WRITING SUCCESSFUL
ASSIGNMENTS
ECONOMICS UNDERGRADUATES
Dr Rochelle Sibley/George Ttoouli
The Writing Centre
Department of English
OUTLINE OF THE SESSION
 Using
 Avoiding
plagiarism via critical engagement
 Demonstrating
 Using
critical engagement
Harvard referencing
 Identifying
good practice
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
the writing process to build structure
and clarity
THE WRITING PROCESS
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
INVENTING
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Decoding the assignment task
Brainstorming: what do I already know?
What areas do I need to research?
Survey and skim through available resources
to identify potentially useful material
What information have I collected from my
research?
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
Generating ideas through research and
discussion:
GENERATING A THESIS STATEMENT

Must address the assignment title

Directs your whole line of analysis/argument

Sums up the assignment’s aims in one
sentence
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
The thesis statement
PLANNING

Read the material you have collected and keep
well-referenced notes of the data, the
models/theories and any ideas you might want
to use.

Sketch out a rough outline of which ideas /
themes your assignment will cover. Keep in
mind the constraints and criteria of your
assignment as you do so.
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
Organising your material and your
thoughts:
DRAFTING



Writer’s block
 Starting the draft at a productive point
 Talking about your work
Keep in mind practical constraints (time /
word limit / format / purpose / audience)
Use references consistently even if in your
drafts
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
Attempting to write a first draft, or
various sections of the assignment as
information becomes available.
THE CHRISTMAS CRACKER MODEL
Thesis Statement
Introduction
1. Introduce your topic
2. Give your thesis
statement
3. Outline your approach
Conclusion
1. Reiterate your thesis statement
2. Recap your main
points/findings
3. Show how these address your
thesis statement
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
Main body of the assignment
At least 80% of the word count
REVISING (LARGE-SCALE
CHANGES)
The writing process is recursive, so:




Check that you have addressed the
question you set out to investigate
Check the logic of your central argument
Check the accuracy of the data presented
Check that you have not plagiarised
Check that you have fulfilled the
requirements of the assignment with
respect to presentation and length
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick

EDITING (SMALL-SCALE CHANGES)
NEVER SUBMIT A FIRST DRAFT
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
Proofread for spelling, grammar and typos
 Proofread for clarity and consistency of
phrasing
 Check the clarity of your phrasing
 Check headings and titles of figures /
tables
 Check the presentation
 Check “document integrity”

WHAT CONSTITUTES PLAGIARISM?
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
Plagiarism is the use of another person or persons’
work without acknowledgement. It may include
direct transcriptions of text or could be the
presentation of ideas from a source as your
own. It is critical that you always remember to
acknowledge your sources, making appropriate use
of citation and bibliographies.
Plagiarised work could be given a mark of
zero.
WHAT COUNTS AS PLAGIARISM
 Copying
 Rewriting
ideas from a source in your own
words without citing them.
 Taking
concepts or ideas from a source
without citing them.
 Copying
another student’s work.
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
a source word-for-word without
showing that you are quoting.
WHAT DOESN’T COUNT AS PLAGIARISM
 Producing
 Taking
the same overall approach to an
assignment as another student.
 Mentioning
ideas that are generally
known without citing a source (i.e. the
date of the Eurozone crisis).
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
an analysis or argument that is
similar to a source you haven’t read.
STRATEGIES FOR AVOIDING
PLAGIARISM



Quoting (Using in-text citations)
Summarising
Critiquing
These also encourage critical engagement in
your work.
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
There are ways to avoid plagiarism in your
work, namely:
USING QUOTATIONS
 You
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
must place all the words you have
borrowed from the sources in speech marks.
 The quote should be followed by the author’s
surname, the publication year and the page
number(s) in parenthesis.
 Then provide a full reference in the
references list.
 J.A. Cuddon defines a wicked problem as
“one which has no clearly identifiable
solution” (2008, p.258).
SUMMARISING


When you summarise you focus mainly on those
ideas which pertain to your argument. In this
case, provide the author’s name, date of
publication and, if needed, the page number(s) in
parentheses.
Then, provide a full reference in the references
list.
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick

Provide a brief synopsis of the main argument /
results / conclusions / observations of a particular
source.
IN-TEXT CITATIONS: SUMMARISING
Summarising a complete text
Summarising part of a text
Recently, it has been argued that “wicked problems” are
seen as an excuse to avoiding dealing with multi-layered
issues in management (Cuddon, 2008, pp.252-54).
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
In his seminal article entitled “Taming Wicked Problems”
(2008), Cuddon argues that labelling problems as ‘wicked’
discourages managers from attempting to address them,
resulting in a disengagement from complex challenges.
CRITIQUING
Lets you evaluate the arguments presented in
your sources.
 Lets you situate your own argument within
scholarly research.
 Lets you juxtapose opposing viewpoints.
 Always cite a reference to acknowledge the text’s
contribution to your understanding – put the
author’s name, date of publication and, if needed,
the page number(s) in parentheses.
 Then, provide a full reference in the references
list.

Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
IN-TEXT CITATIONS: CRITIQUING
Critiquing whole texts
Critiquing sections of texts
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
Although Cuddon’s (2008) essay “Taming Wicked
Problems” details the drawbacks of identifying challenges
in this way, it fails to engage with the tactical benefits of
such an approach as outlined by Hoffmann (2009).
Although Cuddon’s definition of a wicked problem is
comprehensive (2008, p.250), Hoffmann’s analysis
indicates that there are several other factors contributing
to their evolution (2009, pp.43-9).
WHAT MAKES A SOURCE SUITABLE?
For use in an academic assignment, a
source should be:
Written by a reliable author
 Published by a reputable organisation
 Up-to-date
 Peer-reviewed (wherever possible)
 Written for an academic audience

FINDING SUITABLE RESEARCH
SOURCES
There are several different routes to
locating suitable sources, including:
Module reading lists
 Lecture reading lists
 Library database searches
 Using bibliographies in useful journal articles
 Recommendations from tutors

Don’t rely on Googling your search terms.
DEMONSTRATING CRITICAL
ENGAGEMENT



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How does it compare to other sources on this
topic?
What are its strengths and weaknesses?
How reliable is the source (when was it
published, who wrote it?)
Can you add to this source or develop its ideas
further?
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick

What does this source add to your
understanding?
WORKSHOP TASK


Read through the two examples of essays on your
handout then, in pairs or small groups, discuss
the strengths and weaknesses of each extract.
You might want to consider:



Clarity and accuracy of style
How well it uses sources
How clearly the content relates to the essay title.
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick

Sample essay title: Why has European catchup of the United States ceased in the recent
past? Does the European slowdown suggest
that the concept of ‘social capability’ should
be reconsidered?
SAMPLE ESSAY 1
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
Labour market rigidity was the principal reason why European catch
up tailed off from 1973-1995; a combination of unionism, high taxes and
a generous welfare state meant there was a sharp rise in
unemployment, and a strong decline in the average working week. In a
comparative study of payroll taxes and their effects on labour
participation in the U.S., Germany, France and Italy, Prescott (2004)
concludes that “virtually all the large differences…are due to tax
systems”. Indeed, in Prescott’s convincing analysis his conclusion is
well supported in the facts; the higher the taxes, the higher the
substitution of work for leisure: “[during this period] If someone in
[Germany, France or Italy] works more and produces 100 additional
euros of output, that individual gets to consume only 40 euros of
additional consumption and pays directly or indirectly 60 euros in
taxes” (Prescott, 2004). Moreover, this effect pervaded throughout
Europe, with hours worked per capita falling from 101.6% of the United
States in 1973 to 76.2% in 1995, as shown in Figure 1. In its influence
on the total size of the European economy, this substitution effect is
stark: as illustrated in Figure 2, despite the spread between U.S. and
European productivity per hour closing from 25% to 2% (1973-1995),
relative GDP per capita widened from 24% to 26% in the period – a
direct result of the substitution of work for leisure due to diminished
incentives.
SAMPLE ESSAY 2
Since Europe was able to generate a quality amount of population “for
generating human capital and financial wealth” (ark,A mahony,M
timmer,M. (2008). the productivity gap between europe and the united
states:trends and causes. journal of economic perspectives. 22 (1), 25-44.) which helped EU to recover soon enough.
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
Europe’s and US’s growth as well as growth slow down is seen in terms
of labor productivity (GDP PER HOUR) and employment growth (hours
worked per capita), and thus the product of the two is seen as GDP per
capita. Europe is rather seen as EU-‐15, which went through a decline
in labor productivity post its “golden age”, it also went through an
upsurge with regard to employment, as opposed to US, where there was
an upsurge in labor productivity and a decline in hours worked per
capita. This therefore made the gap between the two countries in
respect of GDP per capita smaller than the gap between the two in
respect of Labor productivity. The period to show this trend in growth
can be divided into two categories; ‘European catch up’ and ‘European
fall behind’. European catch up was accompanied by the imitation of
technology and the development of new institutions. This helped EU to
withstand the depression and devastation after the world war 2.
HARVARD STYLE OF REFERENCING
 This
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Placing of full stops/commas/brackets
Order of information
Use of italics
Use of capitalisation in titles
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
is the preferred form of referencing
used in the Economics department.
 Simpler and quicker than most other
systems
 Uses the author-date method of citation
 Follow the examples exactly, including:
HARVARD REFERENCING EXAMPLES

Direct quotation

Paraphrase or summary (part of a text)

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The identification of workplace stressors is key to
establishing a productive workforce (Lukacs, 2006,
pp.45-8)
Paraphrase or summary (complete text)

The cause of Caribbean economic stability has been
hampered by the conflict between growth and
environmental conservation (Ross, 2008).
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick

One concern is that “The true cost of the Euro-zone
crisis will only be felt in the next 12 months” (Moss,
2011, p.65)
HARVARD REFERENCING EXAMPLES


Book by two authors
 Simons, J. and Travis, L., 2007. Financial
Systems in Chaos. New York: Harbor Press.
Chapter in a book
 Frobisher, H., 2001. Accountability in fiscal
policy. In K. Reynolds ed., The Economies of
Finance. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University
Press, 87-99.
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick

Book by one author
 Ross, P., 2008. Caribbean Economic
Stabilisation. London: Polity Press.
HARVARD REFERENCING EXAMPLES

E-journal article
 Lorenz, G., 2009. Impact assessment and
management policy. Journal of Fiscal Studies
[online], 7 (12). Available from:
http://jfs.org/archive 097260390 [accessed
11.10.11]
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick

Journal article
 Armitage, J., 2007. Fiscal securities in highrisk markets. Journal of European Finance, 3
(2), 73-86.
HARVARD REFERENCING EXAMPLES

Reports by organisations

Online reports by organisations

Office of Fair Trading, 2009. Advertising parameters
for public services. [pdf] London: Office of Fair
Trading. Available at:
http://www.oft.gov.uk/public_serv/oft_advertising/oft_
pdf38894672 [Accessed 10 October 2010]
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick

Office of Fair Trading, 2009. Advertising parameters
for public services. London: Office of Fair Trading
HARVARD REFERENCING EXAMPLES

Course/lecture materials – online
 Jones, R., 2011. Guide to leadership strategies,
BS980 Strategies in Management. [online via
internal VLE] University of Warwick,
unpublished. Available at:
www.wbs.ac.uk\BS908\Strat_in_lead.html.
[Accessed 5 May 2011]
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick

Course/lecture materials – print
 Jones, R., 2011. Guide to leadership strategies,
BS980 Strategies in Management. University
of Warwick, unpublished.
PRESENTING YOUR REFERENCE
LIST
 included at the end of your work on a separate



page
organised alphabetically following the
Harvard style
double-spaced throughout
checked so that it only contains sources you
used in the assignment
Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick
The reference list is vital to your essay and
should be:
SOURCES OF FURTHER
INFORMATION

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Copyright 2015 Rochelle Sibley,
University of Warwick

RLF fellow Mahendra Solanki is based in H521 in the
Humanities building and offers bookable appointments on
Thursdays and Fridays during term time (starting from
Week 3 of Term 1).
The Library’s tutorial on using Endnote
The Library’s referencing guide
Anglia Ruskin University’s guide to using Harvard
University of Lincoln guide to Harvard and referencing app
Students who have English as an additional language can
receive language support from the Centre for Applied
Linguistics (CAL).
my.wbs avoiding plagiarism guide