Professional Documents
Culture Documents
University of Hull
Marking criteria
Legibility, layout and word-processing
Apparatus of scholarship
Plagiarism
Seminar preparation and presentation
Essay feedback form
SUMMARY
Tell them what youll tell them (introduction),
tell them it (body), tell them what youve told them (conclusion)
Stage 1: Pick and interpret your question
(a) Pick your question very carefully:
(i) dont just go for topics you know something about already.
(ii) pick a manageable topic.
(b) Interpret the question very carefully irrelevant answers get no marks:
(i) be honest with yourself about what the question is asking.
(ii) think carefully about each phrase and each word.
(iii) make a written note of what the question is asking.
Stage 2: Start your research
(a) Put a lot of effort into your research, you must reach a reasoned and defensible position.
(b) Be selective: at Level 1 read between 4 & 7 substantial articles, book chapters, and so on.
(c) Research materials: use a range of sources, including the books, journals and the Internet
Stage 3: Take notes
(a) be precise, concise and accurate in your note taking.
(b) be selective think about the question, dont just write out everything you read.
Now stop reading. Leave it a day or so before you move on to stage 4.
Stage 4: Construct your plan
(a) Re-read the question
(b) Brainstorm
(c) Structure your ideas into a coherent plan for an answer to the question
(d) Check against your notes.
(e) is this answer coherent and complete?, is there a better way to approach the question?
(f) Be honest with yourself.
Once you have a detailed plan, put it to one side for an hour or so.
Stage 5: The body of the essay
(a) Draft a very brief introduction
(b) Start to write the body: be focused on the question and concise in your expression.
(c) Quotations: be very careful: plagiarism = zero mark, or expulsion from your degree
(d) Now review carefully what you have written
Stage 6: Draft the conclusion: should be a mirror of the introduction (Stage 8 below)
Put the essay to one side for twenty-four hours, and dont think about it during that time.
Stage 7: Check your work
(a) Make sure that you say everything needed to make your argument
(b) Write in a style that is clear, precise lucid and engaging
(c) Cut out all the irrelevant material
(d) Cut out all the waffle
(e) Cut out all polemic and pretension
Stage 8: Rewrite the introduction
(a) Say why the question is important.
(b) List the different stages of your argument.
(c) Set out the conclusion you are going to reach
Stage 9: Write the bibliography a poor bibliography will cost you marks.
Stage 10: Proof-read your essay check for typos, poor expression, missing references.
(i)
(ii)
(c)
The next point to appreciate is that writing the perfect essay is in part a craft it
requires you to develop certain skills, and to get into the habit of using them whenever
you write. To learn this craft, you must understand the purpose of all these recurring
facets (the three sections, bibliography and referencing), as well as master the
techniques for producing them in specific contexts.
Writing the perfect essay is in part an art as well. The best essays show flair, insight,
imagination and reasoned enthusiasm for the subject. They are creations, rather than
the result of simply applying certain techniques. Yet you must learn the techniques
before you can express your intellectual creativity in an essay.
That all sounds a bit pretentious. Yet there is an important element of truth in it. The
more flair and insight shown in your essay, the better your mark will tend to be. A
First must show an exceptional level of both, as well as executing the craft elements
immaculately. Usually a 2i will execute the craft elements, although with less
evidence of an unusual level of insight.
Before developing this last point, one very common worry should be faced. Every
year a number of students go their tutors worried that they will never be able to show
flair or insight, because as soon as they think of a good idea they find out that
someone else has already had the same thought (and probably written a book on it!).
Dont panic! Bear in mind the difference between an original piece of work and an
independent one. Very few people (either commentators or students) write anything
truly original (distinctive an idea no one has ever had before). Yet it is enough to
have an independent idea (an idea that you have thought up for yourself). It is
enough to have good independent ideas which you string together to make a
convincing case. Where you find other people have had the same idea already,
acknowledge this in a footnote or endnote, pointing out that you thought of it
independently.
(d)
Marking criteria
A good place to start when thinking about how to approach your essay is with the
criteria against which your finished product will be marked. These are given at the
back of this booklet, in Appendix A.
As you can see from the appendix, the marker looks for a great many things: critical
awareness, sticking to the point, structuring your argument well, clear expression,
correct use of the apparatus of scholarship (references, citations and bibliographies).
You should study these marking criteria very carefully. What they mean in practice
will become clear as you get more experience of writing essays at degree level. For
the moment, you must feel your way with the guidance of your tutors and your own
(developing) critical facilities.
(e) There are no right answers, only well argued ones
In spite of the fact that every essay has the basic features outlined above, there is no
magic formula for writing a perfect essay. The approach that you take in your research
(your research methodology), the resources you use, the way you structure the essay,
and so on, may all vary very considerably depending on how you interpret the
question and the case you want to make. In fact there are usually a number of quite
different ways in which you can approach any one question, all of which are equally
good.
The second point to think about is that there are no objectively right answers. Does
this mean that anything goes? Not really, because some arguments are made in a
better way than others: they are clearer, show a deeper understanding of the issues
raised by the question and the problems that arise when trying to answer it, as well as
making a more convincing case.
The crucial thing is to show the reader that you have a good argument, which
means that you must show you have good reasons for arriving at your answer.
This is one reason why it is vital that you structure your essay well, and make each
stage of your argument clear to the reader as you go along (dont just assume that they
know what the missing stages of the argument are).
Even from these brief comments, you can see that you have a lot of freedom when
writing your essay. Nevertheless, freedom is not always a blessing. One danger is
that you go off at tangents, eventually leaving the question so far behind that you
reach the end of the essay and have not really developed an answer to the question
that was asked in the first place. This is one reason why you must plan your essay
before you start to write it.
Another danger of having such freedom when writing your essay is that you dont
know what other people have said on what is initially such a vast subject. The library
contains a huge number of possible opinions on a great many possible questions. The
situation gets even more disorientating when you think about all the other resources
that are available, such as bookshops and of course the Internet. You should know
how to make efficient use all of these research tools by the time you complete
your degree.
STAGE 1:
HOW TO PICK AND INTERPRET YOUR QUESTION
(a)
(i)
(ii)
Take the time to interpret the questions on offer before you make your final decision.
You may well save a lot of time in the long run, and will probably get a better mark.
(b)
In every batch of essays, there are a number where it is clear the student has spent a
long time thinking about what to write, has carried out a great deal of excellent
research, and has even produced some real insights, but still fails to get a good mark.
Often this is because they have not answered the question that has been asked.
Remember: The marker is not just assessing whether you have put in a lot of work,
or even whether you have written an intelligent essay. Certainly they are doing both
of these things, but foremost in their mind is, does the essay answer the question?
There are quite a few points to bear in mind here:
Donts:
Do not try to twist the question into one that you wished youd been asked, rather
than the one which you actually have been asked.
Dos:
Do be honest with yourself deep down, most people know when they are
twisting the question, or including digressions, or padding out the essay. The
marker will not fall for any of it.
Do think very carefully about each phrase in the question.
Do think very carefully about each of the key words. Think particularly carefully
about words and phrases such as:
Assess: for example, Assess the coherence of the UKs defence policy
between 1979 and 1983. Assess always means critically assess.
You should set out and analyse the main features of the UK defence
policy clearly and without bias, then evaluate the key relationships
between them.
Discuss: for example, Discuss the role of pressure groups in the
constitutional reform of Scotland in the 1990s. Discuss is a
dangerously vague word, in that you have to decide what the key
features are of the topic, then analyse them. Often it is included after
a quotation.
STAGE 2:
HOW TO START YOUR RESEARCH
(a)
Why do research at all?
Some people try to wing it by reading through their lecture notes and handouts,
thinking about what was said in the seminars, and then just writing down their own
opinions. Such people rarely do well. This way of approaching an essay is little
better than writing down what fat bloke down the pub thinks. You must read around
the subject, and think critically about what you have read.
Critical distance is vital. You must show the reader that you have taken a step back
from the commentators and critics, and judged them intelligently. Do you agree with
commentator X that Blairs economic policy was the best we could have hoped for in
the circumstances? If you do (not), say why - show the reader that you have reasons
for (dis)agreeing with X.
You will not get a good mark if your essay is simply a prcis what other people have
said, or if you do not give good reasons for supporting or disagreeing with a
particular position. You must present the reader with a carefully reasoned and
clear argument of your own.
So, confronting what previous commentators have written on a topic serves a number
of different functions:
(a) It forces you to consider other approaches to the question.
(b) It is a source of ideas about issues and arguments that you have missed.
(c) It enables you to clarify your position in both your own mind and that of
your readers by contrasting it with what other people have said.
In short, reading the literature forces you to refine and clarify your own ideas, as well
as the way you present those ideas.
(b)
Be selective
Wide reading is essential, but do not try to read everything you can find on the
subject. If you do:
(a) You will probably become confused:
(1) Different commentators will take very different approaches. Even
though this is the main reason for reading widely, you must keep your
reading within some limits. The more you read the more difficult it is
to see how the different approaches relate to one another. Stretch
yourself without giving yourself an impossible task.
(2) Different people define/use words differently. Again you need to
know of some such differences, but you must be sensible about how
many you try to marshal into an essay.
(b) You will spend too much time reading, and not enough time thinking
critically. For every essay, there are some students who come to the tutor
as the deadline is approaching, saying that they have been reading a lot,
but just need a few more days to bring it all together. Such students show
poor time management, which outweighs their admirable erudition.
(Furthermore, it looks like they are afraid to take a stand on the issue.)
(viii)
(ix)
(x)
(xi)
Newspapers, magazines, and so on. The quality press can be very useful, as
can magazines such as The Economist, New Statesman, Spectator, and
Prospect.
The Internet. Can be very useful, but it can be difficult to assess the quality
of the material. Module reading lists make increasing reference to websites as
your studies advance.
Athens catalogue. A catalogue of journal articles which is indispensable for
more advanced research. Available through the BJL.
Go to the Enquiry Desk to register for Athens, and use the BIDS subcatalogue within Athens.
Be aware that you will have to pay if you want works that our library does
not keep on site. Again, ask at the Enquiries Desk in the BJL for prices
and procedures for getting these inter-library loans.
Your tutor. One of the skills of essay writing is being able to find sources for
yourself. Check all of the relevant sources thoroughly. Sometimes you will
hit a brick wall, and it is at that point that you should turn to your seminar
tutor for suggestions.
STAGE 3:
NOTE TAKING
NEVER write in library books. These are scarce resources and anyone found
defacing books in this way (even in pencil) can be disciplined by the University.
Only write in your own books.
(i)
Good note taking is a vital skill: think carefully about the question as you read
the book. Make a careful note of anything that may be of use to you.
(ii)
You should aim to produce notes which are precise, concise and accurate.
(a) Precise: (1) from the very beginning of the note making process make a
complete note of everything you will need if you have to find the
information again or need to reference the idea and including it in your
bibliography that means the authors full name, the full title of the book
(including any subtitle), the publishers name, the place of publication, the
date of publication, and the specific page number.
(2) vague notes lead to vague ideas, and then to a vague essay.
(b) Concise: the shorter your paraphrasing, the easier and quicker your notes will
be to read. You do not have to write down everything they say the
important thing is that you can find the relevant passages again when you
come to write your essay.
(c) Accurate: (1) be sure that you are paraphrasing the authors ideas
accurately.
(2) be sure that you are quoting the authors exact words, including her
punctuation.
(iii)
To reiterate: Be selective when making your notes some people seem to
think that the more they write down, the more useful the resulting notes will be. This
is not the case.
Now stop reading. Leave it a day or so before you move on to stage 4.
10
STAGE 4:
CONSTRUCT YOUR PLAN
In many ways, constructing your detailed plan is the most important stage of writing
the whole essay and the reader will never see it!
It is imperative that you concentrate solely on the question, and are completely honest
with yourself about what you have actually written on the page.
You should now have a great deal of material from several different sources. The
problem is how to organise it.
(i)
Look at the question once again: Remind yourself precisely what it is you
are being asked.
(ii)
Brain storming:
Sit down with only a blank piece of paper and pen, and write out
everything you can remember from your notes that you think is relevant to
the answer.
You may find it helpful to construct a scatter diagram.
You need to let your mind sort the material it has absorbed while you were
taking notes, so dont refer to your notes when brain storming. The
pieces from which the notes were made had their own purpose and so their
own structure, whereas your essay will have a different purpose, and so
you should use and rearrange (only some of) the ideas found in the notes,
and do so in a different order (one that is appropriate to the question).
(iii)
From this brainstorming session, write down as headings the key points that
must be addressed when answering the question. These become the individual
stages of your overall argument (your thesis).
(iv)
Arrange these headings into the order that makes your case most effectively.
(v)
What particular elements are needed to establish these stages of argument?
Put these elements under your headings.
(vi)
Now look back at your notes, and look back the question. Then ask yourself:
(a) are any stages missing?
(b) are any elements missing?
(c) have I explained all of the concepts and presented each stage of my
argument in the correct order? In other words, could an intelligent reader
who knew nothing about the subject understand my answer as it is planned
here?
(d) Is my argument coherent?
(e) Does my argument examine the essential issues in sufficient depth?
(f) Have I included too many points? You do not have to include everything
you have learnt about the subject. Only include the ideas and arguments
that are needed to make your argument, but make sure that you have
included all of the necessary points.
This is one of the most important and difficult parts of the essay writing process.
Be brutally honest with yourself. Such detailed analysis and brutal selfcriticism may be difficult at first, but it will raise your final mark.
BY
THE END OF THIS PROCESS YOU SHOULD HAVE A VERY DETAILED PLAN
FOR THE BODY OF YOUR ESSAY.
11
STAGE 5:
THE BODY OF THE ESSAY
NB: this is the longest single part of the essay writing process
give yourself plenty of time, at least 4 or 5 days.
(a)
(i)
STAGE 6:
DRAFT THE CONCLUSION
(i)
(ii)
(xix)
With the essay still fresh in your mind, draft the conclusion.
The conclusion should be one paragraph long, and should be the mirror of
the introduction: restate the question, then restate the main stages of your
argument, showing that you have fully justified your answer.
Put the essay to one side for twenty-four hours, and dont think about it at all.
STAGE 7:
CHECK YOUR WORK
(i)
(ii)
13
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)
(m)
IN ESSENCE:
(1) Make sure that you say everything needed to make your argument
(2) Write in a style that is clear, precise lucid and engaging
(3) Cut out all the irrelevant material
(4) Cut out all the waffle
(5) Cut out all polemic and pretension
STAGE 8:
REWRITE THE INTRODUCTION
(i) Re-write the introduction
(j) Make an impression: write in a punchy and clear style.
(ii)
Make sure that you have attention-grabbing first line.
(iii)
Remember that the introduction must show clearly:
(a) why the question is important
(b) the different stages of your argument (the broad outline of your argument)
(c) the conclusion you are going to reach.
STAGE 9:
BIBLIOGRAPHY
You will remember from the introduction to this guide that writing an essay is, in part,
a craft. Part of that craft is writing a good bibliography. See Appendix C for the full
rules on how to set out the bibliography. You will lose marks for including a bad
bibliography or not including a bibliography at all.
STAGE 10:
PROOF-READ THE ESSAY
Again, you can lose marks if you hand in an essay with bad typing, poor spelling, bad
grammar, or unclear or otherwise poor expression. Furthermore you must make sure
that you lay out the essay correctly and construct a full apparatus of scholarship. All
of this is detailed in Appendices B and C below.
Now submit 2 copies on time to the Departmental Office and GOOD LUCK!
14
APPENDICES
Appendix A:
Appendix B:
Appendix C:
Appendix D:
Appendix E:
Appendix F:
Marking criteria
Legibility, layout and word-processing
Apparatus of scholarship
Plagiarism
Seminar preparation and presentation
Essay feedback form
15
APPENDIX A
MARKING CRITERIA
The following criteria are for guidance only, and do not preclude the need for
the application of sensible discretion by examiners. They are used in the context of
nationally developing norms for the standard of a degree (including the Table on
Threshold levels of Achievement in the Politics Benchmarking Statement and
Qualifications Framework) and discussion with external examiners.
First Class (70% and above)
An outstanding answer to the question:
Clear, sharply focused and incisive argument displaying impressive skill in
elucidating concepts, conducting analysis and marshalling evidence.
Shows wide knowledge of the topic, with signs of sophisticated understanding and
negligible errors and omissions.
Displays originality in handling the problem.
Excellent literary style and presentation, including economy of expression, good
grammar and punctuation, and legible text.
Referencing up to current professional standards.
Upper Second Class (60%-69%)
A very good answer to the question:
Clear, well-focused and logical argument displaying skill in elucidating concepts,
conducting analysis and marshalling evidence.
Shows evidence of reading in breadth and depth, with signs of sound
understanding and minimal errors and omissions.
Adopts a thoughtful, non-standard approach in handling the problem.
Effective literary style and presentation, including adequate economy of
expression, good grammar and punctuation, and legible text.
Referencing of a high standard.
Top Lower Second Class (55%-59%)
A good answer to the question:
Reasonably clear, fairly well focused and generally coherent argument displaying
some skill in elucidating concepts, conducting analysis and marshalling evidence.
Shows familiarity with the main sources, with signs of a satisfactory grasp of the
main points, few errors and omissions, and minimal padding.
Adopts an acceptable but rather standard approach in handling the problem.
Adequate literary style and presentation, including reasonable economy of
expression, generally acceptable grammar and punctuation, and legible, text.
Referencing of an acceptable standard.
Bottom Lower Second Class (50%-54%)
A fair answer to the question:
Somewhat vague, ill-focused and/or inconsistent argument nevertheless displaying
some skill in elucidating concepts, conducting analysis and marshalling evidence.
Shows evidence of reading of the main sources, but some of the main points
poorly grasped, some significant errors and omissions, and/or some padding.
Approach in handling the problem either quite routine or compromised by uneven
understanding.
16
17
APPENDIX B
(11)
(C)
Word-processed essays:
It is far better to word-process your essay, as this will:
(i)
make it easier for the marker to read your essay
(ii)
help you to edit the essay
(iii)
make it far easier to reproduce the different drafts
(iv)
be excellent preparation for your dissertation if you write one
(dissertations must be word-processed)
(v)
be a vital transferable skill when you complete your degree.
Employers will expect if not require you to word-process reports, and
so on
The Universitys Computer Centre provides word-processing courses for any student
who is interested, and there are programmes on the computer system itself if you
prefer to learn on your own. Take advantage of these opportunities for free IT
training.
In addition to the formal requirements for all assessed essays (above), word-processed
essays must have the following features.
(1) All text must be double-spaced, using a font no smaller than 12pt.
(2) Footnotes and endnotes should be single-spaced, using a font that is both no larger
than the text font and no smaller than 10pt.
(3) One easily legible font must be used throughout the essay: for example, Times
New Roman, Palatino or Ariel.
(4) Bold must be used only for the essay question/title.
19
APPENDIX C
APPARATUS OF SCHOLARSHIP References, Citations, and Bibliography
(A)
20
You can use the following abbreviations with footnotes, endnotes and the Harvard
method:
ibid.
op. cit.
passim
(B) Bibliography
Every assessed essay must have a bibliography a clear, complete and
alphabetically arranged list of all works used in the essay. You should include any
work that you either quote, paraphrase, or merely use as background material.
Precisely how you list these works in the bibliography will depend upon whether you
use footnotes or endnotes on the one hand, or the Harvard method on the other. The
following bibliographies contain many types of work:
For either footnotes or endnotes:
Edward Caird, The Collected Works of Edward Caird, 12 vols., edited by C Tyler
(Bristol: Thoemmes, 1999)
Philip Cowley, My Part in the Abyssinian Campaign (London: Croom Helm, 1942)
Robert E Goodin and Philip Pettit, eds., Contemporary Political Philosophy: An
anthology (Oxford: Blackwell, 1997)
Simon Lee, The Political Economy of the Canadian Beaver Trade, 1992-2000,
Journal of American Research in Science and Economics, vol. 15, no. 3
(April 2001), 15-37
Justin Morris, Playing Nicely: International Law and Gun, Bombs and Bullets, in C
von Clausewitz, ed., The State of War (Berlin: Hempel, 1817), pp. 40-73
Roy Porter, Enlightenment: Britain and the creation of the modern world (London:
Allen Lane, 2000)
Colin Tyler, My Nobel Prize for Literature, The Times, 27 July 2000
--- This Dangerous Drug of Violence: Making sense of Bernard Bosanquets
theory of punishment, Collingwood and British Idealism Studies, vol. 7
(2000), 116-40
Richard Woodward, What Were They On?, Magic Roundabout Studies, vol. 8
(2005), 119-10
---Bolting Along.
Horsing Around in the Derbyshire Undergrowth
(Nottingham: Robin Hood Press, 2005)
For the Harvard method:
Edward Caird (1999) The Collected Works of Edward Caird, 12 vols., edited by C
Tyler (Bristol: Thoemmes)
Philip Cowley (1942) My Part in the Abyssinian Campaign (London: Croom Helm)
Robert E Goodin and Philip Pettit, eds. (1997) Contemporary Political Philosophy:
An anthology (Oxford: Blackwell)
21
Simon Lee (2001) The Political Economy of the Canadian Beaver Trade, 19921999, Journal of American Research in Science and Economics, vol. 15, no.
3 (April), 15-37
Justin Morris (1817) Playing Nicely: International Law and Gun, Bombs and
Bullets, in C von Clausewitz, ed., The State of War (Berlin: Hempel), pp.
40-73
Roy Porter (2000) Enlightenment: Britain and the creation of the modern world
(London: Allen Lane)
Colin Tyler (2000a) My Nobel Prize for Literature, The Times, 27 July
---(2000b) This Dangerous Drug of Violence: Making sense of Bernard
Bosanquets theory of punishment, Collingwood and British Idealism
Studies, vol. 7, 116-40
22
APPENDIX D
PLAGIARISM
It is your responsibility to make yourself aware of the Universitys regulations,
particularly in regard to unfair practices such as plagiarism. For full details see:
http://www.hull.ac.uk/cms/regs/regulations.htm
Plagiarism consists of copying the words of any other person without use of quotation
marks and/or without including proper and explicit reference to, or citation of, the
original source.
Plagiarism is one of the most serious academic offences that any student can commit.
Any essay that is found to be plagiarised completely or in any part can be zero
marked, and, in extreme cases, the University can apply the severest academic
penalties to the student (including termination of study).
The University requires students to make the following declaration when submitting
any assessed piece of work:
I declare that the work I am submitting for assessment contains no section copied in whole or
in part from any other source unless it is explicitly identified by means of quotation marks. I
declare that I have also acknowledged such quotations by providing detailed references in an
approved format. I understand that either or both unidentified and unreferenced copying
constitutes plagiarism, which is one of a number of very serious offences under the
University's Code of Practice on the Use of Unfair Means (www.hull.ac.uk/cms).
(3)
David Boucher, Hegel and Marx on International Relations, in T Burns and I Fraser, eds., The
Hegel-Marx Connection (Basingstoke: MacMillan, 2000), p. 217.
23
The following are examples of plagiarism (the same applies for footnotes and
endnotes):
(4)
(5)
24
APPENDIX E
Dont think that youll be able to sit back or hide in the seminar. Everyone must read
around the subject as indicated on the module reading lists, and everyone must
contribute to the seminar discussion. Dont think that no one will notice, and dont let
yourself be parasitic on the hard work of your fellow students.
Many people find seminars intimidating. Try not to worry, most seminars are
friendly places, and people want to talk ideas through.
(i) Ask yourself are their ideas really better than yours?
(ii) It is not fair to prepare for the seminar and then not to contribute. Other
people can learn from you.
(iii) Push yourself forward in seminars, even if you find it unusual and scary.
At the same time, dont hog the seminar! You are supposed to be taking part in a
discussion, not just letting everyone appreciate your genius.
(i)
Dont just talk over people
(ii)
Dont think that you have to fill every silence
(iii)
Give other people a chance to get a word in.
(iv)
Treat everyones opinions with respect.
25
You should prepare for your presentation as if you were starting to write a very short
essay:
(1) analyse the question
(2) carry out the relevant research
(3) produce a detailed plan.
It is best if you do not read out a prepared script. Speak from notes instead. The
presentation should be a lot more interesting to listen to. Using notes forces you to
think about the topic in depth.
As with writing an essay, dont just repeat what other people have written you
must make a reasoned case if you can. Of course your argument will tend to have less
depth than an essay, but you are still expected to either produce a reasonable defence
of your position, or to highlight the problems in deciding how to answer the question.
Raise areas you are uncertain about. It may be that the reading have done was
obscure at certain points. It is a skill to pick up on vagueness and evasion in others.
(1) Try to suggest what the author might mean.
(2) Direct seminars to consider areas that are unclear.
(II) GIVING A PRESENTATION
Remember: A presentation is a performance.
Try not to worry about speaking in public. Everyone gets nervous before a
presentation. If you prepare well, speak clearly and loudly, and dont rush through
your notes, everything will be fine.
If you really are scared of giving your presentation, speak to your seminar tutor
beforehand. S/he is able to offer suggestions about how to beat nerves.
Try to make your presentation interesting, in terms of the ideas you aim to convey,
the overall argument you aim to establish, and the way in which you speak.
26
The next page indicates the sort of things you should consider about your
presentation:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Effectiveness of presentation
Materials (Visual aids, handouts, etc)
Content and organisation
Discussion
In particular:
Produce a handout: When you have written out the plan of your presentation, use it
as the basis of a one-side handout for the rest of the class.
(a) state the question
(b) state your conclusion
(c) list the key bullet points
(d) include any quotations that play a particularly important role in your
argument.
(e) Photocopy enough handouts for everyone in your group (and dont forget
the tutor!).
Writing a handout might well help you to prepare for your essay.
And finally:
TRY TO ENJOY YOUR SEMINARS THEY CAN BE VERY FUNNY!
27
APPENDIX F
28