Tips on writing assignments:

Listed below are a few tips to writing your assignments. You may already be familiar with most of these points but it will be good to remind yourself of these points before you write up your assignment for credit.

• Outline: Before you start to write your assignment it may be a good idea to write an outline for your assignment which includes the main points you will be discussing. This will i) save you time ii) help you organise your ideas iii) enable you conduct efficient literature searches iv) help you divide up your word count between different sections.

• Introduction: It is really important to start your assignment with a clear introduction that should include a brief background mentioning what the assignment will discuss, the aim/purpose of writing this assignment and a few lines to indicate how the assignment is structured/ organised. These would usually be included in 1-2 paragraphs.

Eg: This is an example of how the points mentioned above were included as part of the introduction for an assignment on the obesity epidemic and efforts being made to tackle it.

Background: Obesity is one of the major public health challenges of the twenty first century as its prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate in both developing and developed countries.

Aim and structure: This assignment discusses the pattern of development of the obesity epidemic and its epidemiology. It also seeks to analyse how globalisation, trade and debt have fuelled the problem. In addition, the assignment will examine the interventions that are addressing this issue.

• Continuity of ideas: This is especially important as you write the middle part of your assignment. Ensure continuity of ideas both between paragraphs and within a paragraph so that the reader is able to follow your train of thought/ argument easily. As a general rule, discuss each main point of your assignment in a different paragraph.

• Referencing: your assignment is very important as we have already discussed. Remember to choose either Harvard or Vancouver versions of referencing and to use the same version while citing within the text and in the bibliography. Refer to the examples in topic 3 and reference all citations in their correct format including web-pages and reports. A helful guide to referencing can be found at this site from the University of Nottingham, and also http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html

• Use of ‘I’ and ‘you’: Academic writing is impersonal so avoid using ‘I’ or ‘you’ in your assignment. Try and build your arguments by including evidence and opinions from different sources and different perspectives so that you present a clear, unbiased picture. If you want to include your opinion, then do so indirectly. For eg: Include your opinion by saying ‘In my opinion, implementing such an intervention is difficult because….’ instead of ‘I think implementing an intervention is difficult because...’

• Bullets and numbering: Paragraphs are preferred to bullets and numbering in academic writing and this will allow you to discuss each point further. 

• Use of examples: It is vital that your assignments reflect that you have a clear understanding of a particular topic which has been gained from multiple sources and that you are able to identify weaknesses and strengths objectively. Finally you must show that you are able to apply this knowledge practically. Including examples in your assignment is a useful way to demonstrate all of the above. Where possible, explain the inferences that can be drawn from included statistics/ figures/ tables and the relevance of these. 

• Word Count: Ensure that the word count of your assignments are not far below or far above the suggested word count and as mentioned earlier, drawing up an outline can help you avoid both these situations. 

• Inclusion of tables and figures: Tables and figures can very effectively convey information to the reader without affecting your word count but do not include more than 2 of these. Also, clearly signpost the reader to each table/ figure from the appropriate part of the main assignment. Include clear headings for each table/ figure and clearly mention the source both with the figure/table and in the bibliography. 

• Conclusion: This is your final chance to impress the reader so make it powerful. Most conclusions include three main parts i) stating the aim/ context of the assignment again ii) followed by a very brief summary of the main points iii) final comments often considering the future (for eg: what can be done to improve the implementation of an intervention in the future) 

Eg: This is an example showing how the points mentioned above were incorporated in the conclusion of a student assignment discussing strategic partnership within UNAIDS.

Context: UNAIDS is a unique collaboration in terms of the goals it aims to accomplish and its structure. It benefits from organisational diversity and varied specialisations among the partners. However this diversity can also be a hindrance while coordinating activities.

Main points: Duplication of efforts, lack of harmonisation of procedures, lack of effective evaluations among partners and inter-organisational competition for funding from donors have often adversely affected the collaborative effort. Building a well-coordinated and efficient collaboration between partner organisations of UNAIDS is an iterative and on-going process. Efforts are being made to develop results-based structures, to pool funding from donors to encourage collaboration and to align efforts of all partners to improve efficiency.

Final comments: By sharing their skills, resources, perspectives and knowledge, the partners will be able to develop integrated programmes, deal with obstacles related to the management of HIV/AIDS more effectively and strengthen their relationship with those outside the partnership.