BIOSCIENCES

ESSAY WRITING GUIDE

WRITTEN BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS
Think beyond the
basic requirements of
the questions to how
it impacts on other
areas or situations.
I expect virtually each declarative sentence to be
referenced, as would normally be the case in any
published review.
A good essay
will review a
good selection
of papers and
critically
evaluate the
literature.
MARKING CRITERIA
REFERENCING
S
T
R
U
C
T
U
R
E

F
E
E
D
B
A
C
K

E
X
A
M
S

PLANNING
OUTSIDE READING
WRITING
INTRODUCTION

We wrote this essay guide as the first years among us were daunted by the prospect
of essays, and the second years among us struggled to make the changeover from
assessment by multiple choice questions to essay writing: and when the panic set in we
thought we would love to know what was required in order to do well.
The purpose of this booklet is to give you an idea of what is expected of you when
writing during your degree, and to outline the most important aspects of a first class
biological sciences essay. The intention isnt that you sit down and read it cover to
cover, more that you use it when you are a bit stuck and need somewhere to look up
the important bits you dont always get told!

We hope you find it as useful as we found making it!
Students As Change Agents Team
CONTENTS
How to interpret the mark scheme
The official mark scheme with added notes
Structuring an essay
Planning
Writing
How to present your essay.
Essay writing in exams
Example essay planning sheet.
How to reference correctly
What counts as extra reading
In-text referencing
End-of-text referencing
Example Using Feedback sheet .
Where to find useful information ..
Ten top tips!............................................................................
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1
The written word is very powerful for communicating ideas, winning grants, being
successful in job applications and joining the workforce that can write carefully,
accurately and good English... Employers will expect Exeter students to perform in this
market place. Good essay writing is an essential transferable skill and coupled with
being a free, independent thinker, should be the product of a University education.

Senior Lecturer
HOW TO INTERPRET THE MARK SCHEME
ESSAY MARKING CRITERIA
Criterion 1 1 1 2.1 2.2 3 Marginal
fail
Clear
fail
Poor
fail
V.
poor
fail
Originality (Level 2 & 3 essays) ++ + (+)
Appreciation of associated implications
(Level 1, 2, 3)
++ + (+)
Relevant outside reading (Level 1)
(Level 2 & 3)
++
++
+
++
(+)
++

+ or (+)

Logical organisation (Level 1)
(Level 2 & 3)
++
++
++
++
++
++
+
++
(+)
+

(+)

Relevant examples (Level 1)
(Level 2 & 3)
++
++
++
++
++
++
+
++
(+)
+
(+)
(+)

(+)

(+)

Accuracy (Level 1)
(Level 2 & 3)
++
++
++
++
++
++
+
++
(+)
+
(+)
(+)

ILOs adequately met ++ ++ ++ ++ + + (+)
Comprehension of question requirements
(Level 1, 2, 3)
++ ++ ++ ++ ++ + + + + (+)
Class Range Description
1 90-100 Outstanding. Demonstrates a thorough comprehension of the question's requirements and provides
evidence of insight into associated implications. Integrates a strong selection of relevant examples.
Content is accurate, and shows extensive evidence of relevant outside reading*. Logically organised
and articulate. A good essay tells a story, you dont ever find yourself asking where did that come
from? or how does that link in?
Difficult to recommend improvements given the time available.
80-89 Excellent. Demonstrates a thorough comprehension of the question's requirements and associated
implications. Integrates a strong selection of relevant examples. Content is accurate, and shows some
evidence of relevant outside reading*. You need to demonstrate that you got this extra knowledge
from somewhere so if you can put an authors name or a year (we cant expect you to remember the
whole reference) then it shows youve read beyond the subject. Be careful staff will mention work in
lectures which you may not write down and so when it comes to the exam you just feel you have heard
it somewhere so it must be extra reading when this isnt necessarily the case
Logically organised and articulate. Some areas for improvement noticeable.
KEY:
++ Criterion completely satisfied
+ Criterion satisfied at least in part
(+) Criterion may be partly satisfied
ESSAY MARKING DESCRIPTION
2
This originality can take any number of forms,
and it is rarely necessary (or possible) to provide
many examples of this in an essay: one moderate
example would be sufficient to raise a mark from
high-60s to low-70s, and any essay with two or
three good examples will be likely to score very
well. However, it is very hard to score an essay
without any evidence of originality as a first class.

Lecturer
A 1st class essay demonstrates integration
and critical analysis of the subject, and an
awareness of the scientific or practical I
mplications. The foundation of the essay is
in-depth analysis of numerous sources which
can only be possible through widespread
reading and a good understanding of the
topic

Senior Lecturer
2.2 55-59 Pedestrian. Demonstrates comprehension of some of the question's important requirements.
This usually means a student has written down everything they know hoping that the right answer is in
there somewhere but not really showing they understand what the questions is asking them in any
depth Presents some relevant examples. Some factual inaccuracies. Most common here is a
misunderstanding which leads to a contradiction in your argument i.e you understand some bits but not
others and end up contradicting yourself.
Organisation mostly adequate, with some flaws. Descriptive in approach.
50-54 Weak. Demonstrates comprehension of some of the question's requirements, and presents some
relevant examples. Factually inaccurate. Poorly organised or illogical.
Usually in this area the essay resembles a random stream of consciousness, jumping from one section
to the next with no obvious link. This can mostly be overcome by planning your essay
3 45-49 Poor. Demonstrates some comprehension of the question's requirements. Evidence of some sound
knowledge derived from the module that is relevant to the question, but presentation of examples is
poor, being incomplete or irrelevant in part. Flawed with respect to accuracy and/or organisation.
40-44 Very poor. Demonstrates some comprehension of the question's requirements, but with serious
omissions. Evidence of some knowledge derived from the module that is relevant to the question, but
the examples presented are inadequate. Serious lapses in accuracy and/or organisation.
35-39 Marginal Fail. Demonstrates some comprehension of the question's requirements, but with serious
omissions and factual errors. Evidence of some relevant knowledge, but lacks evidence to show that an
adequate range of the intended learning outcomes of the module that are relevant to the question have
been met.
OR Demonstrates evidence of fairly detailed, module-derived knowledge, but the essay is based on a
relatively minor, identifiable misinterpretation of the question's requirements.
25-34 Clear fail. Demonstrates some comprehension of the question's requirements, but evidence only for a
minimal knowledge of the subject. Little evidence to indicate that any of the intended learning outcomes
of the module that are relevant to the question have been met.
OR
Demonstrates evidence of fairly detailed, module-derived knowledge, but the essay is based on an
identifiable misinterpretation of the question's requirements.
15-24 Poor fail. Little evidence that the question's requirements have been understood and/or relevant
content virtually absent. Virtually no evidence to indicate that any of the intended learning outcomes of
the module have been met.
OR Demonstrates evidence of fairly detailed, module-derived knowledge, but the essay is based on a
major, identifiable misinterpretation of the question's requirements.
1-14 Very poor fail. Virtually no evidence that the question's requirements have been understood and/or
relevant content virtually absent.
0 Complete fail. No evidence that the question's requirements have been understood and no relevant
content.
70-79 Very good. Demonstrates comprehension of the question's requirements and provides evidence of
some insight into associated implications. This is about thinking beyond the basic requirements of the
questions and how it impacts on other areas or situations. This is the difficult bit, its different to just
writing everything you can think ofthere must be a logical link between the question and the original
thought/implication.
Integrates a strong selection of relevant examples. Now it is about using the examples well, not just
including them, you have to show how they back up the point you are making and that you can
understand the link between the example and your argument.. Content is accurate, and may show
evidence of relevant outside reading*. Logically organised and articulate.
2.1 65-69 Good. Demonstrates broad comprehension of the question's requirements. Presents a good selection
of relevant examples. Key here is the word relevant, it is no good sticking in lots of examples if they are
not relevant to the question. Content is accurate. Organisation fairly good.
60-64 Fairly good. Demonstrates comprehension of most of the question's important requirements. Presents
an adequate selection of relevant examples. Content is largely accurate. Content is factually correct
and any mistakes are not fundamental misunderstandings which undermine your understanding
Organisation adequate.
*Outside reading represents any material used in an essay answer that could not have been derived solely from
attendance at lectures/practicals/tutorials
3
STRUCTURING AN ESSAY

READ THE QUESTION

Its all too easy to write an awful lot of information, but
not actually answer the essay question. Students are often
the first to admit to waffling in their essays
and it is a common complaint from examiners.

Understanding the question
Think about the question in relation to your module/s. Try to set the
question in context and understand the angle you should write your
essay from.
Look for the key words in your essay question and underline them. Do you understand all
the scientific terms? Will they need defining for the reader in your essay? Take careful
note of words such as compare & contrast, analyse and discuss. What is the question asking
you to do?
If necessary, break the question down into subsections. In this way it is easy to see the
key points that make up the question and which will subsequently make up your essay.




IDEAS

Write down your initial thoughts about the question.
What do you already know about the topic?
What do you need to find out in order to answer the question?
What might your conclusion be?




PLANNING
"Answering the question and not
what you want the question to say is
a really easy way of getting the
right set of marks

Teaching Fellow
The way I would plan, I would jot down all of the points from lectures which
come under that title and points I would like to cover... The key facts that I
want to get into my essay, the key bits of extra reading, then shuffle them
into an order which is logical
Teaching Fellow
4
WRITING
Many students don't see the value of an
introduction in setting out their understanding of
the topic in overview

Senior lecturer
INTRODUCTION
A great introduction will tell the reader what they need to know to
understand what the main body of the essay is all about.
WHAT
What is the question about?
Explain your interpretation of
the question and what it is
asking you to do.
WHY
Why is the question
important? Identify the main
points raised by the question.
HOW
How are you going to answer
it? What are you going to
cover in your essay?
MAIN BODY
Explain how and why
this evidence
supports your point
and what you think of
it (your own
interpretation and
critical thinking).
Make it very clear how
your point and
evidence link to the
essay question. Here
you need to create
your discussion and
argument.
The books, articles
and research material
that you read for your
essay provide the
evidence needed to
back up your points.
Make sure your points
flow in a logical and
well organised order,
allowing your
discussion and
argument to be clear
to the reader.
Each point you make
in your essay needs to
be backed up with
evidence (quoted or
paraphrased evidence
that needs to be
referenced).
Each paragraph
should focus on a
different point under
discussion and have
Its own introductory
and concluding
sentence.
Be concise, one idea
per sentence will do

Lecturer
Too often, students forget to see the links within their degree (or even
outside their study) and focus too narrowly on the particular module that
asks the question that needs answering. Linking information from other
modules and the outside world in a logical manner into an essay gives the
impression of a student who understands the implications and
ramifications of a question
Lecturer
5
Summarise the main points of your argument, relate them back to the question and show
the answer you have reached.
What is the significance and implication of your findings?
Do you have any suggestions for future research?
CONCLUSION
This should be a summary of your argument.
Example

Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution Theodosius Dobzhansky.

In conclusion, it is clear that evolution is an incredibly important concept when it comes to
making sense of most aspects of biology. It offers an explanation for some of the most
important biological concepts such as adaptation and natural selection. When it comes to
explaining how organisms came about and the way in which life is intrinsically unified yet
massively diverse, understanding evolution is invaluable. However, Dobzhanskys statement
would appear to be an over-exaggeration as it is possible to make sense of aspects of biology
without insight into evolution.
So whilst evolution is markedly important, it is not the only discipline required in order to make
sense of everything in biology.

In the first sentence the essay question is reiterated.
The main points of the essay are summarised in the body of the conclusion. Dont make
new points in the conclusion.
The final sentence shows the answer reached.
6
Actually, a fairly short essay with relatively
sparing factual material can climb up the mark
scheme if it includes intelligent evaluation

Senior Lecturer
A good essay will review
a good selection of papers
and critically evaluate the
literature. E.g. a great
essay highlights areas of
scientific controversy and
suggests reasons why the
data might be equivocal.

Independent Research
Fellow
In a great essay the science is well
understood, the examples are good, and
presentation of the facts in both words
and pictures is clear and accurate.

Associate Professor

You have to get the key facts in and you
have to get them right, youve got to get
them clearly explained to get yourself a
platform onto which to build those
higher marks You can have lots of
discussion and references but if youve
got your basic facts the wrong way
round, youll be undermining all the
hard work youve done.
Teaching Fellow
Common errors:

Not arguing a case, but merely putting
forward two sides of an argument
without any critical assessment as to the
scientific foundation or validity of either

Writing the essay without the
appropriate scientific vocabulary, or
using scientific terms inaccurately or
inappropriately.

Senior Lecturer
The essay needs to be
factually correct, well
structured, well argued
using appropriate
examples to illustrate
general principles, and
containing original
thought

Lecturer
SOME
OTHER TIPS
Interpret the evidence: explain
how and why the evidence
supports your point.
Be specific: dont make
sweeping generalisations or
points that are difficult to
support with specific evidence.
Tie your argument to precise
examples and research.
Use counter-arguments: you may
come across evidence or view
points that contradict your own
essays view point. If appropriate,
you can explain why your line of
reasoning is more convincing.
Show what we call
"originality". This means that
the student has put together
connections that were not part
of the lectures or directed
reading.

Professor
7
Scientific names in italics and italics not used for any other purpose
Printed onto single-sided A4 paper
At University you will be expected to follow universal essay presentation conventions. Such
conventions will make your work look neater, more professional and will make it
easier for your tutor to mark and read. You should follow the rules outlined below when
formatting your essay.
Spell-check your work and check your use of grammar
and punctuation. Tutors will frown upon poorly proof read
work. If you would like to brush up on or learn more
about grammar and punctuation see the link below for
the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
It can be useful to use the footer function on word processor to insert page
numbers and your candidate number onto each page in case any of the pages be
come detached. Do not put your name on an essay unless instructed to do so.
If required, attach the BART cover sheet to the front of your essay. Hand your
essay to reception in the Geoffrey Pope foyer it will be scanned. Make sure you
hand your essay in on time as late submissions will not be accepted/marks will be
docked.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE: this is a guide only. If your tutor asks you to submit your essay in a
format different to this, please follow their instructions.
PRESENTING YOUR ESSAY
HOW SHOULD MY WORK BE PRESENTED?
Word
processed
1.5 line
spacing
Font
size 12
Times New
Roman or
Arial font
3cm margins
Font style and
size
consistent
throughout
essay
Essay stapled together. No loose sheets!
I would also say that if you
can use diagrams to
explain something, do it. Its
much easier than trying to
describe it

Teaching Fellow
8
ESSAYS IN EXAM CONDITIONS
TIME MANAGEMENT IS CRITICAL!
Spend 5-10 minutes on the planning stage. Do not miss this stage out and rush
straight into answering the question!
Divide up the time allowed and use these as markers of where you should be.
Always leave some time at the end to read through your answer and make any
corrections.

PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!
Read the question a few times, underlining key words and concepts.
Write down relevant points youd like to discuss in the main body of your essay.
Decide which of these is most important and how much time you want to spend
writing about each point.
Order your points into a fluent and coherent order.
Work out a quick plan for your introduction and conclusion before you start writing
your essay. This will keep the structure of the essay as you write.
You will then be able to refer back to your plan during the exam, which will ensure
you stick to the question.
Remember the guide to essay writing and use it in the exam situation as well.

PRESENTATION OF YOUR ESSAY
You do not need to reference in an exam, but it may highlight background reading
you have done if you can remember the authors name and/or date of the work or
piece of research youre writing about.
Sketch out diagrams to illustrate youre answer if appropriate.
You can use subtitles in the main body of your essay. This can make it clear to the
marker the different sections and points you are trying to make.
If you write down the scientific name of an organism, underline it to indicate it as
such.




REVISION
Look at past papers and practice writing plans for past or thought up questions.
Put key references into your revision and lecture notes, so that they become linked
to your facts rather than just examples of extra reading that you need to fit into
the essay somewhere.
On referencing in exams:
I would much rather that students spent their time understanding the material, rather
than learning the reference details. I have certainly encountered examples of students
providing a reference as opposed to actually demonstrating that they have read the
material. This does not constitute outside reading!
Lecturer
Taking a little longer to think through the question carefully
before starting is a very good idea
Lecturer
I tell students that in terms of revising for essays, instead of writing lots of essays,
makes lots of plans on essay titles from past papers
Teaching Fellow
9
EXAMPLE ESSAY PLANNING SHEET
Research and planning:
Write down any books and websites you use so its easier to reference everything at the
end.
Lay out the main points you will make, and find evidence to support them
Create your argument/discussion and critically analyse you evidence
Once you have this information, you can sort out how to arrange your points into a coherent essay
structure.
10
POINT EVIDENCE ANALYSIS REFERENCE
Introduction:
Define key ideas:


Is there any relevant previous work in this field?:


Introduce your main point/argument:
Paragraphs: Summarise your 5/6 key points and put them into a logical order (it is sometimes useful to
write the opening and closing sentence of each paragraph in your plan first to make sure your essay flows
well from one point to the next)

















Conclusion:
Finalise your opinion/main points of the essay:

Relate it back to the question:


Implications/significance:


Suggest any further work in the field:

DO NOT INTRODUCE ANY NEW IDEAS IN YOUR CONCLUSION!!
11
HOW TO REFERENCE CORRECTLY
WHAT COUNTS AS EXTRA READING?

THE MARKING CRITERIA DEFINITION:

Outside reading represents any material used in an essay answer that could not have been
derived solely from attendance at lectures/practicals/tutorials.

Level 1 modules: this is most likely to come from recommended (or other).

Level 2 modules: this is most likely to come from recommended (or other)
textbooks. In some cases students may use reviews or primary literature as a source of
knowledge. Level 2 students will be given additional credit for going beyond the use of
recommended textbooks.

Level 3 modules: this is expected to come from recommended research-based
literature, most likely reviews and primary literature, although a number of Level 3 mod-
ules will have textbooks that are highly relevant for extra reading due to the nature of the
research in their disciplines.
It's really easy to spot compared to
my lecture material, which I know
well

Senior lecturer
I expect virtually each declarative sentence to
be referenced, as would normally be the case in
any published review.

Senior Lecturer
Deeper biology than what was given in the lectures, or a
different example which gives the same results then cite it!

Lecturer
This is anything not covered in the
taught components of the module. This
could be more detailed knowledge and
understanding of examples covered in
lectures or it could be different
examples from those used by the
lecturer. Alternatively, they could come
from different lecture courses

Lecturer
It needs to review a good selection of
papers and be well structured, but it really
needs to critically evaluate the literature.
Therefore, it needs to be more than just a
review of a group of papers (or
regurgitate lecture material in an exam)

Independent Research Fellow
Avoid outside reading for the
sake of it if it is not relevant

Lecturer
12
The Harvard Referencing system is a type of referencing where the author and date of the work
youre citing is written in the main body of text and the full reference list is found at the end of
your work.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE: there are many other different referencing systems in use throughout
the various branches of Biosciences. If a member of staff gives specific guidance as to how they
would like a piece of work referenced please follow their instructions. However, in the majority
of cases and, if in doubt, please use the Harvard system.

When you use information from another source, note down the key details to help you
reference later:
THERE ARE 2 DIFFERENT ELEMENTS TO REFERENCING:
IN-TEXT REFERENCING
These are within the main body of text (e.g. your essay) itself. They give a limited amount of
information about the source youve used.
END-OF-TEXT REFERENCING
This is an alphabetical list of references containing complete details of the sources you have
used. It is found at the end of your work on a separate page to the main body of text.

Formatting end-of-text references
The list of references should begin on a separate page at the end of your essay with the
title References at the top.
The list needs to be in alphabetical order.
Use the title page, not the book cover, for reference details.
The reference list should be single line spaced.
The exact information included in the reference depends on the type of source its from
(e.g. book, journal, website etc.)
Below is a guide to referencing common sources, please take careful note of the use of
capital letters, italics and punctuation.
THE HARVARD REFERENCING SYSTEM
13
BOOKS JOURNALS ELECTRONIC SOURCES
Authors or editors name Authors name
Year the book was published Year the journal was published
Book Title Article Title plus:
The edition (if not 1st edition) Journal Title Date you accessed the source
City where published Page numbers of article Electronic address or email
Publisher Journal details; Volume, issue
number
Type of electronic resource (web
page, email etc.)
Try to record the same details as
with books and journals
IN-TEXT REFERENCES
YOU SHOULD CITE THE AUTHORS NAME WITH YOUR REFERENCE WITHIN THE
BODY OF TEXT, PRESENTING THEIR NAME, FOLLOWED BY THE YEAR OF
PUBLICATION OF THEIR WORK.


This can involve the author being part of the sentence, with the date of the publication
in brackets:

If you make a reference to a work or piece of research without mentioning the author in
the text, then the authors name and publication year are placed at the relevant point in
the sentence or placed at the end of the sentence in brackets.

If you have directly referred to more than one author in a sentence then you should cite
both their names.

When you do not directly cite more than one authors name in your text you should list
them at the relevant point in your sentence, putting the authors name and date of
publication separated by a semi-colon.

When you are citing a number of texts by the same author put the all the dates in
brackets. If there is more than one text from the same year use a and b annotation.



The international community must provide support to St. Vincent and The Grenadines in order to
minimise the risk of extinction to the Vincentian parrot. This view has been supported in the work of
Colmore (1993)
Socioeconomic benefits can be yielded from parrot conservation (Colmore, 1993)
Brown (1999) and Smith (2000) have both shown
Research on the finches of the Galapagos Islands (Brown, 1999; Smith, 2000) has lead to
In recent studies by Jones (2000a, 2000b, 2000c)
14
Please note: this is guide contains the most common sources required for
referencing. For a more comprehensive guide, or if you cannot find a particular source
outlined here, please visit:
http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/harvard_referencing.htm
IF YOU ARE DIRECTLY QUOTING A SOURCE

Ensure the quote is contained within quotation marks. The page number should
also be added after the date. Bear in mind that lengthy quotations are
discouraged.

With more than three authors:
If the author is anonymous, use the title of the source instead with the date of
Publication.

CITING WEB RESOURCES IN TEXT
Use the author, but if you cannot find the author use the organisation as the
author. If you cannot find the organisation either, use the title of the website.
Strains of algae to be used in biochemical research should be observed with the electron
microscope to detect the possible presence of an elusive bacterial contaminant (Kochert
and Olson, 1970: 477)
Cormack et al (1994: 32-33) suggest that when writing for a professional readership,
writers invariably make reference to already published works.
MULTIPLE AUTHORS

If you are quoting up to three authors for one source they should both be cited in
the text along with the date of the publication.
If you are quoting more than three authors for one source, only the first author
should be used, followed by 'et al' and then the date of publication.
Research by Smith, Jones and Brown (2002) has highlighted
This has been supported by further research into conservation (Bloggs et al, 2005)
15
Common error:
Not citing all the key papers
Independent Research Fellow
Flora and fauna of Britain has been transported to almost every corner of the globe since
colonial times (Plants and Animals of Britain, 1942: 8).
Journal articles from an electronic source should also include the word 'online',
the website address/URL and the date you accessed the source. The URL should
be underlined.
If you have only used the abstract, simply add in the words 'abstract only' after
The page numbers.
Author surname, initials. (Year) Title of article. Full Title of Journal, volume
number (issue/part number), page numbers.
JOURNALS
Sutherland, H. and Bickmore, A. B. (2009) Transcription factories: gene expression in
unions?. Nature Reviews Genetics, 10(7), pp.457-466.
Farley, S. J. (2010) Prostate Cancer: post-diagnosis diet and the risk of progression. Nature
Reviews Urology, [Online]. 7 (2), pp. 57-57.
Available at: http://www.nature.com/nrurol/journal/v7/n2/full/nrurol.2010.5.html
(16
th
February 2010).
BOOKS
For books with two, three or four authors the names should be included in the
order they appear in the document.
For books with more than four authors use the first author surname and initials
only followed by et al.
For e-books, the word 'e-book', the e-book source, the website address/URL and
the date you accessed the e-book should all be inserted. The URL should be
underlined.
Author surname, initials. (year) Title of book, Edition (only include this if its not
the first edition), Place: Publisher.
Gilbert, S. F. (2006) Developmental Biology, 8
th
ed, Sunderland(MA): Sinaeur.
Randall, D., Burggren, W. and French, K. (2000) Animal Physiology Mechanisms and
Adaptations. 4
th
ed. New York: Freeman.
Alberts, B. et al. (2003) Essential Cell Biology. 2
nd
ed. New York: Garland Science.
Alcamo, Edward. (1996) Microbiology. [e-book]. New York: Wiley.
Available at: Google Books http://books.google.com/books?
id=XLRwL4ud95AC&printsec=frontcover&dq [16 February 2010].
END-OF-TEXT REFERENCES
16
Authorship or source (year) Title of web document or web page. [Online]
Available: include website address/URL and [accessed date].
Artist surname, initials. (Year) Title of the work [material type]. In: author of
source. (Year). Title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher.
ORIGINATOR (year) Title of Image [Online image]. Available: website address/
URL. [Date accessed].
REFERENCES WITH MISSING DETAILS

Where there is no publication date, check the content and references to work out the
earliest likely date, where you have made an estimate you should place a c. before the
date, e.g. Smith (c.2001)
If you really cannot find the date of publication for the source you wish to reference,
follow the authors name with 'n.d.'
If you cannot identify the author, place or publisher write:
Anon (if author is anonymous or unidentifiable), s.I. (if there is no place of publication) and
s.n. (if there is no named publisher).
WEBSITES
Schroeder, T. E. (1979) The Sea Urchin Egg Cell Surface [Photograph]. In Gilbert, S.F. (2006).
Developmental Biology. 8
th
ed. Sunderland(MA): Sinaeur.
Within a book:
Online:
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Overview of the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment. [Online]
Available: http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/About.aspx#
[ 16
th
February 2010].
SCIENCEBLOGS (2006) Polar Bear [Online image] Available: http://scienceblogs.com/
strangerfruit/polarbear.jpg [ 15th June 2009].
Author surname, initials. (year) Title of article, Full Title of Newspaper, day and
month before page numbers and column line.
Online newspaper articles should have the word 'internet' inserted, the website
address/URL and the date you accessed the article.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
Lazzeri, A. (2010) 'Lie' cop ignored 100s of Maddie sightings, The Sun, 12

Feb, p.21.
Bell, G. (1990) Nelson Mandela strolls to freedom. Times Online, [internet] 12 Feb. Available:
http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol/archive/tol_archive/article7025421.ece
[ 16
th
February 2010].
17
IMAGES, PHOTOGRAPHS & DIAGRAMS

EXAMPLE USING FEEDBACK SHEET
18
ESSAY TITLE/
NUMBER
POSITIVE FEEDBACK:
WHAT I DID WELL
WHAT TO AVOID/WHAT
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
OTHER
COMMENTS
GRADE





Use this sheet to record your essay feedback from all essays in one place. You can use this sheet to
refer back to when writing your next essay in order to repeat what you do well and avoid previous
mistakes.
Comparing feedback with fellow students:
you can have two essays which end up with a first class mark, both at 70%, lets say,
because they have slightly different attributes. Combined you could be looking at an 80+
mark... looking at how someone else got their first will enable you to get a much higher
mark. There will be things that youve included that other people havent included

Teaching Fellow
MARK SCHEMES, WRITING PROTOCOL, FEEDBACK SHEETS
The BART homepage. Here you can print off your cover sheets.
http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/bart/
Exeter University Guide to Assignment presentation.
http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/assignment_presentation.htm
Useful forms such as deadline extension submissions and handing in instructions.
http://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/current/forms/
REFERENCING, WHERE TO FIND JOURNALS
Library support area for Biosciencesfinding books, journals and using the library.
http://as.exeter.ac.uk/library/using/help/biosciences/
Biosciences internet resources
http://as.exeter.ac.uk/library/using/help/biosciences/usingtheinternet/biosciencesinternetresources/
Key journal database for Biosciences
http://apps.isiknowledge.com
Further, in-depth, information on the Harvard Referencing system. Including how to reference CD
ROMS, dictionaries and lecture notes.
http://www.library.dmu.ac.uk/Images/Selfstudy/Harvard.pdf
Exeter University guide to the Harvard Referencing system
http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/harvard_referencing.htm
ESSAY GUIDES, ADVICE, HELP!
Purdue Online Writing Lab. An excellent resource with tips on academic writing,
grammar and punctuation.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Exeter University Guide to Writing Essays.
http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/essays.htm
Exeter University Essay Writing Workshop.
http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/Essay_workshop/essay-workshop-1-web.htm
Purdue Online Writing Lab. Tips on writing essays for exams with advice on style and technique.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/737/01/
This is a great guide on writing up all the different components of a lab report.
http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWtoc.html
Book:on essay writing: The Elements of style by William Shrunk Jr and E.B White
PAST PAPERS
Exeter University past paper resource: https://library.exeter.ac.uk/exampapers/


WHERE TO FIND USEFUL INFORMATION
19

1. Make sure you fully understand the marking criteria and what is
expected of you before you attempt your essay.

2. When writing a new essay, look over your last essay with the
feedback, pick out the good points and repeat these, pick out the errors
and bad points and make sure you don't repeat these!

3. Answer the question asked, not what you want the question to be.
Take your time to really analyze what the question is asking you to do,
e.g. describe, compare or discuss?

4. Plan! Making a detailed plan will provide structure and flow to your
essay, help to keep answering the question throughout. In an exam, if
you do happen to run out of time, your plan will show the marker all the
points you were trying to cover.

5. Make sure you get your basic facts right to then build your
discussions around. For those top marks you must bring in some original
thought.

6. Intersperse extra reading within your lecture notes. This will make
revision and recalling references in the exam easier.

7. When revising for exams, make lots of essay plans from past
papers rather than writing lots of essays.

8. In your exams, dont panic! Use your time wisely5-10 minutes to
plan, 5 minutes to check through and correct anything at the end.

9. If you don't understand something or why you got a certain mark,
go and see your tutor or essay marker! They will be able to give you
personal feedback and advice for your next essay.

10. Follow up your feedbackmake notes from any verbal
feedback, and work out where you made mistakes so to prevent it
happening next time.
10 TOP TIPS!
20
NOTES

21
This booklet has been created by Biosciences students involved in the Students as
Agents for Change in Learning and Teaching project 2009/10.

The guide has been created by students, for students, to help them develop their
essay writing skills, provide information on referencing and marking schemes, and
provide tips for writing good quality essays for both coursework and
examinations.
For more information on Students as Agents for Change, please contact Liz Dunne,
Education Enhancement.
E.J.Dunne@Exeter.ac.uk
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/as/changeagents
Booklet created by:

Biosciences Students:
Alessandra Bittante
Thomas Clarke
Kirsty Clemow
Emily Malbon
Charlotte Mardon

Students as Agents for Change Project Co-ordinator:
Harriet Whewell

With special thanks to:
Nicky King from Biosciences, for all her help and support throughout the project.
All of the lecturers and academic staff that contributed to the booklet.


For more information about this booklet, please contact Nicky King.
n.c.king@exeter.ac.uk

Education
Enhancement