In the Appendices, you will find a diagram which provides a visual reminder about the various stages that are involved in completing an assignment (Appendix 1); and a ‘good assignment checklist’ (Appendix 2) to use before you submit your work.
Before beginning to write your assignment you should have an idea of its general structure, the major points you wish to make, and the direction of your argument. You may already have developed your own personal approach to structuring your writing but, if you are not quite sure how to start, you may find the following approaches useful.
- Read around the topic, taking in both directly relevant literature and any other field of inquiry that could contribute to the exploration of the topic. Read as widely as possible.
- Think of the major sub-headings that are suggested by your reflection upon this reading and your own views on the topic. Do not initially try to produce an ordered sequence of sub-headings but simply jot them down as they occur to you. You may wish to present these in diagrammatic form as ‘boxes’ or ‘circles’ (so called ‘mind-maps’). The important thing at this stage is to keep an open mind and think flexibly.
- Next, consider ways in which the subtopics relate to one another and can be ordered to form a systematic treatment of the assignment topic.
- Write this out as your Assignment Outline. This should indicate the various sections of the assignment, including short introductory and concluding sections, together with the main body of the assignment (see Guidelines for Writing Assignments, above). You may wish to suggest an appropriate number of words for each section and give examples of the literature to be referenced.
Step 1: (as above) Reading around the topic
- Take in both directly relevant literature and any other field of inquiry that could contribute to the exploration of the topic.
- Read as widely as possible.
Step 2: Analysing the question/clarifying the title
- Key words - analyse them.
- Terminology – make sure you know what it all means.
- Ask questions – what will you need to do in this assignment?
Step 3: Mind-storming
- Jot all your ideas down in any order, using single words or phrases, if appropriate, rather than full sentences.
- Assemble all the points from your reading that seem to be relevant.
Step 4: Organising your material
- Decide your point of view – think about what kind of statement you want to make.
- Group your ideas under 3 or 4 broad points/headings. (Do this by looking for underlying issues and connections between the literature you have read and your personal/professional experience.)
- Be selective – decide what is relevant and what is not by re-examining the question.
Step 5: Structuring your writing
- Think about: where you are going; how you can best get there.
- Try different ways of structuring your material. (You might also try different ways of making a plan. Apart from doing this on your computer, you could try: writing a linear outline on one sheet of paper – and, if necessary, subsequently cutting it up and rearranging it; drawing a ‘mind-map’ using differently shaped ‘boxes’ and/or colours to cluster your ideas – and, if necessary, subsequently altering it by using Tippex or sticky labels; using index cards, writing one point on each card before sorting them into different piles; using ‘Post-it Notes’, writing one point on each and then sticking them, in mind-map style, onto a large flat surface.)
- Ask for advice if you run into difficulties.