msc report writing

8/3/2019 MSc Report Writing

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y Completingy Assignmentsy Lab Reporty Project Report

y Stressful processy It can be made Ea 7 y!y B7eak it down ( small chunks )

Study Skills Report Writing


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y E a7Y Se7en step guide.y Report Writing made easy

y Note the D ue D ate in your diary y

Set a Start D atey 3 weeks before the due datey O rganise your assignment files



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y SEVEN E ASY JET STE PS

1 Collect task information2 Analyse the task 3 Collect and organise information4 Plan the overall report structure5 D raft effective paragraphs

6 Integrate the evidence7 E dit and proofread



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1Collect T ask informationy Collect all the relevant materials

y T ask /assignment / brief / Sheety Assessment Criteria Sheety Lecture handoutsy Personal lectures notes

y W rite a checklisty A ssignment specified list

y W hat toy D o or Includey (EVE RY TH ING )



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2 A nalyse The Task

y Read the A ssignment / brief / Sheety Look for Key Wordsy Topic words the words and concepts to be

Researchedy T ask words instruction how to structure

information found (e.g. discuss, outline, analyse )y Limiting words limit the scope of the subject to

be research and addressed



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y Brainstorm what you already knowy Determine what should be ready Consider similar terms for research

y T hesaurus

y Question the material gathered while researchingy Is this relevant ?y Does it help answer questions / complete task ?y How does it connect to other evidence ? y Can evidence come together to create a single

argument ? y W hat are my main points ? How do they fit together ?



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3 Collect and O rganise Informationy Start with module resources

y from Black Board

y Use DMU Library websitey For library resources

y Consider a variety of resourcesy Including books: journals: websites

y Sources must bey

Current : authoritative: relevant



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y W hen Making Notesy Skim read at first

y Get an idea of the topic and work out a general thesis.y Then take notes

y on information that is specifically relevant to the task.y Start with the more general sources

y Encyclopaedias (if necessary ), y then general books , y specialised books ,y websites ,y and finally journal articlesy Note all the bibliographical details of all the resources used



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y Look for patterns and themes in notes.y Think about how themes relate to each other.



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4 Plan the overall structure

Using your notes:y Each grouping of theme evidence

y information in a paragraph / report section.y

The theme for a group of evidencey converted to the main point of the paragraph

/report section.y The overall summary of the main points

y can be made into your thesis.



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y Think about

y How paragraphs can be logically structuredy The relationships between the main points

y (e.g. agree/disagree )y How transition words / phrases can be used to

signpost this to the readery E.g. Therefore / this shows / in can be inferred / etc.



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y O verall Structurey A cademic writing generally follows a diamond structure:



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y Body paragraphsy Ordered to suit the type of task given.

y Plan number of words for each sectiony W ork with the overall word allowance for assignmenty

E.g. 1500wordsy Introduction and conclusion

y Each about 10%of the total number.y E.g. 150words each ,

y 1200words remainingy Divide remainder equally (~)

y among the body paragraphs / sectionsy E.g. A bout 4 00 words each



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5 Draft Effective Paragraphsy Body Paragraphs

y Like mini-essays:y Topic and Concluding sentences

y Introduce and Sum up the pointy Supporting and E vidence sentences

y back up the point.y Topic Sentence

y This states he main point of the paragraphy A nd links it with the thesis.

y Supporting Sentencesy Add information to the main point.

y For example , define terms or explain concepts



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y

E vidence Sentencesy Examples , data , statistics , quotes which back up

the point. These must be cited and referenced .

y Concluding Sentencey This restates the point.y May provide link to next paragraph.



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y Introductory and Concluding paragraphs /sectionsy Slightly different structure to body paragraphs .y Like bookends of academic writingy Tend to mirror each o ther

y Introductory paragraph/sectiony Introduces the topicy States the thesis ( main point of the assignment ) y O utlines the structure of the assignment

y main point of each body paragraph / sectiony Defines the scope (limits ) of the assignment



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y Concluding Paragraph

y Paraphrases the thesisy Sums up main points of body paragraphs /sectionsy Does not include any new materialy Concludes strongly



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6 Integrate the E videncey The wording of the evidence

y Needs to be adapted to smoothly fit into theassignment.

y This can be done in three ways1 Q UOT ING

Using the authors own words to expresstheir ideas. Use quotation marks



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2 PARAP H RASING

Using the authors informationusing your own words

3 SUMM ARISI NGBriefly mentioning authors ideasN o further explanation



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7 E dit and Proofready E diting looks at assignment as a whole

y Structurey Source of informationy T ask /assignment requirementsy Style

y Proofreading looks detailsy

Word choicey Spellingy Punctuationy G rammar



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SUMM ARY

1 Collect task information2 Analyse the task 3 Collect and organise information4 Plan the overall report structure5 D raft effective paragraphs6 Integrate the evidence7 E dit and proofread



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