The structure and organisation of ‘your work is just as important as the content. What matters is not just what you know but the way that you organise it, Design: your argument ge What you are trying to say (your argument) should Provide the structure for the whole piece of writing. Your reader should be able to follow your line of reasoning easily: how it moves from ato b to «. (See page 211 and Chapter 12.) How do you ; erictine Scatfotding: organising and academic planning writing? Organise and plan your work before you start. Like a building, a nee piece of academic writing gains its structure and shape from several elements, * Group ideas together, in files ‘or on paper. ™ Devise a working plan to guide your research, Make an outline plan for your writing ji (See pages 183 and 185.) Organising information: grouping things together grouping things together First try this . For each box, work out: = How many circles are there? ° 1 How many triangles? ™ How many types of triangle? Bneescodp dg BO e0cdBg Central framework: formal structure Different formal structures are required for different kinds of writing, such as essays or reports = see pages 184 and 264, Bricks: paragraphs ‘Writing is organised into Paragraphs, and each paragraph self has a structure, Clear Paragraphing assists the reader. (See pages 192-4.) Cement: wording You can use language, such inking words and emphasis, to highlight your Point and show the direction of your argument. (See page 195.) Comment You probably found it quicker and ‘easier to find the answers for Box B. If so, why was this the case? Why group information? Grouping ideas and points has several advantages. * You will be able to find things more easily. ® You will find it easier to draw up your writing plan and follow it. ® Your thinking will be clearer. * Your readers will be able to follow your argument more easily, ® You will get in a mess if you don't. See pages 127 and 183. TEE] ting tor unterOrganising information: planning your writing Below are four steps you will need to take in organising information for an assignment. Each step makes the next one easier. (See also Recording and using information, page 127.) 1. Divide the work into topics ‘When making notes, it may be easiest to use a separate sheet for each main point or topic. Or you may like to use a large sheet of paper, writing out points so you can see them all clearly, alternative theory evidence otatietics L Rg I alternative ‘theory 2 evidence against \ ink. underiying 3 Write an outline plan Title Write your first outline before you have done any research. Often you will find that you 2 Introduction 3 Main argument —notes @ (rea) ‘evidence for—notee 0, p. 4 teridence against: Q, p. (orange) ‘evahsation of evidence 4 Alternative theory notes R (yellow) know more than ‘example of applation you thought. The evidence for outline helps to ‘evidence against (lemon) why not convinolng shape your ideas, and focus your reading. You can adapt it as you go along. 5 Alternative theory 2: notes 9 (green) evaluation of evidence hy not convincing 6 Underiying issues ~ notes T (blue) 7 Conclusions 2. Rearrange your notes Spread your notes out so that you can see them. Look at what you have. © Group related information. ‘Arrange the material in the best order. notes about R (yellow) 4. Organise information into paragraphs Colour-code each pile of notes. The plan shown uses the sequence of colours of the rainbow, to assist memory. Divide your notes with coloured dividers. Give each paragraph a colour: underline main points in this colour. Maintain this colour-coding onto pattern notes, outline plans, and rough drafts. Having grouped the information and formed the plan, you can start writing. Each paragraph should have ‘one main idea — with supporting detail or evidence, Each paragraph should relate to one set (or page) of notes. (See page 192.) Writing for university AREY1 Title/question 2 Introduction 3 Develop your argument or line of reasoning 4 Conclusion 5. References and/or bibliography Structuring an essay As stated earlier (page 178), every essay title contains an actual or implied question. The whole of your essay must focus on the title and address that question In your introduction, explain what the essay is going to do. = Explain how you interpret the question, and summarise your conclusion, = Identify issues that you are going to explore. ™ Give a brief outline of how you will deal with each issue, and in which order. Length: about one-tenth of the essay. Paragraph 1 ™ This paragraph covers the first thing your introduction said you would | address The first sentence introduces the main idea of the paragraph. ™ Other sentences develop the topic of the paragraph. Include relevant i examples, details, evidence, quotations, references. i = Lead up to the next paragraph. Paragraph 2 and other paragraphs = The first sentence, or opening sentences, link the paragraph to the Previous paragraphs, then introduce the main idea of the paragraph, = Other sentences develop the paragraphs topic. (For more about paragraphs, see pages 192-4.) The conclusion contains no new material. Summarise your argument and the main themes. State your general conclusions. = Make it clear why those conclusions are important or significant. = In your last sentence, sum up your argument very briefly linking it to the tite Length: about one-tenth of the essay, References and bibliography List all the books, articles and other materials you have referred to within the essay. (See page 132.) Ifa bibliography is required, list relevant texts, including those you read but did not refer to in the essay. The structure given here is the most basic. It underlies not just essays but many other types of writing. The structuring of different types of essay is discussed in Chapter 9. FEED ring for universityPlanning your writing assignment ‘As you become more aware of different writing formats, you can use the appropriate structure to guide your planning draw out your pages Before beginning any research: = Work out roughly how many words you write or type on one page of A4 paper. (This may be about 300 words.) Check the overall word limit for your assignment. (This may be 1200 words.) 1» How many pages of your writing or typing will section, item or topic, as in the sample essay below. How many words can you allocate to ‘each section? Or to each topic or example? tt may take a fevr attempts to get the balance right. Note how little or how much you can ‘write for each topic or example. If you wish, continue to plan out your essay, point by point, on these sheets. Notice how much space each item can take. With this spatial plan, can you now see: your essay occupy? (For instance, 1200 words at = 300 words per page will occupy 4 pages.) = Take that many pieces of paper. Draw out in pencil how much space you will give to each how many pages of your writing your assignment will take? where sections or topics will be on the page? how your word limit divides up? how little or how much you need to read and note for each item? An outline plan for the essay on pages 219-21 (1000 words) Page 1 [ introduction (c. 100 words) definitions + what the essay will cover and the order paragraph 2 (c. 150 words) ‘* maternal deprivation theory ~ early bonding * later: ‘secure base’ + ‘exploration’ behaviours + opposes child care as harmful Page3 paragraph 5 (c. 150 words) + Mary Ainsworth (1978) new research supports Bowlby * but thie research also is challenged by some people ragraph 6 (c. 200 words) ivy ie afc to evaluate the research * depressed mothers: ‘suggest day care can be useful * why Bowlby’s ideas appealed = social reasons 2g. Goldfarb (1947) Roberton (1967-73) * later evidence undermi earlier research ‘20g, Tizard (19708) * Bowiby seamed less convincing bad Page2 paragraph 3 (¢. 150 words) = research evidence, then paragraph 4 (c. 150 words) * child care did not seem 50 ined conclusion (@, 100 worde) + Sheony has been modified * social and day care conditions have changed + under certain conditions, day care may be beneficial references: Page 4 Uriting fr universityPlanning stages Develop your outline plan Make a first outline plan Make pattern notes or a structure plan showing what you know, what at this stage you think are the main issues, your questions, and things to find out. Action plan Convert your list of things to find out into an action plan with priorities (page 78). Plan your time Use the Working backwards from deadlines sheet (page 79) and your diary to map out when and where to complete each stage of the writing process, (This becomes easier after the first assignment, when you have a feel for your own pace of working.) ‘What is the minimum you can do? What additional research would you like to do, if you have time? Depending on how well you proceed, you can adapt your reading and note-taking to suit, Rework your plan ifnecessary, rework your outline plan as you proceed. You may rework your plan several times as your thinking becomes more sophisticated. This is part of the process of understanding a subject. Make a clear final outline plan Clarify your final plan. tf necessary use correction fluid to remove unwanted text, use colour to highlight certain areas, or rewrite untidy parts afresh and stick them over the area to be clarified. Notice whether you use ‘neatening the plan’ as an excuse to put off writing the first draft. From pattern notes to linear plan It’s essential to be really clear about the structure of your essay before you start writing your final drafts. f you're not, your writing and thinking may appear muddled. Pattern notes are very effective at the planning stage, but you may find it difficult to write assignments directly from them. They illustrate connections and resemble the way the mind ‘organises information in networks, whereas writing Is linear and sequential - one point follows another. Pattern notes are also mainly descriptive. On notes of this sort, it is harder to analyse, evaluate and contrast, yet these are what an essay requires. The following approach can help in translating pattern notes into writing, ™ Use the pattern notes to brainstorm what you know and to generate ideas. Encourage your creativity rather than worrying about organising information at this stage. Use colour, numbers and connecting lines to link related information on the pattern. Redraw the pattem notes, placing together all connected information. As @ half-way stage between pattern notes and sequential writing, you may like to draw up pyramids (see page 187). On a separate sheet, make a pyramid for each major section of the pattern. With practice, pyramids will clarify how your information is, structured From the notes or pyramids, write out your main headings, with main points and items listed under each. Use the colour-code from the pattern notes to guide you. Po: these lists on your spatial plan (page 185), FEE rng torannerayWhat is a concept? ‘Acconcept is a mental representation of a group of items which are similar in some way. For example, the concept ‘cutlery’ includes objects as different as a four-pronged fork, a’hollowed, round-ended spoon, and a sharp-edged knife. Conceptually, these all share the characteristic of being tools used in eating food. Sometimes the phrase conceptual category is used instead of ‘concept’, Why concepts are useful When we come across a new object, the brain matches the main features of the new experience against those of previous experiences. It can then make a good guess at what kind of thing the new object is - its concept category: ‘ranches, trunk, leaves, bird's nest: must bea ‘tree’ Once it has identified the category, the brain can second-guess, or infer, other information: ‘Wit's a tree, it must have roots and sap. tt won't leave the area. | don't need to take it for walks, Sortec This ability to identify and share conceptual categories enables us to communicate more easily with other people: we don’t need to describe SS everything in minute detail whenever we speak, In academic writing, if ideas are well organised, the reader can second-guess meaning and other information more easily. Concept pyramids organise ideas We can organise concepts into hierarchies ~ shaped like a triangle or pyramid, as in the simple one for ‘tree’ below. You don’t have to use concept pyramids — but they give you an extra analytical tool. TREE Pt BRANCHES: ROOTS above have below take in ground leaves ground nourishment: The most general information, or the most inclusive heading, is placed at the top of the pyramid. Aspects of the tree are placed below, Details of those aspects are placed below again ~ and so on, Each level of the pyramid shows information of a different category. There are technical names for different category levels, but everyday terms work just as well. Technical term | Everyday term Superordinate category Upper level (tree) Intermediate or basic category Intermediate level (oak tree) Subordinate category Lower level (red oak tree) Example (this red oak tree) Exemplar On another pyramid, plant might be the upper- level concept, and tree would then be at the intermediate level. Writing for university [EYExample: concept pyramid for contrasting birds and mammals The example below shows a more detailed concept pyramid, showing how different levels of information about animals can be arranged, Category level @ Upper level (superordinate has life : category) ANIMAL has locomotion reproduces itself Intermediate level (intermediate or has a feathers warm-blooded basic category) Bird has a beak Mammal << rears own lays eggs offspring Lower (subordinate budgie cuckoo human dolphin = can speak = lays eggs in ~ has language — — lives in sea category) ~ bright colour other birds’ nests. — dreams = eats fish - domesticated ~ lives on land ~ intelligent Examples (exemplars) ~ my pet, — that one, there — your father —_~ Flipper on TV Tweetie ~ the acrobat — at the zoo Examples at different levels If the upper level were painting, an intermediate level could be the style, Impressionism. A lower level would be painters, such as Monet, and examples could be Monet's paintings Water Lilies, Wisteria, and Poplars. You might have separate hierarchies of details of the paintings — with size, colour, design, or brushwork as category headings. {f the upper level were instrument, an intermediate level could be drum, and a lower level might be a timpani drum or African drum. Specific examples would be that drum on the table, or Gino's new drum-set. TEE) writing tor nivertyj Essay plans as pyramids Essay structures consist of several concept pyramids combined into one piece of continuous writing, A halfway step between pattern notes and finear writing, the concept pyramid incorporates more structure and linear development. Unlike pattern notes, it enables you to evaluate the weight (or level) of one kind of information against another — and to see this visually. © [ror an essay comparing three different schools of thought on a given subject , | Upper-levet (e.g. main divisions of thought such as Marxism or Postenodernism) | categories f 4 ‘SCHOOL P (name) SCHOOL Q SCHOOL R ] Intermediate (es oe people whose theories are 7 with a major school of thought) level 1 a ee (each person may have mere} than one theory, iomortant belief or research finding) level teord x tinory y (what it is in brief; date) [same for each theory you use] Lower x level general general general general Evaluation implications } { applications } ( evidence to evidence of evidence of theory X of x support X against X for and against a [same for each theory you use], 4 Specific 4 examples ] examples of a particular’) experiment J case study K survey L person/economy Details number of time of ete. participants day writing foreniverty EEEUse pyramid questions to help in planning ‘Ask yourself key questions to search for ot organise the information at each level Upper level = How many major schools of thought are there on this question? ™ Which ones are the most relevant and need to be included? (If unsure, go down to the intermediate level and check who said or wrote what.) Intermediate level * Which theorist (or judge, writer, or similar) said what, when? = How can you sum that up briefly? Lower level ® Overall, how good is the general evidence to support this position or theory? ™ What are the general implications of the position or theory? = What are the general applications of the position or theory? What is the general evidence against the position or theory? = Overall, how good is the evidence for or against? Exemplar level j { i = Do you need to include specific | examples of applications, i implications or evidence? Which are the best examples? | 4 Given the word limit and the | time available, how much detail | should you give? For instance, i have you space only to mention | the name and date and one line ‘about this research? Or are you short of words, in which case you could give more details? I FED witing tr universiy O Use pyramids to help with word limits Having mapped out your information as a Pyramid, do you have the right amount for your word limit? Too much information If you have too much, you will need to leave something out, ® If you have several exampies at any one level, select just one or two examples of them. Do the same with the other levels. © Ifyou have already used most of your word limit, you may be able to refer to specific ‘examples by name without going into detail (This depends to some extent on the subject.) Too little information If you have too little, you can build up to the word limit, 4 Add more examples at the middle or lower levels, = Write more about your specific examples, Evaluate the significance of the examples for the overall assignment. Ss Balancing the pyramid In general, it is more important to explore ideas at the middle and lower levels than to give a lot of detail for specific examples. (See page 306.)Writing drafts The art of writing is in the craft of redrafting Professional writers redraft many times before they are happy: writing rarely flows out ‘all at once’ in its final version. Writing is easier if the research, planning and ‘organising have already been done and if you focus on different processes in each draft. Draft 1: a quick draft to get ideas down Use your plan. Don't worry about style or good English. = Focus on the assignment question: write out your interpretation of the title. = What is your core idea? Write out your central idea or the main line of your reasoning, Write headings and subheadings from your plan (the pyramid, or whatever), but leave these out of the final draft of an essay. = Add in details below each heading. Link headings and points into sentences. Use your plan: keep looking back to it after writing each paragraph. Draft 2: fine-tune the structure Check that information is grouped and ordered — especially into paragraphs (page 192). If not, cut up your text with scissors and rearrange it, oF colour-code and number paragraphs in the order in which you will rewrite them. Check that the line of argument is clear from one paragraph to the next ~ if necessary, add in sentences to link ideas. You may need to do this more than once. Draft 3: fine-tune the style Read what you have written aloud. How does it sound? Can you improve the flow or style? Add sentences or details where needed. Draft 4: finishing touches Aim to leave at least a day between drafts. Your mind will go on working on your ideas. After a break, you will find it easier to spot passages that need rephrasing. See Editing your draft, page 196. Drafting on the computer People vary in what they prefer to do on paper, what they do on the computer, and how often they move between the two. Experiment to find out what suits you. Drafting on the computer is a more continual process ~ you will probably find you make many small corrections and move text about as you go along. Leave spellchecking until the final draft. File management If you intend to make major changes to.a draft, save a copy of the document with a number at the end of the name (‘Filename2'). Then edit the copy. Ifyou change your mind, you can revert to the earlier draft, or use information from it. Divide fong documents (over about 3000 words or which include graphics) into separate files, adding ‘a!, ‘b’, 'c’ and so on at the end of the filename. You will be able to move around the file and find information more quickly. Later you can paste the parts together into one long document, or start the page numbers for each part to follow on from the previous file. Keep track of changes by renaming the ‘version’ of the file when you finish for the day, e.g. Essay 6 Respiration v3.doc. Copy the name and version into the document footer before printing it out, so that you can tell easily which is your latest version. In ‘case of loss, print out drafts as hard copies, and keep copies of files on a CD or a memory stick. Listen to your essay IFyou have a screen-reader which turns text into speech, listen to the computer reading your text aloud. Otherwise, read it aloud yourself. Listen for meaning, and for punctuation pauses. Print your essay It is easier to read and edit your work on paper printouts rather than working onscreen, The shimmering of the screen may tire your eyes, and you may not always be able to use a computer when you wish, 191 Writing for universityParagraphs Paragraphs are made up of sentences. Usually they are several sentences long. Each paragraph is organised around a central idea or theme, which is usually made clear in the first sentence of each paragraph. It groups similar ideas and material together, All sentences relate to the main idea of the paragraph. Successive paragraphs follow each other in a logical order, taking the reader from a to b to Words or phrases within them link them to earlier or later paragraphs. Paragraphs help the reader Paragraphs break up the text into manageable portions. A age is easier to look at when divided into three, four or five sections, Paragraphs also organise meaning. They help your readers to think clearly about what you have written First sentence The first sentence of each paragraph: = is usually the ‘topic sentence’ which introduces the subject of the paragraph ™ starts on anew line ® is preceded by a gap ~ either an indent on the same line, or a blank line before. Later sentences Other sentences of each paragraph: develop the theme of the paragraph’s “topic sentence’ follow each other in a logical order - one sentence leading to the next. Last sentence The last sentence: ™ sums up the paragraph, or leads into the next paragraph. tng for university Activity 1 ‘Choose two or three pages from one book. i - that sum up = Read the topic sentences ~ the ones the main theme of each paragraph. These are often, but not always, the opening sentences. = How well do the topic sentences sum up the main ideas of those paragraphs? = How are the paragraphs linked? «= If paragraphs lacked a clear topic sentence, were they more difficult to read? Activity 2 How good are you at paragraphing? Separate the follo Passage into sentences and paragraphs, A Life of Adventure maty seacole was born in 1805 in kingston dngston jamaica her rine Pr actsed 8 a “doctrss’ using medical knowledge which women had brought from afi ro rica and developed in the Uropics from her mother mary inherited her medical sie s¢ wing expertise Activity 3 = Re-read the paragraphs for Activity 2. ‘= Decide the main theme of each paragraph and sum it up in 1-4 words. = Check your version with the one below.Suggested answers Activity 2 A Life of Adventure Mary Seacole was bom in 1805 in Kingston, Jamaica Her mother practised as a ‘doctress using medical knowledge which women had brought from Africa and developed in the Tropics, From her mother, Man inherited her medical skills as well as her ability a boarding house. From her father, man, she inherited her fascination with army life Mary's own medical reputation was established during a series of cholera ‘She made her own medicines a standards of hygiene as well as Quarantine on victims. 8 many lives. ind emphasised high enforcing strict 'y these methods she saved On the outbreak of the Cri volunteered her services to the British Army. Although she had worked for the army betore, at its ‘own request, this time she was turned down, Undaunted, Mary made her awn way to the war zone. Once in the Crimea, she not only nursed the soldiers, but also ran a hotel and sold food, wine and medicines, : imean War, Mary Alter the war, Mary was treated as a celebrity. she was decorated by the govemments of four countries, In England, a poem in her honour was published in Punch and even the Royal Family requested her ‘company and medical expertise. Writing paragraphs If you have difficulties with paragraphing, divide your page into three column: 3 Supporting 1 Arguments detail In column 1, jot down the ideas, theories, opinions and line of reasoning that you want to include in your writing. tn column 2, jot down the main examples and types of evidence that support your line of reasoning. In column 3, write down lesser details, facts, a Scottish military and yellow fever epidemics, Activity 3 The main themes of the paragraphs are: 1. general information: birth and background 2 early medical reputation 3 the Crimean War 4 after the War. ry you find it easier to read the text for Activity 2? If so, did this increase your appreciation of the value of good paragraphing and punctuation? Did you have difficulty adding in the punctuation? tf so, you could ask your tutors whether any additional support is available, names, statistics, dates and examples that support your main argument. & Each paragraph should have: ~ one item from column 1 = one, two or three items from column 2 — several items from column 3. Items selected for each paragraph should all help to make the same point, Alternatively, using a concept pyramid: = Each paragraph is likely to need one item at the intermediate level, one at the lower level, examples, and a few details Writing tor university AE]Checking your paragraphs When you have finished your early drafts, you can 6 Is everything in the right place? check how well you have paragraphed your writing by doing the following exercise. Once you have colour-coded the topic for each paragraph, check each topic in turn: have bits of it wandered into other paragraphs? Highlight with 1 Read each paragraph the topic colour any bits that have gone astray. For example, if you wrote in paragraph 2 about bird habitats and have written more about bird habitats some paragraphs later, highlight both in d the same colour. Then cut out separated items of 2 Sum up the topic the same colour and paste them together. Rewrite the paragraph, integrating the bits you have moved. Read each of your paragraphs in turn, Decide what is the main topic of each. Sum up that topic in about 1=4 words. 3. Give the topic a name and colour e 7. Are sentences in the best order? Write the topic in the margin. Give it a colour. In each paragraph, are the sentences in the best order? Is it clear how each sentence leads on to the 4 Which is the topic sentence? foe Which sentence is your topic sentence - the one that sums up the topic? Highlight it Isit atthe 8 _Is the line of argument clear? beginning of the paragraph? If not, would it be more powerful there? Is it clear to the reader how each paragraph relates to the others? Is it clear how each paragraph leads i 7 0 5. Is everything relevant? onto the next ‘Check whether everything in each paragraph 9 Felates to the topic sentence. If you're unsure, put a ring round it and check whether it would be Is every paragraph relevant to the title? better in a different paragraph. is anything superfluous? If so, cross it out. Is every paragraph relevant? Make time for relaxation and exercise - you can go on thinking about your assignment! ead Writing for university© certain words are used to link ideas and to signpost to the reader the direction your line of reasoning is about to take, such as adding more ‘emphasis, or introducing an alternative viewpoint. Below is a selection of words used to link ideas, depending on the direction of your argument. Adding more to a point already made also; moreover; furthermore; again; further; what is more; then; in addition = besides; above all; too; as well (as) either; neither ... nor; not only ... but also; similarly; correspondingly; in the same way; indeed in fact; really; in reality, itis found that .. = a5 for; as to; with respect to; regarding Writing in lists first(ly); second(ly); third(ly) another; yet another; in addition; finally to begin with; in the second place moreover; additionally; also next; then; and to conclude; lastly; finally Putting the same idea in a different way in other words; rather; or; better; in that case to put it (more) simply in view of this; with this in mind to look at this another way Introducing examples = that is to say; in other words = for example; for instance; namely; an example of this is and; as follows; as in the following examples; such as; including especially; particularly; in particular; notably; chiefly; mainly; mostly Linking ideas together Introducing an alternative viewpoint = by contrast; another way of viewing this is; alternatively; again; rather; one alternative is; another possibility is = on the one hand ... on the other hand conversely; in comparison; on the contrary; in fact; though; although Returning to emphasise your earlier viewpoint = however; nonetheless; in the final analys despite x; notwithstanding x; in spite of x = while x may be true, nonetheless = although; though; after all; at the same time; on the other hand; all the same; even if xis true; although x may have a good point Showing the results of somet! therefore; accordingly; as a result so, (then,) it can be seen that the result is; the consequence is resulting from this; consequently; now we can see, then, that; itis evident that because of this; thus; hence; for this reason; ‘owing to % this suggests that; it follows that = in other words; otherwise; in that case; that implies Summing up or concluding = therefore; so, my conclusion is ® in short; in conclusion; to conclude; in all; on the whole = to summarise; to sum up briefly; in brief; altogether; overall; thus; thus we can see that Activity How are these words used in the sample essays on pages 219-242 Writing for universityEditing your draft Editing is working on your draft in order to improve Style it. When you edit, you can... a Is the text easy to read? ¥ Isit too chatty? Or too stuffy? SA Are any sections confused? GConect it) ) Cut out irelevant bit 4 y ? Gonectit) Te AEA Is it precise enough? (See page 204.) 1 Is the style appropriate? (See Chapter 9.) Reword clumsy sections le appropriate? ( 6 Punctuation, spelling and grammar Re-workit | into the | appropriate| structure | = Have you written in sentences? (See ‘Proof- reading’ below.) Put sections into a better order. > 7 Presentation Change ; 1 Is the text legible? "aad deta your mind oe % Does it look neat and well presented? = Doss it follow any presentation guidelines Make one part flow better into another Pr a aot were given? ferent kinds of editing Which aspects of editing do you need to spend most time on? You may need to go through your work several times, checking for different things. 1 Meaning Proof-reading ® Does it make sense? Read it aloud slowly. Edit your draft until you are happy that it is written 2. Organisation and structure as sel as it can be. Then do some final proof- reading. { fievouued the acpropiatestucture? ad once egnin loud ~ dost ma ere = Is information presented in the best order? = Look for mistakes such as typing and spelling 1 Is the work well paragraphed? (See page 192.) errors. Look up doubtful spellings or ask someone. 3. Evidence = Ifyou used the computer's spellchecker, check especially for words that may have been correctly spelt, but which were the wrong words - such as ‘there’ instead of 4 References ‘their’, — When checking spellings, you may find it Have you backed your argument with evidence, examples, details, and/or research? atCunecucatae cea cae Coca helpful to work backwards through your = Are your quotations accurate’ writing, word by word, to avoid drifting into = Are references written correctly? (See skim-reading. pages 131-2) ® Everyone has their own pattern of errors. If there are certain mistakes you make repeatedly, note these down and be particularly careful in checking for them, BE iting tor envannyContent and argument [1] The text answers the central question(s) posed by the title (page 178). Sufficient space has (or words have) been given to the most important points. {11 Allthe information included is relevant to the set question. [1] The main tine of argument js clear, not lost in a sea of detail. Research material ‘There are sufficient examples and evidence to prove or illustrate my points. ‘My own ideas and opinions are clear to the reader. Structure and grouping The text is in the appropriate structure or format. Ideas are suitably linked. Each paragraph is well structured. Ideas are presented in the right order. Itis clear how each paragraph links to the others (page 195). o Style The style is appropriate for my course (Chapter 9). rae Editing final drafts Tick each box below when you have finished checking that point. Oo Oo 0 O o Ger O a The text is not too chatty or flippant. Itis free of slang and colloquialisms. Technical vocabulary is used correctly ‘The words used are my own. (There is no plagiarism.) ‘The text is not repetitive, ‘The text can be read aloud & Clarity There is nothing the reader will find confusing. The language is clear and straightforward, “The reader will easily follow the line of reasoning (Chapter 12). It is clear which sentence in my introduction summarises my viewpoint oF argument. Sentences are of reasonable length and ‘are uncomplicated. neral The introduction is suitable. The conclusion is suitable. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are correct. References are correct. ‘The bibliography (if needed) is accurate, Ihave taken account of feedback! received for earlier work (page 218). © Stella Cott 1999, 2003, 2008 The Study Sts Hondb ook, Palgrave Macmillan Lis Writing for university [ERY