how to write assignment based on a case study and how to write an assignment without plagiarism and how to write an assignment with reference how write journal writing assignment
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Published Date:06-07-2017
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1 1.. IIN NT TR RO OD DU UC CT TIIO ON N
About the Guide
The UTS Business School Guide to Writing Assignments has been designed to
Aims of the Guide:
support students of the Faculty in developing their skills and capabilities as
To explain the key
writers. Effective written communication and research abilities are integral to
characteristics of
university study and important tools for the modern business professional. As a
effective writing in
student at UTS, you will have many opportunities to learn through researching
university-level
and writing about your subjects of study, and a great deal of the assessment of
Business studies
your learning will depend upon your effectiveness as a writer.
To give annotated
What you write in your assignments is like a snapshot of your thinking at a
examples of both
particular point or period in time. This guide therefore talks about thinking as
effective and
much as writing and, in particular, the kind of scholarly thinking and researching
ineffective writing
that is expected in university-level studies. The mark of good scholarship is
To offer advice about
more than having original ideas – ideas have to be presented and expressed so
the processes of
that they are understood by others. This guide aims to support you in
preparing written
demonstrating how much and how well you have learned through the written
assignments
assignments you prepare.
To provide links to
Examples used in the guide have been taken from authentic writing. We know
other information
that many students learn a lot from the experience of other students, including
and resources
both their successful and their less successful experiences. Therefore, as much
as possible, we have drawn from the experience of students in Business studies.
Your responsibilities
Please remember that students are responsible for finding out the
requirements of each subject. These are stated in each Subject Outline, but you
may also be given other specific information relating to individual assignments.
Sometimes, this may conflict with information in this guide, for example, you
Have you checked that
may be required to present your assignment in a particular structure or style of
you have received all
language. It is your responsibility to check that you understand what the
the information about
requirements are for each written assignment.
your subject and each
assignment task?
Using the writing guide
Some students prefer to print only the sections they find most interesting or
useful, and then keep the copies in a ring-binder of material related to
preparing written assignments. Included in the guide are the web addresses of
other internet-based resources, and these are ‘hot-linked’ in the digital version
of the guide to make it easier to jump online straight to those resources.
Just click on the links throughout the guide when you see the hot-link icon:
We hope that you will find the guide to be useful all through your studies, and
assist you to become a capable writer and communicator as one of the
fundamental attributes you will achieve as a graduate of UTS Business School.
The Business School is committed to continuously improving the quality of
learning and teaching. In the spirit of that commitment, we need your
feedback on this guide so that we can make improvements to it.
Gu i d e t o W r i t i n g A s s i g n m en t s – UT S B u s i n e s s School 1
2 2.. W WR RIIT TIIN NG G IIN N T TH HE E F FA AC CU UL LT TY Y O OF F B BU US SIIN NE ES SS S
THE ROLE OF WRITING: Why is writing so important?
Writing is a very important activity and set of skills to develop as part of your academic study. In all programs
of study in the Business School, and across all levels of study, your capabilities as a writer are very
important. Here are the main reasons why the Business School considers writing to be so central to your
learning.
Writing is a process which helps you to learn more deeply.
I find that writing
When you are engaged in writing for your assessment tasks, you are engaged in
assignments is the
a process of learning. Writing is not just something that happens at the end of
most difficult part
learning. Instead, the process of writing starts from the very beginning of
about studying at uni…
tackling an assessment task. During the process, you will need to analyse the
but it’s also the most
task, read material relevant to the task, make notes and clarify your
satisfying. I understand
understandings, draw together different views on the topic, critically weighing
much better when I
have to write about these up, and so on. All these activities contribute to your learning as you go
something.
about solving the problem that the writing task has posed.
The kind of learning that you are expected to engage in at university level is
deep learning, in which you are expected to understand many dimensions of a
topic, and how they are related to each other, to ask critical questions, and to
When it’s a complex
develop your own perspectives and viewpoints. For many people, the deepest
topic, I usually am
not sure what I really learning occurs when they try to put their thoughts into words so that others
think until I start can understand. A common experience for many people is that they are not
trying to write about
really sure what they think about a complex topic until they start writing down
it.
their thoughts. Thus the process of writing can be seen as a means for
discovering and consolidating meaning and therefore a method for learning
more deeply.
Writing is a product which demonstrates the quality of your learning.
Without being able to ‘see’ your thinking through the words you speak and
write, your lecturers would not be able to assess what is in your head. Thus
your writing is a crucial product of your thinking which provides the evidence of
what you have learned. Your lecturers can use this product to assess the
At first I didn’t realise
quality of your learning and give you feedback to help you learn more from the
just how important it
experience. This is a very important part of the learning cycle in a university
would be to write well.
course, and you should aim to learn from your assessment feedback on every
task you undertake.
As I got more practice, I
found that my writing
In most of your subjects for your degree, written tasks will constitute the major
improved and so did my
part of your assessment. Even if a portion of your assessment may be for a
marks.
tutorial or seminar presentation in class, you will often be expected to prepare
some written material, for example, a PowerPoint presentation, or a class
handout, or even a tutorial or seminar paper. In some subjects, you may be
required to prepare a piece of written work as a member of a group. In other
subjects, you may have exams in which you have to write under more
constrained conditions, or perhaps you may be expected to write something for
a real workplace in which your learning is set.
In all these circumstances, your writing is the product which defines how much
and how well you understand and can put your case, and which will constitute
the substantial basis for your assessment grade.
Writing is a way of engaging in a dialogue with your lecturers/tutors.
As you progress through your academic career at university, your writing
operates as a channel for dialogue with the academic staff you will meet.
Through refining and further developing your writing as an integral part of
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Guide to Writing Assignments - U T S Business School
learning, the opportunity to engage in deeper discussions with staff can be
enhanced by the written assignments and work you undertake. Academic staff
themselves often find that such dialogue with students is the most satisfying
part of their work and many report on the reciprocal learning that takes place
through students’ serious engagement in writing.
Being a capable writer is an important outcome of your university studies.
Even as a
postgraduate student,
As a result of successfully undertaking university studies, you will have
my writing skills have
developed not just specific knowledge and capabilities in the subject areas of
continued to grow and
your program, but also a wide range of more generic skills including
develop, and I am now
communication skills. The more advanced your studies, the more expert and
writing an article as a
versatile your communication capabilities should become. In the workplace,
co- author with my
employers value communication skills very highly and often use these as a way
supervisor.
of distinguishing between candidates for jobs or promotions. Thus, writing
skills are a form of currency in the employment market.
Writing is a routine activity in most workplace settings of business graduates.
It is difficult to imagine a workplace setting in which a graduate would not be
It’s like having a little
undertaking writing as a routine work task on a daily basis. Whilst the type and
toolkit of writing skills
range of writing tasks in workplaces may not be exactly like those in the
that I carry around
university setting, the writing skills you develop as part of your university
with me and use each
studies are ones you can transfer to new tasks. For example, although you
time I meet a new
might not be expected to write an academic essay in your job, the skill of
kind of writing task.
developing an argument and substantiating this argument by reference to
evidence is one which you will use in many other kinds of writing in the
workplace.
Being a capable and effective writer is a valuable capability for life.
Understanding how to manipulate words and language effectively when writing
for different purposes and to different audiences is a fundamental capability
which informs and enriches a person’s engagement in and contribution to
society. What you learn from your experiences of writing as a student in the
UTS Faculty of Business extends on the skills you had already developed from
your previous school, work, and life experiences. By becoming more aware
about writing and more flexible and adaptable as a writer, you are extending
much further your own ‘kit’ of portable writing skills for life.
ASSESSMENT: How is your written work assessed?
All assessment tasks in UTS Business School subjects are designed to
encourage and support your learning. The assessment of your work is
carried out in accordance with the UTS Policy for the Assessment of
Coursework Subjects:
http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/assessment-coursework.html
Below expectations:
Assessment is based on criteria to determine whether you have achieved
FAIL (Z) = 50%
the learning outcomes stated for each subject – this is called criterion-
Meets expectations: referenced assessment. Your grades are based on your level of performance
in achieving these outcomes. When your lecturers/tutors mark your
PASS = 50%+
assignments, they make professional judgments about the level of
CREDIT = 65%+
performance you have achieved, to decide whether it meets the
expectations, or whether it is above or below them.
Exceeds expectations:
DISTINCTION = 75%+
The assessors look at various dimensions of your assignment to help determine
HIGH DISTINCTION = 85%+
what mark to give your work overall. For example, your assignment might be
strong in its structure and its critical analytical approach, but it might be weak
Gu i d e t o W r i t i n g A s s i g n m en t s – UT S B u s i n e s s School 3
in its language choices, or its grammatical accuracy. Or perhaps your
assignment is well written and presented, but does not actually address the
topic/issue/question that was given.
The marker needs to take all dimensions into account in determining the grade.
Also, the marker will take into account the level at which you are studying,
recognising that the standard expected of written work increases as you
advance in your studies. Here are some examples of the kinds of dimensions
that are typically used in assessing written assignments. For each dimension,
there are some examples of the questions that markers might be asking as they
are reading your work to determine your level of performance. They will not
just be asking ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but ‘how much’ and ‘how well’.
SOME DIMENSIONS
OF ASSESSMENT SOME QUESTIONS THAT MARKERS MIGHT ASK
CRITERIA
Does the assignment address the topic that was set?
Does the assignment address the purpose that was set, for example, to
Purpose
explain, to discuss, to evaluate, to recommend, etc.?
Is there a clear statement of the assignment’s purpose or goals?
Are the ideas and information in the assignment relevant to the topic?
Relevance
Are there other essential ideas and information which are missing from the
assignment?
Does the assignment provide evidence of critical analysis of the topic area?
Analytical and critical
perspective
Does the assignment’s present a critical perspective or stance?
Is the supporting material used as evidence for the ideas and information
relevant and appropriate?
Supporting evidence
Is evidence from other sources correctly acknowledged?
Is the assignment structured in appropriate sections and in a logical sequence?
Structure and
Is the logical structure clearly shown, for example, by the use of topic sentences
coherence
and language showing relationships between sections?
Is the writing style at an appropriate level of objectivity, formality and technicality
Language style
for the assignment’s purpose and audience?
Is the assignment written in grammatically accurate sentences?
Is the punctuation accurate and helpful to the meaning?
Language accuracy
Is the spelling accurate?
Is the formatting of the assignment according to the stated specifications, for
example, section headings if appropriate, correct word length?
Presentation Are references to supporting material presented in an appropriate and
consistent style?
Is the presentation of the assignment professional and ‘reader-friendly’?
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Guide to Writing Assignments - U T S Business School
Quality and standards in assessment
Go to Section 3 to
An important element of the assessment process is the maintenance of high
find out more
standards of academic quality, integrity and scholarship in work that is
about plagiarism
produced by students. Markers therefore have a responsibility to check
and how to avoid it.
carefully any instances where they suspect that a student may have acted
dishonestly, for example, by plagiarising the ideas and/or words of others.
When the marker is assessing your work, they may check its level of originality
Go to Section 7 for by submitting it electronically to Turnitin. This is done routinely with all
advice on checking
assignments in some subjects, or with a random selection of them, or might
your own work
only be done if the marker suspects some dishonesty.
with Turnitin.
Also, check their
Alternatively, a marker might simply copy phrases or paragraphs into a search
website for useful
engine such as Google to search for an original source, or might compare the
student tutorials
original source with the student’s version to check that acknowledgements
have been done with integrity.
Subject coordinators might also put in place special quality assurance processes
such as comparing assignments between groups where there are multiple
markers to cross-check the assessment standards but also to ensure the
academic integrity of students’ submissions.
Go to Section 9 to
find out more Feedback to support learning
about learning from
feedback.
As part of the assessment process, your lecturers/tutors will give you feedback
on your assignments designed to help you learn from the experience.
COMMON PROBLEMS: What are students’ most common writing problems?
It is not surprising that students often experience problems with writing. After
all, it is a complex process, dependent on a complex mixture of skills, and
students are constantly being challenged by new situations and tasks. When
students confront transitions, for example from school to university, or from
coursework to higher degree research study, or from studying in their first
language to studying in English, the new demands on writing skills within the
new context can be very challenging indeed.
The staff in UTS Business School will do everything they can to help you
understand the expectations, and will give you feedback on your assignments
to guide and shape your development as a writer. Students are very diverse
in their backgrounds, and their levels of skill and experience, and the staff will
therefore respond to each student’s written work accordingly.
However, there are some reasonably common issues and problems that
students face in preparing written assignments, and that staff also face in
assessing and giving feedback to help students learn.
Throughout this guide, you will find advice relating to each of these types of
common problems, and examples showing how to improve your assignments in
terms of these typical assessment dimensions.
Here are some typical examples of these problems from the perspectives of
students and staff, and organised according to the most common generic
dimensions of assessment.
Gu i d e t o W r i t i n g A s s i g n m en t s – UT S B u s i n e s s School 5
FROM A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE
Although a business report does define and
explain some things, it does much more than this.
How am I supposed to know what
You should follow the structure and style that are
Purpose
set out in the Subject Outline.
a business report looks like?
I wasn’t really sure what the
You should spend more time in analysing the
question was asking me to do, so I question and ensuring that you are using relevant
Relevance
just wrote everything I knew on sources and building a relevant argument. It is key
that you stay relevant to the topic.
that topic.
You have only referred to one of the key sources
I couldn’t find anything in the in this topic area. There are at least three other
main aspects to this topic that you should have
Library that seemed relevant to Relevance
referred to also – see the Subject Outline for a list
the topic.
of references to start with.
I just started writing because I
Your essay wandered all over the place until the
didn’t really know what I thought Analytical and end, so there were many conflicting points in it. If
you had planned it beforehand and then drafted it a
on this topic, but then I discovered critical
few times your essay would have been much
what I thought on the way
perspective
stronger and easier to read.
through.
We are very much interested in what you think. Your
work is about your ‘informed opinion’ based on your
How can I have an opinion on
Analytical and
knowledge of academic arguments and different
something I’m just learning about
theories, and your evaluations of them. F or
critical
– surely no-one is interested in
example, how are they similar to or different from
perspective
what a first-year student thinks?
each other? How useful are the theories in
explaining the actual case?
You seem to have a good general knowledge
about this topic, but in academic writing you
I knew quite a lot about this topic
Supporting need to substantiate your statements and claims
so it saved me having to find all
with evidence from reputable authoritative
evidence
those references.
sources. You need to back up your claims with
peer reviewed sources of information/research.
You need to write about them in your own words
and also, you are learning about writing in a
There’s no way I could write
scholarly way, and so you need to acknowledge
things better than the experts do, Supporting
other people’s ideas and wordings – if you do not
so I just use their words most of the
evidence
do this appropriately, you may be committing
time.
plagiarism.
I know my assignment is supposed
to have a beginning, middle and There are lots of good ideas in this assignment,
Structure
but I can’t see any logical structure to it. You need
end, but I don’t know what to put
to plan the outline effectively first.
in these sections.
I can’t seem to get an academic
This assignment required you to write in an
academic style, whereas you have used quite a lot
Language style
of slang and everyday language instead of the
style into my writing.
more technical language of the discipline.
Accuracy in your writing is crucial. Try to
understand the mistakes you are making with
I’m a native speaker of English but your poor punctuation and spelling. You must
Language
improve these aspects of your writing because
I’ve never learned anything about
accuracy
they are fundamental to communicating
grammar.
effectively in business environments.
I always run out of time at the
Time management is essential. Start early and have
end and so I don’t have time to time at the end to correct the many errors which
Presentation
you could have easily found if you had taken the
check over my work and present it
time to proofread it carefully.
neatly.
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Guide to Writing Assignments - U T S Business School 3 3.. T TH HE E S SC CH HO OL LA AR RL LY Y E ET TH HIIC C IIN N A AC CA AD DE EM MIIC C W WR RIIT TIIN NG G
LEARNING FROM SCHOLARLY LITERATURE: Why is the literature so important?
In all fields of study and enquiry, learning is based on knowledge which has
been accumulated over time, and which is available through having been
published in diverse formats and forums. A substantial part of your university
learning is based on wide reading from the published work of those experts and
researchers who have advanced understanding in the discipline and fields of
study. As you become more expert yourself, you may create new insights and
understandings which can be published to contribute to the pool of knowledge.
The recognition of this accumulative nature of knowledge is the most
fundamental aspect of the scholarly ethic.
The concept of scholarship also entails a commitment to evidence-based
enquiry. From the earliest beginnings of your university study, you will be
asked to justify your thinking with well-reasoned and logical rationales, and
drawing from sources of evidence that are authoritative and verifiable. Your
development of mastery and expertise in your chosen discipline(s) will depend
not only on your understanding of knowledge in that field but also on your skills
and capabilities to use that knowledge to justify and defend decisions and
actions, and potentially to add to the store of knowledge – in other words, to
engage in scholarly evidence-based enquiry.
HAVING ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: What does academic integrity mean?
The concept of academic integrity is fundamental to scholarly work and study
of any type. It depends upon personal integrity and respect for other people’s
intellectual property. Good academic practice revolves around respecting and
acknowledging the original authors of information and ideas whose work you
draw from in writing your assignments. In this way, you are respecting their
intellectual property, and also distinguishing between what are their ideas, and
what are your own ideas. This is important to allow your lecturers and tutors
who are marking your work to assess your own efforts. If you do not do this
properly, you may be committing plagiarism (see the next part of this section of
the guide).
Refer to the UTS policy on ‘Advice to Students on Good Academic Practice’:
http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/academicpractice.html
In the early undergraduate years, student research tends to be focused on
learning from, and critically analysing, the published work of experts in the
discipline(s) you are studying. But over time, and as you progress further in
your studies, your research may entail undertaking some original independent
work of your own which generates new research information and ideas. In the
conduct of any research you undertake, you have a responsibility to be honest
in the way you manage and report on your research, as well as continuing to
acknowledge the work of others.
Refer to the UTS ‘Student Charter’:
http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/studentcharter.html
Gu i d e t o W r i t i n g A s s i g n m en t s – UT S B u s i n e s s School 7
If your research involves humans, then it must be undertaken in accordance
with guidelines established by the University’s Human Research Ethics
Committee (HREC). Depending upon the type of research, and particularly if
you progress to studying at Doctoral level or Masters by research, you may
need to obtain Ethics Approval.
See the UTS policies and guidelines about the ethical conduct of research:
http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/hrecpolicy.html
http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/hrecguide.html
http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/researchethicpol.html
ACNOWLEDGING OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS: What is plagiarism?
If you do not acknowledge the original authors of information and ideas that
you bring into your written assignments, you are committing an act of
plagiarism. Plagiarism is a broad term referring to the practice of appropriating
someone else’s ideas or work and presenting them as your own without
acknowledgment. Plagiarism is intellectual theft and, like cheating, is a form of
academic misconduct, the penalties for which are very serious indeed.
Plagiarism can take a number of forms, including:
In my previous studies,
it was okay to just
copying the work of another student, whether that student is in the same
copy and paste from
class, from an earlier year of the same course, or from another tertiary
the internet.
institution altogether
Everybody did it - it
copying any section, no matter how brief, from a book, journal, article or
was the norm. I
other written source, without duly acknowledging it as a quotation
hadn’t even thought
copying any map, diagram or table of figures without duly acknowledging
about it as being theft.
the source
paraphrasing or otherwise using the ideas of another author without duly
acknowledging the source
Whatever the form, plagiarism is unacceptable both academically and
professionally. By plagiarising you are both stealing the work of another person
and cheating by representing it as your own. Any instances of plagiarism can
therefore be expected to draw severe penalties and may be referred to the
Faculty Student Conduct Committee. The penalties for plagiarism may mean
failure of the assignment, of the whole subject, or even exclusion from the
University, thus preventing completion of the degree. The seriousness of these
penalties reflects the University’s commitment to maintaining the highest
Why is plagiarism treated
standards of academic integrity and therefore the University’s good reputation
so seriously?
for the quality of its academic programs and its graduates.
The University and UTS Business School are committed to supporting students to
learn about scholarly and professional integrity as part of their studies. To
support students in understanding what plagiarism is and how to avoid it, the
University provides clear guidelines and resources for students to access
independently. Additionally, in your coursework studies, there will be many
opportunities to develop and refine your writing skills to demonstrate your
academic integrity and scholarship.
Check your understanding of plagiarism
http://www.ssu.uts.edu.au/helps/resources/plagiarism/index.html
Take the avoiding plagiarism online tutorial:
http://web.uts.edu.au/teachlearn/avoidingplagiarism/
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Guide to Writing Assignments - U T S Business School
Quite often, and especially in the first year of studying at university, students
plagiarise by mistake rather than by intention. This is often simply because of
not understanding what plagiarism is or why it is so inappropriate.
Go to Section 7 to Unintentional plagiarism can come about because a student might not know
find out more
how to acknowledge other people’s ideas in their writing. Other occasions of
about reading and
unintentional plagiarism might be the result of not having kept good accurate
taking notes.
notes from the researching and reading stage of preparing an assignment.
Occasionally, students will deliberately cheat or plagiarise. Such dishonest
behavior may be motivated by time-pressures, for example, students may have
many demands on their time which make it difficult to complete an assignment
by the submission deadline without plagiarizing. It is important to ensure you
manage your studies well to avoid being seduced into dishonest practices.
The following information defines and explains the University’s policies and
procedures on plagiarism, including the investigation procedures and the
penalties for academic misconduct:
‘Assessment of Coursework Subjects’ (UTS Policy):
http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/assessment-coursework.html
The following practices have been shown to reduce the chances of accidentally
plagiarising. Make sure that you are familiar with the style of acknowledgment
that is recommended for use in the particular subject you are studying.
Write the source on any notes or copies you make from any document or
electronic sources such as the internet. Keep a detailed list of your sources
How can I avoid throughout the course of your research.
Sources that must be acknowledged include those containing the concepts,
plagiarising?
experiments or results from which you have extracted or developed your
ideas, even if you put those ideas into your own words.
Always use quotation marks when quoting directly from a work. It is
not enough merely to acknowledge the source.
Go to Section 7 to Do not just change the odd word here and there, even where you
find out about how
acknowledge the source. Use a different form of words to show that
to acknowledge
you have thought about the material and understood it.
sources.
These suggestions are outlined in the ‘Advice to Students on Good Academic
Practice’ (UTS Policy):
http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/academicpractice.html
BEING ORIGINAL: Do I have to be original in what I write?
Originality is a quality of scholarly thinking which your lecturers will be looking
for in your written assignments all the way through your university studies. Even
in the first year of a university level program, you will be expected to think for
yourself, and to express your own views about a topic. As you progress through
your academic career, there will be an increased expectation that you will show
originality and creativity in the way you think and conceptualise a topic, and your
assignment tasks will probably become gradually more open-ended to enable
your originality of thought to emerge and flourish.
Gu i d e t o W r i t i n g A s s i g n m en t s – UT S B u s i n e s s School 9
Being original in your thinking does not necessarily mean making new and
important discoveries that could change the course of history (although there
have been many important new ideas that have sprung from students in
university courses). Showing originality in the way you think can instead be seen
in the unique perspective you bring to a topic, in the way that you present the
topic, and in the stance you take to arguing and justifying your point of view.
What does being
original mean?
Even though you are expected to be original in the way you write, the
assignment tasks can be quite different. Sometimes the task will be a relatively
simple one that asks you to summarise a given article, or to explain a given
concept. Such tasks still require you to present the ideas from your perspective
and in your own words. These types of tasks can be thought of as ‘knowledge-
telling’, or re-telling someone else’s knowledge through your eyes and in your
own words. The capacity to re-tell knowledge to make its meaning clear to
someone else is a fundamental aspect of learning and of having your learning
assessed in your subjects of study.
Other tasks can be much more demanding in terms of how original you are
expected to be. For example, in writing an essay or analysing a case study, you
have to draw together ideas from many sources. Often these ideas will conflict
with each other, so your task is to present them in a way that supports your own
point of view.
The more your own contribution takes over and drives your writing, the more
you are engaging in transforming knowledge. More advanced researchers and
scholars are not only engaged in transforming but also extending knowledge to
disseminate to the whole community in a particular field of enquiry.
EXAMPLE WRITING TASKS PURPOSE FOR ASSESSMENT
KNOWLEDGE-
to demonstrate that you understand
an explanation of a concept
TELLING
the concept and can explain it clearly
(Re-telling other
to demonstrate that you understand
people’s knowledge
a summary of a journal article
the article and can explain it clearly
in your own words)
to explain and analyse what happened,
a report on a work placement and critically evaluate the relationship
between the actual and the theoretical
KNOWLEDGE-
to demonstrate that you can find
TRANSFORMING
relevant literature, and that you can
a critical literature review
(Creating your own
analyse the relationships between
knowledge by
different ideas about that topic
interpreting and re-
to demonstrate that you can identify
shaping other
key issues, relate theory and practice,
a case study analysis
people’s knowledge)
identify implications, and propose a
course of action
to demonstrate that you can develop
a clear and logical response that is
an essay
your own interpretation but is
KNOWLEDGE-
supported by evidence from others
EXTENDING
(Extending on and
to demonstrate that you can make a
disseminating new
a research thesis significant contribution to knowledge
knowledge) as an expert in your field
10
Guide to Writing Assignments - U T S Business School CRITICAL THINKING/ CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE: In students’ writing
Adopting a critical perspective is another very fundamental aspect of scholarly
thinking which your lecturers will be looking for in your written assignments.
Often the requirement to adopt a critical perspective in an assignment will be
reflected in words like discuss or argue. This concept is very closely related to
being original – indeed, often the critical perspective you adopt is the originality
in your thinking.
What does having a critical perspective or engaging in academic argumentation
actually mean? Firstly, it is a positive activity of searching for meaning, in that
the processes of debating, arguing, and critically evaluating are intended to
open up greater understanding and insights. Secondly, the subject of critical
enquiry is concepts and ideas, not the personal characteristics of the people
associated with those ideas. Thirdly, the purpose of critical enquiry is to
What does being
examine the validity or worth of something on the basis of evidence. To do
critical mean?
this requires analysis to identify and understand the dimensions of something,
and argument to make reasoned judgements about it which are well-
supported from evidence which can be verified.
Not all writing assignment tasks require the same level of critical analysis. For
example, if your task revolves around explaining a particular theory which
might be complex but not especially controversial, then the main purpose of
the task might be to show that you understand the theory. If, however, the
assignment task revolves around a concept which is controversial and for which
there are alternative and competing explanations, then the purpose might be to
show that you understand the multiple perspectives and can make some critical
judgements of your own about them.
In most coursework assignments that you will be asked to prepare, it is more
appropriate to make direct statements about your point of view than to be very
subtle. For example, statements of your point of view might be presented in
the introduction to your assignment with phrases such as:
Go to Section 4 to
‘This essay, will outline that A is similar to B’
find out about how
to write an
‘As is demonstrated in the report, A is less significant than B in influencing C.’
introduction.
BEING AWARE OF DIVERSITY: How can my writing reflect respect for diversity?
Diversity in many aspects of scholarly life
Recognition of and respect for diversity is an important aspect of the scholarly
ethic and your own learning will be enriched considerably by appreciating and
acknowledging that diversity.
What does diversity
The community in which you are studying (both your fellow students as well as
mean in academic
the staff) includes people from many different cultural backgrounds, whose
life?
diverse cultural perspectives can broaden and deepen the learning experiences
that you share with them.
The disciplines and subjects of study in UTS Business School are also diverse in
their assumptions and approaches and you may find that you need to
develop special ways of thinking and writing according to each subject. Within
any one field or topic of knowledge and scholarly enquiry, there are always
diverse perspectives.
Gu i d e t o W r i t i n g A s s i g n m en t s – UT S B u s i n e s s School 11
For every theory, there are usually multiple alternative and competing
theories; for every approach to solving a problem, there are usually multiple
other approaches.
It was very enlightening
to consider what a big
Your written assignment tasks will often be on topics that are controversial, and
effect people’s
the task for you will be to sift through diverse and often contradictory
backgrounds had on
perspectives. A scholarly ethic entails representing different points of view,
their perspectives. My
whilst also presenting your own critical perspective in a reasoned way,
assignments were a lot
substantiated by reference to scholarly literature.
richer when I started to
consider things from
The Business School takes seriously its responsibility to provide you with
other points of view
learning and assessment experiences that are culturally sensitive and that
that were very different
provide choices to help you prepare for your intended future contexts. You
from my own.
also have a responsibility to be aware of diversity in your approach to your
learning and to your written assignments.
Non-discriminatory language
The language choices that you make in your writing are as important as the
ideas themselves in demonstrating your understanding and respect for
diversity. Language is a major vehicle for the expression of prejudice or
discrimination, and the use of discriminatory language is both a symptom of,
and contributor to, the unequal status of diverse groups. The following are the
main forms of discriminatory language which should be avoided:
Extra-visibility or emphasis on difference
In many contexts it is quite unnecessary to mention a person's sex, race,
ethnic background or disability. Yet for members of minority groups these
How can language be
characteristics are often mentioned. This type of gratuitous specification
discriminatory?
may result in overemphasis on a particular characteristic, thus creating the
impression that the person referred to is somehow an oddity.
Stereotyping
A stereotype is a generalised and relatively fixed image of a person or
persons belonging to a particular group. This image is formed by isolating or
exaggerating certain features – physical, intellectual, cultural, occupational,
personal, and so on – which seem to characterise the group. Stereotypes
I hadn’t realised just
are discriminatory in that they take away a person's individuality. Although
how often I had been
they may reflect elements of truth, these are usually misinterpreted or
referring to people’s
inaccurate owing to oversimplification. The status of minority groups in
race or religion when it
society is often adversely influenced by prevailing stereotypes of them.
really wasn’t relevant. I
was glad that my
Derogatory labeling
lecturer pointed this
The discriminatory nature of derogatory labels used to describe members of
out in the feedback on
minority groups is often obvious. However, derogatory labels are still
my essay.
commonly used, and must be avoided.
Imposed labeling
A characteristic often shared by minority groups is their lack of power to
define themselves. Often the names and labels by which they are known,
whether derogatory or not, have been imposed on them. Imposed labelling
may be inaccurate in various ways and may also be alienating for the groups
it supposedly describes.
12
Guide to Writing Assignments - U T S Business School Gender-neutral language choices are preferable in your writing, and there is an
expectation that students’ assignments will not be written in discriminatory
language. For example, instead of writing ‘chairman’ or ‘spokesman’, it is more
appropriate to write ‘chairperson’ or ‘spokesperson’, since the gender of the
person is not relevant. When using a pronoun to refer in general to people,
there are many options available, but the preferred option is to use the plural
form ‘they’, as shown in the examples below:
These are gender-biased
Everyone needs his own copy.
and therefore not inclusive.
Everyone needs her own copy.
Inclusive, and easier to read Everyone needs their own copy.
.
Fairness and equity
As part of the University’s commitment to equity and fairness, there are
avenues available that take account of the diversity of students’ backgrounds
and circumstances of study. You may experience particular circumstances that
make it difficult for you to complete a written assignment, for example,
Can my special
because of a disability, or your carer responsibilities, or some specific cultural or
circumstances be
religious commitments. In such cases, it is possible that special adjustments
taken into account?
can be made to the assessment requirements.
Refer to the UTS ‘Procedures for the Assessment of Coursework Subjects’:
http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/documents/assessment-coursework-
procedures.pdf
Students with disabilities or ongoing medical conditions
If you are a student who has a disability or ongoing medical condition that
requires support services you are encouraged to contact the Disability Support
Officers or Special Needs Service (9514-1177) for a confidential interview.
Supporting documentation regarding your disability or ongoing medical
condition is required if you wish to apply for assessment adjustments, including
alternative assessment conditions. Each Faculty has appointed Academic
Liaison Officers (ALOs) who are responsible for approving assessment
adjustments. Meeting with the Disability Support Officers or Special Needs
Service before seeking assessment adjustments from your ALO is required.
Refer to the UTS Special Needs Service:
http://www.ssu.uts.edu.au/sneeds/index.html
You can find the names of the current ALOs for UTS Business School from the
Special Needs Service website:
http://www.ssu.uts.edu.au/sneeds/services/assessment/alo.html
Gu i d e t o W r i t i n g A s s i g n m en t s – UT S B u s i n e s s School 13
4 4.. T TH HE E S ST TR RU UC CT TU UR RE ES S O OF F W WR RIIT TT TE EN N A AS SS SIIG GN NM ME EN NT TS S
Sections 4 and 5 of the guide deal with the structures of written assignments,
based on the PRODUCTS or OUTCOMES of writing. Here you will find
descriptions and explanations of written assignments in terms of the
characteristics that can be observed from examples of effective assignments. In
Section 6, you will find explanations of the language and style of writing that
characterise assignments, so again the focus is on the products or outcomes.
This section of the Guide is complemented by Section 7 of the Guide which
focuses on the PROCESSES of writing. You might prefer to begin by reading a
process-oriented approach to writing, and then return later to this product-
oriented section.
Usually the written assignments in your coursework subjects will be described
in terms of the type of assignment you are expected to produce. Assignment
types that are common in UTS Business School include essays, reports, and
case studies, although there is considerable diversity, especially as you progress
through the years of study.
However, sometimes these labels are not always sufficient to clarify the
How is this
assignment structure and style of writing that is expected, or the labels may not be used
supposed to be
consistently in different subjects. For example, one subject may ask for an
structured? essay, and another subject may ask for a research report, yet the two tasks may
actually be very similar assignment types. Or sometimes a critical literature
review may be called a research report at postgraduate level. For this reason,
you need to see each assignment as distinctive and be aware of different
contexts and purposes. In some subjects, there will be time in lectures or
tutorials devoted to discussing the assignment requirements, or you may be
given additional written information to clarify the task.
The purpose of the assignment will tell you a lot about how it might be
structured. Some writing tasks, especially in the early part of an undergraduate
Go to Section 7 to course, are designed to ensure you understand some basic concepts in a new
read more about
field. Their purpose might be for you to describe the concept, to define it, or to
the process of
explain it. Perhaps you will be asked to summarise an article or chapter to
analysing the task.
demonstrate your understanding. More complex tasks could ask you to
critically evaluate an article, or to compare two different articles about the
same topic. Gradually, the written assignments you confront will become more
complex and more intellectually demanding.
As the task becomes more complex, the process tends to shift from re-telling of
existing knowledge, towards transforming that knowledge, and the scope of the
. task becomes more open-ended with you having a higher degree of autonomy
in defining and scoping the problem to be solved. Even in the most complex of
tasks requiring the highest level of transformation of knowledge, this process
depends upon being able to clearly describe and define concepts, that is, re-
telling what is known prior to reshaping this for your own purposes.
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS: What are the elements of written assignments?
There are many possible elements that can be included in the structure of
written assignments, but each assignment task will have its own expectations
about which elements need to be included. For example, a common structural
14
Guide to Writing Assignments - U T S Business School element for written assignments is an introduction, but not all assignments will
require an abstract or synopsis. An important part of working out what is
required for your written assignment is determining what the structural
elements are. Equally importantly, you need to consider what the best
sequence will be for these elements.
Often your assignment task or other information in your Subject Outline will
explain particular requirements regarding the structural elements of your
assignment, and in what order they should be presented. But on other
occasions, a part of your problem-solving in preparing the assignment will be
to determine for yourself what the structural parts and their sequence should
be. Importantly, each written assignment task is different and may have
different requirements for its structure, so you need to ensure you understand
what is expected on each occasion.
The typical structural elements that are referred to below are presented in the
order or sequence that they might normally appear in a written assignment,
although no single assignment would have all these elements, so you need to
analyse the task carefully to determine what elements are needed.
A TITLE FOR YOUR WOR K
At more advanced levels of study involving independent research, for example,
in higher degree research studies, the written outcomes (final thesis
dissertation, journal articles for publication, etc.) need to have a distinctive title
created by the researcher.
By contrast, most coursework assignments do not require an original title to be
prepared by the student since all students work on a common task. Instead,
the assignment is usually labeled by the name of the subject and the particular
assignment.
However, there may be occasions when you are required to prepare a title for
your work. Here are some general principles to guide your choice:
A title’s purpose is to attract a potential reader, and to help make the work
discoverable through electronic searching.
An effective title should include the main key words which indicate the
topic area(s) of the work. That is, the title needs to convey WHAT the work
is about.
As well as the main key topic words, an effective title can also include
something about WHY or HOW the work was undertaken, and/or indicating
what were the significant or distinctive findings from the work – or SO
WHAT.
It can be useful to separate the title into two segments – the WHAT
segment, and the SO WHAT segment – with the two parts separated by a
colon. This can convey a significant amount of detail to help the reader
determine whether the work is likely to be interesting for them.
For a title to endure, it may be advisable to avoid titles which depend upon
local knowledge or highly topical events or issues.
Here is an example of a title which began as a simple WHAT title, and finished
as a more focused, precise and informative SO WHAT one. The first title is a
simple knowledge-telling title, suggesting the work will be like an encyclopedia
entry (summarising everything there is to know about the topic). By contrast,
the final title indicates that the work will provide an analytical and critical
perspective.
Gu i d e t o W r i t i n g A s s i g n m en t s – UT S B u s i n e s s School 15
Example of an evolving title
Focus on WHAT the
The COP Registration System
work was about
Focus on WHY / HOW
the work was done, that An Evaluation of the COP Registration System
is, its purpose / method
Focus on WHY / HOW
the work was done, and
WHAT sub-group the
An Evaluation of the COP Registration System: The Perspective
work investigated
of Service Providers
Focus on SO WHAT, that
is, what the impact of the
work has been
An Evaluation of the COP Registration System: Service
Providers Creating Partnerships to Improve Quality
TITLE PAGE
A title page is not normally necessary for coursework assignments if you are
required to attach an assignment cover sheet to the front of your submission.
Check your Subject Outline for details about these requirements. The
Go to Section 8 to
assignment cover sheet includes all the information that would normally be
find out more
included in a title page, and also provides a declaration that you sign certifying
about attaching a
cover sheet. that the work is your own and the assignment was prepared in accordance
with the principles of academic integrity and scholarship.
TAB LE OF CON TENTS
A Table of Contents is usually needed when an assignment is quite long and
complex, as a guide to help the reader see the structure at a glance and find
sections by their page number. It is commonly used for reports, and
sometimes discussion or position papers, but not often for essays and
literature reviews. As well as listing the sections and sub-sections of your
assignment with their page numbers, the Table of Contents should also include
tables, figures and other visual material, as well as Appendices. Normally, two
levels of internal headings would be included, although very long reports may
show three levels of headings. This Guide has a Table of Contents which shows
three levels of headings.
ACKN OWLEDGEM EN TS
An acknowledgements section would normally only be included in an
assignment or research report of substantial size, or in a thesis or article for
publication. An acknowledgements section can simply constitute a list of
names of those who have contributed in some way, or a brief summary of the
nature of the contribution may also be included. It is usual to acknowledge:
Individuals who have assisted substantially with the research or writing
16
Guide to Writing Assignments - U T S Business School Organisations which have provided financial or other support (for example,
a scholarship or grant)
Your supervisor (for research higher degree students)
Individuals who have provided peer review and/or editorial feedback
EX ECUTIVE SUMM ARY
The inclusion of a brief summary (‘Executive Summary’) is standard reporting
practice and is meant to act as a guide to the contents of the report and to
highlight major conclusions and recommendations. The Executive Summary
derives its name from the practice of providing the executives of an
organisation, that is, those responsible for making decisions and taking
appropriate action, with a concise outline of the major points in a report to
save them time. The detail can be pursued in more depth later by a complete
reading of the report. The structure of the Executive Summary should follow
the structure of the report and include brief statements on the following:
definition of the problem
aims and objectives
methods/data sources
key findings
conclusions
any recommendations for action.
The Executive Summary should be brief and succinct, and may use point form
to achieve this. As a rule-of-thumb, allow one page for every 5,000 words up to
a maximum of five pages, and using headings in longer Executive Summaries.
The inclusion of an Executive Summary is not a substitute for
discussion/exposition in the full report.
Example of an Executive Summary
This report provides an analysis and evaluation of the current and prospective
Problem context &
profitability, liquidity and financial stability of Outdoor Equipment Ltd.
Purpose of report
Methods of analysis include trend, horizontal and vertical analyses as well as
ratios such as Debt, Current and Quick ratios. Other calculations include rates of
Method
return on Shareholders’ Equity and Total Assets and earnings per share to name
a few. All calculations can be found in the appendices.
Results of data analysed show that all ratios are below industry averages. In
Results
particular, comparative performance is poor in the areas of profit margins,
liquidity, credit control, and inventory management.
The report finds the prospects of the company in its current position are not
Conclusions
positive. The major areas of weakness require further investigation and remedial
action by management. Recommendations include:
improving the average collection period for accounts receivable
Recommendations
improving/increasing inventory turnover
reducing prepayments and perhaps increasing inventory levels
The report also investigates the fact that the analysis conducted has limitations.
Limitations For example, as current information was not available, the results are based on
past performance, and forecasting figures are not provided.
Adapted from Woodward-Kron, R. 1997, Writing in Commerce: a guide to
assist Commerce students with assignment writing, (Revised edition), Centre
for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, The University of Newcastle.
Gu i d e t o W r i t i n g A s s i g n m en t s – UT S B u s i n e s s School 17
SYN OPSIS/ AB STR ACT
An essay assignment sometimes requires a Synopsis or Abstract, in a similar
way to the use of an Executive Summary for a report (see above). An abstract
is often just a single paragraph. Your Subject Outline or other details you have
been provided about the assignment task will clarify whether you need to
include this.
Like an executive summary, a Synopsis or Abstract serves the purpose of
helping the reader to see in advance what the main points of the essay will be.
It is important to ensure the key critical perspective or point of view is included
in the Synopsis or Abstract, which typically follows a structure made up of brief
statements on each of the following:
purpose of the essay
structure of the essay
main critical perspective / point of view / thesis
conclusion
The Abstracts that typically preface articles published in academic journals
usually provide a good model of the way that an Abstract should be written for
an essay. The following example is the Abstract for a published journal article
about an empirical research study with statistical findings, but its structure is
basically similar to an Abstract that would be written for an essay.
Example of an Abstract
Abstract
There has been a lot of research done to better understand the effects of taxation
Orientation to topic
(importance of topic) on cigarette consumption. Since cigarettes are addictive, it could be expected
that taxation would have little or no effect on the number of cigarette smoked
Focus (hypothesis)
per day or the percentage of smokers within a given population. This paper aims
to investigate these effects and, more specifically, to differentiate between adult
Purpose/goal
smokers and underage smokers. It will be shown that the percentage of adult
smokers does not change with taxation whereas the percentage of underage
smokers decreases significantly when excise taxes on cigarettes increase. In
Key findings
addition, it will also be shown that the average number of cigarettes smoked per
day decreases as well.
Sylvain, S. 2008, ‘The Effects of Excise Tax on Cigarette Consumption:
A Divergence in the Behavior of Youth and Adults’, Michigan Journal of
Business, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 87-109.
GLOSSARY OF TERM S
If your written assignment contains many specialist terms or ones whose
definitions are very particular to the assignment and therefore requiring
special explanation, it may be appropriate to list all such terms in a glossary,
which should sit on a separate page. This is unlikely to be required for most
smaller-scale coursework assignments.
18
Guide to Writing Assignments - U T S Business School LIST OF ABBR EVIATIONS
If your written assignment contains many specialist abbreviations or acronyms,
it may be appropriate to collect together a list of these to sit on a separate
page, allowing the reader to cross-refer to the list to check the meaning. In the
body of the assignment, you should always provide the full wording of any
such specialist shortened terms on the first occasion that you use them, but
then subsequent reference to that term can be by use of the shorter form.
LIST OF TABLES/FIGUR ES
If your written assignment makes use of a lot of tables, figures and other visual
material, it may be appropriate to collect together a list of these to sit on a
separate page. Such a list should include the number and title of each item as
well as their page number.
INTR ODUCTION
An introduction is an essential element of any complete written assignment,
whether it is an essay, a report, an oral presentation, etc. The introduction
serves as a map for the reader to the whole assignment, and would normally
be no more than 10% – 15% of the total length of the assignment. In longer
assignments, the introduction may comprise multiple paragraphs, whilst in a
research thesis it would normally comprise an entire chapter.
An introduction to an essay will normally comprise at least one full paragraph
or up to several paragraphs for longer essays. Essay introductions often
achieve several purposes, as demonstrated in the example below, although not
all these stages are necessarily present in every introduction. Most essay
introductions also include a statement of the ‘thesis’ or point of view that the
essay will argue. Often lecturers will prefer you to include such a statement to
help them understand your essay better.
Example introduction for an essay
Orientation to topic
Every manager has probably experienced ....... at some time in their career, and
to establish interest,
has probably wondered why it has occurred. Smith (2002) has commented that
and identify a problem
in spite of the hundreds of studies that have been reported, managers are
to be solved.
nowhere near having a complete understanding of ........ Indeed, a survey
conducted by Jones (2004) concluded that 73% of business failures were
Focus (or sub-topic)
caused at least indirectly by ........ This paper will focus upon one of the
more recent of.….,. The paper will review the research conducted upon the
Scope (or limitations)
use of behaviourally anchored rating scales during the period from 1999 to
2005 in small and medium sized enterprises. The review is motivated by the
Purpose
search for practical methods that managers can use.
The first section of this paper will deal with the general confusion surrounding
transactional leadership by raising problems of the diversity of definitions, lack
Outline of essay
of proper research designs, the cultural embeddedness of the concept and an
over-reliance on anecdotal evidence. The review of literature will show that….
Point of view argued
While a variety of definitions of the term ....... has been suggested, this paper
Definition of terms
will use the definition first suggested by Brown (2001), who saw it as ........
Gu i d e t o W r i t i n g A s s i g n m en t s – UT S B u s i n e s s School 19
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