planning and writing university assignments

7/31/2019 Planning and Writing University Assignments

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Planning and WritingUniversity Assignments

CAROL HUNTER

AN OTAGO STUDY GUIDE


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The Student Learning CentreThe Higher Education Development Centre

University of Otago

PO Box 56DunedinNew Zealand

email: [email protected] address: www.otago.ac.nz/slc

First published 2009

Copyright 2009 The Student Learning CentreUniversity of Otago

All rights reserved. Students enrolled at the University of Otago may copy parts, or

all, of the Guide for personal use. Staff of the University may copy the Guide forstudents enrolled at the University of Otago. They may also use parts of the Guide

as teaching materials with appropriate acknowledgement. Otherwise, no part of the

Guide may be reproduced in any form without prior permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-0-9582741-4-2

Acknowledgements

Grateful thanks to Pauline Brook and Nell Smith for their comments and

proofreading assistance, and to Sarah McQuid for providing a valuable student

perspective.


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U n i v e r s i t y o f o t a g o

Planning and Writing

University Assignments

Carol Hunter

Otago Study Guides

Student Learning Centre

University of Otago

Dunedin


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p l a n n i n g a n d w r i t i n g u n i v e r s i t y a s s i g n m e n t s


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CONTENTS

ioco 1Ch 1: p - 2

Coc oo 2r k o 4

Ch 2: w 6wh ? 6

wh o 6F o oo 7s o oc oo 9

i h qo o oc 9ebh oc co 11p ok 12do h 16sc h 17w h oco 18w h co 21

w h coco 22a o bo 23

Ch 3: Cq o jo c 24C cq ok 25w h cq 27

Ch 4: w ch o 29

Ch 5: w b o 32

Ch 6: poc oh oc 34sc o h 34

lk 35w h coco 40acc o 43poo 44rc 46H o 46

Bboh 48

ax 1: a o xc 49


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TABLES

tb 1: t o h oo 3tb 2: t o k o 4tb 3: F o oo 7tb 4: e 8tb 5: i co 10tb 6: ex o ok 13tb 7: a ok 15

tb 8: to o-o c 17tb 9: F o oo oco 18tb 10: C o - co 21

tb 11: F o oo coco 22tb 12: Qo o cq x 25tb 13: s ok o c cq 26tb 14: ex o cc 27tb 15: s ok co o ch o 30tb 16: s ok co o b o 32tb 17: ph c o 34

tb 18: so h co 36tb 19: ex o h 42tb 20: e chck 44

BOXES

Box 1: Bk o h qo o oc 11Box 2: t o bk o h qo o oc 12Box 3: ex o oco 19Box 4: ex o coco 22


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1


INTRODUCTION

i o h o oh h hc h h . a k h, o h o h c o o o o h c , fcjo, o, o cq. ech o h h c chcc q, o , oc cc o x o ko h xc. th o o h g oh h o o o ho xco, o h co bo

ck co h o h b o h b.

w- o o oc oh, o h h

o o -. th co h o , i ho, c h ho ho h k: How do I get started?t c o h oo, , k o.

e c b c ch, o co o . w h ook cq, ch o, b o, h q o c cob o co o

co, h x o o.

th h c o cc o co: o, o, .

yo o ch qo : Can I say I in an essay?; I know whatI want to say, but how can I link my ideas; How ormal does my writing have to bewhen Im giving my opinion?; o, , Can I give my opinion?.

w o ook o o oc oh oc: c,oo , o o.

w, k c, o oc o obbco o co co h o, h k obo bck o o c. so o o o o h o

o o bo o o .

thoho h xc c o oc o o h .a o h xc o ax 1.


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2


CHAPTER 1: PLANNING AND PRE-WRITING

PLANNING YOUR TIME

poc o hh k . a h oc cc o ch h oc, hk bo h , c hoo o c, oh, h bck o o ch, hk, o o. so, h o o, First Ill do this, then Ill do that, h h o oc h k b o h , o o o k h o c bo ho o h k, bo oco o b oh o ko h o . th

bc o o o o c

ndinginformation

readingandtakingnotes

grouping,sortingandorderinginformation

developinganoutline

puttingtogetherarstdraft

redraftingandwritingthenalversion

checkingreferences

compilingthereferencelist

editingandproofreading

th h c o ho b h. so okh c k coc c c h q o o ok co b k.

th o o o ho o o :c, o ho b o oh 35% h o oh 10%.

a - o hk bo oo o c o

co oo: k oc o c o o

bcko , o o o o h .

COLLECTING INFORMATION

a oo c o h oo o o o oc o o, oh co . whch o ho k ,coc, c, ho h o b bo o h oc?

yo o h k o x o ch bo c o

. Ko ho o oo qck c k k oo ob ho o b b co.


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3


Foo h o h oo o tb 1 bo.

Table 1: Tips or gathering inormation

Take a Library tour, or ChecktheCentralLibraryfordetails:http://www.seek a one on one tutorial library.otago.ac.nz. DistancestudentscancontacttheRemoteLibrarian.

Use only authoritatie Information used in university assignments mustsources befromreputableauthorsandpublishers,suchas universities,governmentdepartmentsorcorporations.

AvoidwebsitessuchasWikipedia,whereauthorsare

unknownandinformationisoftenunreliable.

Choose journal articles Textbooksaregoodforageneraloverviewbuttakeoer textbooks longertoread,andalsomaybeoutofdate.Onthe otherhand,journalarticlesareusuallyeasiertoread

becausetheyhaveaspecicfocus,andarealsolikely

tobemoreup-to-date.

Use a starter reerence Ifpossible,identifyarelevant,up-to-datejournal

articleonyourtopicandndfurthersourcesfromits

referencelist.Thiswillsavealotoftimeincatalogue

searching.

Know the major journals Everysubjectofstudyhasitsprominentjournals. Identifythesefromyourreadinglist,oraskyour

tutor.Checkoutrecentvolumesandscantablesof

contentstitlesofjournalarticlescloselyreecttheir

content so youll readily identify those relevant to

yourassignment.

Identiy key authors Certainauthorswillrepeatedlycropupinyour readingsandinotherauthorsreferencelists.Check

databasesforwhatelsetheyhavewrittenonyourtopic.Know how much is enough Assignmentinstructionssometimesmentionhow manysourcesmustbeconsultedforanassignment,

butifyourenotsure,askyourtutororlecturer.

Theresfrequentlythetemptationtokeeplookingfor

morematerial:conscientiousstudentscanover-

researchandbecomesubmergedinamountainof

informationtothepointofnotbeingabletodeal

withtheassignment.


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4


READING AND MAKING NOTES

r k o o o b o

c h o k h oo o ook o h oo hch o . uc k o o occ. th oo o o o o k o.

Table 2: Tips or eectie reading and note-making

Read selectiely Youre not usually expected to read everything in a coursereadinglist,especiallyintherstfewweeksof

yourcourse.Selectwhatyouneed,whenyouneedit,

andreadforbackgroundastimeallows.

Read critically Approachallreadingwithanenquiringmind.Avoid acceptingideasoropinionsasuniversaltruths.Look

forauthorbias,andbeopentodifferentperspectives.

First, gain an oeriew Beforeclosereading,getthebigpicture.Lookat tablesofcontents,chapterandsectionheadings,tables,

andgraphs;readabstracts,introductionsand

conclusions.Whatcanyoutellfromhowthetext

isdivided,thevarioussectionsandtheirheadings?For

example,bold,uppercase,lowercase,etc.,distinguish

majorpointsfromsubpoints.

As you read, ask yoursel Theresnopointproceedingwithareadingifyoureuestions notunderstandingit.Stopandask,Whatdoesthe authormeanbythis?Ifyoucantprovidetheanswer,

re-readthetext.Clarifyyourunderstandingby

discussingwithotherstudents,orwithyourlecturer

ortutor.

I necessary, take a step Itsnotunusualforsomeacademictextstobequiteback difculttounderstand,whichisoftenmoretodo withthelanguageandstyleofthewriterthanthe

subjectitself.Ifaftertwoorthreereadingsyourestill

ndingatexthard-going,takeonestepbackand

followupacoupleofpublicationsfromitsreference

list.Readingwhatotherssaycanmakeadifculttext

easiertounderstand.


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Aoid the technicolour Resisthighlightingkeypointsonrstreading.Aseaterror ofmulti-colouredstripesisnothelpful,andwhatseem

keypointsatrst,maynotbe.Highlightonly informationtoreturntolaterforyourassignment.

Dont waste time copying Thinkaboutwhyyouneedtheinformation:askblocks o text yourself,whatsthepointIwanttomake?.Then

summarisetheideainyourownwords.Checkthe

originaltomakesureyouhaventchangedthe

meaning.(Youstillmustreferencethesource.)

Keep ull reerencing Carefullyrecordallreferencedetails,including details publisher,placeofpublication,etc.Alotoftimecanbe

wastedtryingtotrackdownthesedetailslater.

Notewhosaid what Marknotestodistinguishbetweendirectquotes, paraphrases,andyourownideas.Confusingthesein

your assignment may lead to incorrect referencing or

unintentionalplagiarism.


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FEATURES OF A GOOD ESSAY

lc oo o o x o h h ook o h k ,

b h b h o q coo. so o h q qbc, ch h o h oc h co hoh h , hoh, o o h c chq, o coc xc. th o oo o tb 3 bo.

Table 3: Features o a good essay

Correctlyinterpretstheessayquestionortopic,andanswersitfully.

Putsforwardawell-thought-outargumentandlineofreasoning,ratherthanmerely

reproducinginformationfromsourcematerial.Treatsthetopicinsufcientdepth,withevidenceofthoroughresearch.

Demonstratesunderstandingofkeyprinciples,theories,andconcepts,andbuilds

theseintothediscussion.

Maintainsfocus,keepingrelevanttothequestion.

Iscohesive,i.e.,hangstogetherasawhole,andlogicallystructured.

Expressesideasclearly;isfreeofclumsyorawkwardphrasing,anderrorsinspelling,

grammar,andvocabulary.Providesreferencesforsourcematerial,intherequiredreferencingstyle.

Keepstothewordlimit,withoutbeingsubstantiallyunderorover.

Demonstratesinterestin,andenthusiasmfor,thetopic.


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i o h o h bo c b h o o o fch o o ok o , co hh o h oo h :

Table 4: Essay pitalls

Didyouaddresstheessayquestionortopic,withoutgoingoff-trackormissing

someimportantaspect?

Didyouuseobscureorout-of-datepublications,ornon-authoritativesources

(e.g.,Wikipediaorsimilar)?

Didyouincludetoomanydirectquotations?Anoveruseofquotesthecutand

pasteessaysuggestsalackofunderstandingofthetopic.Quotesshouldbeused

infrequently,andonlyforspecialeffectortoemphasiseapoint.Didyouressaylackstructure orow,driftingfromonepointtoanother,seemingly

withoutdirection?

Wasyourargumentbasedongeneralisations,sweepingstatements,orunsupported

claims?

th oo co o h o o ch h oo o h.


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9


STEPS TO PRODUCE A GOOD ESSAY

wh i k h h hk o , h b ostructure ow, b o h h coc o h o. i co h k oh o coco, h h q strong oundation, solid ramework, interlinkingparts ho h h ho o co. so ho oundation, ramework interlinkingch ? a h coco, h the planning,the building, the fnishing-o. w ook ch o h .

po co h o o h

h oo. no ook h

h .

INTERPRETING THE qUESTION OR TOPIC

i ho o ho h cc o oo coc h qo, b o o h o qo, o o cox o.

F, co ho h oc ho b h. Fo x, h co o compare and contrasttho y h tho X, o o o o h j

describe h o ho h oc o b o o h similarities dierences. s, h co o assess o explore, o o c o a summaryo outline, o h h o o h .


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tb 5 bo o o co ho h h b, b o h h o o o o b c, h o chb (.., analyse discuss). i o o

ho o och h , chck h o o o c.

Table 5: Interpreting essay instructions

Instruction Suggested interpretation

analyse Treatthetopicinsomedepth,examiningallrelevantissues.Identify

discuss keycomponents,theories,principles,orconcepts.Afterconsidering

consider allperspectives,developaviewpointinresponsetotheessay

question,andsupportyourreasoningwithevidenceasappropriate.

assess Examineallaspectsandmakeajudgementastoqualityor

attr ibutes.Mayinvolveidentifyingcauseandeffect,implications

andimpacts,orstrengthsandweaknesses.

compare and Analyseallissues,butfocusonsimilaritiesanddifferences.Identify

contrast majorunderlyingconceptsorthemesanddiscusswheretheyagree

ordisagree,whattheyhaveincommonandwheretheydiverge.

critique Treatinadetailedandanalyticalway.Willinvolvesomedescription

review butmostimportantlyajudgementastoquality,highlightingstrengths

evaluate orweaknesses,advantagesordisadvantages.

defne Giveprecisemeaning.Describeandclarify.Mayinvolveshowing

differentinterpretations,orexplainingboundariesorlimitations.

Provideexample/sifappropriate.

describe Provideaccurateandpreciseinformation;illustratewithexample/s

whereappropriate.

examine Inspectindetail,investigatethoroughly.Identifyallimportantaspects.

explore

outline Brieydescribe,summarisemainfeaturesorprinciples.Clearlydene

stagesinaprocess.Omitlesserdetail.

questions, e.g.: Specifydetails,giveprecise,accurateinformation.Analyseallrelevant

how? perspectives,issues.Answermustshowconviction,supportedby

why? example/sifappropriate.

what?

summarise Provideashortenedversioninyourownwords,highlightingmajor

pointsandomittinglessimpor tantdetail.


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11


ESTABLISHING FOCUS AND SCOPE

a oc o qo och o o h h

cox o o o o , o c h o hqo q c j. i o o c h o h qo, h bo. i h o bk h qo o coo . wok hoh h oc h oo qo x1.

In recent years, many New Zealand tourist operators have been using the eco label

to market their ventures, claiming responsible environmental and conservation practices.

However, there is some argument over whether such claims can be justifed. Discuss the

current debate involving New Zealands ecotourism industry. What role, i any, should

government play in respect to ecotourism? Is there a role or the tourism industry itsel?

Box 1: Breaking down the essay uestion or topic

Instruction word/s DiscussandWhat?

(See Table 5)

Focus Claimsmadebyecotourismoperators. Counterclaimsbyopponents.

Twosidestothedebatewhosesidedoestheevidence

support? Shouldthegovernmentplayarole?

Shouldthetourismindustrybeinvolved?

Range and Ecotourism.boundaries NewZealand. Centralgovernment?Localgovernment?Regionalcouncils?

Tourismindustry.

tho, h co o h : () hNew Zealandcox (hoh hco o h c oh co oo); (b), ecotourism( oo o nature o o adventure o, hoh h bo); (c) h b h c o co co h co co h cc; () h o o o o c; () h o o ho .

i coc o h qo h , oh qo , c, ch co bco c.

1

Theessaytopicandcontentusedinexamplesarectitious,includingthesituationsandnamesoforganisations.


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Table 6: Example o an essay ramework

Major points Sub-points Supporting material

(Introduction)

Claim 1 Activitiesaresustainablebecausethere WildlifeTourCompanyLtd isnodamagetonativeoraorfauna. AdventureToursLtd

Highlander Small Group

Tours

(brochures&websites)

Counter claim (i)Damagetokakabeak,nativeax,& FriendsoftheHighlands kowhaifrom4WDs. January2008report

(ii)Depletedkakapoandkeanumbers. MinistryofSustainable ImpactreportJune2008

Clark&Jones,2007

Claim 2 Accommodationbuilttogreenbuilding SerendipityLodge,Kaikoura standardsismoreecologicallysoundthan SevenHillsSpaandResort,

non-greenaccommodation:solarenergy Alexandra

heating,windfarms. (brochuresandwebsites)

Counter claim Highfossilfuelusage(torunpowerboats, SustainableTourism2008 whitewaterrafting,jet-skiing)counteracts report

greeninitiatives. AlexandraProtection

Societywebsite

Claim 3 Lesscarbonemissionfrom4WDsas RobbiesSmallGroup opposedtolargercoachtransport. Get-a-waybrochure

DrivenSki,Wanaka,website

Counter claim 4WDsnotfueleffective,andnotableto MinistryofSustainable transportasmanypeopleaslargecoaches, ImpactreportOct.08

somoreneeded. Brown,Johnston,Haggarty,

4WDscoveroff-roadterrainssodamage 2007 morenativewildlifeandvegetation.

Summing up o Ecotourism principles do have someclaims/counter positiveinuences,butinsomeareastheseclaims: what areover-stated.eidence Nativebirdlifeandvegetationundoubtedlyshows incursomedamage,thereforesomeclaims misleading.

Greenaccommodationclaimsexaggerated.

Table continued oer page


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Major points Sub-points Supporting material(Introduction)

Role o central Makeconditionstoqualifyforecolabel. Departmentofgoernment Environment report

DepartmentofTouristActivitiestoset June2008

policyandprocedures,andclearstandards. Gordon,2008

Offerset-upgrantstooperatorstomeet Dickey,2006

standards.

Responsibleformonitoringcarbon

emissions.

Role o local Resourceplanningdepartmentstoset SustainableImpactreportgoernment standardsandmonitoreffectsonnative 2008 wildlife,vegetationandwaterways. EnvironmentNZImpact

Report2007

Role o tourism Helpgovernmentestablishstandards. TourismIndustryAnnualindustry Adviseoperators. Reports2006,2007,2008 Monitoroperatorcompliance.

Conclusion Operatorsusingecolabeltooloosely; thistermneedstobepreciselydened.

Bothnationalandlocalgovernmenthave responsibilitytoinitiateandenforce

appropriate legislation and set and

monitorstandards.Tourismindustryhas

responsibilityherealso.

(Note: All inormation and organisations are fctitious.)

wh h bo ok k h o o h-co b, o h ch fo ch o coc ho tb 7 bo.

no h h o h o o o oo o cc fo. Fo x, h ok tb 6 bo, h c co c h , h h ok tb 7 boo h oo o h h c o c, hh co c .


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Table 7: An alternatie ramework

th , o o k h o ok b: o

o o o b-o, o h o k o h o o-oc oc. Choo hch o o b.

dc o ok o h h k b o o,b b o o h h , h co -.ahoh o ok c b o co bco c,oc o h oh o ob h h, b o o h h

, k co ob o o ok. th cohh h h ob o o o /o .

Ecotourism

Ecoclaims Counterclaims

Summing up o claims/counter

claims: what eidence shows

Controls/Interentions

Centralgoernment

Localgoernment

Tourismindustry


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DEvELOPING A THESIS STATEMENT

so c o ho c h . th o

o o o c h c c ooo, hch o o h oco.

th oo x o h :

The useulness o smoking cessation programmes is difcult to establish, as evidence

o their success remains inconclusive.

In the oreseeable uture, New Zealands tourist industry will, like tourism worldwide,

be subject to a number o political, social and economic inuences.

a h o o coo

Claims o ecotourism must be tested. I indeed alse, then not only are local

public and overseas visitors misled, New Zealands clean, green image is seriously

compromised.

so o oco o c h h xc

coco o h qo. Fo x:

Many claims o ecotourism operators are misleading the local public and overseas

visitors, and putting New Zealands clean, green image at serious risk. Legislation and

monitoring by government agencies, and the industry itsel, are pivotal to protecting

the environment, the public, and the industry.

a o h co, o b c (..,Discuss cross-inection in a medical setting). nh, c ho b c, h o, c-b o o, h

c h; o x:

Cross-inection has serious implications or both patient and medical sta, thus

eective prevention is vital to ensure that sources o possible inection are dealt with

eectively.

a h h o oc co. a o oc ch o o co, chck o o o h ; o, oh o ch h co o o , o -hk o h.


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Kz m (2001) k h o h h ho o xo, ch centers on, deals with, involves, has a lot to do with, oo. th , b c c (. 15). i h o h c, ho o c

o h h bo.

Exercise 1: Improve the ollowing thesis statement to be more direct and clear:

Therealprobleminourschoolsdoesnotrevolvearoundtheabsenceof

nationwidegoalsandstandards;theproblemisprimarilyconcernedwiththe

absenceofresourceswithwhichtoimplementthem.

a ax 1.

STRUCTURING THE ESSAY

i o o c, bjc h q: hHo d h o , eco, oh, to h, ob s d oh h. B bo ,h o c , h o o-o. n(2007) cb h oo:

Table 8: Traditional and non-traditional essay structures (Neille, 2007)

Traditional essay

Foo coo

ideasarebrokenupintoparagraphs: o ch h;

nosub-headings;

nobulletpoints;

limiteduseofdiagrams&tables;

sourcesareincluded,properlycited c.

Non-traditional essay

mh b o o o

canincludesub-headingsto c o h;

mightincludesomebulletpoints;

canincludediagrams&tables;

islikelytoincludesources,properly

c c

whch c o o ho b h o co co,o h c o o o o c. lo , 3,000 o o o, o o o co o h b o boh .


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r o o c, h c cob introduction conclusion, ook h h c co x.

WRITING THE INTRODUCTION

th oco ho h o h co, h c oh oo. i ho b coc, ho oo ch bcko (h

bcko c b o h oco), h c oc oh . tb 9 o h o oo oco.

Table 9: Features o a good introduction

~ Providesabriefcontextfortheessayquestion.

~ Clearlystateswhattheessayisabout(withoutrepeatingtheessayquestion).

~ Tellsthereaderwhythetopicisimportantand/orinteresting.

~ Givesaclearcentralargument,orthesis(seeDeveloping a thesis statement

above).

~ Indicatesthescopeofthediscussion.

~ Outlineshowtheessaywilldevelop.

a o hb, h oco ho b o o h o-h o h oo co. i ho , 500 o 750 o, h oco ho b oh. i o , o 1500 o , h oco co bo o o h.

Box 3 bo x o oco o o coo . Fo ho o h xc, o o fc h c tb 9 bo. thoco 156 o, bo h o 1500-o . no ho ck

h jo o o h tb 6.


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Box 3: Example o an introduction

Since the 1980s, ecotourism in New Zealand has become

a burgeoning industry. Ministry o Tourism fgures releasedin 2007 record 453 tourist operators registered under theecotourism category.Whentourismcompaniesusethedescriptioneco,theyareclaiminganeutralimpacton

theenvironment.However,investigationsshowthatsome

so-calledecopracticesareinfactharmingnativeora

andfauna,pollutingwaterways,andcausingother

environmentaldamage.Claims o ecotourism must betested. I indeed alse, then not only are local public andoerseas isitors misled, New Zealands clean, greenimage is seriously compromised.Thisessayexploresthemajorissuesintheecotourismdebate,weighingclaimsof

lowimpactandsustainablepracticesagainstevidencethat

suggestsotherwise.Italsodiscusseswaysinwhich

ecotourismoperationsmightbeguidedandmonitored

bybothcentralandlocalgovernments,andtheresponsibility

oftheindustryitself.Acentralissueinthedebateisdening

justwhatecotourismentails.

Brie context; sets

the scene.

States what theessay is about

Central argument(thesis statement)

Shows how theessay will deelop,scope and ocus


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Exercise 2: Do you think either o the ollowing examples meets the criteria or a goodintroduction as set out in Table 9?

Example a)(Kirszner&Mandell,2001,p.71):

Aftergraduatingfromhighschool,youngpeoplemustdecidewhattheywant

todowiththerestoftheirlives.Manygraduates(oftenwithoutmuchthought)

decidetocontinuetheireducationuninterrupted,andtheygoontocollege.

Thisgroupofteenagersmakesupwhatmanyseeasthetypicalrst-yearcollege

student.Recently,however,thisstereotypehasbeenchallengedbyaninux

ofolderstudentsintoAmericancollegesanduniversities.Notonlydothese

studentsmakeavaluablecontributiontotheschoolstheyattend,buttheyalso

presentanalternativetoyoungpeoplewhogotocollegesimplybecauseitis

thethingtodo.Afewyearsoffbetweenhighschoolandcollegecangivemanyperhaps most students the life experience they need to appreciate the value of

highereducation.

Example b) (Bate&Sharpe,1996,p.20):

Inbroadtermsthestudyofthissubjecthaslookedatthehistoryofthefamily

fromthesixteenththroughtothenineteenthcenturyinEurope.Wehavelooked

atthesocialvaluesprevailingthroughoutthisperiodandspecicallythesocialand

culturalchangesthathaveoccurred.Theaimofthisessayistodiscuss,rstly,the

roleofthefamily,andsecondly,thesignicanceofchildhoodfromthesixteenth

throughtothenineteenthcenturyinEurope.

a ax 1.


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WRITING THE DISCUSSION

i, bo, o b h o o o bo

b o , o b o h o coc coh co, o h h o o co oc o. a - co ho h c o tb 10 bo.

Table 10: Criteria or a well-written discussion

~ Thewriterpresentsawell-researchedandsoundlineofreasoning,supported

fromtheliteratureorothersourceswhereappropriate.

~ Thewritersvoice and perspectiveareclearlyevident,evenifthediscussion

islargelybasedonsourcematerial(seeWriting with conviction,and Paraphrasingbelow).

~ Structurally,thediscussionisbasedonaseriesofparagraphs.Eachparagraph

shoulddevelopthecentralidea,addingto,andadvancing,thecentralargument.

Followthetechniquesforparagraphdevelopmentonp.29.Inthissection,youll

notice that every paragraph should have a topic sentence that expresses the

centralideaoftheparagraph.

~ Allcontentshouldrelatetoandsupportthecentralargument.(Ifnot,question

whetheritbelongsintheessay.)

~ Thediscussionfollowsthemostlogicalorderforthenatureofthetopic(e.g.,by

importance,chronologically,stagesinaprocess).

~ Mainideasstandoutfromsupportingideas.

~ Allideaslinkcohesively,ratherthanappearasisolatedunits.

~ Thereaderisreadilyabletofollowthediscussion,andgrasptherelationships

andconnectionsthewriterintends.

~ Allsourcematerialisproperlyreferenced(seeReerencingbelow).

a o h , o qo o h o o ck.

no, o h oh o h h coco.


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Exercise 3: Do you think the ollowing example meets the criteria or a goodconclusion as set out in Table 11? (Adapted rom Oshima & Hogue, 1991, p. 83).

Inconclusion,althoughrecentadvanceshaveindeedgivenusalotofadvantages

bymakingusricher,healthier,andfreertoenjoyourlives,theyhave,inmyopinion,

notmadeuswiser.Inthepastfewdecades,ourEarthhasbecomedirtier,our

peoplelesshumane,andourspirituallivespoorer.Weshouldcontinuetoenjoythe

benetsoftechnologicaladvancementbecausetheyfreeustopursueourinterests

andgoals.However,wemustmakeaconcertedefforttopreserveournatural

environmentforfuturegenerations.Moreover,weshouldtakethetimenowto

makeourlivesmoremeaningfulinanincreasinglyimpersonal,mechanisedworld.

a ax 1.

A FINAL WORD ABOUT ESSAYS

to h c o oco coco, k o: Could areader gain a good idea o what my essay is about just rom reading the introduction andconclusion? i o, co ho o h o h o h co.

to c fo, j h c o ch h jhh h o oo o h h bo, h

o o o o h x oc ho. i o, co ho o h ko oc c ( . 34).

i , c o coo x, ob , b o o ch oc o h , h b q .

i o h oo ho o structure, ow, clear,strong argument, enthusiasm, h b ch h qo hh . B h o h b q ostylish prose h o

h, h h b h k o o o. th b o o o h c o bco ob o oh oo : h o co co ho ho o , o o h h x oo. wh chq o, o c o c o o your?

F, oo o q hoh . l o o h h och h o o ( o Ch 6,Producing a Polished Product).


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CHAPTER 3: WRITING A CRITIqUE

Critique, criticism, critical review j o o h o h oc oco o oh ok. H, ook cc cq journal article. i cox, jo c o oo coc, , o o h o c o o b oh ho ch. sch ch k o o o x, ok,boo x, obo , o . th, h o cq o h o h b .

th o ch cq to get students to think. rb h ch o o qo ho b och h q ,

h och ho b o cq.

to o o cq, o h c o ho h h c. yo o o c oo bo h c co,ch h h ho o o , ho h bo , h ho. B o o, o o o h o assessmento hok; o x, hh o o h ho coc, ho

h cob o c .

to cq c c o -h o co.

a h , bh h h o h c, hho , objc, coco: h b h abstract,introduction conclusion co, o i o h . nx, o hoh co b-co o hch h c h b c. i ho jo h o b-h (o c h h b hhh h c, bo, o c, c). Oc o h h o

h h, ho ch o o x. sc ohoh h o b: h o h o? O h o h oo o h h bo ho o oo h co .

wh o o cq, h qo h ho , ch ho tb 12 bo.


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Table 12: questions or critiuing text

Whatdidtheauthorsetouttoachieve,theaimsandobjectivesoftheresearch?

Whywasthisanimportantorsignicantareatoinvestigate?

Whataudienceisthearticleaimedat?

Howwastheresearchcarriedout(studydesignandmethods)?

Whatconclusionsdoestheauthorarriveat?Aretheyconvincing?

Doyouconsiderthatthestudydesignwasappropriatefortheauthorsobjectives?

Canyouidentifyanyweaknessesinsuchareasasmethodsordataanalysis?

Couldanyassumptionsonthepartoftheauthorbeinterpreteddifferently?

Howdoesthestudytieinwiththoseofotherauthors?

Howdothendingsheretinwithwhatyoualreadyknowofthetopic?

Doyouthinkthestudyaddstocurrentknowledge?Ifso,how?

Doyouthinkthearticlemakesausefulresource?Ifso,howandwhy?

Whatisyouroverallresponsetothearticlefromyourpersonalperspective?

CREATING A CRITIqUE FRAMEWORK

a h , bo o o cq, ok o ok oo o co.

a bo, h o o cq o o o () h h bo, (b) jo co, (c) o co o .yo ho o o co o ch co h c, o o oco h h c o, h co o

c , h o o ck o .

tb 12 o ok o o cq, b h o.

th o o oo o c , o co, o b h o co o o . wh h qo tb 11 h tb 12 o co co o, ho c oco o ho o ch - och.


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Table 13: Suggested ramework or an article critiue

Introduction Statenameofarticleandtheauthor.

(Ifwordcountallows,commentonauthors backgroundandcredentials.) Brieystatewhattheauthorsetouttoinvestigate,the studyaimsandobjectives.

Background and context Brieysituatethestudyinitswidercontext. Highlightmainissuesorproblemstobeaddressed. Statewhytheauthorthinksthisareaisimportantor signicant.

Study design Giveabriefdescriptionofstudymethodsand

procedures.Perhapsmentionmethodofdataanalysis.Summary o key fndings Highlightmajorndings. Summarisekeyimplications. (Beconcise,focusingonkeypointsonly,andomitting lesserdetail.)

Assess the strength o Weretheconclusionssupported?argument and eidence Weretheconclusionsconvincing?Mention any limitations/ Werethereanyassumptionsthatyouwouldquery?weaknesses in study Canyoucommentonwhetherthestudydesign(e.g.,objecties or design methodology,dataanalysis)wassuitableforthe authorsaimsandobjectives?(See*below.)

Key insights, implications Whatarethekeyinsightsthisstudyprovides? Howdotheseaddtocurrentunderstandingand knowledgeintheeldgenerally? Whatideasorknowledgedidyoupersonallygain fromreadingthearticle?

Relation to other similar Youwouldnotnormallybeexpectedtostudyotherinestigations (?) workstomakecomparisonsunlesstheassignment asksyoutodoso,buttheauthormightmake

comparisonsonwhichyoucouldcomment.

Conclusion Sumupyouroverallreactiontothework. Whydidyoundituseful/interesting/valuableornot?

Were there areas that the study did not address and could/shouldhave?

*Undergraduate students, especially in their frst or second year, are not expectedto be experts on research methods, but there may be aspects o study design onwhich you can comment. For example, did the methods appear suitable or the

authors purpose, or adequate or a convincing conclusion?


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WRITING THE CRITIqUE

w h cq o o Ch 2, oo h

chq Ch 6. rb h ocritical analysis o cohoh o , h c o o h hch o xo o choc. i o o h Writing with conviction Ch 6, o h h cc x tb 14 bo.

Table 14: Examples o critical language

Introducing the article Theauthorsetoutto... Theauthorinvestigated...

Thepurposeofthisstudywasto...

Theauthorarguesthat... Theperspectivepresentedhereisthat...

Thepointofviewarguedhereisthat...

Henrysobjectivewasto...

Henrysmainargumentwasthat...

Theauthorsintentionwasto...

Thehypothesisunderpinningthestudywasthat...

Commenting on strengths Theauthorconvincesusthat... Thestudyshedslighton...

Thestudyhighlightstheimportanceof... Itisclearhow...

Thestudyremindsusoftheimportanceof...

Thestudyreectsthesignicanceof...

Raising uestions, Itdoesnotseemtofollowthat...commenting on Henrysargumentseemstobethat...weaknesses Theauthorsargumentfallsdowninthat.. Henrysargumentislessthanconvincingbecause...

Theargumentthat...doesnotholdbecause...

Theassumptionthat... Thestudyisbasedonanassumptionthat...

Theauthorassumesthat...

Questionsmustberaisedinrelationto...

Theauthorsclaimthat...needstobequestioned

because...

Careisneededwhendrawingconclusionsfrom...

Table continued oer page


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Drawing implications AsaconsequenceofHenrysworkweseethat... Henryhighlightstheimportanceof...

Henrydrawsconnectionsbetween...and... ThemajorimplicationsofHenrysndingsare...

Henryconcludedthat...

Theconnectionemergesbetween...and...

Theauthormakesanimportantdistinctionbetween...

and...

Amajoroutcomefromthesendingsisthat...

Theseresultshaveimplicationsfor...

Thendingthat...hasimplicationsfor...

Thendingthat...meansthat...

Takingintoaccountthendingthat...meansthat attentionshouldbegivento...

Theseresultsshowthatcareneedstobetaken

when...

Henrysndingsremoveanydoubtthat...

Exercise 4: I you were critiquing a study that contained the ollowing descriptions omethods, what might you comment on?

Example (a)Jones(2005)claimsthatteenagersarespendingmoretimeoncomputersand

lesstimeonsport.Herstudycomprisedve15year-oldslivinginInvercargill.

Example (b)

AccordingtoGordonandBrown(2005),NewZealandteenagersarespending

moretimeoncomputersandlesstimeonsport.Theyinterviewed500teenagers

inavarietyofsocio-economic,cultural,andgeographicalsettingsthroughoutNew

Zealand,overveyears,fromages13to18.

a ax 1.


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CHAPTER 4: WRITING A RESEARCH REPORT

a h o ch, o h o o c.w ook h o b o c ch ojc.

rch o o co, h ch co h ccco. F, chck o co o co o ho oco o o h o c ch co, b o h o bo h ch , oo h o o bo.

th co o ch o

Introduction Background(includingliteraturesurvey)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

Ho, h b o o co co: o x, o hh l r co, o b-co h co;o x,Methods co b o Procedures, Data Analysis, o oh.

dh h o b-h b o z (.., upperCase, o c, bo, italics).

tb 15 bo o o ch o ho co h o co o c ch co. a h o o o: ox, o b o cob h Results Discussion

co, h h o h.


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CHAPTER 5: WRITING A BUSINESS REPORT

B o o o o, h h c co o h o o h o b o.Ho, b o o co. ech co hob h h c o h co co. sco h o bb. Fo x:

1. Internalcommunications

1.1Formalinternalcommunicationstructures

1.2Informalinternalcommunicationstructures

wh co, oo h chq o h o, k, c, o Ch 6.

tb 16 bo o o oo co h o c o q.

Table 16: Suggested ramework and content or a business report

Coering letter Addresslettertopersonwhorequestedreport(e.g., companymanager).

Explainpurposeandobjectivesofreport.

Brieymentionmajorissuesidentied,andhowthe

recommendationsinthereportcouldaddressthese.

Signwithyourname,positionandorganisation.

Title page Setouttitleofreportanddate. Statenameoftheorganisationthatrequestedreport,

yourname,position,andorganisation.

Table o contents Includesections,tables,appendices,andreferencelist.

Introduction Giveaclearaccountofthepurposeofrepor t(e.g., theproblemsorissuesidentiedforinvestigation).

Outlinewhatthereportsetouttoachieve.

Explainhowreportisstructured.


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CHAPTER 6: PRODUCING A POLISHED PRODUCT

STRUCTURING AND DEvELOPING PARAGRAPHS

i o o o , h h k . phho b conceptual units, h ch h oc o o c coco h, visual units, h ch h c ooh, h h x c o o.

ph c o h oo b ( o Oh Ho, 1991, . 34; 2007, . 147):

Table 17: Paragraph structure and deelopment

First sentence Introducesthemaintopicoftheparagraph.

A. First supporting point Anexplanation,orexpansionofthemainidea.

B. Second supporting point Furtherexpansionofthemainideaforexample,evidence from your reading that supports your

explanation.

C. Third supporting point Thismayincludefurtherevidence,anexample,or otherdetail.

D. Concluding sentence Restatement or summary of main points or a nalcomment.(Concluding sentences or body

paragraphs are not always appropriate or necessary.)

The number o supporting points (A, B, C) will, o course, vary rom paragraph toparagraph.

th h o h c bo o o c, o 70 o200 o. wh c h h, , 220 o, hh ho b bok oc o h oc h c o h.


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LINKING

wh h h o , ho ho k o

ho. lk o, oo, b h h h. thchq o ch c k Signposts, Sequencing, Repetitiono a key word cb bo. th chq o ho ho ococ o oh, o o b b , o o oc o o h co.

1. Signposts

C o h c o bc h c bo co, h o o, k co o ck. Co hoo o , o ho o (ex ), o h o(ex b). (ex o u o n e tch l C, 2000.)

Example a):

Malinowskiproposedaclassicationforfolktales,anddistinguishedbetween

myth,legend,andfairystor y.Mythrepresentsastatementofahigherormore

importanttruthofaprimevalreality.Itisregardedassacred.Fairystoriesare

entertainment.Nobodyattachesanyspecialsignicancetothem.Nobody

believesthemtobetrue.Legendsarebelievedtobetruehistoricalaccounts.

no, o ho h o o o ex b) ( ) oc, , h, b:

Example b):

Malinowskiproposedathree-wayclassicationforfolktales,anddistinguished

betweenmyth,legend,andfairystory.Therstofthese,hesuggested,represents

astatementofahigherandmoreimportanttruthofaprimevalreality.As such,

itisregardedassacred.Fairystories,on the other hand,are simply entertainment

andnobodyattachesanyspecialsignicancetothem, andnobodybelievesthem

tobetrue.Legends,however,arebelievedtobetruehistoricalaccounts.


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so co, j o o hch o tb 18.

Table 18: Signposts and their unction (CompiledfromsourcesincludingBright

[2002]andBateandSharpe[1996].)

To add to a point already made; or to introduce a new pointalso;moreover;further;furthermore;again;whatismore;thenagain;inaddition;

followingthis;besides;aboveall;too;aswell(as);subsequently;consequently;

asaconsequence;inthemeantime;neither...nor;notonly...butalso;

similarly;correspondingly;inthesameway;indeed;infact;really;inreality;asfor;

as to; in respect to; respecting; in regard to; regarding

To reinorce a point, or state it in a dierent way

inotherwords;thatistosay;toputit(more)simply;withthisinmind;inviewofthis

To indicate stages in a processrst;second;third;tobeginwith;next;followingthis;another;inaddition;

concurrently;simultaneously;meanwhile;inthemeantime;moreover;

subsequently;consequently;beforethat;earlier;previously;bythattime;atlast;

afterthat;atlength;nally;inconclusion;

to conclude

To explain; to introduce an example

thatistosay;inotherwords;forexample;forinstance;namely;anexampleofthisis;

asinthefollowingexamples;suchas;particularly;inparticular;especially;notably;

chiey;mainly

To show cause and eecttherefore;accordingly;asaresult;fromthisitcanbeseenthat;itisevident;

becauseofthis;thus;hence;forthisreason;owingto;thissuggeststhat;

itfollowsthat;itmustthenfollowthat;inotherwords;otherwise;inthatcase;

this implies; unfortunately

To show concession

admittedly;afterall;allthesame;atanyrate;granted;however;inanycase;inspiteof;itistruethat;nevertheless;still;tobesure

To show conditionsinthisevent;inthesecircumstances;thisbeingso;providedthat;inspite

of;nonetheless;nevertheless;atthesametime;evenif;unless;otherwise;although;

eventhough;despite;possibly;probably;apparently;presumably


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To compare/contrastin contrast; in comparison; on the one hand; on the other hand; here again; in

thesameway;conversely;onthecontrary;alternatively;although;neither...nor;however;instead;inspiteof;despite;otherwise;ratherthan;still;yet;yetagain

To emphasise, show conictionafterall;atleast;evidently;certainly;conceivably;conclusively;doubtless;nodoubt;

surely;undoubtedly;unfortunately

To sum up; to conclude

therefore;myconclusionis;inshort;inconclusion;toconclude;inall;onthewhole;

tosummarise;tosumup;inbrief;altogether

To show time-ramenow;sincethattime;duringthepastdecade;atthesametime;concurrently;during

the1960s;fromthebeginningofthe20thCentury

Exercise 5: Circle all the signposts in the ollowing paragraph, and use correctpunctuation (Oshima & Hogue, 1991, p. 83).

gc ch h oc boh xc h ob.sc o b o c o o h boo o h

o o c. O h o h h b o c hboo co b k. Fo x, bc x o ob o oc, c h o ho oc x h boo. aoh bc coo c c. sc o h h b o o o h o o , hooo oco co b c. i o, co bo o h o h o.

a ax 1.


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2. Seuencing

aoh k chq o h coo o c o o o ch oh. Fo x c fo, c h o h b o h c, h o h o hc.

s h o cob h oo c o oo o o c:

(i) Clause petitioned Parliament or longer prison sentences or sub-standard

building practices.

(ii) The Government Report on building codes was released in 2004.

i h o o h c b- cc, h o oc qc

Ater the Government Report on building codes was released in 2004, Clause

petitioned Parliament or longer prison sentences or sub-standard practices.

a c h h , h o o ooh oc - o h x c hch x h o:

Ater the Government Report on building codes was released in 2004, Clause called

or Parliament to impose longer prison sentences or sub-standard practices. Suchpractices had led to hundreds o complaints rom homeowners, many o whom would

ace severe fnancial losses.

O h oh h, h o o xo o o c,h h o c h o h c:


or Parliament to penalise sub-standard practices by imposing longer prison sentences.

Only the ull weight o the law, he argued, could bring oending developers into line.


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Exercise 6: Improve sequencing in the frst sentence o the ollowing short passage(adjust wording as required). (Example adapted rom Oshima & Hogue, 1991.)

AcompletelynewculturewasencounteredbytherstEuropeanstosettlethe

NorthAmericancontinent:thenativeAmericantribesofNorthAmerica.Native

Americans,whohadahighlydevelopedcultureinmanyrespects,musthave

beenascuriousaboutthestrangeEuropeanmannersandcustomsaswerethe

EuropeansaboutnativeAmericans.

a ax 1.

3. Repetition o a key term

a h k chq o k o o h o o c o hx, o o o h o h x:


or Parliament to impose longer prison sentences or sub-standard practices. Such

practices had led to many complaints rom homeowners, many o whom would ace

severe fnancial losses.

The major problem to arise rom sub-standard practices was leaky home syndrome.

To label a home leaky, three key criteria must be met. First, ...


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Exercise 7: Reer to the conclusion to the ectourism essay in Table 11, p. 22, andunderline expressions that you consider coney analysis, emphasis and conviction.

a ax 1.

Supporting opinion with eidence

wh o o oc c o , o o h o o o oo h o c, h o ob c, , o o. i, o x, o h violence occurs regularly on our television screens, o o o oc o c, ch ooo co o h o ko: o o o h o h o h k o ob cob o o oc. i, ho, o h 87% o prime timetelevision programming contains violent episodes, o h the high level o violence on

New Zealand television is leading to increased youth violence, o o o ch c o c b .

Exercise 8: Identiy which o the ollowing statements require supporting evidence.

(a)Measlesisapotentiallydeadlydisease.

(b)Allchildrenshouldbevaccinatedagainstmeasles.

(c)Asuoridepreventstoothdecay,watersupplieswithpoornaturallevelsshould besupplemented.

(d)Childrenbenetfrompreschooleducation.

(e)Teachersndmixedclassesmoredifculttomanagethansame-sexclasses.

I you think any o the above statements require supporting evidence, how could you

fx them to be acceptable in a university assignment? (Use pretend reerences where

necessary.)

a ax 1.


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Paraphrasing

i co b oo o h coc co oparaphrasingoc oo c (oparaphrase o o o o oh o b oo ). th ok o cq , o o h o b b o

o oc . ph c o o o oo c qoo, hch c h o h h o o c h oc o o oo.

ph oo c h o oc ( Reerencing,46), ho o b oo co o h o o, h ocb oc c, oh co b co c

c.

a x o h ho tb 19. th o h o

k h there is no agreed defnition o ecotourism. C, h hx h oc o h h qo o, o o o b ococ b:

Table 19: An example o a paraphrase1

Directed uotations rom source Paraphrased ersion

AccordingtoEcotourismNZ(2008):

...thelackofaprecise,commonlyagreed

denitionofecotourismwasacommon

causeofmisunderstanding,argument,and

mademanydoubtthatitwasagenuine

topicinitself(assomethingsignicantly

differentfrom,forexample,adventure

ornaturetourismor,moreimportantly,

sustainabletourism).

EcotourismNZ(2008)alsonotesthat:

Anexaminationoftheliteratureshows

thatthisproblemisnotconnedtothe

WestCoast,andthatthereareliterally

hundredsofdenitionsofecotourism.

Thefactisthatpeopletendtocustomize

theirowndenitionstosuittheir

interestsorsituation.

Unfortunately,NewZealand

hasnodenitiveinterpretation

ofecotourismsopeopleare

abletousethetermtosuittheirownpurposes,leadingto

misunderstanding and confusion

(EcotourismNZ,2008).

1Source:EcotourismNZ(2008).


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PROOFREADING AND EDITING

C oo o o ok . a i q

ch h o c oh bo o o k o-, c xc o k o, o hh k.

O o o jo o h co o bo oc-o. Co bck o o ok h h o oo o o o oo.

Always check your work in hard copy, not just on the computer screen screen

checking is ar less eective in detecting errors or lapses o style.

B , co chck chck, b o o cc ch ho ob-chck h oo ooo o chh o.Bo h o ok, hoh h chck o tb 20 bo.

Table 20: Editing checklistsho o o o h o o o (..,subject, verb, tense, c.), h s l C h coh ,

Guidelines or Writing and Editing, b oob pdF o o b,o h co o q. th co h oh c o chq.

Spelling Haveyoucheckedallwordsyoureunsureofin adictionary(especiallycommonlyconfusedwords

suchas:all right, all together, defnitely, persuade).

Grammar Aresentencesgrammatical? Doeseverysentencehaveatleastasubjectandaverb?

Arethereanycommasplicesorsentencefragments?

Donounsandverbsagree(e.g.,singularwithsingular,

pluralwithplural)?

Tense Aretensesconsistent(e.g.,presentorpast,not inappropriatelymixed)?


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Punctuation Arecommascorrectlyplaced?Haveyouusedtoo many?

Haveyouusedapostrophescorrectly? Haveyouusedasemi-coloninsteadofacolon,orvice

versa?

Haveyoudividedasentencewithasemi-colon

insteadofacomma?

vocabulary Have you used unfamiliar terms in their correct context?

Arethereanyslangtermsorcontractions?

Haveyouusedthespecialisttermsforyoursubject?

Expression Canyouidentifyanyclumsywording? Areanysentencestoolong?Toocomplex?

Clarity Willthereaderbeabletoeasilyfollowyourlineof reasoning?

Areyourideasexpressedclearly?

Is there a clear and logical progression from one point

tothenext?

Are there enough signpostswithinandbetween

paragraphs?

Paragraphs Does each paragraph focus on one central idea easily identiedbythereader?Istheideasufciently

expanded?

Oerall structure Doparagraphslink?Doesthetextowsmoothlyand logicallyfromoneparagraphtothenext?

Strength o argument Haveyouavoidedmakingunsubstantiatedclaimsor generalisations?

Oerlaps/repetition Isanyideaorinformationmentionedmorethanonce?

Reerencing Isallsourcematerialfullyandcorrectlycited?

Haveyouavoidedtoomanydirectquotations?


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REFERENCING

a h oc o o oo o b

cko h bo o h , hbc h oh .

rc c k o bo o: ootnotes o endnotes (..,1, 2) hch h boo o o o co, o author/date hch h bo o h (.., Jo, 2005). wh h o bo b o (.., mla, apa, Chco). e h o h q b o (chck o co oo, o h o o).

I your department does not stipulate a reerencing system, I suggest APA, as

comprehensive guidelines are available rom the Student Learning Centre, ineither hard copy or on our website (www.otago.ac.nz/SLC). For guidelines on otherreerencing systems, reer to the University o Otago Library website.

wh o h b o o o o o ho c o c , h o h xo hch fc o hk. i o o c , h o c Bibliography( oo o Reerences) o c h h c o

c o h . (no h h co o cc, o chck h o o o c.)

HANDING IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT

po c co o ch 10% o . i o xch o b bo o c c co, b o h o , b . m c ho b co. uo coo :

Typedifpossible.

Oneanda-halfordoublelinespacing

Extraspacesbetweenparagraphs,orindentedrstline.

4cmleft-handmargin

Pagesarenumbered

References/ Startonaseparatepage

Bibliography Formatinthereferencingstylerequiredbydepartment.

Attachtothebackofassignment


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so o co h o b ch o h o o ,o k h co h o b ( h o ho), , o co, o b coc. B

c, h oo oo ho b o:

Frontpage NameandI.D.number(orjustIDnumberifsoinstructed)

Date assignment is due

Nameofpaper,tutororlecturer

Tutorial group

Nameofyouressay(eitherthequestionitself,orasuitabletitle)


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bate,D.,&Sharpe,P.(1996).Writers handbook or university students (2 .).s: Hco Bc.

Bh, p. (e.). (2002). Study guide: Strategies or eective learning(4h .).d: s l C, u o Oo.

ecoo nZ (2008). Understanding defnitions o ecotourism. r mch 1,2009, o h://.cooz.co/

Kirszner,L.G.,&Mandell,S.R.(2001).The Brie Holt handbook. Oo, F.:

Hco.n, C. (2007). Ten ways to liven up your essays. Bo, uK: Bo u

schoo o m.

Oshima,A.,&Hogue,A.(1991).Writing academic English. A writing and sentencestructure handbook (2 .). n J: lo.

Oshima,A.,&Hogue,A.(2007).Introduction to academic writing(3 .). nyok: po eco.

u o n e tch l C (2000). Tune up academicwriting. nsw, a: u o n e.

u o s. (1995). Essay module: Writing practice or university students.

s: u o s.Wallace,A.,Schirato,T.,&Bright,P.(1999).Beginning university: Thinking,

researching and writing or success. s lo, nsw: a u.


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APPENDIX 1: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

Exercise 1: Fine-tuning a thesis statement

is

Therealprobleminourschoolsdoes not revolve aroundtheabsenceof

nationwidegoalsandstandards;theproblemisprimarilyconcernedwith the

absenceofresourceswithwhichtoimplementthem.

Exericise 2: Essay introduction

Examplea):Thisisareasonableintroductionbecauseitgivesthereaderagoodideaofwhatthe

essayisaboutwithoutrestatingtheessayquestion,andbrieyindicatestheissuesand

widercontext.Italsoprovidesaclearthesisstatement.However,thereisnodirection

tothereaderonhowtheessaywilldevelop.

Exampleb):

BateandSharp(1996,p.200)commentonexampleb)asfollows:

Theintroductionbeginswithanunnecessaryreferencetothegeneralfocusof

thecourseandwithastatementofthetheme....Generally,thisintroductionis

ineffectivebecauseitisrepetitive;itstraysfromthetopic;itlacksaclearthesisto

setuptheargument;anditgivesanimpressionofconceptualconfusionandstalling.


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Exercise 3: Essay conclusion

Inconclusion,althoughrecentadvanceshave indeed given us a lot of advantages

bymakingusricher,healthier,andfreertoenjoyourlives,theyhave,inmyopinion,notmadeuswiser.Inthepastfewdecades,ourEarthhasbecomedirtier,our

peoplelesshumane,andourspirituallivespoorer.Weshouldcontinuetoenjoythe

benetsoftechnologicaladvancementbecausetheyfreeustopursueourinterests

andgoals.However,wemustmakeaconcertedefforttopreserveournatural

environmentforfuturegenerations.Moreover,weshouldtakethetimenowto

makeourlivesmoremeaningfulinanincreasinglyimpersonal,mechanisedworld.

Theaboveexampleiseffectivebecauseitclearlystatesthewritersconclusion.

Signposts(asunderlined)havebeenusedeffectively: indeedcreates emphasis;

howeverqualiesthepreviouspointandindicatestothereaderthatacounter

argumentwillfollow;moreoveradds emphasis to another important point in the

writersconclusion.However,thequalication,in my opinion(line2),weakensthe

writersargumentthewholeisthewritersopinion.

Exercise 4: Assessing methods and procedures

a) Jones(2005)claimsthatteenagersarespendingmoretimeoncomputersand lesstimeonsport.Herstudycomprisedve15year-oldslivinginInvercargill.

b) AccordingtoGordonandBrown(2005)NewZealandteenagersarespending

moretimeoncomputersandlesstimeonsport.Theyinterviewed500

teenagersinavarietyofsocio-economic,cultural,andgeographicalsettings

throughoutNewZealand,overveyears,fromages13to18.

Acritiqueoftherststudymightcommentonitslimitationsinsamplesizeand

location,whereasoneofthesecondstudymightcommentonitsextensiveandlongitudinalnature.Thisisnottosaythattherstauthorsndingsshouldberegarded

aslessimportantorsignicanttheobjectiveofthatresearchmighthavebeento

identifyatrendinaparticularlocation.


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Exercise: 8

The statements can be classifed as ollows:

a)Measlesisapotentiallydeadlydisease. Fact, doesnt require evidence

b)Allchildrenshouldbevaccinatedagainstmeasles. Requires evidence

c)Asuoridepreventstoothdecay,watersupplies Requires evidence

withpoornaturallevelsshouldbesupplemented.

d)Childrenbenetfrompreschooleducation. Requires evidence

e)Teachersndmixedclassesmoredifcultto Requires evidence managethansame-sexclasses.

Examplesb)c),d)ande)areunacceptableinauniversityessay.Suchstatements

needtobelessemphaticandsupportedbyevidence.Table8providesexamplesof

acceptablealternatives.

Examples o supporting eidence(Note:allsourcesarectitious)

b)Somemedicalexpertsarguethatallstudentsshouldbevaccinatedagainst

measles(e.g.,DepartmentofTeaching,2007;Jonesetal.,2008;Brown,2009).

c)Fluorideaddedtowatersupplieshasbeenshowntopreventtooth

decay(Cameron,2005),butthereismuchdebateoverwhetherthebenetsof

supplementingwatersuppliesareoutweighedbyotherfactors(Sullivan&

Clancy,2006).

d)Preschooleducationpromotesvaluablesocialskills,andhelpschildrenintegrate smoothlyintoprimaryschool(Jones,2000;Brown&Johnston,2001;Smith,2005).

Anotheradvantageofpreschooleducationis...(Gordon,2006).

e)Accordingtothe2006surveyofsecondaryschoolteachersinNewZealand,the

majoritybelievesthatmixedclassesaremoredifculttomanagethansame-sex

classes(DepartmentofTeaching,2006).


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STUDYGUIDE

Planning and Writing University Assignments

Carol Hunter

A Ot St d G id

planning and writing university assignments

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