Assignment写作基本要求：Word Count、Reference和Similarity，及非常重要的Refer

Assignment写作基本要求：Word Count、Reference和Similarity，及非常重要的Reference

字数（Word Count）
你不可能把字数把握的恰到好处，所以几乎所有的文字性作业（assignment, essay, Research和Dissertation）的字数要求都可以上下浮动的。要求2000字的assignment，实际字数可以上下浮动10%，比如说你可以写1800字或者2200字，但不要超出这个范围。 3000字以上的assignment只能上下浮动5%，就是2850 – 3150。所以你5000字的毕业论文不可以写4500字。大多数情况下，尽量往多里写，尽量不要低于标准，理论上你写1800字导师不能因此将你fail，但是导师可能会讲insufficient evidence或者insufficient support。
建议2000字assignment写2050-2080字刚刚好，你可以先写1800字然后拿给导师看下，然后修改下，最后差不多刚好达到这个字数。

下面是University of East London对字数的要求：
You should provide your word count at the end of your report or essay. This should exclude your abstract, contents page, reference list/bibliography and appendices. 
You must not exceed the permitted word count by more than 10%.  
If your work is significantly shorter, you will probably have failed to provide the level of content required.”
Reference
大多数学校只接受Harvard Reference Style，少部分学校接受任何一种Reference Style，但是不允许两种以上的Reference Style 出现在Reference List里，也就是说只能选一种style，但是选择权在自己手里。
Reference 非常重要，虽然它看起来只值5%的分数，但是使用不恰当或者References数量不足会直接导致Assignment被Fail或低分。
我们来看看Reference的重要性：
 
University of East London对reference的要求：
“You will have learnt in your Level 1 skills module that using someone else’s work without acknowledgement (referencing) is plagiarism, even if you express their findings in your own words. 
Some assignments will require you to find published information and use it in your assignment in which case you will gain marks for finding these sources, and you should inform the reader of their origins by providing references: 
a short reference within your report or essay and full details in the reference list and/or bibliography at the end of your work。”

如果你引用别人的观点，你必须referencing，即使你是用自己的语言写在assignment里的。换句话说，假如你一整句或者一整个论点都被 Turnitin发现是抄袭的，同时你又没有referencing，这些内容会被算做抄袭，这一段内容不会被給出任何分数。虽然这只是理论上的事情，基本上没人这么较真，但是这种情况会被有经验的导师反感，会被直接给出整体40分这样的低分。所以假如你有引用，一定要referencing。
有些部分内容需要你引用别人的观点，作为你assignment的support，所以你必须referencing。这将直接决定你作业的分数高低。来看看reference如何影响你的分数。
University of East London对reference的详细要求，看看reference是如何影响你的成绩的。 Level 1 表示大一；Level 2表示大二；Level 表示大三。
假如你达到了最低的reference要求，大一时你还不至于被fail，到了大二和大三，如果你assignment里的reference太少或者格式不对，甚至达不到要求，assignment会被直接fail或者低分。想要写好的assignment,你的论点（arguments）需要被学者support，reference就是你被support证据。在语法不好的情况下，或者内容偏题的情况下，reference就是保证分数的武器，它能保一方平安。
 
General guidelines for standards expected at different levels of study.
Grade
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
(70% or above)
Thorough understanding of relevant ideas.  Clear and well refe-renced argument.  Coherent structure.
Ideas critically analysed.  Argument is clear, succinct and well supported.  Evidence of a wide range of reading and some independent thought.
Critical work evidencing excellent synthesis and application of ideas.  Work is exceptionally well constructed and presented.
(60-69%)
Sound understanding.  Well written and relevant argument.  Appropriately referenced.
Critical consideration of relevant ideas.  Arguments are precisely defined and appropriately referenced.  The work is structurally sound and well written.
Ideas are critically applied and coherently presented.  Evidence of wide reading and some originality.  Well referenced
(50-59%)
Evidence of understanding and independent reading.  Adequate referencing, but some unsubstantiated material.  Weaknesses in spelling, structure & grammar.
Reasonable understanding of the relevant concepts, but some inconsistencies in application.  Arguments are referenced, but disjointed.  Poor structure, spelling or grammar.
Clear grasp of concepts and some critical application.  Appro-priat-ely referenced and relevant argument.  Reasonable structure and syntax.  Well presented
(40-49%)
Indication of some understanding, but poor application of ideas.   Minimal referencing.  Generally  weak structure.
Generally descriptive work with limited evidence of a critical consideration of ideas.  In-adequate referencing.  Weaknesses in structure, spelling and grammar.
Evidence of good understanding of issues, but crudely applied.  Work indicates some critical thinking, but tends towards description.  Argument may be unbalanced.  Poor structure and presentation
(below 40%)
Irrelevant or poorly analysed material.  Indication of weak grasp of concepts.  Inadequate structure.  Poor grammar and spelling.
Uncritical.  Poorly referenced.  Argument indicates little use of relevant literature.  Chaotic structure and generally badly written.
Poorly referenced and suggests inadequate exploration of relevant literature.  Chaotic structure and generally badly written.

关于Reference有几点需要强调
一、Reference数量要多，这样才能体验你的论文是critical，有support，你的观点和想法是被认可的。所有的知识都要被referencing，一篇assignment几乎所有的内容都要reference，包括：定义、知识点、学者演绎的经典知识、学者的论点、公司信息。同时你只要使用任何的图片和表格，除了你自己制作的以外，你都要标清source，特别是数据和model类的图片和表格。

二、不要先列好Reference List,然后再写assignment，最后乱标in-text reference。这样会使你的in-text reference和实际内容驴唇不对马嘴。

三、不要驴唇不对马嘴。
论点是讲sales的，，但是reference标的文章是广告对儿童消费行为的影响，这明显驴唇不对马嘴。导师看后会直接降低印象分，感觉你在胡编。所以假如你认真在做assignment的话，就认真的去找一些真的reference吧。
比如：in-text reference:
Chandok Anil (2005) found appliance sales were most frequent when customer and salesman were similar in their propensity to bargain;
and greater risk was found to be perceived in buying the same good by mail than at a retail store.
Reference List:
Chandok Anil (2005) “Impact of Advertisements on Children’s Buying Behaviour”, Marketing Mastermind,pp. 41-46

四、一些信息不可以做reference
大家习惯于在网上找资料，但是网上很多信息不可以做reference的。
1）直接引用Wikipedia会直接被给低分或者零分。但是你可以巧妙利用Wikipedia里的Reference List。Wikipedia是一个很讲究的社区，所有的引用都会Referencing。你可以引用Wikipedia里的引用。
比如：
Wikipedia，引用了这段话。你也可以把这句话引用到自己的文章里。
Consumer Behaviour is the study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to
 select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the 
impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society.[1]
然后拉到页面最后的Reference list，复制这个这条在自己里Reference列表里就好了。这样你就是引用的Kuester, Sabine这个学者的观点了，合理合法，非常方便。
Kuester, Sabine (2012): MKT 301: Strategic Marketing & Marketing in Specific Industry Contexts, 
University of Mannheim, p. 110.

2）引用网络博客等非学者的观点作为自己论点的support，这样做并没有用。
比如你文中引用：Kotler (2015) agreed that there is a moderate relationship between price and consume behavior.
Reference List：
Kotler, P. (2015) The Impact of Price on Consumer Behavior, [Online] Available at :XXX

3）不要在Assignment Brief里直接复制reference。
很多人发现作业要求里有阅读推荐（Suggested Background Reading，Recommended Reading）， 就先自己乱写一气，然后自作聪明的把里面的Reference List,粘贴一下用作自己的Reference。这种做法是不可取的，会直接导致低分。因为导师早已将这些书籍和文章翻烂并烂熟于心，哪儿一个观点是你乱引用的都会被发现，除非你真的读了这些书籍，否则不要妄自引用。

Similarity （Turnitin）
1）假如你真的没有抄袭，不用担心相似度。每篇论文的相似度都有要求，比如20%，10%。有经验的导师就不会直接通过相似度来评价这篇论文是否算抄袭，他们会分析相似的内容。因此即使你的作业相似度真的超出了标准，也可以和导师Argue。但是请不要以此为由来复制粘贴assignment。假如你被网站视为‘抄袭’的内容是定义或其他学者理论，并且有标注Reference，这是可以被接受的。
2）你的论文上传Turnitin或其他相似度检测网站，有的学校老师直接在网站上批改作业。上面说过，假如你一整句或者一整个论点都被 Turnitin发现是抄袭的，同时你又没有referencing，这些内容会被算做抄袭，这一段内容不会被給出任何分数。
3) 有些学校老师不在Turnitin上批改作业，所以有些人自作聪明上传空白文档或者只上传Introduction，这种做法是100%不可取的，会被立刻发现然后meeting。