SCHOOL OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

MANAGEMENT ESSAY STYLE GUIDE

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Prepared by: Dr. Tracy Berno and Dawn Gibson (2006).

Revised by: Dawn Gibson

School of Tourism and Hospitality Management
Faculty of Business and Economics
The University of the South Pacific
Suva, Fiji Islands.

July, 2010
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 4 
Why do you need to write essays? ..................................................................................................... 4

WHERE DO I START? BEGINNING YOUR ESSAY........................................................................ 5 

Words commonly used in essay questions ........................................................................................ 6 
Gathering information ........................................................................................................................ 7 
Where do you get additional information? Library reference material ............................................. 8 
Reading Journal articles: How to get the most from the work you do .............................................. 9 
Turning your ideas and research into an essay ................................................................................ 10 
Giving your essay a structure........................................................................................................... 10

PRESENTATION OF YOUR WORK ................................................................................................ 12 

Presentation is important.................................................................................................................. 12 
Instructions for presentation ............................................................................................................ 12 
Helpful hints for good presentation ................................................................................................. 13 
Common presentation and grammatical errors ................................................................................ 16

REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................... 17 
Referencing ...................................................................................................................................... 17 
Why you should acknowledge your sources .................................................................................... 17 
Referencing in the text of your essay ............................................................................................... 18 
Referencing different types of sources ............................................................................................ 23

WHAT ELSE MIGHT YOU CONSIDER WHEN DOING YOUR ASSIGNMENTS? .................... 31 
Notes on other types of assignments ................................................................................................ 31

SCHOOL OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT POLICIES ............................... 33 

School of Tourism and Hospitality Plagiarism Policy ..................................................................... 33 
School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Late Assignment Policy ..................................... 34 
School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Extension Policy ................................................ 35

FURTHER READING AND SOURCES THAT MAY HELP........................................................... 36 

School of Tourism and Hospitality Management assessment schedule for written assignments .... 37 
School of Tourism and Hospitality Management General Guide to the Grading of Essays ........... 38

MARKS AND GRADES..................................................................................................................... 39 

Example of a title page ........................................................................................................................ 40 
Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................ 43 
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Tourism and Hospitality Management Programme! We are pleased that you have
chosen to study with us and we look forward to working with you over the next few years.

You will soon find that a major component of your assessment in the Tourism and Hospitality
Management Programme involves written work, particularly the writing of essays. For many of you,
this will be a new experience.

These notes are designed to help you with the presentation of your written work in the Tourism and
Hospitality Management Programme. These guidelines focus on key issues involved in presenting
written work, particularly essays. You may find this booklet does not answer all your questions or
address all the issues that may arise. In the USP library you will find several books, (listed towards
the end of this guide), which focus on essay writing and presenting written work. You are
encouraged to consult these if you need additional information. Staff at Student Learning Support are
also available to help you if you are having problems with written work.

WHY DO YOU NEED TO WRITE ESSAYS?

The main reason for writing essays is to help you learn. Thinking about an essay topic, doing
research in the library and writing your essay are all excellent ways to better understand a subject.
You will soon discover that there is usually no single right or wrong answer for an essay. More
commonly, an essay requires you to be critical - to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of one or
more points of view and to evaluate those ideas. Almost any answer is acceptable if you can provide
solid evidence to support your point of view.

Students often wonder what a "good" essay looks like. Jones and Grant (1991, p. 7) identify several
features as being central to a well-written essay.

A good essay:

• Answers the question that was asked;

• Presents a convincing, well supported argument;
• Has a good logical structure;
• Contains good examples that support your argument;
• Uses concepts correctly and appropriately; and
• Is well presented (e.g., correct format, grammar and spelling, legible text).
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WHERE DO I START? BEGINNING YOUR ESSAY

Different lecturers approach essays in different ways. You may be given a choice of topics or you
may be given a specific topic or question that you are to address. When you are given the opportunity
to choose your own essay topic, try to come up with a topic that relates to what you are interested in,
to your past experiences or to some future plans. You are more likely to do a good job if you are
working on something you are interested in. It is also important to focus your topic carefully. You
want to make sure that it is neither too broad nor too narrow in its scope. It also pays to think about
the availability of resources. Will you be able to get enough information to write the essay? It may be
helpful once you have chosen a topic, to check with your lecturer that it is appropriate and meets the
requirements for the assignment.

Once you have a topic (whether it was a given topic or one you chose), think carefully about it. Make
sure you understand the question or requirements of the assignment before you start to collect your
information. Look for words in the question that indicate what is required. If you find you do not
really understand the question, talk to your classmates, tutor or lecturer.

The writing process: The steps you should follow for a successful essay (Troyka,
1999)

• PLANNING - gather ideas and think about the focus of your essay

• SHAPING - consider how you will organise your information

• DRAFTING - write your ideas down in draft form

• REVISING - evaluate your draft and re-write it by cutting, replacing,

moving and recasting material

• EDITING - check the technical correctness of your grammar, spelling,

punctuation and mechanics

• PROOFREADING - read your final copy for any remaining errors

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WORDS COMMONLY USED IN ESSAY QUESTIONS

Often an essay question will contain specific words that you need to pay particular attention to, as
they indicate the standard and expectations of your lecturer. Below is a list of commonly used terms.

The following is a list of commonly used words and their meanings (Troyka, 1999).

Separate something into parts and then discuss the parts and their
Analyse
meanings.

Make clear by giving a definition of key terms and by using examples to

Clarify
illustrate it.

Classify Arrange into groups on the basis of common characteristics.

Compare and
Show similarities and differences.
contrast

Give your opinion, based on your analysis, of the strengths and

Criticise
weaknesses of something.

State precisely what something is, thereby differentiating it from similar

Define
things.

Describe Explain features to make clear an object, procedure or event.

Discuss Consider as many elements as possible relevant to an issue or event.

Give your opinion, based on your analysis, about the importance of

Evaluate
something.

Explain Make clear something that needs to be understood or interpreted.

Illustrate Give examples of something.

Interpret Explain the meaning of something.

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Justify Show or prove that something is valid or correct.

Outline Give the main points.

Present evidence that cannot be proven false logically or with other

Prove
evidence.

Relate Show the connections between two or more things.

Review Evaluate or summarise something critically.

Show Point out or demonstrate something.

Suggest Offer some explanation why.

Summarise Identify the major points of something.

Support Argue in favour of something.

GATHERING INFORMATION
Once you have decided what the essay question is asking, or what the focus of your particular topic
is, you can start to gather your information. You are interested only in material that addresses the
topic and helps you build your argument. You should not dump everything you know about a topic
on paper. It is important that you read before you start writing. Your essay must be based on
what you have read and not just on your personal opinions. If your lecturer has recommended some
readings - do them. If you need to get additional information, which is likely, you will need to go to
the library.
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WHERE DO YOU GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? LIBRARY REFERENCE

MATERIAL
To gather information for your essay, you will need to do some research in the library. The library
holds a wealth of information, but it takes a bit of time and practice to learn how to access all the
resources that the library has to offer. Below are some types of information held in the USP library
that you may wish to use to find information for your essays.

The library’s OPAC, CD ROM data bases and abstracts are three systems that are useful for finding
information. You should ask in the library to find out how to use these and other resources. The
library often holds courses and workshops to learn how to use these valuable tools - keep an eye out
for them and attend them if you can. In addition to all the books in the library, it is a good idea to
learn how to find your way around the serials (journals and similar collections) section of the library,
particularly for 200 and 300 level assignments. Journals can usually offer information that is more up
to date. Below is a list some sources of information in the library you may wish to consult when
doing research for your essay.

• Newspapers and Popular Press (e.g., newsletters, community papers).

Definition: Material of general and wide interest that is not research-based.
Examples: The Fiji Times and The Fiji Sun.

• Journalistic-type serials
Definition: Journalistic-type serials usually interpret academic writing, summarise it or
present views rather than presenting original research.
Examples: New Internationalist, Pacific Islands Monthly, Time Magazine

• Academic Journals
Definition: Journals with a strong research base that are generally refereed by two
or more experts in the field. Academic journals follow a set format and include
full referencing.

The list of references at the end of an article in an academic journal is also a

good source for finding more information on your topic.
Examples: Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, Pacific
Tourism Review
• Conference Proceedings
Definition: A publication that comprises a collection of papers that were presented at a
conference. They are usually all related to a central theme (for example,
ecotourism in the Pacific). Conference proceedings may appear on the book
shelves or be held in the serials section depending on their frequency.
Example: Bushell, R. (ed.) Tourism Research: Proceedings from the
Australian Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference.
Canberra: Bureau of Tourism Research.
• Abstracts and Indices
Definition: These are summaries of journal articles that have appeared in journals a
particular discipline during a set period of time. For example, the
Psychological Abstracts list all of the articles that have appeared in
psychology journals. Abstracts and indices appear in printed form in the serials
section of the library, or can be found on CD ROM Databases.
Examples: Psychological Abstracts, PsychLIT
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• Other Source of Information

There are other ways of finding the information you need. For example,
reviewing the reference list at the end of a journal article or book chapter,
checking the contents pages of bound editions of journals and checking the
current issues display in the library are all good ways of finding additional
information.

READING JOURNAL ARTICLES: HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM

THE WORK YOU DO
Your lecturers will be keen for you to refer to what are called "primary sources" for your essays,
particularly at the 200 and 300 level. Consulting a primary source means going to the original journal
article on a topic, rather than relying on summarised information in a book chapter or summary
article. Initially, you will find that it takes practice to read journal articles effectively. Here are some
techniques that may make your reading easier:

1. Read the abstract and introduction first. The abstract outlines and summarises the paper and the
main findings of the study. The introduction tells you what will be discussed.

2. Read the conclusion. The conclusion briefly summarises what the authors found.

3. Read the headings and the first sentence of each paragraph. The headings in an article provide
a brief summary of the contents. The first sentence of each paragraph will usually summarise the
content of each paragraph. If this does not appear to be the case in the article you have, check the
last line in each paragraph. Some authors summarise their paragraph here instead.

4. Once you know what is in the article, you can go back and re-read the parts that are relevant to
your essay.

5. You may find it helpful to photocopy the article(s) so you can highlight important parts and/or
make notes on it as you read. If you do not have your own personal copy of an article, make sure
that you take accurate notes as you go along, and do not forget to copy down the exact reference
information so you know where your notes have come from!

Note: You should always try to find information from a range of sources. You can use newspaper or
magazine articles, but basing your whole essay on a newspaper article is very risky (they are often
wrong!). You should also question how the writer found their information and how they reached their
conclusions. This is called 'reading critically'. This means that you need to think about what you are
reading and ask yourself some key questions:

• How do you know that your material is true?

• What evidence does the author present in support of their argument? and,
• Is their argument based on good quality research or on personal opinion?

In a university setting, many of your old sources of information (e.g., your family and friends,
newspapers, general things that everyone “just knows”) are not enough to base your essay on. At
university, you should always be questioning the quality and source of information that you are
given.
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TURNING YOUR IDEAS AND RESEARCH INTO AN ESSAY

Before you start writing you must have some idea of what you want to say. This means that you need
to get organised before you start writing. You should be able to note down the answer to the question
in a few sentences. If you cannot, then you may need to read and/or think more about the topic. Once
you can write a brief answer to the question, you have the basis of an essay. What you need to do
now is go back and show the reader how you came to that conclusion.

Imagine you have been asked to write an essay defining 'tourism'. After reading several articles and
chapters, you come to the conclusion there is no single definition of tourism - tourism means
different things in different contexts. This is the idea that will form the basis of your essay. Now you
must show your reader how you came to that conclusion. For example, you might have read six
articles and chapters, each of which used a different definition of tourism. You must summarise that
same information for your reader and lead them to the same conclusion. You might outline the
definition used by each author and discuss how it was different or similar to other definitions,
showing your reader that there are many definitions of tourism. However, since you were asked to
define tourism for yourself, it is not enough to stop there. The second part of the process is to explain
what you liked or disliked about each definition and why. From here, you must argue for your own
definition of tourism based on your earlier discussion and analysis.

GIVING YOUR ESSAY A STRUCTURE

Writing an essay is not just a matter of sitting down and putting your ideas on paper. Your essay
needs an overall structure. The structure of an academic essay is relatively standard and includes:

• An introduction;
• A discussion (or body); and
• A conclusion

There is an old saying about essays that might help you with your planning:

"Tell them what you're going to say; tell them; and then tell them what you said".

This corresponds with the introduction (tell them what you are going to say in the essay); tell them
(the body of the essay); tell them what you said (summarise the key points in the conclusion).

• The Introduction
Every essay should start with an introduction in which you explain the aims of the essay/assignment,
and inform the reader how you are going to answer the question in the remainder of your essay. In
essence, the introduction should provide a 'picture' of what the essay is going to look like.

• The Discussion or Body

The discussion expands on the points you identified in the introduction. You should work logically
through each point building your argument as you go along. Identify each point you wish to make,
decide where it fits best into your argument and say it only once. If you find you are repeating the
same ideas through the essay it means you have not organised and structured your answer well.
Sometimes it can be helpful to write a brief outline of what you want to say, and use that to guide
your writing.
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As you present your discussion, it is important to evaluate things critically. Your discussion will
require some background descriptive material to place your essay in context. However, description
alone is seldom enough. You must tell the reader why the information is important to your essay.

• The Conclusion
After you have presented all the points you want to make, it is time to draw your essay to a close. In
the conclusion, you should review the major points that you made and show how they led to your
conclusions. Tell the reader what you have said, why you said it and what it tells you about the
question.

Do not introduce any new material in the conclusion that has not been discussed in the body of your
essay. If you have a new idea that is important to your argument, go back to the body of the essay
and discuss it there. Do not just add it into the conclusion.

The whole point of an essay is to communicate information to the reader. The way you organise your
information can be as important as the information itself. If your writing is unclear and confusing
you will not get your message across.

In writing your essay, try to:

• Say exactly what you mean and avoid being vague;

• Make each point as clearly and concisely; and

• Pay close attention to paragraphs, sentence structure, spelling and punctuation.

You will find that you will need to write at least one draft of your essay first. Read through your draft
carefully keeping the points above in mind. Make any necessary changes or corrections to your draft
and then re-read it again. You may find it helpful to get someone else to read through your draft as
well. When you feel that you have a solid, well-written draft essay, it is time to prepare it for final
presentation. How to present written assignments in the School of Tourism and Hospitality
Management is detailed in the next section.
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PRESENTATION OF YOUR WORK

This section outlines presentation requirements for essays written for the Tourism and Hospitality
Management programme. The requirements are there to assist you in structuring your written work
and to make handling essays easier for tutors and markers. Remember that some of our classes have
more than 100 people in them, so sorting and marking assignments is a big job! There are several
things in terms of presentation of your work that you can do to make our job of marking your
assignments easier. You might also be interested to know that research has shown that if you present
your work well, it can change your mark by up to 10 per cent!

PRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT
1. All assignments must be typed using a computer and submitted to Turnitin for a Plagiarism scan.
Use a plain font (Times New Roman is a good one) and font size 12. Print your work out on
white paper. This makes your work easier to read. Work that cannot be read will not be marked.

2. In the case of examinations, if you have to handwrite your assignment, make sure your
handwriting is as clear and legible as possible. Use dark blue or black ink on white, lined paper
and do not use pencil (it can be very hard to read and is prone to smudging).

3. Avoid unnecessary decoration. A 'fancy' cover-page is acceptable, but please keep the body of
your essay plain and simple in presentation.

4. The presentation of your essay should be professional, easy to follow and set out according to the
following guidelines (which are based on those in the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association). If you are in any doubt, or there is something that is not covered in
this booklet, check in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association which
is available in the reference section in the library (call number BF76.7P.82 1994), or ask your
lecturer or tutor for clarification.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRESENTATION

The following formatting instructions are how the School recommends you present your essay:

• Use white A4 size paper;

• Use normal margins on the paper;

• Write on only one side of the page;

• Typed essays should use double or 1.5 spacing;

• Use font size 12 point (Times New Roman font is preferred).

• Proof-read your work for mistakes as marks may be deducted for spelling mistakes and
grammatical errors (read it aloud or have a friend read it, you will pick up many mistakes this
way).
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• Essays are an example of formal written English. You should therefore avoid the use of
abbreviations, unnecessary lists, contractions (such as can’t, won’t etc.), and informal speech.

• Prepare a title (front) page that includes:

1. The name of the course;

2. The title and/or number of the assignment;

3. Your student ID number;

4. The date of submission, and, where appropriate, your tutor and your tutorial group;

5. Check whether you should include your name on the title page (some lecturers prefer to
mark 'blind');

6. Make sure your title page is on the front of your essay;

7. Staple your essay on the top left hank corner or have it bound.

A sample title page is presented on page 35 for your information.

Make a copy of your essay, if it is handwritten, or keep a copy on disk, if you are using a computer.
Essays occasionally go missing, or are misplaced, so it pays to keep a copy. You are strongly
encouraged to use the computers, as a copy of an essay on disk (which shows the date and time at
which you last saved the file) is evidence that your essay was, in fact, completed by the time it was
due. Using the computer is also useful if your spelling or grammar is not good because you can cut
down your mistakes by using “spell-check” and "grammar-check".

If you are uncertain about using the word-processing packages on the computers at USP, make
use of the courses run by the Library and Student Learning Support that teach you how to use
them.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR GOOD PRESENTATION

• Sentence Structure
Use complete sentences. A sentence is a statement that stands on its own. An example of a complete
sentence would be “I went fishing”. Note, however, that “Although I went fishing” is no longer a
complete sentence.

Avoid the use of long wordy sentences. They are often very difficult to read and often indicate
disorganised thought. Also, as your sentences get longer there is also more risk that they will not be
grammatically correct.
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• Paragraphs

As a general rule:

1. Paragraphs discuss only one topic.

2. Paragraphs are more than one sentence long.
3. The first sentence should summarise the content of the paragraph.
4. The next part comprises the body of the paragraph. These sentences explain why the
information that you have given is important.
5. A paragraph often finishes with a linking sentence to link into the next paragraph (this
ensures a good 'flow' from paragraph to paragraph).
.
• Headings
The Tourism and Hospitality Management Programme recommends the use of headings to help
organise and define the structure of your essay, but their use is optional. If you use them, make sure
that your headings match the material that follows them.

• Labelling Tables and Figures

Tables are a good way of summarising information, highlighting important points and lending
support to an essay. Tables do not replace text. They complement it. All tables should have a title or
caption. Table titles should appear above the table to which they refer. Underline or italicise the title
for the table but not the table number.

Table 1. World's top tourist destinations, 2007.

Rank Country International tourist arrivals

1. France 79.3 million
2. United States 58.0 million
3. Spain 57.3 million
4. China 53.0 million
5. Italy 42.7 million
6. United Kingdom 30.1 million
7. Ukraine 25.4 million
8. Turkey 25.0 million
9. Germany 24.9 million
10. Mexico 22.6 million
(UNWTO, 2009).
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Figures can include a chart, graph, photograph, drawing or other depiction (such as a cartoon for
example). A figure title should appear below the figure and contain a brief and accurate explanation
of the figure. For figure captions, use capitals only for the first letter of the caption and any proper
names that appear in the caption.

Figure 1. Does tourism earn foreign exchange? (Tourism Concern, n.d.).

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COMMON PRESENTATION AND GRAMMATICAL ERRORS

• Apostrophes
Apostrophes are used in two different situations in English:

1. To indicate a missing part of a word.

For example: don’t, won’t, can’t, it’s.

These types of words are called contractions and should not be used in formal written work.
That means you should always write these words in full: for example, do not, will not, cannot,
it is.

2. To show possession. In this case, the apostrophe follows the name of the person or thing to which
the possession belongs.

For example: The dog's bone: a bone that belongs to the dog,
The author’s paper: the paper that belongs to the author,
Suva's water supply: the water supply belonging to Suva.

Things can also belong to more than one entity, so:

Cats’ milk: the milk that belongs to a number of cats;

Authors’ papers: papers that belong to the authors;
People’s choices: choices that belong to a number of people;
The cities’ plans: the plans that belong to a number of different cities.

Note: Be careful when using “its.” It’s always means “it is”. If you want to indicate a possession
belong to it, always use its. This is a very common error that drives lecturers crazy!

• Other Punctuation
It's important to pay attention to your use of full-stops, commas, colons and semi-colons. If you are
not absolutely sure about how to use these things, then please make sure you check on them, and if
necessary, get some help from CELT or a tutor. A good reference you may wish to consult is Troyka,
L. Q. (1999). Simon & Schuster handbook for writers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. This is
available in the library, call number PE 1408 .G8.
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• Lists
In essay format, it is generally better to avoid using lists. The whole idea of an essay is to write about
things and not just list or describe them. For example, the list below is not appropriate in an essay:

Tourism can be seen in terms of:

1. time;
2. distance; and
3. experience.
It is better to say the same thing in paragraph format, for example:
Tourism can be seen in terms of time, distance and experience.
If your essay has many lists, it may indicate that your essay is too descriptive with not enough critical
analysis.

REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
REFERENCING
Referencing is very important in academic work. You reference for three reasons:
1. to acknowledge someone else’s ideas;
2. to provide support for your argument; and
3. so you can find that information again if you need it.
In academic writing you must show the source of your information, otherwise, you may be subject to
disciplinary action.

WHY YOU SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR SOURCES

1. If you do not acknowledge the sources of your information, you are pretending that they are
your own.

2. When a University gives you a pass in an assignment or course, or grants you a qualification,
the University is certifying a certain standard of knowledge and skills. If you have stolen
someone else's work, you may not have reached the expected standard, and you may not even
be able to do the work expected of you. This lowers your reputation as well as the reputation
of the University.

3. When you do an essay, assignment or research project, you may contribute valuable
information and ideas to the general pool of knowledge about the subject. Your information
and insights may help other people, just as the information and insights may have helped you.
When you help other people, you like your help to be acknowledged, even in a very small
way. Other people like to have their help acknowledged as well.

4. Your tutors and examiners are looking for evidence of reading and research. When you
acknowledge your sources, you provide this evidence. Your tutors and examiners (and others
who read your work) are looking also at the quality of your reading, understanding and
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research. When you acknowledge your sources, you help these people to judge whether your
sources are good ones; whether you have interpreted or quoted them correctly; and whether
you have built on the sources to produce new or interesting ideas and facts.

5. Acknowledging your sources helps other people to identify and use these sources and as such
contributes to the general pool of knowledge. When you acknowledge your sources, you
become part of the vast and ancient community of scholars, each building on and
acknowledging the work of others. Therefore, you may and should read the works of other
people; talk to people about their work and ideas; and develop your own work from all of
these. But you should ALWAYS acknowledge these sources.

The referencing guidelines here are taken from the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (APA) (1995). This is a very commonly used referencing system, and is
the one you should use for your written work in the Tourism and Hospitality Management
Programme.

Please note that some lecturers prefer other (non-APA) systems for referencing. You must
always follow the referencing system preferred by your lecturer, but if no preference has been stated
then you may want to use the format presented in this guide.

REFERENCING IN THE TEXT OF YOUR ESSAY

Referencing is used in the essay text to show where you have used other people’s finding or ideas, or
to indicate a source of support for your argument. Look closely at the position of commas and full-
stops in the examples that follow.

• Paraphrased Material
You may have paraphrased from the work or ideas of another author, i.e., you have summarised
someone closely from their piece of work which you have read. If you are summarising someone’s
argument and you include their name in the sentence, you would write:

“Smith (1994) argued that…" (always use the past tense). If you do not use their name in the
sentence you would write: “It has been argued (Smith, 1994) that…”.
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• Quotations: Direct Quotes

Sometimes, you may copy exactly what the author wrote. This is called a direct quote and must be
referenced using the author’s surname followed by a comma, the date of publication followed by a
comma, the lower case letter p. (or pp. for multiple pages), followed by a full stop to indicate page, a
space, and the page number(s), all in parentheses (brackets).

An example of a proper direct quotation reference is: (Smith, 1989, pp. 21-22).

Short quotes (those of approximately three lines or less) should be incorporated into the text. The
beginning and end of short quote is marked by double quotation marks.

An example of this is as follows: "Just as today, early tourism was facilitated by external, often
publicly funded developments" (Brown, 1998, p. 9).

If the quoted material amounts to more than 40 words, it is a long quote. Long quotes should begin
on a new line and be indented from the left margin. The entire quotation should be typed double or
1.5 spaced. Omit quotation marks. For example:

Similarly, distinctions are made within forms of tourism, such as package holidays. Some
people believe that certain destinations are not suitable or are too 'touristy' and so a fortnight's
holiday in, say, the Seychelles may be perceived to be better than two weeks on Majorca; the
two products are, in effect, the same, the primary difference being the cost (Sharpley, 1994, p.
67).

• Suspected Mistakes in a Direct Quote

A direct quote must be copied exactly as it is shown in the text. Spelling and punctuation must be
copied exactly when quoting, even if there is a mistake. If you think errors exist in the spelling or
grammar used in a quote you should indicate the error is not your own. The word (sic) in italics, in
parentheses immediately after the mistake shows the mistake was in the original work.

For example, “the first plain (sic) carrying tourists landed at the airport in 1977”.
• Use of a Partial Quotation
You may only want to use part of a sentence or combine the content of two sentences from a piece of
work. Leaving out of material from the original is shown by an ellipsis, which comprises three
spaced dots (…). Use four dots to indicate any omission between sentences.

For example, "Simply put, all tourists…can always find someone more touristy than themselves to
sneer at" (Sharpley, 1994, p. 67).
 20

• Adding to a Direct Quotation

You might wish to add words into a quoted passage so it makes sense to your reader. Square brackets
[ ] are used to mark off a work or phrase that is inserted and is not part of the original text.

For example: "…the absence of commoditisation [is] a crucial consideration in judgements of

authenticity" (Cohen, 1988, p. 36).

• Referencing for Labelling of Pictures, Figures and Tables

If you copy tables or pictures or other kinds of figures, this is exactly the same as a direct quote and
you must reference your source and include a page number.

A figure showing the tourist area life cycle might be labelled as: Figure 1. The tourist area life cycle
(Source: Butler, 1980, p.7).

• Use of More than One Article by the Same Author in the Same Year
If you use two or more articles by the same author that were published in the same year you need to
use an additional code so you can tell them apart. You should add a lower case letter (e.g., Smith,
1988a; Smith 1988b) both in the text and in your references. Determine which article comes first in
the reference list by listing them alphabetically by title.

• Use of One Person’s Ideas Cited in the Work of Another

If you read something Emanuel deKadt wrote in a book by Valene Smith it is referenced as: (deKadt,
1976; cited in Smith, 1989). When you do this, only the reference by Smith appears in your reference
list. The use of this type of reference is discouraged, however as students should access the original
source ("primary source") whenever possible.

• Referencing Reports, Plans, etc, Produced by an Organisation

If you are referencing a report written by and organisation, rather than a sole author, use the name of
the organisation as your reference in the text of your essay. For example, a management plan
published by the NLTB for development on native land is referenced as (Native Land Trust Board
[NLTB], 1988), or a paper published by UNESCO is referenced as (The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation [UNESCO], 1976) the first time. For subsequent references, use
the form (UNESCO, 1976). Use the full name of the organisation in your reference list.
 21

• Use of Information from Informal Sources: Personal Communication

Your might want to use information from lecture notes, e-mails, electronic bulletin boards or other
informal sources such as interviews or conversations. These can be referenced as a personal
communication. However, your lecturers often base their lectures on the work of others, so the
material presented in lectures may not be the original work of the lecturer. If you wish to make use of
lecture material, you should note the source of the material when it is presented or if the source is not
given, you should ask the lecturer for it. Give the initials of the person as well as the surname and as
exact a date as possible e.g., (K. Bricker, personal communication, 18 April, 2000). These references
appear in the text of your essay only, not in the reference list. Please not however, it is always better
to use written references and avoid using references to lecturers wherever possible.

• Footnotes
Footnotes may also be used to identify the reference for a piece of work. Footnotes are used where
the writer wishes to include certain information but thinks that including in the main body of his or
her work would interrupt the flow of thought. The use of footnotes is optional, and many writers
prefer to avoid their use. Footnotes should be numbered in the text in superscript and appear at the
bottom of the appropriate page.

• Use of “et al.”

If a work that you are referring to has three or more authors, you do not have to list all of the authors
every time you refer to them in the text of your essay. The first time you refer to them, you must list
all the authors. Afterwards, you may use the name of the first author followed by “et al.” If there are
six or more authors, you may use et al. the first time you refer to them.

It is argued (Jones et al., 1990) that…” or; “Jones et al. argue that…"
Note that et al. is followed by a full stop as ‘al.’ is an abbreviation. You may use et al. only in the
text of your essay and not in the references. The names of all the authors must be used in the
references.

• Referencing Chapters in an Edited Book

Chapters in an edited book (for example, Leisure, Recreation and Tourism edited by H. Perkins and
G. Cushman) should be referenced under the name of the author of the chapter. So, to reference
Smith’s chapter in the above book: Smith (1998) reported that...
 22

• Referencing Newspapers, Newsletters, Magazine Articles

Articles without an identifiable author should be referenced under the name of the article. Use a short
version of the title for the text reference. Include the full article title, the date, and the name of the
newspaper or magazine (in italics) in your reference list:

In text: (“Rosie promotes”, 1994)

In reference list:
Rosie promotes eco-tourism. (1996, 22 May). Fiji Times, p.33.
Newspaper or newsletter articles that have an identifiable author are referenced as normal:
(Bloxham, 1994)

• The WWW
Articles from the WWW included in your work should be referenced following the guidelines
already discussed, i.e. author, date and title elements. The date should include the year of publication.
If a date is not specified, use the exact date of your search. How to reference WWW material in your
reference list or bibliography is discussed in the section below.

• How to Write a Reference List or Bibliography

In general, you should use a reference list that contains only those works you have referred to
directly in your essay. A bibliography is different because it includes all work you have read in the
course of writing your essay, not only work that you have cited in the text. The following layout style
for references is based on the publication manual of the American Psychological Association.

• General Format Instructions

Starting on a new page, type the word ‘References’. From this point on, double space and use
hanging paragraphs (i.e., the first line of each reference is left justified, while subsequent lines are
indented).

List all referenced books, articles or other sources in alphabetical order according to the authors’ last
names. If the publication is produced by an organisation, the organisation's name is used in place of
the author’s name.

Where two or more works by the same author are listed, they are arranged in ascending order
(earliest works first) of their publication dates. Where two or more works by the same author
were used that were published in the same year, you need to use an additional code so you can tell
them apart. You should add a lower case letter (e.g., Smith, 1988a; Smith 1988b) in the text and in
your references. Determine which work comes first by placing them in alphabetical order by title.

A series of examples follows, illustrating how different types of references should be formatted in
your reference list at the end of your essay. Pay particular attention to the way these entries are
punctuated, including the location of commas, full-stops, indents and spaces. Note that only the first
 23

word of the title and of the subtitle, if any, and any proper names are capitalised. If you are
handwriting or typing your essay rather than using a computer, then you should underline instead of
using italics.

The essential elements of the reference include:

1. The name of the author, including their initials;
2. The year of publication in parentheses;
3. The title of the chapter, or paper (note: this may not appear in all entries);
4. The title of the book or serial in italics (or underlined);
5. The edition number or volume number;
6. The place of publication;
7. The publisher; and
8. The page numbers (included only if you are referring to one article in a book or serial).

REFERENCING DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOURCES

• Books
Collier, A. (1991). Principles of tourism: A New Zealand perspective (2nd ed.). Auckland: Pitman

Publishing.

• Chapters in Edited Books

If you are referring to a particular chapter where the author is different to other authors who appear in
the book, you must name both the author of that chapter and the editor of the whole work. For
example:

Simmons, D., & Leiper, N. (1993). Tourism: A social scientific perspective. In H. C. Perkins & G.

Cushman (Eds.), Leisure, recreation and tourism (pp. 204-220). Auckland: Longman Paul

Ltd.

• A Journal Article
You must provide full details of the journal including the volume number, date of issue and page
references for the article being cited. Use capital letters in the name of the journal. You do not need
to include the issue number.

Haywood, K. M. (1998). Responsible and responsive tourism planning in the community. Journal of

Tourism Management, 9, 105-112.

 24

Perdue, R. R., Long, P. T., & Allen, L. (1987). Rural resident tourism perceptions and attitudes.

Annals of Tourism Research, 14, 420-29.

• A Report or Chapter Produced by an Organisation

Official publications like government publications, newspapers, reports, reference books occasional
papers etc. are usually listed with the organisation as the author.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. (1976). The effects of tourism on

sociocultural values. Annals of Tourism Research, 4, 74-105.

American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Practice guidelines for the treatment of patients with

eating disorders (2nd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Author.

• Conference Proceedings

Leiper, N. (1997). Multidisciplinary issues in tourism research. In R. Bushell (ed.) Tourism

Research, Proceedings from the Australian Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference.

Sydney, September 1997. Canberra: Bureau of Tourism Research.

Schnase, J.L., & Cunnius, E.L. (Eds.). (1995). Proceedings from CSCL '95: The First International

Conference on Computer Support for Collaborative Learning. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

• Theses
Berno, T. (1995). Socio-cultural and psychological effects of tourism on indigenous cultures.

Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

• Occasional Papers
Cushman, G., & Laidler, A. (1990). Recreation, leisure and social policy. (Occasional Paper No. 4).

Lincoln University, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, New Zealand.

 25

• Newspaper Articles NOT Published Under an Author’s Name

Newspaper items that do not identify the author are listed under the title of the article.

Eco-tourism in Abaca. (1997, 5 July). Fiji Times, p.29.

• Newspaper Articles Published Under an Author’s Name

If an author is mentioned in a newspaper article:

Tiffany, M. (1996 27 May). National park to cash in on tourism award. Fiji Times, p.14.

• Reference Books
Standard reference books such as encyclopaedias and dictionaries are listed by the editor(s).

Troyka, L.Q. (1999). Simon & Schuster handbook for writers (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Prentice Hall.

If there is no editor or author, place the title of the reference book in the author position and italicise
or underline it.

Employment the professional way: a guide to understanding the Australian job search process for

professionally qualified migrants. (2000). Carlton, Vic: Australian Multicultural Foundation.

• No Identifiable Author

Why is a Visitor Like a Vegetable? (1981, October). Islands Business News, p. 27-29).

Note that the title is placed where the author's name would normally go. The only time you use
Anonymous as the author, is when it is when the author is cited as "Anonymous" in the original
article.

• Lectures and Other Personal Communications

Personal communications like emails and interviews do not appear in reference lists. Include all the
necessary information in the citation in the text of your essay. For example:

It was confirmed that an outbreak occurred in London (S. Savieri, personal communication, 24 April,
1999).

(E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2001).

 26

A. P. Smith also claimed that many of her students had difficulties with APA style (personal
communication, November 3, 2002).

• Information from Abstracts or CD-ROM

In this case you should list the reference under the name of the author who wrote the paper as
outlined above and at the end of the reference, not the source of the abstract. Abstracts are generally
not acceptable sources of information. Students must attempt to find the full article or publication.

Abstracts
Woolf, N.J., Young, S. L., Fanselow, M. S., & Butcher, L. L. (1991). MAP-2 expression in

cholinoceptive pyramidal cells of rodent cortex and hippocampus is altered by Pavlovian

conditioning. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 17, 480.

CD-ROM

In the case of CD-ROMs you should cite the author’s name and year of publication in the context of
your essay, for example: (La Rosa, 1992). If you found the abstract on CD-ROM, then this should
be mentioned in the reference, as well as the retrieval number. For example:

Author, I. (date). Title of Article [CD-ROM]. Title of Journal, xx, xx-xx. Abstract from: Source and

retrieval number.

La Rosa, S.M. (1992). Marketing slays the downsizing dragon. Information Today, 9(3), 58-59.

Retrieved October 16, 2002, from UMI Business Periodicals Ondisc database.

• Statutes and Legislation

Legislation is included in a list of references only if it is important to an understanding of the work.
Set the list apart from the main body of the reference under the subheading 'Legislation'. Essential
elements include: Short Title of Act Year (Jurisdiction). For example:

Copyright Act 1968 (Cwlth)

If legislation is obtained from an electronic database, add a retrieved statement as for electronic
journal articles. In the text of your essay, give the name of the act, and the year the first time you
cite the Act, in future references omit the date. In the reference list, list acts as they appear
alphabetically and include the number of the Act:

Resource Management Act, (1991).

Marine Mammal Protection Act, (1978).
 27

• Internet sources—general guidelines

Internet sources are not always reliable and therefore should be used cautiously in your assignments.
The following are examples of appropriate ways of referencing web-based information:

Article from an online Periodical:

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of journal, volume

number(issue number if available). Retrieved month day, year, from

http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/

Bernstein, M. (2002). 10 tips on writing the living Web. A List Apart: For People Who Make

Websites, 149. Retrieved May 2, 2006 from http://www.alistapart.com/articles/writeliving

Article from an online Journal article:

Kenneth, I. A. (2000). A Buddhist response to the nature of human rights. Journal of Buddhist

Ethics, 8(4).Retrieved February 20, 2001, from http://www.cac.psu.edu/jbe/twocont.html

If the article appears as a printed version as well, the URL is not required. Use "Electronic Version"
in brackets after the article's title.

Whitmeyer, J.M. (2000). Power through appointment [Electronic version]. Social Science Research,

29(4), 535-555.

Article from a Database:

When referencing material obtained from an online database (such as a database in the library),
provide appropriate print citation information (formatted just like a "normal" print citation would be
for that type of work). Then add information that gives the date of retrieval and the proper name of
the database. This will allow people to retrieve the print version if they do not have access to the
database from which you retrieved the article.

Smyth, A. M., Parker, A. L., & Pease, D. L. (2002). A study of enjoyment of peas. Journal of

Abnormal Eating, 8(3). Retrieved February 20, 2003, from PsycARTICLES database.
 28

Document on World Wide Web

When reference a document from a web page you should cite as follows in the context of the
assignment:

“It’s essential you learn how to reference” (Dawson, Smith, Deubert & Grey-Smith, 2002).

In your reference list:

Dawson, J., Smith, L., Deubert, K., & Grey-Smith, S. (2002). ‘S’ Trek 6: Referencing, not

plagiarism. Retrieved October 31, 2002, from http://studytrekk.lis.curtin.edu.au/

Document on World Wide Web (No Author).

When a document has no author you should cite the first few words of the article title in italics and
the year of publication in parentheses. For example:

(Leafy seadragons, 2001).

The document should then be cited in the reference list as follows:

Leafy seadragons and weedy seadragons (2001). Retrieved November 13, 2002, from

http://www.windspeed.net.au/~jenny/seadragons/

Document on World Wide Web (No Date).

When a document has no date it should be cited in the context of your assignment as follows:

(Royal Institute of British Architects, n.d.)

The document should then be cited in the reference list as follows:

Royal Institute of British Architects (n.d.). Shaping the future: Careers in architecture. Retrieved

May 31, 2005, from http://www.careersinarchitecture.net/

 29

Email Discussion List

In the context of your essay the Author’s name and date of publication should be cited in
parentheses, for example: (Little, 2002). Unlike personal emails, quotes from email discussion lists
are cited in your bibliography or reference list. For example:

Little, L. (2002, April 16). Two new policy briefs. Message posted to ECPOLICY electronic mailing

list, archived at

http://www.askeric.org/VirtualListserv_Archives/ECPOLICY/2002/Apr_2002/

Msg00003.html

Motion Picture
Basic reference list format:
Producer, P. P. (Producer), & Director, D.D. (Director). (Date of publication). Title of motion picture

[Motion picture]. Country of origin: Studio or distributor.

Note: If a movie or video tape is not available in wide distribution, add the following to your citation
after the country of origin: (Available from Distributor name, full address and zip code).

A Motion Picture or Video Tape with International or National Availability

Smith, J.D. (Producer), & Smithee, A.F. (Director). (2001). Really Big Disaster Movie [Motion

picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.

A Motion Picture or Video Tape with Limited Availability

Harris, M. (Producer), & Turley, M. J. (Director). (2002). Writing Labs: A History [Motion picture].

(Available from Purdue University Pictures, 500 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907)

Television Broadcast or Series Episode

Producer, P. P. (Producer). (Date of broadcast or copyright). Title of broadcast <em>Television

broadcast or Television series</EM>. p distributor.< or Studio origin: of City>

 30

Single Episode of a Television Series

Writer, W. W. (Writer), & Director, D.D. (Director). (Date of publication). Title of episode

[Television series episode]. In P. Producer (Producer), Series Title. City of origin: Studio or

distributor.

Wendy, S. W. (Writer), & Martian, I.R. (Director). (1986). The rising angel and the falling ape.

[Television series episode]. In D. Dude (Producer), Creatures and Monsters. Los Angeles:

Belarus Studios.

Television Broadcast

Important, I.M. (Producer). (1990, November 1). The Nightly News Hour. [Television broadcast].

New York: Central Broadcasting Service.

A Television Series

Bellisario, D.L. (Producer). (1992). Exciting Action Show. [Television series]. Hollywood: American

Broadcasting Company.

Music Recording

Songwriter, W. W. (Date of copyright). Title of song [Recorded by artist if different from song

writer]. On Title of album [Medium of recording]. Location: Label. (Recording date if

different from copyright date).

Taupin, B. (1975). Someone saved my life tonight [Recorded by Elton John]. On Captain fantastic

and the brown dirt cowboy [CD]. London: Big Pig Music Limited.
 31

WHAT ELSE MIGHT YOU CONSIDER WHEN DOING YOUR

ASSIGNMENTS?

NOTES ON OTHER TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS

Essays are not the only type of assignment you will be asked to do at university. Other formats may
include reports, annotated bibliographies, plans, letters, reviews or memos. While many of the same
points apply to these types of writing, there are different requirements for each. If you are unsure
about formatting, you should find the answers. There are many sources of help at USP including
CELT, the Library, tutors and lecturers. If you need help find it!

• Reports
Reports differ from essays by being more structured. Reports often summarise information (for
example, using bullet points), whereas in an essay, this would not be appropriate. Most reports
include:

1. The terms of reference which summarise the aim(s), purpose and scope of the report;
2. A table of contents;
3. Acknowledgments of assistance (optional);
4. The procedures/methods that you used for gathering information;
5. Background information;
6. The main findings and recommendations;
7. A conclusion;
8. A summary of findings which may fit at the end or can be put immediately after contents
(in which case it is called an Executive summary found at the beginning of the report
after the title page and before the table of contents);
9. Recommendations. (These may also be part of your conclusions); and
10. A reference list; and
11. Appendices if appropriate.

It may be helpful to look for reports in the library to give you some idea. Try to look at more than
one report as they are many and varied, and also try to find reports written in a subject area similar to
yours. If you are still unsure, see your tutor or lecturer.
 32

• Management Plans
Management plans are similar to reports in many ways. There are many management plans held in
the library so try to find a few different ones to get an idea of how they are written.

• Submissions
A submission states a position that you want to be considered by an authority that has the power to
make a decision. Submissions can be made in response to an invitation or can be initiated by
individuals or groups at any time. Submissions should include:

1. A table of contents;
2. A section where you state who are you and why are you making the submission;
3. An executive summary (a summary of the main points and recommendations;
4. The body of submission where you make your points and present supporting evidence;
5. A conclusion;
6. Appendices as appropriate.
 33

SCHOOL OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT POLICIES

The following policies apply to all courses unless specifically stated in the course outline.

SCHOOL OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY PLAGIARISM POLICY

Plagiarism consists of representing someone else’s (e.g., author’s, critic’s lecturer’s, colleague’s) ideas as your
own. Without adequate referencing, the taking of another’s work and using it as your own is equivalent to
theft of intellectual property.

Plagiarism can be avoided. However, great care is required when someone else’s ideas have become a part of
your way of thinking. Just as rote learning is generally inappropriate, so too is the uncritical reproduction of
other people’s ideas, since both impede, rather than assist, real learning. An essay must be much more than a
series of quotations or excerpts. It must show evidence of your own thinking and be mostly expressed in your
own words. While your ideas may be developed by attempting to reflect on and understand ideas in books,
journals and discussions, it is important for a student’s own development that course work submissions are his
or her own ideas and words.

Careful note-taking and referencing are the two key ways to avoid plagiarism. When making notes on a book
or article, head your paper with the title and the author’s name and with other details that you will need for
your bibliography, and note the page numbers of the passages that you copy or summarise, as you may need
these for your acknowledgements. Distinguish your own comments as you take notes so that they will not be
confused with what you have taken from the author.

Written work submitted must also be the student’s own. The avoidance of plagiarism requires the
identification of information acquired from any other source. These sources might include not only written
texts, but also published critiques, reviews, and lecture notes. Use of direct quotations and general references
are the common forms of citation. There are several resources available to guide you with your referencing.

While all plagiarism is a serious academic offence, it is most inappropriate to submit an essay written by
another student (or by a friend or relative) claiming that it is your own work, or submit the same assignment to
two different lecturers for two different courses ("double-dipping").

Written work which does not meet the above guidelines will not be accepted (Students should be aware that
the non-acceptance of a submission might, in some cases, lead to failure in the subject). University of the
South Pacific Regulations (University of the South Pacific Calendar, 2010, p. 427) spells out these powers
under ‘Plagiarism and Dishonest Practice’.

In the case of minor deficiencies only, students may be given the opportunity to re-submit. In some other
cases, a substitute submission on another topic may be accepted, though this would be as a concession and not
a right. However, ALL case of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean of the Faculty of Islands and Oceans.

In all cases, including the non-acceptance of written work by a staff member, discussion and negotiation will
be entered into between the subject examiner and the student to determine what might be the most appropriate
action.

You have been notified. Responsibility for following the guidelines is now entirely yours.
 34

SCHOOL OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT LATE ASSIGNMENT

POLICY

Important: Hand in all late assignments to the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management
secretary (8.30 – 4.30 Mon – Fri). Your assignment must be signed in. Do not leave them under the
lecturer’s door or in their mailbox as they may not collect the assignment for several days and you
will be penalised for additional lateness. There is also a risk it could get lost! Always keep a
personal copy of your assignment.

In the event that an examiner from the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management has not
provided a written policy on late assignments for a particular subject, the following policy will apply
for assignment work handed in after the specified due time and date for that assignment and without
formal approval for an extension from the examiner:

Late assignments will lose 10% of the total value of the assignment per 24-hour period overdue.
Late assignments received more than 5 days after the due date without an approved extension will
not be accepted and will receive a 0/E.

As discussed above, late assignments will not be accepted or graded if it is handed in more than five
days after the due date. However, to receive a final mark for a course you may have to have
completed all assignments. Check with your lecturer for their policy.

Notes:
1. In the above, the phrase ‘value of the assignment’ refers to the marks received for the assignment
prior to deductions being made. For example, if an assignment is given a mark of 65/100 (65%)
this means 10% of 65 would be deducted for one day’s lateness. The final mark after deductions
would therefore be 58.5/100 (55%).

2. For the purposes of this policy WEEKENDS DO COUNT in the total of days late. For example,
an assignment due at 4:30pm on a Friday will be considered 3 days late at 4:30pm on the
following Monday. Furthermore, weekdays during non-teaching breaks (e.g., the mid-semester
holidays) are not university holidays and so DO count towards the total of hours late.
 35

SCHOOL OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT EXTENSION POLICY

Extensions will only be granted in justified cases. You will need to apply for an extension in writing.
Application forms are available from the Tourism Studies office. You will also find one on page 41
of this booklet. NOTE: 'Justified cases' does not include workload, sporting events, field trips etc.
Documentation for justified cases will be expected (i.e., medical certificate, death notice etc.).

If you miss a test, or cannot submit an assignment due to extenuating circumstances, you will need to
apply for a continuous assessment aegrotat. Application forms are available from the School of
Tourism and Hospitality Management office. You will also find one on page 42 of this booklet.

If You are Unhappy with Your Mark

It is possible that you may receive a mark that you feel does not reflect the quality of your work. If
so, you may be able to apply to have your work remarked. Before you do so, please be aware that
you must be prepared to receive the second mark whether that mark is higher OR LOWER than
your original mark. Please resubmit your essay, complete with the original marking sheet or
comments with a one page outline (form available from the STHM Office) of why you feel your
work has been unfairly graded. Your request should show that you have read all the comments on
your essay and on any marking schedule. The lecturer will then assess whether your work should be
re-graded. If you are still unhappy with your mark, you can speak with the Head of School of
Tourism and Hospitality Management.
 36

FURTHER READING AND SOURCES THAT MAY HELP

Clanchy, J. (1991). Essay writing for students: A practical guide. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire.

(call number PE 1471 .C52 1991).

Clanchy, J., & Ballard, B. (1991). Essay writing for students: A practical guide. Melbourne,

Australia: Longman Cheshire Pty. Limited. (call number PN 186 .C6)

Ezor, W. (1984). From paragraph to essay: A practical approach for beginning college writing. New

York: McGraw-Hill. (call number PE 1413 .E93).

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (4th ed.). (1995). Washington, DC:

American Psychological Association. (call number BF 76 .7 P.82 1994)

Strunk, W., & White, E. B. (1979). The elements of style. New York: MacMillan. (call number PE

1408 .S772 1979).

The Essay Writing Handbook (1998). Melbourne: Nelson. (on order for the library).

Troyka, L. (1999). Simon & Schuster handbook for writers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

(call number PE 1408 .G8).

CELT offers classes and individual help to students enrolled at USP. Their courses are well worth
attending whether you think you need extra help or not.

This following schedule is intended as a guide to help you assess the quality of your work and its
strengths and weaknesses in various areas. Please note that all the areas are not of equal worth and so
highlighting or ticks on the schedule may not correlate directly with your mark for the assignment. If,
for example, your work has few spelling and punctuation errors but is lacking in essential content
material it will earn a lower grade than work which has clear conceptualisation and argument.
 37
SCHOOL OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE FOR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Student: Comments:

Poor ---------------------Excellent

Conceptualisation

Essential Content material

Evidence of Reading

Argument

Substantiated Argument

Logical Consistency/ Validity of Conclusions

Depth of Analysis

Development and Evidence

Appropriate Choice of Examples

Appropriate Use of References

Explicit Links made Between Ideas

Structure

Clarity of Writing

Organisation of Thought

Introduction

Conclusion

Presentation

Spelling and Punctuation

Grammar

Appropriate Expression

Format of Referencing/ Bibliography

Please consult a guide to essay writing.
Overall Format and Appearance
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SCHOOL OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT GENERAL GUIDE TO THE GRADING OF ESSAYS
(Adapted from the Writing Guide, Department of American Studies, University of Canterbury and the Essay Style Guide, Human Sciences Division, Lincoln University)
Conceptualisation
A Excellent analysis, creative
ideas going beyond ideas
discussed in class; shows
mastery and understanding
of tasks required by
assignment and course
materials;
B Shows good understanding
of the texts, ideas and
methods of the assignment
beyond the obvious
C Shows understanding of
basic ideas and information
involved in the assignment.
May have a few factual,
interpretive or conceptual
errors
D Shows little understanding
of course materials or some
significant factual and
conceptual errors; does not
adequately answer the
question.
E Has not understood
assignment or readings
Argument
Clear, precise, well-defined
argument; sophisticated in
both statement and insight into
topic; identification of key
critical issues; clear, precise
thesis statement.
Clear, logical argument,
identifying some of the clear
critical issues for analysis;
clear thesis statement
General thesis is lacking in
critical reflection; terms may
be left undefined; thesis
statement lacking or unclear.
Vague argument; important
terms not defined, no thesis
statement
Little or no argument
Development & Evidence
Well chosen examples,
consistently persuasive reasoning
used to develop and support
argument; effective use of
reference material; links between
ideas made explicit; shows good
critical analysis of issues and
source material
Logical argument that identifies
and develops key issues;
appropriate supporting evidence;
makes effort to link rather than
stack ideas
Partial development of argument;
lacking in critical analysis; ideas
not fully developed or supported;
too many generalisations, limited
use of textual evidence; uncritical
reading of sources; tending
towards description rather than
analysis.
Description with little or no
analysis little coherence in the
development of ideas;
insufficient, inappropriate or
awkward use of supporting
evidence
Little or no development; may list
facts but shows no understanding;
uses no references; plagiarises
material.
Structure
Introduction shows line of
argument and justifies approach;
appropriate, clear and smooth
linkages between points; clearly
define paragraphs with good topic
sentences
Paragraphs clearly defined, clear
linkages between key points.
Weakly defined paragraphs
bringing in too many points; some
awkward transitions; lack of
critical reflection on structure of
argument & its importance to
elucidating points and ideas
Paragraphs poorly defined.
Illogical arrangement of ideas
No links, little, if any definition of
paragraphs, lack of planning.
38
Presentation
Effective use of English, apt
choice of words; correct
referencing; few
grammatical or presentation
errors
Some grammatical or
stylistic problems; a few
presentation errors
Writing not to the point –
not concise; containing some
unclear or awkward
sentences; imprecise use of
words; some major
grammatical errors, some
effort to reference work
adequately
Some major grammatical or
proofreading errors;
language marred by clichés,
colloquialisms, repeated
inexact word choices;
inadequate or inappropriate
referencing
Numerous grammatical and
other presentation problems.
 39

MARKS AND GRADES

School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Grading Schedule

A+ All major and minor objectives were met in superior form 80-100%
A All major and minor objectives were met to satisfaction 75-79%
B+ All major objectives met; some minor objectives not met 70-74%
B All major objectives met; many minor objectives not met 65-69%
C+ All major objectives met; many or most of the minor objectives not met 60-64%
C Some of the major objectives met; many or most of the minor objectives 50-59%
not met
D A few of the major objectives met, however student is not ready to move 40-49%
forward in the topic
E None of the major objectives were met ≤ 39%
 40

EXAMPLE OF A TITLE PAGE

TS213 International Tourism

Assignment 1: What is Tourism?

Date submitted: 18 August, 2010

Name: David Brown

ID Number: S20011980
 41

The University of the South Pacific

School of Tourism and Hospitality Management
Faculty of Business and Economics

Serving the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu

Suva, Fiji
Telephone: (679) 323 2107
Fax: (679) 323 1510
E-mail: harrison_d@usp.ac.fj

APPLICATION FOR ASSIGNMENT EXTENSION

Please complete the following details explaining why you are applying for an extension for your
assignment. You will need to attach evidence to support your application (e.g., medical certificate
etc.). Please check with the Secretary in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management office to
collect the decision on your application.

Name: ID Number:
Course:
Assignment:
Due date for the assignment:
Date you wish to submit the assignment:
Reason for the extension:

Supporting documentation attached?: YES No

Signature: Date:

For staff use

No extension granted
Extension granted. Due date:
Other:

Signed: Date:
 42
The University of the South Pacific
School of Tourism and Hospitality Management
Faculty of Business and Economics

Serving the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu

Suva, Fiji
Telephone: (679) 323 2107
Fax: (679) 323 1510
E-mail: harrison_d@usp.ac.fj

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT AEGROTAT APPLICATION

Please complete the following details explaining why you are applying for an aegrotat. You must
attach evidence to support your application (e.g., medical certificate etc.). Please check with the
Secretary in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management to collect the decision on your
application.

Name: ID Number:
Course:
Assignment or test missed:
Due date for the assignment or test:
Please explain why you were unable to complete your assignment or test:

Supporting documentation attached?: YES No

Signature: Date:

For staff use

No aegrotat granted; student receives 0/E for the assessment

Student is to sit a test or hand in assignment on the following date/time:
The following mark has been allocated:
A decision on the mark is deferred until after the student has sat the final exam
Other:

Signed: Date:
 43

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Curtin University Library and Information Service. (2005). 33 APA Referencing. Sydney:

Curtin University of Technology. Retrieved June 21, 2010 from

http://library.curtin.edu.au/referencing/apa.pdf

Neyhart, D. and Karper, E. (2006). APA formatting and style guide. West Lafayette,

Indiana: The Owl at Purdue. Retrieved June 21, 2010 from

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/