Referencing taking too many words, help?

[KatyMac]

Writing a piece with a very tight word count

The references are taking up too many words

Can you do the floating number in mid air with the reference at the bottom? if so how??

If it helps to up your word limit:

• Define the terms in the question clearly. Then say why these issues are important.

• Look at the question again, and make sure you've thought about every aspect and how they're all related.

Conclusion........

Conclusion needs to paraphrase/answer the introduction. Look at how the question is worded and put those words into your conclusion. There are links between the other sections, which will be obvious to you, but in a conclusion, you must re-state them very explicitly and clearly. Don't worry if it feels as if you're repeating something you've said before: as long as the wording is different, it doesn't matter.

Btw, it is perfectly ok to admit there are some aspects of the topic that are still not resolved: that's fine. Your conclusion doesn't have to answer everything, it only has to acknowledge that you considered everything.

The main points learned from the analysis using the three metaphors can be summarised to provide the following insights about the messy situation:

What seems important to me is
? That in any organisation communication is vital. Without communication every flaw that a business has is amplified and made much more visual.
? CHANGE is always disconcerting; people act unpredictable because of uncertainty. Their basic needs, job security and wages are under threat which makes them act in unusual or erratic ways which often causes CONFLICT
? Conflict can be resolved but it takes work, insight and communication.

This sounds good.

What seems important to me is
? That in any organisation communication is vital. Without communication every flaw that a business has is amplified and made much more visual.

• I would say more 'visible', rather than visual, perhaps?

? CHANGE is always disconcerting; people act unpredictable

• 'unpredictably' (sorry, I'm a pedant)

because of uncertainty. Their basic needs, job security and wages are under threat which makes them act in unusual or erratic ways which often causes CONFLICT
? Conflict can be resolved but it takes work, insight and communication.

This is really clear and good.

It's possible your word count is coming up short because you are so good at summarising. You could afford to stress the chain-reaction effect that you're describing.

What seems important to me is
? That in any organisation communication is vital. Without communication every flaw that a business has is amplified and made much more visible.
? CHANGE is always disconcerting; people act unpredictably because of uncertainty. Their basic needs, job security and wages are under threat which makes them act in unusual or erratic ways which often causes CONFLICT
? Conflict can be resolved but it takes work, insight and communication.
? As organisations are Open Systems they can work through the problems caused by conflict and change; however how successful they are depends upon the attitudes, learning styles, world views of the people involved and how prepared they are to communicate effectively.

117 not 400 - keep on trucking

Do I send it now & resubmit if I get any more done (so at least what I have get marked if I don't manage any more)?

Keep going til midnight then submit. I shouldn't be talking to you.

You are doing really well, but you need to bulk out your sentences. It's a strength, not a weakness, don't worry. You need to use more connecting phrases and sentences.

For example:

As a result of lack of communication, every flaw is amplified.

You could explain how work, insight and communication resolve conflict - it is clear from your description that communication is key to making people understand each other's work, but you don't say so explicitly enough.

You write very, very succinctly, and this is a good thing. You can afford to lose some ; marks and put in full stops and phases like 'as a result', 'given this situation', etc.

Btw:

'As organisations are Open Systems they can work through the problems caused by conflict and change; however how successful they are depends upon the attitudes, learning styles, world views of the people involved and how prepared they are to communicate effectively.'

Your meaning is plain here. However, I think you're being too brief. As you've mentioned before, it's the individuals whose communication enables the organisations to work through problems.

You could afford to suggest (briefly) whether or not you think the 'attitudes, learning styles, and world views' of people involved are a major problem, or not. My reading is that you think that they're not - that communication can overcome these problems too. Is that correct? If so, say so - don't rely on implication to get your message across.

Too late I submitted, remembered I hadn't added all the references & resubmitted

Now I have collapsed - I agree btw about being short - I am often accused of being abrupt

I'm off to bed - thanks so much for your help but I am now seeing double & I need to be up & out at 6:30 for my final tutorial

Katy, I shouldn't have yakked.

I don't think you're abrupt - I wish my students could be that precise and to the point!

Sorry I couldn't really help (but it sounds as if you aren't really in need of it).

Sleep well.

Well we will see in 4 weeks or so - I'll let you know

& I managed to get up to go to the tutorial