The teacher told you to write an assignment, handed out the topics, but did not explain what to do next? We have already discussed how the assignment differs from other types of work. The most difficult thing is to understand how to prepare it. We tell you if there is a ready recipe on how to write an assignment so that it is sure to turn out well.
What should be included in your assignment
To begin with, it’s worth remembering what an abstract is in general. An abstract is a statement of the authors’ opinions on a given topic. The more diverse will be found sources and a more complete overview of the authors you get, the higher the level of the assignment. So it is quite possible to call this type of academic work the easiest – you can write an assignment on any subject without much effort. The main thing is to find the right sources.
But first, you need to decide on the structure. This type of work has its own rules. Write an assignment, ignoring them, will not work. In the abstract must necessarily be the following sections:
- title page,
- table of contents,
- introduction,
- the main part,
- conclusion,
- list of references.
The main part is not divided into theoretical and practical, as in many academic papers. An appendix is not usually required. But it may be necessary if you write a work on art or exact sciences, and without charts, tables or photos cannot do without. In this list of references – the most important part of the assignment, as he will have to resort to throughout the text.
Depending on the type, the assignment may take and one page (if written on the article or term paper), and 15-20 (if the sources are many). It is better to clarify the required volume with the teacher in advance.
How to correctly write an assignment: a plan of work on each section and the whole text
Work on the abstract consists of several stages:
- Determination of the topic of the work. It must be interesting and relevant. It is cool if you can choose it yourself. But if this is difficult, the teacher will be able to suggest a topic on which you can write an assignment.
- Problem Statement. It directly follows from the topic – tries to reformulate the topic of the assignment into a question.
- Search for sources. Perhaps something will prompt the teacher. This is the most responsible stage, and it depends on him how quickly you write the assignment.
- Prepare a plan for the main part. Think about what you can write in the assignment to properly disclose the topic. Write the main theses, based on the sources you have read.
- Work on the text of the assignment. If you have correctly selected the sources and prepared a plan, this stage will be quite simple. You can start by searching for quotations from literary sources that fit the points of the plan.
- Preparing an oral answer (if necessary). If you pass the assignment in writing, this step can be skipped. But if you have to read it out in front of an audience, prepare a summary of your work, so that it does not take more than 5-7 minutes.
- Everything is clear with the order of work. It remains to deal with the preparation of each section of the assignment.
Title page.
Ask your teacher to give you a sample title page. Since each university often has its own rules. And the wrong design of the title page will lead to the fact that your work will not even be checked.
Contents
This is a list of all the sections of the assignment with an indication of pages. Remember. that the title page is not numbered, but counts as the first page.
Introduction
There are three things to talk about here:
- The topic of the assignment: why it was chosen, what relevance it has. You can give your personal opinion about the problem.
- Description of your work: how you wrote the assignment, what each chapter is devoted to, where you started and what conclusions you came to.
- Used literature: listing articles, books, and publications that were used in writing the assignment.
Main part
Consists of several chapters that gradually reveal the topic. Any statement you make should be immediately supported by quotations from prepared materials. You should not describe your vision of the problem: after all, the assignment is a literature review, not your research. But it is possible to find those authors who are close to you in their views on the topic. This section is not difficult to write if you are familiar with the sources. Also, accurate citations are allowed here, so you won’t even have to rewrite most of this section in your own words. Don’t forget to put references to the reference list after each citation. This is the hardest part because you may not have a lot of time to write 20+ lists. For this, ask research paper writer for help.
Conclusion
In this part, you can already describe your own opinion about the problem posed, repeat the resulting conclusions and briefly state the view of the authors, whose works you referred to.
List of references
Formalized in the same way as in any other written work. Sources should not be too many: after all, the abstract does not mean simply quoting other authors and analysis and comparison of their works. Often the assignment is written by one or two books. It is better to clarify the necessary amount of materials used in advance with your teacher.
What else you should pay attention to
- Take the choice of topic seriously. Even the simplest topic of the assignment is very difficult to work on if it does not interest you at all. Of course, you can always write an assignment to order. But this is not the most difficult work, on which independent preparation will take only a couple of evenings.
- However, an interesting topic without available authoritative sources will also be a bad choice. Focus not only on your interest but also on the amount of research on the chosen topic.
- And one more tip about sources: pay attention to the authority of the book, publisher, or website from which you take the information. Wikipedia, for example, can be edited by any user. But scientific publications found in online libraries – it is a very good option.
- Check with your teacher in advance if your department has its own rules on how to design and write an abstract. Sample design, of course, you can look on the Internet, but there is a high probability that your university has its own rules.
- It is not so important what program you will use to write your assignment. Any text editor in which you can put alignment and spacing will do. If you pass the electronic version – save the file in a standard .doc format, so it will open correctly with the teacher. If you give an oral answer, you can supplement your work with a presentation.
- Pay attention to the style of presentation. The assignment is not an assignment, and it allows only a scientific style of narration.
- Make sure the uniqueness of the assignment is high. Of course, because of the large number of quotations, you won’t get a perfectly unique text. But a high degree of plagiarism – a sure path, if not to the negative evaluation, then to complete recycling of the text.
The biggest advantage of the assignment is that it requires minimal involvement of the student. It is often given as a knowledge test or instead of a pass. With the right preparation, it is a fairly easy way to get a good grade. The main thing is to carefully select the topic and sources and follow the writing plan. And, of course, to make sure that everything is done correctly.
Ashley Rosa is a freelance writer and blogger. As writing is her passion that why she loves to write articles related to the latest trends in technology and sometimes on health-tech as well. She is crazy about chocolates. You can find her at twitter: @ashrosa2.
