How to Prompt Writing with the Quick Exposé

Some meticulously prepare their texts before they write a word. Others just start writing and develop their thoughts as they write. In this article, we will explain how your students can find a balance between these approaches by introducing them to the benefits of an exposé.

Note: This text was translated with the help of DeepL and DeepLWrite.

There are two basic approaches to writing a text: One is to approach writing in a planned, systematic, and structured manner. Composing complex academic texts for university usually requires prior planning and structuring. On the other hand, you can also fill a blank page spontaneously and associatively, allowing ideas to emerge, elaborate, or develop as you write. This can be especially helpful when you are not sure exactly how to proceed – in other words, when you cannot see the forest for the trees.

Both approaches to writing have their justification, as well as their advantages and disadvantages; depending on one’s personal way of working, both can be specifically used during the writing process to achieve the goal, the finished text.

In a nutshell: What is a Quick Exposé?

The Quick Exposé writing exercise, which helps students conceptualize their writing projects, is characterized by the integration of the two approaches mentioned above, which makes it particularly effective: The exercise aims at writing the first outline of a short exposé, but to write more or less spontaneously, in order to get the text down on paper as quickly and straightforwardly as possible. Both the starting points and the purpose of a writing project, such as a term paper or a thesis, are reviewed and defined as well. Students will also learn about the benefits of using a written project outline to help them plan writing projects throughout their studies.

As a lecturer, you can also benefit from having your students write an exposé for a study-related paper: Students who have written an exposé are well prepared for office hours to discuss the feasibility of a project or the first outline of a text project. In addition, an exposé is always useful for identifying a project’s focus or potential weaknesses early on.

You can provide your students with the following step-by-step instructions, which can be downloaded here as a PDF file.

Step by step: Quick Exposé

An exposé is a written project outline that helps to plan and prepare your term paper, project paper, or thesis in a targeted and considerate manner. The Quick Exposé writing exercise allows you to write such a plan spontaneously, as quickly as possible, and in complete sentences. Since you are writing only for yourself, it is not (for once) a matter of linguistic correctness or stylistically appropriate wording. Rather, it is a matter of thinking associatively about various key questions and recording your answers in writing.

Depending on your preference, the exercise can be done either by hand or on a computer. However, be sure to change your writing medium occasionally. For example, if you usually only write on a keyboard, use this exercise as an opportunity to pick up a pen and paper to add some variety to your daily writing routine.

The exercise should take no more than 20 minutes, so set a timer – and go! Just start writing. If possible, write your text in one go, without taking your pen off the paper or revising your wording. Answer the following guiding questions. If you cannot answer a question, consider an alternative question if necessary or move on to the next question:

What is the topic of your paper? What do you want to examine?
What is your research question? What do you want to find out or demonstrate?
Which aspects are of particular interest/relevance? What scientific problem does your work address?
What is your goal in doing so? What is the purpose of your paper?
What data and materials are you going to examine?
What is your approach? What methods would be appropriate – and why?
What tools will you need?
What is your timeline? Have you set interim goals? Is there a deadline?

When the time is up, take a moment to read over what you have written. If you are still unsure or cannot find an answer to a question, you now know what you still need to think about and clarify. You can use your finished Quick Exposé as a reflection tool for your next steps and the concrete preparation of your writing project – no matter whether it is a term paper, a project paper, or a thesis. You can also refine your spontaneous draft and use it as a starting point for a productive discussion of your project with your supervisor.

Do you have any more questions about academic and scientific writing?

The Writing Center of the Center for Soft Skills Development is the point of contact for questions relating to academic and scientific writing at TH Köln. For more information about the Writing Center’s interdisciplinary services for students, graduate students, and faculty, please visit www.th-koeln.de/schreibzentrum.

Any questions?

Feel free to contact us by mail to lehrpfade@th-koeln.de!

Links & Literature

This text is based on an article by the author that has already appeared in the ZLI blog of the University of Hagen.
Alemann, Ulrich von (2001): Das Exposé. Ja, mach nur einen Plan… [As at 31/01/2025]
Frank, Andrea/Haacke, Stefanie/Lahm, Swantje (2013): Schlüsselkompetenzen. Schreiben in Studium und Beruf. 2nd, updated and expanded edition. Stuttgart, Weimar: Metzler, pp. 28–31.
Grieshammer, Ella et al. (2022): Zukunftsmodell Schreibberatung. Eine Anleitung zur Begleitung von Schreibenden im Studium. 5th unrevised edition. Baltmannsweiler: Schneider Verlag Hohengehren, pp. 184f.
Leggewie, Claus/Mühlleitner, Elke (2007): Exposé. In: Die akademische Hintertreppe. Kleines Lexikon des wissenschaftlichen Kommunizierens. Frankfurt, New York: Campus, p. 103.
Schindler, Kirsten (2011): Klausur, Protokoll, Essay. Kleine Texte optimal verfassen. Paderborn u.a.: Schöningh. [On pages 129–145 you will find helpful tips for students on how to write an exposé.]

Andreas Bissels

Andreas Bissels is responsible for the Writing Center of the Center for Soft Skills Development at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences. As a writing consultant, he accompanies students and doctoral researchers in writing texts, offers writing workshops and organizes writing events. For lecturers, he is an interdisciplinary contact person for questions related to writing didactics.