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Contents

1. Introduction 2

2. Referencing 42.2.1 Paraphrasing

42.2.2 Direct quotes

42.3.1 Referencing internet sources

52.4.1 Printed material and multimedia

102.4.2 Electronicjournal articles

202.4.5 Order of entries in a reference list

22

3. Plagiarism 253.1.1 What constitutes plagiarism?

253.1.2 Whatis the penalty for plagiarism?

25

4. Essay writing 28A Step By Step Guide to Essay Writing

28Step 1 Choose your topic

28Step 2 Read the instructions, relating to your assessments as set down in your Course Guide

28Step 3 Analyse the topic

28Step 5 Starting your research

30Step 6 Mindmapping

30Step 7 Focus your research

30Step 8 Draw up a detailed plan

32Step 9 Writing the Essay

32Step 10 Writing the first draft

34

Step 11 Editing your final draft35

5. Report Writing 36A step by step guide to report writing

37Step 1 Choose your topic

37Step 2 Read the instructions relating to your assessments as set down in your Course Guide

37Step 3 Analyse thetopic

37Step 4 Brain storm what do you already know about the issue?

37Step 5 Starting your research37

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Step 6 Mind mapping37

Step 7 Focus your research38

Step 8 Draw up a detailed plan39

Step 9 Writing the report

40Step 10 Using your plan to start writing

43Step 11 Writing the first draft

43Step 12 Formatting your report

44

Reference list 48

Bibliography 48

Glossary 49

Acknowledgements 50

Tables

Table Title Page

Table 1 Referencing styles type of author 6

Table 2 Referencing styles no author 6

Table 3 Referencing styles books 7

Tables 4a-d Referencing styles 10

Table 5 Order of entries in a reference list 22

Table 6 Other referencing systems 23

Table 7 Commonly used abbreviations in referencing 24

Table 8 Direct use of another person's work without citation 26

Table 9 Paraphrasing without citation 26

Table 10 Piecing together texts and linking them 26

Table 11 Integrating ideas from multiple sources 27

Table 12 How to avoid accusations of plagiarism 27Table 13 Action/instruction words used in assessment tasks 29

Table 14 Mind mapping for essays 30

Table 15 Checklist for essays 34

Table 16 Mind mapping for reports 38

Table 17 Sections of a report 40

Table 18 Examples of the language used in the different sections of a report 45

Table 19 Formal versus informal language 45

Table 20 Report writing checklist 47

Table 21 Glossary 49

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1. Introduction

The written word is the basis of business communication today, whether in a formal business report, a letter,informal memo or email. As a business professional, you will be judged by how well and how clearly you use wordsto communicate.

As well as teaching technical business skills in a broad range of disciplines, RMIT Business is also committed to helpyou develop appropriate business writing skills for the University assessments you will be required to submit.

This document is intended for RMIT Business TAFE and undergraduate students, although postgraduate students areencouraged to use it as a starting point. It details how to format your written work and demonstrates:

the differences between academic essays and business reports;

guidelines for their preparation;

how to ensure you meet the technical requirements;

how to cite references;

how to avoid plagiarism.

You will find a set of broad guidelines to help overcome common problems with grammar, formatting, and use of

abbreviations. This document is intended as an integral reference on matters of style and method. It will also helpyou further develop your written communication skills.

The RMIT Business Guidelines are based on the Style manual for authors, editors and printers(2002), referred tohere as Style manual (2002) which is published on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia, and is theCommonwealth Governments preferred style. The Style manual (2002) can be used to provide guidance on areaswhich are not covered in the RMIT Business document, but if there is any inconsistency you should follow the RMITBusiness document.

There may be certain other style requirements published in a course guide or indicated by the lecturer in charge.

Examples used in this guide are presented in text boxes to make them easy to follow.

Example of correct in-textreference using quotes

Whilst this work has been developing in the USA it had verydifferent beginnings in Britain (Wright 1982, p. 51).

Additional support and assistance with essay writing, writing style, and referencing can be found by viewing theLearning Lab .

1.1 Getting started

Do not leave the task until the last minute. You are urged to consider the following advice in relation to written

assessments:

Start thinking about the topic as soon as it has been selected and list the questions you believe you should tryto answer.

Do background reading, but keep checking the set topic to ensure that you stay focused.

Place the topic of your answer within the appropriate context. For example, an essay question on themacroeconomic policies of a particular country will require you to define macroeconomic before you can writeabout policies in different countries. So you may need to complete background reading before commencingthe specific reading related to your written task.

What do you need to fully answer the question? Do you need to collect data, source more reading materials,analyse new or existing data? Where will you source this information?

Allow time to secure essential references, remembering most libraries often do not have sufficient multiplecopies of references. Learn quickly to get the relevant information for your assignment, using the table ofcontents, chapter summaries, indexes and reviews. Always record the details of the publications in full forinclusion in your notes or plan in case you decide to refer to a source in your essay.

You should use all available research resources including the Internet and other electronic sources, to bothsave time and allow you to conduct international research and data gathering from home or work. However, in

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using these new technologies you must ensure that database resources, web pages, email, electronicdiscussion lists, etc. are properly acknowledged (see chapter 3 for electronic document referencing).

1.2 Editing

Do not leave editing until the last minute, but leave sufficient time to rewrite work to improve your expression. Remove

irrelevant or redundant material. Refine arguments to be more concise and forceful, and to remedy any otherdeficiencies.

Hint:

Often, the best way to ensure your writing flows systematically is to read your work aloud. Your natural

pauses become your punctuation and paragraph breaks, and sometimes, while reading aloud, it becomes

obvious what needs to be deleted and what is missing from your analysis.

1.3 Confidentiality

If you include confidential and/or controversial material and do not wish your essay or report to be viewed by people

other than RMIT staff, you should discuss this with your lecturer or course coordinator.

1.4 Referencing

What is referencing?

Referencing means acknowledging someone elses work or ideas. It is sometimes called citing ordocumenting another persons work.

Referencing is a basic University requirement.

As an RMIT Business student, you are required to use the Harvard referencing system as outlined in the following

pages. This author date system is based on the Australian Government 2000, Style manual for authors, editors and

printers, 6th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Australia.

Note: The Harvard system has many variations. You must use this version known as the AGPS style.

We have created an interactive website to assist you in the pursuit of referencing to the required standard. The sitecontains examples you can read as well as self help exercise with the information presented in a just in time format. It

would be beneficial fore you to bookmark the RMIT Business online referencing resource.

Why reference?

To draw on the ideas, language, data, and/or facts of others. (You are expected to read and research widely.)

To provide depth and support to academic work through citation of theories or key writers whose worksupports your answer, argument, or contention.

To demonstrate knowledge of current thinking in the field.

To support academic writing, essays, business reports, and oral presentations.

To demonstrate your ability to synthesis and analyse ideas sourced through your research.

To acknowledge work from others that you have quoted, summarised, paraphrased, synthesised, discussedor mentioned in your assignments.

To provide a list of the publication details so that your readers can locate the source if necessary.

To demonstrate the level and breadth of research undertaken by a student. References used correctly willbenefit your work and may add to your final grade.

Note:

Without appropriate referencing students are in effect stealing the work of others- this is tantamount toacademic fraud and is called plagiarism.

Failure to reference your work means that you may be found guilty of plagiarism which incurs academicpenalties. Further information can be found at RMIT Regulations 6.1.1 Student Discipline.

Failure to use the correct referencing format may affect the grading of your academic work.

2. Referencing

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2. 1 Introduction

Whenever you rely on someone elses work you must acknowledge that by providing details of the source. Harvard

Referencing has been developed to provide standard, compact ways of conveying this necessary information.

In this system, each reference is indicated in two areas of your work:

in the text (in-text citation) by using the name of the author(s) and the date of publication of the work.

In the reference list, where the full details of each reference, including the title and publishing details are given

2.2 In-text citations

There are two ways of referencing in-text:

Paraphrasing

Direct quotes

2.2.1 Paraphrasing

When paraphrasing, the ideas of the author(s) are expressed in your own words.

Paraphrasing is used to indicate to the reader:

your understanding of the content in the reference you are using.

your ability to relevantly and appropriately use ideas and information to support an argument or an opinion.

2.2.1.1 How to reference in-text

There are two options for in-text referencing

Adding the citation at the end of the sentence.

Using the authors name as part of your sentence.

When paraphrasing include the authors name and date of publication.e.g.Lack of variability in a product is an important measure of its quality (Shannon 2003).OR

Shannon (2003) describes the role of statistics in minimising product variability.

2.2.2 Direct quotes

When quoting, the exact words of the author(s) are used. Direct quotes should be kept to a minimum.

2.2.2.1 How to reference in-text

There are two options for in-text referencing

Adding the citation at the end of the sentence

Using the authors name as part of your sentence

When using direct quotes include the authors name, date of publication and page numbere.g.Statistical thinking can be defined as a set of thought processes and value systems that focus on

understanding, managing and reducing variation in the output of the firm (Shannon 2003, p. 5).ORShannon defines statistical thinking as a set of thought processes and value systems that focus onunderstanding, managing and reducing variation in the output of the firm (2003, p. 5).

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2.3 A reference list

The publication details of every item cited / used in your writing need to be included in the reference list at theend of your paper. Any websites used must also be documented in full. This enables the reader to locate thesource if they wish.

Each reference list entry requires a specific format depending on the reference type i.e. whether it is a book,

book chapter, journal article, website, etc. This is indicated in the following tables (page 6 onwards). You must use a variety of sources in your written work e.g. books, journals and websites etc. This indicates

that you have researched widely.

What is the difference between a reference list and a bibliography?

A reference list details in alphabetical order by author family name, all the works/articles/journals/monographs/web pages and data sources you have cited in your written work.

A bibliography lists, in alphabetical order by author family name, all the works/articles/journals/ monographs/web pages and data sources you have used or accessed to create your written work.

Note: RMIT Business requires all students to use a reference list in assessment tasks unless otherwise instructed by

your lecturers.

2.3.1 Referencing internet sourcesReferencing of web resources follows the same principles as for printed material. Often it is difficult to decide how to

reference a web site, especially when it originates from a corporate or government body.

It may not be clear:

who or which part of an organisation is responsible for the content. (Check the header, footer or Aboutsection of the site).

when it was created or last updated. (Many sites are continuously updated check for clues such asreferences to events which happened in a particular year or look for a copyright date. If it is clear that a site iscontinuously updated use the current year.)

which part to take as the title. (Home pages do not always require a title. For subordinate pages, choose themost obvious heading on the page).

who is responsible for publishing it.

The important thing is to make it clear exactly which part of the site you are referring to and provide details of the

bodies responsible.

Viewed dateAs documents on the web are subject to sudden change, it is essential to include the date on which you accessed the

document, especially if no date can be found on the document itself.

Web addresses (URL - Uniform Resource Locator)Provide the full URL for the site.

If you are accessing information via a Library database, give the name of the database not the URL.

As URLs often change, e.g. when a site is restructured, you need to provide sufficient information such as title andauthor for the reader to locate the document on the site.

Enclose the URL in angle bracketse.g. . followed by a full stop.

It is important to use the URL prefix to identify type of access involved e.g. http:// ftp:// gopher://

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General rules for in-text referencing where the name(s) of the authors are givenFor books, journals, websites, conference papers and newspapers, the general rule is to use the family name and the

date.

Table 1

Referencing style types of author In-text reference

One author

Family name

Year of publication

Kumar (2007) argued that

...(Kumar 2007).

Two or three authors

Family name

Year of publication

Brown and Lee (2008) offer the opinion that

....(Brown & Lee 2008).

Four or more authors

The name of the first author followed by et al.

Year of publication

Note: Family names of all authors, and initials, to be

used in the reference list

Ng et al. (2004) stated that

(Ng et al. 2004).

For specific information regarding referencing, refer to pages 8-22 of this Guide or use the online referencing resource

.

General rules for in-text referencing where the name(s) of the authors are not given

Table 2

Referencing style no author In-text reference

Newspapers from a database or hard copy

Name of paper in italics

Date

Page

Date viewed

Database if applicable

In-Text Reference

As stated in the Financial Review(1 August 2007, p. 62,viewed 27 August 2007, Factiva Database)..

. (Financial Review, 1 August 2007, p. 62, viewed 27August 2007, Factiva Database).

Websites corporations / institutions

An organisational publication with no individualauthor e.g. a corporate website or report, treat thecompany as the author

Name of authoring body, corporation / institution

Year of publication

Telstra (2007) provided the latest.

...,(Telstra 2007).

For specific information regarding referencing, refer to pages 8-22 of this Guide or use the online referencing resource

.

2.4 Books

The following table demonstrates how to correctly reference your work both in-text and in the reference list using

books.

Table 3

Reference type Reference list In-text citation

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Book one authorFamily name and initial(s)Year of publicationTitle of book- italicisedPublisherPlace of publication

Shannon, J 2003, A companiontobusiness statistics, Pearson,Frenchs Forest, NSW.

Note the use of upper and lower

case in the titles of all books

(Shannon 2003).

OR

Shannon (2003) argues

Note: for direct quotes enclose the

exact words of the writer in single inverted commas Include the page number(s)

Shannon (2003, p. 45) defines

...(Shannon 2003, p. 45).

Book four or more authors

The name of the first authorfollowed by et al. is used forthe in-text reference.

In the reference list write thenames of all the authors.

Kotler, P, Brown, L, Adam, S &Armstrong, G 2004, Marketing,6th edn, Prentice Hall, FrenchsForest, NSW.

(Kotler et al. 2004).

OR

Kotler et al. (2004) state ...

No clear author

Where there is no clear author,enter under the title of thebook.

Style manual for authors,editors and printers 2002, 6thedn, John Wiley & Sons,

Australia.

The Style manual for authors,editors and printers (2002)describes

Edited book

Single editor

Multiple editors

Note:

ed. - editor

eds - editors

Cortada, J (ed.) 1998, Rise of

the knowledge worker,Butterworth-Heinemann,Boston.

Cope, B & Mason, D (eds)2001, C-2-C: creator toconsumer in a digital age,Common Ground Publishing,

Altona, Vic.

(ed. Cortada 1998).

(eds Cope & Mason 2001).

Book chapter / article

Author(s) of chapter - familyname(s) and initial(s)

Year of publicationTitle of chapter - in singleinverted commas[in] Editor of book (if different)Title of book italicisedEditionPublisherPlace of publicationPage number(s)

Ahmadjiian, CL 2006, Japanese

business groups: continuity in

the face of change, in S Chang(ed.) Business groups in East

Asia,Oxford university Press,

UK, pp.29-52.

Note:

The Initial(s) of editor(s) comes

beforetheir family name(s).

Include the page numbers for

the whole chapter.

Ahmadjiian (2006) observes that...

...(Ahmadjiian 2006).

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E-bookAuthor(s) family name(s),Initial(s)Year of publicationTitle of book,EditionPublisherPlace of publicationviewed day month yeardatabase name

When the e-book is in a librarydatabase as a page image (pdf),cite it as if it were a hard copybook.

To show where the e-book waslocated online, add the date ofviewing and either databasename or URL.

If the book is only available on aLibrary database as HTML orplain text, then you must cite thedate of viewing and either thedatabase name or URL.

Zietlow, J, Hankin, JA &Seidner, AG 2007, Financialmanagement for nonprofitorganizations : policies andpractices, John Wiley & Sons,Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

or

Zietlow, J, Hankin, JA &Seidner, AG 2007, Financialmanagement for nonprofitorganizations : policies andpractices, John Wiley & Sons,Inc., Hoboken, N.J., viewed 7November 2007, Ebook Librarydatabase.Liu, C & Albitz, P 2006, DNS and

BIND, 5thedn, OReilly,Sebastopol, CA, viewed 7November 2007, .

Zietlow, Hankin and Seidner (2007)

state...

.Zietlow, Hankin & Seidner2007).

Alternatively an anonymousarticle e.g. from anencyclopedia or dictionary canbe cited in the text with no entryin the reference list.

No reference needed. The new Palgrave dictionary ofmoney & finance(1992) defineshedging as

Several items with sameauthor and year

If you are referring to more than

one work written by the same

author in the same year, the

letters a,b,c etc are added to the

date to indicate which one you

mean.

In the reference list the works

are listed alphabetically

according to the title. If the title

starts with A, An, or The, the

alphabetical order is determined

by the second word in the title

Hill, CWL 2004a, Global

business today, 3rdedn,

McGraw Hill / Irwin, Boston.

Hill, CWL 2004b, Strategic

management theory: an

integrated approach,6thedn,

Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Hill (2004a) suggests that...

Hill (2004b) suggests that...

...(Hill 2004b).

...(Hill 2004a).

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Several items with same firstauthor and year

When an author publishes morethan one work in the same year,but with different co-authors, thename of the second author

determines the order in whichthe works appear in thereference list.

Kotler, P, Brown, L, Adam, S &Armstrong, G 2004, Marketing,6th edn, Prentice Hall, FrenchsForest, NSW.

Kotler, P & Lee, N 2004, Best ofbreed, Stanford SocialInnovation Review, vol. 1, no.4, pp. 14-23.

Kotler et al. (2004) suggested that...

Kotler and Lee (2004) offer theopinion that...

(Kotler et al. 2004).

(Kotler & Lee 2004).

Secondary citation (citationwithin a citation)

A secondary citation is whenyou refer to the work of oneauthor cited by another author.

Primary sources are preferred.

If the original source is notavailable you must include thename of both writers for in-text

references.Only the source you have readappears in the reference list.

Horton, S 2006,Access bydesign: a guide to universalusability for web designers, NewRiders, Berkeley, California.

Form ever follows function (Sullivan,cited in Horton 2006, p. 1).

In 1896 Louis H. Sullivan observedthat form ever follows function (citedin Horton 2006, p. 1).

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2.4.1 Printed material and multimedia

Table 4a

Reference type Reference list In-text citation

Journal articles

Author(s) family name(s),

initial(s)

Year of publication,

Title of article, in single

inverted commas

Journal name in italics,

month

volume: vol.

number: no.

issue,

page number(s): p. or pp.

for the whole article

Note:

Some journals ormagazines are designatedby month and year, ratherthan by volume and issue.

Note:

For journal and newspapernames only, all major wordsare in upper case

Lencioni, PM 2002, Make your

values mean something,

Harvard Business Review, July,

p. 113.

Sloman, SA, Over, D, Slovak, L

& Stibel, JM 2003, Frequency

illusions and other fallacies,

Organizational Behaviour and

Human Decision Processes, vol.

91, no. 2, pp. 296-309.

Weber, T 1999, Gandhi, deep

ecology, peace research and

Buddhist economics, Journal of

Peace Research, vol. 36, no. 3,

pp. 349-61.

Lencioni (2002)

reported that...

...(Lencioni 2002).

Table 4a

Reference type Reference list In-text citation

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Journal articles online

Author(s) of article - familyname(s) and initial(s)

Year of publication,

Title of article, in single

inverted commas

Journal name, in italicsvolume: vol.

number: no. .

issue ,

page number(s): p. or pp.viewed day month year,database name or URL.

Note:

Often journal articles comefrom a variety of differentsources. They are cited

differently, depending ontheir format.

If a journal article appearsin a library database as apage image (pdf), cite it thesame way as the originalhard copy format.

If the article was locatedonline, you must add dateviewed and either databasename or URL.

If the article is only availableon a Library database asHTML or plain text, then youmust cite the date viewedand either the databasename or URL.

If the article has beenlocated on the internet andnot on a database, youmust cite the date viewedand URL.

Brewer, P & Sherriff, G2007, Is there a culturaldivide in Australianinternational trade?,Australian Journal of

Management,vol. 32, no.1, pp. 113-134.

or

Brewer, P & Sherriff, G2007, Is there a culturaldivide in Australianinternational trade?,Australian Journal ofManagement,vol. 32, no.1, pp. 113-134, viewed 11November 2007, Ebscodatabase.

Brewer, P & Sherriff, G2007, Is there a culturaldivide in Australianinternational trade?,Australian Journal ofManagement, vol. 32, no.1,p 113, viewed 11 November2007, Factiva database.

Brewer, P & Sherriff, G2007, Is there a cultural

divide in Australianinternational trade?,Australian Journal ofManagement, vol 32, no. 1,viewed 11 November 2007,.

Brewer and Sherriff (2007)suggest

...(Brewer & Sherriff 2007).

Table 4a

Reference type Reference list In-text citation

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Newspaper articles

Author(s) family name(s)and initial(s),

Year of publication,

'Title of article - in single

inverted commasNewspaper name initalics,

day month,

page number(s): p. or pp.

Kemp, S 2003 Leakpushes AMP to record low,The Age, 7 August, p. 1(Business section).

Kemp (2003) reportedthat ...

...(Kemp 2003).

Note: if the newspaperarticle does NOT have anauthor then provide detailsin in-text citation only, NOTin the reference list orbibliography

Not required. As stated in The Age(17August 2007, p. 12)

...(The Age17 August2007, p. 12).

Newspaper articles online

Author(s) family name(s)

and initial(s)Year of publication

Title of article - in single

inverted commas

Newspaper name in italics

day month

page number(s) p. or pp.

viewed day month year

or .

See instructions as for

journal articles where citingPDF or HTML formats of

newspaper articles

Khadem, N 2007, Lid stays

on wages growth, The Age,15 November, p. 1(Business section), viewed16 November 2007,.

Khadem (2007) reported

that...

...(Khadem 2007).

Published conference

papers

Author(s) family name(s)and initial(s),

Year of publication,

'Title of paper - in singleinverted commas'

in Editor (if applicable), Titleof published conferenceproceedings, including

place held and date(s) initalics, Publisher,

place of publication,

page number(s).

Note: The initials of the

editors go in front of the

family name(s)

Dong, Y 2001, TheChinese experience, in PDrysdale, (ed.), The neweconomy in East Asia andthe Pacific: Proceedings of

the 27thPacific Trade andDevelopment Conference,

Australian National

University, Canberra, 20-22 August, 2001, RoutledgeCurzon, London and NewYork. pp. 130-139.

Dong (2001) analysed ...

...(Dong 2001).

Table 4a

Reference type Reference list In-text citation

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Online conference papers

Author(s) family/

surname(s) and initial(s)

Year of publication

'Title of paper - in single

inverted commas

Editor (if applicable)

Title of published

conference proceedings,

including place held and

date(s) in italics

Publisher

Place of publication

viewed day month year

database name or .

Note:

The initials of the editors go

in front of the family

name(s)

Jakubowicz, A. 2002, 'Racevilification and communalleadership', in W. Jonas

(ed.),

Beyond Tolerance:National Conference on

Racism, Sydney, 12-13

March 2002,Human

Rights and EqualOpportunities Commission,Sydney, viewed 17 June2002,.

Jakubowicz (2002) arguedthat

(Jakubowicz 2002).

Unpublished conference

papers or presentations

Author(s) Family name(s),Initial(s)

Year of publication

Title of paper use singleinverted commas

Paper presented toTitle of conference/forum

Location of conference/forum

Date of conference/forum

Page(s)

Pannan, L, van der Craats,

C & McGovern, J 2002,

'Multi-level stepwise

approach to engaging all

academic staff in on-line

delivery', paper presented to

2nd RMIT Teaching and

Learning Forum, Melbourne,

24 October 2002.

Pannam, van der Craats

and McGovern (2002)

described ...

... (Pannam, van der Craats& McGovern 2002).

Theses

Author family/surname

and initials Year of

preparation of thesis

Title of thesis in single

inverted commasAward,

Institution

Baxter, JS 2001, 'Rural land

use and value in Northern

Victoria 1880-1960', PhD

thesis, RMIT University.

Baxter (2001)investigated..

(Baxter 2001).

Table 4a

Reference type Reference list In-text citation

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Theses online

Author family/surname andinitials

Year of preparation of thesis,

Title of thesis,

Award, Institution,viewed day month year,

or .

Khanh, VL 2006. CustomerLoyalty in Web-basedRetailing, PhD thesis, RMITUniversity, 14 November2007, .

Khanh (2006)explored...

...(Khanh 2006).

Government publications

These include departmentalreports, reports of commissionsof inquiry, committees of reviewand committees of parliament.

Author or organisation name

Year of publication,

Title of report,

catalogue. no.,Publisher,

Place of publication,

viewed day month year,

Government publications can be

reported in a variety of ways.

See the Style manual for

authors, editors and printers

2002, pp. 220 223 for further

examples.

Australia, Parliament 2003,

Fraud control arrangements in

the Australian Customs

Service, Parliamentary Paper

32, Canberra.

(Australia, Parliament

2003).

Government publicationsonline

Author or organisation nameYear of publication,Title of report,cat. no.,

Publisher,Place of publication,viewed day month year,.

Many government publications

are available on the Internet.

The way you access adocument affects your citation.

Australian National AuditOffice 2003, Fraud controlarrangements in theAustralian Customs Service,viewed 4 August 2003,.

Note: Enclose the URLaddress with < >.

Australian Bureau ofStatistics 2004,Mental Healthin Australia: A Snapshot,cat.no. 4824.0.55.001. ABS,Canberra, viewed 18 August2005, .

(Australian NationalAudit Office 2003).

...(Australian Bureau of

Statistics 2004).

Table 4a

Reference type Reference list In-text citation

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Company or IndustryInformation

Company name

Year of publication

Title of report in italics

Publisher,Place of publication

Coles Myer Ltd 2005,Corporate socialresponsibility report 2005,Coles Myer, Tooronga, Vic.

...(Coles Myer Ltd 2005).

Company or industryinformation online

Company name

Year of publication

Title of report in italics

Publisher,

Place of publication,

viewed day month year,

.

IBISWorld 2005, Wine

Manufacturing in Australia

(C2183), IBISWorld Pty Ltd,

viewed 28 November 2005,

.

Datamonitor 2005, WestfieldGroup (Australia): companyprofile, Datamonitor, viewed23 January 2006, BusinessSearching Interface(EBSCO) database.

Although the domestic winemarket is expected to bestagnant from 2006-2010,wine exports will continueto grow, although at a lowerrate than previously(IBISWorld 2005).

The Westfield Group has

interests in 129 shoppingcentres in Australia, NewZealand, the UK and USA(Datamonitor 2005).

CD-ROM

Author(s)/editor(s) name(s),Initial(s)YearTitle(in italics)EditionCD-ROMPublisher

Place of publication

No author or editor

Note: the in-text reference

would be to the title of the

CD in italics.

DeBolt, V. 2007,Masteringintegrated HTML and CSS,CD-ROM, Wiley Publishing,Indianapolis, USA.

Best practice in sport andrecreation for tourismdevelopment within APECeconomies 2001, CD-ROM,

APEC Secretariat,Singapore.

Debolt (2007) suggestedthat.

(Debolt 2007).

APEC has providedguidelines for developingsports facilities in the region(Best practice in sport andrecreation for tourismdevelopment within APECeconomies 2001).

Table 4a

Reference type Reference list In-text citation

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Videorecordings and

television programs

Title of program italicised

(if part of an ongoing

series, list the episode titlefirst, then the series name)

year of recording

format

publisher/distributor

place of recording

date of recording (if

applicable)

viewed day month year (if

applicable)

database name or (if

applicable)

Note: the in-text reference

would be to the title of the

program, also in italics.

Accounting for the

environment1994,

videorecording, Educational

Media Australia, South

Melbourne.

Economy records strongestgrowth and shows no signof slowing, another rate risepredicted:Lateline Business2007, television program,

ABC Television, Melbourne,4 September, viewed 11January 2008, TVNewsDatabase.

7.30 Report2005,television program, ABC,

20 November.Business Sunday2005,television program, NineNetwork, 20 November,viewed 2 December 2005,.

Accounting techniques areincreasingly being applied toproblems of pollution andland use (Accounting for the

environment1994).

Lateline Business(2007)

On Lateline Business(2007)it was stated that Australianeconomic growth.

When interviewed on 7.30Report (2005) theTreasurer said

Several businesses aresponsoring environmentalresearch on Heron Island(Business Sunday2005)

Personal communications

including email, SMS,

conversations, interviews

Personal communicationsshould be cited in the text,

but do not need to appear in

the list of references

Not required. This was confirmed in an

email from C. Costa on 5

November 2007.

Further details of this may

be given in the list of

references if you wish the

reader to be able to follow

up the reference. To avoid

breaching privacy you

should obtain permission of

the person before doingthis.

Senders name, year, email,

date month,

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Home pages

These do not always have a

title. They should follow the

format:

Name of the organisation

dateTitle (if any, written in italics)

name of organisation

responsible for publishing

site (often the same) place

of publication (usually the

location of the registered

office) viewed date

.

Telstra 2005, Telstra,Melbourne, viewed 2December 2005, .

business.gov.au 2005,Department of Industry,Tourism and Resources,Canberra, viewed 2December 2005,.

Note that there is no singlecorrect method ofreferencing the above site. Itis important to be

consistent. One of severalacceptable alternativeswould be:

Business Entry Point 2005,business.gov.au, viewed 2December 2005,.

Many corporate web sitesprovide information to avariety of user groups (e.g.Telstra 2005, Vodaphone2005).

The AustralianGovernments businessgateway (business.gov.au,2005) provides informationon starting or running asmall business.

OPTIONAL

Home page addresses canbe provided directly in thetext without appearing in the

reference list.

However pages which arepart of a larger site shouldbe referenced as below

The AustralianGovernments businessgateway (2005)provides information onstarting or running a smallbusiness.

Table 4b

Reference type Reference list In-text citation

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Document on a web site

Author(s) /editor(s)

Year of document,

Title of document in italics

name of the sponsor of the

source date of viewing

.

If a document is available asa PDF (page image) file,this is often easier to cite asit is closer to a printedformat. It also allows you tospecify particular pagenumbers

Australian National AuditOffice 2005, Themanagement andprocessing of leave, viewed2 December 2005,.

Telstra n.d.,Auditgovernance and financialreporting, Telstra, viewed 1December 2005..

Many governmentdepartments do not managetheir employees leavewithin the terms of theirEnterprise Agreements(Australian National AuditOffice 2005, p. 10).

OR

The Australian NationalAudit Office reports thatmany governmentdepartments do not managetheir employees leavewithin the terms of theirEnterprise Agreements(2005, p. 10).

Although the Telstra Actmakes the Auditor-Generalof Australia responsible forauditing Telstra, certainfunctions are carried out byan agent (Telstra n.d.).

Company or industryinformation on a websiteor databaseIf this information is sourcedfrom a library database it isbetter to include thedatabase name rather than

the URL

IBISWorld 2005, Wine

Manufacturing in Australia

(C2183), IBISWorld Pty Ltd,

viewed 28 November 2005,.

Datamonitor 2005, WestfieldGroup (Australia): companyprofile, Datamonitor, viewed23 January 2006, BusinessSearching Interface(EBSCO) database.

Although the domestic winemarket is expected to bestagnant from 2006-2010,wine exports will continue to

grow, although at a lowerrate than previously(IBISWorld 2005).

The Westfield Group hasinterests in 129 shoppingcentres in Australia, NewZealand, the UK and USA(Datamonitor 2005).

Wiki entryAs wikis are a collaborativesource, usually there is nonamed author.

Title of articleYear,Title, - in italicsformat,viewed day month year,.

The exponential power ofconnectedness 2007,Connectedintelligence, wikiarticle, viewed 11 November2007, .

In (Connectedintelligence2007)

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Table 4b

Reference type Reference list In-text citation

Weblog site

Author(s) of weblog

Family name(s) andinitial(s)Year,Weblog name,format,viewed day month year,.

Weblog post

Author(s) - family name(s)and initial(s)

Year,Title of post,Weblog name, in italics

format,date of posting day month,viewed day month year,.

Webber. S & Boon, S 2006,

Information literacy weblog,weblog, viewed 10 January2008, .

Webber. S 2008, Eventsfrom CILIP, Informationliteracy weblog, weblogpost, 9 January, viewed 11January 2008, .

(Webber & Boon 2006).

Webber (2008) posted thefollowing information...

Intranet/course notesFormat:

Author(s) family name(s)and Initial(s)Year of publication,Title of work in italicscourse notes from (CourseCode),Publisher,Place of publication,

viewed day month year,Online@RMIT.

Smith, H 2005, Metadata,course notes fromISYS6655, RMIT University,Melbourne, viewed 8 July2005, Online@RMIT.

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2.4.2 Electronic journal articles

Table 4c

Reference type Reference list In-text citation

Journal articles online

If a journal article appears ina library database as a pageimage (pdf), you may cite itthe same way as theoriginal hard copy format.

If you wish to show wherethe article was locatedonline, you may add date ofaccess and either databasename or URL.

If the article is only availableon a Library database asHTML or plain text, then youwill need to cite the date ofaccess and either thedatabase name or URL.

If the article has beenlocated on the internet andnot on a database, you willneed to cite the date ofaccess and URL.

Brewer, P & Sherriff, G2007, Is there a culturaldivide in Australianinternational trade?,Australian Journal ofManagement,vol. 32, no. 1,pp. 113-134.

OR

Brewer, P & Sherriff, G2007, Is there a culturaldivide in Australianinternational trade?,Australian Journal ofManagement,vol. 32, no. 1,pp. 113-134, viewed 11November 2007, Ebscodatabase.

Brewer, P & Sherriff, G2007, Is therea culturaldivide in Australianinternational trade?,Australian Journal ofManagement, vol. 32, no. 1,p 113, viewed 11 November

2007, Factiva database.

Brewer, P & Sherriff, G2007, Is therea culturaldivide in Australianinternational trade?,Australian Journal ofManagement,vol. 32, no. 1,viewed 11 November 2007,.

Brewer and Sherriff (2007)suggest

(Brewer and Sherriff2007).

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2.4.4 Legislation and legal cases

When referring to legislation including Acts, Ordinances and Regulations, the title must be reproduced exactly, without

changing the capitalisation or spelling. The words Act and Bill are generally written with a capital letter.

An Act or Ordinance may be cited by the short title, which is usually drafted into modern legislation. The first reference

must always include the short title in italics. Subsequent references may refer to it by an undated, descriptive title inRoman type (normal or regular type).

Legislation or legal cases are only included in the reference list if they are important to the understanding of the work.

In this case it is best to set the list apart from the main body of the reference list and use the heading Legislation or

Legal authorities.

Further guidance is provided in the Style manual for authors, editors and printers2002, pp. 224-8.

Table 4d

Reference type Reference list In-text citationLegislation

An Act or Ordinance may becited by the given short title.

The first reference must

always include the short title

in italics.

Subsequent references may

refer to it by an undated,

descriptive title in roman i.e.

normal or regular type.

Not generally required. The Trade Practices Act1974 (Commonwealth)

provides that

One of the shortcomings ofthe Trade Practices Act is

The jurisdiction must be

made clear, either by

including it in the body of

the text or in abbreviatedform in brackets after the

act title.

Not generally required. The Fair Trading Act 1999

(Vic) covers

OR

In Victoria this is covered bythe Fair Trading Act 1999

Legal cases

To fully cite legal authorities

list name of casein italics

(date) or volume number, or

both; abbreviated name of

report series; and beginning

page. No commas are used.

Not generally required. Commercial Bank ofAustralia Ltd v. Amadio(1983) 151 CLR 447

This case appeared in 1983in the Commonwealth LawReports, volume 151,starting on page 447.

Legal referencing

If you have been instructed

by your lecturer to usefootnotes in your

referencing, refer to the link

given.

http://mulr.law.unimelb.edu.au/files/aglcdl.pdf

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2.4.5 Order of entries in a reference list

Note: The following provide examples of how to order your reference list. No full stops are used between an authors

initials, and no comma is used after the last author's initials. The dots following the entries names indicate the details of

the reference that should follow.

Table 5Reference list order rules Reference list

The reference list is arranged first

alphabetically by author, and if the authors

are the same then by date.

A reference with multiple authors follows

single author entries beginning with thesame author name.

Where an item has no author it is listed by

its title.

Where several works have the same

author and year of publication, add the

letters a, b, ... etc according to the

alphabetical order of the titles in the

reference list, ignoring the initial articles A,

An or The.

Jones, AB 2000, ...

Origin Energy 2005,

Smith, AK 1990, ...

Smith, AK 1999,

Smith, AK 2004,

Stein, B 2003, (single author entry)

Stein, B, Lee, HK, Yin, CX & Singh, GS2000, (plural and alphabetical author

entry, that is, Lee comes before Reynolds

in the English alphabet.)

Stein, B & Reynolds, JS 1995,

Stein, B & Reynolds, JS 2000, (This

reference is sorted by its date, it has the

same authors as the reference before it but

was written at a later date)

Style manual for authors, editors and

printers2002, ...

Young, JC 1988a, Economic indicators

Young, JC 1988b,A quick guide

(Economic comes before quick in the

English alphabet)

Young, JC & Smith, AK 1988,

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2.5 Other referencing systems

Although you are normally required to use the style described above, you will come across many other methods of

referencing. These include other versions of the Author-date or Harvard system as well as Note systems. Further

details of some of these styles are available via the Library website at www.rmit.edu.au/library/reference/manuals or in

style manuals in the Library.

Table 6

Referencing system ExamplesOther author-date styles

There are many other versions of the Author-date

or Harvard style apart from that described above.

The main similarity is that they use in-text

citations and a reference list. However they may

differ in their use of punctuation, brackets, italics,

underlined or bold formatting, method of

designating volume, issue and pages numbers,

etc.

Only use a different author-date style if your

lecturer specifically requests it, and make sure

you follow the required style closely.

Reword to include exceptions eg Law.

APA style, as described in the Publication manual

of the American Psychological Association2001,

5th edn, APA, Washington, DC. This style is

widely used internationally in the social sciences.

Many academic journals have their own author-

date style.

Many style manuals e.g. Chicago, MLA and

Turabian include an author-date style.

Note systems

While it is not RMIT Business style, you may at

some stage be asked to use the Note system of

referencing, either footnotes or endnotes. This

system is commonly used in law, as well as

sciences and humanities. Examples of styles

using a Note system are shown opposite.Only use a Note style if your lecturer specifically

requests it, and make sure you follow the

required style closely.

Australian Legal Citation Style, as described in

Australian guide to legal citation 2002, 2nd edn,

Melbourne University Law Review Association

and at

http://mulr.law.unimelb.edu.au/files/aglcdl.pdf

Documentary note style as described in Style

manual for authors, editors and printers,2002,

6th edn, JohnWiley & Sons, Australia, pp.

208-15.

Vancouver style as described in Style manual for

authors, editors and printers, 2002, 6th edn, John

Wiley & Sons, Australia, pp. 215-8 or other

sources.

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2.6 Commonly used abbreviations in referencing

The abbreviations listed below may appear in other bibliographies, lists of references, footnotes and endnotes:

Table 7

Abbreviation

art.

app.

c. (Latin circa) e.g. c. 1835

cf.

ch., chs

col., cols

edn (note: no full stop)

ed., eds

e.g.

et al.

f., ff.

fig., figs

id.

i.e.

n.d.

no., nos

p., pp.

para., paras

rev.

2nd (note: no full stop see ch.8.2 on numbering)

sec., s., ss.vol., vols

article

appendix

approximately, about

compare

chapter(s)

column(s)

edition

editor(s)

for example

and others

and the following pages

figure(s)

the same

that is

no date

number(s)

page(s)

paragraph(s)

revised

second (edition)

section (s. for section, ss. for subsection of

legislation)

volume(s)

2.7 Using EndNote with RMIT Business style

EndNote is a software program that helps you keep track of the details of books, articles, websites or other information

sources which you may need to refer to in your assignments or thesis. It is particularly recommended for use by staff

and postgraduate students.

EndNote allows you to

create, store and manage references to books, journal articles, web sites, conference papers, multimedia andother sources of information

insert selected references directly into a word processed document and automatically create and formatbibliographies in a chosen style

search and retrieve records from remote catalogues and databases

RMIT has a site licence for EndNote, which allows you to use it at RMIT and on your own computer. Further details are

available on the Library's EndNote tutorial at www.rmit.edu.au/library/endnote. This site also has an output style

available for download, labelled "Harvard ed6" which follows Style manual (2002) as used at RMIT Business.

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3. Plagiarism

3.1 RMIT University definition of plagiarism

RMIT has an assessment charter, which elaborates key responsibilities common to all staff and students in relation to

assessment and defines the Universitys policy on plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined (RMIT University 2003a) as

stealing somebodys intellectual property (IP) by presenting their work, thoughts or ideas as though they are your own.It is cheating. It is a serious academic offence and can lead to expulsion from RMIT.

Plagiarism can take many forms - written, graphic and visual forms, and includes use of electronic data and material

used in oral presentations. Plagiarism may even occur unintentionally, such as when the origin of the material used is

not properly cited.

3.1.1 What constitutes plagiarism?

Under the charter, you may be accused of plagiarism if you do anyof the following:

Copy sentences or paragraphs word-for-word from any source, whether published or unpublished (including, butnot limited to books, journals, reports, theses, websites, conference papers, course notes, etc.) withoutproper citation.

Closely paraphrase sentences, paragraphs, ideas or themes without proper citation.

Piece together text from one or more sources and add only linking sentences without proper citation.

Copy or submit whole or parts of computer files without acknowledging their source.

Copy designs or works of art and submit them as your original work.

Copy a whole or any part of another students work.

Submit work as your own that someone else has done for you.

Enabling Plagiarism is the act of assisting or allowing another person to plagiarise or to copy your own work (RMIT

2003a). It is also a serious academic offence. More detail on what constitutes plagiarism is found in the January 2003

Policy on Plagiarism

3.1.2 What is the penalty for plagiarism?

Plagiarism is not permitted in RMIT University. Any use of another persons work or ideas must be acknowledged. If

you fail to do this, you may be charged with academic misconduct and face a penalty under RMIT Regulations 6.1.1

Student Discipline. This may be viewed at http://mams.rmit.edu.au/7w2uew7i6v2.pdf

Penalties for plagiarism (RMIT University 2003b) include:

recording of a failure for the assignment or course.

cancellation of any or all results.

suspension from the program.

expulsion from the program.

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3.2 Examples of plagiarism

RMIT Universitys Learning Skills Unit has developed a range of examples to help you identify the most common forms

of plagiarism, such as:

Table 8Direct use of another person's work without citation

If the sentence opposite appeared in

an assessment :

It is plagiarism because the words

have been copied directly from a

book

Work motivation and performance increase when employees feel

personally accountable for the outcomes of their efforts.

A properly referenced paper would

use the sentence this way:

McShane and Travaglione (2003 p.199) state that work motivation and

performance increase when employees feel personally accountable for

the outcomes of their efforts.

Table 9

Paraphrasing sentences, paragraphs and ideas without citation

These are your words but not your

idea/information.

When employees feel responsible for their work, they tend to be more

motivated which results in higher performances.

You MUST show where the idea

came from. Hence

Note: no page number needed as

not a direct quote.

When employees feel responsible for their work, they tend to be more

motivated which results in higher performances (McShane &

Travaglione 2003).

Table 10Piecing together texts from one or more sources and linking them

The following in a paper is

plagiarism:

Employees must be given control of their work environment to feel

responsible for their successes and failures. This is called employee

involvement, designed to encourage increased commitment to the

organisations success.

A correct way of referencing the

paragraph is:

Employees must be assigned control of their work environment to feel

responsible for their successes and failures (McShane & Travaglione

2003, p. 199). Robbins, et al. (2001 p. 237) call this employee

involvement designed to encourage increased commitment to the

organisations success.

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Table 11

Integrating ideas from multiple sources

A good model of how to integrate

ideas from multiple sources.

Read through the example. Note:

Usually the first sentence is a

statement of proposition

introducing the ideas that you

want to put forward in the

paragraph.

Then support the proposition by

at least one or more authorities.

Include a statement of opinions

contrary to the proposition

(demonstrates that you have

considered all sides to the

argument).

Summarise your argument or

proposition in your own words.

Eunson (1987, p. 67) defines motivation as what is important to you,

and explores the importanceof money as a motivator. However,

recent studies outlined by Leonard, Beauvais and Scholl (1999)suggest that personality and disposition play an equally important role

in motivation.

Conversely Robbins et al. (1994, p. 241) put forward the idea that

motivation is a set of processes that stimulate, direct and maintain

human behaviour towards attaining a goal

In other words motivation is a complex concept, which encompasses

a variety of competingtheories. There are many reasons why people

behave differently in the workplace, but it is because these differences

exist that managements pay attention to the theories, which provide

them with frameworks for problem solving.

3.3 How to avoid plagiarism

Use this checklist to ensure you avoid accusations of plagiarism:

Table 12

How to avoid accusations of plagiarism

DO NOT directly copy phrases and / or passages (transcribe) without a referenceand / or quotation marks

DO NOT paraphrase other writers work in your written work without citing references.

DO NOT make a direct reference to an author or authors you have not read, even ifyou may have read about them.

(While the use of secondary sources is not encouraged, if the primary publication isout of print or difficult to obtain, you should cite the secondary source you haveactually read rather than the original that you have not read.)

DO NOT copy another persons work, in part or in whole, or allow someone else tocopy part or all of work you have completed.

DO NOT write your work in conjunction with other students without prior permission.(Except in group assignments where wider consultation is expected, you should onlymeet with other students initially to discuss the essay topic and/or analyse the

question.)

DO NOT submit written work already submitted for assessment in any other course.

Examples based on information available on RMIT Library referencing section.

Further information is available online from the Study and Learning Centre.

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4. Essay writing

What is an essay?An essay is:

a continuous piece of writing that sets out to discuss or argue a point of view or opinion.

information presented formally often with the intention of defending or promoting a particular point of view.

Why are you required to write essays?

to demonstrate knowledge and expertise in a subject area.

to apply theories and models to given topics/ questions/ issues - to support the proposition you are puttingforward.

to demonstrate your ability to synthesise various sources of information in a coherent and concise piece ofwriting enabling the reader to easily follow the flow of ideas.

to develop your ability to argue, persuade, explain, inform and/or discuss.

to convince the reader by the logic of the argument presented.

A Step By Step Guide to Essay Writing

Step 1 Choose your topic

If you have a choice of topics select the one that interests you the most or that has relevance to your chosen career.

If you are allowed to create your own essay topic, choose a subject that you want to learn more about and which

interests you.

Step 2 Read the instructions, relating to your assessments as set down in your Course Guide

Always check your Course Guide to ensure that you are clear about what you are required to do:

When is the essay due?

How long is it?

What is the format?

How does this topic relate to the course? How does this topic relate to the current area being studied?

Step 3 Analyse the topic

Break the topic into its component parts to understand what the main elements of the task are. Essay topics can

usually be divided into three sections:

Content What is the topic about?

Instruction What have you been asked to do in relation to the topic?

Scope How has the topic been limited is there a focus on particularorganisations/ countries, /year(s)?

Underline key words and draw circles around the action/instruction words. Below is an example of an essay question.

Compare and contrast the financial reports and ratios of two Australian companies

It is important that you fully understand what the instruction words are telling you to do.

Table 13 provides a list of words and definitions that are often used in your assessment tasks.

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Table 13

Action/instruction words used in assessment

tasksDefinitions

Analyse Separate or break the subject matter into its parts to

discover their nature, proportion, function and

relationships.

Argue Systematically support or reject a position by presenting

reasons and evidence for acceptance or rejection, while

indicating your awareness of opposing points of view.

Comment Make critical observations about the subject matter; be

careful not to cast too wide a net here, or to write in too

many generalisations.

Compare Find similarities and differences between two or more

ideas, events, interpretations etc. Ensure you

understand exactly what you are being asked to

compare.

Contrast The remarks on compare also apply to contrast.Usually the difference is that you should concentrate on

dissimilarities.

Define Provide clear, concise, authoritative meanings, in which

you address the nature or essential qualities. Details are

not necessarily required, but you may wish to cite the

boundaries or limitations of the definition, since

meanings can extend beyond simple definitions.

Describe Recall facts, processes or events. You are not asked to

explain or interpret. Try to provide a thorough

description, emphasising the most important points.

Discuss Present a point of view, that of others and/or your own.

This is likely to entail both description and interpretation.Your opinion should be supported by arguments and

evidence.

Evaluate Here you are asked to appraise in order to make a

judgment, which means considering both strengths and

weaknesses.

Illustrate Clarify, exemplify or elucidate by presenting a figure,

picture, diagram or concrete example.

Outline Give an organised description or an ordering of

information in which you state the main point, but omit

details. Present the information in a systematic

arrangement or classification.

Review Re-examine, analyse and comment briefly (in anorganised sequence) on the major points of an issue.

Summarise Provide a brief statement or an account covering the

main points in sequence or by assimilating parts into a

general comment: omit details.

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Step 4 Brainstorm - What do you already know about the topic?

Using your reading, lectures and your own experiences think about what you already know about the topic.

On a blank piece of paper, write down all the ideas that you think might be related to the topic.

A brainstorm is the beginning of a mind map these random ideas can be organised into a structured mind

map that will provide you with a guide for your research and your writing.

Step 5 Starting your research

Although you are required to read and research widely, it is better to gain an overview of the topic by firstly reading the

recommended texts dont go straight online unless instructed to do so by your lecturer / tutor.

The texts will give you a broad understanding of the main ideas, writers and theories associated with the topic.

By familiarising yourself with the key concepts, the next stage of your research will be more targeted.

Step 6 Mind mapping

A mind map is a visual way of gathering your ideas about a particular topic.

Mind maps help you to identify the main ideas and what research needs to be conducted to provide the evidence that

supports these ideas.

Your mind map is a good time management resource. It will help you to focus your search for information more

efficiently and to organise your ideas into a coherent argument when you write your essay.

Table 14Mind mapping for essays

Topic question On a blank piece of paper, write down the topic.

Key ideas Use the brain storming notes and information gained

from general reading to jot down the key ideas. This is

the first step in developing a mind map.

Research As you continue to do research, start to put the

information into groups so that you can see the

connections between ideas/theories. This will help you

to sort out which are the key ideas and what is the

supporting information.

Delete any unnecessary ideas Once you have completed this task, you can delete any

unnecessary ideas that you have now identified as

irrelevant.

Single page Keep your mind map to a single page.

For more information on mind mapping go to the Learning Lab - Study Skills .

Step 7 Focus your research

As Business students you need to be familiar with current trends and thinking. Websites, newspapers and journals will

be important resources for your research.

When you are using the online resources use the search engines provided by the university such as Factiva, Proquest,

Blackwell Synergy, IBIS world, Informit. These will provide you with sources that can be relied on for accuracy and

integrity.

At this stage you must read with a purpose and only make notes when you are sure that the text has the informationyou need to use in your assessment task.

Always make sure you have recorded the full reference list entry details you will need this information later.

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For more information on recording your research go to the interactive online referencing resource for Business students.

Refer to your course guide for recommended reading lists. If there are no recommended texts, you will need to useresources available through the Library data bases .

Hints and Tips on Efficient Reading Strategies Once you have identified the key words and concepts relating to the topic, use these reading strategies to

make your research more efficient and to maximise the use of your time. Skim and scan. Use key words and concepts to quickly locate information Use chapter headings, abstracts, introductions, conclusions to find the main ideas the writer is exploring

if they are relevant continue Make notes when key information has been identified

Contact the Library Liaison Officer for your course if you need assistance.

For additional help with reading more efficiently visit the Learning Lab .

Hints and Tips on Critical Reading

One of your tasks when researching is to determine the validity, accuracy and credibility of your sources. Thisrequires you to consider carefully what you are reading. It is always important to critically examine thestatements being made and the evidence being used.

For your assessment tasks you will often be using the websites of companies and organisations. Theinformation they provide will be positive and promotional so it is important to question the objectivity andreliability of the data.

Do this by considering the following questions:-

Who is the writer? When was the article written? What evidence has the writer provided to support their argument? How convincing is it? Why? - What are the grounds for saying so? How logical is it? - Again, what are the grounds for saying so? What assumptions / overgeneralizations does the writer make? What are the implications of this work? What has the writer failed to consider? Where are the gaps? Is there evidence of bias? Do you agree or disagree with this writers standpoint? With which parts of the argument do you agree/disagree, and for what reasons? Is the methodology / the analysis appropriate? Are there any weaknesses or errors in the writing or calculations?

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What are primary information sources?Students are required to use primarysources whenever possible. This means that you read and reference the original

works of the authors. Information you have gathered from first hand experience eg. an interview or survey is also a

primary source.

What are secondary information sources?

When you use the ideas /words of one author that have appeared in another writers text you are using a secondary

source.

Below are two examples of how to use a secondary source in a sentence:

(1) Bartlett and Ghoshal (cited in Daft 2004) suggest that companies expanding into global markets are

forced to do so because of economic, technological and competitive factors, which relate to economies of

scale, economies of scope and cheaper production factors.

(2) Companies expanding into global markets are forced to do so because of economic, technological and

competitive factors, which relate to economies of scale, economies of scope and cheaper production factors

(Bartlett & Ghoshal, cited in Daft 2004).

Note: Wherever possible, use primary sources

Step 8 Draw up a detailed plan

Before writing the first draft of your essay use your mind map and your summarised notes to draw up a detailed essay

plan identifying the main ideas and the evidence that supports those ideas.

A detailed plan can help you to have confidence when you start to write. You know what you want to write, why you are

including it and the logical order in which to present it.

Step 9 Writing the Essay

Essay Structure

An essay is a structured form of writing. Your purpose in writing an essay is to demonstrate to the reader that youunderstand the topic and can use research to support your argument.

An essay has 3 parts-:

the introduction

the main section where the argument is developed, and

the conclusion

See Diagram 1 below for a detailed outline on what each part should contain.

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Paraphrasing, Synthesising and Direct Quotations

When you write your essay, you will need to use techniques such as paraphrasing and synthesising.

Paraphrasingis expressing in your own words the ideas of another writer.

Synthesising is the ability to express in your own words the similarities or differences in the ideas of a numberof authors.

You must always acknowledge the sources for your ideas even when you use your own words. For moreinformation on how to paraphrase and synthesise go to .

For more information on how to reference when paraphrasing go to .

Direct quotationsare when you use the exact words of the author/source.

You may use direct quotation in your assessment tasks, but these should be kept to a minimum.

Whenever quoting from any source you must correctly reference the work. For further information on how toreference direct quotes, go to .

For more information on direct quotes, go to .

Note: Do NOTjust cut and paste information from sources! To just use the words of an author does not demonstrateyour understanding or ability to create a logical argument. The quality of your work will be better if you paraphraseand synthesis your research, as this will show that you are able to interpret and critically analyse what you have readin relation to the topic.

Step 10 Writing the first draft

Using the detailed plan you have now developed, set aside a block of time to write the first draft of your essay. Aim to

write the whole essay in the time you have set aside as this will give your work a clear flow. Do not be concerned at

this stage with correct grammar, spelling, referencing as this will be done at the editing stage.

Once you have written this first draft it will be much easier to see where evidence is lacking, and where information

could be more logically re-organised.

As you will probably need to write several drafts before the essay is ready for submission, make sure you have allowed

sufficient time to do this.

Consider the items below to ensure your essay is a well written and well constructed piece of writing.

Table 15

Checklist for essays

Each paragraph contains one central idea

The above idea is supported by sufficient evidence from your research

The last sentence in each paragraph links to the main idea of the next paragraph

The writing:

has a logical structure and the overall argument is easy to follow

presents a reasoned and supported argument

uses only relevant information which is accurate precise / specific

uses impersonal language do not use personal pronouns such a I or weunless you are given permission to do so

is objective and unbiased

uses formal English do not use abbreviations or colloquialisms or SMSlanguage

Step 11 Editing your final draft

You need to edit your draft before submitting the final version.

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Read your Course Guide carefully to ensure that you have met the requirements of the assignment.

Observe the word limit or you may be penalised. Word limits as the words imply set the limit on the number of wordsthat can be used. The topic has been designed so that the issues and complexities can be explored within this wordlimit.

Using Tools on the menu bar in Microsoft Word, check your spelling and grammar and make the necessary changes

Remember:Good academic writing is clear, straightforward and grammatically correct. Sentences do not have to beoverlong or use very complex vocabulary.

ReferencingAll essays must be referenced according to the guidelines set out.or.or.

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5. Report Writing

What is a business report?A report is a document that:

records an investigation into a specific problem(s)/ subject.

analyses researched information.

contains factual / statistical information.

makes recommendations about how to resolve the problems that have been addressed.

and/or the type of action that should be taken.

sets out information in a formal and structured manner using numbered headings and sub-headings to makeit easier to read and access the information.

A business report is written in a simple, ordered and precise manner to ensure that the information provided is easy to

read and to access.

What is the purpose of a business report?Reports are usually written for specific readers to communicate information which has been compiled as a result of

research and analysis of data.

Why are you required to write reports?