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EssaYs
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Di ffer ent subjects, or evcn br anchcs within different conventionsancl journals in geography) cited author's surrame full bibliographic However,
the s am e s ubj c c t, s om eti ntes adopt courses (and rnost books where a systern of referencing,
For example, many geography favour the 'Harvard' and the date of publication
in geography, use the 'V a ncouver ' or footnote system, wher e cit ati ons ar e r nar k ed by a num ber l i k e thi s (') in the text, and details are given in a note at the foot of the page or at the end of the essay. (We discuss the relarive merits of these systems in Chapter 12.) It is important that you use the system specified by your tutor. Failure to do so will suligest that you can't follow simple instructions, and you may be pe nalized-
What will the examiners be looking for when they mark my essay?
Chopter summory
Your ability to follow recognized conventions within your discipline sutr--discipline is one of the things that you will be iudged on. -fhe similarities in essay writing
or
than
the differences. In every case the student must provide clemonstrate their knowledge, understanding
Your examiners will be trying to iudge whether you have a good knowledge and understanding of the subject, whether you can organize your knowledge provide a reroned whether and well-supported response to a specific question, and the conventions of writing according to a strict set of criteria you can communicate down r effectively following
to
the specific questioll asked or task set by the title- In every case students must and abiliry to communicate. every case students must adhere to the regulations and conventions of their
co u rsc and their subject discipline. These s i m i l ar i ti es pr ov i de us w i th the r aw rnaterial to identify what makes a good essay (or a bad essay) in any situation; they can be applied to other types of coursework like posters, talks and web chapters of this book. l)a!ies; and they therefore form the basis of the remaining
markers that your tutors use, as this will tell you exactly what your essay will be iudged on. You will not be penalized iust because you disagree with your tutor in an essay, but you will be penalized if your opinion is not supported by a well-reasoned argument and good evidence. Essays written to learn to interpret in different situations (such as exams and coursework) can be marked in different ways,
( ttrrclusion to Chopter3
e
Writing essays should help you to learn, think about and understand your course material. You should use essays to help you to study. Essays provide your tutors with a way of asessing your progress and xsigning a mark to your achievements.
The basics
The mark that you get for an essaydepends on wbcthcr thc person who marks it thinks it's any good. To convince the marker that yorrr essaydeservesa good mark you have to show two things: 1. 2. subiect.
Essay writing involves a wide range of skills, and requires a certain amount of factual knowledge, so your ability to write essays gives a broad impression of your overall academic progress. Mmy of the same skills apply to different types of coursework.
How to Do Your Essays,Exams and Coursework in Geogmphy and Related Disciplines pubiished in the cour se har r dbook, or pr ov i ded to s tudents l n a handout or on thc course web page. If you have not had the marking criteria for your asslgnmenfs explained to you, you should ask your tutor about them. The people who nrark your essays will be doing so with these criterra rn mind, so you need to Know wnat thev ar e-
What will the examinerebe looking for when they mark my essay?
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Your tutor will iudge your essayon the basis of whetber t is any good or notIk:fore you stdrt, you need to knou uhat tbe t:utor will think is ,good,.
It's important that you know what you are ainring for when you write your essay. Oheck your course handbooks to see how marking works rn your instltution.
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A: Total of 40 or more, with no mark lower than 7. B: -Ibtal of 30 or more, with no more than one mrk lower than 3. C: Total of 20 or more, with no more than three marks lower than 4 and no mark lower than 2. D: Total of | 0 or more, with no more than one mark of O. E: Total below lO. Grade lower than 5 and no mark
'
Many
institutions
approach
just described, and design guidelines based on qualitative l i k e - Y o u w i l l s e e t h a t i t c o v e rs identifies critical qualitative
descriptions
t h e s a me i s s u e s a s t h o s c i n B o x e s 3 . 2 rn d 4 . 1 , b u t
an s w e r c a n n o t c o n t a l n a n y s i g n i f i c e n t f rc t u f , l e rro rs o r n ri s c o n c e p t i o n s ; a n u p p e r second-class rnswer may contain sonre factual errors or misconceptions; sccond may reveal shortcornings in knowlcdge or understanding; answer may reveal limited knowleclge and understanding; seriously flawed with crrors, omissions and irrelevant that the criteria are cumulative. a third-class
Factual correctness is necessary for a first-class thought. Even if your essay is factually thought
mark, but it is not sufficient- The essay must also be presented to a high standard and show evidence of independent correct, Box 4.2 indicates that if the essay lacks evidence of independent of marking markers. guide can provide very thorough support
it will not score higher than a lower second-class mark. If well designed, this type for both snrdents and
in Geography
What
be looking
for wlren
60--64
A good answer, but with significant weaknesses in content, organization or presentation. Must demonstrate knowlcdge, understanding and independent thought, and must be presented in the style appropriate to the ssignment. Must use logical argument organization, bced on evidence drawn from high-level
Criteria A virtually faultless answer that could not be bettered under the circumstances- Must show detailed knowledge of the subiect, deep understilding of all the issues raised by the 6srgnment, original insights bced on independent thought, and rigorous and logical argument baed on evidence drawn from a wide rmge of high,level source material. Must be style appropriate organized and presented to an impeccable standard in the to the Nsignment, without errors of style. language or presentation. or mtsconceptionsMust not contain any factual errors
source material. May have shortcomings in insight, detail or or may contain some factual errors or misconceDtionsA rexonable content, answer, but with significant weaknesses in or presentation. Must recognize the key in knowledge or
organization
issues raised by the assignment, and provide a relevant answer, but may reveal some shortcomings understanding thought. understanding. Must demonstrate knowledge and of course material, and must use evidence to support arguments, but may lack evidence of independent
lto u 9
An exceptional
answer with very few weaknesses. Must shqw very detailed knowledge of the subject, deep understanding of the issues raised by the dsignment, original insights bmed on independent thought, and rigorous and logical argument bded on evidence drawn from a wide range of high-level source material. Must be organized and presented to a high standard in the st'/le appropriate to the ssignment, with no significant errors of style, language or presentation. Must not contain any L-g!.| er.o.: !f rts:9 lons. An excellent answer with no ffi detailed knowledge of the subject, deep understanding of the issties raised by the usignment, original insights based on irrdependent thought, and rigorous and logical argument basec orr evidence drawn from a wide range of high-level source nrltcrial. Must be organized and presented to a high standard rr thc sr/le appropriate to the trsignment, with few errors of .,1/lc, language or presentation, and no significant factual r ' r r ot s or m tsconcePttons. A vt.ry good answer, but with some weaknesses. llust rl('nronsrrate knowledge, understanding and independent tlr(xrl'ht, and must be organized and presented to a good .,t.rrrcl;rrd in the style appropriate to the rsignment. Must use L1'rc;rl argument based on evidence drawn from high_level '.or rr <-c rnaterial- May lack the insight, detail or organization of .r lrr rt .class answer, or may contain some minor factual erors
r)r nltl(onceptions-
50-54
A reronable
content, organization or presentation. Must recognise the key issues raised by the assignment, and provide a relevant answer, but may reveal shortcomings irrelevmt material. Must demonstrate in knowledge or and understmding, and may include errors, omissions and some basic knowledge underetanding of course material, and must use evidence to support arguments, but may lack evidence of independent thought.
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45 49
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A poor answer that reveals limited knowledge and understanding of the subject but nevertheless recognizes most of the main issues raised by the rsignment. Must provide a rclcvant arrswer. but may include a few serious errors, onrissions or irrelevarrt rnaterial. l4ay lack any evidence of independent tlrouglrt. Argunrents may lack evidence, and there rna), bc no indication of independent reading- l'lay not be presented to a high starrdard in the style appropriate to the
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A poor answer that reveals limited knowledge and understanding of the subject but nevertheless r{ognizes some of the main issues raised by the rsignment. omissions or irrelevmt Must provide a relevant answer, but may include serious errors, material. May lack any evidence of reading. May not to the independent thought. Arguments may lack evidence, and there may be no indication of independent be presented assrgnment. Contd to a high standard in the style aPproPriate
Contd
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How
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An unsatisfactorv answer, but one which shows some understanding ol the relevant issues, and is presented to a standard that indicates a bdic appreciation of the style apProPriate to the
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Fail
30-34
An unsatisfactory answer, but one which indicates an understanding of the dsignment. and irrelevant material. Must include some relevant material, but may be seriously flawed with errors, omissions
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An unsatisfactory answer that indicates little understanding of the assignment, and may contain little relevant, accurate or materialAn unsatisfactory answer that shows only the most limited evidence of having benefited from the course. No answer given; or an answer which is completely irrelevant or fundamentally wrong. This range of marks can also be applied to work that is plagiarized.
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How to Do Your Essays,Exams and Coursework in Geography and Related Disciplines For a coursework essay that counts towards yorlr fin.rl assessment, the nrarkcr rvill adopt a similar procedure, but will also nrake wri tt*t {or you to read. These cornme.ts are intended . n",rt;tl:::;t::'u]}i:: w or k, and wr iting com m ents that ar e bo th hones t and c ons tr uc ti v e i s ,r n irrrportant skill for a futor. The cotrlments shourd enatrle you to recognize how tlre mark you:rchieved rerates to the assessnrent criterra, to see both the srrengtrrs rrrr<lthe weaknesses of your essay, and to understand exactly rvlrat you could clo .lifferently to improve your rnark nexr time. essay that docs not co unt tow ar ds a fi nal as s es s nr ent, rorrrr.tirnes referred to as a practice essa5 tlre situation is more cornplex. The rrr.r r kcr can use the cssay fo show you how the m ar k i ng s y s tem w or k s , how ',r'vt rt. the standards are, and how your work rneasurcs up. 1-hat way, the n r.r rI.ir r g of your ' pr actice' essay r eally is us eful pr ac ti c e fb. the .r eal thi ng,. I l ( ,\\,( .v( ' r ' , unless the m ar king is anonym ous , the m ar k er m ay al s o us e the p.c ti c c , .r \ r ( ) givc you a' lesson' mar k. A lesso n m ar k i s one that r s 'ot nec es s ar i l y e trrr r r r .ll.er i.r ofwhatthecssaydeser ves,butis des i gnedtos endy ou" nr " * r g" '1 " ' r r \' ( ) r f pe r for m ance. It can be used t o e nc or r r age s tr r dents w r r . nec d tr r e i r - ,,',lr ,l.r r tt.boostcd, or to scar e students w l r o s houl .l be tr y r ng har der . F or , , ,r r lr r or .lay give good stutlents l ow m ar k s as ' r r r 1' 11 a k i c k up thc bac k s i dc to ' " ' ' ' r r r ) "( r lr cr r r ta achievt- ' the higher standar ds of w hi c h the tur or k now s tl r enr t . l' , , .r 1,.r lr lt., r nd give a poor student a hi gl i m ar k as an c nc our agr ng pat on thc l ' | | lr r .ss.r yr nar k is som etim.s ' us.d u , o teac hi nq tool . tt . , ..tl rrr,trl: is xtmetimes used as a psychological ueapon. l 'o r r r cour sewor k
EliC SAyS:
to Chapter 4 Conclusion
O Essays are marked according to clearly defined criteria. You should find out what specific criteria your tutors mark to, and you should bear these in mind when you write your essay. 3 You need to convince the marker that you know your stufl that you have worked hrd, that you can organize your material to provide an effective response to the question and that you can communicate Q clearly-
Now we iust need to work out how we can achieve all that!