industry
  • Words: 1696

Modern Teaching Methods and Learning Environment

  • Subjects: Education Education Theories
  • Words: 2677

Cultural Aspects in Different Societies

Management roles: employee development program, bre-x mining company scandal.

  • Subjects: Business Case Study

Max Weber: Natural and Social Sciences

  • Subjects: Sociological Theories Sociology
  • Words: 2293

Assessing in the Field of Marriage and Family Therapy

  • Subjects: Behavior Psychology
  • Words: 1706

Various Leadership Practice Styles

  • Words: 1098

Modern Problems and Opportunities in our Society

Under the influence of alcohol.

  • Subjects: Psychological Issues Psychology
  • Words: 1431

Characteristics of Malls

Sir winston leonard spencer-churchill, pre-raphaelite artists.

  • Subjects: Art Artists
  • Words: 3104

Management Issues: Most Relevant Motivational Theory

Creativity and gifted students.

  • Subjects: Education Pedagogical Skills

GB Events Technology Management

Effective communication strategies in a culturally diverse workforce.

  • Subjects: Culture Multiculturalism

Somatoform Disorders by American Psychiatric Association

The maya of morganton.

  • Subjects: History Native Americans History
  • Words: 1724

Mobile Learning and Its Impact on the Learning Process

  • Subjects: Tech & Engineering Technology in Education
  • Words: 1397

Psychological Disorder: Depression

Independent aquatic habitat observation.

  • Words: 2652

Obama’s First Election and Racism

  • Subjects: Elections Politics & Government
  • Words: 2813

Data Results of Statistics

Mentoring of new teachers.

  • Subjects: Education Teacher Career

IMAGES

  1. Exploratory Essay

    exploratory essay sample pdf

  2. Exploratory essay (500 Words)

    exploratory essay sample pdf

  3. 😍 Exploratory essay examples free. Exploratory Essay Course Works

    exploratory essay sample pdf

  4. Exploratory Essay

    exploratory essay sample pdf

  5. How to Write an Explanatory Essay Like a Pro

    exploratory essay sample pdf

  6. 003 Explanatory Essay Examples Example Sample Expository Framework L

    exploratory essay sample pdf

VIDEO

  1. Essay 18: THE EXPOSITORY ESSAY

  2. Exploratory Essay- Snowboarding Related Injuries

  3. Exploratory Data Analysis

  4. School Observation Report (D.El.Ed 1st year SIP 1 Practical file) English Medium

  5. Longman Academic Writing 4 Chapter 4 Paragraph to Essay

  6. Building Automated Exploratory Data Analysis Project- Project From Subscriber

COMMENTS

  1. Sample Exploratory Essay — HCC Learning Web

    Sample Exploratory Essay To print or download this file, click the link below: Exploratory 1302 HCC Sample.pdfPDF document, 251 KB (257831 bytes)

  2. Exploratory Essay - 10+ Examples, Format, How to start, Pdf

    Check out the following examples of exploratory essay written by famous authors: “The Battle of the Ants”, by Henry David Thoreau. “How It Feels To Be Colored Me”, by Zora Neale Hurston. “Naturalization”, by Charles Dudley Warner. “New Year’s Eve”, by Charles Lamb. “Street Haunting: A London Adventure”, by Virginia Woolf.

  3. How to Write an Exploratory Essay With Sample Topics

    Step 1: Select a Strong Topic. Exploratory papers need to have a central question that can be discussed in a qualitative way. This means it is a question that: If your topic checks all of the above boxes, it may be a good one to focus on in your exploratory essay.

  4. How to write an exploratory essay [Updated 2023] - BibGuru

    An exploratory essay utilizes the same basic structure that you'll find in other essays. It includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction sets up the context for your topic, addresses why that topic is worthy of study, and states your primary research question (s). The body paragraphs cover the research that you ...

  5. Organizing an Exploratory Essay - Purdue OWL®

    An exploratory essay is, in essence, a retrospective of your writing and thinking process as you work through a problem. It describes when, how, and why you completed certain types of research. This kind of writing is about how you work through problems that require writing and research. You will have to be introspective and think about your ...

  6. Exploratory Essay Handout - Dallas Baptist University

    circumstances persuade groups or individuals to maintain their perspectives. For example, some students. believe that maintaining a physical planner is the best way to avoid procrastination because they remember. things best by writing them down. Step 4: Answer the questions proposed by accumulated research.

  7. How to Write an Exploratory Essay: Guide With Examples

    Here are five steps on how to write exploratory essay. Step 1: Select a topic. Give prefenrence to contentious exploratory essay topics with various opposing viewpoints that can be investigated. Picking a subject with insufficient evidence or one that merely offers a "for" or "against" argument is not recommended.

  8. Exploratory Papers - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University

    You should answer these questions in an exploratory essay by doing the following: Set the context – provide general information about the main idea, explaining the situation so the reader can make sense of the topic and the questions you will ask. State why the main idea is important – tell the reader why they should care and keep reading.

  9. Success Center Tips for Writing an Exploratory Essay

    An exploratory essay presents a current problem or question that people disagree on and introduces the different points of view that exist. The purpose of an exploratory essay is to remain impartial by showing current perspectives on the issue instead of persuading readers to adopt one viewpoint over another. A writer may conclude the essay by ...

  10. Exploratory Essay Examples | IvyPanda®

    An exploratory essay is different from any other academic text. There’s no need to convince the audience. Instead, you should “explore” a problem in all its complexity and generate preliminary conclusions. You can use this text as a research proposal later. We will write a custom essay specifically for you.