While there are different types of written assignments, most academic writing has a similar structure comprising of:
- Introduction—acts as a roadmap for the reader.
- Body—presents points to support your argument.
- Conclusion—summarises main points discussed.
The introduction helps your reader understand where you’re going in your assignment, how you will get there and what they will see along the way.
An introduction should include:
- topic sentence—outline the most important concepts relevant to answering the question
- aim—indicate the focus or purpose of the assignment
- scope—mention any limits of your assignment. What will you emphasise? Will you intentionally leave anything out?
- structure—signal how you will present information in the assignment, and the order the key points will appear
- thesis statement—clearly identify your argument.
The body consists of paragraphs structured to reflect your critical thinking about the question and the chosen order for presenting your argument.
Each paragraph should include:
- topic sentence—starts each paragraph and expresses the main idea of the paragraph
- evidence and examples—contains explanations to support the key point of the paragraph. Supporting evidence is used to justify, explain or develop your argument.
- concluding sentence—links the main idea of the paragraph back to your argument and to the assignment topic.
The number of paragraphs in your essay will depend upon the length of your essay, and the number of points you wish to argue.
The conclusion comes at the end of your assignment, summarising the main points discussed. Importantly, your conclusion should:
- contain no new ideas or information
- briefly list your key points
- relate main points directly back to the question or argument.
You might also make future recommendations, evaluate your argument or forecast patterns of change.
Essays are an assessment item that can indicate your understanding of a topic. They can demonstrate how well you search for information, put ideas together in a logical sequence and write academically. An essay can be analytical, argumentative or persuasive. You may be asked to discuss, analyse, explain, investigate, explore or review a topic. Your essay must show evidence of research, using a wide range of quality, peer reviewed academic sources.
Essays require a specific structure. The introduction, body and conclusion have a specific function within the writing. Check with your lecturer or tutor if you are unsure how to approach your essay. Use the assessment task question to work out what you are required to do, and guide you with the essay format.
Do you have to compare and contrast, evaluate or discuss? These directive verbs indicate the type of essay you need to write and how to structure it.Identify the keywords and phrases to use when searching for information around your topic. Use the marking criteria sheet to help you decide the most important elements of the essay. A thesis is the central argument or position around which your essay flows. The thesis statement is placed in your essay's introduction. Each paragraph is used as evidence to support or refute the claim, and it is reiterated in the conclusion.
Edit your essay, ask yourself:
- Have I clearly introduced my thesis in the introduction?
- Have I used the body of the essay to support my thesis statement?
- Does the conclusion show how I have proven my thesis?
Use the essay paragraphs to develop your argument.The paragraphs should have a logical flow of ideas to sequentially build on the points you are making; use evidence and examples to support your argument. Academic arguments require balance and counterarguments. The relationships between your reasons are important to consider. A good essay should be easy to follow as it presents your thoughts in a logical manner. Make sure that the essay answers the question, and your writing supports your thesis. Demonstrate how each piece of information included in the paragraphs is relevant. This should be easy for the reader to figure out. Keep the question and marking criteria open while writing your essay so that you remain focused on the task. The conclusion should include a summarised answer to the question, reiterating your thesis.
Report writing is an essential skill in many disciplines. You should develop effective report writing skills because it’s highly likely you’ll be writing reports in the workplace. A report is a formal written document used to provide concise information on a specific subject. It can be used to communicate the results of an experiment, inform on the progress of a project or to make recommendations. An effective report is an accurate presentation of information. It should be objective, concise and structured to guide the reader through the main points.
The sections included depend on the report type and specific task requirements. It’s your responsibility to find out what to include. A basic report could include the following sections:
Preliminary Parts
Title page and acknowledgements—include the title of the report, who commissioned it (or for assessment include your lecturer, course code, and student number) and the date.
Executive summary or abstract—provide a summary of the report's main points. It briefly covers the aims, objectives, research methods and the findings. It identifies what action is required. Although the abstract is located at the beginning of the report, it is usually written last as it is a summary of the whole report.
Table of contents—outline the structure of the report.
Body
Introduction—state the aims and objectives of the report, the problem or situation that prompted the report and identify what the report intends to achieve. Include definitions, research methods and background history (if relevant).
Methodology—explain what you did and how you did it. For instance, the materials used in an experiment, the subjects involved in a survey or the steps you took in a project.
Results or findings—detail the findings from the experiment, survey or research project.
Discussion—present and discuss the facts or evidence.
Conclusions—provide implications from the content of the report.
Recommendations—describe a clear course of action. Demonstrate your professional competence in a specific situation that clearly aligns with the conclusions.
Supplementary Parts
References—acknowledge all the sources used in the report.
Appendices—contains additional graphical, statistical or other supplementary material. Each item should be clearly labelled (for example, Appendix 1) and referred to in the report.
