Essay Pres

8/8/2019 Essay Pres

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YOUR ASSESSED WORK

WRITTENASSIGNMENTS

OVERVIEW

Aim• To introduce you to the problems of written

coursework

Learning Objectives• How to meet criteria for high quality coursework

• How to research and use the available literature

• How to avoid minor errors that can lose marks

ESSAYS

• Academic essays are ‘research papers’ – criticaldiscussions about a topic presenting argumentsand drawing conclusions from the evidence.

What do the ‘experts’ say?What do I think, based upon what I’ve read?

• You survey the field of knowledge to find the best

possible information in that field. You thenpresent your own interpretation, evaluation orarguments based on what you find.

So you MUST always cite the source of the idea orinformation you present

REPORTS

• An account of an investigation into aparticular problem

OR

• A proposal to undertake a piece ofresearch

OR

• A case for a particular course ofaction e.g. new product or strategy

REPORTS: COMPONENTS

• Title Page

• Executive Summary (Abstract)

• Terms of reference (inc. who it is for)

• Body of report, e.g.

– Current position/problem

– Proposals justified by reference toliterature

• Recommendations/Conclusions

• References

• Appendices

HOW YOU ARE MARKED:

CONTENT 1:• ‘Interpretation and Scope’

– Cover all significant points

• ‘Understanding of topic’

– Identify the most relevant issues

– Be aware of ‘nuances and complexities’

– Gain insights

• ‘Use of literature’

– Carry out ‘significant independent research

– Support your arguments from the literature

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HOW YOU ARE MARKED:CONTENT(2)

• ‘Evaluating and synthesis of evidence’

- Selecting and discussing only what is significant

- Making sense of writers’ different views

• ‘Critical analysis’

– Challenging and questioning writers’ views

– Using your own judgement to come toconclusions

By contrast, there is a minority who argue that the new LIS

models simply represent acquiescence in the face of financialrestraint. Ratcliffe (in Roberts, 1992, p.170) states that the

innovators are operating under :

"...the delusion that librarianship has undergone a fundamental change,

instead of recognising merely that libraries have benefited from new

techniques in retrieving information."

There seems to be something of the ostrich with its head in thesand about this view. The changes are significant and can anddo generate tensions in a number of ways…

Excellent critical comment. Well presented longer quote.

EXAMPLE from SAMPLE ESSAY


• ‘Structure & Logical Development’

– Making a convincing case

– Presenting coherent arguments

• General to specific• Problem to solution


• ABSTRACT

Summary of your work in 150 words

What you set out to do, what you investigatedand your conclusions. Compulsory

• CONCLUSION should summarise keypoints/issues/outcomes. Must do justice toyour essay

HOW YOU ARE MARKED:

PRESENTATION (1)• Spelling, grammar and syntax

“High standard. Negligible errors”

• Style“ Very effective use of English. Clear and easy to read”

Do not worry if English is not your first language

• Presentation of data and references“Excellent use of relevant data, figs., models. References

accurately cited and listed”

• Overall presentation“Excellent presentation. Well organised and well presented.

Students’ Handbook followed”

HOW YOU ARE MARKED:

PRESENTATION (2)

Students’ Handbook requires:

• 1.5 or double spacing

• 4cm left-hand margin

• SPACE between paras

Write clearly and simply.

No jargon.

Explain technical terms

READ your work when you have finished, to find typos,

missed citations etc.

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READING FOR YOUR WORK (1)

• What shall I search for?

– Books – Journals (and newspapers)

– Websites

• How do I find them? – Identify Keywords from an initial search

– Search relevant databases/ catalogues/ Web

• Refine keywords and search again.

• Identify accessible items – Uni. Library (Shelves/Databases)

– Other local libraries PL/SHU

READING FOR YOUR WORK (2)

• Choose current (up-to-date) sources – What is ‘current’ depends on the sort of topic

you are writing about. e.g.

ICT/Technology developments – the more recent thebetter (journals, websites, newspapers)

Management – some material 50 years old is still current

TIP: Check the references in very recentacademic articles and text books on your topic.How old is the material the authors are citing?

AVOID PLAGIARISM

• Don’t pass off an author’s ideas or words as yourown. Includes text, original ideas, statistics, charts,

diagrams, art work, Web sources.

• Attribute all words and ideas that are not your ownto the author.

Not doing this is a form of intellectual theft.

• Read the Students’ Handbook!Deliberately plagiarising can result in a fail grade

for your assignment.

WHAT IS PLAGIARISM: I

• Original text from The Net Result (1997):

“For the citizen, the Information Society placesincreasing emphasis on the use of information forproblem solving, decision making and personaldevelopment. This calls for adequate skills, which wehave referred to as ‘information capability’.”

• Essay extract:

“For the citizen, the Information Society placesincreasing emphasis on the use of information forproblem solving, decision making and personaldevelopment. This calls for adequate skills, which wehave referred to as ‘information capability.’”

The student has copied from the book = Plagiarism

WHAT IS PLAGIARISM: II

• The original:

“For the citizen, the Information Society placesincreasing emphasis on the use of information forproblem solving, decision making and personaldevelopment.”

• Essay extract:

“For the citizen, the Information Society makes theuse of information for problem solving, decisionmaking and personal development more important.”

The student has changed some words. Is thisstill plagiarism? YES

AVOIDING ACCIDENTAL

PLAGIARISM

• When taking notes DON’T write them downverbatim unless you intend to quote.

– Read the passage

– Put the source on one side

– Think about the meaning of what you’ve read

– Write the key points down in your own words

– Remember to record the source

• Remember to put direct quotes in invertedcommas and cite the author and page

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BIBLIOGRAPHICAL CITATION

Referring a reader to the sources you have used

• HARVARD SYSTEM requires:a) The author’s name and year of publication inthe text: e.g. Smith (1999), IBM (1999)

• b) A Bibliography giving full details of each work= Author, (date), title of the work, place of

publication, publisher

• The objective is to help the reader to locate all theitems cited in your text.

So, the entry term in text and bib. must be the same!

TYPES OF CITATION: 1

• Straightforward text citation

– Irving (1992) suggests that the lack of information skillsis the key issue for society. Information poverty, he

states..…

OR

– The lack of information skills is the key issue for society

(Irving 1992).

Note position of brackets and final full stop after thecitation in the last version.

N.B. Text citation (author + date) is the samewhether the item is a book, an article or a web page

TYPES OF CITATION: 2

• Text citation for an author mentioned inanother work

– Brown, quoted by Irving (1992), proposes thatinformation poverty.…

You have found this information in Irving’sbook so It’s Irving who goes in your bib. – not Brown. No date for Brown - irrelevant

TYPES OF CITATION 3

Text citation for an author in a compilation oredited work:

If Brown had contributed achapter to Irving’s book the textcitation would be

Brown (1992) proposes that the way in whichinformation...

The Bibliography entry would be of the form: Brown, A. (1992) The Information Revolution. In: IrvingG. (ed.) Writings on the Information Society. pp. 121-137.London: Faber.

You have read Brown’s original work so Brown goesin your bib.

TYPES OF CITATION 4

Text citation for an electronic source

AOL Time Warner (2004) lists these developments….

The bibliography entry would be in the form:

AOL Time Warner (2004) [Home Page.] New York,AOL Time Warner.http://www.aol.org//oif/report01.html[Accessed 2.9.04]

N.B. DON’T cite the url in the text.

Include the equivalent of author, place ofpublication and publisher (+ URL) in yourBibliography.

USING QUOTATIONS

•Text citation using a short quote from the authorIrving (1992:59) suggests that “ information capability,rather than information poverty, is the key issue.” andgoes on to state that…

•Text citation using longer quote from the author

Muddiman (1999:5) explains these inconsistencies:

The numerical evidence suggests that it is a minority of theworking class who are socially, educationally or intellectuallyaspirational who particularly value and use public libraryservices.

He goes on to suggest that library use by working classpeople….

8/8/2019 Essay Pres


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