1.1 Explain what is meant by the term ‘academic research and writing.`

Unit Title Academic Writing and Research Skills

Scenario

The tasks for this unit have been designed to establish your understanding of academic research and writing through an exploration of key concepts and terminology. As a result, the evidence produced by successfully completing the tasks will provide your tutor with an indication that you have the required academic skills to succeed on your learning journey and beyond.

Task 1 of 4

Unit Learning Outcome

Assessment Criteria

LO 1 Understand the concept and purpose of academic research and writing.

1.1, 1.2,1.3

Assignment Brief and Guidance

To demonstrate you understand the fundamental academic principles which will support you through your studies, you are to conduct an investigation into the topic of academic research and writing.

You are required to evidence your understanding of the following:

• the meaning of academic research and writing
• different academic writing conventions
• different types of academic research

Delivery and Submission

The submission is in the form of a report written in Word format.

The recommended word limit is 500 words excluding diagrams, references, and appendices.

Referencing

You are expected to use relevant academic and reliable sources, and clearly reference these in your work.

References should be added to the text and placed at the end in a references list, using Harvard Referencing style.

Unit Title Academic Writing and Research Skills

Task 2 of 4

Unit Learning Outcome

Assessment Criteria

LO 3 Understand how to conduct academic research.

3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4

Assignment Brief and Guidance

Write an essay to evidence that you are aware of:

Critical thinking as a concept and as a process, the different critical thinking skills required to be an effective academic researcher and writer, the importance of critical thinking in academia and in other contexts and how to apply techniques to evaluate an academic argument.

Delivery and Submission

The submission is in the form of an essay written in Word format.

The recommended word limit is 1000 words excluding diagrams, references, and appendices.

Referencing

You are expected to use relevant academic and reliable sources, and clearly reference these in your work.

References should be added to the text and placed at the end in a references list, using Harvard Referencing style.

Unit Title Academic Writing and Research Skills

Task 3 of 4

Unit Learning Outcome

Assessment Criteria

LO 2 Understandhow to conduct academic research.

2.1, 2.2, 2.3

Assignment Brief and Guidance

Using your knowledge of critical thinking, you are to critique a research paper given to you by your tutor.

During this critique you are to demonstrate that you recognise;

• different sources of information and the contribution these sources make to the paper’s argument,
• the research process which the author (or authors) have taken, and
• the difference between the primary and secondary research which is evidenced in the paper.

You are also required to identify and use other evidence which will support, or not, the;

• use of the sources of information by the author (or authors).
• reliability and validity of the research process used during the production of the paper.
• quality of the primary and secondary research introduced in the research paper.

Delivery and Submission

The submission is in the form of a report written in Word format.

The recommended word limit is 1000 words excluding diagrams, references, and appendices.

Referencing

You are expected to use relevant academic and reliable sources, and clearly reference these in your work.

References should be added to the text and placed at the end in a references list, using Harvard Referencing style.

Unit Title Academic Writing and Research Skills

Task 4 of 4

Unit Learning Outcome

Assessment Criteria

LO 4 Understand how to construct a reliable and valid academic argument.

4.1, 4.2, 4.3

Assignment Brief and Guidance

You are required to prepare a presentation about an academic argument in which you investigate a topic of your choosing. Learners should think about specific interests or topics which could support their further study or intended career path.

You are to use this topic to develop an argument structure based on inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, or both.

Your choice of structure and reasoning approach must be justified and supported by appropriate citations.

You are to indicate the key components of your argument and why you consider it to be reliable and valid.

Delivery and Submission

The submission is in the form of a 10 minute presentation equivalent to 500 words and must be in a recognised presentation format.

Enhance your presentation with visual aids if you wish to.

Referencing

You are expected to use relevant academic and reliable sources, and clearly reference these in your work.

References should be added to the text and placed at the end in a references list, using Harvard Referencing style.