Writing Guide
Introduction | Document structure | Style | Using references | Language, words & format |
Preparation for reproduction | Tips for writing | References on style and writing | Some final words
Tips for writing
The following notes (courtesy of S Clark and E Linacre) are provided to assist you in preparing your written assignments. You are, of course, welcome to discuss any assignments with the unit coordinators.
Five stages may be recognised in the preparation of a piece of written work:
Interpretation of question or problem
Consider carefully the questions which have been asked. Your interpretation of the question will evolve with reading, discussion with other students and staff; and thought. Preliminary interpretation is important because it enables you to carry out directed reading and, thus, save time. Be alert for information or insights which expand your interpretation of the question.
The following material from the External students handbook (1990) distinguishes several critical verbs commonly used in assignment topics. You should examine every word carefully and be aware of the differences between them:
Compare - examine the characteristics of the objects in question with a view to demonstrating their similarities
Contrast - examine the characteristics of the objects in question for the purpose of demonstrating differences
Describe - give an account of
Analyse - consider the various components of the whole and describe the inter relationships between them
Discuss - present aspects of a question or problem
Enumerate - give a listing
Illustrate - give an example, explain, draw a figure
Define - give a definition or state terms of reference
Examine critically - act as a judge or critic, appraise
Evaluate - examine the various sides of a question and try to reach a judgement
Prove - demonstrate or show by logical argument
Summarise - examine the main points briefly.
When asked 'to discuss' a topic, deal with the following aspects:
Definitions of terms
Nature of the problems involved in the topic
Practical importance of the problems
History of study of the topic
Recent work
Case study
Weaknesses in the previous work and remaining uncertainties
What needs doing in the future, and how it should be done.
You should try to show an understanding of all main sides of the relevant arguments and seek to arrive at a position that you can fully defend.
Collection of reference material or data
For many of your assignments, a preliminary reading list will be provided. This is, of course, not intended to be exhaustive and can be expanded by consulting bibliographies in these and other books and papers. The subject index in the Library catalogue, periodical indexes and CDROMs are also useful. It is important to develop skills to establish the relevance of information, and then obtain it. Rapid reading of the title page (with its information about the author, position held, experience and the date of publication) gives some indication of the reliability of the content. Some broad idea of a book's content can be obtained from the preface, table of contents, and a quick look at tables or diagrams. The abstracts which precede scientific papers provide a very useful overview.
If the decision is made that the material is worthy of closer attention, then rapid reading of introductory and concluding paragraphs of chapters and any summaries should follow. Once the parts of the work relevant to the topic at hand are identified, a careful and critical reading of these should follow. The material should not simply be recorded but some evaluation made of it at the same time (e.g. any biases, overstatement, agreement or disagreement with other authors, etc.). Care should be taken to include in your notes the author, title of book or article, publisher and date of publication (see section on referencing earlier in this Guide). Quotations which might be used should be recorded accurately. In general, quotations should be brief, summarising succinctly what it would otherwise take you much longer to say. If the relevant section is longer than two or three lines, a brief summary in your own words is preferred.
Your notes should include not just what other people have said but, more importantly, what you think about it. In this way, when the time comes to write your answer to the question, it will flow from you rather than appear as a stringing together of other people's ideas. In marking these assignments the reader will be looking for evidence of your own ideas and thinking. Originality will be rewarded! Resourcefulness in finding additional material beyond the set reading lists will also be rewarded.
Outlining
It is not easy to say simply when you should stop note taking and start writing. Ideally, as you are writing notes you should be evolving an outline of your answer which will give your essay direction and coherence and enable you to see where there are gaps in the information you have. The outline should clarify your thinking on the subject and reveal any lack of balance between the various parts of your answer.
Under no circumstances should you begin writing your essay until you have a complete outline. The initial skeleton of headings and sub-headings can be expanded with references to relevant material and with summaries of important points. Care at this stage will be amply repaid later. With a well-prepared outline the essay will almost seem to write itself.
Composition
A rough draft should first be prepared from your outline. If you have difficulty with your introduction then get on with the body of your essay first and come back to it. Persistent difficulty with writing probably means that your outline has been inadequately developed and prepared.
Once you have started writing you should endeavour to get the whole thing down as quickly as possible using your outline as a guide. Don't get bogged down spending excessive time looking for material in your notes. Note the nature of the material you want to put in and go on. After you have the piece written down in its entirety you can go back and revise, expand, and fill in.
It is often helpful to complete your rough draft several days before final writing. This time enables you to distance yourself from what you have written and gives you a fresh perspective on it. Changes will be easier to make and the final product much improved. This is especially so if you use a word-processor to produce your essay or report.
Conclusion
Special attention should be given to the conclusion. It should not be long. It might provide a clear, forceful reaffirmation of the point of view that has been the unifying force in the whole assignment, or it might give a restatement of the original problems with the conclusion which the writer has deduced. For some essays it might be necessary to conclude with a clear choice between two views or make alternatives. The writer may even conclude by asking the reader to recognise that the problem, or facts presented, cannot be resolved. Omit information which is simply historical or background, without explicit relevance to the topic at hand. Never introduce new information. Be systematic. Do not dodge from one aspect to another and then back again.