61 Academic Work in Any Discipline
A recent survey confirmed that good writing plays an important role in almost every profession. One MBA wrote, “Those who advance quickly in my company are those who write and speak well—it’s as simple as that.” But while writing is always a valuable skill, writing well means different things in different disciplines. As you prepare written assignments for various courses, then, you will need to become familiar with the expectations, vocabularies, styles, methods of proof, and conventional formats used in each field.
Analyzing an Assignment
AT A GLANCE
- What is the purpose of the assignment? Are you expected to join a discussion, demonstrate your mastery of the topic in writing, or something else?
- Who is the audience? The instructor will be one audience, but are there others? If so, who are they?
- What does the assignment ask of you? Look for key terms such as summarize, explain, evaluate, interpret, illustrate, and define.
- Do you need clarification of any terms? If so, ask your instructor.
- What do you need to know or find out to complete the assignment? You may need to do background reading, develop a procedure for analyzing or categorizing information, or carry out some other kind of preparation.
- What does the instructor expect in a written response? How will you use sources? What kinds of sources should you use? How should you organize and develop the assignment? What is the expected format and length?
- Can you find a model of an effective response to a similar assignment?
- What do other students think the assignment requires? Talking over an assignment with classmates is one good way to test your understanding.