Academic study is concerned with the construction of an intellectual debate around a specific topic. In other words, it is an argument between the different factors that could be said to have some significance or relevance for the question or problem posed. The title of the assignment set will often highlight this emphasis using terms such as: compare and contrast; examine; identify; analyse; evaluate. In all cases the question is asking you to look at the full range of factors that may be significant in some way to the problem posed.

To put it simply, essay writing, oral presentations, report writing and examinations are like a court case. In common with a court case, you are required to investigate the evidence, to present the arguments for each side, and to sum up the crucial aspects of the argument. However, in the case of academic study this involves you in all these different roles: police; prosecuting and defending counsel; and judge! The procedures and principles for the preparation and execution of all these types of assignment exercises are broadly similar.

What is the question?

Before you can construct your argument you need to identify the question: what exactly are you being asked to do and what are all the implications that arise from it? The first and most important stage in the production of an assignment is to make sure you accurately identify what the question is asking, and what the underlying assumptions and implications of this question might be. You can assemble the right evidence and present the relevant arguments only if you have selected the right target.

Collecting the evidence

You must now investigate the problem and identify all the evidence that is relevant to your question. For an academic assignment this means investigating both the case for prosecution and the defence. If you are to convince your tutor of the legitimacy of your argument you will need to substantiate it with evidence. This evidence will be in the form of the expert authorities whose work you are consulting: books; articles; and lecture notes. To prepare your case adequately you will need to adopt strategies for gathering, selecting, and recording your evidence.

Planning your argument

When you have finished collecting the evidence, you will need to tease out the really significant points and think critically about how they contribute to both sides of the argument of your assignment. Linking your reading and research with information gained through lectures, tutorials and prior knowledge and experience will help with this. In addition you will find informal discussions with other students will help to clarify your ideas. You must be able to account for the strengths and weaknesses of your arguments and evidence. This process of analysis and evaluation is an essential aspect of your assignment preparation. A debate gains strength from the quality of the argument: there is rarely a right or wrong answer.

^ to top