Contents 2. Preparing 2 2.1Your lecture 2 2.2When you 2 3. Writing 3 4. Strategy 4 5.Referencing guidelines 4 5.1 What is detailed 4

Figure 1 3 Figure 2 4 Figure 3 5 (Bazar, 2008)

Assignment writing guidelines

1. Introduction 2. Preparing 3. Writing 4. Strategy 5. Referencing guidelines

1. Introduction

2. Preparing

2.1Your lecture notes will give you the basic framework ONLY of the ideas, theories and concepts you will need to complete the assignment. These notes will therefore NOT be sufficient on their own. You will need to make use of the required reading, extra references and any other material you come across in the course of researching your assignment.
2.2When you are taking notes for your assignment, try and `translate' what the author is saying into your own words. Don't just copy out huge chunks from other people’s work, otherwise they will probably end up in your assignment with very little of the wording changed (which is plagiarism). Also try to think about what is being said from your own point of view - do you agree or disagree with the points that the author is making?
2.3 Take down basic points from as many sources as you can manage and compare what the authors are saying as you are reading. There will be both similarities and differences in their views and it helps if you can begin to classify authors together.
2.4 Try and only take down relevant points - authors don't (unfortunately!) write just so that students can write assignments and not everything you read will be useful to you. When you are taking notes, try and keep the assignment in mind – ask yourself how you can use this material in the assignment itself.
2.5 Remember, for referencing purposes, to take down page numbers of all the quotes you reproduce from other people’s work, and full citation details for each source you use. See the referencing guidelines for details of how to reference academic work (Bazar, 2008).

Figure [ 1 ]

3. Writing
3.1 Make sure you have understood what the assignment is getting at and that you know how to complete it. In particular please be aware that no assignment will ask you just to write down everything you know about a subject area – instead it will require you to consider specific issues.
3.2 When evaluating different viewpoints, make sure you give each a `fair crack of the whip'. You can't produce a valid conclusion unless you have sorted through the arguments for each perspective in a balanced way - comparison often helps here.
3.3 Try to stick to the introduction/ discussion/ conclusion format in your essay - ie, set the context of the essay and outline the structure of your argument, cover the relevant material, and then tie the discussion up by summarizing what has been said and offering YOUR opinion on what the question is asking about, based on the sources you have used (Kramer, 2009).

3.4 Make sure you `operationalize your concepts' - a posh way of saying `define the terms you use'. However, don't go overboard - only `technical' terms (ie, that are not in common usage) need to be defined. In general, you should aim to write for a layperson – that is, someone who is not an expert in the area, but who will understand the relevant ideas if they are explained properly.
(v) You should provide evidence for all the assertions that you make during your assignment; that is, make reference to ideas, theories and concepts, empirical research and/ or experience of your own which support your claims.
(vi) Direct quotations are always good to see - they prove you have read the source in question for a start! However, again, don't go mad. A good rule of thumb is, if you can say it just as well yourself, then don't use a direct quotation - but if you do summarize what someone else is saying in your own words, don’t forget that you still need a reference because this is an indirect quotation.
(vii) Remember to cite the sources of ALL the ideas and quotations that you have used in-text. Also, don't forget to provide a full bibliography - and don't try and pad it out! Only list sources you have actually looked at. See the referencing guidelines, and ask for help if you are stuck.

Figure [ 2 ]
4. Strategy

4.1 Try to write in a structured way - that is, make sure that one point links clearly to the next. If you need to move on to new material, then try using constructions like `Moving on’ or `On a different issue’ at the start of the new point. Also make sure you link the sections of your argument together, so that your assignment is not just a series of points. Linking points make an assignment flow better.
4.2 You also need to try and paragraph properly. The most common tendency is to make paragraphs too short, which gives the assignment a bitty, fragmented feel. It is difficult to be prescriptive about paragraphing but the usual guidance is to end a paragraph when you have finished discussing a particular point. If you feel that your paragraph is getting too long, and you haven’t come to the end of the point, then break off at a logical place and restart using a construction like `Moreover’, `Furthermore’, `Additionally’ etc., which makes it clear that you are still discussing the same issue. We also prefer you to use a FULL BLANK LINE to indicate a paragraph break (nini, 2012).
(x) Develop your points to make it clear what you are getting at - don't leave arguments `hanging in mid-air'.
(xi) Try not to be overly bombastic in your argument. Most if not all of the issues in the discipline of management are a matter of opinion - so try not to make it sound as if what you are arguing is the definitive viewpoint. There will almost always be another way to look at the issue.
(xii) Please do not use sexist language. We MUCH PREFER gender inclusive language like he/ she, his/ her, they, them, their etc. to gender exclusive language like he, him, his etc. You should only refer to an individual as he or she (etc.) when you either know their gender or you are directly quoting someone who uses sexist language (and even then [sic] might come in handy … see the referencing guidelines). Also avoid insensitive terminology such as `coloured person’ when you mean `person of colour’ or `queer’ when you mean `homosexual’.
(xiii) Don't be afraid to ask for help - but do so in plenty of time before the deadline!

You might also want to consult the Written Communication guidance which is available on the university web site at http://www.le.ac.uk/teaching/writtencommunicationguides.html

Figure [ 3 ]
5.Referencing guidelines

5.1 What is detailed below is one version of the Harvard system of referencing. You need to read, learn, inwardly digest AND FOLLOW these rules on referencing. This is for three reasons - (a) it demonstrates a disciplined approach to your work (academic rigour); (b) it means you won't be accused of plagiarism because you have acknowledged your sources; and (c) anyone who reads your work will be able to follow up on citations which interest them. This is a fairly comprehensive guide, so follow it as closely as you can … we would much rather you made an effort even if it is not perfect.
NB You may have been taught to reference in a different way from that detailed below, and this may be equally appropriate - check with me. Also remember that staff teaching on other courses may prefer a different style of referencing (Lajoux, 2012).
A/ In-text referencing
ALL sources, whether academic books, journal articles, newspaper articles, material from the Internet etc., must be cited in the main text of your assignment itself.
Direct quotations
(i) There are two kinds of in-text citation - firstly, a direct quotation, where you use the author's own words in your text and for which the format is as follows:
"Sociological discourse claims to be a knowledge of modern society, the mirror of modern society or the social." (Game, 1991: 20). or As Game (1991: 20) tells us: "Sociological discourse claims to be a knowledge of modern society, the mirror of modern society or the social."
So the necessary components are author - date of publication (ie, year) of source - page number.
(ii) Sometimes you might want to use a direct quotation which isn't taken from the original source - ie, that you have found in someone else's work. Here the format is as follows:
References
Bazar, H. (2008). management marketing. New York: mercator.
Kramer. (2009). marketing. In K. Zae, mercator (p. 100). Oujda: Dubois. nini, R. (2012). black part. Almassae , 5.