1. ACADEMIC WRITING
HOW TO WRITE A FIRST CLASS
ASSIGNMENT
FAHAD HUSSAIN
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACY,
NOAKHALI SCI & TECH UNIV,
BANGLADESH.

2. ACADEMIC WRITING
While different assignment types and subjects may have different writing
conventions, academic writing has these common features
It has a formal tone.
It uses third person rather than first person perspective (i.e. I or me).
It follows a specific theme or answers a specific question or questions, using
a logical argument.
Academic writing should also
be well-organised with a recognised structure
be well-researched and referenced (acknowledging other writers and
sources)
provide evidence showing you have thought about, researched and
understand the topic.
Sources of these slides have been acknowledged in the last slide. Major credit: Open Polytechnic NZ. No Copyright.

3. ASSIGNMENT WRITING
When you’re undertaking tertiary study there are often a lot of
assignments and writing to do, which can be daunting at first. The
most important thing to remember is to start - and start early.
Using the steps below will help your assignments to become do-able,
interesting and even enjoyable.
 Step 1: Plan
 Step 2: Analyse the question
 Step 3: Draft an outline
 Step 4: Find information
 Step 5: Write
 Step 6: Edit and proofread

4. STEP 1: PLAN
1. Check how much your assignment is worth and what percentage of
the final mark it is.
2. Check the marking schedule to see what your tutor will be looking
for when they mark your work and how the marks will be assigned.
This will help you know what to focus on.
3. Think about what you need to do to complete your assignment (for
example, what research, writing drafts, reference checking,
reviewing and editing, etc). Break these up into a list of tasks to
do.
4. Give each task a deadline

5. STEP 2: ANALYSE THE QUESTION
Before you can answer a question, you need to know what it means. Read it
slowly and carefully, and try to understand what's expected of you. Ask
yourself:
What's the question about? What's the topic?
What does the question mean?
What do I have to do?
To help you understand the question, try rewriting it using your own words
using the format below:
‘This assignment is about ______________________ I have to___________________ ’
When you are analysing the question: Look for words that tell you what to do
(instructional words). For example, analyse, compare, contrast, etc.
Check the meaning of the words used.
Look for topic words, which tell you what you have to write about.
Look for restricting words, which limit the topic and make it more specific

6. STEP 2: ANALYSE THE QUESTION
Identify keywords in the topic that will help guide your research,
including any:
Instructional words – what you have to do (usually verbs) (details in next slide)
topic words – ideas, concepts or issues you need to discuss (often nouns)
limiting words – restrict the focus of the topic (e.g. to a place, population or time
period).
If you're writing your own topic, include task words, topic words and
limiting words to help you to focus on exactly what you have to do.

7. analyse to separate and examine the main ideas and issues
compare to look at, and identify similarities
contrast to look at, and identify differences
define
explain the exact meaning of a word, term, theory, concept or idea, using examples
where helpful
describe give details about something so that it can be understood
discuss
examine key points and possible interpretations; give arguments for and against, and
draw a conclusion
evaluate give an opinion, supported by evidence, on the worth or value of something
examine similar to analyse; look at carefully; consider
explain give a detailed account of; give reasons for
illustrate make something clear by providing details and examples
interpret explain the meaning of something
justify provide reasons and evidence for something; show that it is reasonable
outline present a description of the most important features
review look over an area and assess its strengths and weaknesses
show demonstrate by examples; make clear; illustrate
summarize present the most important points
Instruction words, full list here: http://oil.otago.ac.nz/oil/module1/Understand-the-topic/Instruction-word

8. STEP 3: DRAFT AN OUTLINE
(ASSIGNMENT TYPES)
Essays - An essay is a piece of writing on a specific subject, topic or issue.
Reports - Reports generally involve presenting your investigation and analysis of
information or an issue, recommending actions and making proposals (e.g. business
reports, scientific reports and research reports)
Case studies - A case study is an in-depth investigation conducted over a given length of
time. They are used to collect and present detailed information about a person, group or
situation, to try to understand what has happened and why, or to analyse the situation to
solve a problem.
Abstracts - An abstract is a short summary of an academic article, thesis, conference
presentation or an in-depth research paper. The aim of an abstract is to provide a brief
overview of the purpose of the paper. The terms précis or synopsis are sometimes used
instead of abstract.
Annotated bibliographies - An annotated bibliography is a list of resources, including
books, articles and documents. Each entry is followed by a concise summary and
evaluation of the resource, i.e. the annotation.

9. STEP 3: DRAFT AN OUTLINE
(PLANNING)
Planning before you write helps you to:
think more clearly about your topic
structure your argument
develop your own academic voice
write effectively.
There are many ways to plan, but here are some suggestions to help:
Outline the key points you want to make before choosing quotes or pieces
of information to support them. This will help you develop a clear and
coherent argument throughout the assignment.
Decide on the main arguments you'll make in the body of the assignment
before planning the introduction and conclusion.
Create an outline or concept map to represent your plan.
Think about how you'll link ideas. Look at your plan or map to see if there
are key concepts or recurring ideas you could use as a theme to link ideas
between paragraphs.

10. STEP 3: DRAFT AN OUTLINE (ESSAY
OUTLINES)
Most of the assignments you will have to do are essays, which
generally follow the same basic structure:
Introduction (+ 10% of the assignment) – This is where you introduce
the topic and the main points, and briefly explain the purpose of the
assignment and your intended outcome or findings. It is a good idea
to write the introduction last, so that you know what to include.
Discussion (+ 80% of the assignment) – This section is divided into a
number of paragraphs. Decide what points you want to discuss and
include a new paragraph for each main point.
Conclusion (+ 10% of the assignment) – Conclusions briefly restate
your main argument, evaluate your ideas and summarise your
conclusions. They don’t introduce any new information.

11. INTRODUCTIONS typically include:
background, context or a general orientation to the topic, so that the reader has a
general understanding of the area you are discussing
an outline or overview that briefly describes what will and will not be discussed in
the essay (this doesn't have to be a detailed list)
a thesis that states the main idea of the argument you will make in response to the
topic

12. THE BODY is where you develop the argument that supports your
thesis in response to the topic.
Each paragraph should make a point that is:
linked to the outline and thesis statement in your introduction
supported by referenced evidence and your own critical analysis.
You should include links between the ideas, sentences and paragraphs in the
body to create a cohesive argument.
Source: https://my.uq.edu.au/node/2715/2#2

13. STEP 3: DRAFT AN OUTLINE (ESSAY
OUTLINES)
CONCLUSION
Typically, your conclusion should:
restate your thesis
summarise the most important points of your argument
end with a comment, resolution or suggestion for issues that may be
addressed in future research
not present new information (and therefore it usually doesn't include
references).
REFERENCING AND AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

14. STEP 4: FIND INFORMATION
Search for information that will help you answer your research
questions. Remember that you nearly always need to cite peer-reviewed
academic articles and books in your assignments.
READ, ANALYSE AND TAKE NOTES
 Use your research questions to evaluate information and organise your notes as you read.
 Set out each research question as a heading or separate document.
 Read each text with your research questions in mind.
 Apply critical reading and analysis skills to evaluate the information.
 Record relevant information under each research question.
 Include citation details (e.g. author name, year, page number) in your notes to ensure your
research is referenced correctly.
To know more about information click here

15. STEP 5: WRITE
Assignments vary in their requirements for formatting and layout. Aim for
consistency in your formatting.
Use a clearly legible font and font size (Times New Roman is the most
common font and 12 point is the most common size).
Set page margins to around 1 inch/2.5cm.
Use 1.5 or double line spacing.
Keep the space between paragraphs consistent. Two styles are:
Do not indent paragraphs and leave a blank line between paragraphs. (This is
the most common style.)
Indent the first line of each paragraph, but leave no spaces between
paragraphs.
Format of a cover page here

16. STEP 5: WRITE YOUR FIRST
DRAFT
Use your outline and fill in the gaps, writing your main
points for each section.
Write freely, getting as much down as you can without
worrying about the wording being 100% right.
You may find it easiest to start with the conclusion so
that you know which direction your writing is heading,
or the background.
The introduction is often the hardest to write, so leave
that till last.
Don’t spend too much time trying to make this draft
perfect as it will change!

17. STEP 5: WRITE (FINE TUNE)
Revise your first draft, and check that it makes sense and
includes everything it needs to.
Fine tune the wording, and make sure your writing flows
well.
Make sure you keep different copies of your drafts as you
may want to go back to them.
Leave the writing for a day, read it, and fine tune again.
Compile your bibliography or reference list.

18. STEP 6: EDIT AND PROOFREAD
Once you've written your assignment, you can improve it by editing and
proofreading, but before you do take a break. Even a short break helps
you to get some distance from your work so that you can check your
assignment with a fresh eye.
You should plan for at least:
half a day to take a break from your assignment so you can review it with fresh eyes
one hour per 1000–2000 words for editing and proofreading.
Reading your assignment aloud will help you check whether:
your writing flows, ideas are linked and the overall argument makes sense
there are any grammar, spelling or punctuation errors.
You can also read it aloud to someone else, and get them to ask
questions or point out issues as you read.

19. STEP 6: EDIT AND PROOFREAD
Check style, formatting and grammar
Make sure your assignment meets the style and formatting
requirements of your faculty (including font size, spacing, headings
and referencing).
When editing your assignment, try to:
use a spellchecker to check grammar, spelling and punctuation, but check
any changes before accepting them, and do your own proofreading
vary your sentence length
use active voice and strong verbs
choose accurate and clear language – don't use 'impressive' words for no
reason
be concise – look for words you can cut out without losing meaning or
flow.

20. IS EDITING THE SAME THING AS
PROOFREADING?
Not exactly. Although many people use the terms interchangeably,
editing and proofreading are two different stages of the revision
process. Both demand close and careful reading, but they focus on
different aspects of the writing and employ different techniques.
Editing is what you begin doing as soon as you finish your first draft.
You reread your draft to see, for example, whether the paper is well-
organized, the transitions between paragraphs are smooth, and your
evidence really backs up your argument. You can edit on several
levels: Content, Overall structure, Clarity, Style, Citations etc.
Proofreading is the final stage of the editing process, focusing on
surface errors such as misspellings and mistakes in grammar and
punctuation. You should proofread only after you have finished all of
your other editing revisions.

21. REFERENCING
1) Manual
2) Software

22. REFERENCE VS BIBLIOGRAPHY
A reference list is the detailed list of references that are cited in your
work.
A bibliography is a detailed list of references cited in your work, plus
the background readings or other material that you may have read,
but not actually cited.
Different courses may require just a reference list, just a
bibliography, or even both. It is better to check with your tutor first.

23. RESOURCES
Open Polytechnic NZ
The University of Queensland
Deakin University
Manchester UK
Online Information Literacy NZ
Purdue University OWL
Monash University