Essay Requirements
It is recommended that your essay should be written using the following structure:
· Introduction: Introduce the problem in the opening sentence, and provide general background information by potentially including a definition of the topic, some potential causes of the problem or the historical context resulting in this problem. It is recommended to have at least one citation in the introduction, preferably related to the cause of the problem which you will focus on. A valid thesis statement must be present to indicate the outline of the essay at the end of your introduction.
- The suggested word count for the Introduction section is no more than 100 words.
· Problem: Introduce and describe one negative effect of the problem you have identified based on the theme of Global Ageing or Global Inflation Rates. When using the provided data set, include a brief description of the data and then draw attention to the key points or relevant trends in the data set. A clear topic sentence must be included to show the purpose of this section. Supporting details, such as evidence and examples, must be cited.
- The suggested word count for the Problem section is around 200 words.
· Solution: Based on your research and knowledge, describe and explain one solution to the one negative effect of the problem identified earlier. A clear topic sentence must be included to indicate the purpose of this section. Supporting details, such as evidence and examples, must be cited.
- The suggested word count for the Solution section is around 150 words.
· Evaluation: Based on your research and knowledge, discuss how effectively this one solution deals with the negative effect of the problem identified earlier. Evaluate this solution by describing at least one advantage and at least one disadvantage, including supporting details such as examples and evidence to support your points. You must include a clear topic sentence to show the purpose of this section, or two individual topic sentences if separated into two smaller sections.
- The suggested word count for the Evaluation section is around 200 words.
· Conclusion: A valid restated thesis statement should be offered before providing a brief summary of the main points of your essay. A closing statement to clearly show your stance and if you actually believe this solution is appropriate or not is required.
- The suggested word count for the Conclusion section is no more than 100 words.
Suggestions
Task:
· Read the Core Task Requirements on Page 1 and Essay Requirements on Page 3 very carefully to complete this task.
· Find and analyse a number of academic sources relating to the topic. Cite these sources to support your main ideas with details, reasons, explanations or examples throughout your essay (excluding the conclusion).
· Organise your ideas clearly and logically. Plan carefully before attempting to write your essay.
- Pay attention to the difference between the Solution and Evaluation sections.
· Informal sources such as Wikipedia, About.com, UKEssays.com, Prezi, Slideshare etc., or sources not originally produced in English will not be accepted. If you are unsure about the suitability of a source, check with your EAP115 lecturer or review materials from Semester 1, Week 1 here.
· When describing the relevant data set, your aim should be to illustrate the problem clearly and intelligently to your reader. To do this, focus on the relevant sections of the data and explain the important trends, rather than list all the numbers on the graph. Also, consider how to present figures and data differently from how they appear on the data set.
Organisation:
· Cohesion between the introduction, sections of the essay, and the conclusion should be achieved by including:
- an identifiable thesis statement at the very end of the introduction should indicate the focus and structure of your essay.
- a restated thesis statement at the beginning of the conclusion should align with your thesis statement.
- clear topic sentences for each section of the essay should highlight the specific focus of that section. A citation should not be included in an appropriate topic sentence.
· When citing sources, try to include a range of source integration techniques, including integral and non-integral citations. Similarly, when using integral citations, ensure that you utilise a range of appropriate and accurate reporting verbs.
· The quality of paraphrased content from sources.
- Completing the Project Source Integration Chart will help to ensure that content from sources is paraphrased.
Language:
· Use a range of linking words (e.g. ‘In addition, For instance, However, Firstly’).
· Follow the academic register in terms of lexical choices and grammatical structures.
· Follow academic writing style. guidelines introduced in Y1 EAP.
General:
· Refer to relevant feedback from previous EAP assessments related to your academic writing. Try to correct any issues that you are already aware of.
· Consider attending EAP115 Continuing Support (CS) sessions that relate to the EAP115 Project or academic skills that you wish to develop and improve.
- Pay attention to announcements on the EAP115 LMO page.
· Proofread your work for errors before submitting it using Marking Mate and Grammarly.
· After submission, check to see that your essay has been uploaded successfully by downloading your document again and opening it.
Marking and Feedback
· The final draft will be assessed using the EAP115 writing marking descriptor included on pages 9-10 of this task sheet.
· You will receive an individual feedback checklist on the first draft of this essay at the end of Week 8. You must use this information to prepare questions for the individual tutorial sessions in Week 9 where you may ask your lecturer questions to help understand how to further improve your Project WCW first draft before the final submission deadline in Week 10.
· An assessment report for the Project will provide general feedback to all students after the exam moderation is complete and marks are released.
Academic Integrity and Late Penalties
Your assignment must be all your own work.
Academic Integrity penalties range from a 5% deduction to an award of 0% and will apply for instances of:
· Plagiarism
- Uncited information from sources
· Collusion or copying
- Identical or very similar to that of another student
· Self-plagiarism
- The submitted work has been previously submitted by the same student in a different module or previous semester
· A missing reference list
The information needed for creating in-text citations and references for the provided data set is provided on the following pages of this task sheet.
· You must cite and reference any sources you include using the XJTLU Harvard Referencing system. This means that you must include in-text citations or use quotation marks around directly quoted material, and include a complete reference list at the end of your work.
· Your citations and reference list should show where the support came from and also allow the reader to check the original content when needed.
· You should paraphrase, summarise or synthesize ideas and data you use from the sources.
Please refer to the XJTLU Academic Integrity Policy on the EAP115 Core Learning Mall module page for further details.
The University uses the online software Turnitin to check your assignments for possible plagiarism and collusion.
Lateness
· For assessed assignments, the XJTLU policy is -5% per working day up to a total of 25%.
· Work submitted more than 5 working days late will receive a score of 0%. A paper will not be penalised below an overall mark of 40% for lateness unless it is submitted more than five working days late.
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