university assignment layout example

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Formatting your assignments

Illustrated step-by-step guides to help you understand the formatting and presentation expectations of university assignments.

Introduction 

Although formatting your essay, report or dissertation can feel like a lesser priority than the process of research and writing itself, it is an important way to ensure your ideas are given the spotlight through visually accessible, professional presentation. Formatting can be a minefield, especially when you’re formatting at the last minute; it’s important to leave a few days at the end of your essay writing process for working on your formatting, and to spend some time familiarising yourself with the different aspects of formatting.

301 Recommends:

Our Essay Structure and Planning workshop will outline how to analyse your essay question, discuss approaches logically structure all your ideas, help you make your introductions and conclusions more effective, and teach how to link your ideas and ensure all essay content flows logically from the introduction.

Below, you will find some general introductions to the key areas. 

Action: know the rules 

Because formatting rules can vary greatly depending on your department or assignment, it’s crucial to check the formatting specifications in your assignment description/rubric, and any general departmental presentation standards, as a first port of call. Many referencing systems also have specific rules about how to format your work, so make sure to familiarise yourself with the university library’s referencing guides . Many referencing systems also have more detailed style guides available via their websites.

Formatting key information  

Assignment cover sheets .

In some departments, you may be expected to include a cover sheet on the front page of your assignment. This is a page including key information about your assignment, such as your module number, student registration number, essay title, and submission date.

You may be asked to submit a plagiarism declaration and to make your markers aware of any disabilities through the yellow sticker system . If you are asked to include a cover sheet in your assignment, your department should make you aware of where you can access this.

Assignment titles

Place your assignment title at the top of your first page, either centre or left aligned, in bold font. At university, you may be assigned a pre-designed essay title/question, or asked to select from several possible titles. You may also be asked to design your own essay title. Here are some top tips on designing your own title:

• To bring focus to your essay, draft a working title at the essay planning stage. You can come back and review this title in light of your finished essay draft.
• Make sure to use action words in your essay title that reflect the skills your assessors are looking for, both in the assignment description and the marking criteria you have been given. For example, if heavy emphasis is placed on critical analysis, you could use a title like ‘Analyse the effect of…’ See this glossary of essay terms , containing examples that you can use in your own titles. 
• The action words you choose can also help you to reflect the structure of the essay in your question. For example, an essay using the action word ‘Discuss’ might use a for/against/conclusion or advantages/disadvantages/conclusion structure, or an essay using the term ‘Analyse’ might break an issue down into parts, e.g. into key themes, to understand its meaning as a whole. Think about the type of essay you want to write: do you want it to be comparative, look at several topics equally, or do you have a clear argument that you want to put forward? You can then create a question that gives you the opportunity to approach the topic from your own perspective.
• Make sure to include the main terminology you are working with in your assignment title.
• Make sure your question has a realistic scope, without being so broad that you cannot answer it within the limitations of your essay. To limit your question, you could include any limiting factors you are working with, such as specific time periods, geographical regions or sub-themes within the overall topic area. For example, in the title ‘Evaluate the proposition that a global monoculture will destroy diversity and difference’, the broad topic of global monoculture is limited down through a specific sub-focus on diversity and difference.

Stating word counts 

Depending on the instructions you have been given, you may be asked to state your word count, either on your cover sheet or at the beginning of your essay. If you are asked to include this information, make sure your word count accurately reflects the assessment guidance: for example, are references included in your word count?

Visual clarity  

Line spacing .

Most assignment descriptions specify that you should increase the space between each line on the page, from the standard 1.0 spacing to either 1.5 or 2.0 spacing. You are asked to do this to make the essay more visually accessible and easier to read, by breaking up the number of lines on each page. 

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to line spacing in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Fonts 

All non-examination based assignments should be word processed rather than handwritten. Most assignment descriptions will specify that for visual clarity, and to ensure a professional appearance, you should use a plain, sans-serif font such as Arial. For readability, this should be in 11 or 12 point size. Check your departmental or assignment guidance for any specific rules about font choices. 

Page numbering, headers and footers  

Including page numbers in your assignments makes them more accessible. Depending on the departmental guidance you have been given, you may be asked to include these in either the header or the footer of your essay (the blank space above and below where the text would go on a normal page in a word processor). It may also be helpful to include your registration number and the module code of the essay in the same header or footers that specify the page number. 

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to adding page numbers and using headers and footers in Microsoft Word and Google Docs. 

Page layout   

Margins .

A margin is the amount of blank space on either side of a paragraph in a normal word processor. Traditionally, assignment descriptions specified that the margins should be made wider at the binding edge (the left hand side) of the page, to allow for easier reading of printed essays. However, with the shift to online essays, you might not be asked to do this any more and the default settings on your word processor are likely to be sufficiently wide.

For printed dissertations and theses, you may receive specific guidance about the suitable layout of margins, as these are more likely to be printed: see this university guide on formatting PhD theses . 

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to adjusting margins in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Paragraph alignment 

Most formatting instructions specify that paragraphs should be lined up in a straight line (aligned) on the left hand edge, but left jagged on the right hand edge (like this page). This is called left alignment, or flush-left style, and should be the default alignment setting for your word processor. This style can be helpful for visual accessibility, but check any specific instructions you have been given by your department to see which style of alignment you have been asked to use. 

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to adjusting paragraph alignment in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.  

Paragraph indentation

You may be asked to add indents to your paragraphs: an indent is an additional small gap between the margin and the beginning of a paragraph (it makes a ‘dent’ in the first line of your paragraph). Indents are used to provide extra clarification that the reader is starting a new paragraph after finishing the last one: therefore, they should not be used in the first paragraph of your essay. Indents are not always required, and whether you are expected to use them may depend on your referencing style , and any formatting instructions you have been given by your department.

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to indenting paragraphs in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Formatting referenced material 

Footnotes and endnotes .

Some referencing systems require you to use footnotes or endnotes to format your references (make sure to check the library’s referencing guide to familiarise yourself with the expected format of your referencing style). Inserting a footnote into your word document when you have cited from a source adds a superscript number (a number formatted in a smaller font) to the sentence. It creates a note with a matching number at the bottom of the page you are working on (in the footer), which you can add the reference information to.

Endnotes work in the same way, but instead of appearing at the bottom of the page, the reference list appears at the end of the document.

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to manually inserting footnotes and endnotes in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.  

References and bibliographies  

Instead of, or alongside footnotes/endnotes, some referencing systems ask you to include a bibliography and/or a reference list at the end of the essay (make sure to check the library’s referencing guide to familiarise yourself with the expected format of your referencing style). A reference list is a list of all the sources you have directly referred to in the essay, which could be ordered numerically or alphabetically, depending on your referencing style.

A bibliography could be used alongside, or instead of, a reference list, depending on your referencing style; here, you list all the sources you have consulted that have influenced your ideas, whether they are included in the essay or not. The way this is ordered also depends on your referencing style. 

If you auto-generate your citations in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, you can auto-generate your bibliography instead of creating it manually: instructions for doing so are in the resource below. If you use a different reference manager, such as Mendeley, Zotero, or Endnote, these have their own specific instructions for auto-generating bibliographies. See the reference management resources offered by the university. 

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to manually or automatically formatting a bibliography or reference list in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Block quotations  

When you need to include a quotation in your essay that is three or more lines long, you can add this as a block quotation. A block quotation appears on a separate line to the other parts of the paragraph, and is indented (i.e. there is a wider gap between a block quotation and the left-hand margin than there is between the rest of the paragraph and the left-hand margin). Block quotations aren’t placed in quotation marks, so the indentation is used to indicate that you are using a quotation.

Check your referencing guide and any departmental guidance to learn more about the specific rules on formatting block quotations in your department. Because they take up large chunks of your word count, and break up the flow of your texts, make sure to use block quotations sparingly: they are especially helpful when you are going to perform close analysis of a large section of text. For more information on different types of quotation and how to use them, see our workshop on paraphrasing and using academic sources.

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to formatting block quotations in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Advanced formatting 

Headings and contents tables .

Most standard short essays do not include headings, other than the essay title and reference list and/or bibliography. Section headings may be required for some longer or more structured types of academic writing, such as reports; reports often follow a very closely prescribed structure, so it is essential to pay very careful attention to the specific guidelines issued with your brief. Make sure that any system you use for numbering your headings and subheadings is consistently applied throughout the document.

Depending on the advice you have been given, and the length and complexity of a lab report, you may also be required to include a table of contents to help the reader navigate between headings. Contents tables are generally standard practice in longer assignments such as dissertations and theses. Make sure to check any departmental guidance you have been given about formatting reports.

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to formatting headings and contents tables in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

301 Recommends: Scientific Writing and Lab Reports Workshop

This workshop  will help you to familiarise yourself with some of the specific expectations associated with this assignment format.

Figures and tables 

Some kinds of essays, dissertations and reports will require you to make use of figures (pictures, diagrams, and graphs) and tables (any data in a table format). Figures and tables are normally numbered in sequence, e.g. ‘Table 1’, ‘Figure 4’, and are directly referred to in the text according to their number, rather than according to their location on the page (e.g. ‘as shown in Table 2’ rather than ‘as shown below’). 

If your text is of dissertation or thesis length, or if your text has several figures, it may also be helpful to include a list of figures immediately after the table of contents. Some referencing guides have specific rules about presenting and referencing tables and figures, so make sure to familiarise yourself with these and carefully read any specific instructions about figures and tables in your assignment brief. 

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to inserting figures and tables and creating lists of figures/tables in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Top tips for formatting tables and figures:

• Make sure that any tables or figures you use are placed below the paragraph where you refer to them, and that you have directly referred to all figures and tables in the text of the essay.
• The caption for a table usually acts as its title, so this is placed above the table in the document. The caption for a figure is usually placed underneath the figure. Do not include unnecessary additional titles in the graph image itself, if the title is already included in your image caption. 
• Make sure to label your captions consistently, choosing between ‘Fig.’ or ‘Figure’ and consistently using either a full stop or a colon after the label (i.e. ‘Figure 1:’ or ‘Fig. 1.’) 
• Your caption should clearly and succinctly explain what the figure or table is. If the figure is taken from an external source, you must provide a reference that accurately reflects its copyright status (see these university library guides to inserting and attributing images and figures in university work). 
• Make sure to include legends in any charts you use (a key that helps to explain the data in the chart). Any data series you use should be clearly distinguishable from each other (e.g. avoid printing a report with coloured graphs in black and white!) If you are only using one series of data, a legend is not always necessary. 
• Make sure tables are clear and easy to read, using sans serif fonts, a readable font size, and avoiding unnecessary use of colour. 
• Make sure graphs are clear and easy to read, with clearly and appropriately labelled axes. Be wary of 3D effects that may obscure the clarity of a graph.
• Make sure to avoid presenting the same information in a graph and a table.
• Images and figures in printed essays, such as dissertations and theses, should be large enough for the text and numbers to be legible on the printed copy. Make sure they do not extend beyond the print margins of the document. 

301 Recommends: Displaying Data in Graphs and Tables Workshop

This workshop will provide more technical advice on using graphs and tables in your work. See also this Engineering department guidance on formatting graphs and tables in Engineering lab reports.

Appendices 

Appendices commonly appear in dissertations, theses, and lab reports. An appendix provides supporting information that gives the reader a better understanding of the essay, but that might be too long, detailed or awkward to insert into the main body of the essay without breaking up its flow. Interview questions or transcripts, sample questionnaires, raw data, figures, photographs, large/complex datasets, and diagrams are all examples of information that could be included in an appendix, if it is relevant to do so.

The reader should be able to understand the essay without reference to this supporting information, as all the most important and relevant information needed to answer the question should be included in the body (i.e., the appendix should not be used to make room for content that doesn’t fit within your word count). Your appendices must be clearly signposted and explained in the body of your report, highlighting any information that is essential for your reader to understand. Do not include any appendices that are not referenced in the text itself.

The appendices should be placed in numerical or alphabetical order, and signposted according to this specific system (e.g. ‘Appendix B indicates that…’) They should be clearly labelled, using headings that match up to the in-text reference. Appendices usually appear at the very end of the assignment, after your references/bibliography. Make sure to list any appendices used in your table of contents; if you have been instructed to do so by your department or within your referencing system, you could include a list of appendices separate to your contents list. 

The specific format of the appendix heading, and the reference made to the appendix in the text, depends on your referencing style , so make sure to carefully review this information before you design your appendices.

Download this step-by-step illustrated guide to inserting appendices and creating lists of appendices in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Tips and resources

• Use this 301 proofreading checklist to check over your work when you are finished.
• Use the University Library referencing guide for advice about referencing and formatting that is specific to your referencing style. If you need extra clarification about formatting rules, it is often possible to download an extended style guide from the official website for a specific referencing system. 
• For further training on referencing, using reference generators, and using images in your work, see the University Library workshop programme .

Related information

Academic Writing

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Creating accessible Word documents

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Sample written assignments

Look at sample assignments to help you develop and enhance your academic writing skills. 

How to use this page

This page features authentic sample assignments that you can view or download to help you develop and enhance your academic writing skills. 

PLEASE NOTE: Comments included in these sample written assignments  are intended as an educational guide only.  Always check with academic staff which referencing convention you should follow. All sample assignments have been submitted using Turnitin® (anti-plagiarism software). Under no circumstances should you copy from these or any other texts.

Annotated bibliography

Annotated Bibliography: Traditional Chinese Medicine  (PDF, 103KB)

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Literature review

Literature Review: Education (Critical Pedagogy)   (PDF, 165KB)

Reflective writing

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Report: Engineering Communication (Flood Mitigation & Water Storage)  (PDF, 1MB)

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Assignments vary in their requirements for formatting and layout. Check for formatting requirements in your course materials or with your course coordinator. Aim for consistency in your formatting. Most assignments are now submitted electronically and formatted as follows:

• Use a clearly legible font and font size (Times New Roman is the most common font and 12 point is the most common size).
• Set page margins to around 1 inch/2.5cm.
• Use 1.5 or double line spacing.
• Keep the space between paragraphs consistent. Two styles are:
• Do not indent paragraphs and leave a blank line between paragraphs. (This is the most common style.)
• Indent the first line of each paragraph, but leave no spaces between paragraphs.
• Ensure text alignment is consistent throughout the document. Assignment guidelines and style guides vary when it comes to text alignment . If you are following APA style , then align text left (also see the annotated sample APA student assignment ).
• For help with formatting in Microsoft Word see Basic formatting .

Always double-check for the formatting requirements of your individual course.

Cover sheet

Assignments that are submitted electronically via Stream will not usually require a cover sheet. If you have been asked to include a cover sheet, then refer to your assignment guidelines, which should detail what is to be included. If in doubt, contact your lecturer or course coordinator directly for clarification.

Most assignments do not require a title page. Usually, it is sufficient to include the assignment title or question at the top of the first page and to place other details (name, student ID number, and course number) in a header . If a cover sheet is included, all the necessary information is already included on the cover sheet. However, title pages are sometimes needed for longer assignments, postgraduate assignments, or certain types of report.

The format of these title pages varies according to the specific requirements of the assignment, but typically contain:

• The title, centred, in the upper half of the page (e.g., about 3 or 4 lines down from the top margin of the page). Your title should be concise and, ideally, no more than a single line. If you have a subtitle, it can be separated from the main title with a blank, double-spaced line. The title should be in bold font and in title case (i.e., the first word of major words over three letters is capitalised). The title font is the same style and size and the rest of the cover page details (e.g., Times New Roman or Calibri, 12pt). Note: According to the 7th edition of the APA style guide, the title (in bold, centred, and title case) should appear on the first line of the first page of text. This may not be necessary, however, and you should ask your lecturer or course coordinator for clarification.
• The author's name and ID number. Use one blank double-spaced line between the assignment title and your centred name and ID. Write your name in full rather than using initials. Your name should be non-bold and the same size and font as the rest of the cover page. Omit all titles, degrees or licenses (e.g., Dr, Ms, Mr, PhD, RN). Multiple authors should be given alphabetically. The lecturer’s name and title (e.g., Dr.). The lecturer’s name should follow a blank, double-spaced line after the class code and name, and be non-bold and the same size and font as the rest of the cover page.
• The due date of the assignment. The due date should follow a blank, double-spaced line after the lecturer’s name, and be non-bold and the same size and font as the rest of the cover page.

If you've been asked to format your title page using APA style, see here for formatting guidelines. See here for an example of a title page formatted according to APA 7th edition guidelines.

Some assignment types require headings and sub-headings, whereas others do not use any.

Essays , for example, do not usually use sub-headings unless you have specific instructions that they can be included. The only sub-heading common in essays is References, for the reference list. Instead of headings, the first sentence of each paragraph should signal the topic to the reader (see essay body paragraphs for more on this).

Reports , on the other hand, often require specific headings, such as Introduction, Discussion, and so forth.

If you are unsure whether to use headings or not, ask your course coordinator for clarification. If you do use headings and sub-headings, keep the style consistent throughout the assignment. If you are using APA style , see here for advice about formatting headings.

Tables and figures

Most assignments do not use appendices, but sometimes you need to include additional information, transcripts, questionnaire details, or raw data. These should go in an appendix.

If there is only one appendix, it is given the title “Appendix”. If there are several appendices, each is given a letter (follow the same order that they are mentioned in the body of the assignment): “Appendix A”, “Appendix B”, “Appendix C”, etc.

The title is used to refer to the appendix in the body of the assignment:

The analysis shows that the mean was well above expected (see Appendix B for details).

Style guides differ on whether the appendices should come before or after the reference list / bibliography.

APA style (the style most commonly used at Massey University) and Massey University's Thesis Presentation Guide put the appendices after the reference list / bibliography.

Page authorised by Director - Centre for Learner Success Last updated on 28 April, 2021

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Formatting and presenting assessments

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Formatting and presenting your assessments correctly is important because many include marks for presentation.

This may include marks for things such as:

• formatting and layout
• APA referencing
• writing style
• grammar and spelling.

Before you start on your assessment:

• check your assessment question, emails from your course leader, and learning materials for how it should be presented
• read the instructions carefully. Make sure you understand them and follow them exactly
• if you're not sure about what’s required contact your course leader.

Please note that assessments for psychology courses have specific requirements for formatting and presentation. Refer to the information and guidance provided on our Library and Learning Centre website:

APA Style for Psychology assessments

General guidelines for electronic submissions

• Most assessments should be produced using Microsoft Word.
• You can also submit assessments using: .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx or .rtf.
• if you don’t have Microsoft Word go to My Open Polytechnic to download and access your free version
• if you're not sure about the file type required, contact your course leader.
• Use a clear, readable font, such as Verdana, Calibri, Tahoma or Arial and use the same font throughout.
• Use black text on a white background.
• Avoid coloured backgrounds or text in a colour other than black, unless you have special permission to use them.
• Use 11 or 12 point font for the body of your assessment.
• Use 1.5 spacing and 2.53 cm (1”) wide margins.
• Leave a blank line between paragraphs.
• If the questions are short, leave a blank line between each question. If they are long, start each question on a new page.
• Left-justify your work (also known as left-aligned).
• Use bold for headings.
• Essays don’t usually need subheadings; reports usually do.

Most assessments need a title page, which should include:

• the title and number of the assessment
• the course number and name
• the due date
• your full name and student number.

Centre this information on the page, starting approximately one-third of the way down the page.

• Number and clearly label figures and tables.
• Add numbers as follows: Figure 1, Figure 2, Table 1, Table 2, and so on.
• Put table and figure captions above the table.
• Don't number the items in a reference list.

For more help with figures and tables, check:

Get more help with tables  and figures – APA  Style website

Headers and footers

Insert a header or footer on each page (except the title page). It should contain:

• your name (last name, first name/s)
• your student number
• the course code
• the assessment number
• page numbers.

Reference list

The reference list comes at the end of the assessment and should start on a new page labelled 'References'.

Need more help with reference lists? Check out the guides below:

Quick referencing APA guidelines  (PDF 47 KB; opens in a new window)

Guide to APA referencing  (PDF 395.11 KB; opens in a new window)

Appendices are used for information that:

• is too long to include in the body of your assessment
• supplements or complements the information you are providing.

Start each appendix (if applicable) on a new page. If there's just one appendix label it ‘Appendix’ without a number. If there is more than one, label them Appendix A, Appendix B, and so on.

In the main text of your assessment, refer to the Appendix by the label – for example, Appendix A.

Tops and bottoms of pages

Check the top and bottom of your pages to ensure they avoid:

• widows – single lines of text at the top of a page
• orphans – first lines of paragraphs at the bottom of a page
• tombstones – headings or subheadings alone at the bottom of a page
• split lists – lists that are divided between two pages (if possible).

General guidelines for hard copies

Most of the guidelines above also apply to hard copies (printed or handwritten documents).

If your course requires or allows handwritten assessments, be sure to follow the course instructions on presenting handwritten assessments.

Word limits and word count guidelines 

Word limits support the development of concise writing skills. Word count guidelines help you to understand the expectation of workload for an assessment.

 For more detailed information about these go to:

Word limits and word count guidelines  

Got a question?

If you want to talk with someone about formatting and presenting your assessments, contact The Library and Learning Centre | Te Whare Pukapuka Wāhanga Whakapakari Ako. 

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• Designing Essay Assignments

by Gordon Harvey

Students often do their best and hardest thinking, and feel the greatest sense of mastery and growth, in their writing. Courses and assignments should be planned with this in mind. Three principles are paramount:

1. Name what you want and imagine students doing it

However free students are to range and explore in a paper, the general kind of paper you’re inviting has common components, operations, and criteria of success, and you should make these explicit. Having satisfied yourself, as you should, that what you’re asking is doable, with dignity, by writers just learning the material, try to anticipate in your prompt or discussions of the assignment the following queries:

• What is the purpose of this? How am I going beyond what we have done, or applying it in a new area, or practicing a key academic skill or kind of work?
• To what audience should I imagine myself writing?
• What is the main task or tasks, in a nutshell? What does that key word (e.g., analyze, significance of, critique, explore, interesting, support) really mean in this context or this field?
• What will be most challenging in this and what qualities will most distinguish a good paper? Where should I put my energy? (Lists of possible questions for students to answer in a paper are often not sufficiently prioritized to be helpful.)
• What misconceptions might I have about what I’m to do? (How is this like or unlike other papers I may have written?) Are there too-easy approaches I might take or likely pitfalls? An ambitious goal or standard that I might think I’m expected to meet but am not?
• What form will evidence take in my paper (e.g., block quotations? paraphrase? graphs or charts?) How should I cite it? Should I use/cite material from lecture or section?
• Are there some broad options for structure, emphasis, or approach that I’ll likely be choosing among?
• How should I get started on this? What would be a helpful (or unhelpful) way to take notes, gather data, discover a question or idea? Should I do research? 

2. Take time in class to prepare students to succeed at the paper

Resist the impulse to think of class meetings as time for “content” and of writing as work done outside class. Your students won’t have mastered the art of paper writing (if such a mastery is possible) and won’t know the particular disciplinary expectations or moves relevant to the material at hand. Take time in class to show them: 

• discuss the assignment in class when you give it, so students can see that you take it seriously, so they can ask questions about it, so they can have it in mind during subsequent class discussions;
• introduce the analytic vocabulary of your assignment into class discussions, and take opportunities to note relevant moves made in discussion or good paper topics that arise;
• have students practice key tasks in class discussions, or in informal writing they do in before or after discussions;
• show examples of writing that illustrates components and criteria of the assignment and that inspires (class readings can sometimes serve as illustrations of a writing principle; so can short excerpts of writing—e.g., a sampling of introductions; and so can bad writing—e.g., a list of problematic thesis statements);
• the topics of originality and plagiarism (what the temptations might be, how to avoid risks) should at some point be addressed directly. 

3. Build in process

Ideas develop over time, in a process of posing and revising and getting feedback and revising some more. Assignments should allow for this process in the following ways:

• smaller assignments should prepare for larger ones later;
• students should do some thinking and writing before they write a draft and get a response to it (even if only a response to a proposal or thesis statement sent by email, or described in class);
• for larger papers, students should write and get response (using the skills vocabulary of the assignment) to a draft—at least an “oral draft” (condensed for delivery to the class);
• if possible, meet with students individually about their writing: nothing inspires them more than feeling that you care about their work and development;
• let students reflect on their own writing, in brief cover letters attached to drafts and revisions (these may also ask students to perform certain checks on what they have written, before submitting);
• have clear and firm policies about late work that nonetheless allow for exception if students talk to you in advance.

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How to Write an Effective Assignment

At their base, all assignment prompts function a bit like a magnifying glass—they allow a student to isolate, focus on, inspect, and interact with some portion of your course material through a fixed lens of your choosing.

The Key Components of an Effective Assignment Prompt

All assignments, from ungraded formative response papers all the way up to a capstone assignment, should include the following components to ensure that students and teachers understand not only the learning objective of the assignment, but also the discrete steps which they will need to follow in order to complete it successfully:

• Preamble.  This situates the assignment within the context of the course, reminding students of what they have been working on in anticipation of the assignment and how that work has prepared them to succeed at it. 
• Justification and Purpose.  This explains why the particular type or genre of assignment you’ve chosen (e.g., lab report, policy memo, problem set, or personal reflection) is the best way for you and your students to measure how well they’ve met the learning objectives associated with this segment of the course.
• Mission.  This explains the assignment in broad brush strokes, giving students a general sense of the project you are setting before them. It often gives students guidance on the evidence or data they should be working with, as well as helping them imagine the audience their work should be aimed at.  
• Tasks.  This outlines what students are supposed to do at a more granular level: for example, how to start, where to look, how to ask for help, etc. If written well, this part of the assignment prompt ought to function as a kind of "process" rubric for students, helping them to decide for themselves whether they are completing the assignment successfully.
• Submission format.  This tells students, in appropriate detail, which stylistic conventions they should observe and how to submit their work. For example, should the assignment be a five-page paper written in APA format and saved as a .docx file? Should it be uploaded to the course website? Is it due by Tuesday at 5:00pm?

For illustrations of these five components in action, visit our gallery of annotated assignment prompts .

For advice about creative assignments (e.g. podcasts, film projects, visual and performing art projects, etc.), visit our  Guidance on Non-Traditional Forms of Assessment .

For specific advice on different genres of assignment, click below:

Response Papers

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How to write the best college assignments.

By Lois Weldon

When it comes to writing assignments, it is difficult to find a conceptualized guide with clear and simple tips that are easy to follow. That’s exactly what this guide will provide: few simple tips on how to write great assignments, right when you need them. Some of these points will probably be familiar to you, but there is no harm in being reminded of the most important things before you start writing the assignments, which are usually determining on your credits.

The most important aspects: Outline and Introduction

Preparation is the key to success, especially when it comes to academic assignments. It is recommended to always write an outline before you start writing the actual assignment. The outline should include the main points of discussion, which will keep you focused throughout the work and will make your key points clearly defined. Outlining the assignment will save you a lot of time because it will organize your thoughts and make your literature searches much easier. The outline will also help you to create different sections and divide up the word count between them, which will make the assignment more organized.

The introduction is the next important part you should focus on. This is the part that defines the quality of your assignment in the eyes of the reader. The introduction must include a brief background on the main points of discussion, the purpose of developing such work and clear indications on how the assignment is being organized. Keep this part brief, within one or two paragraphs.

This is an example of including the above mentioned points into the introduction of an assignment that elaborates the topic of obesity reaching proportions:

Background : The twenty first century is characterized by many public health challenges, among which obesity takes a major part. The increasing prevalence of obesity is creating an alarming situation in both developed and developing regions of the world.

Structure and aim : This assignment will elaborate and discuss the specific pattern of obesity epidemic development, as well as its epidemiology. Debt, trade and globalization will also be analyzed as factors that led to escalation of the problem. Moreover, the assignment will discuss the governmental interventions that make efforts to address this issue.

Practical tips on assignment writing

Here are some practical tips that will keep your work focused and effective:

–         Critical thinking – Academic writing has to be characterized by critical thinking, not only to provide the work with the needed level, but also because it takes part in the final mark.

–         Continuity of ideas – When you get to the middle of assignment, things can get confusing. You have to make sure that the ideas are flowing continuously within and between paragraphs, so the reader will be enabled to follow the argument easily. Dividing the work in different paragraphs is very important for this purpose.

–         Usage of ‘you’ and ‘I’ – According to the academic writing standards, the assignments should be written in an impersonal language, which means that the usage of ‘you’ and ‘I’ should be avoided. The only acceptable way of building your arguments is by using opinions and evidence from authoritative sources.

–         Referencing – this part of the assignment is extremely important and it takes a big part in the final mark. Make sure to use either Vancouver or Harvard referencing systems, and use the same system in the bibliography and while citing work of other sources within the text.  

–         Usage of examples – A clear understanding on your assignment’s topic should be provided by comparing different sources and identifying their strengths and weaknesses in an objective manner. This is the part where you should show how the knowledge can be applied into practice.

–         Numbering and bullets – Instead of using numbering and bullets, the academic writing style prefers the usage of paragraphs.

–         Including figures and tables – The figures and tables are an effective way of conveying information to the reader in a clear manner, without disturbing the word count. Each figure and table should have clear headings and you should make sure to mention their sources in the bibliography.

–         Word count – the word count of your assignment mustn’t be far above or far below the required word count. The outline will provide you with help in this aspect, so make sure to plan the work in order to keep it within the boundaries.

The importance of an effective conclusion

The conclusion of your assignment is your ultimate chance to provide powerful arguments that will impress the reader. The conclusion in academic writing is usually expressed through three main parts:

–         Stating the context and aim of the assignment

–         Summarizing the main points briefly

–         Providing final comments with consideration of the future (discussing clear examples of things that can be done in order to improve the situation concerning your topic of discussion).

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Lois Weldon is writer at  Uk.bestdissertation.com . Lives happily at London with her husband and lovely daughter. Adores writing tips for students. Passionate about Star Wars and yoga.

7 comments on “How To Write The Best College Assignments”

Extremely useful tip for students wanting to score well on their assignments. I concur with the writer that writing an outline before ACTUALLY starting to write assignments is extremely important. I have observed students who start off quite well but they tend to lose focus in between which causes them to lose marks. So an outline helps them to maintain the theme focused.

Hello Great information…. write assignments

Well elabrated

Thanks for the information. This site has amazing articles. Looking forward to continuing on this site.

This article is certainly going to help student . Well written.

Really good, thanks

Practical tips on assignment writing, the’re fantastic. Thank you!

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Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that they will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply —use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove their point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, they still have to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and they already know everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality they expect.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Format of Assignment for University Students – Guide for Writing Assignment

As students embark on their academic journeys at the university level, one of the key challenges they often face is understanding the proper format of assignment for university . Whether it’s a research paper, essay, or project, adhering to the expected assignment format is crucial for success. In this article, we will delve into the essential elements of assignment formatting, providing you with a comprehensive guide to ensure your work meets the standards set by your university.

Effective format of assignments for university demonstrates your organizational skills and attention to detail and plays a vital role in communicating your ideas clearly and concisely. From the proper use of headings and subheadings to the formatting of citations and references, each aspect of the assignment format for university serves a specific purpose in enhancing your work’s overall quality and readability.

By understanding the nuances of assignment formatting, you can elevate your academic performance and impress your professors with your professionalism and attention to detail. This guide will cover the essential elements of assignment formatting, including page layout, font and spacing requirements, citation styles, and the structure of various assignment types. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be well-equipped to confidently tackle your university assignments and succeed in your academic pursuits.

What is the structure of a university assignment?

Navigating the world of university assignments can be an exciting and rewarding experience, as it allows you to showcase your academic prowess and contribute to the broader discourse within your field of study. Whether you’re tackling a research paper, a case study, or a reflective essay, understanding the structure of a university assignment is crucial for success.

At the heart of any well-crafted university assignment lies a clear and coherent format. This format serves as a roadmap, guiding you through the process of research, analysis, and effective communication of your ideas. By familiarizing yourself with the standard assignment format, you can ensure that your work not only meets the expectations of your instructors but also demonstrates your ability to think critically and present your findings in a professional and organized manner.

The Format of Assignment for University

A typical academic assignment format can be broken down into several key components, each playing a vital role in the overall structure and flow of your work. Let’s explore these elements in detail:

Title Page: 

The title page is the first impression your assignment will make on your instructor. It should include the assignment title, your name, student ID, the course name and number, the instructor’s name, and the due date. Adhering to the appropriate formatting guidelines, such as APA or MLA style, is essential in this section.

Table of Contents:

 For longer assignments, a table of contents can help your instructor navigate the different sections of your work with ease. This section should clearly outline the organization of your assignment, including the titles of each section and the corresponding page numbers.

Introduction: 

The introduction sets the tone for your assignment and provides your reader with a clear understanding of the purpose and scope of your work. Here, you should present the main topic, outline the key objectives, and give a brief overview of the structure of your assignment.

The body of your assignment is where you delve into the heart of the topic, presenting your research, analysis, and arguments. Depending on the type of assignment, this section may be divided into several subsections, each with its own heading and focus. Ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and well-supported by relevant evidence and references.

Conclusion: 

The conclusion is your opportunity to summarize the key points of your assignment, reiterate the main takeaways, and provide a final reflection on the significance of your work. This section should leave your reader with a clear understanding of the overall significance and implications of your findings.

Reference List: 

The reference list is a crucial component of any university assignment, as it demonstrates your ability to engage with and cite relevant sources. Adhere to the appropriate citation style, such as APA or MLA, to ensure that your references are formatted correctly.

Appendices: 

If your assignment includes supplementary materials, such as data sets, images, or additional information, these can be included in the appendices. This section should be clearly labeled and organized to enhance the overall clarity and accessibility of your work.

Formatting Considerations

In addition to the structural elements of a university assignment, it’s important to pay attention to the formatting requirements specified by your institution or instructor. These guidelines may include:

Page Layout: 

Margin sizes, font style and size, line spacing, and paragraph formatting.

Headings and Subheadings: 

Consistent use of heading styles to organize your content.

In-Text Citations: 

Proper citation of sources within the body of your assignment.

Accurate formatting of your reference list according to the specified style guide.

Pagination: 

Consistent page numbering throughout your assignment.

By adhering to these formatting guidelines, you demonstrate your attention to detail and your ability to follow instructions, which are highly valued in the academic setting.

Crafting a Compelling University Assignment

Now that you have a solid understanding of the structure and formatting requirements for a university assignment, it’s time to focus on crafting a compelling and impactful piece of work. Here are some tips to help you along the way:

Understand the Assignment:

 Carefully read and analyze the assignment prompt to ensure that you fully comprehend the expectations and requirements. This will help you develop a clear focus and direction for your work.

Conduct Thorough Research: 

Engage in extensive research to gather relevant and reliable information from a variety of sources, such as academic journals, books, and credible online resources. This will provide you with a strong foundation for your analysis and arguments.

Organize Your Thoughts: 

Create an outline or a detailed plan for your assignment, outlining the key sections and the flow of your ideas. This will help you stay on track and ensure that your work is well-structured and coherent.

Write with Clarity and Precision: 

Use clear and concise language to convey your ideas, avoiding unnecessary jargon or complexity. Ensure that your writing is well-organized, with smooth transitions between sections and a logical progression of your arguments.

Proofread and Edit: 

Carefully review your assignment for any grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or inconsistencies in formatting. This step is crucial in ensuring that your work is polished and professional.

Seek Feedback: 

Consider sharing your assignment with your peers, instructors, or academic support services for feedback and suggestions. This can help you identify areas for improvement and strengthen your overall work.

By following these guidelines and incorporating best practices for affordable assignments , you can create a compelling and impactful piece of work that showcases your academic abilities and contributes to the broader discourse within your field of study.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to write an assignment for university.

To write a successful university assignment, follow these steps:

• Understand the assignment prompt and requirements.
• Conduct thorough research and gather relevant information.
• Organize your thoughts and create an outline.
• Write with clarity, precision, and a logical flow.
• Proofread and edit your work for any errors or inconsistencies.
• Seek feedback from peers, instructors, or academic support services.

What is the format of writing an assignment?

The typical format of a university assignment includes:

• Table of Contents (for longer assignments)
• Introduction
• Body (with relevant sections and headings)
• Reference List
• Appendices (if applicable)

Adhere to the specific formatting guidelines provided by your institution or instructor, such as margin sizes, font style and size, and citation style.

The structure of a university assignment generally consists of the following key components:

Each of these sections plays a crucial role in the overall organization and flow of your assignment, helping you to effectively communicate your ideas and findings.

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Use your module assessment guide for instructions about how to present your assignment. If you can't find instructions or are unclear on the requirements for your particular module or assignment, you should  contact your tutor  for support.

If there are no specific instructions about formatting or presentation, you should submit your work in a clear font – such as Arial – in 12 point, using 1.5 or double line spacing and reasonably wide margins (for example, 2.5cm).

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Check your assignment task sheet to see the writing format required. View the various formats typically required at university.

Essays are an assessment item that can indicate your understanding of a topic. They can demonstrate how well you search for information, put ideas together in a logical sequence and write academically.

An essay can be analytical, argumentative or persuasive. You may be asked to discuss, analyse, explain, investigate, explore or review a topic. Your essay must show evidence of research, using a wide range of quality, peer reviewed academic sources.

Steps for writing an essay

Essays require a specific structure . The introduction, body and conclusion have a specific function within the writing. Check with your lecturer or tutor if you are unsure how to approach your essay.

Use the assessment task question to work out what you are required to do, and guide you with the essay format.

Do you have to compare and contrast, evaluate or discuss? These directive verbs indicate the type of essay you need to write and how to structure it.

Identify the keywords and phrases to use when searching for information around your topic.

Use the marking criteria sheet to help you decide the most important elements of the essay.

A thesis is the central argument or position around which your essay flows.

The thesis statement is placed in your essay's introduction. Each paragraph is used as evidence to support or refute the claim, and it is reiterated in the conclusion.

Edit your essay, ask yourself:

• Have I clearly introduced my thesis in the introduction?
• Have I used the body of the essay to support my thesis statement?
• Does the conclusion show how I have proven my thesis?

Use the essay paragraphs to develop your argument.

The paragraphs should:

• have a logical flow of ideas to sequentially build on the points you are making
• use evidence and examples to support your argument.

Academic arguments require balance and counterarguments. The relationships between your reasons are important to consider. A good essay should be easy to follow as it presents your thoughts in a logical manner.

Make sure that the essay answers the question, and your writing supports your thesis. Demonstrate how each piece of information included in the paragraphs is relevant. This should be easy for the reader to figure out.

Keep the question and marking criteria open while writing your essay so that you remain focused on the task. The conclusion should include a summarised answer to the question, reiterating your thesis.

Report writing is an essential skill in many disciplines. You should develop effective report writing skills because it’s highly likely you’ll be writing reports in the workplace.

A report is a formal written document used to provide concise information on a specific subject. It can be used to communicate the results of an experiment, inform on the progress of a project or to make recommendations.

An effective report is an accurate presentation of information. It should be objective, concise and structured to guide the reader through the main points.

The task instructions usually specify what sections need to be included in your report. However, a report often has the following sections:

• Title page and acknowledgements—include the title of the report, who commissioned it (or for assessment include your lecturer, course code, and student number) and the date.
• Executive summary or abstract—provide a summary of the report's main points. It briefly covers the aims, objectives, research methods and the findings. It identifies what action is required. Although the abstract is located at the beginning of the report, it is usually written last as it is a summary of the whole report.
• Table of contents—outline the structure of the report.
• Introduction—state the aims and objectives of the report, the problem or situation that prompted the report and identify what the report intends to achieve. Include definitions, research methods and background history (if relevant).
• Methodology—explain what you did and how you did it. For instance, the materials used in an experiment, the subjects involved in a survey or the steps you took in a project.
• Results or findings—detail the findings from the experiment, survey or research project.
• Discussion—present and discuss the facts or evidence.
• Conclusions—provide implications from the content of the report.
• Recommendations—describe a clear course of action. Demonstrate your professional competence in a specific situation that clearly aligns with the conclusions.
• References—acknowledge all the sources used in the report. Learn more about referencing .
• Appendices—contains additional graphical, statistical or other supplementary material. Each item should be clearly labelled (for example, Appendix 1) and referred to in the report.

A case study gives you the opportunity to apply what you are learning to a real life or fictitious case. It requires you to do further research to show how the theory applies to the practical situation.

Steps for responding to a case study

• Get a clear understanding of the case study by reading it several times.
• Make notes and consider how it relates to what you have learnt.
• Reflect on how to show your learning through your understanding of the case study.
• Identify the questions that need to be answered to address the case.
• Determine if the answers will come from the case, the literature or a combination of both.
• Research to find the answers to the questions.
• Take notes to show evidence (such as theory) to support your thinking.
• Compare your notes—from the research and case—against the marking criteria, have you addressed the required content?
• Use evidence and examples from the literature and case to support your argument in the body of the assignment.
• Avoid summarising the whole case as you will use too much of the word count.
• See how to structure your assignment to help guide you in organising your work.

Reflective writing

You may be asked to think about, or reflect upon, a situation or event that has occurred and document your feelings and reactions. For example, you may be asked to write a reflective essay on a work placement experience.

Reflective writing requires you to make a link between your experience and the course content. It’s a way of clarifying the relationship between theory and practice.

Taking time to reflect allows you to become more aware of your own values and belief system and any assumptions you may hold to support those.

Steps for reflective writing

Document the facts, what happened, when did it happen and how did it happen?

For example if writing a reflective essay on a work placement experience, include:

• tasks you completed and when
• processes or steps involved to complete the task
• why the task needed to be done
• how long it took to complete
• the challenges involved.

Record all the relevant details.

Describe what you think about the event or experience, dig deep and get in touch with your feelings.

• What emotions did you experience?
• Do you have any new insights?
• Can you make a connection with other things you know or concepts in the course?
• What were the strengths and weaknesses of the concept, process, event or procedure?

Identify what you have learnt from the experience.

• Did it change your thinking or shift your values, assumptions or opinions about the event?
• What else could you have done in the situation or event?
• Are there any actions that could have helped
• What hindered the situation?
• How will you use this information in the future?

Literature review

You may be required to write a literature review as part of your university studies.

Literature reviews can be used alone or in research projects, reports, articles and theses.

They are a way of bringing together, analysing and evaluating a range of sources in relation to a particular topic or research question.

Steps for writing a literature review

If you have a research topic, problem or question to analyse, it is important to take time to clarify what is expected before you start researching and writing.

When developing your own research topic and question, try to:

• define the general topic area
• identify the particular problem or issue you are interested in investigating
• turn the problem into questions. For example, why does this happen? How can we solve this problem? What are the main features of this issue?
• brainstorm ideas and key points.

As you get started, it is important to formulate key questions to focus your research.

To find relevant research you will need a search strategy. A search strategy is a structured organisation of terms used to search an online research tool, such as the library catalogue or databases. The search strategy shows how these terms combine in order to retrieve the best results.

Online research tools work in different ways so you need to adapt your search strategy for each one.

To develop a search strategy:

• Identify the keywords in your assessment topic.
• Identify any related words (use a dictionary, encyclopaedia or provided readings).
• Combine your keywords and related words into a search strategy using the terms AND, OR and NOT.

Enter your search strategy in the Library catalogue to find relevant literature. Identify other research tools such as library databases to find highly specialised information.

In a literature review, you are not simply recounting what each author says about a topic. You need to critically evaluate and discuss the literature to convince the reader of its relevance to your work.

Critically evaluate by questioning each item you read to assess its:

• reliability—are the facts accurate?
• credibility—is the author an authority?
• perspective—is there bias or opinion?
• purpose—does the information inform, explain or persuade?
• evidence—does the author use facts, examples, statistics, expert testimony?

There are many ways to sort and classify the literature that you are reading, including:

• thesis chapters (if applicable)
• your own categories
• theoretical perspective (for example, ‘Marxist’, ‘behaviourist’ or ‘post-modernist’)
• discipline categories
• whether it supports, or conflicts with, your thesis or central argument
• reliability.

How your review is organised depends on what information is gathered and how your discipline structures them. This is one way to organise it:

• Introduction—include your topic, aim, main ideas, overall plan, limits and scope.
• Body—include your research (where applicable), discussion of evidence, theories, concepts and relationships between different literature.
• Conclusion—bring together the key issues, trends, common threads, major gaps and agreements/disagreements in the literature.

Annotated bibliography

Writing an annotated bibliography is the first step in collecting information about a topic of interest, or to find the scope of an issue. It helps establish what current research exists, and the value or quality of that research. It allows you to gain a clearer perspective and develop critical appraisal skills.

Structure your annotated bibliography

An annotated bibliography looks like an extended reference list, it has three parts—a reference, main summary and critique.

Provide the full bibliographic details of the text—including, title, author and year—in the required referencing style.

Learn more about referencing

Each annotation is one paragraph. It retells the main points, identifying the theoretical perspectives, research findings, methods and conclusions.

Critique the text by considering the research's findings, relevancy and limitations. Give an evaluative comment about the usefulness of the research for your own work. For example:

• Is there any bias?
• Are the findings relevant to certain populations or groups?
• Does it look at an issue from a broad or narrow perspective?
• What ideas does it support or oppose?
• Is it useful in practical situations?
• How does it inform your understanding of the topic?

It is important to be concise. Limit to about 100-300 words per annotation—consult your task sheet for guidance on word length.

Eakin, E., Reeves M., Winkler E., Lawler S., & Owen, N. (2010). Maintenance of physical activity and dietary change following a telephone-delivered intervention.  Health Psychology , 29 , 566-573. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0021359

A randomised controlled trial was conducted and 434 patients with Type 2 diabetes or hypertension were recruited from ten primary care practices in a disadvantaged community. Five practices were randomised to a telephone-counselling intervention (n = 228) and five practices to usual care (n= 206). The aim was to examine the maintenance of behavioural changes six months after a telephone-delivered physical activity and diet intervention. Participants received 18 phone calls, a workbook with information on physical activity and healthy eating that followed the 5 A’s approach, and a pedometer. The usual care group received brief feedback on their assessment and health related brochures. The main outcome measures included the use of validated, self-report measures of physical activity and diet. Data was collected at baseline, twelve months, and 18 months (months post intervention). The findings showed both interventions were found to show significantly improved behaviour changes particularly in those who adhered to the study. The research is relevant for managing people with type 2 diabetes and hypertension living in disadvantaged communities. The researchers concluded that telephone-delivered interventions promoted maintenance of health behaviour change but studies with longer term follow-up are needed to determine how intervention duration and intensity might enhance maintenance .

Presentations—video, in-person, online

You may be asked to deliver a presentation individually, in partnership or as part of a group.

Consider the following to help inform your style, language and delivery.

• Who is the presentation targeted at or intended for?
• What do they already know on the subject?
• Why are they there?
• What would they like to know?

For example, a Business course presentation may be targeted at stakeholders, or be a pitch for potential investors.

The intention of the presentation influences the type of language, rhetorical features and tone used.

Are you pitching:

• a new service
• an idea or product
• to enlighten and inform your audience?

For example, a persuasive presentation may use more emotive language, rhetorical questions and repetition. Whereas, this approach may not be suitable for a formal report.

When, where and how will your presentation be delivered? Will it be delivered live, online or pre-recorded?

This will influence your preparations for organising the visual, environmental and technical elements, to ensure a successful presentation.

Do you need to record and edit video for your presentation?

Create an effective and engaging presentation

Regardless of the type of presentation and how it is delivered a successful presentation should take into account the following:

• Matter—does the subject and content address the task and marking criteria?
• Manner—practise the verbal (volume, pace, pause) and non-verbal (eye contact, gestures) delivery elements.
• Method—have it structured in a logical way (introduction, body, conclusion) with support of visual aids.

Visual elements

You may be asked to support your presentation with visual aids, such as PowerPoint or an infographic. Visual aids, used appropriately, can enhance your presentation and engage your audience.

Ensure your visual aids support your presentation in purpose and style and reinforce your message.

Communicate your message effectively using a simple and strategic design.

• Limit the text quantity, use three to five bullet points per slide.
• Use high resolution images and pictures.
• Limit animation and flashy transitions.
• Use contrasting colours for readability.
• Maintain continuity in text font, images and colour.

Finally, your choices should reflect the audience, purpose and context.

Practice makes perfect

Practise frequently to ensure a smooth, successful and confident presentation delivery.

• aloud—consider recording yourself to identify areas for improvement
• in front of peers and/or family
• with the technology and visuals that will be used on the day
• with your partner or group members, if relevant, to ensure smooth transition between presenters.

Academic integrity

Understand your academic integrity obligations and responsibilities to act in an honest and ethical manner.

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Structuring written work

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Some assignments have a standard format, such as lab reports or case studies, and these will normally be explained in your course materials. For other assignments, you will have to come up with your own structure.

Your structure might be guided by:

• the assignment question. For example, it may list topics or use wording such as ‘compare and contrast’
• the subject matter itself, which may suggest a structure based on chronology, process or location
• your interpretation of the subject matter. For example, problem/solution, argument/counter-argument or sub-topics in order of importance
• the structure of other texts you’ve read in your discipline. Look at how the information is organised and sequenced. Make sure you modify the structure to suit your purpose to avoid plagiarism.

Essays are a very common form of academic writing. Like most of the texts you write at university, all essays have the same basic three-part structure: introduction, main body and conclusion. However, the main body can be structured in many different ways.

To write a good essay:

• know if you’re expected to write an analytical, persuasive or critical essay
• clearly structure your main body and paragraphs
• use appropriate referencing
• use academic language .

Reports generally have the same basic structure as essays, with an introduction, body and conclusion. However, the main body structure can vary widely, as the term ‘report’ is used for many types of texts and purposes in different disciplines.

Find out as much as possible about what type of report is expected.

How to plan your structure

There are many ways to come up with a structure for your work. If you’re not sure how to approach it, try some of the strategies below.

During and after reading your sources, take notes and start thinking about ways to structure the ideas and facts into groups. For example:

• look for similarities, differences, patterns, themes or other ways of grouping and dividing the ideas under headings. This could include advantages, disadvantages, causes, effects, problems, solutions or types of theory
• use coloured highlighters or symbols to tag themes or categories of information in your readings or notes
• cut and paste notes in a document
• physically group your readings or notes into piles.

It’s a good idea to brainstorm a few different ways of structuring your assignment once you have a rough idea of the main issues. Do this in outline form before you start writing – it’s much easier to re-structure an outline than a half-finished essay. For example:

• draw some tree diagrams, mind-maps or flowcharts showing which ideas, facts and references would be included under each heading
• discard ideas that don't fit into your overall purpose, and facts or references that are not useful for what you want to discuss
• if you have a lot of information, such as for a thesis or dissertation, create some tables to show how each theory or reading relates to each heading (this is often called a 'synthesis grid')
• plan the number of paragraphs you need, the topic heading for each one, and dot points for each piece of information and reference needed
• try a few different possible structures until you find the one that works best.

Eventually, you’ll have a plan that is detailed enough for you to start writing. You’ll know which ideas go into each section and, ideally, each paragraph. You will also know where to find evidence for those ideas in your notes and the sources of that evidence.

If you’re having difficulties with the process of planning the structure of your assignment, consider trying a different strategy for grouping and organising your information.

Making the structure clear

Your writing will be clear and logical to read if it’s easy to see the structure and how it fits together. You can achieve this in several ways.

• Use the end of the introduction to show the reader what structure to expect.
• Use headings and sub-headings to clearly mark the sections (if these are acceptable for your discipline and assignment type).
• Use topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph , to show the reader what the main idea is, and to link back to the introduction and/or headings and sub-headings.
• Show the connections between sentences. The beginning of each sentence should link back to the main idea of the paragraph or a previous sentence.
• Use conjunctions and linking words to show the structure of relationships between ideas. Examples of conjunctions include: however, similarly, in contrast, for this reason, as a result and moreover.

Introductions

Most of the types of texts you write for university need to have an introduction. Its purpose is to clearly tell the reader the topic, purpose and structure of the paper.

As a rough guide, an introduction might be between 10 and 20 percent of the length of the whole paper and has three main parts.

• The most general information, such as background and/or definitions.
• The core of the introduction, where you show the overall topic, purpose, your point of view, hypotheses and/or research questions (depending on what kind of paper it is).
• The most specific information, describing the scope and structure of your paper.

If the main body of your paper follows a predictable template, such as the method, results and discussion stages of a report in the sciences, you generally don’t need to include a guide to the structure in your introduction.

You should write your introduction after you know both your overall point of view (if it is a persuasive paper) and the whole structure of your paper. You should then revise the introduction when you have completed the main body.

Most academic writing is structured into paragraphs. It is helpful to think about each paragraph as a mini essay with a three-part structure:

• topic sentence (also known as introductory sentence)
• body of the paragraph
• concluding sentence (necessary for long paragraphs but otherwise optional).

The topic sentence introduces a general overview of the topic and the purpose of the paragraph. Depending on the length of the paragraph, this may be more than one sentence. The topic sentence answers the question 'what's the paragraph about?'.

The body of the paragraph develops this topic. It may elaborate directly on the topic sentence by giving definitions, classifications, explanations, contrasts, examples and evidence.

The final sentence in many, but not all, paragraphs is the concluding sentence. It does not present new information, but often either summarises or comments on the paragraph content. It can also provide a link, by showing how the paragraph links to the topic sentence of the next paragraph. The concluding sentence often answers the question ‘so what?’, by explaining how this paragraph relates back to the main topic.

You don’t have to write all your paragraphs using this structure. For example, there are paragraphs with no topic sentence, or the topic is mentioned near the end of the paragraph. However, this is a clear and common structure that makes it easy for the reader to follow.

Conclusions

The conclusion is closely related to the introduction and is often described as its ‘mirror image’. This means that if the introduction begins with general information and ends with specific information, the conclusion moves in the opposite direction.

The conclusion usually:

• begins by briefly summarising the main scope or structure of the paper
• confirms the topic that was given in the introduction. This may take the form of the aims of the paper, a thesis statement (point of view) or a research question/hypothesis and its answer/outcome.
• ends with a more general statement about how this topic relates to its context. This may take the form of an evaluation of the importance of the topic, implications for future research or a recommendation about theory or practice.

This material was developed by the the Learning Hub (Academic Language and Learning), which offers workshops, face-to-face consultations and resources to support your learning. Find out more about how they can help you develop your communication, research and study skills .

See our Writing skills handouts .

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Layout & appearance

These are general guidelines for formatting and submitting your work. Use these where you have not received specific instructions on formatting from your lecturer. Advice includes formatting specifications such as type, font and alignment; figures and tables; footnotes and endnotes and submission of work.

We recommend first completing the editing and proofreading of your assessment task before formatting.

All written work should be typed on a computer. If you don’t have access to a computer at home, there are many on campus, in the libraries and numerous computer labs.

Type, alignment & spacing

Fonts, text alignment and spacing can be changed in your word-processing program. If no font type is specified then the standard choice is 12pt Times New Roman, with text left-aligned.

The modern preference is to use blocked paragraphs . Generally, an indent at the beginning of the paragraph is no longer required, but check with your lecturer if you are unsure.

Blocked paragraphs have an extra space between them. Do not indent.

Figures & tables

If you need to include figures (i.e. graphs, pictures, charts, maps or diagrams) and/or tables in your work but have not received specific instructions, use the following guidelines. You can place them within the text itself, or at the end as an appendix.

Check your chosen referencing style for more detailed instructions.

Consider whether the figures and/or tables are necessary for clarity. Include them in the body of the document if their presence directly illustrates your point. If, for example, a whole paragraph refers to a particular graph, then it would be most effective to place it directly below the paragraph.

Download our helpsheet, Figures and Tables .

Naming, numbering and noting

Number each figure and table consecutively and give each a descriptive title. Figures may need a ‘legend’ to identify things such as scale, direction of view or orientation

Example: Place the name of the figure below the figure.

Cite author(s), date of publication and page number.

Example: Place the name of the table above the table.

Some figures or tables may need notes to provide one or more of the following:

• Specific information on a particular item in the figure/table
• General information on the figure/table as a whole
• Source information (if copied/adapted from another source)

Place any notes directly below the relevant figure or table.

Whatever your reason for including figures or tables, aim for readability.

• Mark all axes clearly on graphs.
• Use descriptive column headings on tables.
• Type size is generally smaller than the text in the paragraph, but no smaller than 8 pt, or larger than 14 pt.
• Place them close to the paragraph where they are first mentioned.
• Do not extend them outside the page margins.
• Do not split a table over two pages (unless it is large); leave a small gap at the bottom of the page and carry it over to the next page.
• Whole numbers to be right-aligned.
• Decimals to be aligned to decimal points.
• Text in columns to be left-aligned.

Appendices – a final word

If the figure and/or table provides further evidence but is not critical to illustrate your argument, then include it as an appendix and refer to it in your text, like this:

 “As can be seen in Appendix 1, the elephant population is in rapid decline.”

Footnotes & endnotes

Academic writing sometimes requires notes to the main text. These notes may contain information to supplement or explain the main text, and/or information about your sources.

The notes may be displayed as footnotes (at the bottom of the page) or endnotes (at the end of the work). Notes are numbered in a single sequence throughout a piece of work and normally set one or two points smaller than the general text.

Most word-processing software has a footnote/endnote function that inserts numbers and formats notes automatically. Different referencing styles require different formatting, so check which style you are required to use in your academic writing.

One style that involves inserting footnotes into the text is Chicago citation style .

Reference list or bibliography

Depending on your chosen referencing/citation style, your reference list might also be called a bibliography . This should come at the end of your assignment.

It should have the heading ‘References’ or ‘Bibliography’ and each source should have its own line. The formatting of the citations themselves should adhere to your chosen referencing style. Refer to FedCite for the examples of how to organise your reference list, bibliography or works cited list in academic writing.

Submitting your work

Title page or cover sheet.

The Title Page contains some or all of these details for identification. You could include a header and footer on this page, to ensure nothing goes astray.

• Name and student number (if group work, list all members’ information)
• Title of work being submitted
• Lecturer and/or tutor/teacher name
• Date submitted

A separate cover sheet and/or submission slip may also be required. Attach this to the front of your work. Some courses will provide one for you.

Submission checklist

These may seem obvious, but check off the following before you submit your work:

• What your lecturer specified as method of submission.
• If submitting electronically, save it and submit it as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx).
• Make a copy of the final version and keep as a record.
• All required content is there and in the right order.
• If required, your reference list/bibliography should be after your main body of work.
• Appendices are attached near the end, depending on what referencing system you are using.
• Pages are stapled securely in the top left-hand corner. No paper clips.
• Do not use folders unless instructed to do so.
• Submit your work by the due date (an extension may be granted in certain cases, but it should be confirmed with your lecturer/tutor/teacher ahead of time).
• Submit your work to the right place and person.

Penalties for poor presentation

If you submit your work without meeting basic presentation standards, you can incur penalties. Many lecturers can be generous; however, you would be wise to avoid submitting a poorly presented assignment. Not only will you risk the outcomes listed below, but you also won’t be doing yourself any favours; your future boss won’t accept underperformance.

• Your work may be returned and you may be required to resubmit (lucky outcome).
• work may be marked down (not so lucky).
• Your work may not be accepted or credited in your final grade (bad).

Download our general advice on formatting, Layout & Appearance .

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Templates for college and university assignments

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Assignment writing guides and samples

If you're looking for useful guides for assignment writing and language skills check out our range of study skills resources

Essay writing

• Writing essays [PDF 240KB] . Tips on writing a great essay, including developing an argument, structure and appropriate referencing. 
• Sample essay [PDF 330KB] . A sample of an essay that includes an annotated structure for your reference.  

Writing a critical review

• Writing a critical review [PDF 260KB] . Tips on writing a great critical review, including structure, format and key questions to address when writing a review. 
• Sample critical review [PDF 260KB] . A sample of a critical review that includes an annotated structure for your reference.  

Writing a business-style report

• Writing a business-style report [PDF 330KB] . A resource for business and law students Find out how to write and format business-style reports.
• Sample of a business-style report [PDF 376 KB] . A resource for business and law students. A sample of a business-style report with an annotated format.  

Investigative report sample

• Sample of an investigative report [PDF 500KB] . A resource for science, engineering and technology students. How to write an investigative report, including an annotated format.  

Assignment topics and editing

• Interpreting assignment topics [PDF 370 KB] . Find out how to interpret an assignment topic, including understanding key words and concepts. 
• How to edit your work [PDF 189KB] . A guide for all students about how to edit and review their work.   

Language skills

• Building your word power (expanding your knowledge of words) [PDF 306KB]. A guide to expanding your knowledge of words and communicating your ideas in more interesting ways.
• Handy grammar hints [PDF 217KB] .  A guide to getting grammar and style right in your assignments.

Resources relevant to your study area

Science, engineering and technology.

• Writing a critical review [PDF 260KB].  Tips on writing a great critical review, including structure, format and key questions to address when writing a review. 
• Sample critical review [PDF 260KB] . A sample of a critical review that includes an annotated structure for your reference. 
• Sample of an investigative report [PDF 500KB] . A resource for science, engineering and technology students. How to write an investigative report, including an annotated format. 
• How to edit your work [PDF 189KB] . A guide for all students about how to edit and review their work.  
• Building your word power (expanding your knowledge of words) [PDF 306KB]. A guide to expanding your knowledge of words and communicating your ideas in more interesting ways. 
• Handy grammar hints [PDF 217KB] . A guide to getting grammar and style right in your assignments. 

Health, Arts and Design

• Sample essay [PDF 330KB] . A sample of an essay that includes an annotated structure for your reference. 
• Writing a critical review [PDF 260KB]. Tips on writing a great critical review, including structure, format and key questions to address when writing a review. 
• Sample critical review [PDF 260KB]. A sample of a critical review that includes an annotated structure for your reference. 
• How to edit your work [PDF 189KB] . A guide for all students about how to edit and review their work. 
• Handy grammar hints [PDF 217KB]. A guide to getting grammar and style right in your assignments.

Business and Law

• Sample essay [PDF 330KB]. A sample of an essay that includes an annotated structure for your reference. 
• Writing a business-style report [PDF 330KB]. A resource for business and law students. Find out how to write and format business-style reports.
• Sample of a business-style report [PDF 376 KB]. A resource for business and law students. A sample of a business-style report, with an annotated format. 
• Interpreting assignment topics [PDF 370 KB]. Find out how to interpret an assignment topic, including understanding key words and concepts. 
• How to edit your work [PDF 189KB]. A guide for all students about how to edit and review their work.

Formatting your work

General advice.

The format of your assignment (eg margin size, font size, word count, line spacing) will vary module by module. Please consult your module handbook (via Blackboard ) or ask your module tutor for advice.

Library staff have produced a sample essay in the UWE Harvard style (PDF)  you can refer to and guidance for using figures and tables (PDF) in your work.

Formatting Appendices

What is it.

An appendix includes additional information that provides useful background and context for your topic. This must be relevant and aid the reader in understanding your work. This could include your own research data or information from other sources. If you are using more than one appendix, you would refer to them as appendices.

What to include in your appendices

Supporting information for your work from other sources, for example data or diagrams. If you have conducted your own research, it is a good idea to include your raw data for example: interview transcripts, surveys, correspondence (emails, letters etc.), statistics. Additionally, consider putting images or graphs in an appendix, whether your own or from another source.

Where are they?

They are located at the end of your work after your reference list or bibliography.

What do they look like?

• To make it clearer for your reader, consider breaking down long appendix into separate ones.
• Keep information in a single appendix within a particular focus area, for instance interviews on a topic with participants.
• Label each new appendix alphabetically, for example appendix A, appendix B.
• Give each appendix a meaningful title.
• Start each appendix on a new page.
• Refer to individual tables or sources within the appendix as numbered items. This ensures you can easily refer to these individual sources within your body of work. Order the appendices as they are referred to within the main body of the text for the first time. If your work includes a contents page, add appendices to the table of contents.
• Continue page numbers from the end of your main body of work.

How to refer to appendices in your work

All appendices should be mentioned in your work.  You could do this in the following ways: The data I gathered on this topic suggests there’s a correlation (see appendix A). Appendix B suggests … If your appendix contains more than one information source, refer to it in the following way: (see appendix A1) As shown in appendix B3 … If your appendix refers to your own research or data you do not need to provide a reference. However, if your appendix refers to the work of others, provide an-text citation in the appendix and add the full reference to your reference list. For instance, if you’ve created a table using someone else’s work, underneath the table it could look like this: (Table author’s own, data from Greig, 2021.)

Quoting other works in your assignment

You are expected to acknowledge the books, journal articles and other sources of information that you use when preparing and completing your university work. This is known as referencing .

You will often find you need to quote  from your sources of information. Use your own judgement to make sure that the layout and flow of your writing is logical, and that use of quotations is clear and easy to follow as well as being consistent throughout your assignment.

(The following guidance applies when referencing using the UWE Bristol Harvard  style only.)

Quoting one or two lines

Put quotation marks around the quote and include within a standard-format paragraph of your text. Include any italics and errors of spelling or punctuation found in the original. Example: As Pearson et al . state (2007, p.72), "The basis of evidence-based practice is, of course, evidence".

Quoting more than two lines

Indent the quotation in its own paragraph and leave out the quotation marks. Include any italics and errors of spelling or punctuation found in the original. Example: Pearson et al . (2007, p.74) summarise the issue as follows:

Critical appraisal is a difficult component of the systematic review process, and a good understanding of research design is required. The major aim of critical appraisal of any type of evidence is to establish the validity of the evidence for practice. Validity refers to the soundness of the evidence; in other words, it is about the degree to which we can accept the evidence as trustworthy and believable.

Editing a quote

You can make minor changes to a direct quotation as long as you don't change the meaning and indicate where you have made changes:

• If you insert your own words, or different words, into a quotation, put them in square brackets [ ]
• To draw attention to an error in a quotation (for example a spelling mistake) do not correct it, but write [sic] after the error
• To emphasise something in a quotation, put the emphasised words in italics, and state that the emphasis is your own

"Mobile-learning (m-learning) is learning in which mobile technologies play a central role" (Davis, 2011, p.125, my italics)

Omitting text within a quote

If you wish to omit part of a quote, indicate the omission by inserting a space, three full-stops, and another space. Example: Pearson et al . (2007. p.74) conclude that "Critical appraisal is a difficult component of the systematic review process ... The major aim of critical appraisal of any type of evidence is to establish the validity of the evidence for practice."

Single or double quotation marks

When quoting from other works you can use single or double quotation marks. If your source of information is quoting direct speech, use the two types of quotation marks to differentiate them. Check with your module tutor if you need advice and be consistent with the use of single or double quotation marks throughout your piece of work.

• In-text citations and quotations are included in your assignment's word count.
• References, bibliographies and footnotes containing references are not included in the word count, unless it is clearly stated in the coursework instructions that the module is an exception to this rule.

Please consult the UWE Bristol Policies  for further advice (includes the Assessment Content Limit policy).

Library study skills support

There are a number of ways you can get support from the library, such as talking to us at helpdesks, using our online chat service, booking 1:1s or attending workshops.

Get feedback on your writing

Find out different ways to get feedback on your writing before you submit your work.

Get feedback

You may also be interested in

Academic information

Advice on academic-related issues and what to do if something happens which affects your studies.

College study support

College-specific online study support and one-to-one help tailored for your subject.

Research skills

Online advice and tutorials to help you develop your research skills.

5 tips on writing better university assignments

Lecturer in Student Learning and Communication Development, University of Sydney

Disclosure statement

Alexandra Garcia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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University life comes with its share of challenges. One of these is writing longer assignments that require higher information, communication and critical thinking skills than what you might have been used to in high school. Here are five tips to help you get ahead.

1. Use all available sources of information

Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make available an increasing number of resources. But students often overlook these.

For example, to understand how your assignment will be graded, you can examine the rubric . This is a chart indicating what you need to do to obtain a high distinction, a credit or a pass, as well as the course objectives – also known as “learning outcomes”.

Other resources include lecture recordings, reading lists, sample assignments and discussion boards. All this information is usually put together in an online platform called a learning management system (LMS). Examples include Blackboard , Moodle , Canvas and iLearn . Research shows students who use their LMS more frequently tend to obtain higher final grades.

If after scrolling through your LMS you still have questions about your assignment, you can check your lecturer’s consultation hours.

2. Take referencing seriously

Plagiarism – using somebody else’s words or ideas without attribution – is a serious offence at university. It is a form of cheating.

In many cases, though, students are unaware they have cheated. They are simply not familiar with referencing styles – such as APA , Harvard , Vancouver , Chicago , etc – or lack the skills to put the information from their sources into their own words.

To avoid making this mistake, you may approach your university’s library, which is likely to offer face-to-face workshops or online resources on referencing. Academic support units may also help with paraphrasing.

You can also use referencing management software, such as EndNote or Mendeley . You can then store your sources, retrieve citations and create reference lists with only a few clicks. For undergraduate students, Zotero has been recommended as it seems to be more user-friendly.

Using this kind of software will certainly save you time searching for and formatting references. However, you still need to become familiar with the citation style in your discipline and revise the formatting accordingly.

3. Plan before you write

If you were to build a house, you wouldn’t start by laying bricks at random. You’d start with a blueprint. Likewise, writing an academic paper requires careful planning: you need to decide the number of sections, their organisation, and the information and sources you will include in each.

Research shows students who prepare detailed outlines produce higher-quality texts. Planning will not only help you get better grades, but will also reduce the time you spend staring blankly at the screen thinking about what to write next.

During the planning stage, using programs like OneNote from Microsoft Office or Outline for Mac can make the task easier as they allow you to organise information in tabs. These bits of information can be easily rearranged for later drafting. Navigating through the tabs is also easier than scrolling through a long Word file.

4. Choose the right words

Which of these sentences is more appropriate for an assignment?

a. “This paper talks about why the planet is getting hotter”, or b. “This paper examines the causes of climate change”.

The written language used at university is more formal and technical than the language you normally use in social media or while chatting with your friends. Academic words tend to be longer and their meaning is also more precise. “Climate change” implies more than just the planet “getting hotter”.

To find the right words, you can use SkELL , which shows you the words that appear more frequently, with your search entry categorised grammatically. For example, if you enter “paper”, it will tell you it is often the subject of verbs such as “present”, “describe”, “examine” and “discuss”.

Another option is the Writefull app, which does a similar job without having to use an online browser.

5. Edit and proofread

If you’re typing the last paragraph of the assignment ten minutes before the deadline, you will be missing a very important step in the writing process: editing and proofreading your text. A 2018 study found a group of university students did significantly better in a test after incorporating the process of planning, drafting and editing in their writing.

You probably already know to check the spelling of a word if it appears underlined in red. You may even use a grammar checker such as Grammarly . However, no software to date can detect every error and it is not uncommon to be given inaccurate suggestions.

So, in addition to your choice of proofreader, you need to improve and expand your grammar knowledge. Check with the academic support services at your university if they offer any relevant courses.

Written communication is a skill that requires effort and dedication. That’s why universities are investing in support services – face-to-face workshops, individual consultations, and online courses – to help students in this process. You can also take advantage of a wide range of web-based resources such as spell checkers, vocabulary tools and referencing software – many of them free.

Improving your written communication will help you succeed at university and beyond.

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How‌ ‌to‌ ‌Structure‌ ‌College‌ ‌Assignments?‌

Find the best assignment formats (with examples) here..

The assignment format and structure depend on the type of assignment you are doing. While most professors include formatting-related standards in assignment guidelines (such as word count, the layout of the assignment, file format, preferred fonts, referencing style, and requirements related to headings, page numbering, college assignment headers, and footers), they expect students to figure out how to structure their assignment. 

GoAssignmentHelp’s US homework help experts often come across college students who do not know how to write a project report, academic essay, research paper , or case study. Hence, they are sharing the most common assignment formats they use along with college assignments examples here.

Basic Elements of an Assignment Structure 

A university assignment typically has six compulsory sections:

• College Assignment Heading / Title Page
• Table of Contents / Index
• Introduction

Online assignments help experts on our platform highly recommend students at all academic levels to ensure that any assignment structure they use covers these six elements.

If your professor has not shared a specific assignment format with you, you should ask them about their preferred academic writing style. It will give you a good idea about how to set margins, what line spacing to use, how to mention page numbers in the assignment, what font style and font size are considered the idea in your university, and what’s considered the best referencing format in your department.

Different assignments are written differently. Here we will share with you:

Ideal Assignment Format for a Research Paper

Typical assignment format for an academic essay, best assignment format for a project report, basic assignment template for a case study, literature review assignment format, how to structure a reflective journal, how to write an annotated bibliography.

You may also check:   Assignment Cover Sheet Sample and Templates

A typical research paper has the following sections:

• Research Paper Title
• Table of Contents
• Research Methodology
• Findings & Discussions
• Conclusions
• References & Citations

Remember, the presentation of a research paper changes based on the referencing format your college professor prefers.

For example: In the MLA referencing style, you refer to your sources as ‘Works Cited’ while in the APA assignment format, you refer to them as ‘References’.

Here’s a sample MLA research paper assignment format:

All college essays must include:

• Thesis Statement/Purpose of writing the essay

The following essay outline essay template elaborates on the significance of each of these sections and what you should write in them. Notice that each paragraph in the body of an essay is divided into three parts:

• Topic sentence,
• Supporting details, and
• Conclusion statement.

A project report can be anywhere between 4 to 100 pages long – depending on your academic level and study discipline. Usually, project reports are compulsory assignments for students – and need to be written in a specific academic format.

GoAssignmentHelp’s project report writing experts in the US say that most reports share the following assignment format example:

• Acknowledgments
• Problem Statement / Project Report Research Question
• Objective / Purpose of the Report
• Methodology Used
• Analysis of the Problem Statement
• Conclusion & Recommendations
• References/Bibliography

While writing a case study, you need to include the following sections:

• Alternatives & Constraints/Limitations
• Proposed Solutions
• Recommendations

But these sections may change from a case study to a case study – depending on the nature of the problem/event/ entity under study. Our expert assignment help providers offer several case study templates for students as well as step-by-step guidance in writing effective case studies.

Here’s a college homework example involving a case study:

You may be asked to write a Literature Review separately or as part of a longer research paper. In both cases, you will have to follow the standardized academic writing and referencing styles preferred by your instructor, such as APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. But all of them use this basic Literature Review assignment format:

• Body (which may have several subtopics)
• References/Citation

Different academic writing styles define the ideal word count for each section. Our review writing experts can also help you with writing article reviews and book reviews that need to be styled differently than literature reviews.

Here’s a literature review assignment template for you:

Reflective journal assignments can be written as diary entries, personal journals, essays, books, or peer reviews. Each entry in a journal or diary (meant to be a reflective writing piece) should have the following sections:

• Event or Situation being discussed
• Exploration
• Conclusion or Integration

Here’s a reflective journal assignment example that shows weekly reflection by the author in a learning journal. Each number in this journal is an important point that will come in handy while writing a reflective assignment.

An annotated bibliography has two parts:

• Citation, and

The citation format follows the formatting suggested by a professor’s preferred referencing style (such as MLA or APA). The annotation part is usually 100-300 words long and gives you a quick glimpse of why a source was selected for the writing piece.

Here’s an Annotated Bibliography assignment format example in the MLA style:

Expert Tips on How to Format Assignments

Our essay writing help providers say that they cannot emphasize enough the importance of reading assignment writing guidelines shared by your instructor. Understanding each instruction clearly and following it while writing the assignment can pull up your grades significantly.

Make sure that you understand the writing task perfectly. The way an assignment question is framed impacts the assignment format you should be using. If you misinterpret the type of assignment you need to write, you’ll probably end up using the wrong assignment format.

In case of a doubt regarding assignment format or how to present your answer, cross-check with your instructor. Or seek assistance from our assignment help experts. Our online assignment assistance experts are not only subject experts but also adept at all kinds of academic writing formats. 

Read through academic writing styles and referencing formats carefully. You will need to use their stylistic guidelines until you graduate from the program. 

You may also check some assignment format examples and samples available online to get an idea of how to write your assignment.

You may also check:   How to Write a Perfect Assignment?

Look for help with college assignment format?

Each course has specific assignment writing requirements. Most professors and teachers share them with the syllabus of the course or when they assign tasks to you. If you still need assistance, we, at GoAssignmentHelp, are always ready to help you.

We are the leading assignment help service providers in the US and have some of the best online assignment writers on our platform. Whether you need help with writing essays, dissertations, theses, or homework, we bring you some of the most qualified and experienced subject experts from American cities like New York , Los Angeles , Chicago , Houston , Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Diego, and more.

Wondering how to structure an assignment? Submit Your Question Here! 

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Understanding Writing Assignments

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

How to Decipher the Paper Assignment

Many instructors write their assignment prompts differently. By following a few steps, you can better understand the requirements for the assignment. The best way, as always, is to ask the instructor about anything confusing.

• Read the prompt the entire way through once. This gives you an overall view of what is going on.
• Underline or circle the portions that you absolutely must know. This information may include due date, research (source) requirements, page length, and format (MLA, APA, CMS).
• Underline or circle important phrases. You should know your instructor at least a little by now - what phrases do they use in class? Does he repeatedly say a specific word? If these are in the prompt, you know the instructor wants you to use them in the assignment.
• Think about how you will address the prompt. The prompt contains clues on how to write the assignment. Your instructor will often describe the ideas they want discussed either in questions, in bullet points, or in the text of the prompt. Think about each of these sentences and number them so that you can write a paragraph or section of your essay on that portion if necessary.
• Rank ideas in descending order, from most important to least important. Instructors may include more questions or talking points than you can cover in your assignment, so rank them in the order you think is more important. One area of the prompt may be more interesting to you than another.
• Ask your instructor questions if you have any.

After you are finished with these steps, ask yourself the following:

• What is the purpose of this assignment? Is my purpose to provide information without forming an argument, to construct an argument based on research, or analyze a poem and discuss its imagery?
• Who is my audience? Is my instructor my only audience? Who else might read this? Will it be posted online? What are my readers' needs and expectations?
• What resources do I need to begin work? Do I need to conduct literature (hermeneutic or historical) research, or do I need to review important literature on the topic and then conduct empirical research, such as a survey or an observation? How many sources are required?
• Who - beyond my instructor - can I contact to help me if I have questions? Do you have a writing lab or student service center that offers tutorials in writing?

(Notes on prompts made in blue )

Poster or Song Analysis: Poster or Song? Poster!

Goals : To systematically consider the rhetorical choices made in either a poster or a song. She says that all the time.

Things to Consider: ah- talking points

• how the poster addresses its audience and is affected by context I'll do this first - 1.
• general layout, use of color, contours of light and shade, etc.
• use of contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity C.A.R.P. They say that, too. I'll do this third - 3.
• the point of view the viewer is invited to take, poses of figures in the poster, etc. any text that may be present
• possible cultural ramifications or social issues that have bearing I'll cover this second - 2.
• ethical implications
• how the poster affects us emotionally, or what mood it evokes
• the poster's implicit argument and its effectiveness said that was important in class, so I'll discuss this last - 4.
• how the song addresses its audience
• lyrics: how they rhyme, repeat, what they say
• use of music, tempo, different instruments
• possible cultural ramifications or social issues that have bearing
• emotional effects
• the implicit argument and its effectiveness

These thinking points are not a step-by-step guideline on how to write your paper; instead, they are various means through which you can approach the subject. I do expect to see at least a few of them addressed, and there are other aspects that may be pertinent to your choice that have not been included in these lists. You will want to find a central idea and base your argument around that. Additionally, you must include a copy of the poster or song that you are working with. Really important!

I will be your audience. This is a formal paper, and you should use academic conventions throughout.

Length: 4 pages Format: Typed, double-spaced, 10-12 point Times New Roman, 1 inch margins I need to remember the format stuff. I messed this up last time =(

Academic Argument Essay

5-7 pages, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, 1 inch margins.

Minimum of five cited sources: 3 must be from academic journals or books

• Design Plan due: Thurs. 10/19
• Rough Draft due: Monday 10/30
• Final Draft due: Thurs. 11/9

Remember this! I missed the deadline last time

The design plan is simply a statement of purpose, as described on pages 40-41 of the book, and an outline. The outline may be formal, as we discussed in class, or a printout of an Open Mind project. It must be a minimum of 1 page typed information, plus 1 page outline.

This project is an expansion of your opinion editorial. While you should avoid repeating any of your exact phrases from Project 2, you may reuse some of the same ideas. Your topic should be similar. You must use research to support your position, and you must also demonstrate a fairly thorough knowledge of any opposing position(s). 2 things to do - my position and the opposite.

Your essay should begin with an introduction that encapsulates your topic and indicates 1 the general trajectory of your argument. You need to have a discernable thesis that appears early in your paper. Your conclusion should restate the thesis in different words, 2 and then draw some additional meaningful analysis out of the developments of your argument. Think of this as a "so what" factor. What are some implications for the future, relating to your topic? What does all this (what you have argued) mean for society, or for the section of it to which your argument pertains? A good conclusion moves outside the topic in the paper and deals with a larger issue.

You should spend at least one paragraph acknowledging and describing the opposing position in a manner that is respectful and honestly representative of the opposition’s 3 views. The counterargument does not need to occur in a certain area, but generally begins or ends your argument. Asserting and attempting to prove each aspect of your argument’s structure should comprise the majority of your paper. Ask yourself what your argument assumes and what must be proven in order to validate your claims. Then go step-by-step, paragraph-by-paragraph, addressing each facet of your position. Most important part!

Finally, pay attention to readability . Just because this is a research paper does not mean that it has to be boring. Use examples and allow your opinion to show through word choice and tone. Proofread before you turn in the paper. Your audience is generally the academic community and specifically me, as a representative of that community. Ok, They want this to be easy to read, to contain examples I find, and they want it to be grammatically correct. I can visit the tutoring center if I get stuck, or I can email the OWL Email Tutors short questions if I have any more problems.

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