Nikki Longden,

1
WRITING UP YOUR MINI-PROJECT Workshop 2
Assessment Referencing

• Nikki Longden,
• Communication Systems
• Robert Blake, SLDC

2
Writing Up Your Mini Project Outline

• In workshop 2
• How your report will be assessed what are
  lecturers looking for?
• Referencing and avoiding plagiarism

3

PART 1 WHAT LECTURERS ARE LOOKING FOR IN
MINI-PROJECT REPORTS
4
What Lecturers Are Looking For In Your
Mini-project Report

• Communications Fundamentals
• It is particularly important for you to
  demonstrate that you understand signal
  representations in Matlab digital filtering
• You should not copy anything directly from the
  exercise handout

5
What Lecturers Are Looking For In Your
Mini-project Report

• Each exercise may require you to apply a number
  of techniques to reach the solution
• Exercises 1 to 4 ask you to discuss specific
  results within the report
• You do need to discuss the results of the other
  exercises why you have chosen specific
  techniques
• Explaining systems the results you obtain will
  get you higher marks than perfect code

6
What Lecturers Are Looking For In Your
Mini-project Report

• Although you may work in small groups to complete
  your tasks, the report that you generate must be
  individual work demonstrate your understanding
  of the work undertaken

7
What Lecturers Dont Want In Your Mini-project
Report

• We do not want a large section on background
  information X
• We do not want to see the exercises, or other
  text, copied from the handouts X
• We do not want to see results without an
  explanation or an evaluation X
• We do not want to see unlabelled figures or
  tables X
• We do not want to see figures or tables that are
  not referred to explicitly in the body of text
  do not just stick graphs in X
• We do not want to see a references a list of
  books which you have read but you do not
  reference material from X

8
What Lecturers Are Looking For In Your
Mini-project Report

• Referencing if you want to use someone elses
  work, then you should put it in your own words
  reference where it came from v
• A short introduction telling us what you have
  done for each exercise v
• A discussion of the design of your solution v
• Your results label the graphs or you will lose
  marks (axes with units, title caption) v
• A discussion evaluation of your results what
  they show you v
• A conclusion v
• A table of contents list of figures v
• An abstract this is not an introduction but a
  complete overview of your report in 100 200
  words v

9
What Lecturers Are Looking For In Your
Mini-project Report

• A title page v
• A declaration v
• All code that you have generated for the mini
  project in a structured appendix this can be in
  printed form at the end of your report or on a CD
  v
• Any scripts, questionnaires, story boards etc. v

10
What Lecturers Are Looking For In Your
Mini-project Report

• If you use a CD it must be labelled with your
  name mini project securely attached to the
  report
• The items contained in the Appendix must be
  referred to in the body of the report

11
What Lecturers Are Looking For In Your
Mini-project Report

• Do not leave the report to the last minute!
• The report should be a coherent body of work
  telling us what you have done what you have
  found out
• The report is an individual piece of work, it
  should not be written as a group or plagiarised,
  i.e. copied from somewhere else without reference

12
What Lecturers Are Looking For In Your
Mini-project Report

• NB - Completing a mini project task correctly or
  to a high standard obtaining the correct
  results does not automatically entitle you to the
  full marks available
• The report is your way to show us what you have
  done found out during your mini project
• The report anything included as an Appendix to
  your report is the only thing that we can mark
  your entire mark for the mini project depends
  upon it

13
What Lecturers Are Looking For In Your
Mini-project Report

• Comments about the Introduction to C Matlab
  reports
• These were not completed to MSc standard
• In some cases there was no description of the
  tasks undertaken, only a presentation of the
  results obtained.
• In other cases there was only a description of
  the tasks undertaken
• Missing report elements
• Page numbers
• Figure captions, labels units
• Contents pages, list of figures lists of tables

14
What Lecturers Are Looking For In Your
Mini-project Report

• Comments about the Introduction to C Matlab
  reports
• There was poor use of scientific English you
  must be specific precise in the language you
  use
• In some cases there was poor use of English
• Conclusions should not include general
  statements about the exercises such as they were
  very hard, I learned a lot from them, they
  were interesting
• An abstract is not an introduction to the report
  but a summary of what you have undertaken what
  you have found out / understood / produced
• I we can be used in video production reports

15
What Lecturers Are Looking For In Your
Mini-project Report

• Comments about the Introduction to C Matlab
  reports
• Incorrect section numbering
• Sections were not always given a title
• Use of overlong quotations in the introduction
• Formulae should not have a caption
• Figures and tables should be centred and should
  not expand further than the text into the margins
• Referencing, especially for web based resources,
  was not always in the correct style
• Sections were given in the wrong order
• Do not copy any text at all from the handout!

16

PART 2REFERENCING AND AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
17
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

• Plagiarism means using other writers ideas,
  words or frameworks without acknowledgement. It
  means that you are falsely claiming that the work
  is your own. This can range from copying whole
  papers, paragraphs, sentences or phrases without
  acknowledgement to merely changing a word or two
  within a sentence.

18
Avoiding plagiarism
19

Which of these is plagiarism?

• 1. Copying a paragraph verbatim from a source
  without any acknowledgement.
• 2. Copying a paragraph and making small changes -
  e.g. replacing a few verbs, replacing an
  adjective with a synonym acknowledgement in the
  references.
• 3. Cutting and pasting a paragraph by using
  sentences of the original but omitting one or two
  and putting one or two in a different order, no
  quotation marks with an in-text acknowledgement
  plus references.
• 4. Composing a paragraph by taking short phrases
  from a number of sources and putting them
  together using words of your own to make a
  coherent whole with an in-text acknowledgement
  references.
• 5. Paraphrasing a paragraph by rewriting with
  substantial changes in language and organisation
  the new version will also have changes in the
  amount of detail used and the examples cited
  citing in references.
• 6. Quoting a paragraph by placing it in block
  format with the source cited in text
  references.
• Carroll J. 2000 Teaching News November, 2000.
  Based on an exercise in Academic Writing for
  Graduate Students by Swales and Feale, University
  of Michigan, 1993 on http//www.ilt.ac.uk/resourc
  es/Jcarroll.htm Accessed 12/05/2003

20
Bringing other scientists results into your
writing

• Why do we bring other scientists results into
• our work?

21
BRINGING OTHER SCIENTISTS RESULTS INTO YOUR
WRITING

• To demonstrate to readers examiners that we are
  familiar with the field that we have been
  selective in reviewing relevant studies
• To provide an overview of current knowledge in a
  particular area of application and or/methodology
• To provide a context for our current study and to
  locate our it within a specific field
• To review other studies critically
• To highlight a gap in knowledge, areas of
  application, etc
• To justify the use of a particular methodology or
  area of application,
• To establish the validity of data cited
• To construct scientific knowledge on the basis of
  other scientists findings.

22
Bringing other scientists results into your
writing

• Looking at slide 18, which do you think are the
  most important reasons for citing other
  scientists?

23
METHODS OF BRINGING OTHER SCIENTISTS INTO OUR
WRITING

• We can either do this by rephrasing the original
  in our own words adding an
  acknowledgement.
• This can either through
• 1 - summary
• or
• 2 - paraphrase
• Direct quotation acknowledgement is rarely used

24
Integrating sources into your report

• When referring other studies, they need to be
  integrated into your report.
• You need to use your own writing style your
  voice, rather than the disconnected styles of
  other researchers.
• So when you refer to another writer, you should
  begin end in your own impersonal voice, with
  the middle part consisting of paraphrase or
  summary of the source

25
Citation referring to other writers in the main
body of your report

• When youve paraphrased or summarised another
  writer, always acknowledge the source. You can do
  this in 2 ways
• 1) Paraphrase the idea, then give the surname of
  the author year of publication in brackets or
  reference number e.g.
• Statistical analysis can be used to demonstrate
  Berridge 2002 or 2
• This method emphasises the study.
• 2) Begin the sentence with the authors surname
  year of publication in brackets e.g. Berridge
  2002 or 2 has demonstrated that statistical
  analysis can be used
  This method emphasises the author you are
  citing.

26
Bringing in the work of other scientists
references

• References should list alphabetically all the
  sources (books, journal, webs material etc) that
  you have used in the text. Do not include common
  knowledge http//owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/
  research/r_plagiar.html
• There are 2 main methods of listing references
• 1. in alphabetical order i.e. sorted by surname
  (Harvard)
• 2. In numerical ordering of appearance in the
  body of the dissertation/thesis.
• See http//www.uefap.co.uk/writing/writfram.htm
• Consult your postgrad handbook for format.

27
Web references in the reference list author
year system

• Curtis, P.S. (2003) UMBS Forest Carbon Cycle
  Research. UMBS research. Ameriflux network. UMBS
  data access. http//cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/ftp/amerifl
  ux/data/us-sites/preliminary-data/UMBS (data
  accessed on February 14, 2003)
• Wofsy, S.C. and J. W. Munger (2003), Harvard
  University. Atmospheric Sciences. Forest and
  Atmospheric Measurements. Data exchange. NIGEC
  data archive. http//www-as.harvard.edu/data/nigec
  -data.html (accessed on June 23, 2003)

28
Web references in the reference list numerical
system

• 1 Curtis, P.S. UMBS Forest Carbon Cycle
  Research. UMBS research. Ameriflux network. UMBS
  data access. http//cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/ftp/amerifl
  ux/data/us-sites/preliminary-data/UMBS (data
  accessed on February 14, 2003)
• 2 Wofsy, S.C. and J. W. Munger, Harvard
  University. Atmospheric Sciences. Forest and
  Atmospheric Measurements. Data exchange. NIGEC
  data archive. http//www-as.harvard.edu/data/nigec
  -data.html (accessed on June 23, 2003)

29
Citation referring to other writers in the main
body of your report

• From the following reference list, answer the
  following questions
• 1 - What information is given in a reference?
• 2 - What order is the information given in?
• 3 - What style is used for presenting the
  information?

30
Citation referring to other writers in the main
body of your report

• References
• 1 The MathWorks Inc., 3 Apple Hill Drive,
  Natick, MA 01760-2098. Communications Toolbox
  Users Guide, fourth edition, May 2001.
• 2 The MathWorks Inc., 3 Apple Hill Drive,
  Natick, MA 01760-2098. Signal Processing Toolbox
  Users Guide, seventh edition, June 2001.
• 3 A. Bateman. Digital Communications. Design
  For The Real World. Addison-Wesley, 1999.
• 4 J. O. Smith III. Mathematics of the Discrete
  Fourier Transform (DFT). W3K,2003.
• 5 Douglas Comer. Computer Networks and
  Internets. Prentice Hall, second edition,1999.

31
Referencing exercise

• In small groups, read the articles that have been
  given to you
• Write a short paraphrase of the content for each
  article.
• Be sure to include citations in the paraphrase.
• Create a reference list for all of the source
  documents

32
Citation referencing further help

• For further advice see Andy Gilletts very
  helpful UEFAP site. Look under citation and
  reporting http//www.uefap.co.uk/writing/writfram.
  htm
• MAKING A REFERENCE LIST
• Again look at Andy Gilletts page on writing,
  then look for references
• http//www.uefap.co.uk/writing/writfram.htm

33

Avoiding plagiarism

• Ensure that you are using effective paraphrasing
  and summary skills. See
• http//www.uefap.co.uk/writing/writfram.htm
• or for help with paraphrase see
• http//owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/
  r_paraphr.html