The threshold to your academic success begins with the
acquisition of excellent report writing skills. Albeit the module handbook
provides necessary guidance for your assessment requirements, scoring well for
your assignments requires mindful planning, critical thinking skills and well-thought structuring on your
part.
So, here
comes the big question. What are the characteristics of a good report?
1. Preparation
In order to
attain a clearer understanding and perspective of your assignment, it is
important to make complete use of the required readings and extra references.
2. Plagiarism
Plagiarism
is an act of fraud and a wrongful appropriation in the academic writing
context. When crafting your report, attempt to digest and paraphrase the
research into your own words.
3. Comparing Sources
First off,
note down the essential points from as many sources as possible. Next, compare
the methodologies between different authors as there are bound to be
similarities and differences in their interpretations. Finally, sort the
arguments for each perspective in a balanced approach as this will produce a
strong and valid conclusion.
4. Paragraphing
It is highly
cardinal to paragraph your sentences accurately and appropriately. If the
paragraphs are too short, the content will tend to look blotchy and fragmented,
hindering the presentation of the report.
5. Referencing and Citation
As long as
an assertion is made – regardless whether it is a quotation, idea, empirical
research, theory or concept – providing evidences to support your claims is
certainly indispensable.
5.1 Direct Quotations
When it
comes to direct quotations, citing the sources accurately is a principal ground
rule. The necessary components of an in-text citation are the author, date of
publication, and the page number. These are two examples of in-text citations
for direct quotations:
- “The discourse of modernity opened up the space or field and thus made and, indeed, still makes possible the construction of sociology.” (Piet, 2000: 1).
- As Piet (2000: 1) tells us, “The discourse of modernity opened up the space or field and thus made and, indeed, still makes possible the construction of sociology.”
5.2
Indirect
Quotations
Indirect quotations come into the picture when you wish to
indicate an idea or concept without lifting directly from the source. These are two examples of in-text
citations for indirect quotations:
- With accordance to Piet (2000), the construction of sociology is made possible through the discourse of modernity.
- The construction of sociology is made possible through the discourse of modernity (Piet, 2000).
Now that you have picked up the essential approaches to
develop and enhance your academic writing skills, you are good to go!
Friendly Reminder: Don’t forget to attach an assignment cover
sheet (e.g. DIMENSIONS' assignment cover sheet) as it is vital to format and present your report in a neat and orderly
fashion. Professionalism is a value that should never be compromised!
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