1Module LCT1023

Module LCT1023 Core SkillsSession 2

1. Review of last week

2. Technical report writing

3. Style guides

4. What is plagiarism, and how to avoid it

5. Referencing

2Module LCT1023

• Introduced the module and its main themes

• Explored the university web site and located:- module database- study guides- past exam papers

• Time management

Review of last week

3Module LCT1023

• Identify your personal goals.

• Relate what you do to your personal goals

• Tree analogy: each goal is like the trunk of a treekey areas are the branches; tasks are the twigs;activities are the leaves

• Prioritise according to urgent/not and important/not

Do first: urgent and important

Do next: non-urgent and important

• Video: Randy Pausch

Time Management Summary

4Module LCT1023

Look up “Technical report “ in Wikipedia

The entry illustrates the report style of writing

Introductory paragraph

Contents

Main body or article

Clear headings (it’s not an essay)

References

Use of numbers for referencing

Technical Report Writing

5Module LCT1023

Look up wikipedia entry for “essay”

See definition: “a prose composition with a focused subject of discussion" or a "long, systematic discourse

Essay

6Module LCT1023

Essay

• Continuous writing in prose

• Text only

• Not intended to lead to decisions

Essay vs Technical Report

Technical Report

•Formal structure to aid understanding

•Tables, graphs, diagrams, images, all welcome

•Recommendations for decisions

7Module LCT1023

• Be written in a style appropriate for its recipients• Be clear and concise• Follow a logical structure, with clear section

headings• Be arranged according to a standard format• Provide one or more recommendations• Have appendices attached as sources of additional

information.

A good report should ...

8Module LCT1023

• The summary at the beginning tells the reader what you are going to say

• Then you tell them in the main body

• Then you tell them what you have already told them in the conclusions and recommendations.

A report is deliberately repetitive

9Module LCT1023

Report Writing- a guide to organisation and style

30pence from Library and Learning resourcesor download PDF or audio file FREE from:

http://www.bolton.ac.uk/Students/StudyResources/ Library/HelpGuides/StudySkills/Home.aspx

Help Guide: Technical Report Writingby David Rudd, University of Bolton

10Module LCT1023

• Title• Summary or Abstract• List of contents• Introduction• Main body of report (inc. Findings)• Conclusions• Recommendations• References• Appendices

Technical Report Writing

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Every publisher has a house style, as defined in their

Style Guide

Example

Go to www.bolton.ac.uk Click on staff, then University Style Guide.

www.bolton.ac.uk/StaffPortal/StyleGuide/Home.aspx

This is based on the style guide for the Guardian Newspaper.

Style Guide for text

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Look up items of interest, for example:•Kissogram•Stiletto swinging 60s•enrol, enrolling, enrolment knowledgable•it's, its •italics•quotation marks•billion•Nigerian names•Netherlands

Style Guide for text. UoB example

program programme

titles

universities

affect / effect

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Yahoo www.gamestyleguide.com

Google University of Oxford

Apple Nokia

Reuters The Economist

The Guardian / Observer The Independent

British Computer Society (BCS)

Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)

Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style

The Financial Times / The Times

BBC News (see www.bbctraining.com)

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual

Style Guide for text. More examples

14

Example

University of Bolton. Refer to PDF document

Style Guide for Corporate Identity

Contents• Elements of the brand• On screen (powerpoint and website)• Literature• Signage• Promotional / other• Advertising

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Firefox

BMW

NHS

Toyota

Orange

Vodafone

Rolex

Pepsi

Coke

Brand Guidelines. Corporate

AppleSkypeSony EricssonAsda

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Find the Wikipedia entry

a) Read the first paragraph

b) Jump down to 3.2 Sanctions for student plagiarism

What is Plagiarism?

17Module LCT1023

David A. Kolb (born 1939) is an American educational theorist whose interests and publications focus on experiential learning, the individual and social change, career development, and executive and professional education

In the early 1970s, Kolb developed the Experiential Learning Model (ELM),[1] composed of four elements: The LSI is designed to determine an individual's learning preference.[2] The Kolb Learning Style Inventory (version 3.1) is available exclusively through Hay Group

Example from a poor assignment

18Module LCT1023

Unfair Means Regulations and Procedures 2008/09See section 2.2 (ix)

http://www.bolton.ac.uk/Quality/QAEContents/APPR/Documents/pdf/UnfairMeansRegs2008-09(ExExamTaught).pdf

http://www.bolton.ac.uk/Quality/QAEContents/APPR/Documents/pdf/UnfairMeansRegs2008-09(ExExamTaught).pdf

Plagiarism and how to avoid it

19Module LCT1023

Look up “Harvard Referencing” in Wikipedia

(it jumps to “parenthetical referencing”)

When was it introduced?

Is it mainly UK?

What is the link with Harvard University?

Is there a British Standard or International Standard?

If finished, look up “citation” in Wikipedia

Referencing

20Module LCT1023

http://www.bolton.ac.uk/Students/StudyResources/Library/HelpGuides/StudySkills/Home.aspx

Important

Develop the habit of clearly identifying everything you copy, and the source.

Help Guide: Cite me, I’m Yours - Harvard version

by David Rudd, University of Bolton

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Technical report writing

Style guides for text printed media and online

Brand guidelines for corporate identity

Plagiarism

Referencing – Harvard method

Summary