Communication Studies Subject Guide: Writing for assignments

 Writing for academic assignments

• Your academic assignments will in general require you to present an "argument". In other words, you need to go beyond mere description and address the 'Why' or 'So what?' of the topic. 
   
• Make good use of your sources to not only to provide evidence for your argument, but also to construct it. Your writing should be able to show where your ideas came from and how you built up your own original perspective on the topic.
   
• It can be helpful to frame your assignment as a conversation with your reader where you deal with questions and disagreements in order to persuade them of the strength of your argument.

The above advice was adapted from Writing at University: A Guide for Students. The full text has plenty of practical advice and exercises/activities to help you improve your academic writing. You can consult the Library's online copy of the book via the link below:

 Cite your sources

It is vital that you provide full and accurate citations for all of the information sources that you include in your academic assignments. There are many different styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) so check with your course instructor if you are not sure which style to use.

 Click here for the Library's Citation Guide