Assignment: Critical evaluation of an epidemiological study design

ESSAY INTRODUCTION

Assignment purpose stated in third person
Structure of paper explained
Relevant definitions included

CRITICAL EVALUATION

Consideration of key criteria
Demonstration of cohesive and integrated discussion
Demonstration of critical thinking

ESSAY CONCLUSION

Purpose of the paper re-stated in past tense
Contents of the paper summarised
No new information presented

REFERENCING, STANDARD OF PRESENTATION AND
ACADEMIC WRITING

In-text direct quotes cited correctly
In-text paraphrasing supported with correctly-cited refs
All in-text refs appeared in end-text references list

End-text refs list presented correctly

ECU Assignment cover page included

Correct word length
Written in third person
Written in past tense
No personal opinions included
Ideas presented logically
Essay reads smoothly and clearly
Spelling correct
Grammar correct
Sentence structure correct

Title of Essay

Begin your essay here. The purpose of this first paragraph is to set the scene and provide some background to the topic. By providing this background you also give the reader some indication of why the topic you are about to discuss is important. Throughout your essay, you should use a simple font such as ‘Arial' or ‘Times New Roman' font size 12, indent the first line of every paragraph and use 1.5 line spacing.

The second paragraph tells the reader the purpose of your essay and how it will be structured. To do so, you can start by simply stating: "The purpose of this essay is to...". If at this point you are having trouble completing that statement, then you need a little more ‘thinking time' (see paragraph titled: preparing an assignment). Once you have stated the purpose, you then continue on by giving the reader some indication of how you will address this by describing how your essay will be structured e.g. this paper will commence with a review of .... followed by.......etc. You also need to define any key terms that are a central feature of the assignment. These definitions should usually be included in your introduction, however there are times when including these in the body of your essay is more appropriate. Throughout your essay you should treat the reader as an intelligent person but also as someone who does not know a great deal about the topic.

The body of your essay

The body of your essay is the main part of the assignment where you provide the evidence gathered from your reading and critique of the literature that is relevant to the essay topic. Remember, to base all your arguments on the available literature and reference material appropriately. The body of your essay should be structured as a series of paragraphs. If possible, try and link each paragraph with a connecting sentence.

Paragraphs do not need to be as long or as short as they are in this example. This is just the way it worked out. However, you should avoid one or two sentence paragraphs whenever possible. Each paragraph should be about a single issue. This means that generally speaking, only one idea or concept should be presented per paragraph. If the issue changes, so should the paragraphs. You also need to ensure that each paragraph follows on in a logical manner from the previous one, and also leads logically to the next paragraph.

Headings

Based upon the American Psychology Association publication manual (2009) the use of headings is permitted in your essay. Using headings may not always be appropriate across all of your units of study, but are permissible in this unit. Using headings can also be helpful when you are new to academic writing to assist you in clearly separating each section of your essay. It can also help your lecturer by indicating to them where the different components of your essay end and new components begin. For example: where the introduction ends and the body of your essay begins.

Preparing an assignment

Writing an academic assignment is basically an exercise in objectively presenting an argument/ the available evidence in a clear, balanced, concise and coherent manner, leading to a conclusion. Arguments you present must be based on the scientific evidence and not on personal opinions. Consequently, the starting point to any assignment is to read the essay question, review the relevant marking key, develop a preliminary writing plan and search for the relevant literature.

Once you have completed your reading, allow yourself some ‘thinking time'. This is where you relate what you have read to the assignment question/topic. At this stage you can start to develop your answer by writing rough notes and develop your ‘plan'. In essence, you need to know what your essay is going to ‘look like' before you start writing it. Doing so will mean that the assignment will be easier to write, but is also likely to be more coherent, with each section flowing onto the next in a sequential logical manner.

In writing your essay, you will need to show that you have understood the question/topic; focused on all the relevant points; used a reflective and critical approach that was based upon the available evidence; referenced your work; written in full sentences with appropriate grammar and spelling; and finally kept to the required word limit.

Referencing

Edith Cowan University has adopted the referencing style of the APA, details of which are available in the ECU referencing guide. As such, all assignments are required to have correct referencing, both in-text and in the end-text reference list. Adopting good referencing habits is very important. All ideas and information that you include in your assignment should be referenced in text using the approved ‘author, date' format (APA, 2009).

It is also vitally important that you understand the University's rules regarding plagiarism, which refer to using other people's material without acknowledging this in your referencing. You need to understand that plagiarism is theft and can incur severe penalties from the University.

Written expression

Students are expected to have a well developed written expression when they enter university. Care should be taken to avoid colloquial language or a ‘chatty' tone and do not (as in don't) use apostrophised abbreviations. The writing should be scholarly but not pompous. Be as concise as possible and use plain English. Do not be tempted to use words that you are not sure you understand. Additionally, ensure that your essay is not markedly longer or shorter than the required word limit and is written in the third person past tense. This means that unless otherwise stated you should avoid using the word "I" in any of your essays. Most importantly: Proof read! Assignments that otherwise demonstrate effort and ability can be marred by poor spelling, grammar, tense and punctuation, as well as poor presentation.

Conclusion

Finally, do not forget to conclude your essay. In this section you should first include a paragraph that summarises and highlights the key points of your essay.

Then in a second paragraph, you need to re-state the purpose of your essay and re-describe how the argument unfolded. Finally you can conclude with a statement that ‘ties everything together' based on what you have addressed in your essay. You may also want to include a sentence that discusses the implications of what you have presented. The conclusion should not include any new materials. If at this stage you realize that there is something further to be said, this needs to be integrated within the body of your assignment.

Hopefully the above handy hints will assist you in writing your next essay, particularly if you are organised well in advance of the assignment due date. Writing an assignment the night before the due date severely restricts any detailed planning, research and review and is unlikely to result in the best mark possible. Before you submit your assignment for marking, always do a final proofread to check for spelling, grammar, referencing and to ensure that you have adequately answered the stated question! As an aid in this, check off each item listed in the marking key for the essay.

Attachment:- BMC Public Health.rar