Your academic writing tasks will vary according to the subject you are studying and what your assignment is asking you to do. In some pieces of academic writing you will be asked to make your own decisions about the content and structure of your assignment. In other assignments this may be defined more specifically.
You may have received feedback from a previous assignment which can help you to improve some aspect of the one you're about to begin. Always think about feedback you've received before starting on a new piece of work. Find out more about using assessment feedback.
With all pieces of academic writing, it is best to check whether there is any guidance on the:
content (e.g. are there any particular topics you need to cover?)
structure (e.g. is information given on the order of sections, or any specific subheadings you need to use?)
presentation (e.g. should you be using a particular font or margin size etc.?)
referencing style you should be using
assessment criteria for the written work
If you are unsure about any of these elements, check your module page, course or module handbooks, or ask your module leader.
The first step to producing a good piece of written work is making sure you understand what you've been asked to do. You need to read your assignment brief carefully and take time to interpret the question. What, precisely, is the question telling you to write about? Accurate interpretation of the question is the essential foundation of a successful response. Without this step it is easy to produce an unfocussed piece of work that fails to answer the question.
Using TAP to interpret the question
Some questions can be difficult to interpret, especially if they include a quote or have several parts, but long or apparently complex questions are not necessarily harder to answer. These questions often give you lots of direction as to what you need to write and how you should shape your answer.
TAP can help you to interpret the question in your assignment title. Highlight or underline the words that represent the Topics, Actions, and Parameters.
Actions can also be described as 'instruction words'. Take a look at our definitions of commonly used instruction words.
If after using TAP you are still confused about what the question is asking you to do, you should check with your lecturer before proceeding.
To produce a good piece of written work, you first need to understand what you have been asked to do. You need to take time to interpret the question. The instruction words, the verbs, tell you how you need to approach your answer.
The meanings for these commonly used instruction words should always be taken in the context of the whole question, so take time to read the question carefully.
|
Instruction word |
Meaning |
|
Analyse |
Take apart an issue or topic and investigate its constituent parts. |
|
Assess |
Judge the value of something. This might be a theory, opinion, data or other information. Is it true, accurate, reliable? Your judgement should be based on evidence and clear reasoning. |
|
Comment on |
Select the main points on a topic and make critical or explanatory observations. |
|
Compare |
Identify similarities and differences. This may lead to a preference being stated and justified. |
|
Contrast |
Compare, but with an emphasis on identifying differences. |
|
Critically Evaluate |
Present your judgement on the truth or reliability of a statement, theory or opinion. Support your judgement by discussing a range of evidence which both agrees with and contradicts your argument. Your final conclusion should be fully justified. |
|
Define |
Give the precise meaning of a word, phrase or theory. |
|
Describe |
Give a detailed account of. |
|
Discuss |
Debate, giving reasons for and against an argument or context. Use evidence to support the reasons you present. Remember to come to a conclusion. |
|
Evaluate |
See ‘critically evaluate’ |
|
Explain |
Clarify a topic by giving a detailed account of how and why it occurs. |
|
Explore |
Look at a subject or idea thoroughly and from different viewpoints. |
|
Illustrate |
Make clear by using examples, diagrams or figures to support your explanation. |
|
Justify |
Present a valid argument as to why something should be accepted. Support with evidence. |
|
Outline |
Give the main features or general principles of a subject or theory. |
|
State |
Express briefly and clearly. |
|
Summarise |
Give a concise account of the main points, not including details or examples. |
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