Finding Relevant Academic Sources

Part A

1. Academic tips:

Using relevant sources - Knowing the aim of the task will facilitate finding the right sources which will lead to better writing and performance (Deane, 2010). The relevance of the source depends on the content, style, and author (Lunsford, 2008).

Use of reliable sources - Accuracy and validity are crucial for good academic writing (Deane, 2010). It is vital for the information to be valid and accurate as the data will be used in tasks as evidence to support the argument.

Reading - Reading will help improve writing style (Parsons, 2011). Interpretation will allow you to reach an argument that will be beneficial for the task and it will help develop ideas (Fairbairn and Winch, 2010). Reading increases the understanding of the topic and clarifies points (Fairbairn and Winch, 2010).

Writing clear sentences - It allows the reader to follow what is being mentioned whereas long and complicated sentences are hard to follow (Cottrell, 2013). The argument presented must be clear for the audience to be able to understand the points stated (Cottrell, 2013).

Writing objectively - Personal and subjective words can be understood differently by the reader from the writer’s intention (Cottrell, 2013). The paper is not based on personal opinions but, it is based on evidence done by researchers (Cottrell, 2013) and balancing the arguments from both sides (Gillett, Hammond and Martala, 2009).

Critical writing - Critical writing is achieving a point which can be supported by evidence by analysing and evaluating resources researched or own work (Cottrell, 2013). Critical thinking allows identifying and understanding the process of establishing a point (Cottrell, 2011).

Use of specialist terms - It will show a better understanding of the topic and develop academic writing skills as the topic will have specific terms about the subject which will increase the knowledge of the reader and writer (Cottrell, 2013)

Proper structure - The structure is important as it ensures that the essay stays focused. Every sentence should add value to the argument presented to keep the flow of the article and to keep the reader focused (Oxbridge Essays, 2018).

Use of Precise information – this should include enough and relevant information in the task is crucial as it allows the reader to understand and have knowledge about the topic (Cottrell, 2013).

Proofreading - Proofreading is essential in academic writing as it helps to identify areas of improvement, in addition to identifying and errors that have been made. It allows the writer to ensure that the task is precise, clear and easy to understand (Proofreading & Paper Editing -- Papercheck, 2018).

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2. Referencing:

Referencing means to acknowledge sources by in-text citation in addition to including a reference list with all the sources used referenced (Kent.ac.uk, 2018). It is a way of acknowledging the resources that have been used to research a research or an assignment. Whenever one draws out of another person’s ideas, words, or research, references always need to be provided. It is also necessary to provide references for any graphical information used in a paper. Television programs, films, communications that are personal and sources gotten online must also be referenced (Libguides.mit.edu, 2018). Additionally, arguments will be supported by evidence (Kent.ac.uk, 2018) and it will help the development of ideas (Neville, 2010). Failure to reference the works of others constitutes plagiarism.

Journal

Hsin, L. and Snow, C. (2017). Social perspective taking: a benefit of bilingualism in academic writing. Reading and Writing, 30(6), pp.1193-1214.

Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) Title. Place of publication: publisher. Series and volume number if relevant.

Deane, M. (2010). Inside Track to Academic Research, Writing & Referencing. Harlow: Pearson Education UK, pp.32-64.

Blaxter, L., Hughes, C. and Tight, M. (2006). How to research. Milton Keynes: Open University Press, pp.99-131.

Part B

Critical Reflection

In this reflection, I will reflect on the marketing assignment. The assignment task was aimed at enhancing the research and teamwork skills among the students by producing a 15-minute presentation in analysing a market of their choice. The team consisted of five students, and the research task was divided between the group members who made the best effort to produce and complete the work.

I thought it would be challenging as disagreements on the market choice could occur between group members and not enough information would be found. I felt that some of the group members would not effectively contribute to the assignment; this might have been because I did not know the group members and did not know what to expect. I felt nervous as I prefer to work independently as everyone’s working style is different. Group work gives the opportunity to take the individual skills and experience and put them together to improve learning outcomes such as developing communication, time management, critical and analysing abilities as well as helps to respect and consider different students' opinions. (Shafer, 2014). After forming a group, discussion about the market that we want to research was created. At that time, I felt assured that the group would work well together as we were considering every member’s opinion. At the same time, I was worried about not finding relevant and enough information about the market.

The group members worked well together, and everyone contributed to the presentation by doing part of the research. Several meetings were arranged to discuss the progress of the presentation. In the session, the work accomplished was shared with the group members and feedback from the members was given which allowed us to improve the presentation. The research was challenging as it was hard finding the relevant information to present, this allowed me to widen my research and reading to find the most pertinent information.

Several challenges have emerged such as the nature of the task and the approach to be followed to accomplish the task as well as how to proceed the work among the group consistently (Bryman, 2017). For the presentation we did not rehearse enough; therefore, we presented for over 15 minutes. It would have been prudent if more meetings had been arranged to rehearse the presentation and to ensure that all the points are delivered as this could have improved our performance. The secret behind achieving the task lies on teamwork and collective performance as the group is the field for the cooperation of individual effort. Psychological and practical training are crucial to overcoming any difficulties (Salas, Cooke, and Rosen, 2008) (Tieman, 2012). Study time is considered as a critical factor in shaping a personality as well as obtaining knowledge and skills so universities are focusing more on group learning because teams can achieve more than students working on their own, as well as supporting their students with different skills and strategies to meet the learning outcomes in high quality (Kirchner, Paas, & Kirchner, 2009). Overall, a satisfying presentation was produced.

In conclusion, I could have done several things differently. I could have arranged more meeting to rehearse the presentation as this could have been a turning point in changing the performance of the presentation. I could have chosen a different market as the market that we have chosen was not interesting, and this could have reflected on the research done and my performance as I could have been more confident if the topic was interesting. I am now enjoying and appreciating the necessity to read broadly, and this will expectantly consent me to not only reference more research but also obtain a more profound knowledge of the task matter. Coming from a culture that mostly depends upon the spoken word, the need for wide-ranging reading is a new experience for me. It has also led to a development in my verbal and written English and specific, my written academic English. I need to be able to analyse research more critically, and I feel this will be reflected in my written work and my opinions as I have grown even more confident over time. I would have chosen a different market as the market that we have chosen was not interesting, and this could have reflected on the research done.

Action Plan

The action plan is setting a plan to achieve a specific goal (Collinsdictionary.com, 2018). Creating an action plan is vital as gives a clear image of the goals that need to be completed by a particular date and how to achieve the goals in addition to reflecting on the past and how you can do things differently (Open.edu, 2018).

The targets mentioned in the action plan are crucial for success in university. When all other things have been held constant, for one to be successful in their studies, they must effectively manage time. Proper management of time has the potential of improving a student’s grades, helps improve their competitiveness in the career they pursue and also helps in keeping stress in check. With proper management of time, students are able to meet deadlines, have enough time to do adequate research on the assignment and also have time for proofreading the assignment and changing any mistakes made. Time management may also reduce stress levels as progress can be tracked. As tasks are being completed according to a plan, more free time will be available.

Academic writing is vital for achieving good grades. Academic writing involves the clear, focussed, concise and structured writing that is also backed up by evidence. Even though academic writing takes a formal style and tone, it is however, not in any way complex nor does it require the use of long sentences nor even vocabularies that are complicated (Cottrell, 2013). Different subject disciplines normally have different writing conventions, types of discourse and vocabularies that a student is expected to become familiar with as they proceed with their studies (Oxbridge Essays, 2018). Additionally, academic writing promotes reading to be able to write academically and understand the topic clearly (Fairbairn and Winch, 2010).

Presentation skills are essential as they help presentations interesting and further help presenters to communicate with confidence (Živković, 2014), and as such motivating their audiences to listen to them (Cleverism, 2018).

Networking skills are necessary and essential in both career and university. The two most important networking skills that a student can acquire are listening and the asking of questions. Whenever one asks questions that are thoughtful, this is always a clear sign of sincerity which builds trust. This is largely because it shows an interest in the thoughts and opinions of an individual.

To be able to achieve a successful action plan, I will review the action plan every month to ensure that the progress of achieving the objectives is occurring and to set new targets that are important to reach. That will allow focusing on skills that need development leading to accomplishing the goal and identifying new goals.

References

Bryman, A. (2017). How to build a successful team. The New York Times.

Cottrell, S. (2011). Critical thinking skills. 2nd ed. Palgrave Macmillan, pp.1-16.

Cottrell, S. (2013). The study skills handbook. Basingstoke [England]: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.307-313.

Deane, M. (2010). Inside Track to Academic Research, Writing & Referencing. Harlow: Pearson Education UK, pp.32-64 and 110-140.

Faiebairn, G. and Winch, C. (2011). Reading, writing, and reasoning. 3rd ed. Buckingham: Open University Press, pp.9-27.

Gillett, A., Hammond, A., and Martala, M. (2009). Inside Track to Successful Academic Writing. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, pp.136-139.

Kirchner, F., Paas, F., and Kirchner, P. A. (2009b). Individual and group-based learning from complex cognitive tasks: effects on retention and transfer efficiency. Computers in Human Behaviour, 25, 306- 314.10.1016/j.chb.2008. 12.008[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]

Neville, C. (2010). The complete guide to referencing and avoiding plagiarism. 2nd ed. Maidenhead: Open Univ. Press, pp.7-13.

Parsons, J. (2011). Tips for Successful Reading, Writing, and Publishing in Academia. Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 8(2), pp.410-415.

Salas, E., Cooke, and Rose (2008) On Teams, Teamwork, and Team performance: Discoveries and Developments. Human Factors: The Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Shafer, R. (2014). Effective team building is the new way to win — Business Insider.

Tiemann, R. (2012). From teamwork to collaboration. The financial times.

Živković, S. (2014). The Importance of Oral Presentations for University Students. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(19), pp.468-475.