ACU STUDY GUIDE: SKILLS FOR SUCCESS 3rd edition ACADEMIC SKILLS UNITer eee rere er TT Chapter 5 The assignment writing process The 8 steps to writing success 1. Analyse the question ——_—_—_——— 2. Brainstorm the topic 3. Create a preliminary argumenvoosition 4, Make a preliminary plan 5. Research, read and make notes_ 6. Revise your plan | 7. Write the assignment } $+ _ B.Ecitand prootread your work Checklist for assignment writing 5, While new students at university bring varied writing skills wich them, many will be novices at academic writing. Assignments are central to learning and assessment, No matter what the assignmenc task is, ie will be more manageable ifyou view the process as a series of steps.ence © ACU Study Guide The 8 steps to writing success “The structure and writing style of each assignment cype you are required More on this Soe Cp Fst oe, to complete may differ, so its important ro be clear about what your iorefomaton on ferent pect discipline, or area of study, requites. [Fit is an academic essay, which is assignments, the focus of this chapter, you will need to indicate your main points and arguments through parageaphing.Ific isa business report or ease study, you ean use headings and numbering o show section divisions. The assessment criteria will guide you in how marks are allocated. Check with ‘you have any concerns your lecturer, tutor or an Academic Skills Advise about what is expected. “The tasks of researching, reading and note-taking take time, so allow for this when planning your study. Many assignments require you to write a response of 1,500 words or more, and often you will need to work on more than one assignment at once. You will need time to read widely, think critically, write, and then review and polish your writing before i is handed in, Students will differ in the way they approach their assignments, however there are steps you can follow to develop scholatly writing skills. In practice, the steps overlap and are interconnected; you will find out what XM ‘works best for you with experience, 1. Analyse the question a Before you begin reading or writing, make sure that you engage with the Student tip question, understand it, and sce its potential. Assessment criteria for a terete cmc gue High Distinction (HID) at ACU invariably include such terms as critical cutie teswiesbnors awe analysis evaluation and critical thinking, In other words, ou need to be Ben, ACU student asking the questions: what, why, who, how and so what. These questions encourage you to think deeply aboue the task and respond insighefully. ‘When you analyse the question you will need to identify: Direction task words: These are words chat tell you what leceurers wane you zo do with the topic, Content words: ‘These words identify the areas within your unit content which you need to focus on. For example in Business you might be focussing on management models, in Health Sciences L i might be nutsing sills, or in Education ic might be child developmentee ee I er er TT ETT Chapter 5: The assignment writing process @_... Limiting words: These are the words that limit or restrict what should be covered in the eas, such asa specific time period or place, and the word length ofthe assignment. Common direction/task words Analyse Break dowa an issue into its components or essential features and explain how they relat 0 each other. s Compare Identify ewo ar more views about the same issues discuss Pe els and diferences Discuss Consider an sue from various points of view, including key points forand against and dra a concosion. Evaluate Judge or asses the worth of something supported by . e feleane evidence oe ; Examine Tnvestigaee an issue carefully and in detail presene rn immplicstions. Explain Giveaclear and derailed account, including description " and analysis ofan isue or event * i Justify Show evidence for; present facts to support your position, Task Analysis “Try to identify the direction/task, content and limiting words in the question below. 4 Since the introduction of Miduifory courses in Australian universities, the wt standard of care of motbersand babies hs improved. Discuss sis statement in less than 1,500 words, Direction: Discuss Content: Midwifery courses at universities; standard of care; mothers and ae 7 : Limiting: Australian; 1.500 words F ‘Acche same time as you are analysing che question, examine che 1 assessment criteria in your unit outline carefully. By using both che {qoestion and the assessment eritera, you should have a clear indication ‘of what your lecturer i expecting you to do inthe assignment,"==® ACU Study Guide 40 Saeaaas 2. Brainstorm the topic ‘You will probably already know something abous the topic from yous lectures or readings; brainstorming will encourage you to make connections between ideas and give your reading greater focus. You will develop your own way of brainstorming; some students write the topic in the centre of the page and record the free-flow of ideas that come into their head ~ relevane and less relevant. They can then examine what has been ‘written and consider what is relevant 3. Create a preliminary argument/position For most written assignments you will be expected to formulate an argument: this argument is sometimes called your thesis starement or your position on an issue. This is nota factual statement but a claim that you will attempt to support throughout che assignment, Ir ensures that your writing will not look ike a collection of summaries of vaguely relaced readings Have your argument clear before you begin writing, Establish your argument in the introduction and carry itchrough every paragraph to the conclusion. The thesis or argument is the backbone of your written assignment, with the supporting evidence and examples providing the substance, ‘Most topics do not lead co full agreement or disagreement. Below is an example of the process of developing your position on topic. ‘A successful leader Is born not made. Discuss this statement. You could visa aconeinaum beoneen agrecing and dcgresing with seen a Na abene wer, you ae posfoned on th contnatm Su dent your arguments soppar ths postion. ageee disagree a) (leaders are born) (leaders are made)SATS TT Chapter 5: The assignment writing process @_.. Look at how four students have weiteen completely different thesis statements in response to he topic, a) Nature has always won over aurcuce in the creation of successful leaders. (Fully agree) 9) Mos accel adr as he a of genes hgh for have risen go postions of power eheough exposure tothe tight people andexpecences. (Barta grt, wit some rsereatons) 6) Some successful leaders are boen that way, but most ate the result of lie experience. (Partially disagree, with rome resereations) 4) Allsuccessful leaders are the product of a good education and varied experiences. (Fully disagree) 4, Make a preliminary plan Using ideas from your brainscorming session, create a basi plan for | the assignment’ structure and content. This will give direction to | your research. Think about how you will sequence your ideas, and the supporting cvidence and examples you will include under each topic o a subtopic. Stru ure your ideas to develop your argument For your writing to be clear, your ideas need to be organised, or structured, inn accessible way. The reason for clear structuce isso the reader can easily follow your thoughe process. A well-structured text uses the conventions of introduction, topic sentences, paragraphing and conclusion to make the argument clear to the reader. A good academic argument has More on this ‘+ an introduction in which the writer makes the argument clear Ferme nfrmaton on suturing an and indicates the points that wil be presented to support that assignment ert Chap 6 sys ‘i | argument and more i + abody consisting of a series of paragraphs, cach with a topic i sentence which clearly introduces a new main point + aconclusion which draws together the main points that have been made in the developmene of the argument. ”© ACU Study Guide More on this feferto Chapter 4, Research, reading ‘and note-taking Using the word limit to help structure your essay Once you have outlined an inival plan, consider che breakdown of yout assignment. For example, ifyou have a 1,500 word essay you may consider examining no more than 4 or 5 main points in 10-12 paragraphs. [A practical guide to use isthe 10:80:10 rule. Thats, che introduction takes Lup no more than 109% of the otal word limit, the body has about 80% and the conclusion has the remaining 10%. Using this guideline, a 1,500 word essay could have: Introduction: 10% (approximately 150 words) Body: 80% (1,200 words: approximately 10-12 paragraphs) Conclusion: 10% (approximately 150 words) 1f'you use this technique to plan your writeen assignment, you will break the task into manageable parts. It also helps you to recognise that within these word limits, what you write will nced to be relevant and meee the assessment criteria. 5. Research, read and make notes Your plan will help to identify which aspects ofthe question you need more information on. At his stage, ou should have genetated some {questions to guide your reading. You now need to consider the type of evidence that will strengehen your argument or support your position. Has the leceurer directed you to particular readings in the unit outline? As you read, you can decide if the information from one writer supports, opposes or gives different explanation to that of another writer. In making notes, ery to summarise key points in your own words rather than copying word for word. This will help you understand the information you are reading, Ie will also protect you from unintentionally tusing direct quotations in your writing without acknowledging the ‘source, Itis essential to keep an accurate record of where you found all information so that you can use ie in your assignment and reference it appropriatelyeer eer ee eer re Chapter 5: The assignment writing process @ ti 6. Revise your plan Your ideas will develop and may even change from your reading on the topic. This is often a good time to modify and add details to your plan. Your plan should clearly show how you are going to map out your main s points, paragraphs and the evidence you will use to support them. Iris d cssential co read through both the question and the assessment criteria again at chs stage to ensure your plan matches the task you have been given, 7. Write the assignment “The focus of a well-structured paragraph should be one key idea, In academic writing this idea is clearly signposted in the topic sentence, ‘which is usually the opening sentence. a ‘The remaining sentences ofthe paragraph provide support and evidence, and should have a clear connection and relevance to your key idea. Remember, you are expected to discuss and analyse the supporting evidence from your reading, not just provide a summary. The final sentence in your paragraph brings together the main points made in the : paragraph, and provides a link to the idea in the following paragraph. 8. Edit and proofread your work cis best to leave your draft fora day or two so that you can edit and. 4 proofread it from a fresh perspective. When editing your draft, you | should be able to sce why each piece of information is included and how it connects with every other piece of information. If for example, you read ' something thar you think does not belong in your answer to the question, in consider removing it and perhaps replacing ie wich a more relevant or subscaneial point. Also, try to identify where connections between ideas could be improved, Prooftcading isthe skill oFdentifying and correcting inconsistencies of lve language and presentation. Typical errors include misspelling terms, using : the wrong word (c.g. their, there, they're), and poor punctuation. These sorts of errors ae distracting to the reader, detract from meaning and give the impression of carelessness and lack of professionalism on the part of the writer. 8 y=© ACU Study Guide Ideally, every written assignment should be carefully read, reread and reread again, by you and anyone else whois willing, Sometimes it is difficule wo identify errors of inconsistencies, so getting someone else t0 read it can be useful. Being able to edit and proofread your own work is a valuable skill which, with practice, will help you refine your writing and ultimately become a better writer. Spending time polishing yous writing will make i easier for your leceuser to follow your argument and result in a better assignment overall. Finally be sure that your assignment is formatted according to the lecturers’ instructions in the unie outline. This will include fone style, point size, page numbering and line spacing, Writing in a scholarly way is new to most students starting at university. “The ability to write in che style valued by each discipline is something students learn and continue to develop throughout their course, and their professional life after graduation.eee rr er re TTT Chapter 5: The assignment writing process @__. Checklist for assignment writing ‘Use the checklist below to identify areas where you need to refine your draft. 1 Content and organisation «Ihave answered all pares of the question. + [havea clearly organised structure appropriate to che eype of assignment, + Thavea clear line of argument running through the entire assignment. The separate parts logically elate to each other, and support che thesis or argument. + Thave closely followed the marking criteria, ‘ Argument and research + Thave demonstrated understanding of che relevane research, Hits concepts, and/or theories. + Thave used appropriate sources to support my argument 4 or discussion throughout the assignment. My sources are current, reliable, and relevant Use of evidence and referencing + Thave paraphrased carefully, raking care to put inco my own words the ideas of others, and correctly cited the source of those ideas. + Thave used direct quotes sparingly and for effect, raking care 4 to indicate (with quotation marks) where the cited source ani begins and ends. «Ihave referenced all sources accurately according to the conventions specified in my unit outline, and included a reference list ot bibliography. Presentation and Style i «have used appropriate academic language and style, : ‘+ Thave accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation. ' + Thave clear and consistent formatting, © Thave adhered to the word limit, + Thave attached a cover sheet and assessment criteria sheet if required.