Planning your assignment: Indepth (part one)

By n.king1 | Updated: June 21, 2024, 8:45 a.m.

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Planning your assignment
Step 2: Making sure what you write is in-depth (part one)
This video will look at how you can start to be in-depth in an assignment
Thinking about what you know already
And putting these ideas into a structured plan
This will ensure that you have covered all the relevant points in sufficient depth
Discuss why some confectionery products are getting smaller
Let's generate some ideas for the example question ...
Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the economic and health issues affecting the confectionery industry
Remember the example assessment criteria...
Explain the reasoning behind your opinion on confectionery products and relative sizes
So, what do we already know...
About the economy?
Austerity
Brexit
Increase in manufacturing costs 
And, what do we already know...
About health issues?
Obesity rising
Increase in dental problems
These ideas could come from ...
Lectures or seminars
Or from topical news pieces...
Chapman, B. (2019) 'Shrinkflation: hundreds of products are getting smaller, from cereals to chocolate bars', The Independent, 21 January. 
Brown, D. et al. (2018) Biscuits and chocolates take the 'shrinkflation' test. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42864685
The next step is to start to organise these initial ideas
You could give each idea/theme a section on a pie chart
It could be useful to group some of the ideas together into different themes
A structured plan can help you sort your themes clearly.
This is an example plan from Ask Alex
You can use this plan to divide up your ideas into themes. 
You can then colour code your themes and any corresponding relevant evidence.
Let's try this for our example
Confectionery products getting smaller
Confectionery products getting smaller
Alternatively, you might prefer a linear plan, like this
You could use this plan to divide up the word count for your assignment.
You could use the ‘Notes’ column to provide a link to key resources, or to give yourself ‘to do’ instructions.
You could include a ‘Key points’ column to remind you how this theme fits in with the overall argument of your assignment.

Once you have identified your themes, you could use PowerPoint to work out a logical order for them. 
(Cooper and Shoolbred, 2016)
Each slide represents one or more paragraphs

Then, drag and drop them to reorder them until you find a logical order
Put each point on a PowerPoint slide

Continue on to part 2 of being in-depth...
Adding research to your plan
Deciding what your initial argument will be
References

Cooper, H. and Shoolbred, M. (2016) Where’s your argument? How to present your academic argument in writing. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. (808.0661378/COO)

Cottrell, S. (2019) The study skills handbook. 5 th edn. London: Red Globe Press. (378.170281/COT)

Godwin, J. (2019) Planning your essay. 3rd edn. London: Macmillan Education.  (808.02/GOD)

Planning your assignment: Indepth (part one)

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