DVAALLD/301/4/2021
Tutorial Letter 301/4/2021
TO ALL STUDENTS ENROLLED FOR
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
DVAALLD
Semesters 1, 2 and year modules
Department of Development Studies
This tutorial letter contains important information
about writing essay-type assignments, and referencing.
BARCODE
, CONTENTS
Page
1 PLANNING ESSAY ASSIGNMENTS ........................................................................................... 5
1.1 General ......................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Action words ................................................................................................................................. 6
1.3 Critical reading and close reading ................................................................................................. 8
2 WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ........................................................................................................... 9
2.1 An essay ....................................................................................................................................... 9
2.2 Setting up a framework for an assignment or essay-type answer................................................ 10
2.3 The components of an essay assignment ................................................................................... 11
2.3.1 The title page and the table of contents ...................................................................................... 11
2.3.2 The introduction .......................................................................................................................... 12
2.3.3 The body of the essay................................................................................................................. 13
2.3.4 The conclusion............................................................................................................................ 13
2.3.5 The references............................................................................................................................ 13
2.4 Things to keep in mind ................................................................................................................ 13
2.4.1 Logical structuring ....................................................................................................................... 14
2.4.2 Quotations .................................................................................................................................. 16
2.4.3 Plagiarism ................................................................................................................................... 16
2.4.4 "I keep getting stuck!" ................................................................................................................. 17
3 REFERENCES AND LIST OF REFERENCES ........................................................................... 17
3.1 Giving references ........................................................................................................................ 18
3.1.1 Quoting directly ........................................................................................................................... 18
3.1.2 Paraphrasing .............................................................................................................................. 18
3.1.3 References to articles ................................................................................................................. 18
3.1.4 References to contributions in readers ........................................................................................ 19
3.1.5 References to study guides......................................................................................................... 19
3.1.6 References to websites ............................................................................................................... 19
3.1.7 More than two authors ................................................................................................................ 20
3.1.8 Contributions in a collective work ................................................................................................ 20
3.1.9 Special cases.............................................................................................................................. 20
3.2 Compiling a list of references ...................................................................................................... 22
3.2.1 Bibliographic details of books ...................................................................................................... 22
3.2.2 Bibliographic details of articles .................................................................................................... 23
3.2.3 Bibliographic details of contributions in readers .......................................................................... 23
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, DVAALLD/301
3.2.4 Bibliographic details of chapters in a book .................................................................................. 24
3.2.5 Bibliographic details of study guides ........................................................................................... 24
3.2.6 Bibliographic details of websites ................................................................................................. 24
3.2.7 Bibliographic details of more than two authors ............................................................................ 25
3.2.8 Bibliographic details of books produced by a group, a corporation, an organisation or an
international conference .............................................................................................................. 25
3.2.9 Bibliographic details of special cases .......................................................................................... 26
4 THE MARKING OF ASSIGNMENTS .......................................................................................... 28
4.1 Assignments: what the lecturers/markers look for ...................................................................... 28
4.2 Online assignments .................................................................................................................... 29
5 TO SUMMARISE ........................................................................................................................ 32
6 IN CONCLUSION: HELP WITH STUDY PROBLEMS ................................................................ 32
6.1 Your lecturers ............................................................................................................................. 32
6.2 Directorate: Counselling and Career Development ..................................................................... 32
6.3 Tutor programme ........................................................................................................................ 32
3
, Dear Student
This tutorial letter contains technical advice on how to prepare assignments. In particular, it
focuses on the skills required to produce an essay assignment of a high quality. It furthermore
outlines a logical and organised approach to completing an essay assignment.
The quality of an assignment also depends on factors that are not discussed in this tutorial
letter. Such factors include your depth of understanding of the topic in question, your ability to
argue intelligently and to engage effectively with the literature, your ability to use ideas
correctly, your originality and your awareness of the real world. However, to combine all these
factors effectively, you should use the basics outlined in this tutorial letter.
An essay-type assignment is one of the most important tools of communication between you and
your lecturer. When you do an assignment
➢ you get the chance to write about a topic directly linked to your studies in Development
Studies
➢ you get practice in improving your writing style and in arranging your thoughts
logically and systematically on paper
However, an essay assignment is also an important communication tool for your lecturers. When
your lecturers mark your assignments
➢ they can see whether you understand the questions and the tutorial matter (i.e. the
particular sections of the study guide and the prescribed and recommended reading
material on which the questions are based)
➢ they get the chance to communicate with you as an individual when they write
comments on your assignments
➢ they can identify problem areas in your answers and suggest ways in which to solve
those problems
➢ they get the chance to point out the good sections, or strengths, of your answers
It is not easy to write an essay assignment. This tutorial letter explains what your lecturers will
expect from you and provides hints on how to plan, write and round off an assignment
technically so that it meets all the requirements of an academic essay.
All the assignment questions for the modules for which you are registered are contained in
Tutorial Letter 101. In most cases, you have to write a full-length essay of a specified length (usually
five pages, or a bit more in the case of honours students). Certain principles apply when one
writes an essay assignment. These principles are explained in this tutorial letter.
4
Tutorial Letter 301/4/2021
TO ALL STUDENTS ENROLLED FOR
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
DVAALLD
Semesters 1, 2 and year modules
Department of Development Studies
This tutorial letter contains important information
about writing essay-type assignments, and referencing.
BARCODE
, CONTENTS
Page
1 PLANNING ESSAY ASSIGNMENTS ........................................................................................... 5
1.1 General ......................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Action words ................................................................................................................................. 6
1.3 Critical reading and close reading ................................................................................................. 8
2 WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ........................................................................................................... 9
2.1 An essay ....................................................................................................................................... 9
2.2 Setting up a framework for an assignment or essay-type answer................................................ 10
2.3 The components of an essay assignment ................................................................................... 11
2.3.1 The title page and the table of contents ...................................................................................... 11
2.3.2 The introduction .......................................................................................................................... 12
2.3.3 The body of the essay................................................................................................................. 13
2.3.4 The conclusion............................................................................................................................ 13
2.3.5 The references............................................................................................................................ 13
2.4 Things to keep in mind ................................................................................................................ 13
2.4.1 Logical structuring ....................................................................................................................... 14
2.4.2 Quotations .................................................................................................................................. 16
2.4.3 Plagiarism ................................................................................................................................... 16
2.4.4 "I keep getting stuck!" ................................................................................................................. 17
3 REFERENCES AND LIST OF REFERENCES ........................................................................... 17
3.1 Giving references ........................................................................................................................ 18
3.1.1 Quoting directly ........................................................................................................................... 18
3.1.2 Paraphrasing .............................................................................................................................. 18
3.1.3 References to articles ................................................................................................................. 18
3.1.4 References to contributions in readers ........................................................................................ 19
3.1.5 References to study guides......................................................................................................... 19
3.1.6 References to websites ............................................................................................................... 19
3.1.7 More than two authors ................................................................................................................ 20
3.1.8 Contributions in a collective work ................................................................................................ 20
3.1.9 Special cases.............................................................................................................................. 20
3.2 Compiling a list of references ...................................................................................................... 22
3.2.1 Bibliographic details of books ...................................................................................................... 22
3.2.2 Bibliographic details of articles .................................................................................................... 23
3.2.3 Bibliographic details of contributions in readers .......................................................................... 23
2
, DVAALLD/301
3.2.4 Bibliographic details of chapters in a book .................................................................................. 24
3.2.5 Bibliographic details of study guides ........................................................................................... 24
3.2.6 Bibliographic details of websites ................................................................................................. 24
3.2.7 Bibliographic details of more than two authors ............................................................................ 25
3.2.8 Bibliographic details of books produced by a group, a corporation, an organisation or an
international conference .............................................................................................................. 25
3.2.9 Bibliographic details of special cases .......................................................................................... 26
4 THE MARKING OF ASSIGNMENTS .......................................................................................... 28
4.1 Assignments: what the lecturers/markers look for ...................................................................... 28
4.2 Online assignments .................................................................................................................... 29
5 TO SUMMARISE ........................................................................................................................ 32
6 IN CONCLUSION: HELP WITH STUDY PROBLEMS ................................................................ 32
6.1 Your lecturers ............................................................................................................................. 32
6.2 Directorate: Counselling and Career Development ..................................................................... 32
6.3 Tutor programme ........................................................................................................................ 32
3
, Dear Student
This tutorial letter contains technical advice on how to prepare assignments. In particular, it
focuses on the skills required to produce an essay assignment of a high quality. It furthermore
outlines a logical and organised approach to completing an essay assignment.
The quality of an assignment also depends on factors that are not discussed in this tutorial
letter. Such factors include your depth of understanding of the topic in question, your ability to
argue intelligently and to engage effectively with the literature, your ability to use ideas
correctly, your originality and your awareness of the real world. However, to combine all these
factors effectively, you should use the basics outlined in this tutorial letter.
An essay-type assignment is one of the most important tools of communication between you and
your lecturer. When you do an assignment
➢ you get the chance to write about a topic directly linked to your studies in Development
Studies
➢ you get practice in improving your writing style and in arranging your thoughts
logically and systematically on paper
However, an essay assignment is also an important communication tool for your lecturers. When
your lecturers mark your assignments
➢ they can see whether you understand the questions and the tutorial matter (i.e. the
particular sections of the study guide and the prescribed and recommended reading
material on which the questions are based)
➢ they get the chance to communicate with you as an individual when they write
comments on your assignments
➢ they can identify problem areas in your answers and suggest ways in which to solve
those problems
➢ they get the chance to point out the good sections, or strengths, of your answers
It is not easy to write an essay assignment. This tutorial letter explains what your lecturers will
expect from you and provides hints on how to plan, write and round off an assignment
technically so that it meets all the requirements of an academic essay.
All the assignment questions for the modules for which you are registered are contained in
Tutorial Letter 101. In most cases, you have to write a full-length essay of a specified length (usually
five pages, or a bit more in the case of honours students). Certain principles apply when one
writes an essay assignment. These principles are explained in this tutorial letter.
4
