example of masters assignment

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Sample written assignments

Look at sample assignments to help you develop and enhance your academic writing skills.

How to use this page

This page features authentic sample assignments that you can view or download to help you develop and enhance your academic writing skills.

PLEASE NOTE: Comments included in these sample written assignments are intended as an educational guide only. Always check with academic staff which referencing convention you should follow. All sample assignments have been submitted using Turnitin® (anti-plagiarism software). Under no circumstances should you copy from these or any other texts.

Annotated bibliography

Annotated Bibliography: Traditional Chinese Medicine (PDF, 103KB)

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Essay: Business - "Overconsumption and Sustainability" (PDF, 762KB)

Essay: Business - "Post bureaucracy vs Bureaucracy" (PDF, 609KB)

Essay: Design, Architecture & Building - "Ideas in History - Postmodernism" (PDF, 545KB)

Essay: Design, Architecture & Building - "The Context of Visual Communication Design Research Project" (PDF, 798KB)

Essay: Design, Architecture & Building - "Ideas in History - The Nurses Walk and Postmodernism" (PDF, 558KB)

Essay: Health (Childhood Obesity ) (PDF, 159KB)

Essay: Health (Improving Quality and Safety in Healthcare) (PDF, 277KB)

Essay: Health (Organisational Management in Healthcare) (PDF, 229KB)

UTS HELPS annotated Law essay

(PDF, 250KB)

Essay: Science (Traditional Chinese Medicine) (PDF, 153KB)

Literature review

Literature Review: Education (Critical Pedagogy) (PDF, 165KB)

Reflective writing

Reflective Essay: Business (Simulation Project) (PDF, 119KB)

Reflective Essay: Nursing (Professionalism in Context) (PDF, 134KB)

Report: Business (Management Decisions and Control) (PDF, 244KB)

Report: Education (Digital Storytelling) (PDF, 145KB)

Report: Education (Scholarly Practice) (PDF, 261KB)

Report: Engineering Communication (Flood Mitigation & Water Storage) (PDF, 1MB)

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How to write a master’s essay

(Last updated: 3 March 2020)

Since 2006, Oxbridge Essays has been the UK’s leading paid essay-writing and dissertation service

We have helped 10,000s of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students to maximise their grades in essays, dissertations, model-exam answers, applications and other materials. If you would like a free chat about your project with one of our UK staff, then please just reach out on one of the methods below.

When considering how to write a master's essay, it can be tricky to understand and achieve the subtle differences between master's and undergraduate level work. In short, a master's level essay will generally require a deeper level of independent thought, which can be shown by adopting the following tried and tested tips.

As the name of the degree suggests, you should ideally demonstrate a mastery of your subject by confidently contextualising your arguments and making reference to trends, themes, theoretical paradigms and traditions within the discipline.

Delineate the scope of your paper

Position the issues you intend to discuss within the broader field of your subject area. This will demonstrate not only your understanding of the breadth of the academic landscape but also your ability to focus on a particular part of it. It is not enough to analyse certain idea, you must recognise their place in the whole.

Independence of thought

All parts of the essay must show more than a regurgitation of ideas and a proficiency in collating material. Discussion, analysis, evaluation and argument must all demonstrate your ability to interpret, understand and critique from a unique perspective. Challenge assumptions and explain the reasoning behind your contentions.

Conceptual thinking

Abstract reasoning and comfort with interpreting unfamiliar concepts is a of work at this level. Do not be tempted to critique the academic literature through vague and impressionistic approaches; demonstrate instead a genuine conceptual engagement.

Compelling conclusions

When considering how to write a master's essay, you need to ensure that your arguments and conclusions are plausible; try throughout to make them properly convincing. Weigh evidence, analyse arguments and develop your own position. If on reading you have successfully convinced yourself, you will more likely convince the reader.

Substantial originality

At undergraduate level, evidence of genuine originality almost certainly ensures top marks. At master's level, originality is more routinely expected. A key aspect to this – the most challenging element of academic work – is confidence in your intellectual acuity. Lay the foundations through mastery of the more prosaic elements, then develop the confidence to speak with a new voice.

Research skills

One of the biggest step-changes between undergraduate and master's studies is the premium placed on research. Go beyond the reading lists provided by lecturers and directors of studies to demonstrate your initiative in finding your own sources. Live in libraries, use internet resources, become familiar with useful journals and, perhaps above all else, follow the footnotes!

Operate within the academic conventions

At this level of academia you should be fluent in your understanding of appropriate referencing , attribution of borrowed ideas and the proper approach to research. Much of this area can be solved through simple diligence, so don’t let minor errors erode the credibility of your essay.

The academic register

Spelling, punctuation and grammar are such basic considerations as to be taken for granted. Instead, the major linguistic concerns at this level are those of tone and style. An academic register is based in precision, formality, thorough understanding of subject-specific vocabulary, and an avoidance of familiarity and inappropriate use of the first person. Many students choose to use academic editors and proofreaders to apply edits to their work in order to ensure that their submission is clear from any errors or omissions.

Immaculate presentation

Perhaps seemingly trivial, presentation should not be disregarded. Demonstrate scholarly professionalism through due care and attention to all aspects of your work.

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Exemplar assignments.

These are representative examples of good work, not demonstration models of perfection. They are intended to reassure you that good work can be presented in many different ways. We are grateful to your predecessors who wrote them and gave permission for us to show them to you. Please do not circulate them to anyone else. Work should not be copied from these extracts either - this can be identified by plagiarism checking.

The University provides additional help with academic writing which we would encourage you to pursue. Further examples of Masters-level writing can be found at: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ces/students/studentsupport/academicwritingpg/ .This page also gives access to the Postgraduate Taught marking criteria which may help you when reading these extracts, and further links to guidance on academic writing.

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Ie9d4 - making a difference: sustained school improvement project (dissertation).

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Gen ed writes, writing across the disciplines at harvard college.

Types of Assignments

Gen Ed courses transcend disciplinary boundaries in a variety of ways, so the types of writing assignments that they include also often venture outside the traditional discipline-specific essays. You may encounter a wide variety of assignment types in Gen Ed, but most can be categorized into four general types:

Traditional academic assignments include the short essays or research papers most commonly associated with college-level assignments. Generally speaking, these kinds of assignments are "expository" in nature, i.e., they ask you to engage with ideas through evidence-base argument, written in formal prose. The majority of essays in Expos courses fall into this category of writing assignment types.
Less traditional academic assignments include elements of engagement in academia not normally encountered by undergraduates.
Traditional non-academic assignments include types of written communication that students are likely to encounter in real world situations.
Less traditional non-academic assignments are those that push the boundaries of typical ‘writing’ assignments and are likely to include some kind of creative or artistic component.

Examples and Resources

Traditional academic.

For most of us, these are the most familiar types of college-level writing assignments. While they are perhaps less common in Gen Ed than in departmental courses, there are still numerous examples we could examine.

Two illustrations of common types include:

Example 1: Short Essay Professor Michael Sandel asks the students in his Gen Ed course on Tech Ethics to write several short essays over the course of the semester in which they make an argument in response to the course readings. Because many students will never have written a philosophy-style paper, Professor Sandel offers students a number of resources—from a guide on writing in philosophy, to sample graded essays, to a list of logical fallacies—to keep in mind.

Example 2: Research Paper In Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Cares?, a Gen Ed course co-taught by multiple global health faculty members, students write a 12–15 page research paper on a biosocial analysis of a global health topic of their choosing for the final assignment. The assignment is broken up into two parts: (1) a proposal with annotated bibliography and (2) the final paper itself. The prompt clearly outlines the key qualities and features of a successful paper, which is especially useful for students who have not yet written a research paper in the sciences.

Less Traditional Academic

In Gen Ed, sometimes assignments ask students to engage in academic work that, while familiar to faculty, is beyond the scope of the typical undergraduate experience.

Here are a couple of examples from Gen Ed courses:

Example 1: Design a conference For the final project in her Gen Ed course, Global Feminisms, Professor Durba Mitra asks her students to imagine a dream conference in the style of the feminist conferences they studied in class. Students are asked to imagine conference panels and events, potential speakers or exhibitions, and advertising materials. While conferences are a normal occurrence for graduate students and professors, undergraduates are much less likely to be familiar with this part of academic life, and this kind of assignment might require more specific background and instructions as part of the prompt.

Example 2: Curate a museum exhibit In his Gen Ed class, Pyramid Schemes, Professor Peter Der Manuelian's final project offers students the option of designing a virtual museum exhibit . While exhibit curation can be a part of the academic life of an anthropologist or archaeologist, it's not often found in introductory undergraduate courses. In addition to selecting objects and creating a virtual exhibit layout, students also wrote an annotated bibliography as well as an exhibit introduction for potential visitors.

Traditional Non-academic

One of the goals of Gen Ed is to encourage students to engage with the world around them. Sometimes writing assignments in Gen Ed directly mirror types of writing that students are likely to encounter in real-world, non-academic settings after they graduate.

The following are several examples of such assignments:

Example 1: Policy memo In Power and Identity in the Middle East, Professor Melani Cammett assigns students a group policy memo evaluating "a major initiative aimed at promoting democracy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)." The assignment prompt is actually structured as a memo, providing context for students who likely lack experience with the format. It also outlines the key characteristics of a good memo, and it provides extensive advice on the process—especially important when students are working in groups.

Example 2: Letter In Loss, Professor Kathleen Coleman asks students to write a letter of condolence . The letter has an unusual audience: a mother elephant who lost her calf. Since students may not have encountered this type of writing before, Professor Coleman also provides students with advice on process, pointing to some course readings that might be a good place to start. She also suggests a list of outside resources to help students get into the mindframe of addressing an elephant.

Example 3: Podcast Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular in Gen Ed classes, as they are in the real world. Though they're ultimately audio file outputs, they usually require writing and preparing a script ahead of time. For example, in Music from Earth, Professor Alex Rehding asks students to create a podcast in which they make an argument about a song studied in class. He usefully breaks up the assignments into two parts: (1) researching the song and preparing a script and (2) recording and making sonic choices about the presentation, offering students the opportunity to get feedback on the first part before moving onto the second.

Less Traditional Non-academic

These are the types of assignments that perhaps are less obviously "writing" assignments. They usually involve an artistic or otherwise creative component, but they also often include some kind of written introduction or artist statement related to the work.

The following are several examples from recently offered Gen Ed courses:

Example 1: Movie Professor Peter Der Manuelian offers students in his class, Pyramid Schemes, several options for the final project, one of which entails creating a 5–8 minute iMovie making an argument about one of the themes of the course. Because relatively few students have prior experience making films, the teaching staff provide students with a written guide to making an iMovie as well as ample opportunities for tech support. In addition to preparing a script as part of the production, students also submit both an annotated bibliography and an artist’s statement.

Example 2: Calligram In his course, Understanding Islam and Contemporary Muslim Societies, Professor Ali Asani asks students to browse through a provided list of resources about calligrams, which are an important traditional Islamic art form. Then they are required to "choose a concept or symbol associated with God in the Islamic tradition and attempt to represent it through a calligraphic design using the word Allah," in any medium they wish. Students also write a short explanation to accompany the design itself.

Example 3: Soundscape In Music from Earth, Professor Alex Rehding has students create a soundscape . The soundscape is an audio file which involves layering sounds from different sources to create a single piece responding to an assigned question (e.g. "What sounds are characteristic of your current geographical region?"). Early on, as part of the development of the soundscape, students submit an artist's statement that explains the plan for the soundscape, the significance of the sounds, and the intention of the work.

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Sample Papers

This page contains sample papers formatted in seventh edition APA Style. The sample papers show the format that authors should use to submit a manuscript for publication in a professional journal and that students should use to submit a paper to an instructor for a course assignment. You can download the Word files to use as templates and edit them as needed for the purposes of your own papers.

Most guidelines in the Publication Manual apply to both professional manuscripts and student papers. However, there are specific guidelines for professional papers versus student papers, including professional and student title page formats. All authors should check with the person or entity to whom they are submitting their paper (e.g., publisher or instructor) for guidelines that are different from or in addition to those specified by APA Style.

Sample papers from the Publication Manual

The following two sample papers were published in annotated form in the Publication Manual and are reproduced here as PDFs for your ease of use. The annotations draw attention to content and formatting and provide the relevant sections of the Publication Manual (7th ed.) to consult for more information.

Student sample paper with annotations (PDF, 5MB)
Professional sample paper with annotations (PDF, 2.7MB)

We also offer these sample papers in Microsoft Word (.docx) format with the annotations as comments to the text.

Student sample paper with annotations as comments (DOCX, 42KB)
Professional sample paper with annotations as comments (DOCX, 103KB)

Finally, we offer these sample papers in Microsoft Word (.docx) format without the annotations.

Student sample paper without annotations (DOCX, 36KB)
Professional sample paper without annotations (DOCX, 96KB)

Sample professional paper templates by paper type

These sample papers demonstrate APA Style formatting standards for different professional paper types. Professional papers can contain many different elements depending on the nature of the work. Authors seeking publication should refer to the journal’s instructions for authors or manuscript submission guidelines for specific requirements and/or sections to include.

Literature review professional paper template (DOCX, 47KB)
Mixed methods professional paper template (DOCX, 68KB)
Qualitative professional paper template (DOCX, 72KB)
Quantitative professional paper template (DOCX, 77KB)
Review professional paper template (DOCX, 112KB)

Sample papers are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 2 and the Concise Guide Chapter 1

Related handouts

Heading Levels Template: Student Paper (PDF, 257KB)
Heading Levels Template: Professional Paper (PDF, 213KB)

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Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS)
APA Style Tutorials and Webinars
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Paper Format

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Sample student paper templates by paper type

These sample papers demonstrate APA Style formatting standards for different student paper types. Students may write the same types of papers as professional authors (e.g., quantitative studies, literature reviews) or other types of papers for course assignments (e.g., reaction or response papers, discussion posts), dissertations, and theses.

APA does not set formal requirements for the nature or contents of an APA Style student paper. Students should follow the guidelines and requirements of their instructor, department, and/or institution when writing papers. For instance, an abstract and keywords are not required for APA Style student papers, although an instructor may request them in student papers that are longer or more complex. Specific questions about a paper being written for a course assignment should be directed to the instructor or institution assigning the paper.

Discussion post student paper template (DOCX, 31KB)
Literature review student paper template (DOCX, 37KB)
Quantitative study student paper template (DOCX, 53KB)

Sample papers in real life

Although published articles differ in format from manuscripts submitted for publication or student papers (e.g., different line spacing, font, margins, and column format), articles published in APA journals provide excellent demonstrations of APA Style in action.

APA journals began publishing papers in seventh edition APA Style in 2020. Professional authors should check the author submission guidelines for the journal to which they want to submit their paper for any journal-specific style requirements.

Credits for sample professional paper templates

Quantitative professional paper template: Adapted from “Fake News, Fast and Slow: Deliberation Reduces Belief in False (but Not True) News Headlines,” by B. Bago, D. G. Rand, and G. Pennycook, 2020, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General , 149 (8), pp. 1608–1613 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000729 ). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.

Qualitative professional paper template: Adapted from “‘My Smartphone Is an Extension of Myself’: A Holistic Qualitative Exploration of the Impact of Using a Smartphone,” by L. J. Harkin and D. Kuss, 2020, Psychology of Popular Media , 10 (1), pp. 28–38 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000278 ). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.

Mixed methods professional paper template: Adapted from “‘I Am a Change Agent’: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Students’ Social Justice Value Orientation in an Undergraduate Community Psychology Course,” by D. X. Henderson, A. T. Majors, and M. Wright, 2019, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology , 7 (1), 68–80. ( https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000171 ). Copyright 2019 by the American Psychological Association.

Literature review professional paper template: Adapted from “Rethinking Emotions in the Context of Infants’ Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Interest and Positive Emotions,” by S. I. Hammond and J. K. Drummond, 2019, Developmental Psychology , 55 (9), pp. 1882–1888 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000685 ). Copyright 2019 by the American Psychological Association.

Review professional paper template: Adapted from “Joining the Conversation: Teaching Students to Think and Communicate Like Scholars,” by E. L. Parks, 2022, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology , 8 (1), pp. 70–78 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000193 ). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.

Credits for sample student paper templates

These papers came from real students who gave their permission to have them edited and posted by APA.

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Masters Assignment
Samples List

An assignment examples on masters is a prosaic composition of a small volume and free composition, expressing individual impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or issue and obviously not claiming a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.

Some signs of masters assignment:

the presence of a specific topic or question. A work devoted to the analysis of a wide range of problems in biology, by definition, cannot be performed in the genre of masters assignment topic.
The assignment expresses individual impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or issue, in this case, on masters and does not knowingly pretend to a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.
As a rule, an essay suggests a new, subjectively colored word about something, such a work may have a philosophical, historical, biographical, journalistic, literary, critical, popular scientific or purely fiction character.
in the content of an assignment samples on masters , first of all, the author’s personality is assessed - his worldview, thoughts and feelings.

The goal of an assignment in masters is to develop such skills as independent creative thinking and writing out your own thoughts.

Writing an assignment is extremely useful, because it allows the author to learn to clearly and correctly formulate thoughts, structure information, use basic concepts, highlight causal relationships, illustrate experience with relevant examples, and substantiate his conclusions.

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APA Writing Guide: Formatting for Graduate Students

Formatting for Undergraduates
Formatting for Graduate Students
In-text Citations
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Misc.Citations

Writing Center

The Liberty University Writing Center is available to provide writing coaching to students. Residential students should contact the On-Campus Writing Center for assistance. Online students should contact the Online Writing Center for assistance.

General Rules

Liberty University has determined that graduate students will use APA 7’s formatting guidelines for professional papers. To assist you, Liberty University's Writing Center provides a template paper and a sample paper .

For professional papers, the following four sections are required:

Title Page with Running Head
Abstract with Keywords
Reference List

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you format your paper:

Fonts - LU recommends that papers be typed in 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Calibri fonts.
Use only one space at the end of each sentence in the body of your paper.
In general, APA papers should be double spaced throughout. A list of exceptions can be found here.
To make sure that your paper is double spaced throughout, select the text , right click , select ' Paragraph ,' and look under the section ' Line Spacing ' as shown below:

Margins/Alignment - Your paper should use 1-inch margins on standard-sized paper (8.5' X 11'). Make sure that you use Align Left (CTRL + L) on the paper, except for the title page.
Indentation – The first sentence in each new paragraph in the body of the paper should be indented a half inch. The abstract, however, should not be indented. References use hanging indentation .
Headings: Please note that all headings are in title case. Level 1 headings should be centered (and in bold), and Level 2 and 3 headings should be left-aligned (and in bold or bold italic, respectively). Level 4 and 5 headings are indented like regular paragraphs. An example of formatting headings in a paper is available here

Title Page: When setting up the professional title page, please note the following elements should be present on the page:

There is no limit to the number of words in the title.
Add an extra blank double-spaced line between the title and author’s name.
Name of each author (centered)
Name of department and institution/affiliation (centered)
Place the author note in the bottom half of the title page. Center and bold the label “Author Note.” Align the paragraphs of the author note to the left. For an example, see the LU Writing Center template for graduate students here .
Page number in top right corner of the header, starting with page 1 on the title page
The running head is an abbreviated version of the title of your paper (or the full title if the title is already short).
Type the running head in all-capital letters.
Ensure the running head is no more than 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation.
The running head appears in the same format on every page, including the first page.
Do not use the label “Running head:” before the running head.
Align the running head to the left margin of the page header, across from the right-aligned page number.

Abstract Page: The abstract page includes the abstract and related keywords.

The abstract is a brief but comprehensive summary of your paper. Here are guidelines for formatting the abstract:

It should be the second page of a professional (graduate level) paper.
The first line should say “Abstract” centered and in bold.
The abstract should start one line below the section label.
It should be a single paragraph and should not be indented.
It should not exceed 250 words.

Keywords are used for indexing in databases and as search terms. Your keywords should capture the most important aspects of your paper in three to five words, phrases, or acronyms. Here are formatting guidelines:

Label “ Keywords ” one line below the abstract, indented and in italics (not bolded).
The keywords should be written on the same line as and one space after the label “ Keywords ”.
The keywords should be lowercase (but capitalize proper nouns) and not italic or bold.
Each keyword should be separated by a comma and a space and followed by a colon.
There should be no ending punctuation.
<< Previous: Formatting for Undergraduates
Next: In-text Citations >>
Last Updated: Aug 29, 2023 11:29 AM
URL: https://libguides.liberty.edu/APAguide

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How to Write an Effective Assignment

At their base, all assignment prompts function a bit like a magnifying glass—they allow a student to isolate, focus on, inspect, and interact with some portion of your course material through a fixed lens of your choosing.

The Key Components of an Effective Assignment Prompt

All assignments, from ungraded formative response papers all the way up to a capstone assignment, should include the following components to ensure that students and teachers understand not only the learning objective of the assignment, but also the discrete steps which they will need to follow in order to complete it successfully:

Preamble. This situates the assignment within the context of the course, reminding students of what they have been working on in anticipation of the assignment and how that work has prepared them to succeed at it.
Justification and Purpose. This explains why the particular type or genre of assignment you’ve chosen (e.g., lab report, policy memo, problem set, or personal reflection) is the best way for you and your students to measure how well they’ve met the learning objectives associated with this segment of the course.
Mission. This explains the assignment in broad brush strokes, giving students a general sense of the project you are setting before them. It often gives students guidance on the evidence or data they should be working with, as well as helping them imagine the audience their work should be aimed at.
Tasks. This outlines what students are supposed to do at a more granular level: for example, how to start, where to look, how to ask for help, etc. If written well, this part of the assignment prompt ought to function as a kind of "process" rubric for students, helping them to decide for themselves whether they are completing the assignment successfully.
Submission format. This tells students, in appropriate detail, which stylistic conventions they should observe and how to submit their work. For example, should the assignment be a five-page paper written in APA format and saved as a .docx file? Should it be uploaded to the course website? Is it due by Tuesday at 5:00pm?

For illustrations of these five components in action, visit our gallery of annotated assignment prompts .

For advice about creative assignments (e.g. podcasts, film projects, visual and performing art projects, etc.), visit our Guidance on Non-Traditional Forms of Assessment .

For specific advice on different genres of assignment, click below:

Response Papers

Problem sets, source analyses, final exams, concept maps, research papers, oral presentations, poster presentations.

Learner-Centered Design
Putting Evidence at the Center
What Should Students Learn?
Start with the Capstone
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Curating Content: The Virtue of Modules
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Writing Masters Level Assignments

A Master’s degree is critically different from a Bachelor’s degree. Though similar on some, Master’s degree will involve a lot of different aspects than a Bachelor’s.

At Master’s level you could be studying one of the many specialised courses offered by Robert Kennedy College, as MBA International Health Management , LLM – Master of Law International Business Law , MBA Leading Innovation and Change or Master of Science Project Management .

Taught Master’s are usually modular in form, featuring a range of optional modules the student can choose from, with a final dissertation at the end of the course, usually produced over the final semester.

Writing assignments at Master’s level

You must use language appropriate to the academic environment, and a coherent and strong structure to your work is essential. Assignments will be longer at Master’s level, even for unassessed pieces of work. Do not be overwhelmed by larger word counts. Remember, you made a large step up in intensity of work from school to university, so another step-up is well within your capabilities.

Clarity is important. Do not use over-elaborate vocabulary and grammar just because you think you have to. It is more important to be understood.

Time management is crucial for the Master’s student – with a heavier workload you will find that a good weekly plan, and a firm grasp of deadlines, is essential. This is especially true with the dissertation which will be the longest assignment you will have done yet at university, usually covering a period of several months. It is important to set yourself deadlines for drafts.

Here are the various aspects of writing skills that Master’s students should be concentrating on in order to succeed.

THE MASTERS LEVEL

One of the first things most Master’s students notice once they have started is how much more intense a Master’s degree is than an undergraduate degree. It is a less passive experience; you will not be guided as much by the lecturers, and will be expected to think for yourself more.

Master’s requires a new way of approaching academic work, all the groundwork has been done at undergraduate level. Let’s look at the features of a Master’s more closely.

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

A Master’s degree is geared towards the delivery of a piece of original research. For research Master’s students this will be your primary focus. For those doing taught Master’s this will form part of all aspects of your degree, not just the final dissertation.

In your original research you should also aim for originality where possible. You are being asked to look at your subject in a fresh and innovative way, and finding a new or underdeveloped area of your subject, or a new way of looking at an established area, will help you gain better marks.

Master’s are not exercises in description. You will need to find a theoretical basis for your work. Many Master’s will run modules on the subject of theory, it is advisable to attend all available classes on the subject of theory as it will help you to form an idea of the theory which surrounds your subject. Theory forms a useful framework to hang your research on.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Another important part of Master’s writing is critical analysis. A critical analysis is one which assesses the quality and usefulness of the sources which you are using in your assignments. This process involves considering all aspects of the source and its contents.

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Essay writing

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Sample essay [PDF 330KB] . A sample of an essay that includes an annotated structure for your reference.

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Resources relevant to your study area

Science, engineering and technology.

Writing a critical review [PDF 260KB]. Tips on writing a great critical review, including structure, format and key questions to address when writing a review.
Sample critical review [PDF 260KB] . A sample of a critical review that includes an annotated structure for your reference.
Sample of an investigative report [PDF 500KB] . A resource for science, engineering and technology students. How to write an investigative report, including an annotated format.
How to edit your work [PDF 189KB] . A guide for all students about how to edit and review their work.
Building your word power (expanding your knowledge of words) [PDF 306KB]. A guide to expanding your knowledge of words and communicating your ideas in more interesting ways.
Handy grammar hints [PDF 217KB] . A guide to getting grammar and style right in your assignments.

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Sample critical review [PDF 260KB]. A sample of a critical review that includes an annotated structure for your reference.
How to edit your work [PDF 189KB] . A guide for all students about how to edit and review their work.
Handy grammar hints [PDF 217KB]. A guide to getting grammar and style right in your assignments.

Business and Law

Sample essay [PDF 330KB]. A sample of an essay that includes an annotated structure for your reference.
Writing a business-style report [PDF 330KB]. A resource for business and law students. Find out how to write and format business-style reports.
Sample of a business-style report [PDF 376 KB]. A resource for business and law students. A sample of a business-style report, with an annotated format.
Interpreting assignment topics [PDF 370 KB]. Find out how to interpret an assignment topic, including understanding key words and concepts.
How to edit your work [PDF 189KB]. A guide for all students about how to edit and review their work.

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Sample Masters Accounting and Finance Assignment

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Annual Report-Based Risk Disclosure Practices

Executive summary.

Listed Organisations around the world are required to prepare annual reports presenting their financial condition and disclosures. They are required to raise important issues that are likely to affect the economic decisions of users of financial statements, including investors, shareholders, suppliers management, and government. Part of these overall disclosures is the risk reporting disclosure.

An organization’s risks are required to be reported because every organisation is likely to face risks in achieving its organisational objectives. This essay intends to focus on risk reporting of listed organisations in England and Whales to assess how they disclose risk and why they must improve their risk reporting and how. Based on findings through literature, recommendations have been provided at the end before the conclusion based on new risk reporting principles.

Introduction

Deumes (2008, p.123) stated that disclosure is an act to release all relevant information of a company that is likely to impact an investment decision. For being listed on Australia’s stock exchange, organisations must follow all disclosure requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

To present a fair view of a company’s financial position, it must include both good and bad information associated with the company. Disclosure items include many perspectives such as the firm’s financial condition, its operating results, and compensation to management and risk disclosures.

This essay is mainly related to risk disclosures that companies must follow so that stakeholders know how much stock of a company is risky to make investment and other decisions. The purpose of presenting risk disclosures is a fair representation of the company’s risk position to base their decision on fair information.

This essay includes seven sections; the first is information disclosed in the annual report by companies, second is associated with risk disclosure in the annual report. The third is different risk perspectives. The fourth represents incentives and disincentives to provide disclosures. The fifth section provides reasons as to why regulators encourage risk disclosure. The sixth gives recommendations to companies for their risk disclosures. Last is the conclusion of the whole essay.

Information Disclosed in Annual Report

Companies publish an annual report for the use of shareholders to communicate information through it. Directors use this mode of communication to relay vital information about the operations and affairs of the company. It may contain brief information about the vision and mission of the company. Secondly, it includes information on the products and services offered by the company.

Recent developments are mentioned in the report. It displays the strategies, communication from the chairman/CEO, financial review and other business details, risk review and corporate governance requirements, directors’ report, financial statements about the period, auditors report, and additional support information.

The literature about disclosure in the annual report states that shareholders and prospective shareholders use the annual report to aid in their decision-making. In the early days of corporate reporting, the annual report’s information contains only financial information, with details of its financial decisions during the year. Further, in Arshad’s (2011) words, it has been mentioned that current requirements of annual reports have expanded and include a lot of information as listed in the previous paragraph. In addition to this, companies also provide environmental reports and sustainability reports.

These days risk review forms an integral part of the annual report. It explains various kinds of risks faced by the company and measures adopted to address those risks. The shareholders and prospective shareholders are interested in information on business risks faced by the company.

Risk Disclosure in Annual Reports

Companies appoint a separate head of risk, sometimes called by the name of the Chief Risk Officer, to assess and evaluate risks faced by the company. The designated person prepares and attaches a separate report called risk review to the annual report as per Abdallah et al. (2015). In the article published by Arshad (2011), risk disclosure is defined as the communication of strategic information and other operational and external information that impacts the company’s progress.

The information included is usually vital for the shareholders’ decision-making. It can be categorized into mandatory information and voluntary information. The article states that non-mandatory information is preferred by the users of the annual reports in making financial decisions and assessing risk exposure.

Risk disclosure in annual reports is affected by certain factors, including the country in which the company is located, the size of the company operating the business, managerial ownership, and the board of directors’ independence. The disclosure requirements are affected by the laws applicable in the country, which define the extent of voluntary disclosure to be made as per Nur Probohudono (2013). The author further states that regulations developed in the UK and US have different effects because of varying regulatory environments. This means that country is a significant factor in determining the level of risk disclosures.

Secondly, as Nur Probohudono (2013) mentioned in the article, the company’s size is also a governing factor in determining the level of risk disclosure in the annual report. The voluntary disclosure depends on the firm size. The fact of whether the company is listed also impacts the quantity of voluntary risk disclosure. It is also mentioned that the responsibilities of companies, larger in size, are high. The same is also said by Elshandidy et al. (2013).

Another factor, as also mentioned in the same article, is the level of managerial ownership. If there are higher hierarchies in the company, risk disclosure is less, and there are fewer chances of communication of risk-related disclosure. The article stated that several studies conclude a negative relationship between the level of management and risk disclosure made by the company. The structure of ownership is a major factor in determining the level of exposure.

Lastly, the board of directors’ independence determines the amount of risk disclosures be made. If the board is not independent and is rather on the company’s payroll, the level of risk disclosures will be high, as mentioned by Khan et al. (2013). Voluntary disclosure needs to be made. In Nur Probohudono’s (2013) article, the studies state that independent directors on the boards emphasize more voluntary information in the annual report.

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Different Risk Perspectives

Risk reporting is not emphasized by any of the applicable accounting standards in the United Kingdom. The mandatory requirements of disclosure of risk are hence not enforced by any of the regulations. As mentioned in Elshandidy’s (2013) article, some voluntary disclosures are required by the ICAEW.

There are two perspectives of voluntary disclosure of risk information to stakeholders, as per Klumpes et al. (2017). whenever the managers have positive news about the disclosure, they tend to communicate the risk information if it is beneficial as per the cost-benefit analysis. The reason behind more statements disclosed is due to demand from the general public for more transparency. Larger firms are in a better position to disclose information. The mentioned theories presume that one of the largest stakeholders in the disclosure requirement is the shareholder to be met by managers.

Secondly, the banking sector’s risk disclosure perspective is higher than any other sector in the business industry. The banks take huge credit risks in dispersing their lending. As mentioned by Muzahem (2011), there are few risk disclosure theories, one of which, called information asymmetry theory, states that risk disclosure is of great use to investors, analysts,s and other stakeholders of the firm. This disclosure promotes transparency and reduces information asymmetry.

On the other hand, agency theory suggests that relevant information be disclosed, which helps investors ensure compliance with agreements as per the contract. The risk information is disclosed as shareholders pressurize the managers. They appoint high-quality auditors to enable correct information to be presented in the annual report. Some authors state that there are reasons why managers would disclose risk information, as this would disclose that they have risk management systems.

The signaling theory emphasises that directors may want to signal investors’ profitability, hence disclosing risk information to attract better investments. Lastly, there is political cost theory, which means companies disclose risk information to overcome contracting and political costs and pressure generated.

Incentives / Disincentives to Provide Disclosures

Companies must provide disclosures; however, they hesitate to do so because there are also drawbacks of presenting risk disclosures. After all, they may act against the company. This section of the essay is related to incentives that encourage companies to present risk disclosures and disincentives to doing the same. Following are the incentives and disincentives of presenting risk disclosures in the annual report;

Dobler (2008, p.186) stated that any company and its operations are transparent if it has disclosed all the required information that it is required to tell; however, companies that do not provide complete disclosures can be seen with a wary eye. Stakeholders may think that its risk position may be weak due to which it has not disclosed the information so that stakeholders do not take any decision against the company.

Therefore, companies are encouraged to show all necessary and required information in their annual report to ensure transparency. On the other hand, according to Woods and Humphrey (2008, p.47), companies with strong positions and lower risks are specifically encouraged to present risk disclosure because there is no risk that stakeholders will decide against the company. Further, the company’s position becomes intense on the stock exchange because its share value is enhanced due to transparency.

Additionally, companies receive and retain independent auditors’ trust as they think it responsibly reports what it is required to report. Hence, there is no need for detailed scrutiny. Furthermore, risk disclosure enables management to critically look at its risk position and compare it to the previous year’s risk position to assess whether the risk is enhanced or deteriorated.

Based on which it can design and implement relevant policies. Listed companies in England and Whales are required to follow the requirements of ICAEW in which demand risk disclosures in detail so that transparent information is presented to the stakeholders. This requirement of ICAEW encourages companies to give risk disclosure.

Disincentives

Despite the many benefits of disclosing risk, organisations hesitate to present an absolute position in their stakeholders because of their decisions against the company. According to Elzahar and Hussainey (2012, p.135), if an organisation and its position are at risk, stakeholders will withdraw their stake in the company. Risk disclosures are the most common disincentive because companies try to attract stakeholders through their annual reports rather than disappoint them. Any stakeholder will look for any positive information and prefer to invest in a lower-risk company.

A major goal of a listed company is to attract stakeholders for its benefit. Still, stakeholders look for their benefit and prefer a lower-risk company to secure their funds. Furthermore, high-risk disclosure may compromise its position at the stock exchange, and its shares may go down if the company is highly risky. Moreover, Said Mokhtar and Mellett (2013, p.839) stated that sometimes it may be difficult to measure risk appropriately when the case is complicated yet important; such complication may also discourage the company from reporting risk or the fear that investors will withdraw their investment.

The Reason why Regulators Encourage Risk Disclosure

According to the regulators, Ryan (2012, p.297) stated that two primary purposes for risk disclosures are risk assessment and decision making. This decision-making is associated with all stakeholders of the company, including management. Risk assessment is very important for organizations as it enables them to become aware of their actual position. They may generate high profits but are also highly risky due to their capital structure or other issues.

According to Vandemaele and Michiels (2009), Risk reporting has been an issue over which ICAEW did pioneering work between 1997 and 2002. It called that risk reporting should be significantly improved. Since the time, there has been a material expansion in risk reporting and its quality. Regulators say that risk in business is more than the likelihood of corporate failure. There may be unexpected collapses that inevitably require a focus on the quality of risk reporting and may enhance unrealistic expectations.

For instance, risk reporting enables organizations to prevent failures in the future. Even risk reporting is not a guarantee that it will provide reliable early warning regarding any failure. However, risk reporting is necessary because there is always a risk that an organization may fail to achieve its objectives. ICAEW has focused on investors’ benefits by stating that they face various risks on their investment and are willing to face such risks in exchange for higher returns. Because they are eager to take these risks, they deserve to know all uncertainties within an organisation because they have a stake in the company.

If a material risk is not disclosed, they lose their money and may not trust the organisation again. It implies that non-disclosure of risk can be harmful to both organisation and investors or other stakeholders. Rajab and Handley-Schachler (2009, p.226) stated that investors consider business risks so far as they know them. Most investors who are risk-seeking to achieve higher returns should not think that the company will lose its investors by reporting risks.

However, hiding the existence of risk from stakeholders will result in losing their trust, and such an act is more likely to lose stakeholders. This is why regulators encourage companies to disclose risk because it helps gain and retain the trust of stakeholders. According to Hill and Short (2009, p.755), regulators are of the view that risk reporting is a product of the risk appetite of the company determined through the extent and nature of principle risks faced and such risks that a company is willing to take for the achievement of organisational objectives.

Reporting requirements should not drive risk appetite itself. Some executives are likely to suspect that when stakeholders and regulators ask for detailed and robust risk reporting, they ask organisations to take fewer risks. However, there doesn’t need to be a correlation between the sensitivity of company performance, the quality of risk reporting, and the robustness of the process that produces the risk. It implies the importance of risk reporting to companies. Regulators even say that it helps encourage companies to take fewer risks.

Recommendation

Recently, risk reporting has been a noticeable topic for organisations because ICAEW has increased its requirements regarding risk reporting and demands that companies disclose risk transparently (Elshandidy and Hussainey, 2013, p.323). This consideration of ICAEW implies that risk reporting is something significantly crucial for companies and their stakeholders. Two primary purposes of risk reporting, as stated by ICAEW, are risk assessment and decision making.

A company must assess its risk position because there is always some risk in achieving organisational objectives. There are levels and extents of these risks. They may or may not be material. Still, a ban organisation must disclose all material risks that it thinks can impact stakeholders’ decisions. Regulators, professional bodies, and stakeholders expect that organisations report both internally and externally because risk reporting is beneficial for stakeholders and the company itself.

The current requirement to improve risk reporting requires companies to be even more transparent in presenting their position, and regulators believe risk becomes lower when a company reports it correctly. Therefore, it is recommended that all listed companies on the stock exchange of England and Whales shall present risk disclosures appropriately. The improvements required by ICAEW included seven principles through which risk reporting could be improved. They are; companies should tell users what they want to know.

It should focus on quantitative information, integrate into other disclosures, management should think beyond the annual reporting cycle, list of principal risks should be short, current concerns should be highlighted, and report on risk experience (Linsley and Shrives, 2006, p.389). Every organisation listed on England and Whales’s stock exchange must follow these seven principles to make its risk reporting transparent and reliable. Even in the absence of regulatory requirements, external auditors challenge organisations and their executives on these disclosures. Now when regulation requires companies to improve these disclosures, then auditors will be even more cautious. It is recommended that every listed company must keep these seven new principles into consideration while making disclosures.

If you need assistance with writing your assignment, our professional assignment writers are here to help!

This essay is associated with risk disclosures and current requirements of risk disclosures by regulators and professional bodies, including ICAEW. The essay focuses on the importance of risk disclosures for the company and its stakeholders by stating that stakeholders base their financing decisions on the annual report and its components. A very integral part of the yearly report is risk disclosure. Risk disclosure is made for risk assessment and decision-making.

Risk assessment is mandatory for organizations to devise policies to bring down the level of risk. A high level of risk shows that the company is likely to suffer loss, resulting in a fall in the company’s share price and ultimately losing its market share and reputation. Therefore, risk must be minimized, and regulators believe that reporting risk appropriately can be a measure to bring down the risk. The essay includes a section in which the effect on risk disclosures is determined. It is found that risk disclosure in annual reports can be affected by country, company size, managerial ownership, and board independence.

This essay also discusses different perspectives of risk and incentives and disincentives of organisations to disclose risk, which says that stakeholder trust is gained and retained through proper risk reporting. Still, the disincentive is that the company fears losing its stakeholders who are not ready to take risks. However, there are risk seekers who are willing to invest in organisations with higher risks. It should be noted that regulators are now giving more importance to risk reporting because it has become necessary for organisations and stakeholders. It requires organisations to follow seven principles mentioned in the previous section associated with risk reporting to make it transparent and reliable so that stakeholders can rely on such disclosures.

Abdallah, A.A.N., Hassan, M.K. and McClelland, P.L., 2015. Islamic financial institutions, corporate governance, and corporate risk disclosure in Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Journal of Multinational Financial Management, 31, pp.63-82.

Arshad, R. and Ismail, R.F., 2011. Discretionary Risks Disclosure: A Management Perspective. Asian Journal of Accounting and Governance, 2, pp.67-77.

Deumes, R., 2008. Corporate risk reporting: A content analysis of narrative risk disclosures in prospectuses. The Journal of Business Communication (1973), 45(2), pp.120-157.

Dobler, M., 2008. Incentives for risk reporting—A discretionary disclosure and cheap talk approach. The International Journal of Accounting, 43(2), pp.184-206.

Elshandidy, T., Fraser, I. and Hussainey, K., 2013. Aggregated, voluntary, and mandatory risk disclosure incentives: Evidence from UK FTSE all-share companies. International Review of Financial Analysis, 30, pp.320-333.

Azahar, H. and Hussainey, K., 2012. Determinants of narrative risk disclosures in U.K. interim reports. The Journal of Risk Finance, 13(2), pp.133-147.

Hill, P. and Short, H., 2009. Risk disclosures on the second-tier markets of the London Stock Exchange. Accounting & Finance, 49(4), pp.753-780.

Khan, A., Muttakin, M.B. and Siddiqui, J., 2013. Corporate governance and corporate social responsibility disclosures: Evidence from an emerging economy. Journal of business ethics, 114(2), pp.207-223.

Klumpes, P., Ledlie, C., Fahey, F., Kakar, G. and Styles, S., 2017. Incentives facing UK-listed companies to comply with the risk reporting provisions of the U.K. Corporate Governance Code. British Actuarial Journal, 22(1), pp.127-152.

Linsley, P.M. and Shrives, P.J., 2006. Risk reporting: A study of risk disclosures in the annual reports of U.K. companies. The British Accounting Review, 38(4), pp.387-404.

Muzahem, A., 2011. An empirical analysis of the practice and determinants of risk disclosure in an emerging capital market: United Arab Emirates (Doctoral dissertation, University of Portsmouth).

Nur Probohudono, A., Tower, G. and Rusmin, R., 2013. Risk disclosure during the global financial crisis. Social Responsibility Journal, 9(1), pp.124-137.

Rajab, B. and Handley-Schachner, M., 2009. Corporate risk disclosure by U.K. firms: trends and determinants. World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management, and Sustainable Development, 5(3), 224-243.

Ryan, S.G., 2012. Risk reporting quality: Implications of academic research for financial reporting policy. Accounting and business research, 42(3), pp.295-324.

Said Mokhtar, E. and Mellett, H., 2013. Competition, corporate governance, ownership structure, and risk reporting. Managerial Auditing Journal, 28(9), pp.838-865.

Vandaele, S., Vergauwen, P. and Michiels, A., 2009. Management risk reporting practices and their determinants.

Woods, M., Dowd, K. and Humphrey, C., 2008. The value of risk reporting: a critical analysis of value-at-risk disclosures in the banking sector. International Journal of Financial Services Management, 3(1), pp.45-64.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the core steps to write a masters assignment.

Understand the task and guidelines.
Research extensively using reputable sources.
Plan the structure with clear sections.
Write logically and coherently.
Cite sources properly (e.g., APA).
Revise, proofread, and edit for quality.

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5 tips on writing better university assignments

Lecturer in Student Learning and Communication Development, University of Sydney

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Alexandra Garcia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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University life comes with its share of challenges. One of these is writing longer assignments that require higher information, communication and critical thinking skills than what you might have been used to in high school. Here are five tips to help you get ahead.

1. Use all available sources of information

Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make available an increasing number of resources. But students often overlook these.

For example, to understand how your assignment will be graded, you can examine the rubric . This is a chart indicating what you need to do to obtain a high distinction, a credit or a pass, as well as the course objectives – also known as “learning outcomes”.

Other resources include lecture recordings, reading lists, sample assignments and discussion boards. All this information is usually put together in an online platform called a learning management system (LMS). Examples include Blackboard , Moodle , Canvas and iLearn . Research shows students who use their LMS more frequently tend to obtain higher final grades.

If after scrolling through your LMS you still have questions about your assignment, you can check your lecturer’s consultation hours.

2. Take referencing seriously

Plagiarism – using somebody else’s words or ideas without attribution – is a serious offence at university. It is a form of cheating.

Hands on a keyboard using the Ctrl C copy function

In many cases, though, students are unaware they have cheated. They are simply not familiar with referencing styles – such as APA , Harvard , Vancouver , Chicago , etc – or lack the skills to put the information from their sources into their own words.

To avoid making this mistake, you may approach your university’s library, which is likely to offer face-to-face workshops or online resources on referencing. Academic support units may also help with paraphrasing.

You can also use referencing management software, such as EndNote or Mendeley . You can then store your sources, retrieve citations and create reference lists with only a few clicks. For undergraduate students, Zotero has been recommended as it seems to be more user-friendly.

Using this kind of software will certainly save you time searching for and formatting references. However, you still need to become familiar with the citation style in your discipline and revise the formatting accordingly.

3. Plan before you write

If you were to build a house, you wouldn’t start by laying bricks at random. You’d start with a blueprint. Likewise, writing an academic paper requires careful planning: you need to decide the number of sections, their organisation, and the information and sources you will include in each.

Research shows students who prepare detailed outlines produce higher-quality texts. Planning will not only help you get better grades, but will also reduce the time you spend staring blankly at the screen thinking about what to write next.

Young woman sitting at desk with laptop and checking notes for assignment

During the planning stage, using programs like OneNote from Microsoft Office or Outline for Mac can make the task easier as they allow you to organise information in tabs. These bits of information can be easily rearranged for later drafting. Navigating through the tabs is also easier than scrolling through a long Word file.

4. Choose the right words

Which of these sentences is more appropriate for an assignment?

a. “This paper talks about why the planet is getting hotter”, or b. “This paper examines the causes of climate change”.

The written language used at university is more formal and technical than the language you normally use in social media or while chatting with your friends. Academic words tend to be longer and their meaning is also more precise. “Climate change” implies more than just the planet “getting hotter”.

To find the right words, you can use SkELL , which shows you the words that appear more frequently, with your search entry categorised grammatically. For example, if you enter “paper”, it will tell you it is often the subject of verbs such as “present”, “describe”, “examine” and “discuss”.

Another option is the Writefull app, which does a similar job without having to use an online browser.

5. Edit and proofread

If you’re typing the last paragraph of the assignment ten minutes before the deadline, you will be missing a very important step in the writing process: editing and proofreading your text. A 2018 study found a group of university students did significantly better in a test after incorporating the process of planning, drafting and editing in their writing.

You probably already know to check the spelling of a word if it appears underlined in red. You may even use a grammar checker such as Grammarly . However, no software to date can detect every error and it is not uncommon to be given inaccurate suggestions.

So, in addition to your choice of proofreader, you need to improve and expand your grammar knowledge. Check with the academic support services at your university if they offer any relevant courses.

Written communication is a skill that requires effort and dedication. That’s why universities are investing in support services – face-to-face workshops, individual consultations, and online courses – to help students in this process. You can also take advantage of a wide range of web-based resources such as spell checkers, vocabulary tools and referencing software – many of them free.

Improving your written communication will help you succeed at university and beyond.

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How to Write a Masters Assignment

Writing a Masters level assignment is all about explaining complex ideas in depth. Although it might seem like complicated terms are needed to make it effective, that is not the case. What it does require, is conveying difficult concepts in a clear manner. And for that the writer needs to be adept at the basics of academic writing. Planning, a good structure and flawless referencing are all the ingredients that make for great assignment writing. We bring to you the master tips for assignments which help take your papers to a whole new level.

Know where you are heading

Have a plan and structure in mind when it comes to a project as long as a Masters assignment. It is vital to both the writer and the reader. The ideas attain a logical form and you get a guiding outline to follow. The whole paper is more organized and flows smoothly through this method.

An assignment or dissertation takes the readers on a research journey. It shows them the reason you decided to explore the topic. References to the studies which pursued it before and their results. Your research methodology and the outcomes of that. And finally, what conclusion did it help you reach about the topic. These are all the essential milestones that the journey must comprise of.

Of course, the actual journey that you went through during the study will feel vastly different. Researches can contain detours that are interesting to look into yet not immediately relevant to the topic. But do not think of them as a waste of time because they help create understanding and provide context. From these detours, you get a unique and original perspective to find your arguments.

The writing part though needs to be more concise and direct for the sake of the readers. Sift through the information you have acquired and select the most suitable one. A first draft must be crafted in order to get an idea of how it will pan out. This helps identify the elements you want to include and reach towards the conclusion. The next step is redrafting the document to ensure everything is linked and a satisfactory result is achieved.

A focused approach towards evidence

Along with getting lengthier assignments at Masters Level, you are also expected to study a wider range of materials. The practice is the key to integrating the best sources in your work while referring skillfully to them. Make every source work in supporting your arguments. However, do not waste time describing any unnecessary parts of the source material.

It is not important to address each of the evidence with the same level of depth. Sometimes you only need to demonstrate that a wider context is comprehended by you. In this case, a brief summary of the basic issues is the only thing needed. Even within a summarized version, you can convey an understanding of the topic in question. It needs to map out the current state of the research topic and positions taken by researchers on it.

According to the nature of the topic though, you have to get into more detail when referring to sources. This usually happens when an interrogation of the research methods is needed. Make sure though that you remain to the point and relevant all the time. Whether longer or brief you need to give a clear explanation of the ideas. Irrelevant details can make things complicated and difficult to understand.

Accuracy and awareness

Appropriate and accurate use of language is another essential element of academic writing. A more thoughtful approach is required to string each word into a well-meaning sentence. It is best to practice refining your writing skills to meet the rigors of Masters level assignments.

To accomplish that, the most effective way is to immerse in well-written material. Read journals and all forms of academic content. But keep in mind that the style which appeals most to readers is one that is clear and concise. Unnecessarily complicating things will quickly lose the interest of the audience.

Here concludes our guide to help you write a top-grading Masters assignment . Regardless of the field or research topic, if you follow it you will be able to submit a remarkably well-written assignment. All that is needed is some hard work and attention to detail.

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How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples

How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.

The main goals of an introduction are to:

Catch your reader’s attention.
Give background on your topic.
Present your thesis statement —the central point of your essay.

This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

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Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.

Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.

Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.

Examples: Writing a good hook

Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.

Braille was an extremely important invention.
The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly why the topic is important.

The internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities.”
The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education.

Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a famous book from the nineteenth century.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement.

Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.

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Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:

Historical, geographical, or social context
An outline of the debate you’re addressing
A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic
Definitions of key terms

The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.

How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:

Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.

This is the most important part of your introduction. A good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.

The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.

Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.

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As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.

For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.

When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.

It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.

To polish your writing, you can use something like a paraphrasing tool .

You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.

Checklist: Essay introduction

My first sentence is engaging and relevant.

I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.

I have defined any important terms.

My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.

Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.

You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.

Argumentative
Literary analysis

This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

It gives your writing direction and focus.
It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

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Most Effective Tips for Writing an Impressive Assignment

When in college, you have to accomplish all of your assignments as part of your education. One of the most common assignments is written essays that will contribute to your grade at the end of your course.

But you might feel apprehensive when you receive such an assignment, especially if it's your first time. You might not feel like you have the necessary skills to write a good essay. But there are certain tips you can use to write a good assignment and lay your apprehensions to rest.

Research and plan

When you take on a course, you will receive a reading list. Familiarize yourself with it right away because your professors will choose texts from this list that will specifically help you with your tasks and assignments. Reading what's on your list will provide you with valuable insight into the topics you have to write about. It will make life easier for you when you need to write an assignment.

After researching, you should make a schedule for writing your assignments. Stick to your schedule. Also, double-check your deadline so you won't have to feel overwhelmed when you realize that your deadline is right around the corner. Break down your time and tasks into more manageable chunks so that you will always be on top of your work. Make a schedule that consists of mini-deadlines. Knowing that you have completed a task will keep you motivated.

Understand your assignment and take notes

Before starting your assignment, make sure that you understand it because writing an essay that contains irrelevant information or isn't coherent will prove disastrous. You should always know what you're doing and what you need to convey. If needed, rereading the instructions will help you understand what's expected of you. Moreover, you also need to determine how long the essay should be and how you will proceed with it.

Note-taking is another important aspect of writing. Before you start, you must collect various materials and resources relevant to your topic. You should also create an outline that will guide you. Go through various research materials, then take down notes on the most crucial information that you can include in your work. The writing process will become more manageable when you have all of the information you need.

Assignment writing by professionals

As a student in college, you have the option to ask for help when you need to complete an assignment and you have no time to do it. Since written tasks are an unavoidable aspect of college education, the best thing you can do is to seek assistance when you need it. The writers at AssignmentBro helped with my assignment writing in college. Thanks to their professional writers, I still had plenty of time to study and tackle my other responsibilities.

Use various resources

Aside from the deadlines and instructions that your professor will provide, they might also recommend some resources to you. Sadly, this is something that many students tend to overlook. For instance, for you to understand how your professor will grade your assignment, you will need to examine their rubric. This is a chart that provides information on what you must do. You will also learn about the objectives of the assignments or the learning outcomes.

Other resources you might receive include reading lists, lecture recordings, discussion boards, and sample assignments. Usually, you will find all of these resources in an online platform known as a Learning Management System (LMS). Research has shown that students who use LMS tend to get higher grades. If you still have any questions, you can ask your professor either online or offline.

Determine the objective and structure of your assignment

The next thing you need to do is to define the objectives of your written work and its structure. This is where you will determine the pattern of a well-written assignment. You want to make your work look impressive in the eyes of your reader. One way to accomplish this is to include more theoretical content and details in your essay.

Make sure all of your paragraphs flow smoothly

It's not enough for the essay writing project assigned to you to provide enough information. It's also important to remain coherent. You must link each paragraph to each other.

This will keep your reader connected with the content . To achieve this, you need to go back to your plan for your assignment, then search for significant concepts that will help you connect the paragraphs smoothly. Here's an easy tip to do this - include phrases or words that will attract the eyes of your readers while supporting the context of your written assignment.

University life is full of challenges. One of which is the writing of assignments that will require higher communication, critical thinking, and information gathering skills that you may have practiced in high school. Instead of feeling daunted because of your assignments, use the tips you learned to make things easier for you.

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Teaching excellence & educational innovation, creating assignments.

Here are some general suggestions and questions to consider when creating assignments. There are also many other resources in print and on the web that provide examples of interesting, discipline-specific assignment ideas.

Consider your learning objectives.

What do you want students to learn in your course? What could they do that would show you that they have learned it? To determine assignments that truly serve your course objectives, it is useful to write out your objectives in this form: I want my students to be able to ____. Use active, measurable verbs as you complete that sentence (e.g., compare theories, discuss ramifications, recommend strategies), and your learning objectives will point you towards suitable assignments.

Design assignments that are interesting and challenging.

This is the fun side of assignment design. Consider how to focus students’ thinking in ways that are creative, challenging, and motivating. Think beyond the conventional assignment type! For example, one American historian requires students to write diary entries for a hypothetical Nebraska farmwoman in the 1890s. By specifying that students’ diary entries must demonstrate the breadth of their historical knowledge (e.g., gender, economics, technology, diet, family structure), the instructor gets students to exercise their imaginations while also accomplishing the learning objectives of the course (Walvoord & Anderson, 1989, p. 25).

Double-check alignment.

After creating your assignments, go back to your learning objectives and make sure there is still a good match between what you want students to learn and what you are asking them to do. If you find a mismatch, you will need to adjust either the assignments or the learning objectives. For instance, if your goal is for students to be able to analyze and evaluate texts, but your assignments only ask them to summarize texts, you would need to add an analytical and evaluative dimension to some assignments or rethink your learning objectives.

Name assignments accurately.

Students can be misled by assignments that are named inappropriately. For example, if you want students to analyze a product’s strengths and weaknesses but you call the assignment a “product description,” students may focus all their energies on the descriptive, not the critical, elements of the task. Thus, it is important to ensure that the titles of your assignments communicate their intention accurately to students.

Consider sequencing.

Think about how to order your assignments so that they build skills in a logical sequence. Ideally, assignments that require the most synthesis of skills and knowledge should come later in the semester, preceded by smaller assignments that build these skills incrementally. For example, if an instructor’s final assignment is a research project that requires students to evaluate a technological solution to an environmental problem, earlier assignments should reinforce component skills, including the ability to identify and discuss key environmental issues, apply evaluative criteria, and find appropriate research sources.

Think about scheduling.

Consider your intended assignments in relation to the academic calendar and decide how they can be reasonably spaced throughout the semester, taking into account holidays and key campus events. Consider how long it will take students to complete all parts of the assignment (e.g., planning, library research, reading, coordinating groups, writing, integrating the contributions of team members, developing a presentation), and be sure to allow sufficient time between assignments.

Check feasibility.

Is the workload you have in mind reasonable for your students? Is the grading burden manageable for you? Sometimes there are ways to reduce workload (whether for you or for students) without compromising learning objectives. For example, if a primary objective in assigning a project is for students to identify an interesting engineering problem and do some preliminary research on it, it might be reasonable to require students to submit a project proposal and annotated bibliography rather than a fully developed report. If your learning objectives are clear, you will see where corners can be cut without sacrificing educational quality.

Articulate the task description clearly.

If an assignment is vague, students may interpret it any number of ways – and not necessarily how you intended. Thus, it is critical to clearly and unambiguously identify the task students are to do (e.g., design a website to help high school students locate environmental resources, create an annotated bibliography of readings on apartheid). It can be helpful to differentiate the central task (what students are supposed to produce) from other advice and information you provide in your assignment description.

Establish clear performance criteria.

Different instructors apply different criteria when grading student work, so it’s important that you clearly articulate to students what your criteria are. To do so, think about the best student work you have seen on similar tasks and try to identify the specific characteristics that made it excellent, such as clarity of thought, originality, logical organization, or use of a wide range of sources. Then identify the characteristics of the worst student work you have seen, such as shaky evidence, weak organizational structure, or lack of focus. Identifying these characteristics can help you consciously articulate the criteria you already apply. It is important to communicate these criteria to students, whether in your assignment description or as a separate rubric or scoring guide . Clearly articulated performance criteria can prevent unnecessary confusion about your expectations while also setting a high standard for students to meet.

Specify the intended audience.

Students make assumptions about the audience they are addressing in papers and presentations, which influences how they pitch their message. For example, students may assume that, since the instructor is their primary audience, they do not need to define discipline-specific terms or concepts. These assumptions may not match the instructor’s expectations. Thus, it is important on assignments to specify the intended audience http://wac.colostate.edu/intro/pop10e.cfm (e.g., undergraduates with no biology background, a potential funder who does not know engineering).

Specify the purpose of the assignment.

If students are unclear about the goals or purpose of the assignment, they may make unnecessary mistakes. For example, if students believe an assignment is focused on summarizing research as opposed to evaluating it, they may seriously miscalculate the task and put their energies in the wrong place. The same is true they think the goal of an economics problem set is to find the correct answer, rather than demonstrate a clear chain of economic reasoning. Consequently, it is important to make your objectives for the assignment clear to students.

Specify the parameters.

If you have specific parameters in mind for the assignment (e.g., length, size, formatting, citation conventions) you should be sure to specify them in your assignment description. Otherwise, students may misapply conventions and formats they learned in other courses that are not appropriate for yours.

A Checklist for Designing Assignments

Here is a set of questions you can ask yourself when creating an assignment.

Provided a written description of the assignment (in the syllabus or in a separate document)?
Specified the purpose of the assignment?
Indicated the intended audience?
Articulated the instructions in precise and unambiguous language?
Provided information about the appropriate format and presentation (e.g., page length, typed, cover sheet, bibliography)?
Indicated special instructions, such as a particular citation style or headings?
Specified the due date and the consequences for missing it?
Articulated performance criteria clearly?
Indicated the assignment’s point value or percentage of the course grade?
Provided students (where appropriate) with models or samples?

Adapted from the WAC Clearinghouse at http://wac.colostate.edu/intro/pop10e.cfm .

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