topic 5 coping with assignments.pdf

� INTRODUCTION

Writing assignments is one part of independent learning at OUM. An assignment is one of the important assessment methods in OUM. It directly influences learnersÊ approaches to study. More importantly, writing assignments is a process of finding evidence that the course learning outcomes have been achieved when you have successfully completed this course.

STEPS OF WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Testing by assignment is one of the most popular forms of assessments at OUM. This is usually part of the coursework and assessment to gauge the level of your understanding as well as your progress. An assignment differs from an essay in format, in that headings and subheadings are used to denote relationships or connectivity of issues. Writing an assignment does not mean a mere presentation of facts. It is more like an academic exercise in which you have a stand on certain issues, argue out the reasons and provide authoritative evidence to support your argument.

5.1

TTooppiicc

55

� Coping with Assignments

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

1. Identify the steps of writing an assignment;

2. Explain the structure of an assignment;

3. Describe the principles of APA referencing style;

4. Discuss the common faults found in an assignment; and

5. Appreciate the ethics in writing an assignment.

TOPIC 5 COPING WITH ASSIGNMENTS � 139

In this subtopic, you will be guided to how to write an assignment by following the steps given. There are basically 10 steps to producing a good written assignment:

(a) SSelect a Topic Choose one that you are comfortable with, one that you know something

about. Sometimes the lecturer or tutor assigns the topic to each individual.

(b) AAnalyse the Topic Ask yourself what the main issues and supporting issues are. Check what

the topic requires you to do: explain, comment, elaborate, account for, analyse, etc. Understand what each term means (pIease refer to the dictionary for explanation).

(c) SSearch for Information Use the steps in the OUM Information Trail (Topic 3). Use the search

strategy you know best and apply it to: OPAC, e-book database, e-journal database and the Internet.

(d) EEvaluate and Select Do you have enough information which is relevant to the main issues and

supporting issues? (Apply evaluation criteria in Topic 9).

� TOPIC 5 COPING WITH ASSIGNMENTS 140

(e) TTake Notes from Resources Make sure the notes cover all aspects related to the main issues and

supporting issues.

(f) PPlan an Outline Make sure that the outline consists of introduction, body of content,

conclusion and accompanying information in the form of appendixes, footnotes, etc.

(g) OOrganise and Consolidate Write notes for each part e.g. � Introduction, � Body of content, � Conclusion, and � Accompanying information.

(h) WWrite the Paper Be guided by the following: Language should be simple and clear. There

should be a smooth flow of ideas and arguments. Apply creative thinking. Provide accompanying information in the form of appendixes and references.


(i) RReview Assignment � Have I dealt with the main issue and supporting issues thoroughly? � Is the content relevant and thorough? � Is there sufficient supporting evidence to uphold my views, opinions

and ideas? � Does the paper make sense overall? � Is the language clear and precise, or vague and ambiguous? � Do the paragraphs connect well? � Are the quotations appropriately cited? � Are the illustrations properly labelled? � Are there spelling errors? � Are all the references cited in the assignment properly recorded?

(j) PPresent Before Deadline

It is important to present your assignment before the deadline. No matter how good your assignment is, it shows poor time management skills if it is presented after the deadline. You have to allot sufficient time for completing your assignment. Avoid procrastination in order to produce a good assignment. Do you know how to schedule time for completing assignments? Visit the following website http://www.lib.umn.edu/ help/calculator/ and try the University of MinnesotaÊs Assignment Calculator. It will guide you to set your own deadlines in completing the written assignment efficiently.

Go to the website (stated in the earlier paragraph). Based on your findings from the website, list down your action plan and deadlines in preparing an assignment.

ACTIVITY 5.1


STRUCTURE OF AN ASSIGNMENT

An essay has an Introduction, a Body and a Conclusion. Let us move on and get some tips on how to begin your essay with the first component: an IIntroduction.

5.2.1 Introduction

When writing the introduction, you should state the scope of the paper, set the scene or clarify what the main issue is and how you intend to approach it. Writing the introduction is actually putting the topic into perspective and serves as a preview of what you intend to say. It should be short, to the point and not more than two paragraphs (see Figure 5.1).

Figure 5.1: An example of an Introduction Let us analyse the Introduction shown in Figure 5.1. If you notice, the writer started off by describing the need and the role of a library in the first paragraph. In the second paragraph, the writer continued by explaining how the role of the library can be determined by understanding the concept of education, aims and objectives of education, etc. Then, the writer relates this idea to how OUMÊs Digital Library also supports the concept of the democratisation of higher education (which is also OUMÊs aim), OUM and its core activities. With that, the

5.2


writer has successfully introduced the topic of the paper, Providing Equal Opportunity in Distance Learning: The Role of the OUM Digital Library.

5.2.2 Body of Content

The main body of content should contain your ideas, opinions and facts, explained and argued out systematically and logically, with each idea or issue or argument flowing smoothly from one to another. Each paragraph should contain only one main point or main idea, with supporting details. The paragraphs should be interconnected, so that ideas flow smoothly throughout the main body of content. Make sure that when an issue is raised in one paragraph, it is carefully and systematically followed through in the following paragraphs before raising another issue. Use a numbering system to show the relationship or the interconnectivity between issues as shown in Figure 5.2. Illustrations (diagrams, pictures, etc) should be used if they help in clarifying the issues.

Figure 5.2: An example of related topics in the body of content


5.2.3 Conclusion

Always refer to the topic when you write this section. Ensure that your conclusion tallies with the introduction and the body of content. A good conclusion should provide the reader with a sense of completion or closure � end of a story. Do not repeat what you have said in the introduction. The conclusion must show progress in the development of the topic from the introduction and through the body of content (see Figure 5.3). The conclusion does not introduce new ideas, arguments or opinions, but should represent closure of the issues or ideas argued out in the main body.

Figure 5.3: An example of how to conclude a topic in the conclusion

APA CITATION STYLE

In the process of completing your assignments, you need to document all the sources used in your paper. There are many ways of documenting sources within the text of a paper and in the reference section at the end of your paper. OUM citation style is based on the American Psychological Association (APA) format.

5.3

In your previous experiences in writing an assignment, how many drafts did you come up with? Do you think it is necessary to have more than one draft? Post your comments in the Forum.

ACTIVITY 5.2


5.3.1 Components of Referencing

The main reasons for referencing are:

(a) To enable your tutor to follow up the references and find the sources,

(b) To demonstrate to your tutor you have read widely a range of opinions,

(c) To enable your tutor to check the accuracy of the information you have given,

(d) Good referencing will assist in avoiding accusations of plagiarism, and

(e) You will lose marks if you do not acknowledge sources. There are two components of referencing:

(a) In-text referencing, which acknowledges the parts that you cite from other sources within the body of your work.

(b) A reference list at the end of your work, which is a list of all the sources cited in the text in your assignment.

Table 5.1 portrays types of resources or references with APA cited referencing style.

Table 5.1: Types of Resources or References with APA Cited Referencing Style

BOOKS

(i) ONE AUTHOR

In-Text Citation

Haig (2001) examined the effects�..

�..transform business globally (Haig, 2001).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of book (Edition). Place of publication: Publisher.

Haig, M. (2001). The B2B e-commerce handbook: How to transform your business-to-business global marketing strategy. London: Kogan Page.


(ii) TWO AUTHORS

In-Text Citation

Boone and Kurtz (2001) explained the impact�..

�..environment and culture (Boone & Kurtz, 2001).

Reference List

1st AuthorÊs Name, & 2nd AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle of book (Edition). Place of publication: Publisher.

Boone, L. E., & Kurtz, D. (2001). Contemporary marketing (10th ed.). Forth Worth, TX: Harcourt Colleges Publishers.

(iii) THREE TO FIVE AUTHORS

In-Text Citation

Allen, Kania and Yaeckel (2001) assessed relationship marketing�..

��called mass customization (Allen, Kania, & Yaeckel, 2001).

Reference List

1st AuthorÊs Name, 2nd AuthorÊs Name, 3rd AuthorÊs Name, 4th AuthorÊs Name, & 5th AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle of book (Edition). Place of publication: Publisher.

Allen, C., Kania, D., & Yaeckel, B. (2001). One-to-one web-marketing: Build a relationship marketing strategy one customer at a time (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley.

(iv) SIX OR SEVEN AUTHORS

In-Text Citation

Harrison et al. (2005) compared two records�..

�..in the bank (Harrison et al., 2005).

Reference List

1st AuthorÊs Name, 2nd AuthorÊs Name, 3rd AuthorÊs Name, 4th AuthorÊs Name, 5th AuthorÊs Name, 6th AuthorÊs Name, & 7th AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle of book (Edition). Place of publication: Publisher.

Harrison, W. T. Jr., Horngren, C. T., Ismail, Z., Chng, C. K., Samad, F., & Mak, Y. T. (2005). Financial accounting in Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore: Prentice Hall.


(v) EIGHT OR MORE AUTHORS

In-Text Citation

Barrett et al. (2012) listed all the�..

�..the title page (Barrett et al., 2012).

Reference List

The first six (6) authorsÊ names should be included follow by using ellipsis points (...) before citing last

authorÊs name.

1st AuthorÊs Name, 2nd AuthorÊs Name, 3rd AuthorÊs Name, 4th AuthorÊs Name, 5th AuthorÊs Name, 6th AuthorÊs Name, ... Last AuthorÊs Name (Year). Title of book: Subtitle of book (Edition). Place of publication: Publisher.

Barrett, J. M., Smith, V., Wilson, R. T., Haley, V. A., Clarke, P., Palmer, N. B., � Fraser, D. (2012). How to cite references in APA style. Christchurch, New Zealand: University of Canterbury Library.

(vi) EDITED BOOKS

In-Text Citation

Duncan and Brooks-Gunn (1997) related the poor�..

�..and poor people (Duncan & Brooks-Gunn, 1997).

Reference List

EditorÊs Name (Ed). (Year). Title of book: Subtitle of book. Place of publication: Publisher.

Duncan, G. J. & Brooks-Gunn, J. (Eds.). (1997). Consequences of growing up poor. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

(vii) BOOKS WITH CORPORATE AUTHOR

(a) Corporate Author as Publisher (Without Abbreviation)

In-Text Citation

� American Psychiatric Association (1994) outlined psychiatric mental�..

� �..mental health needs (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).

Reference List

Corporate AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of book (Edition). Place of publication: Author.

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.


(b) Corporate Author (Without Abbreviation)

In-Text Citation

� Institute of Financial Education (1982) predicted the financial�..

� �..managing funds personally (Institute of Financial Education, 1982).

Reference List

Corporate AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of book (Edition). Place of publication: Author.

Institute of Financial Education. (1998). Managing personal funds. Chicago: Midwestern.

(c) Corporate Author (With Abbreviation)

In-Text Citation

� Ministry of Health [MOH] (2012) revised the policy�..

� �..with thorough examination (Ministry of Health [MOH], 2012).

Subsequent citations

� MOH (2012) stated �..

� �.. (MOH, 2012).

Reference List

Corporate AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of book (Edition). Place of publication: Publisher.

Ministry of Health (2009). Guidelines for resuscitation training in Ministry of Health Malaysia hospitals and healthcare facilities. Putrajaya, Malaysia: Author.

(viii) CHAPTERS IN BOOKS

In-Text Citation

Smith (2006) developed complementary methods�..

�..the conventional methods (Smith, 2006).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of chapter: Subtitle of chapter. In EditorÊs Name, Title of book: Subtitle of book (Edition, pp. first page�last page of the chapter). Place of publication: Publisher.

Smith, M. L. (2006). Multiple methodology in education research. In J. L. Green, G. Camilli, & P. B. Elmore (Eds.), Handbook of complementary methods in education research (pp. 457-475). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.


(ix) ELECTRONIC BOOKS

(a) Without Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

In-Text Citation

Miller (2008) stated the careers�..

�..the nature lovers (Miller, 2008).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of book. Retrieved from URL

Miller, L. (2008). Careers for nature lovers & other outdoor types. Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com

(b) With Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

In-Text Citation

Chaffe-Stengel and Stengel (2012) compared the working�..

�..they are exploring (Chaffe-Stengel & Stengel, 2012).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of book. URL / DOI.

Chaffe-Stengel, P., & Stengel, D. (2012). Working with sample data: Exploration and inference. http://dx.doi.org/10.4128/9781606492147

UNPUBLISHED DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS AND MASTERÊ S THESES

(i) UNPUBLISHED DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS AND MASTERÊ S THESES

In-Text Citation

Maddigan (2010) found women in�..

�..of career development (Maddigan, 2010).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of doctoral dissertation / master thesis: Subtitle of doctoral dissertation / master thesis (Unpublished doctoral dissertation/ Unpublished masterÊs thesis). University Name, Place.

Maddigan, P. (2010). Women and career advancement: A case study in the Australian Federal Police (Unpublished master's thesis). Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.


(ii) DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS AND MASTERÊ S THESES IN PROQUEST DISSERTATIONS AND THESES DATABASE AND OBTAINED FROM UMI

In-Text Citation

Wehnert (2009) concluded that TQM�..

�..implementation of TQM (Wehnert, 2009).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of doctoral dissertation /master thesis: Subtitle of doctoral dissertation / master thesis. (Doctoral dissertation/ MasterÊs thesis). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database. (UMI No.)

Wehnert, U. E. (2009). Implementing TQM cross-culturally: A mediated model of national culture dimensions, TQM values and organizational performance. (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database. (UMI No. 3361225)

ARTICLES IN PERIODICAL (JOURNAL, NEWSPAPER, MAGAZINE)

(i) PRINT JOURNAL ARTICLES

In-Text Citation

Freeman (2000) supported the view�..

�..of Malaysian market (Freeman, 2000).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of article in the journal. Title of Journal: Subtitle of Journal, Volume(Issue), first page-last page of the article.

Freeman, S. (2000). Industry environment: Influence on performance of small-medium sized enterprise in Asia-Pacific markets. Asian Academy of Management Journal, 5(2), 96-113.

(ii) JOURNAL ARTICLES IN PRESS*

*In press means that a paper has been accepted for publication by a journal.

In-Text Citation

Gary (in press) rated customer satisfaction�..

�..achieve higher rate (Gary, in press).

Reference List

Gary, J. L. (in press). An empirical study on the effects of job satisfaction on behavioral intentions. Journal of Satisfaction Studies.


(iii) ELECTRONIC JOURNAL ARTICLES

(a) Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

In-Text Citation

Kenneth (2000) investigated the issues�..

�..their human right (Kenneth, 2000).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of article in the journal. Title of Journal: Subtitle of Journal, Volume(Issue), first page-last page of the article. Retrieved from URL

Kenneth, I. A. (2000). A Buddhist response to the nature of human right. Journal of Buddhist Ethics, 8. Retrieved from http://www.cac.psu.edu/j be/twocont.html

(b) Database

In-Text Citation

Dabney and Tzeng (2013) identified dimensions of�..

�..service quality dimensions (Dabney & Tzeng, 2013).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of article in the journal. Title of Journal: Subtitle of Journal, Volume(Issue), first page-last page of the article. Retrieved from Database

Dabney, B. W., & Tzeng, H. (2013). Service quality and patient-centered care. MEDSURG Nursing, 22(6), 359-364. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database

(c) Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

In-Text Citation

Juárez (2014) contrasted the findings�..

�..financial statement analyses ( Juárez, 2014).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of article in the journal. Title of Journal: Subtitle of Journal, Volume(Issue), first page-last page of the article. DOI.

Juárez, F. (2014). Review of the principles of complexity in business administration and application in financial statements. African Journal of Business Management, 8(2), 48-54. doi: 10.5897/AJBM2013.7274x.


(iv) NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

In-Text Citation

Romann (2014) commented on the�..

�..and Singapore government (Romann, 2014).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name (Year, Month Day Published). Article title. Newspaper Title, first page-last page of the article.

Romann, A. (2014, January 10-16). Mixed outlook for Asian currencies. China Daily, p. 11.

(v) NEWSPAPER ARTICLES (DISCONTINUOUS PAGES)

In-Text Citation

Schwartz (1993) wrote about the�..

�..and social problems (Schwartz, 1993).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name (Year, Month Day Published). Article title. Newspaper Title, first page, subsequent pages of the article.

Schwartz, J. (1993, September 13). Obesity affects economic, social status. The Washington Post, pp. A1, A4.

CONFERENCE PAPERS

(i) CONFERENCE PAPERS (PRINT)

In-Text Citation

Prayag and Ramjee (2009) related the research�..

�..in poultry production (Prayag & Ramjee, 2009).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of conference paper. In EditorÊs Name (Ed.), Title of Conference/ Published Proceedings (first page�last page of conference paper). Place of Publication: Publisher.

Prayag, I. L., & Ramjee, R. (2009). The impact of Newcastle disease control on smallholder poultry production in Mauritius. In R. G. Alsers, P. B. Spadbrow, & M. P. Young (Eds.), Village chickens, poverty alleviation and the sustainable control of Newcastle disease: Proceedings of an international conference held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 5-7 October 2005 (pp. 132-134). Canberra, ACT: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.


(ii) CONFERENCE PAPERS (ONLINE)

In-Text Citation

Tunon and Jensen (2012) recognised the importance�..

�..effective web-based presentation (Tunon & Jensen, 2009).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year). Title of conference paper. In EditorÊs Name (Ed.), Title of Conference/ Published Proceedings (first page�last page of conference paper). Place of Publication: Publisher. Retrieved from URL.

Tunon, J. &, Jensen. J. (2012). Free and easy web-based presentation and classroom tools. In T. J. Peters (Ed.), Proceedings of the 15th annual Distance Library Services Conference, Mempis, TN. Retrieved from http://ocls.cmich.edu/conf2012/

(iii) UNPUBISHED CONFERENCE PAPERS

In-Text Citation

Portman (2000) reviewed the effectiveness�..

�..playing computer games (Portman, 2000).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name. (Year, Month). Title of conference paper. Paper presented at the Title of Conference: Subtitle of Conference, Place.

Portman, J. (2000, May). Teaching learners English using video games. Paper presented at the 3rd International Conference on Computer-Assisted Language Learning, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS

(i) The initials as well as the surname of the communicators are usually provided as exact a date as possible. Personal communications such as e-mail, letter, memos, personal interviews, telephone conversations are not included in the reference list because they do not provide recoverable data.

In-Text Citation

� J. J. Tommy (personal communication, November 15, 2013) described university education �..

� �.. the undergraduate students (J. J. Tommy, personal communication, November 15, 2013).

Reference List

N/A


SECONDARY REFERENCED PAPERS

(i) Secondary referenced papers are papers where the work of an author is learnt from the work of other author(s).

In-Text Citation

� Stake (as cited in Cano, 2012) pointed out the�..

� �..and primary schools (Stake, as cited in Cano, 2012).

Reference List

Cano, E. V. (2012). Mobile learning with Twitter to improve linguistic competence at secondary schools. The Educational Review, 29(3), 134-147.

QUOTATION OF SOURCES

(i) A short quotation has fewer than 40 words and the quotation should be enclosed with double quotation marks.

In-Text Citation

� They stated, „The four scales that can be applied to the measurement of variables are the nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales‰ (Sekaran & Bougie, 2009, p.148).

� Sekaran and Bougie (2009) highlighted that „the four scales that can be applied to the measurement of variables are the nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales‰ (p. 148).

Reference List

Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2009). Research Methods for Business: A skill building approach (5th ed). Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley.

(ii) A quotation of 40 or more words should be displayed in a free-standing block of typewritten lines and the quotation marks must be omitted. Start such a block quotation on a new line, and indent the block about 0.5 in. (1.3 cm or five spaces) from the left margin. The entire quotation should be double-spaced.

In-Text Citation

� Sekaran and Bougie (2009) explained the following:

A Pearson correlation matrix will indicate the direction, strength, the significance of the bivariate relationships among all the variables that were measured at an interval or ratio level. The correlation is derived by assessing the variations in one variable as another variable also varies. (p. 321)

Reference List

Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2009). Research Methods for Business: A skill building approach (5th ed). West Sussex: John Wiley & Son Ltd.


AUTHORS WITH SAME SURNAME

(i) The first authorÊs initials have to be included in all text citations, even if the year of publication differs.

In-Text Citation

� C. Oliver (1990) and R. L. Oliver (1980) classified satisfaction as�..

� �..customer satisfaction models (C. Oliver, 1990; R. L. Oliver, 1980).

Reference List

Oliver, C. (1990). Determinants of interorganisational relationships: Integration and future directions. Academy of Management Review, 15, 241-265.

Oliver, R. L. (1980). A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 17, 460-469.

AUTHORS WITH TWO OR MORE PAPERS IN THE SAME YEAR

(i) Lower case letters have to be used to differentiate between papers published in the same year by this author.

In-Text Citation

� Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1991a) and Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1991b) proposed the model�..

� �..of service quality (Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, 1991a; Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, 1991b).

Reference List

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1991a). Refinement and reassessment of the SERVQUAL scale. Journal of Retailing, 67, 420-450.

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1991b). Understanding customer expectations of service. Sloan Management Review, 32, 39-48.

MALAY, CHINESE, INDIAN & SIKH AUTHORS

(i) MALAY AUTHORS

For example, Raja Ahmad bin Ramli, Tun Zaidi Zainuddin and Datin Julilah binti Harun (1999)

In-Text Citation

• Raja Ahmad Ramli, Zaidi Zainuddin and Julilah Harun (1999) examined the

strategies…..

• …..of diversification strategy (Raja Ahmad Ramli, Zaidi Zainuddin, & Juilah Harun,

1999).


Reference List

Raja Ahmad Ramli, Zaidi Zainuddin, & Julilah Harun (1999)�..

(ii) CHINESE AUTHORS

For example, Ooi Kee Seng, Lew Fook, Wang Su-Ling and Jenny Saw Lian See (2001)

In-Text Citation

� Ooi, Lew, Wang and Saw (2001) distinguished between the.....

� �..humorous and silly (Ooi, Lew, Wang & Saw, 2001).

Reference List

Ooi, K. S., Lew, F., Wang, S., & Saw, J. L. S. (2001)�..

(iii) INDIAN AND SIKH AUTHORS

For example, Sharmila d/o Subramaniam, Ranjit Singh, Harvinder Kaur and Balakrishnan s/o Arokiasamy (2000)

In-Text Citation

� Sharmila, Ranjit, Harvinder and Balakrishnan (2000) related the material.....

� �..in your life (Sharmila, Ranjit, Harvinder & Balakrishnan, 2000).

Reference List

Sharmila, S., Ranjit, S., Harvinder, K., & Balakrishnan, A. (2000)�..

ANONYMOUS AUTHOR

(i) ANONYMOUS AUTHOR

Cite in the text as „Anonymous‰ when the workÊs author is designated as „Anonymous.‰

In-Text Citation

� Anonymous (1994) explained the needs�..

� �..juniors and seniors (Anonymous, 1994).

Reference List

Anonymous. (1994). WhereÊs the beef? College seniors evaluate their undergraduate experience. Change, 26, 29-32.


ONLINE LECTURE NOTES / PRESENTATION SLIDES

(i) (a) PDF

Use the abbreviation „n.d.‰ for „no date‰ when the date is not specified in the source.

In-Text Citation

� Hallam (n.d.) reorganised the theories�..

� �..of the theories (Hallam, n.d.).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name (n.d.). Title [PDF format]. Retrieved from URL

Hallam, A. (n.d.). Duality in consumer theory [PDF document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Website:

http://www.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ501/Hallam/index.pdf

(b) POWERPOINT SLIDES

In-Text Citation

� Roberts (1998) compared the environment�..

� �..of the regulations (Roberts, 1998).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name (Year). Title [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from URL

Roberts, K. F. (1998). Federal regulations of chemicals in the environment[PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://siri.uvm.edu/ppt/ 40hrenv/ index.html

WIKIS

(i) In-Text Citation

� Discrimination (n.d.) is defined as�..

� �..group or category (Discrimination, n.d.).

Reference List

Title (n.d.). In Wiki. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Discrimination. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination


BLOG POST

(i) In-Text Citation

� Ewing (2014) stated that women�..

� �..poetry without inspiration (Ewing, 2014).

Reference List

AuthorÊs Name (Year, Month Day). Title of article /post. Title of Blog [web log]. Retrieved from URL

Ewing, K. (2014, March 10). Celebrating inspiring women around the world. Google [web log]. Retrieved from http://googleblog.blogspot.com/

5.3.2 Plagiarism and Collusion

Plagiarism means to represent the words, thoughts, ideas, arguments or expressions of another person as oneÊs own. It is considered a serious offence and is heavily penalised. You must cite all your sources in every academic work you produce. However, there are some rule and conventions that you must abide by for citing your sources in an appropriate manner. In this context, referencing means to acknowledge all the sources you have researched and deemed right to appropriate within your assignment. Collusion is acting with another person with the intention to deceive. At university, it can mean submitting the work of someone else, with their knowledge and consent, to gain an advantage in an assignment. To avoid collusion:

(a) You must not „borrow‰ a paragraph or two from someone else. Make sure you do not use any sentences or paragraphs from someone elseÊs work, do not share your work or allow anyone to copy any part of it � you could be questioned about plagiarism and/or collusion.

(b) You must not submit work that is identical to that another student (with the exception of group work) in part or in whole. Sometimes you find yourself writing on the same topic as a friend studying the same unit. This does not mean that your assignments should be, or will be, the same.

(c) You must not submit the work of someone who has studied the same unit previously � even if that person gives you their work to submit under your name and does not mind if you do so, or even if it is work from a couple of years ago, or if you change a little bit here and there.


(d) You must not submit the work of another student under your name � even if that student does not mind that you do so. You cannot hand in the work of another student, or a friend, and pretend it is your own � even if that person says they do not mind, or you cannot get someone to write an assignment for you � even if you pay them well.

COMMON FAULTS FOUND IN AN ASSIGNMENT

Table 5.2 describes some common faults found in assignments.

Table 5.2: Common Faults in Assignments

Faults How to Overcome

1. Unfocused treatment Keep to the point, do not ramble. Always refer back to the topic and leave out unnecessary points.

2. Shallow treatment of topic/subject

Provide sufficient content. Read more, use more examples, back up argument with evidence.

3. Badly organised content (poor presentation)

Keep to the outline:

Introduction

Body of content:

� Issue 1 + argument

5.4

Cite the following book using OUM citation style based on the APA format.

Book title: The Writing Process

Author: John M. Lannon

Place of publication: USA

Publisher: Pearson

Year of publication: 2004

ACTIVITY 5.3





Conclusion

References

4. Lack of fluency and flow Keep language simple and to the point.

Link points and paragraphs.

Check spelling and grammar.

5. Poor introduction Make sure you introduce the topic and explain how you are approaching the subject. Put the topic in perspective.

6. Poor conclusion Make sure you conclude by providing the answers or solutions to the issues involved. Refer again to the topic and make sure your conclusion is consistent with the introduction. Have you answered in the conclusion the questions raised in the body of content?

7. Boring presentation Be creative in your approach, be less pedantic in style. Be open to other views and ideas. Be an active reader; do not accept whatever is written at face value. Question, question and question!

8. Irrelevant information Make sure you read widely and gather enough rrelevant information so that you do not need to „pad‰ your essay with irrelevant information. Apply evaluation and selection criteria to your reading and information gathering.

ACTIVITY 5.4

Discuss in the forum how to overcome some of the common faults when writing an assignment.


ETHICS IN WRITING AN ASSIGNMENT

According to wordreference.com, ethics is „the philosophical study of the moral value of human conduct and of the rules and principles that ought to govern it‰. Based on this definition, we can see that ethics is about moral decisions, which is based on a standard of conduct that indicates how one should behave based on moral duties and values. It is based on a personal decision, universally accepted values or ethical obligations determined by society. In the context of an assignment, ethics refers to the set of values and standards that guides your actions, thoughts and words when preparing your assignment. Arguably, there are many different values pertaining to right or wrong behaviour during examinations. We will look at some universally accepted ethics related to assignment writing. These are as follows:

(a) Copying the paper or work of another learner;

(b) Permitting another learner to copy your work;

(c) Possessing notes, crib sheets, additional sources of information or other materials that are unauthorised by OUM;

(d) Taking or attempting to do the assignment for another learner or getting someone to do likewise for you; and

(e) Altering or falsifying assignment results. Below are some guidelines for ethical conduct in writing assignments, retrieved from http://www.student.unsw.edu.au

(i) Cite the published source (including, where relevant, the electronically published), to acknowledge the originator of ideas upon which you are building your work, and to acknowledge quotations by the use of quotation marks.

(ii) Refer to, or use unpublished scholarly materials only with the consent of the originator and acknowledge the source of the materials if that consent is given.

(iii) Refrain from plagiarism, which is the unacknowledged incorporation of anotherÊs work, into your work.

(iv) Ensure that the use of scholarly materials does not result in obstructing access by others, in particular, where such materials are held within the UniversityÊs library or research centre.

5.5


(v) Faithfully represent the views of the authors cited and do not misrepresent authorsÊ views either by partial or censored quotation, or by quoting out of context, or by misleading commentary.

(vi) Seek access only to scholarly materials to which you know you are entitled or authorised, and not to attempt to access such material to which you know you are not entitled or authorised (for example, by computer hacking).

(vii) Respect the rights of other authors and refrain from tampering with digital records (whether in text, image, sound, or other format) over which the originator has copyright and/or has asserted the moral rights of ownership.

(viii) Refrain from manipulating digital records (whether in text, image, sound or other format), whether in their original context or in a different context, so as to mislead their audience.

� Writing assignment is a process of finding evidence that the course learning

outcomes have been achieved.

� The most common type of assignment is writing an essay.

� Essay has an Introduction, a Body and a Conclusion.

� In the process of completing your assignments, you need to document all the sources used in your paper. There are many ways of documenting sources within the text of a paper and in the reference section at the end of your paper.

� OUM citation style is based on the American Psychological Association (APA) format.

� Plagiarism means to represent the words, thoughts, ideas, arguments or expressions of another person as oneÊs own.

� Collusion is acting with another person with the intention to deceive. At university, it can mean submitting the work of someone else, with their knowledge and consent, to gain an advantage in an assignment.

� In the context of assignments, ethics refers to the set of values and standards that guides your actions, thoughts and words when you write your assignment.


APA referencing style

Assignment

Collusion

Essay

Ethics

In-text citation

Plagiarism

topic 5 coping with assignments.pdf

Documents