BIOSCIENCES

ESSAY WRITING GUIDE WRITTEN BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS

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

FEEDBACK

REFERENCING
Think beyond the basic requirements of the questions to how it impacts on other areas or situations.

EXAMS

PLANNING

A good essay will review a good selection of papers and critically evaluate the literature.

OUTSIDE READING

WRITING

STRUCTURE

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

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

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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2 4 5 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 19 20

HOW TO INTERPRET THE MARK SCHEME

ESSAY MARKING CRITERIA
Criterion 1 1 1 2.1 2.2 3 Marginal Clear fail 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) 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)

++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++

+ + + ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++

(+) (+) (+) ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ KEY: ++ Criterion completely satisfied + Criterion satisfied at least in part (+) Criterion may be partly satisfied + or (+) + ++ + ++ + ++ ++ ++ (+) + (+) + (+) + + ++

(+) (+) (+) (+) (+) + + (+) + + + (+)

(+)

(+)

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

ESSAY MARKING DESCRIPTION

Class Range Description

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. 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.

80-89

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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Very poor fail. Virtually no evidence that the question's requirements have been understood and/or relevant content virtually absent. Complete fail. No evidence that the question's requirements have been understood and no relevant content.

2.1

65-69

60-64

2.2

55-59

50-54

45-49

40-44

35-39

25-34

15-24

1-14 0

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

STRUCTURING AN ESSAY
PLANNING READ THE QUESTION
"Answering the question and not what you want the question to say is Its all too easy to write an awful lot of information, but a really easy way of getting the not actually answer the essay question. Students are often right set of marks the first to admit to waffling in their essays Teaching Fellow 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. 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

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?

WRITING 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?

Be concise, one idea per sentence will do

Lecturer

Many students don't see the value of an introduction in setting out their understanding of the topic in overview
Senior lecturer

MAIN BODY
Each paragraph should focus on a different point under discussion and have Its own introductory and concluding sentence. Make it very clear how your point and evidence link to the essay question. Here you need to create your discussion and argument. 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).

The books, articles and research material that you read for your essay provide the evidence needed to back up your points.

Explain how and why this evidence supports your point and what you think of it (your own interpretation and critical thinking).

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

CONCLUSION
This should be a summary of your argument.

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?

Actually, a fairly short essay with relatively sparing factual material can climb up the mark scheme if it includes intelligent evaluation Senior Lecturer

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.

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

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

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.

Be specific: dont make sweeping generalisations or points that are difficult to support with specific evidence. Tie your argument to precise examples and research.

SOME OTHER TIPS

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

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

Interpret the evidence: explain how and why the evidence supports your point.

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

PRESENTING YOUR ESSAY HOW SHOULD MY WORK BE PRESENTED?

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.
Essay stapled together. No loose sheets! Printed onto single-sided A4 paper

Word processed

Times New Roman or Arial font

Font size 12

3cm margins

1.5 line spacing

Font style and size consistent throughout essay

Scientific names in italics and italics not used for any other purpose

I would also say that if you can use diagrams to explain something, do it. Its and punctuation. Tutors will frown upon poorly proof read much easier than trying to describe it work. If you would like to brush up on or learn more Spell-check your work and check your use of grammar about grammar and punctuation see the link below for the Purdue Online Writing Lab. Teaching Fellow

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.

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. Taking a little longer to think through the question carefully
before starting is a very good idea Lecturer

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. 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

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.
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

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. POINT EVIDENCE ANALYSIS REFERENCE

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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!!

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HOW TO REFERENCE CORRECTLY

WHAT COUNTS AS EXTRA READING?
Deeper biology than what was given in the lectures, or a different example which gives the same results then cite it!
Lecturer

It's really easy to spot compared to my lecture material, which I know well I expect virtually each declarative sentence to be referenced, as would normally be the case in any published review.
Senior Lecturer Senior lecturer

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 modules will have textbooks that are highly relevant for extra reading due to the nature of the research in their disciplines.

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

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THE HARVARD REFERENCING SYSTEM

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: BOOKS
Authors or editors name Year the book was published Book Title

JOURNALS
Authors name Year the journal was published Article Title

ELECTRONIC SOURCES
Try to record the same details as with books and journals plus: Date you accessed the source Electronic address or email Type of electronic resource (web page, email etc.)

The edition (if not 1st edition) Journal Title City where published Publisher Page numbers of article Journal details; Volume, issue number

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.

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IN-TEXT REFERENCES
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 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. 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)

This can involve the author being part of the sentence, with the date of the publication in brackets: Socioeconomic benefits can be yielded from parrot conservation (Colmore, 1993) 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 Brown (1999) and Smith (2000) have both shown 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. Research on the finches of the Galapagos Islands (Brown, 1999; Smith, 2000) has lead to 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. In recent studies by Jones (2000a, 2000b, 2000c) 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.

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MULTIPLE AUTHORS

Common error: Not citing all the key papers Independent Research Fellow

If you are quoting up to three authors for one source they should both be cited in Research by Smith, Jones and Brown (2002) has highlighted the text along with the date of the publication. If you are quoting more than three authors for one source, only the first author This has been supported by further research into conservation (Bloggs et al, 2005)

should be used, followed by 'et al' and then the date of publication. 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. 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)

With more than three authors: Cormack et al (1994: 32-33) suggest that when writing for a professional readership, writers invariably make reference to already published works. If the author is anonymous, use the title of the source instead with the date of Publication. 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).

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.

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END-OF-TEXT REFERENCES

BOOKS 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, 8th ed, Sunderland(MA): Sinaeur. For books with two, three or four authors the names should be included in the order they appear in the document. Randall, D., Burggren, W. and French, K. (2000) Animal Physiology Mechanisms and Adaptations. 4th ed. New York: Freeman. For books with more than four authors use the first author surname and initials only followed by et al. Alberts, B. et al. (2003) Essential Cell Biology. 2nd ed. New York: Garland Science. 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. 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]. JOURNALS Author surname, initials. (Year) Title of article. Full Title of Journal, volume number (issue/part number), page numbers. Sutherland, H. and Bickmore, A. B. (2009) Transcription factories: gene expression in unions?. Nature Reviews Genetics, 10(7), pp.457-466. 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. 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 (16th February 2010). If you have only used the abstract, simply add in the words 'abstract only' after The page numbers.

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NEWSPAPER ARTICLES Author surname, initials. (year) Title of article, Full Title of Newspaper, day and month before page numbers and column line. Lazzeri, A. (2010) 'Lie' cop ignored 100s of Maddie sightings, The Sun, 12 Feb, p.21. Online newspaper articles should have the word 'internet' inserted, the website address/URL and the date you accessed the article. 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 [ 16th February 2010]. WEBSITES Authorship or source (year) Title of web document or web page. [Online] Available: include website address/URL and [accessed date]. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Overview of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. [Online] Available: http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/About.aspx# [ 16th February 2010]. Within a book: IMAGES, PHOTOGRAPHS & DIAGRAMS

Artist surname, initials. (Year) Title of the work [material type]. In: author of source. (Year). Title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher. Schroeder, T. E. (1979) The Sea Urchin Egg Cell Surface [Photograph]. In Gilbert, S.F. (2006). Developmental Biology. 8th ed. Sunderland(MA): Sinaeur. Online: ORIGINATOR (year) Title of Image [Online image]. Available: website address/ URL. [Date accessed]. SCIENCEBLOGS (2006) Polar Bear [Online image] Available: http://scienceblogs.com/ strangerfruit/polarbear.jpg [ 15th June 2009]. 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).

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EXAMPLE USING FEEDBACK SHEET

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.

ESSAY TITLE/ NUMBER

POSITIVE FEEDBACK: WHAT I DID WELL

WHAT TO AVOID/WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

OTHER COMMENTS

GRADE

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

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Teaching Fellow

WHERE TO FIND USEFUL INFORMATION

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. Useful forms such as deadline extension submissions and handing in instructions. http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/assignment_presentation.htm http://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/current/forms/ REFERENCING, WHERE TO FIND JOURNALS

Library support area for Biosciencesfinding books, journals and using the library. Biosciences internet resources Key journal database for Biosciences

http://as.exeter.ac.uk/library/using/help/biosciences/ http://as.exeter.ac.uk/library/using/help/biosciences/usingtheinternet/biosciencesinternetresources/ 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. Exeter University Guide to Writing Essays. Exeter University Essay Writing Workshop. Purdue Online Writing Lab. Tips on writing essays for exams with advice on style and technique. This is a great guide on writing up all the different components of a lab report. Book:on essay writing: The Elements of style by William Shrunk Jr and E.B White

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/essays.htm http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/Essay_workshop/essay-workshop-1-web.htm http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/737/01/ http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWtoc.html

PAST PAPERS Exeter University past paper resource: https://library.exeter.ac.uk/exampapers/

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10 TOP TIPS!
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.

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NOTES

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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.

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

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

Education Enhancement