Producing your first assignment can be a daunting process, especially when you haven’t had to produce this type of written work before. If you are nervous about writing your first assignment, have a chat with your personal tutor. They will be able to help you with any individual problems and offer advice about what should be included in the assignment. If they have time, they might be happy to look at a draft version before you hand in the final assignment for assessment.

Find out when deadlines for assignments are due and begin writing early – that way you will not put yourself under undue pressure trying to meet your deadlines. This chapter provides advice and guidance to help you to produce successful assignments.

STAGES OF THE WRITING PROCESS

If you are new to writing assignments you will find it useful to break down the procedure into a series of stages. That way the process is much less daunting and you can logically work through each stage until your assignment is complete.

As you become more familiar with writing assignments you may find that the order of the stages listed below changes slightly. You may also find that you are able to carry out some of the tasks simultaneously.

Before you start an assignment, find out from your tutor whether you are required to produce the work within a certain number of words or pages as this will help you to get an idea of how much material should be included.

Stage 1 – Choose a Topic

On some courses you will only be given one topic, in which case the choice is already made for you. If, however, you are presented with a list of topics, you must decide which you wish to discuss. When choosing a topic don’t waste too much time making your decision. Look at each topic in turn and jot down a few points about each – this will give you an indication about your current knowledge, what your interests are and the topics that you know nothing about.

If this is your first assignment you might feel more comfortable choosing a topic about which you already have some knowledge – this will help your confidence. However, as you progress on your course, do not dismiss topics that you think you know nothing about. These can be interesting to research and will help to keep your motivation levels high.

Some students prefer to avoid general topics because it is harder to decide what material should be included. More specific topics help you to direct your reading and refine your argument. You will find that there is enough reading material available on what appear to be very specific topics.

Stage 2 – Understand what is being asked

Make sure that you understand what the question is asking. Read it several times so that you are clear. You might find it useful to discuss the question with other students to make sure that you have interpreted it correctly. If you are really unsure, try to arrange a meeting with your tutor to discuss the question in more depth.

Stage 3 – Identify key areas

Once you have chosen your topic, identify a number of key areas which will help to direct your background reading. These key areas may change as your reading progresses, but this initial list will help you to identify important texts.

Stage 4 – Begin your reading

In the early stages of your reading you may find it useful to identify a more general text that helps you to consider the overall question and topic. This will help you to start developing ideas for more specific reading.

Stage 5 – Take notes

As soon as you begin reading start taking notes. As you read, write down the main points and issues which relate to the question. Collect facts as well as opinions. Start organising your notes immediately – do not leave this until you have scribbled pages and pages of notes as they will be harder to organise. By organising your notes from the start you will be able to make sure that you only make notes relevant to the question. Remember to write down the bibliographical details of every book you read, and always note page numbers of relevant pieces or quotations that you might use in your assignment. Bibliographical details should include:

• Author’s surname and initials;
• Date of publication;
• Title of the book;
• Publisher;
• Place of publication;
• Page numbers of specific information or quotations.

If you are reading a journal you will need to note the following:

• Author’s surname and initials;
• Title of the article;
• Title of the journal;
• Volume and/or number of the journal;
• Page numbers of the article within the journal.

If you are obtaining information from a website you need to note the following:

• Author’s surname and initials (if known);
• Date of publication or last revision;
• Title of document;
• Title of complete work (if relevant);
• URL/web address;
• Date of access.

You must remember to note all these details at the time of accessing the information – it can be very difficult and time–consuming to retrace your reading at a later date.

Stage 6 – Follow–up reading

By now you should be getting a feel for what is relevant reading matter. You can follow up your general reading with specialist reading such as journal articles or conference papers. Use the bibliographies of books that you have found useful to help steer you in a more specialised direction. When you write your assignment you should include information from a variety of sources – this will show that you have covered the topic well.

Stage 7 – Develop arguments

As you read you will find that you begin to form ideas about the topic. Write these down as soon as you think of them – you will find that some or all of these ideas can be used in your assignment. As you start to develop your own ideas you will find that arguments form in your mind. You will then be able to return to the reading to find evidence to support your arguments. Your arguments can serve three different purposes:

• They can defend a claim.
• They can answer a question or provide a solution to a problem.
• They can explore an idea or a claim without taking a stand.

The purpose of your argument will depend upon the nature of your assignment. In most cases you will be required to answer a question and back up your answer with evidence from relevant literature. Remember to note bibliographical details and page numbers of any evidence you intend to use. If you find that your argument is not developing easily you could try some exploratory writing, brainstorming the issues or more in–depth reading.

Stage 8 – Begin to develop your main argument

By now your main argument should be developing. Take a little time to work through this argument, finding evidence from your notes to support your ideas. You may decide that you have enough information available, or you may feel that you need to return to your reading for more evidence.

Stage 9 – Return to the question

Once you have developed your main argument, return to the question to check that you are sticking to the topic and have not got side–tracked with irrelevant information.

Stage 10 – Organise your notes and argument

Once you are happy that you are answering the question with your main argument, you can begin to organise your notes and argument into a coherent, logical structure. This will help you when you begin to write. Divide the work into manageable chunks and think about introductory sentences for each section. You could try brainstorming a few sentences and choosing the best.

Some people find it useful to transfer relevant arguments, facts and opinions onto cards and then order the cards into a logical structure. Other people find it useful to draw a diagram or a pictorial representation of how all the parts of their argument fit together.

Stage 11 – Write a draft introduction

Beginning to write can be daunting, but don’t put it off. Just start writing – this is only a draft and you can alter it at a later stage. You will find that you feel better about your work when you have something, whatever standard, in writing. Your introduction should begin with a general statement – try brainstorming a few and choose the one you like best. The introduction should do the following:

• Identify the key points in relation to the topic.
• Provide a brief answer to the question, or a summary of your argument.
• Provide a plan on how the question will be answered.

Some people find it easier to write their introduction after they have written the main part of the assignment.

Stage 12 – Write a draft main section

This section should follow the points set out in the introduction. It should contain your argument backed up by evidence on each of the points you are discussing. Any evidence you use should be well–referenced. Don’t use the words or arguments of others and try to pass these off as your own. This is plagiarism and your tutor will be able to spot this easily. Use transition sentences to move from one paragraph or one argument to the next. You can do this by repeating key words or ideas.

Stage 13 – Write a draft conclusion

This should sum up your argument and leave the reader in no doubt about the answer to the question. End your assignment with a general statement. Again, you can try brainstorming a few and then choosing the best.

Stage 14 – Produce the references and bibliography

The reference section includes all the literature to which you have referred in your assignment. Find out which referencing system your college or university uses. A popular method is the Harvard system which lists the authors’ surnames alphabetically, followed by their initials, date of publication, title of book in italics, place of publication and publisher. If the reference is a journal article, the title of the article appears in inverted commas and the name of the journal appears in italics, followed by the volume number and pages of the article.

If you have read other publications but not actually referred to them when writing your assignment, you should include them as a bibliography at the end of your assignment. However, make sure that they are still relevant to your work – including books to make your bibliography look longer and more impressive is a tactic which won’t impress tutors.

At this present time there are a variety of methods used for referencing information obtained from the internet. Ask your tutor which method is preferred at your college or university and remember to record all the information you require at the time that you access a particular website.

Stage 14 – Review the draft

Read through your draft assignment, picking up on any weak points in your argument and any problems that you may have with the structure. You may find that you have to return to your reading if you have missed out anything important. Some tutors, if they have time, will be happy to comment on a draft assignment and suggest alterations for your final version.

At this stage, check that all your references in the main text are correct. These should appear as the author’s surname, the date of publication and page number in brackets positioned after the relevant quotation or piece of text, for example (Dawson, 2002: 44).

Stage 15 – Re–draft your assignment

Re–write your assignment, altering the structure and content if required and checking that all references are clear. Make sure that your assignment is within the required word or page limit.

Stage 16 – Edit and proofread

Once you are happy with your draft assignment in terms of content and structure you need to go through your work checking for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Don’t rely on your computer to do this – you will find that certain mistakes aren’t corrected.

Some students find it useful to leave their work for a couple of days, if they have time, and then proofread. This is because they can approach the work with a fresh mind and spot mistakes that they may have missed previously. Try to read each word individually – it will help you to spot mistakes. When you read quickly you assume that the words are right and you will find it more difficult to spot errors.

Reading your assignment out loud will help you to find out whether it flows well. This is because you are hearing the words as well as seeing them. Some students find it useful to work with a friend and proofread each other’s assignment – it can be more difficult to detect mistakes in your own work than it is to detect mistakes in someone else’s work.

DEVELOPING A CONCISE WRITING STYLE

On most courses you will be required to complete your assignments within a specified amount of words. Don’t be tempted to produce more than the maximum amount of words in the hope that you will receive more marks because this will not be the case. Indeed, some tutors will penalise you heavily for exceeding the maximum word count.

To produce successful assignments you will need to cultivate a concise writing style that will enable you to pack as many ideas and arguments into your assignment as possible. The following tips will help you to do this:

• Keep the audience and purpose of your work in mind.
• Prioritise the main points that you wish to include. Go through your list making sure that all of these points are relevant before you begin to write. You will receive higher marks if you are able to show that you can discriminate between relevant and irrelevant information.

• Keep sentences short and make sure that your paragraphs are not too long.
• Only use quotations if they are relevant and help to explain a point that you are making. Do not include irrelevant material, however interesting it is to you. Stick to the question. When you read a draft version of your assignment, make sure that every part of your writing is relevant and cut it out if this is not the case.
• In some subjects, such as Mathematics and Science, don’t use words when a table or diagram would better illustrate your ideas (see Chapter 6).

TIPS FOR IMPROVING MARKS

The following tips have been provided by tutors who regularly mark students’ work:

• Make sure that your work is neatly presented and free from grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.
• Pay particular attention to the structure – your introduction should flow nicely into the main section and onto the conclusion.
• Make sure that you answer the question and keep your work free from irrelevant material.
• Back up all your arguments with relevant evidence.
• Do not use other peoples’ words and arguments – it is so easy to spot when you do this.
• The secret to good writing is rewriting. Always produce a draft, rewrite and then rewrite again. Even the best writers review their work.
• Writing is not a talent reserved for a select few – it is a skill that can be learned – ask your tutor, read books, learn the skill. Remember the saying ‘practice makes perfect’!
• Keep ideas together that belong together. Don’t change your ideas or arguments mid–paragraph.
• Avoid long, complex sentences and terminology that you don’t understand. Tutors know when you are trying to impress but don’t really know what you are talking about.
• Hand in your work on time. Don’t come out with lame excuses about why your work is late – only in exceptional circumstances will you be given an extension. However, courses aimed specifically at adults might have more flexibility. Speak to your tutor if you find that you are having difficulty with deadlines.