masters level assignment

[saveahorserideacowboy]

Has anyone ANY tips or advice for writing an assignment at this level (its a case study btw). It's a retake and last chance and whilst I have written it I now need to pick it apart and get it up to scratch. Assignments are not my strong point and I often miss the point/don't really answer the brief enough.
Anything at all much appreciated

For starters, Google academic phrasebank at Manchester United for great phrases/links.

Also other unis tend to have info sheets on masters level writing.

How far below a pass were you? And what subject?

I think critical analysis is key, and reflecting/linking it to your own practice (if relevant in your subject). Don't describe, analyse. Re-read every sentence and ask if you've expanded on the point.

Keep going back to your title to make sure you're on track.

A couple of percentage below a pass. And I really really thought it was good which is more depressing. I have mostly written just pass level work in this course with a couple of random distinctions and I struggle to see the difference in the work and am panicking about not getting this quite right either.
When you say be critical rather than descriptive what exactly do you mean? For example when referencing I have commented on some of the studies I.e sample size /methodology and how this effects generalisations. I have also suggested areas future research is needed.
But in the actual case study (of animals - science field) I think I am being too descriptive but how else do I write what I see?
Thanks so much for replying

Look up casp as this will help you critically appraise your sources. Manchester phrasebank is very useful.

Each paragraph has the following structure

Point: eg there is debate as to whether mn is the best
Evidence: x says this + its in a peer reviewed journal. Other authors say that
although the studies are based on cats not dogs its still relevant.
Comment: your idea + transition statement to next para.

Keep taking your draft structure back to your supervisor so you're sure you are on track.

Also keep going back to the guidance of your sure to make sure you've answered all the points.

Get some reader software (I have read/write) so you can hear how your essay sounds. It helps me greatly with structure.

Simile - this is really useful information.

lurk

i'm wrestling my dissertation and i still can't write academically

Just looked at the Manchester Phrasebank and can't believe how lucky I am and how timely this info is. Good luck OP!

Thanks for all replies am furiously googling now!!
Can I use anecdotal evidence at all? For example there is a well known behaviour of certain animals when in pain but 0 research to back this up. Can I state anecodal evidence from professionals would agree that this happens to X animals when in pain?
And where oh where are figures and tables supposed to go - before or after the text you mention them in?
for all

you can use anecdotal evidence but you have to acknowledge that it is unreliable. maybe that's a mistake you have been making: trying to make a convincing argument rather than critically analysing? does that male sense? The reference to anecdotal evidence just made me wonder.
I would introduce a table or graph, briefly describing what it shows or where the data comes from, then insert it, then discuss it in more detail.

I suspect you are right!! But how do I tell if I am critically analysing or just arguing the case? I think you have hit the mark there actually thankyou!

I have a really good PDF on critical analysis my tutor gave me for my MSc (although mine was health/social care related). If you pm me your email I can send it over.

It is hard for us to advise, not knowing your subject (I know you said science, but still). What is right in one subject might be a big mistake in another.

Do you have time to go and ask your tutor to talk to you?

And are you sure there is no research into something well known? How do you know?

in my first masters assignment I was criticised for the same thing (had to look up the word 'polemic', to understand my feedback!)
I suppose you have to forget you have an opinion, and examine the evidence for all sides of an argument. you have to weigh up the quality of all of the evidence and ensure you are not being overly critical of that which disagrees with your opinion, and not shining an unfounded light on that which agrees with your opinion.
that might be a bit clumsy; the other advice on here and especially the pdf you've been offered sound very useful

Sorry it is a very specialist area and I don't want anyone who knows me to read this! I have asked for advice and generally get told at this level I should be able to do this already.

Of course, understood! I'm just concerned.

It's not good at all that you've been told you should already be able to do it. If you have some distinctions, they should be eager to help you get back up to that level.

Sorry, I wish I could be more helpful. But good luck!

The assignment is a case study whereby I have to critically analyse some aspects of an animal and suggest ways to improve on these aspects. There is very limited research into the area . I am most struggling with how to analyse the animal and fit in references that I have reviewed to support my claims about the animal! Arghh

P.s thankyou for all advice, much appreciated

Fair enough.

Sorry - the reason I asked is, one of the things I have found (in a different subject) is that often people claim there's no research, and I have to mark them down because actually, there is. So I wondered if that might be the issue?

In case it is - do you use google scholar? For my subject it's really helpful.

Or, could you look at an animal that has been better-studied, and explain how your interpretations take account of those studies and estimate how they might translate?

But I don't want to derail, so do ignore me if I'm obviously not making sense.

a really useful thing I was told when doing my masters was that a distinction grade meant it was good enough to be published in a journal - the phrase is "in theory publishable" - which is what I should be aiming for. This meant i could look at articles in the relevant journals and say to myself - "this is what my best work should look and sound like". It helped me see what I needed to do.

Yes I use google scholar. Thanks for helping me it is honestly helping! I definitely think I have been too descriptive and not criticality analysing enough. I am trying to go through it with this in mind but am already over the word count amd really struggling to fit in anything more!

I have had some really good advice re assignment structure. I was losing marks on minor things, but they all added up iyswim.

1. The last sentence of your intro and the first sentence of your conclusion should always flow. Eg 'in this essay i will analyse how xyz works" And "in conclusion, there is research to show xyz works like this, although some say it works like this". (I'm pretty sure this is general rather than specific to my course).

1. Your essay should not be split into small paras, as that gives the reader the impression it is a glorified list of bullet points. In order to be critical, your work must be organised into proper paragraphs, and each one should flow. You need to really analyse every point you make, and be critical of the reading you have undertaken. Perhaps research the researchers to find out how long they've been qualified, what do other people in the field think of their work? Are they well respected, or are their ideas considered outdated?

I can't really offer help re the actual subject you are writing, but the paragraph structure upthread is useful. You need to make your point (dogs behave like this) back it up (even if there is no research into it, can you perhaps interview a professional and create an appendix to refer to?) then dispute your point (e.g. There is no solid research to explain why this happens, although so and so has done this research with cats, and the findings were similar to my observations) and then a final sentence or two to round off that paragraph and lead on to the next one.

Do your Uni have an assignment writing support team? If so, perhaps you could arrange to see them since your tutors don't sound v helpful?

Good luck!

After the research with cats, you'd then be critical about why you can't apply all of the findings to dogs, but areas A and B can be compared. (I don't know anything about animal behaviour if you couldn't tell ).

Sorry to but in......
This is so helpful to me ( currently putting off my undergraduate HRP because I don't know where to start).
Thanks for starting this thread Op, and good luck with your assignment.

I'm only saying this to illustrate my earlier point, because as I say, it isn't my subject, but eleanor, that approach would not be the best way in my discipline (to mimic the opening sentence in the conclusion). I bet it is right for science, I just wanted to illustrate that (IME) there is far more that is subject-specific than we're taught to expect.

I am feeling a tad more confident as this thread has really made me think about every sentance and I hope I am now making it better as I tweak it to be more critical. Thanks again, I will probs be back shortly to ask something else!