university of manchester assignment writing

Essay writing guide

Introduction.

The subject of how to write a good essay is covered on many other sites and students are encouraged to read a sample of guides for a full understanding.

Recommended reading

• How to write an essay , University of Manchester, Faculty of Humanities Study Skills
• 3rd year project technical writing advice , University of Manchester, School of Computer Science
• William Strunk's elements of style

Examples of additional reading

• Essay writing & report writing , University of Wollongong
• Essay writing , Edinburgh Napier University

Academic essays and articles usually contain 'references'. These can range from a generalised bibliography or list for "further reading" to specific references for particular points in the text. In this last category references are normally indexed either by the first author's name and publication date, e.g. "[Smith97]" or simply numerically "[5]".

• Read how to reference properly and avoid plagiarism

Advice on the subject of plagiarism can be found under the assessments section of this website.

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Academic Phrasebank

Being critical.

• GENERAL LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS
• Being cautious
• Classifying and listing
• Compare and contrast
• Defining terms
• Describing trends
• Describing quantities
• Explaining causality
• Giving examples
• Signalling transition
• Writing about the past

As an academic writer, you are expected to be critical of the sources that you use. This essentially means questioning what you read and not necessarily agreeing with it just because the information has been published. Being critical can also mean looking for reasons why we should not just accept something as being correct or true. This can require you to identify problems with a writer’s arguments or methods, or perhaps to refer to other people’s criticisms of these. Constructive criticism goes beyond this by suggesting ways in which a piece of research or writing could be improved. … being against is not enough. We also need to develop habits of constructive thinking. Edward de Bono

Highlighting inadequacies of previous studies

Previous studies of X have not dealt with … Researchers have not treated X in much detail. Such expositions are unsatisfactory because they … Most studies in the field of X have only focused on … Such approaches, however, have failed to address … Previous published studies are limited to local surveys. Half of the studies evaluated failed to specify whether … The research to date has tended to focus on X rather than published studies on the effect of X are not consistent. Smith’s analysis does not take account of …, nor does she examine …

The existing accounts fail to resolve the contradiction between X and Y. Most studies of X have only been carried out in a small number of areas. However, much of the research up to now has been descriptive in nature … The generalisability of much published research on this issue is problematic. Research on the subject has been mostly restricted to limited comparisons of … However, few writers have been able to draw on any systematic research into … Short-term studies such as these do not necessarily show subtle changes over time … Although extensive research has been carried out on X, no single study exists which … However, these results were based upon data from over 30 years ago and it is unclear if … The experimental data are rather controversial, and there is no general agreement about …

Identifying a weakness in a single study or paper

Offering constructive suggestions.

The study would have been more interesting if it had included … These studies would have been more useful if they had focused on … The study would have been more relevant if the researchers had asked … The questionnaire would have been more useful if it had asked participants about … The research would have been more relevant if a wider range of X had been explored

Introducing problems and limitations: theory or argument

Smith’s argument relies too heavily on … The main weakness with this theory is that … The key problem with this explanation is that … However, this theory does not fully explain why … One criticism of much of the literature on X is that … Critics question the ability of the X theory to provide … However, there is an inconsistency with this argument.

A serious weakness with this argument, however, is that … However, such explanations tend to overlook the fact that … One of the main difficulties with this line of reasoning is that … Smith’s interpretation overlooks much of the historical research … Many writers have challenged Smith’s claim on the grounds that … The X theory has been criticised for being based on weak evidence. A final criticism of the theory of X is that it struggles to explain some aspects of …

Introducing problems and limitations: method or practice

The limitation of this approach is that … A major problem with the X method is that … One major drawback of this approach is that … A criticism of this experimental design is that … The main limitation of this technique, however, is … Selection bias is another potential concern because …

Perhaps the most serious disadvantage of this method is that … In recent years, however, this approach has been challenged by … Non-government agencies are also very critical of the new policies. All the studies reviewed so far, however, suffer from the fact that … Critics of laboratory-based experiments contend that such studies … There are certain problems with the use of focus groups. One of these is that there is less …

Using evaluative adjectives to comment on research

Introducing general criticism.

Critics question the ability of poststructuralist theory to provide … Non-government agencies are also very critical of the new policies. Smith’s meta-analysis has been subjected to considerable criticism. The most important of these criticisms is that Smith failed to note that … The X theory has been vigorously challenged in recent years by a number of writers. These claims have been strongly contested in recent years by a number of writers. More recent arguments against X have been summarised by Smith and Jones (1982): Critics have also argued that not only do surveys provide an inaccurate measure of X, but the … Many analysts now argue that the strategy of X has not been successful. Jones (2003), for example, argues that …

Introducing the critical stance of particular writers

Smith (2014) disputes this account of … Jones (2003) has also questioned why … However, Jones (2015) points out that … The author challenges the widely held view that … Smith (1999) takes issue with the contention that … The idea that … was first challenged by Smith (1992). Smith is critical of the tendency to compartmentalise X. However, Smith (1967) questioned this hypothesis and …

Jones (2003) has challenged some of Smith’s conclusions, arguing that … Another major criticism of Smith’s study, made by Jones (2003), is that … Jones (2003) is probably the best-known critic of the X theory. He argues that … In her discussion of X, Smith further criticises the ways in which some authors … Smith’s decision to reject the classical explanation of X merits some discussion … In a recent article in Academic Journal, Smith (2014) questions the extent to which … The latter point has been devastatingly critiqued by Jones (2003), who argues that … A recently published article by Smith et al. (2011) casts doubt on Jones’ assumption that … Other authors (see Smith, 2012; Jones, 2014) question the usefulness of such an approach.

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T1 - Academic writing

AU - Firth, Miriam

PY - 2020/1/28

Y1 - 2020/1/28

N2 - Academic writing requires you to consider your understanding and position to publications on a topic. This is not simply regurgitating knowledge from reading sources, but offering your perspective on secondary material and an informed overview of current knowledge. Academic writing is unique in its content, form and structure. You may have written essays and reports at school or college which have previously been descriptive and fact based, but this chapter aims to develop your writing using the knowledge gained from academic sources and academic research. Using the previous chapters in academic development you should have found and read academic literature to develop your knowledge for an assignment. This chapter will appraise your ability to write about these sources and weave your authorial voice into the submission. Although this chapter focusses on academic styles of writing, it can also be used for professional and formal writing.

AB - Academic writing requires you to consider your understanding and position to publications on a topic. This is not simply regurgitating knowledge from reading sources, but offering your perspective on secondary material and an informed overview of current knowledge. Academic writing is unique in its content, form and structure. You may have written essays and reports at school or college which have previously been descriptive and fact based, but this chapter aims to develop your writing using the knowledge gained from academic sources and academic research. Using the previous chapters in academic development you should have found and read academic literature to develop your knowledge for an assignment. This chapter will appraise your ability to write about these sources and weave your authorial voice into the submission. Although this chapter focusses on academic styles of writing, it can also be used for professional and formal writing.

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/c50ffaec-be18-3a18-9f85-f78a4aacd56b/

U2 - 10.4324/9781351026949-15

DO - 10.4324/9781351026949-15

M3 - Chapter

BT - Employability and Skills Handbook for Tourism, Hospitality and Events Students

A2 - Firth, Miriam

PB - Routledge

FBMH 2021-22

Student Handbooks

Level 1 Student Tutorial Handbook

Please note that some links in this Handbook are to Blackboard sites that will not be available until 20/9/21.

The School of Biological Sciences Tutorial Programme

All Year 1 SBS students are enrolled in the tutorial unit BIOL10000. Tutorials will provide you with knowledge and expertise related to your degree programme as well as transferable skills. The tutorial programme includes small group tutorials and plenary sessions. In the first semester, tutorials are also linked an online unit (Writing and Referencing Skills (WRS); BIOL10741) that will help you to improve your written communication skills. Figure 1 shows the components of the Year 1 Tutorial Unit.

Figure 1 . Tutorials in Year 1 include small group and plenary sessions. The Writing and Referencing Skills (WRS ; BIOL10741 ) unit complements tutorial activities and must be passed in order to pass the tutorial unit.

Small group tutorials will take place with other students from your degree programme and your Academic Tutor. Please note that times for your small group tutorials will be arranged by your Academic Tutor. Tutorials should appear on your ‘myManchester’ timetable but there may be some exceptions to this so please consult with your Tutor if you are in any doubt about scheduling of small group tutorials.

Plenary sessions will be delivered by specialists to larger groups of students from multiple degree programmes. This format ensures consistent delivery of information to students, and the plenary sessions cover topics that are relevant to all SBS students. Attendance is compulsory and you should check the dates for plenary sessions on the tutorial Blackboard site (BIOL10000), where there will also be instructions on when and how to attend.  Some plenary sessions have associated pre-session work, which should be completed in advance of your timetabled session. Table 1 lists the Year 1 plenaries.

Table 1. Year 1 plenary sessions.  Timetabling information, descriptions of the sessions, ILOs, and instructions for pre-session work can be found in the relevant folder in the ‘Plenary Sessions’ area of the BIOL10000 Bb site .

The tutorial programme builds year-on-year and focuses on four major strands of skills: communication (written and oral); professional skills; experimental reporting; and employability, as shown in Figure 2.  Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) for the Level 1 tutorials are available here . The activities in Years 2 and 3 build on the skills you acquire in Year 1.

Figure 2. Summary of the topics you can expect to cover in small group tutorials (top) and plenary sessions (bottom). Your Tutor and Programme-Director may, at their discretion, alter the content of your tutorials.

What are the roles of your Academic Tutor and Academic Advisor?

Your Academic Tutor will arrange your small group tutorials and mark your tutorial assessments. Your Academic Tutor will help you to:

• Develop skills and knowledge relevant to your degree subject during tutorials. Your tutorial studies will help you to put the information given in lectures and practicals into the context of your degree programme.
• Enhance your employability by helping you acquire a range of transferable skills. These include skills in written and oral communication, organisation of information, personal interaction, teamwork and the use of information technology. Employers value these ‘transferable skills’. Tutorials will also help you learn to manage your time during your degree course and improve your revision and examination techniques. A detailed list of skills valued by employers and suggestions for how you can develop them is provided in Appendix 1.

Every student in the School is assigned an Academic Advisor. In Year 1, your Academic Tutor will also be your Academic Advisor. Your Academic Advisor is normally the same person throughout your course and is your main link to the School and the University. They can advise you on academic matters, personal problems (if needed), and can provide references when you are applying for jobs. Further information about Academic Advisors and One-to-One Academic Advisor Meetings is in the First Level Handbook .

Your tutorial assignments are listed in Table 2. These will be marked by your Academic Tutor and returned to you with feedback that will allow you to improve your work for the next assignment.

In order to pass the Tutorial Unit, three separate elements are required:

• You must have satisfactory attendance at small-group tutorial and plenary sessions.
• You have to obtain an average mark of at least 40% in your tutorial assignments.
• You must pass the Writing and Referencing Skills unit (BIOL10741).

Tutorials are an important part of the attendance requirements for your degree course and  compensation for partial failure of unit examinations is available only to students who have passed their tutorial unit. In addition, students who fail their tutorial unit due to poor marks or absences will be removed from Industrial/Professional Experience, Language or MSci programmes, and are required to complete an extended essay during the summer vacation. For further details see the First Level Handbook.

Failure of the Tutorial Unit

Level 1 students can fail the tutorial unit:

• by having more than one unexcused absence from small-group tutorials or plenary sessions, OR
• by getting a mark below 40% in tutorial assignments, averaged over the two semesters, OR
• by failing the Writing and Referencing Skills unit (BIOL10741).

Tutorial Assignment Deadlines

Table 2  shows the deadlines for tutorial assignments common to all degree programmes. Note that you may have additional, program specific, deadlines for assignments that will be set by your Academic Tutor.

Table 2. Year 1 tutorial assignments. Additional assignments may be specified by your Tutor. TBA = to be arranged; Bb = Blackboard. The BIOL10000 Bb site can be accessed here . Formative feedback: this is intended to highlight areas that you need to work on and any marks awarded are not included in the overall mark for BIOL10000. Summative feedback: also helps you to improve your work and marks awarded count towards the total for BIOL10000 or another unit. *Students enrolled in a Field course unit will be given instructions by their Tutors on an alternative experimental reporting activity in Semester 2.

Table 3 shows the deadlines for the Writing and Referencing Skills unit. The first module, ‘Academic Malpractice’ will be open from Welcome Week, with a deadline at the end of week 2. Gaining a score of 100% in this module is required to gain access to the other modules. The remaining modules can be completed any time after this date and before their respective deadlines.

Table 3. Writing and Referencing Skills unit (BIOL10741) deadlines. Weeks correspond to Semester 1 teaching weeks, where week 1 begins on Monday 27/9/2021.

Formatting of Tutorial Assignments

All written tutorial assessments apart from posters should be formatted in the following way: Arial 10pt font, 2.5cm margins, 1.5 line spacing. Page limit and referencing style for each assignment will be specified by your Academic Tutor.

How to submit tutorial assignments

Most assignments should be submitted via the Assessments area of the BIOL10000 unit Blackboard site, as outlined in Table 2. Your Academic Tutor will advise you how to submit any other tutorial assignments. Late submission (i.e., after the deadline without an agreed extension) of tutorial assessments will be penalised with a deduction of 10% of the marks per day (or part thereof, including weekends and holidays) beyond the deadline. Please note that formative assignments do NOT qualify for DASS-related automatic extensions. The submission area for each BIOL10000 assignment that is submitted via Blackboard specifies whether or not the assignment is eligible for an automatic extension. You may want to remind your tutor if you qualify for a DASS-related automatic extension.

Attendance at small group tutorials and plenary sessions is compulsory. More than one unexcused absence from either small-group tutorials or plenary sessions over the academic year will result in failure of the tutorial unit; exclusion from Four-Year (language, MSci and industrial placement) programmes; loss of compensation for exams; and a summer re-sit essay assignment. Additional unexcused absences from tutorials may lead to the issuing of a formal warning letter. Unexcused absences may have detrimental effects on decisions on progression to subsequent years of your degree programme, or even lead to exclusion from study in the Faculty. For further information on this and other related matters, please read the relevant sections of the First Level Handbook.

Small group tutorials

Attendance at small group tutorials will be monitored by your Academic Tutor. In the case of student-led tutorials, where students meet in the absence of their tutor, attendance is also compulsory and will be recorded by a person chosen in advance and passed on to the Academic Tutor. If you are absent from a tutorial or unable to complete a tutorial assignment due to illness, make sure that you follow the guidelines on ill health set out in the First Level Handbook . You must inform your Academic Tutor of an absence no later than the day and start time of your tutorial session AND submit a self-certification form to the Student Support Office no later than the day of the tutorial session that you will miss.  It is  your  responsibility to provide this information.

If you are unable to attend for any other good reason, you must supply documentary evidence to your Academic Tutor strongly supporting your reasons for absence.

Plenary sessions

Attendance at all plenary titles (see Table 1) is compulsory. Failure to attend a Plenary Session will count as a tutorial absence. It is your responsibility to regularly check the ‘Plenary Sessions’ Area on the BIOL10000 Blackboard site for information about timetabling and attendance, as this is subject to change during the year. Most plenary titles will have two identical sessions scheduled to accommodate all students. Both of these will display on your timetable but you only need to attend one session. However it MUST be the one timetabled for your degree programme or unit, as detailed on the BIOL10000 Blackboard site. If the session allocated to your degree programme clashes with a language or other unit, you may be permitted attend the other session but only by prior arrangement (at least one working day’s notice) with the student support office .

If you are ill on the day of a plenary session, you must contact the student support office prior to the start of the plenary session in order to obtain an excused absence. Contacting your Academic Tutor instead of the student support office will result in your absence being unexcused.

Small Group Tutorial Activities and Plenary Sessions

The content of small group tutorials will depend on your degree programme and your Academic Tutor, but you should expect to participate in most of the activities listed below.

Semester 1: Developing Communication Skills

Introduction and semester 1 tutorial schedule.

Your small group tutorials, the Writing and Referencing Skills Unit and the tutorial plenary sessions all work together in semester 1 to develop your skills in communicating science. Activities and assignments that are linked to small group tutorials, plenaries and/or the WRS unit are indicated by the appropriate logo, as per Figure 1. An outline schedule for Semester 1 is shown in Table 4. Tutorial activities and assignments, including plenaries, are often described by week number (e.g., Semester 1 week 3). These refer to teaching weeks , with week 1 of teaching starting on Monday September 27 th 2021 for Semester 1 and on Monday 7 th February 2022 for Semester 2.

Table 4. Semester 1 Outline Tutorial Schedule. Your Tutor or Programme Director may provide an alternative schedule at their discretion. Bb = Blackboard; TBA = to be arranged.

This schedule doesn’t contain the dates and times of your small group tutorial sessions, which will be arranged by your Academic Tutor. You should ensure that you record times of your tutorials and the assignment deadlines. More information about each plenary session, including details of pre-session work, will be available on the BIOL10000 Blackboard site in advance of the plenary.

BIOL10741 Writing and Referencing Skills (WRS) Unit

This compulsory online unit is available on Blackboard. It provides resources to help you with written communication, scientific referencing, and avoiding academic malpractice. These skills are essential for the year 1 tutorial assessments, including essays and lab reports and will form the basis for written assessments during your time at University. A PDF covering the writing skills content is available to download to help with future assignments.

Please ensure that you read the BIOL10741 course content pages on Blackboard for information on the running of the course. You MUST achieve 100% in the Academic Malpractice module AND achieve an average score of 70% or above for the seven WRS modules to pass BIOL10741 and therefore the tutorial unit. You will receive a mark for the WRS unit from the seven WRS assessments.

The ‘Academic Malpractice’ module will be available from Welcome Week and must be completed by 4 pm on Friday 16th October (week 2). The ‘Academic Malpractice’ module must be passed with a score of 100% to pass and gain access to the rest of the WRS course. The remaining WRS modules and assessments can then be completed at any time before their respective deadlines (Table 3). Submission deadlines are 4pm on the Fridays of weeks 4-10. Extensions are not permitted.

Queries about the BIOL10741 WRS unit should be directed to the Unit Coordinator, Lindsay MacDougall . Technical queries, including problems accessing the course, need to be reported to the eLearning team via the dedicated link on Blackboard (a tab, marked technical support, can be found in the menu on the left-hand side of the BIOL10741 Blackboard unit site). Queries on the library modules (5-7 on database searches and EndNote) should be addressed to [email protected] (for technical queries) or [email protected] (for queries on content).

Semester 1 Tutorial Activities and Plenary Sessions

Understanding university assessments plenary.

This plenary session will familiarise you with assessments at University, including marking schemes and feedback. Further information is available in the Plenary Sessions area of the BIOL10000 Bb site. There is pre-session work to complete in advance of this plenary. Please ensure that you attend the session specified for your degree programme and follow the instructions to record your attendance.

‘Avoiding Plagiarism’ Activity

Plagiarism is a type of Academic Malpractice that you need to understand and avoid. Plagiarism is the use (theft) of someone else’s work without proper acknowledgement, presenting the material as if it were one’s own. It is totally unacceptable in any form. The First Level Handbook gives further information on plagiarism, and the University’s guidance academic malpractice can be viewed here . It is important to note that ‘self-plagiarism’, where parts of your own previously submitted work are re-used, is also unacceptable.

In Semester 1, you will do an activity with your tutorial group on how to recognise and avoid plagiarism. The first module in the Writing and Referencing Skills unit will also teach you about plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice. An online resource with more information on plagiarism and how to avoid it is available via MLE.

Later in Semester 1 you will have to opportunity to use the University’s plagiarism detection software on an essay that you will submit.

Any first-year student found to have plagiarised work will have to attend an interview with a panel of academic staff. The panel will determine a suitable penalty, which may include a mark of zero for the assignment or for the course unit. Penalties for Academic Malpractice are increasingly severe in later years of the programme!

Scientific Summary Assignments and Frontiers of Science Plenary

Effective summarisation is essential for lecture note-taking, exam preparation, and written communication. In semester 1 you will write two summaries:

• Weeks 0/1: You will write a summary about a scientist related to your degree programme. Further guidance on this activity will be provided by your Academic Tutor.
• Weeks 3/4: You will write a summary of a plenary lecture given by a leading researcher from the Faculty. This is the ‘ Frontiers of Science’ plenary session , and it will be aimed at a general audience, so don’t worry if you know little about the subject before you attend. Following the lecture, you should summarize the content of the talk in less than 1 A4 page, following the general tutorial formatting guidelines and the assignment brief . Your summary should be submitted via the Assessments area of the BIOL10000 Blackboard site.  Your Academic Tutor will provide feedback on this summary, but his assignment does not count towards the tutorial unit mark.

Semester 1 Essay writing Assignment and ‘How to Write a Scientific Essay Plenary’

Success in every degree programme involves learning how to organise your thoughts and communicate an understanding of a topic. An essay is not simply a series of facts, but a structured presentation of a logical argument, backed up with evidence, to establish a point of view. Writing an essay therefore requires careful research and planning, which you will learn how to do through small group tutorial activities, the ‘ How to write a Scientific Essay’ plenary’ , and the Writing and Referencing Skills Unit. The WRS PDF also contains ‘A practical Guide to Writing Essays’, which you may find useful.

In Semester 1 you will complete a three-page essay on a topic selected by your Academic Tutor. Your Your essay, should be formatted according to the guidelines for tutorial work; references and figures are not included in the page count. To facilitate your understanding of plagiarism, how to detect and eliminate it from your work, a draft essay will be submitted in week 7 vi Blackboard and put through the University’s plagiarism detection software TurnItIn. Once the draft essay submission deadline has passed, you will be able to see the plagiarism report on your essay, which you should save as a PDF for future reference. If necessary, you should then edit your essay to eliminate plagiarised material. Even if no edits are needed, the final essay must nonetheless be re-submitted in week 9. The final version of your essay will also go through a plagiarism check, but this will only be for staff use and will be considered when your essay is marked. If you do not submit a draft of the essay in week 7 you may still submit a final version for assessment, but you will not be allowed to see the plagiarism report on your final version. The final essay will be marked by your Academic Tutor, who will provide feedback by week 12. Late (if not approved by your Tutor or the Student Support Office) or non-submission of the final essay will result in a Fail for this assignment. You should save a copy of your feedback comments for consideration when submitting your second tutorial essay in semester 2 and for other future assignments. Instructions for how to view feedback are available here .

You will find the submission site and instructions for submitting your essay in the Assessments area of the BIOL10000 Blackboard site. Should you have any technical difficulties uploading your file you should submit an eLearning enquiry through Blackboard (a tab can be found on the left-hand side of the tutorial unit site) or contact the Student Support Office.

Semester 1 Poster Assignment

Towards the end of Semester 1, you will choose a topic for a group poster in consultation with your Academic Tutor. As part of a group, you will research the topic, design, and prepare a digital poster for submission to your Tutor by an agreed deadline prior to Thursday of week 10. Further information and instructions are available from the BIOL10000 Blackboard site .

Semester 2: Developing Programme-specific Skills

Introduction and semester 2 tutorial schedule.

As in Semester 1, this schedule doesn’t contain the dates and times of your small group tutorial sessions, which will be arranged by your Academic Tutor.

Table 5. Semester 2 Suggested Tutorial Schedule. Your Tutor or Programme Director may provide an alternative schedule at their discretion. See Table 1 for details of which students should complete each of the Experimental Reporting plenaries. TBC = to be confirmed; Bb = Blackboard.

Semester 2 Tutorial Activities and Plenary Sessions

Semester 2 essay assignment.

In Semester 1 you were introduced to the basic process of essay writing through the ‘How to Write a Scientific Essay’ plenary, the Writing and Referencing Skills Unit, work in small group tutorials, and preparing the Semester 1 Essay. In Semester 2, you will extend and develop the skills you learnt in Semester 1 by researching and writing a three-page essay of relevance to your degree programme. Your Academic Tutor will provide details of the subject, length and assessment process. You will be expected to avoid plagiarism and to apply the principles taught in Semester 1 relating to references. You will not be given the chance to see the plagiarism report and make edits to this essay. The essay you submit must be the final version, which will then be electronically checked for plagiarism. Submission is via the Assessments area of the BIOL10000 Blackboard site.

Experimental Reporting

Lab poster or field course report assignment and plenaries.

In Semester 2, students enrolled on field course units will need to produce a field course report, and students enrolled on lab-based practical units (BIOL10412/10422) will produce a scientific poster. To help with these assignments, all students will take part in tutorial activities aimed at improving experimental reporting skills. Generic guidelines for writing lab reports can also be found in the WRS unit (BIOL10741) PDF .

Students enrolled on lab-based practical units (BIOL10412/10422) will work in small groups to produce a scientific poster in the form of a PowerPoint slide that describes an experiment from their practical unit. Students will then answer questions about the content of their poster during a question and answer tutorial session. There will be an  online  ‘ Experimental Reporting: Lab poster’  plenary available to help with preparing the poster.

Field course students will be provided with information regarding the format and length of their project report in the assessment area on the Blackboard of their field course unit. There will be a plenary session for Field Course students ( ‘ Experimental Reporting: Field Course Report ’ ) in Semester 2 week 8.

Professional Skills

Programme-specific assignments.

Your group will complete one of the following types of programme-specific assignments. Details will be provided by your Academic Tutor.

Data analysis/Problem Solving

These activities are designed to complement skills acquired in the Practical Module BIOL10401 and will focus on quantitative and analytical problem-solving tasks specific to your degree programme.

Group-based learning (GBL) sessions

GBL provides a means of developing team-working skills while exploring a topical issue relevant to your degree subject (see Appendix 2 for guidelines on running a GBL activity). Your group will choose or be allocated a subject for investigation, in consultation with your Academic Tutor. As a group, you then research the subject, deciding amongst yourselves who should do what and the approach that should be taken. On completion of your research, all members of the group should contribute to the final outcome, which could be an oral presentation, written article or poster. The performance of the group will be assessed by your Academic Tutor and this will contribute to your overall tutorial mark. Note that, if you are asked to give a short talk, the My Learning Essentials website has some excellent resources to help with preparing and delivering oral presentations.

Employability

What are employability skills.

Employability skills are the skills needed in working environments. Employability skills can be very specific and technical, like understanding HPLC or how to run a PCR; or they can be general, such as demonstrating effective communication skills.

Why are employability skills important in year 1?

Employability skills are always important and you will already have developed a range of skills from your experiences that have led you to The University of Manchester. If in year 1 you’re looking for a part-time job or summer internship, or plan to go on placement later on in your course, you will be asked to write about and discuss your employability skills during application and interview. The sooner you have the chance to build your range of skills and reflect on these – the better.

What skills will I get this year?

In year 1 the employability focus is about settling in and trying new things. You will experience a lot of new subjects, people and activities. We want to help you make the most of your time here and getting off to a good start is a key part of that. To help with this, there will be an Employability plenary session entitled ‘Make the most of your First Year’ in Week 7 of Semester 2. For a specific run-down of all the employability skills you can gain this year check out Appendix 1: Employability; your module descriptions also detail the skills you will have the chance to develop.

Keep a record of your employability skills

It’s worth thinking about how you can keep a record of the skills and new experiences you develop during the year. One way is to create a ‘living CV’ which acts like a list or summary of all the things you’ve done and what you’ve learnt. The benefit of this approach is when you come to write your CV to send out then you have all the evidence in one place. Typical headings would be education, jobs, volunteering, positions of responsibility and interests. More information on CVs can be found in the Careers Service CV guide .

The Careers Service

The Careers Service can help you with all your career needs.

Common queries from first year students are:

• How can I get work experience or a part-time job?
• I don’t like my course, what else can I do?
• How can I find out about career options?
• I don’t know what I want to do.

The Biology, Medicine and Health Careers Consultants are: Sarah Ashworth, Amanda Conway and Suzanne Creeber – you’ll most probably see Suzanne or Sarah as they are the linked consultants for School of Biological Sciences. We offer a personalised service with booked appointments with specialist advisers, an application advice service, a specialist information service, and 24-hour access to careers information and vacancies through the website. In addition, we run an extensive programme of events and online workshops throughout the year.

For full details of how the Careers Service can support you plus a wealth of help and information, visit the website . To find out about opportunities, events and other activities, visit CareerConnect .

Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellows

The Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellows are professional, published authors whose role is to help you strengthen your writing.

Sign up for a one-to-one tutorial to help you:

• Plan your study time.
• Focus your reading for essay writing.
• Express your ideas more clearly.
• Answer grammar and punctuation questions.
• Discover reading to improve your writing and editing skills.
• Increase your writing skills with the aim of improving your grades.
• Improve any academic writing.

Further information about the writers’ expertise, and instructions for appointment booking are available on the BIOL10000 Blackboard site.

Help with English Language Skills

Should you need help with English language skills, you can contact the University Language Centre .

The PASS Scheme

PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions) is a peer support scheme designed to provide pastoral and academic support for all first-year students. PASS is run by students with the support of the School and a dedicated staff coordinator: Dr Maggy Fostier . The aim is to help 1st year students settle in their course and become independent learners by working together under the guidance of higher year students (PASS leaders and advisors). All information about PASS is on the SBS-PASS Blackboard site , which you can find by scrolling down to the Communities area on the page listing your courses.

PASS offers resources and support created by leaders for students.

On our SBS-PASS Blackboard site , you will find:

–        The PASS workshops material available after the sessions have taken place.

–        PeerWise: our peer-assisted MCQ database, created and curated by students. Test yourselves with questions created by others, but also benefit from creating your own questions (best way to learn) and entering model answers, which others can improve on.

–        Mentoring resources on various study skills, our pre-arrival guide for settling in Manchester and FAQs (frequently asked questions) for international students.

Student Feedback

In order to help us maximise the benefits that you gain from tutorials, we need feedback from you, both on the tutorial activities and on your Academic Tutor’s performance. For this purpose, you will be asked to complete a unit survey at the end of each semester. It is important for us to have your opinion, as these surveys will be used to determine how tutorials are constructed and conducted in future years. Details of how to access/complete the survey will be given to you each semester.

Appendix 1: Employability

This table outlines some transferable skills that employers seek and ideas for developing these so that you can use them for job applications and in interviews in the future.

For further help see http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/experience/skills/ The ‘Develop your skills’ section contains ideas on how to develop these skills beyond your degree (plus guidance on how recruiters assess for them).

The My Learning Essentials training programme offers careers advice through face–to-face workshops and online resources.

Appendix 2: Group Based Learning (GBL) Tutorials

What happens in a gbl tutorial.

These are general guidelines for GBL tutorials, which may be modified at the discretion of your Academic Tutor. GBL tutorials are run by students and the Academic Tutor is the facilitator and does not take part, other than to provide guidance if needed. Further guidance on group work is available on the My Learning Essentials website.

A specific topic, short article from a journal or a research paper is chosen. In the first session students decide on the primary learning objectives of the topic and how they are going to go about researching these. This should be done using a wide variety of information resources focused on the primary literature.

At the second session (usually student-led; the Academic Tutor is not present) the group have a full detailed discussion of the topic, focusing on the primary learning objectives. During this session one of the students should act as chairperson. Students should also decide on how the material will be presented the following week to their Tutor. The final session is either a formal presentation of the topic to the Academic Tutor or a discussion of the topic between the Academic Tutor and students.

Attendance at all sessions is compulsory as a primary aim of GBL is to develop an awareness of teamwork skills and increase the knowledge base of the whole group. Non-attendance jeopardises the learning of all other group members as individuals. For this reason, recordings of attendance and minutes of meetings in the absence of the Academic Tutor must be taken and be open to review by the Academic Tutor at any time.

Guidelines for the running of GBL tutorials

• A chairperson must be appointed at the beginning of each GBL to control the running of the discussion. Attendance must also be recorded.
• Another student is appointed as secretary and should record the agreed learning objectives and email these to all members of the group.
• All students should make a record of the agreed topics to be researched.
• Group communication is essential and everyone in the group should have input (this is strongly dependent on the chairperson).
• The sessions should cover set one-hour time periods. This helps to focus the group and develops time and resource management.
• The research information should come from a range of sources (for example, primary literature, textbooks, internet, reviews, personal experience etc.).

• Student Support  /  Support For Your Studies  / Good study skills

Good study skills

Recent times have been very challenging for everyone, with routines and methods of study changed or disrupted. Despite these changes, it's still important to study safely and smartly. Whether you're studying on-campus or online, having an awareness of how to study well and how to avoid poor practice  is key.

Each student studies differently and it is important to find what works for you. It can be useful to try different methods of study until you find a routine/structure that suits you well. Adopting a healthy study routine will ensure that you feel more confident when studying and are more likely to achieve academic success . 

Tips for more effective study

• Be creative and create your own quiz for topics you're studying- make it more fun by including your course mates and quiz each other.
• Say the information out loud rather than just writing or typing, this can help you to remember information more effectively.
• Use illustrations to be creative with your work and help you to remember information, this could be graphs, mind maps, or diagrams.
• Have shorter more active ‘bursts’ of study, for example 30-60 minutes 5 days a week is better than 5 hours straight one day. 
• Think about your study environment – do you enjoy the peace and quiet of a library, or the buzz of a café. Working in a relaxing environment can encourage us to feel more motivated and focussed.
• Control your own diary , create a schedule that is manageable, achievable and will help you to accomplish your main goal.
• Remember to take breaks , use an incentive to study. For example, if I study for one hour today, I will treat myself to a hot chocolate afterwards, or catch up with a friend.
• Adopt a healthy mindset , avoid comparing yourself to others – everyone studies and learns at a different pace. Think positively and focus on your best skills and abilities.
• Review and be critical of your own work – proof-read your assignments or ask a friend or relative to do this for you if this is easier.

Things to keep in mind... 

• Working with your fellow students can be a great way to learn, however try not to provide each other with answers to assignment or exam questions. It is important that when you submit a piece of work that it has been completed independently and not copied from another student, unless you are working on a group project.
• When conducting research, it is good practice to always keep a note of the sources that you have used within your work, remember to cite the authors correctly at the end of your work to ensure you are following your Academic School's rules on referencing. 
• Learning how to paraphrase effectively is important for assignment writing. Paraphrasing ensures that when you gather evidence and research from another author, you are writing it in your own words and style. The more you practice this the more natural it will become.
• Once you've completed an assignment, do not use content from that assignment for another piece of work . Each assignment must be independently researched and written. Manging your time can feel challenging at points, but it's important to allow yourself time to plan and prepare your assignments so that you do not feel under pressure.
• When conducting any form of research, all data collected should be used when submitting your work . Omitting or altering data will mean that your assignment will not provide an accurate account of the research you conducted.

If you have any questions or queries about these, then consult your academic advisor, course leader or programme handbook .

Following the five step LEARN method when studying can help you to work more effectively, whilst being mindful of your wellbeing.

L ook at the academic requirements for your course relating to things like referencing. If you feel uncertain or worried about this, it's okay to ask questions. Contact your course leader or academic advisor to go through your concerns.

E ducate yourself on all the resources available to you to build your academic confidence and ease the pressure on yourself. Make good use of your lecturers, handouts, the library , and your fellow students . 

A cknowledge your own strengths and abilities. It can be easy to be self-critical and have high expectations of ourselves. However, it can fuel motivation to take notice of our character strengths and what we have learned so far. Ending our day on a positive note can help us to feel more accomplished and relaxed, use our gratitude journal to show yourself some appreciation. 

R emember to look after yourself when studying or revising. It's important to take regular breaks and give yourself a treat for your hard work. We’re more likely to stay motivated if we look after our wellbeing and practice self-care. Check out the  six ways to wellbeing  for some inspiration. 

N ow is a great time to have a think about how you study and what works for you. Think about things such as your environment, how you study and how long you study for. We have some great resources to help you prepare and plan, such as our weekly wellbeing planner and goal planner .

Common queries

It's normal to struggle with the transition into University. Students have to quickly adapt to new way of writing and learning. Below are a range of resources to help with common struggles and queries, whether you're new to University or need a reminder.

How do I improve my resilience?

What are my strengths, how do i achieve my academic goals, how do i reference, what is plagiarism, how can i improve my study skills.

(University Switchboard) +44 (0) 161 306 6000

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University Centre for Academic English

Academic Writing

Our Academic Writing workshops are designed to equip you with the writing skills you need to succeed in your studies.

They are specialised for each faculty to provide you with tailored support. Please visit our ' Which School/Faculty am I in? ' guide if you’re unsure which Faculty you’re in.

Our courses include: 

• organising your ideas
• explaining your position
• expressing criticality.

Academic Writing Workhops

Semester 2, block 4 workshops:, academic writing: writing your dissertation (4-day intensives).

Week beginning 13 May  

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, 13 - 16 May, 14:00 - 15:30 REGISTER HERE

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, 13 - 16 May, 14:00 - 15:30 (online) REGISTER HERE

Week beginning 20 May  

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, 20 - 23 May, 14:00 - 15:30  REGISTER HERE

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, 20 - 23 May, 14:00 - 15:30 (online)  REGISTER HERE

Week beginning 27 May  - beginning on a Tuesday

Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, 28 - 31 May, 14:00 - 15:30  REGISTER HERE

Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, 28 - 31 May, 14:00 - 15:30 (online)  REGISTER HERE

Week beginning 03 June

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, 03 - 06 June, 14:00 - 15:30  REGISTER HERE

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, 03 - 06 June, 14:00 - 15:30 (online)  REGISTER HERE

Week beginning 10 June

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, 10 - 13 June, 14:00 - 15:30  REGISTER HERE

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, 10 - 13 June, 14:00 - 15:30 (online)  REGISTER HERE

Academic Writing: Writing Clinics

These stand-alone workshops offer an opportunity to speak to one of our experienced Academic English Tutors and ask questions about academic writing.

You may want to show a short extract that you have written and ask a few specific questions about it or ask other more general questions about academic writing. 

Thursday 23 May, 16:00 - 17:30 REGISTER HERE

Thursday 13 June, 16:00 - 17:30 REGISTER HERE

Academic Grammar

Our Academic Grammar workshops are designed to teach you how to construct your written work and communicate your ideas effectively.

Our courses include:

• sentence structure
• emphasising ideas
• expressing uncertainty.

Academic Grammar Workshops

Semester 2 courses have now finished., courses will resume in 2024/25..

• Schools & departments

Academic writing

Advice and resources to support you with effective academic writing.

Approaches to writing

Assignment writing is a process which involves planning, drafting and reviewing what you are going to say. You will find you need to review your initial plan and edit it as you go along. You should expect to have to redraft some sections of writing.

You should also check any guidance given to you as part of your course, as conventions vary between subject areas.

One of the hardest things can be to get started writing an assignment. Sometimes this is a question of taking the time to reflect on what you are being asked to do in the assignment brief. 

Getting started with an assignment

The handout Getting started suggests a way in which you can break down your task, think about aspects of it and commit some of your initial ideas to paper. It also suggests ways you can start to adapt this method to suit you. Alternatively you may prefer to use a prompt list to start to analyse your title.

Getting started (pdf)       Getting started (Word rtf)

Essay title prompts (pdf)       Essay title prompts (Word rtf)

You will want to respond to the assignments you have been set as well as you can. This means paying attention to key words in the question or assignment brief. These are sometimes known as command or directive words because they tell you what to do. The document Directive words provides definitions of some of the commonly used words.

Directive words (pdf)       Directive words (Word rtf)   Directive words – British Sign Language translation (Media Hopper video)

Getting your ideas in order

In any written assignment you will be expected to organise and structure information which is synthesised from a range of sources. You will need to make notes from your readings to help you consolidate and connect your research to your question. The Reading at university page has strategies to help you develop effective skills for making notes from reading.

Reading at university

Making notes means you end up with lots of bits of writing which you need to link together for your reader. Sometimes it can be hard to know what to select and how to identify relationships between ideas and concepts.

There are suggestions in the Getting your ideas in order handout of practical ways in which you might reorganise your material in response to the task set. Playing around with the order can help you arrive at a line reasoning that will convince the reader. Aim to experiment and find out what works for you.

Getting your ideas in order (pdf)           Getting your ideas in order (Word rtf)

Essay parts and paragraphs

If you have been asked to write an academic essay, and you haven't done this before, you may be unsure of what is expected. The Parts of an essay handout gives a brief introductory overview of the component parts of an essay.

Parts of an essay (pdf)           Parts of an essay (Word rtf)

Paragraphs are the building blocks of an essay and are a way of organising your thinking and making your meaning clear in your writing for your reader. The handout Developing writing in paragraphs encourages you to think about the way you shape your paragraphs and when to move on to a new one.

Developing writing in paragraphs (pdf)          Developing writing in paragraphs (Word rtf) 

Build an argument as you go

Identifying and writing about good evidence is not enough. You need to build an argument. An argument is:

Using reasons to support a point of view, so that known or unknown audiences may be persuaded to agree. Cottrell, S. (2011)Critical thinking skills: developing effective analysis and argument. 2nd edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, p52.

You can develop your argument as you read and write by creating a working hypothesis or basic answer in response to the assignment brief.  

Building an argument as you go (pdf)            Building an argument as you go (Word rtf)

As you move through your studies lecturers will expect more from your written work. They will expect the accurate attribution of ideas from others (including academic and other authors, and the ideas of those who teach you). There is general advice and resources for referencing and citations (and avoiding plagiarism) on the Referencing and citations page.

Referencing and citations

Your marker(s) will expect written pieces to be logically structured with fluid expression of thought, and with deeper and more critical engagement with the subjects and ideas you are reading and learning about. 

Aim to become familiar with the level of writing required by reading good quality examples.  At an advanced level you are aiming to write to the style you read in academic journals. 

As your written tasks become longer and more complex it can be helpful to reflect on your own writing process.

Reflect on your writing process (pdf)            Reflect on your writing process (Word rtf)

Different types of academic writing

Academic writing is much more than just an essay. You might be asked to write a lab or business report, a policy brief, a blog post, a journal article or a reflection piece for example. These tend to be subject and task specific so you need to check the assignment brief and any criteria for details of their purpose, formatting, structure, things to include etc.

Reflective academic writing

In some subjects, assessment may be based on critical reflection. This can be a challenge as it is a very particular style and form of writing which you may not have come across before. As well as check your assignment brief for specifics, the University’s Employability Consultancy have created a Reflection Toolkit of resources, models and questions to help you develop your reflective writing skills.

The Reflection Toolkit

School-level support

Take advantage of any writing development sessions organised through or learning materials offered by your School, Deanery or course. These will help you develop the specific writing skills you need for your discipline or subject area.

Writing your own title

If you have to write your own title in response to the brief you have been set, you need to think about how to frame this.  The Formulating your own title handout suggests some aspects to consider.

Formulating your own title (pdf)          Formulating your own title (Word rtf)

Differences from non-academic writing

If you are studying during a career break, or part-time while still working, you need to be aware that academic writing is a very different skill from other forms of writing you may have done in the workplace. Academic writing tends to be more formal, requiring succinct prose rather than bullet points, and it is more about the argument than simply conveying, or describing, information. Writing for assessment requires you to think carefully about your assignment and criteria, your argument and content, use of your subject specific conventions (e.g. language, style etc.), and your audience.

Your written work needs to be grounded in and backed up by appropriate and informed opinion and sources, rather than solely by personal opinion and experience. Academic written work will also make fewer absolute statements. Language is often more tentative or cautious.

Academic Phrasebank is a collection of general phrases taken from academic sources created by John Morley at the University of Manchester. The phrases are sorted into writing and assignment themes such as being critical and writing conclusions.

This article was published on 2024-02-26

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• The University of Manchester Library

The Counselling and Mental Health Service also offers a wide range of workshops, which are bookable through their website here ( http://www.counsellingservice.manchester.ac.uk/workshops/ ).

Switch to calendar view

Academic writing: how to plan and develop a structure through analysis (on campus)

This session focuses on the development of ideas and the creation of connections between ideas and sources to produce a strong structure for written assignments. It works through a method of breaking down the question as an approach to planning a structured response. There will be the opportunity to work in groups to practise this, creating a response to a choice of assignments.

Due to popularity, booking onto the event is essential to ensure a place.

Further support

Talk to us online via Library Chat now. Alternatively, you can email us for advice at [email protected] .

• Assignments

We are running this event more than once on the following dates and times:

Reflective writing: how to write critically about your learning experience (on campus)

This workshop will give you practical experience of producing a piece of reflective writing, taking you through one possible model of reflective writing (Gibbs 1998). In the session you will learn about the conventions of reflective writing and how it differs from academic essay writing, before having the chance to write a draft of several key elements of a reflective writing piece, working with and receiving feedback from others in the group.

• Being critical
• Self-awareness

Academic writing: using references to support your writing (on campus)

This workshop will focus on how to reference sources in your writing. We will consider different ways of incorporating the work of others into your writing including using quotations, summarising and paraphrasing. We will also discuss how to find the right balance between the work of others (references and data), and your own voice in your academic writing by adding in your own analysis and connecting your ideas to your main argument in order to answer the assignment question.

• Referencing

Proofreading: the final stage before submission (on campus)

Do you find yourself losing marks for referencing, spelling or grammar? This session will highlight how proofreading a written piece of work to a high standard will improve your marks and increase your academic success. You will work with others to define the term proofreading and understand its place in the process of academic writing. Finally, you will get the chance to put what you have learnt into practice, working together as a group to effectively proofread a sample piece of work.

Can't make this session? Talk to us online via Library Chat now, or send us an email: [email protected] .

• Study strategies

How to write an effective introduction (on campus)

Writing an introduction can be tricky. A good introduction should be concise, brief and engaging, providing the reader with an overview of the topic. At this workshop you will hear about how to write and structure an effective introduction and discuss the different elements which can be included. At the end, you will also have an opportunity to ask any questions you may have related to introductions.

• Training and support
• Workshops (MLE)
• Online resources (MLE)
• Using our resources

Referencing guide at the University of Manchester: Harvard Manchester Updated

• Harvard Manchester Updated
• American Psychological Association APA
• Modern Humanities Research Association MHRA
• Referencing Software
• EndNote online

The information contained within these pages is intended as a general referencing guideline.

Please check with your supervisor to ensure that you are following the specific guidelines required by your school.

General Rules for Harvard Manchester style

There are a variety of different referencing styles used across the University (Harvard, Vancouver, MHRA), so you should always check with your supervisor that this method of citation is accepted within your School. It is also vital that you remain consistent with your referencing style throughout your document.

Citations you include in the main body of your writing provide brief details of the work you are referring to. In the Harvard style, you place the relevant source information in brackets after a quote or a paraphrase. These short 'parenthetical' in-text citations' then link to a fully detailed reference, which you should include in your works cited (reference) list. You should also check with the person assessing your work whether parenthetical citations need to be included in your final word count.

The format of the parenthetical citation will depend upon a several factors. These include the nature of the source (print, DVD, web etc), and on the format of the source’s entry in your reference list. The signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text (which will usually be the author’s surname or organisation’s name), must be the first thing that appears on the corresponding entry in your reference list.

The Harvard style allows you to phrase your text so that credit is given to the author’s view (direct citation) or you can cite the author and page number after the relevant section (indirect citation).

General Harvard rules:

• Author(s), up to three author names are included in an in-text citation or reference list entry. When there are four or more authors, include only the first, followed by ‘et al.’
• Year in parenthesis followed by full stop.
• The title is italicised when it is a sole entry and not part of something else.
• The title is encapsulated in single quotations marks when it is a part of something else (chapter of a book or journal article) and the Book or Journal is italicised.
• Reference type in [square brackets] when describing a web/digital platform such as Twitter and Instagram.
• Pages have the phrase p. for one page and pp. for a page range.
• Full stop after page numbers.
• Full stop at end of reference.

Citation order

Citations supporting the same point to appear in chronological order (earliest first) then alphabetical on first author surname (for same year), separated by semi colons.

Author details

Display author surname only.

If two authors separate author surnames with ‘and’.

If three authors separate author one and two with a comma, two and three with ‘and’. 

If four or more authors list first author and abbreviate with ‘et al.’ 

Reference list

Display surname and initial(s). 

If three or fewer authors list all authors, separated with commas, with penultimate and last author separated with ‘and’. 

Casing (upper and lower case)

Author and title text to appear in sentence casing. When using sentence casing, capitalise the first letter of the first word in the title. The rest of the words and letters in the title should not be capitalised, unless they're proper nouns.

Multiple works by the same author and the same year

Display a lower-case letter directly after the year of publication, starting with ‘a’ after the first instance of a citation for the same author and year, continuing with ‘b’ and so on. Display the same letter in all further instance of this citation.

Display the same letter as shown in the citation, directly after the year of publication. 

If you cannot identify the author of a work (either a person or organisation) use the title of the work italicised. 

List alphabetically by title. 

Display ‘no date’ in place of the year. ... (Peters and Lee, no date)

Display ‘no date’ in place of the year. ... Peters, L. and Lee, M. (no date).

Page numbers (in citation)

Use ‘p.’ for a single page and ‘pp.’ for a page range with start and end page separated by a hyphen (no spaces).

Titles – use of italics and inverted commas

Standalone titles.

Display source title in italics.

Titles within a larger source

Where a title exists within a larger source, such as a book chapter within an edited book or a journal article within a journal, display the source title in inverted commas and the title of the larger source it is in within italics.

A-Z Harvard Manchester

The following A-Z list offers links to the most commonly requested referencing types in the Harvard Manchester style. Each example includes the instructions for creating a reference using EndNote software, specifying the reference type and active fields necessary for generating an accurate reference.

The C itation order outlines the standard requirements for constructing a reference in the Harvard Manchester style.

A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z

• Acts of Parliament
• Books (translations)
• British Standard
• Chapter from an edited book
• Company and financial databases
• Company annual reports (online)
• Company annual reports (printed)
• Conference proceedings (online)
• Conference proceedings
• Discography
• Edited book
• Film, TV show or broadcast
• Government/Corporate publications (e.g. guidelines)
• Illustrations/images
• Interviews (Anonymised medical)
• Interviews (newspaper)
• Interviews (tv programme)
• Journal articles (online)
• Journal articles (Prepublication online)
• Journal articles
• Kindle, Nook e-books
• Law reports (cases) from 2002 (with neutral citations)
• Lecturer’s Handouts
• Maps (online)
• Microfiche / Microform
• Newspaper articles
• Presentations
• Reports from organisations
• Self-citation
• Social Media (YouTube, X, TikTok etc...)
• Software application (including AI tools)
• Systematic review
• Theatre programme
• TV programme
• Wikipedia (wikis)

Common elements for inclusion

A reference list is a crucial component. It provides the reader with information about the sources you used in your research and gives credit to the original authors. Your references will usually comprise of a mixture of printed and electronic sources. While some elements will appear commonly in both types of reference, others maybe be specific to one kind or another. The specific format and style of references may vary depending on the referencing style you are using (e.g., Harvard Manchester, APA, Vancouver, Chicago). When creating references for a piece of work, make sure you consider the following elements for the resource type: 

Common elements

List the names of the individuals or organization responsible for creating the content. Include the author's full name (or names) if available or use the username or screen name for social media sources. 

The year of publication or the date the content was created or last updated.

Include the title of the specific work being referenced, such as the title of an article, webpage, book chapter, or online document.

Issue information 

Volume/Part (when available) for journal articles. 

If you are referencing a specific chapter in a book or an article from a journal (printed or electronic), include the page numbers where the relevant content can be found. 

Print elements

Edition (if applicable)

If the source is a specific edition of a book or a version of a document, include the edition number. 

For books, include the name of the publisher. For academic journals, include the journal's name. 

Publication location

For books, include the city and state (if applicable) where the book was published. For academic journals, this is not necessary. 

Electronic elements

Digital Object Identifier (DOI) or Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

When referencing online sources, include either the DOI (preferred for academic articles) or the URL where the source can be accessed.

Access Date (for online sources)

For online sources, especially webpages, include the date you accessed the source to indicate its availability. 

Format (optional)

For electronic sources that may not fit into standard categories (e.g., podcasts, videos, online presentations), indicate the format of the source (e.g., MP3, video file, PowerPoint presentation). 

Database or repository (optional)

Database or repository (optional): If the source is accessed through a specific database or digital repository, you may include this information. 

Harvard Manchester Style for EndNote

The Library has created the ‘Harvard Manchester’ style as an alternative to the default EndNote ‘Harvard’ style. The Harvard Manchester style displays author names in the reference list or bibliography in normal case rather than uppercase as used in the ‘Harvard’ style.

The Harvard referencing system is a convention specifying the order and content of references, not the way the references are formatted.  The most important factor with all referencing styles is to be consistent. You should contact your tutor or supervisor for details of any particular formatting specifications which may apply in your School.

If you do not have the Harvard Manchester style, you can download it below and follow these instructions to add it to your copy of EndNote.

To add the style to your EndNote Style list: 

• Have your EndNote (app) programme open
• Click on the link to download the Harvard Manchester style
• Open the downloaded style by double clicking on it
• Check the version in the section About this Style
• To save select  File > Save As and choose the style name
• Select Save
• It will now be added to your list of available styles for you to select

For more details see:  https://manchester-uk.libanswers.com/teaching-and-learning/faq/188832

Specific rules for Harvard Manchester style

Authors & editors - citations, in-text citations:.

In-text citations consist of the surname(s) of the author(s) and the year of publication. 

Where the author(s) is mentioned in the text the citation consists of the year of publication in parentheses.   

• Boatright (2008) argues that there are six questions that need consideration, before making a decision on whether to blow the whistle in a case. 

Where the author(s) is not mentioned in the text the citation consists of the surname(s) of the author(s) and the year of publication in parentheses, separated by a comma. 

• There are six distinctive conditions, which need to be satisfied, in order for a whistle-blowing case to be justified (Boatright, 2008). 

No author: If you cannot identify the author of a document use the title of the work italicised. 

• (One Thousand and One Nights , 1224) 

One author: the surname of the author and the year of publication are stated as below. 

• Chan (2019) or (Chan, 2019) 

Two authors: the surnames of the authors, separated by ‘and’, and the year of publication are stated as below. 

• Smith and Hirst (2018) or (Smith and Hirst, 2018) 

Three authors:  first author to penultimate author separated by commas. Penultimate author and last author separated by the word and. 

• Grice, Smith and Hirst (2018) or (Grice, Smith and Hirst, 2018).

Four or more authors: the surname of the first author, followed by ‘et al.’, and the year of publication are stated as above. 

• Grice et al. (2008) or (Grice et al., 2008) 

Corporate authors: Spell out the full title of the corporation or organisation or use an acronym or Initialism if it is recognised as this. 

• British American Tobacco plc 

If the author title is quite lengthy you may want to spell out the name so that you can initialise it later in your work.  

Authors & editors - reference list

All authors used in your work should be listed in your reference list.  

Author details: surname followed by a comma followed by initial(s) followed by a full stop. 

  No author:  If you cannot identify the author of a document use the title of the work italicised. 

• One Thousand and One Nights  (1224). 

Two authors: authors separated by the word 'and’. 

• Hirst, L. and Theis, A. (2018).  The relationship between leadership styles and perceived workplace spirituality in the modern academic setting . Manchester, UK: University of Manchester. 

Three authors: first author to penultimate author separated by commas. Penultimate author and last author separated by the word and. 

• Hirst, L., Hodkinson, C. and Theis, A. (2018).  The relationship between leadership styles and perceived workplace spirituality in the modern academic setting . Manchester, UK: University of Manchester. 

Four or more authors: first author followed by ‘et al’ 

• Bruckberger, M.C. et al. (2020). 'Investigation into the microbial communities and associated crude oil-contamination along a Gulf War impacted groundwater system in Kuwait',  Water Research , 170, p. 10. 

Editor(s) no author(s): same procedure as with an author but include (ed.) or (eds.) after the names. 

• Whitley, R. and Kristensen, P.H. (eds.) (1996).  The changing European firm: limits to convergence . London: Routledge. 

Author(s) and editor(s): use the procedure as if it were an authored work and include the term Edited by followed by the editor(s) names spelled out in Initial. Surname format. 

Book with editors 

• Thompson, H.S. and Steadman, R. (1993).  Fear and loathing in Las Vegas: A savage journey to the heart of the American dream. Edited by R. Duke and O. Z. Acosta. London: Flamingo. 

Book Chapter with editor 

• Hall, S. (2019). 'Chapter 5 the west and the rest: Discourse and power [1992]', in Morley, D. (ed.) Essential essays. Volume 2, Identity and diaspora . Durham: Duke University Press, pp. 141-184. 

Year Known: when year is known this is entered in parenthesis

• ...(Author, year). 
• Author (2022) argues that… 

Year Unknown: use no date  

• ...(Morse and Lewis, no date) 
• Morse and Lewis (no date) argues that… 

Reference list entries

• Whitley, R. and Kristensen, P.H. (eds.) (1996).  The changing European firm: limits to convergence . London: Routledge.

Part or Chapter title : when your reference is part of a larger (parent) element such as an article from a journal or a chapter of a book or a report then you place this title in single quotations marks not italicised and the parent title is italicised.

• Sandberg, E.A. (2003). 'The face of embeddedness',  Proceedings of the 19th IMP conference,  University of Lugano, Switzerland. 4th – 6th September 2003. Lugano: IMP Group, pp. 237-253. 
• Snowden, D.J. and Boone, M.E. (2007). ‘A leader’s framework for decision making’,  Harvard Business Review , 85(11), pp. 68-76. 
• Lane, C. (1996). 'The social constitution of supplier relations in Britain and Germany: an institutionalist analysis', in Whitley, R. and Kristensen P.H. (eds.)  The changing European firm . London: Routledge, pp. 271-304. 
• Malcolm, N. (2012). ‘Introduction’, In Hobbes, T.  Leviathan . Malcolm, N. ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 1-6. 

Issue and parts (journals, serials)

When available, you need to include the following information in the order:

• volume number
• issue/part number in parenthesis such as: 87(3),
• date or season such as: 19 July, or Summer
• Snowden, D.J. and Boone, M.E. (2007). ‘A leader’s framework for decision making’,  Harvard Business Review , 85(11), pp. 68-76.
• Adang, O. M. J. (1993). ‘Violence in institutions: Understanding, prevention and control, by M. Rice, G. Harris, G. Varney, and V. Quinsey. Toronto, Hogrefe and Huber, 1989,320 pp’ Aggressive Behavior, 19 Summer, pp. 465-466  https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-2337

Only include the edition number if it is not the first edition 

If it is a revised edition, write rev edn  

*Edition is abbreviated to edn, this avoids potential confusion with for editor or editors for example, 3rd edn, rev edn, 11th rev edn 

• Boatright, J. (2006).  Ethics and the conduct of business . 5th edn. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. 
• Lerner, J., Hardymon, F. and Leamon, A. (2009).  Venture capital and private equity: A casebook . 4th rev edn. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 

Place of publication

Only include the place name for printed items such as books, reports, etc  

Separate the place of publication and the publisher with a colon, such as, London: Beaver Books 

When place names are ambiguous, such as Birmingham, Alabama then add the abbreviated US state name (unless otherwise obvious) Such as: 

• Oxford: Oxford University Press 
• Birmingham, AL: BookBub & Chirp 
• General Medical Council (2014 ). Good medical practice: working with doctors working for patients . Rev edn. Manchester: General Medical Council.

Include the publishing house if know or available.

Page numbers

Page numbers are only required in the reference list for chapters in books, and periodical (journal/magazine/newspaper) articles  

The abbreviation p. is used for single pages and pp. for more than one, such as,  

…Harvard Business Review , 85(11), pp. 68-76. 

… Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 6. 

… London: Hutchinson, i-iv. 

Note that page numbers are not elided (for example, pp. 90–9) 

If the page numbers are in Roman numerals, do not include p. before them (see example above). 

• Snowden, D.J. and Boone, M.E. (2007). ‘A leader’s framework for decision making’,  Harvard Business Review , 85(11), pp. 68-76. 

Online (DOI and URL)

If a DOI and a URL are both available, default to DOI. 

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)

These sources can range from e-books and journal articles to conference papers and presentations. They include a number identifying the publisher, work, and issue information.

Note that because the DOI is the permanent identifier for the source, it is not necessary to include an accessed date in your reference lists.

DOI is always written in lower case.

• Bagheri, R., Ariaii, P. and Motamedzadegan, A. (2021). ‘Effects of Chitosan Incorporated with Basil Seed Gum and Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) Essential Oil on the Quality of Beef Burger During Refrigerated storage’ Journal of Food Measurement & Characterization , 15 (1), pp. 256-264. doi: 10.1007/s11694-020-00628-5.  

Uniform Resource Locators (URL)

Include ‘Available at:’ prior to the URL.

• Department for Children, Schools and Families (2010).  Children and Young Persons, England, The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010  (No.959) Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/959/schedule/1/made (Accessed: 10 January 2019). 

Social networking websites

You may want to use evidence gathered from social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, LinkedIn etc. to provide another form of evidence to support your research activity. To reference any tweets, posts or photographs that you find on social networking sites you should follow the relevant examples. 

You should include the network name in square brackets to identify the source.

In-text citation:

• This is a self-help group for Open University students who want to improve their skills in referencing. Share your tips - and your frustrations (Open University, 2019)
• Peston, R (2018).  [Twitter] 25 October. Available at: https://twitter.com/Peston (Accessed: 26 October 2018).  
• Open University (2019).  Open University referencing help.  [Facebook] 13 May. Available at:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/OUReferencinghelp (Accessed: 29 May 2019). 

Video hosting websites (YouTube, Vimeo, etc…) 

 If you wish to refer to a specific time within a video, use a time code in your in-text reference, with the format minutes:seconds 

• There was a certain inner fury to (James Stewart) him (Eastwood, 2003, 14:05) 
• Eastwood, C. (2003). Interviewed by Michael Parkinson for Parkinson. BBC Television, 13th November. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdbyBnfKsI4 (Accessed: 11 January 2021). 
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• URL: https://subjects.library.manchester.ac.uk/referencing

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Discover more about this subject area

MA Creative Writing / Overview

Year of entry: 2024

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We normally expect students to have a First or Upper Second class honours degree or its overseas equivalent in a humanities-based subject area.

Full entry requirements

Course options

Course overview.

• Engage with writers, editors and agents.
• Become part of a network of esteemed alumni .
• Learn from a distinguished team that includes novelists Jeanette Winterson CBE, Ian McGuire, Kamila Shamsie, Beth Underdown, Honor Gavin and Luke Brown; poets John McAuliffe, Frances Leviston, Vona Groarke and Michael Schmidt; and non-fiction writers Ellah Wakatama and Horatio Clare.
• Discover the rich literary fabric of Manchester, a UNESCO City of Literature, through Literature Live, Manchester Literature Festival, The Manchester Review, the International Anthony Burgess Foundation and Manchester-based publishers.

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For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

• MA (full-time) UK students (per annum): £12,500 International, including EU, students (per annum): £26,000
• MA (part-time) UK students (per annum): £6,250 International, including EU, students (per annum): £13,000

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

Each year the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures offer a number of  School awards and  Subject-specific bursaries  (the values of which are usually set at Home/EU fees level), open to both Home/EU and international students. The deadline for these is early February each year. Details of all funding opportunities, including deadlines, eligibility and how to apply, can be found on the School's funding page  where you can also find details of the Government Postgraduate Loan Scheme.

See also the University's postgraduate funding database  to see if you are eligible for any other funding opportunities.

For University of Manchester graduates, the Manchester Alumni Bursary  offers a £3,000 reduction in tuition fees to University of Manchester alumni who achieved a 1st within the last three years and are progressing to a postgraduate taught masters course.

The Manchester Master's Bursary  is a University-wide scheme that offers 100 bursaries worth £3,000 in funding for students from underrepresented groups.

Contact details

See: About us

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

• English Literature, American Studies and Creative Writing

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website .

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .

Technology Enhanced Learning and Design

for the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Turnitin: A student guide to submitting an assignment

Reviewed: 11/07/2022

What is Turnitin?

Turnitin is software that is used by the University to help to identify plagiarised work. It allows you to submit your work via your Blackboard course, where an originality report may be generated. This report will highlight text in your submission that matches text from one or more of the following sources:

• other students’ work at the University of Manchester
• students’ work at other institutions
• academic publications
• Internet sources.

These reports are examined as a standard part of the assessment process. When your work is submitted to Turnitin, it will normally be added to an international database of student papers. Your name will not be attached to your paper. Other students’ work will then be compared to your work from that point onwards. If your submission is confidential, your tutor can make sure that it is not added to the database.

File types and sizes

Please note: the file size must be less than 100MB, it must have a minimum of 20 words, be less than 400 pages, and the standard file types allowed are:

• Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx)
• OpenOffice Text (.odt)
• WordPerfect (.wpd)
• PostScript (.ps/.eps)
• Hangul Word Processor (.hwp)
• Rich Text (.rtf)
• Plain text (.txt)
• Google Docs via Google Drive
• Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx/.ppt/.ppsx/.pps)
• Microsoft Excel (.xls/.xlsx).

Further information on plagiarism

Further information on plagiarism is available from:

• ‘Guidance to Students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice’
• ‘Academic Malpractice – Guidance on the Handling of Cases’

How to submit an assignment

Stage 1: access the assignment submission link.

• Log into your Blackboard course. The assignment submission link will usually be located in the ‘ Assessments ’ area on the left-hand menu.
• Click the link to upload your assignment . You must read and follow any instructions given by your course leader.

• To submit your assignment, click the ‘ Upload Submission ’ button.
• Clicking the question mark  icon will display any extra information provided by your tutor, including feedback release date and assessment criteria (if an assignment rubric has been attached).

Stage 2: Upload your document

• Next, you need to enter a ‘Submission Title’. You must check any instructions given by your tutor. In many schools in the University, it is essential that you enter your 7-digit ID number in the submission title box and that you remove any references to your name in the submission document itself. This is to comply with anonymous marking regulations. Do not use quotation marks in the submission title as this can cause errors. It is also important that you remove any reference to your name from the submission document itself.
• Select ‘Choose file’ and locate the file you wish to upload.
• (Optional) This allows you to upload a cloud submission, e.g. Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox document. 

Stage 3: Review your document

This stage allows you to check you have uploaded the correct document. You can ‘ Preview ’, ‘ Cancel Submission ’ or continue to ‘ Submit to Turnitin ‘ .

Stage 4: Complete the submission

Upon submission, you will see this screen:

a) You will see a confirmation that your submission was successful. (If this is not the case, please try and submit again).

b) You may have the option to resubmit your paper if this has been allowed by your tutor. Note that it can take up to 24 hours for re-uploaded files to be processed; however, the submission time will be marked as the time that the re-upload occurred. If you need to re-upload your work and the resubmit button is not available, then please contact your tutor to discuss arrangements for this, as they will vary from course to course.

c) You have the option to download a copy of the paper you have submitted.

d) You have the option to download a digital receipt for the paper you have submitted. It is very important that you retain your digital receipt as a record of your submission.

Important note for users of Mac systems (MacBook, iMac etc.)

If your assignment document is created on a Mac computer and you intend to include images copied and pasted from a PDF source document, it is essential that you use one of the following methods to bring the images into your assignment document. For any Mac software, including the ‘Preview’ application, do the following:

• Use ‘ Cmd + Shift + 4 ‘ to open the Screenshot tool. (Alternatively, use ‘ File > Take Screen Shot > From Selection ’)
• Select the area of the page you wish to save as an image (the image will automatically be saved to the desktop).
• In Word, use ‘ Insert > Image ’ to import the image.
• Do not use the Select Tool in Preview to copy and paste images from the PDF into your assignment document.
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Humanities Blog

• 5 Things that Help Me Survive Exam/Dissertation Season

by HUMS Ambassador Team | May 17, 2024 | Education , Postgraduate | 0 comments

A wise man once said:

“Time flies so fast when you are having so much ( assignments) fun!”

Undoubtedly, having a lot on your plate as a university student can cause you to lose track of time. When you realise it, exam/dissertation season is already here!

If you feel overwhelmed even before you start doing anything about it, I can feel you. For that reason, I want to share my experience with you in the hopes that it might help you navigate through this challenging time. Here are the five things that you could do to survive the exam/dissertation season.

Plan and Prepare

First things first, make a plan and prepare yourself. Both of these will play an important role in your exam or dissertation journey. You could start preparing yourself by reading the course’s assignment/dissertation handbook. This would help you understand the things that you need to do and learn about.

You could also start making a timeline for yourself. The timeline could be about the time when you are going to finish each assignment, the time when you are going to learn particular course units, or even the time target for each phase of your dissertation (e.g., when to start doing a literature review, when to apply for an ethics application, and so on). A timeline would help you track your progress so that you are aware of the time you have.

Help is Always One Call Away

While planning and preparing can be a challenging initial step to take, asking for help might be one way to ease your mind. You may be a person who loves to work in groups. Having a discussion with a classmate about your dissertation topic or studying for the exams together might be the best idea. Talking to your academic advisor or supervisor is another thing you can do to help you plan and organise your work. You can talk to them about your work or ask for guidance on anything that concerns you.

Joining Workshops

You may already have a plan for your dissertation or what to study for the exam. Nonetheless, you might still think that you need support in writing your paper. Then, joining a writing workshop might be useful for you. The university provides the “Academic Success Programme” to enhance students’ academic writing, grammar, and speaking abilities. They also run a specific dissertation writing workshop, which can be useful for those who are currently writing their dissertation.

Information about the programme can be found here .

Mitigating Circumstances

Although we can plan everything, some events may occur beyond our control. Problems such as getting ill or experiencing things that are out of your control could make it hard for you to do well on your assignment. In this case, you may want to apply for mitigating circumstances if you are facing problems that could affect your academic performance or when you think that you may not be able to submit an assignment by the deadline. However, there are some things you must be aware of in order to apply for mitigating circumstances. You can learn more about it by contacting your school’s student support team.

Taking Care of Yourself

Above all, maintaining good health and dietary habits will help you get through the exam and dissertation seasons. Nothing’s wrong with eating instant noodles or drinking caffeine, but too much of it won’t do any good to your body. Give your body the energy it needs by eating healthily. Staying up late can also have a negative impact on your immune system, so try to get good sleep every night. Also, don’t forget to take a break for some time and do what makes you happy: sunbathe in the park, do your hobbies, talk to your friends or family, and do other things that you enjoy. Always remember to prioritise both your physical and mental health.

Finally, good luck to anyone preparing for their exam/dissertation!

Written by Tsana, current Med Psychology of Education student at The University of Manchester

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Report and Paper Writing

Guidance for drafting papers and reports to committees.

To support committees in discharging their responsibilities, it is essential that all reports and papers presented for their consideration are clear, concise and make appropriate recommendations in line with the committee’s authority and terms of reference.

Please follow the below guidelines when preparing papers for submission to committees:

• Papers should not usually exceed 2000-3000 words length, with a limited number of appendices. Any further documentation can be presented in the Reading Room, but all essential information that allows the committee to make an appropriate decision should be included in the main paper.
• Papers should be written in plain English and jargon must be avoided. Acronyms must only be used either if they are genuinely in common usage (for example, MP, OfS). If not, they should be spelt out in the first instance.
• Recommend to higher level committee
• For major papers which require Senate or Board approval prior to submission to an external stakeholder (e.g. OfS), or publication by the University, the report template must be used to provide a high-level summary, and the full paper included as an appendix/in the Reading Room.
• Requests for approval of revisions to internal policies, and other University governing documents, must explain the need/objective and key points of proposals, and provide as an appendix a tracked changes copy of the policy/document to enable committee members to view changes in their overall context.
• Our Future, the University Strategic Plan . In this context, consider and detail how the proposal relates to the University’s values, core goals and themes as set out in the Strategic Plan.
• The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy In this context, consider and detail any impact, both positive and negative, that the proposal will have on equality, diversity and inclusion, with a particular focus on the nine protected characteristics (i.e. Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage/Civil Partnership, Maternity/Pregnancy, Race/ethnicity, Religion/Belief, Sex, Sexual Orientation). Further guidance on equality impact assessments can be found on StaffNet . Discussion with colleagues in the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team can also support in completing this section.
• The Environmental Sustainability Strategy: in this context, consider and detail any impact, both positive and negative, that the proposal will have on environmental sustainability (e.g. waste generation energy use, carbon emissions, water consumption, material use, pollution and impact on green space). Discussion with colleagues in the Environmental Sustainability team can support in completing this section.
• All papers must be reviewed by the relevant sponsor and appropriate colleagues (e.g. Finance colleagues for papers with financial implications) before submission to the Governance Office. Papers for the Board and its committees should normally be considered by SLT and/or the relevant management committees before submission to the Governance Office, please consult the Governance Office for advice on the appropriate review and consultation process. Please note that to allow sufficient time for compilation and distribution of the agenda, there is an expectation that papers are submitted to the relevant committee secretary at least eight days prior to the meeting and reports submitted after this deadline may not be included on the agenda for the meeting in question.
•  The University’s executive, academic governance and corporate governance structure means that some papers are submitted to multiple committees. Whilst it is important that the paper makes clear what is expected from each committee (for example, updating recommendations/decisions requested and other relevant details as appropriate before submission to a higher-level committee) reports can be re-purposed, thus mitigating impact on workload.   Please consult the appropriate member of the Governance Office for advice on approval routes for specific items. The Scheme of Delegation and the Financial Thresholds can also provide guidance on the appropriate route for specific items.
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Revealing the Treasures of McGill’s Writing Centre: A Discussion with Dr. Yvonne Hung

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Embark on a journey to uncover the lesser-known treasures of the McGill Writing Centre and Graphos as Dr. Yvonne Hung, the director and coordinator of Graphos, sheds light on the enriching experiences awaiting students. Most students, unbeknownst to them, are yet to explore the multifaceted nature of this academic tool.

Unlocking the Writing Centre's Secrets

Q:  What is some general information about the writing centre and graphos that most students who have not accessed the service before may not know? What are some of the main features of the services? How can students best access the services?

YH: Most people don’t know that the McGill Writing Centre is an academic department that also has a strong service mandate! We offer a nice set of undergraduate classes that are on academic writing, creative writing, digital communication, and science communication, as well as a slate of graduate courses on academic writing and communication. On the service side, we have a robust tutorial service whereby students can access up to 7 hours of individualized consults on their writing, and a comprehensive set of graduate writing workshops , writing sessions, and specialized support for thesis and fellowship writing through Graphos. To access our courses, students would register in Minerva. For our non-credit offerings, e.g., writing tutorials, workshops, and other support, students can register by following the links on our website .

Mastering the Art of Writing Applications

Q:  What are some common Do's or Don'ts for students either writing an essay or writing personal statements/research proposals for grad school applications? Are there any general tips you have for students writing applications for grad school?

YH: One common pitfall I’ve noticed is that students take the “personal” part of the “personal statement” too literally. Writing a personal statement can be tricky because you have share specific aspects about your background and experience but in service of telling a story about how going to that specific graduate program is a key part of continuing your academic trajectory and advancing your research and professional goals. One tip I would offer is to build in time to write, time to receive feedback (from trusted advisors or others in your network), and time to polish so that there are no little slipups. You don’t want to accidentally list another university’s name or the wrong professor! Ideally, you will also work backwards from the deadline to ensure you have given adequate time for referees to write good letters and for you to assemble supporting documents in line with the application requirements.

Q: Are there services that at the centre they can best utilize for this?

YH: The Tutorial Service would be an excellent way to get another set of eyes on your application. Other people can spot missteps in logic or structure or grammar far more easily than we can (especially if we’re tired or in a rush). Don’t forget, 7 hours per term! In addition, I urge all students to consider taking a writing or oral communication course during their studies so that they can benefit from structured teaching, regular feedback, and a supportive environment to continue honing their skills and craft.

Overcoming Writer's Block and Finding Your Muse

​​​​​​​Q:  Is there any general advice you would give to students who are experiencing writers block or just don't know where to start with an assignment?

YH: Set a timer for 20 minutes and start writing. You’ll be astonished at how giving yourself a fixed start and finish time can help to jolt oneself to get ideas onto the page. If you feel unsure of where to start, you can book an appointment with a writing tutor who can help you at any stage of the project. And if you’re a graduate student, you can sign up for one of our regular writing retreats, which are led by an experienced facilitator who will guide you to set reasonable writing goals, offer nature or stretch breaks, and be a source of good cheer as you lean into the difficult and rewarding work of communicating ideas in a clear and precise manner.

If you are interested in utilizing this service, there are multiple upcoming resources including:

- presentation tutoring pilot for May-June: https://www.mcgill.ca/mwc/tutorial-service/presentation-tutoring-person-s24

- Their work with First Peoples’ House whereby our dedicated writing tutor has been working with the first ever indigenous valedictorian.

- Their writing support for applicants to the prestigious Vanier and Banting awards in the summer. https://www.mcgill.ca/graphos/groups/fwg More details to come!

Department and University Information

Giving Students Options for a Concept Paper in a Business Communications Course

The Communication Spotlight features innovative instructors who teach written, oral, digital/technological, kinetic, and visual communication modes.

Jennifer Hite received her BA majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Political Science from University of California at Santa Barbara, her MA in Communication Management from the Annenberg School of Communication at University of Southern California. She received a PhD in Organizational Behavior at UCI/The Paul Merage School of Business. Professor Hite has been an Instructor at the Annenberg School of Communication at USC, School of Business Administration at USC and UCI/The Paul Merage School of Business. She is a member of the Academy of Management, International Communication Association and the Society for Human Resources Management.

What is the assignment? 

Concept Paper: Project or Idea Pitch

Project overview: You can choose from one of two tracks for the assignment:

• Introduce a new product or
• Introduce an existing product to another country.

Track 1: Introduce a New Product

Students selecting this track will produce a concept paper and pitch that follow the requirements of the Stella Zhang New Venture Competition . By the end of the quarter, you’ll have a solid concept paper and pitch ready if you choose to compete.

Product selection, Track 1: The product must be a completely new product or a better version of an existing one that is affordable to most Americans. In addition,

• A new service or a digital product may not be used.
• If you’ve already submitted a concept paper for the New Venture Competition, you may not use the same idea or paper for MGMT 191W. However, we encourage you to use the original work you create for MGMT 191W for the competition.

Track 2: Introduce an Existing Product to Another Country

Students selecting this option will introduce an existing product to a country they are not familiar with. Here are the requirements for both the product and the country you choose.

Product selection, Track 2: The product must be an existing one that is affordable to the people in the country you’ll be introducing it to. In addition,

• It must be a consumer product ; that is, an item of common or daily use, typically bought by individuals for private consumption.
• It must be a product consumers can purchase in brick-and-mortar stores.
• Although the product you choose may already be available in the country, your goal is to find one that is not already easily available in the country .
• It cannot be a product consumers rent or that they must subscribe to, such as a meal service.
• It cannot be for commercial use only.

Country selection, Track 2 : The country you use for the report must be one you have never visited, are not from, do not have any cultural ties to, have any relatives from, or know very much about.

How does it work?

In just three pages, students must develop a complete pitch that’s designed to convince investors (Track 1) or their CEO (Track 2) to adopt their product or idea. They build a credible argument by using library resources and careful paragraph development. The paper requires them to carefully analyze the potential market characteristics as well as any competitors, and to use color to engage the reader. The skills they develop in this project are easily transportable to work assignments once they graduate.

What do students say?

“The Concept Paper was a very informative assignment. It was the combination of a research paper and a corporate pitch/report, which worked to mimic potential assignments I will have once I graduate and get a corporate job. I particularly liked that my research was catered towards a specific audience, which led to it being more refined and avoiding any unnecessary information.” – Student Response

Student Artifact: 

This paper, pitching a new product idea, engages the audience with color and in the first paragraph with an attention-getting opening. They use bullet points and numbered lists to draw the reader’s eye and to quickly summarize information. The analysis of the market potential establishes the reach of the product, backed by recent, credible research. In addition, the analysis of the product’s competitors focuses on the product’s advantages over others. The paper is concise, well-written, and well-researched.

Read the full paper here .

Why does this work?

By asking students to choose between two options for their concept paper – either introducing a new product or an old product to a new market – the assignment is essentially asking students to choose their purpose and their audience. This choice can prompt students to think about the relationship between purpose and audience and craft their writing accordingly.

Check out these resources for developing business writing assignments in your communication classes:

• Implementing Student Choice within an Assignment from University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Business Writing Handout from UNC to help students understand typical expectations for business writing
• This particular assignment asked students to use figures in their writing. Your students might find this resource from the CEWC helpful for using tables and figures.

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