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Academic writing: Planning and structure

Understanding the assessment

This guide will take you through the planning process: how to understand what the assessment task is asking you to do, gathering your initial ideas and creating a coherent structure that guides the reader.

In order to get started with your assessment, you will need to understand both the assessment task and relevant learning outcomes as well as noting the type of assessment and format, deadline and word limit requirements.

Start by finding all information regarding your assessment. This includes: the relevant learning outcomes; the title or assessment task; specific evidence requirements; suggested structure;  type of assessment; and word limit 

  • Learning outcomes. These may be written as 'This assignment covers Learning outcomes LO1, LO3 and LO4' in the assessment task but you should refer to the full learning outcomes of the module for specific content. Note: Assessment tasks make it clear which learning outcomes it should meet
  • Assessment task and guidelines covering:
    • audience and purpose 
    • suggested structure and word allocation
    • specific evidence required e.g. legislation, industry-specific regulations, codes of conduct or policy
    • any style requirements (see general formatting guidelines)
  • Assessment type e.g. essay, report, presentation, case study, literature review, scientific or laboratory report etc.
  • Word limit (Keep within the word limit given; there is NO plus or minus 10% regulation at ARU. See Academic Regulations Section 6.82).

The next section provides guidance on analysing the assessment task to help you: create a plan which identifies keywords for your research; gather your initial ideas; and find a logical structure.

What is the assessment task asking you to do?

The assessment task can be broken down into content, process and qualifying words:

The image you sent is a diagram showing three different types of words: content words, process words, and qualifying words. Content words are the topics that you need to include in your writing. They are the nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that make up the main ideas of your writing. For example, in the sentence "The population group is affected by factors such as policies," the content words are "population group," "factors," and "policies." Process words tell you what to do with your content. They are the words that indicate how you will organize your information and how you will develop your ideas. For example, in the sentence "The population group is affected by factors such as policies," the process words are "is affected by" and "such as." Qualifying words specify the scope or extent of what should be covered in your writing. They are the words that indicate the time frame, the geographical area, or the specific aspects of the topic that you will be discussing. For example, in the sentence "The recent population group in the UK is affected by factors such as policies," the qualifying words are "recent," "in the UK," and "such as." The image shows the three types of words in different colors. Content words are blue, process words are green, and qualifying words are yellow. The words are arranged in a way that makes them easy to read and understand.

Below is a selection of some of the most commonly used process words and their meanings (adapted from Cottrell, The Study Skills Handbook, 2019)

Instruction  

Action 

Analyse 

resolve into its component parts, examine critically or minutely 

Compare 

look for and show the similarities and differences between examples, perhaps reach a justifiable conclusion 

Contrast 

set in opposition in order to bring out the differences - you may also note that there are similarities 

Criticise/critique 

make a judgement backed by a reasoned discussion of the evidence involved, describe the merit of theories or opinions or the truth of assertions 

Discuss 

explain, then give two sides of the issue and any implications 

Explain 

give details about how and why something is so 

Give and account of/ account for 

explain the reasons for / clarify / give reasons for 

Justify 

give reasons for a point of view, decisions or conclusions, and mention any main objections or arguments against 

Outline 

give the main features or general principles of a subject, omitting minor details and emphasising structure and arrangement 

Now find your module learning outcomes and analyse what your assessment requires. The next section explains how you could gather your initial ideas.

Getting started

Gathering initial ideas

Set time aside to note all ideas that fit with the learning outcomes, assessment task and scenario. Remember to use your lecture materials and reading list as a starting point.

There are various planning techniques that you can try. The important thing is that you plan, in order to:

1. meet the learning outcomes

2. provide you with a focus for research as well as potential keywords

3. give you a working document to keep an overview of the task

4. break down the task into manageable chunks 

5. effectively organise your study time. 

It is really useful at this stage to start assigning wordcount to sections. Do take note of any guidance provided about word count and suggested structure. The next section outlines key elements for structuring your academic writing.

Structure

Structure is paramount in academic writing as it provides a logical framework that guides readers through a cohesive and organised discussion.

This diagram shows how a typical piece of academic writing is structured and the proportional word count. 

The introduction should:

  • identify the context, key issues and importance of the topic
  • define and explain key terms used
  • explain the interpretation, scope and purpose of the paper
  • signpost the flow of ideas to aid the reader.

See Manchester Academic Phrasebank for suggestions in wording an introduction. 

See the Critical paragraphs section for breakdown of how to construct an effective paragraph.

The conclusion should: 

  • keep language objective (do not use 'I')
  • not introduce new information 
  • clearly state your key findings, based on the evidence presented
  • show why key arguments are important or significant
  • puts the issue back in the broader context 
  • identify implications, solutions or recommendations for the future

See Manchester Academic Phrasebank for suggestions in wording a conclusion.

The Reference list appears after your conclusion (use appropriate reference style for your subject) and should start on a new page. For guidance see the Referencing section on the Information Skills guide. The reference list (and in-text citation) does not contribute to word count. 

Appendices, unless otherwise stated, should appear after the reference list. These should only include information not available in the public domain and referenceable i.e. raw data, models you have devised yourself or information requested by your tutor, such as case study background. Appendices do not count to word count and are not marked.

Book a Workshop or Appointment

Workshops

Improve your skills and increase your confidence by attending our workshops. The workshops cover a range of topics from starting assignments to finding reliable information, mastering referencing and developing your critical writing.  

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Our Study Coaches offer up to five one to one coaching sessions in an academic year, tailored to your specific needs. They cover academic writing and critical thinking.

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