Things I would encourage you to do…
Things I would encourage you to do / think about in order to increase the likelihood of a good grade…
(1) Read the assessment criteria – This is what you are marked against and thus if you follow them and do it well then you will improve the likelihood of you getting a good grade
(2) Find an angle on the subject you want to write about – most of the topics have a lot of research already written on many of the areas you are thinking about – but there is always a gap or angle that exists – If you find it, you add to the conversation and it will make a better article – so for example if I take the CSR topic:
(a) The impact of CSR on firm performance is too broad for the article wordcount
(b) To narrow it down I might choose an industry i.e. “The impact of CSR on the Hotel Industry”
(c) Still too broad – narrow it to a location and time period – e.g “The impact of CSR on the London Hotel industry during the period 2015-2020
This provides a clear area of scope which you can then tackle in a small journal article.
(3) Read some Journal articles – look at the structure of them so you can follow the ideas
(4) Stay focused – you cannot drink the ocean ! – in the same way you cannot cover every aspect of the topic… In the article you need to demonstrate a knowledge of the literature and the key arguments but you don’t need to spend 1000 words explaining them….
(5) Interpret what others have said on the subject and build your own argument
(6) Act with Academic integrity… That means do not simply take someone else’s words, change a couple of words in the text and add the reference to it – You need to make the arguments in your own words.
(7) Remember – this is NOT a dissertation ! – Its a journal article -Intro, Literature, methodology, findings, discussion in 4000 words then a reflection of 4500 words – Students have in the past written a dissertation and then split it, putting Methodology, fieldwork and some of the discussion into the reflection – This will not get you a good mark….
(8) If in doubt – make a suggestion to your tutor about what you think, but ask the question – even if you think it is a silly question….. We don’t bite (Well I don’t)
8) Did I say “Read the assessment criteria?” – Do it again and compare what you have written against them
– By Ian Hall, Supervisor