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Students enrolled at university are expected to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways: in writing (essays, research reports, exams), visually (charts, diagrams), verbally (tutorial presentations) or in multi-media presentations. Written assignments are the most common assessment items, usually in essay or report form. When preparing to write an assignment you need to clarify:
- Who is the audience?
- What is the task?
- What are the assessment criteria?
- What is the word limit?
- What style of writing is required (genre)?
- How long do you have to write it (due date)?
- What is the appropriate method of presentation? Are there rules about cover pages, fonts, margins, and spacing? What style of referencing is required?
To answer these questions, get as much information as you can from your unit outline, assignment instruction sheet, lecturer and/or tutor.
Analysing the topic/question
Why?
- To ensure that the assignment is relevant to the topic, that is, it addresses the question/statement posed.
- To check that you fully understand the meaning of the topic.
- To clarify language, ideas, content required, the limits or focus of the essay and the lecturer's instructions.
- To provide a basis for an assignment plan.
How?
- Check the meaning of words you are unfamiliar with (use discipline based dictionaries if appropriate).
- Identify important words and phrases in the topic.
- Note the directive words (the words that give you instructions – see the list below).
- Note words that indicate the focus or limit of the topic (is the content broad or narrow?). If the topic is broad, how can it be limited? If you are unsure about how broad or narrow a topic is, challenge ideas and concepts with who, what, where, when, why, how . For example, for the topic “Consider the effects of Beethoven's deafness on his musical output”, you could ask, when? (while going deaf, and/or after complete deafness had set in?). If your answers show that there are many possibilities, then the question/topic is broad. Because there are not many options in this topic it could be said to have a narrow focus.
- Think about what you already know about the topic – try a ‘brainstorm' (see below).
Directive Words (Adapted from Marshall & Rowland, 1998)
Directive word |
Meaning |
Analyse |
Show the meaning of something, by breaking it down into its component parts and examining each part in detail |
Argue |
Present the case for and/or against a particular proposition |
Compare/contrast |
Look for similarities and differences between propositions |
Critically analyse |
Investigate and explain the nature and relative importance of the components, definitions or concepts of a question and explain why they are interrelated. Also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the definition and concepts |
Criticise |
Give your judgement about the merit of theories or opinions about the truth of facts, and back your judgement by a discussion of the evidence |
Discuss |
Investigate or examine by argument, sift and debate, giving reasons for and against |
Evaluate |
Make an appraisal of the worth of something, in the light of its apparent truth or utility; include your personal opinion |
Examine |
Present in depth and investigate the implications. Draw conclusions |
Explain |
Make plain, interpret, and account for in detail. |
Illustrate |
Explain and make clear by the use of concrete examples, or by the use of a figure or diagram |
Justify |
Show adequate grounds for decisions or conclusions |
Outline |
Highlight main features without going into considerable detail |
Summarise |
Give a concise account of the chief points or substance of a matter, omitting details and examples |
What are the issues in your topic?
Brainstorm
Write your question or list of questions in the centre of a sheet of paper. Now spend a few minutes jotting down any ideas that enter your head in relation to the question(s). Write them in any order – it does not matter if some turn out to be irrelevant. You may come up with a number of topics, comments, arguments, approaches, evidence you are aware of. The task now is to group these ideas under headings. These headings could get you started in deciding which issues you will cover in your essay.
If the brainstorm is not successful, you may need to do some initial reading. It is often a good idea to begin by finding a simple overview of the topic area - perhaps an article in a subject encyclopaedia or a textbook. This will help identify some of the issues you may need to consider. Try another brainstorm, or write a list of issues.
This is an important step because it is the beginning of a plan for your essay and you have a focus for further reading.
References
Marshall, L., & Rowland, F. (1998). A guide to learning independently. Melbourne: Addison Wesley Longman.
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