Here are the six most common reasons for negative feedback:
It is easy to misunderstand a question - we have all done it!
At university, questions can be complicated and it is often not obvious what the question is really aiming at.
Two common reasons for misunderstanding the question are:
a). The meaning of the question word (e.g. "Discuss", "Analyse") is not always what you would expect. Make sure you are clear about what it really means. For help with this, see Glossary of question words used in academic assignments [pdf].
b). Not analysing the question enough. When you get a question or instructions for an assignment, make sure you:
What makes a good essay or report at university level in the UK? It is not always the same as at school, and it varies in other countries. Disappointing feedback can be a result of not knowing what things a tutor is really looking for. So, it is a good idea to have a close look at the table of assessment criteria in the Section Assessment Criteria.
At university, subjects can get pretty deep and complicated, so it's a good idea to keep your writing as clear as possible. Students need to be able to write in clear and concise English, with correct grammar and spelling. For help with this, see Mini-module: Grammar [on our Moodle site] and our Academic Vocabulary resources page. For help with checking your work, see our HowTo Guide: Editing and Proofreading [pdf].
Students need to support their arguments with evidence from their research. This evidence can come from books, articles, websites, interviews etc.
TIP: Imagine your reader is always asking "How do you know?".
For help with bringing evidence into your writing, see How to Write in your own Words and Incorporating Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism.
It is important to write in a clear and organized way so that tutors can easily follow your argument. And, part of showing that you understand something (tutors like this) is being able to explain it clearly.
One great way to organise your thoughts and produce clear, step-by-step writing is to use paragraphs correctly. For guidance on this, see Paragraphs.
Evidence is important (Number 4. above) and so it is important to reference your sources correctly, and, of course, avoid plagiarism. For lots of help with this, see Incorporating Sources and our Mini-module: Avoiding Plagiarism.
