Online support and ten writing

mistakes to avoid
(Part One)

Reica Gray
November 2021
 Introduction
 BLASC who we are and what we do
 Feedback on your drafts
 Different sorts of writing
 Top ten mistakes – and how to avoid them
Business Academic Skills Centre
(BLASC): who, what and where?
 Two members of staff – Reica Gray and Jane
Southall

 Structure, grammar, punctuation etc.

 Clarity and consistency
 Referencing and avoiding plagiarism
 …and lots more

 Find us online via the BLASC Canvas site

BLASC canvas site

My Kingston/Academic Success
Centres/School of Business/

Use this link:

https://canvas.kingston.ac.uk/enroll/K6PYGX

or find it on your course page

Feedback on drafts
 Assignments: upload your draft
 Email: Reica Gray and Jane Southall

 r.e.gray@kingston.ac.uk/j.southall@kingston.
ac.uk

 Comments on work
 Generalised feedback

 Feedback on feedback: email us.

Uploading your draft
If you type anything here
– we will not see it – it
does not create an alert.
If you need to talk to us
about our comments –
email us and we will get
back to you
Business Academic Skills site
popular pages:

 Business reports
 Appendices
 Executive Summary
 Referencing guides
 Top timewasting tips!
 Different types of writing
Essay
Report
Reflective writing
 Report v Essay
Presents and analyses all Selects information as
relevant information evidence for argument
 Uses headings and  Rarely uses headings
subheadings – usually and subheadings
numbered
 Uses graphics, e.g.  Rarely uses graphics
charts, graphs  Doesn’t use bullet
 Has bullet points
points
 Concludes with  Seldom concludes with
recommendations recommendations
 Often has appendices  Rarely has appendices
1. Not reading the brief
 Examine THE BRIEF: what exactly are
you being asked exactly?
 Who are you?
 Read widely and appropriately
 Check sources with library staff
Analyse the question
 Critically evaluate Hofstede’s model of cultural distance.
Your critical evaluation should be based on your reading
of academic journal articles on the topic. An indicative
list of articles can be found on My Reading List,
accessible via Canvas. You should aim to read a range
of scholars’ views on the strengths and weaknesses of
Hofstede’s model and the impact/influence it has had on
the work of other academics. Description of the model is
not required; instead make sure you focus on critical
analysis.
2. Forgetting your audience
 who are you writing for?
 how much do they know?
 what do they need to know?
 ‘A great deal of business writing is afflicted by the writer …
unable to imagine the reader does not know as much as they
do. The writing consequently is dense and hard to follow.’
 ‘Write for the intelligent person who has no specialist
knowledge’
 Phillip Collins (2021) To Be Clear: A style guide for Business Writing, London:Quercus
3. Not introducing the paper or
report
 A good introduction:
 Tells the reader who the report/essay is about
 Tells the reader its aim
 Indicate the paper’s structure
 Identifies its purpose
 Is specific

 IKEA and the child labour issue

Sample introduction: good or bad?
 This project focuses on understanding the impact of
COVID-19 on medium and small companies in France
and its approach to sustainability. The company analysis,
the objective definition and milestones of the project
were used to understand the company’s competitive
advantage and its approach to sustainability
courses.The report shows the implementation of the
research process to develop general strategies with an
emphasis on three impact areas: Sustainability,
workplace management and supply chain management.
4. Not considering the other side..
… and presenting unsubstantiated comments
as facts

‘Several employment lawyers have been

executed in the United States and the United
Kingdom that would impact the organisation at
large’.
 Claim
Legalising cannabis will
raise money for the
government and reduce
crime
Evidence to support
claim
Government could
raise £400-£900m in
taxes
(ISER 2013)
More evidence to
support claim above
If regulated, average
potency will fall
(ISER, 2013)
More evidence to
support claim above
Highest cannabis use r
rate is not the
Netherlands but UK (Hall
and Pacula, 2003)
Main Theme
Cannabis should
be legalised
Evidence introducing
counterclaim
In Amsterdam: muggings
and hard drug use have
increased, so increased
costs (debating eu)
Counter Claim
Cannabis is harmful to
health and legalising
will not reduce crime
Evidence to support
counter claim
Health issues for brain,
lungs, heart and can
create mental health
issues (Hollister, 1986)
More evidence to
support counter claim
The number of users will
increase (ISER, 2013)
Rebuttal
Evidence which
contradicts
Can treat glaucoma,
Further evidence to prevent epilepsy, ease
support claim above MS
General agreement, not (Powell, Pacula,
enough research done on Jacobson, 2015)
use and long term effects
(all articles)
5. Going down a rabbit hole
 Interestingly…..
 Skanska UK: why Donald Trump?
 The fascinating competitor
 The theory competition
 Forgetting the question
6. The Executive Summary is wrong
 It’s a standalone document
 It’s not an introduction
 It says what the report does (present tense)
 It summarises the whole report
 …including the recommendations
 It’s for the busy person who may not have

time to read the full report

7. References are inappropriate
 Topic: Covid 19 and its effects on business
practices

 Journal of Pediatric Anasthesia

 Journal of Modern Pathology
 Journal of Sleep Research
8. The references are wrong
 JUST the surname and year
 In-text citations aren’t in the end references
 End references are nowhere in the text
 They’re out of date: COVID (2015)

 Teaching staff:
 Will check for content, not just presentation
 Will check the types of publications
 Will know whether they’ve been read
 References - help
Harvard Referencing Guide (on Library and BLASC
Canvas site)

Online referencing generator:

Refworks/Citethisforme etc.

Referencing and sourcing: Ask a Librarian online chat

facility.
9. The sentences are too long

 A series of words forming the

grammatically complete expression of a
single thought

 Complex ideas, clear expression

 Full stops are free!

10. The grammar and spelling are
poor
 Use a grammar checker: Grammarly or
Writefull
 Use Spellcheck
 Proofread it: slowly and out loud

 Contact EAPD – join a course or book a 1-1

1: Before submitting draft- you
 Put it away
 Spellcheck: check underlined words/add to

dictionary
 Grammar check – Grammarly or Writefull
 Let us know any areas of concern
 PROOFREAD!!!
What we do and don’t do
DO:
 Look at everything covered today

DON’T:
 Discuss subject specific content
 Look at whole documents – tell

us where to focus
 Judge the standard of work
 PROOFREAD!!!
Top Ten points
1. Examine the question
2. Identify your audience
3. Write a clear EXPLANATORY introduction
4. Consider both sides
5. Keep on topic (refer back to the brief)
6. Ensure Executive Summary is complete
7. Use references related to your topic - and
discipline
8. Follow the Harvard Referencing guide
9. Keep your sentences short
10. Download a grammar checker