THE ROBERT GORDON UNIVERSITY
Aberdeen Business School

A GUIDE TO REPORT AND ESSAY WRITING:
Layout and proofreading the final copy

Copyright © 2006 The Robert Gordon University

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IntroductionThe purpose of this guide is to provide you with information on how to present coursework assignments at the Aberdeen Business School.The guide focuses on the expected physical appearance of your work, and the importance of proof-reading an assignment to check for spelling and grammatical errors.It is recommended that you refer to this guide every time you begin work on a new coursework assignment.In assessing your work, tutors will expect you to have applied the guidance in these notes, and your grade may be reduced if you fail to do so.

Presentation of your coursework

Before you begin to type your coursework, remember that the presentation of your work is important, not only in helping to create a good impression, but also in helping the lecturer who has to grade your coursework to read it easily. Remember that they have many other students’ assignments to read, not just yours!For all your Aberdeen Business School coursework, you should set your word-processing system to use the Arial or Verdana typeface, font size 12, and select 1.5 or double line spacing.Do not write your coursework in capital letters only.Keep text left justified with a ragged right edge to lines. This helps the reader keep their place on the page.You should also leave a space between each paragraph, and a double space before and after each main section heading.

The work must be fully paginated with page Dissertation is provide by Custom Thesis#p#分页标题#e#http://www.ukthesis.org/numbers beginning on the introductory page and running consecutively through the text.People process information in different ways and it is important to consider your target audience when presenting ideas and concepts. Some people might find it easier to follow a long and wordy explanation, whilst others may prefer information presented in a different way. For example:
• Flow charts are ideal for explaining procedures.
• Pictograms and graphics help to locate information.
• Lists of “do’s” and “don’ts” may be more useful than continuous text to highlight aspects of good practice.
• It may be necessary to provide a list of abbreviations and jargon if necessary.

Avoid the use of computer-generated pictures because these may not always print properly.The completed coursework must be word-processed on A4 paper, with text on one side of each sheet. Use wide margins (3.5 cm or 1.5 in) to allow ample space for the lecturer grading your work to write any comments.

Length of your coursework

The required length of a piece of coursework varies from module to module. The length required may indicate the range and depth of study that is required, and may also test whether you can express your ideas clearly and concisely.

The required length of a piece of coursework will be included in the guidelines for each assignment. You will be expected to use the ‘Word Count’ facility in your word-processing software, and to report the length of your report or essay. You will be penalised for both excessive wordage and inadequate wordage.

Proof-reading your coursework

When your coursework is nearing completion, there are one or two last steps that should be taken. Always read over and critically examine your report before you hand it in. Many pieces of coursework fail to do full justice to the efforts made.

When reviewing your report, ask yourself ‘does this make sense?’ Here are a number of suggestions to help ensure that your report is easy to read:
• Try to have only one idea or topic per paragraph. You will lose the reader if you try to cram too many ideas into one paragraph;
• keep paragraphs to less than 20 lines of text. However, if your paragraphs are too short it can make your writing appear disjointed and perhaps indicate that you have not sufficiently developed your ideas;
• try to keep sentences to not more than two lines of text. The more ‘ands’, and ‘buts’ and ‘howevers’ you have, the more difficult it is for the reader to understand;
• leave a line space between paragraphs. This allows the reader to pause to understand one point before moving on to the next;
• use sub-headings to indicate new ideas.

It is also recommended that you have a linking sentence or two at the end of each section and a short introduction to each main section to lead the reader through the assignment in a logical way.#p#分页标题#e#

Little excuse exists for a failure to proofread the final copy. Poor grammar and spelling (especially key authors’ names) can make your meaning unclear and your reports difficult and annoying to read. In business, reports full of these types of errors have no credibility and are unlikely to be effective. The action that they recommend may not be taken. Grammatical and spelling errors, or using punctuation in the wrong way, may create doubt as to the clarity of your thoughts (Cameron 1997). Neither will enhance your career prospects or the grade for your coursework.

You should make a point of always using the ‘spell check’ and ‘grammar check’ on the tool bar in whichever word-processing package you are using. You should note that many software packages are set with American spell checks, therefore these will be of little help with such words as ‘labor/labour’ and ‘organization/organisation’. Make sure that, if it is possible, the spell check in your word processing package is set to ‘English (UK)’ and not ‘English (USA).’

Even the most erudite of us can slip up at times by muddling words such as ‘advice’ and ‘advise’. Remember that you will also have to read through your report very carefully for words that are correctly spelt but may be incorrect such as ‘form’ instead of ‘from’, or words that are used in the wrong context such as ‘their’ instead of ‘there’. If in doubt, get someone else to proofread your coursework for typing errors and bad grammar.You should check that all references included in the text are listed and that all the references in your list have been used.Finally, it is recommended that you Dissertation is provide by Custom Thesishttp://www.ukthesis.org/remove any references to the first person (e.g. the use of ‘I’ or ‘We’), which is generally not acceptable in academic writing, and often not acceptable in management reports.
ReferencesCameron, S., 1997. MBA handbook, study skills for managers. London: Financial Times.

Further reading

CAMERON, S., 2005. The Business Student's Handbook - Learning Skills for Study and Employment. 3rd ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.