Dissertations

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Dissertations Major Project Writing

• Week 5 of 5
• Referencing, bibliographies, plagiarism the
  final stages

Robert Walsha, LDU City campus, Calcutta House,
CM2-22
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Dissertations Major Project Writing week 5

• This weeks topics
• Referencing Bibliographies
• Plagiarism and how to avoid it
• The final stages
• Writing focusing your introduction conclusion
• Critical analysis of your own work, editing
  proofreading, troubleshooting.
• Damage limitation

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Referencing Bibliographies

• Everything in the next 17 slides should be a
  reminder of what you hopefully know well already
  
• its all about good practice in bibliographies
  and referencing.
• In this sense, your dissertation/project should
  be no different from what you have been trying to
  do with other written assignments so far.

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Referencing Bibliographies

• A Bibliography is a listing, placed at the very
  end of your work, of every source referenced in
  your assignment.
• In Psychology, the Bibliography section is called
  References.
• Referencing is what you do within the written
  sections of your work to show evidence of where
  you are incorporating any thinking or other
  material that is not your own. In other words,
  you reference to show where you are utilising
  material derived from your various sources.
• In Psychology, referencing is referred to as
  citations.

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Referencing Bibliographies

• Written Assignments require BOTH a Bibliography
  AND Referencing
• not one or the other!!

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Referencing BibliographiesYour bibliography
...

• ... should provide a full listing in one place of
  all the sources you have referred to in your
  assignment.
• should list sources in alphabetical order, by
  author surname.
• should not include page references - that is
  the job of referencing.
• What should I include in my bibliography?
  Basically, every source you have used in working
  on your assignment. Only include material you
  directly reference in your work.

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Referencing BibliographiesFormat of your
Bibliography

• There are two basic bibliography formats, the
  Cambridge (orBritish Standard) and the
  Harvard Systems.

• This is Harvard
• Ball, Stuart (1988), Baldwin and the
  Conservative Party The Crisis of 1929-1931,
  London Yale University Press.
• Carlton, David (1969), The Anglo-French
  Compromise on Arms Limitation 1928, Journal of
  British Studies, 8, pp. 141-62.

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Referencing BibliographiesFormat of your
Bibliography

• There are two basic bibliography formats, the
  Cambridge (orBritish Standard) and the
  Harvard Systems.

• This is Harvard
• Ball, Stuart (1988), Baldwin and the
  Conservative Party The Crisis of 1929-1931,
  London Yale University Press.
• Carlton, David (1969), The Anglo-French
  Compromise on Arms Limitation 1928, Journal of
  British Studies, 8, pp. 141-62.

• This is Cambridge
• Ball, Stuart, Baldwin and the Conservative
  Party The Crisis of 1929-1931, London Yale
  University Press, 1988.
• Carlton, David, The Anglo-French Compromise on
  Arms Limitation 1928, Journal of British
  Studies, 1969, no. 8, pp. 141-62.

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Referencing BibliographiesBibliographies

• You may benefit from breaking down your
  bibliography into sub-sections, such as Primary
  sources, and Secondary sources perhaps
  including sub-sub-sections such as books,
  journal articles and web-based sources.
• What should not be included in a bibliography?
  There are some things which you should not
  include for example, mentioning your lecture
  notes is unnecessary, as is any general reference
  materials such as dictionaries or thesauruses.

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Referencing BibliographiesBibliographies

• Please note that, in some disciplines, two lists
  at the end of assignments is encouraged, both
  listing their respective sources in alphabetical
  order by surname
• References sources visited and referred to in
  your written sections
• Bibliography other sources that were useful to
  you, but which you do not reference in your work.
  
• Consult your supervisor over his/her
  preferences with regard to this.

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Referencing BibliographiesReferencing

• Referencing provides proof of exactly where you
  are taking ideas and facts from, at the point of
  use of those ideas/facts in your work.
• The italicised section above is the justification
  for referencing the reason why we must both
  provide both references and a bibliography.
• There are different forms of referencing.
  Certain departments favour one approach over
  others, though with some departments you may have
  a choice.
• Stick with department-favoured models or consult
  your supervisor over your options.

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Referencing BibliographiesReferencing

• Referencing options(?)
• (the Harvard system)
• British Standard a.k.a. Cambridge system,
  which may take two forms
• footnoting or
• endnoting.

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Referencing BibliographiesHarvard Referencing

• The Harvard System makes its references in the
  main text itself, and appears within brackets.
• For example

... The consequent publicity pushed the issue of
race relations to a very high place on the
political agenda (Seymour-Ure, 1974, pp.
99-136). The...
Under this system you must include (i) author
surname (ii) date of publication,
and (iii) page references.
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Referencing BibliographiesHarvard Referencing
ADVANTAGES

• Efficient with space cuts down a lot of
  repetition between references and bibliography
  (in Cambridge). For fuller information,
  cross-reference with the full information located
  in the bibliography (title and publication
  details are confined to the bibliography).

DISADVANTAGES

• Long, difficult sentences are made longer by
  having to include additional bracketed reference
  information and thus become even more
  confusing. For students who struggle with
  grammar and written communication, this can be a
  problem.

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Referencing BibliographiesCambridge
Referencing

• The Cambridge System makes its references via a
  system of number references, corresponding to
  detailed references
• at the bottom of the page (footnoting) or
• at the end of each chapter, or by chapter at
  the end of the written sections (endnoting).

... The consequent publicity pushed the issue of
race relations to a very high place on the
political agenda.3 Another blah blah blah blah
blah more text blah blah blah blah blah more text
blah blah blah blah etc. etc. ... _________ 3
Colin Seymour-Ure, The Political Impact Of The
Mass Media (London Constable, 1974), pp. 99-136.
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Referencing BibliographiesCambridge
Referencing

• To create and manage your references, use
  Microsoft Words Referencing function (called
  Footnote in pre-Office 2003 versions of Word)
  to create your references
• when you reorder text, it will automatically
  re-sequence your references in the new correct
  order.
• 1. Click at the point at where you want to insert
  a reference in your main text (e.g., the end of a
  sentence).

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Referencing BibliographiesCambridge
Referencing

• 2. Click on Insert, then, on the drop-down
  menu, Reference, then click on Footnote.

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Referencing BibliographiesCambridge
Referencing

• 3. Choose your options from the command box
  (left), then click on Insert. A footnote
  number is created, with a space to enter the
  desired reference text.
• Note whether using Cambridge or Harvard for your
  actual referencing, you can also use footnoting
  to include (small amounts of) useful
  supplementary information that would distract if
  in your main text. (Larger useful additional
  information should be placed in appendices).

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Referencing BibliographiesCambridge
Referencing BOOKS

• First reference to book sources
• Include full author name(s), full title (italics
  or underline), place of publication, publisher,
  date of publication, page reference(s)

13 Stanley Cohen, Folk Devils and Moral Panics
The Creation of Mods and Rockers, Oxford
Blackwell, 1972, p. 137.

• Second subsequent references to the same source
  (short version)
• author surname, short version of title (italics
  or underline), page reference(s).

16 Cohen, Folk Devils and Moral Panics, p. 137.
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Referencing BibliographiesCambridge
Referencing JOURNAL ARTICLES

• First reference to journal sources include
• full article author name(s), full title of
  article (in quote-marks), in full title of
  journal publication (italics or underline), place
  of publication, publisher, volume, number, year
  of publication, page reference(s).

14 Richard S. Grayson, Mods, Rockers and
Juvenile Delinquency in 1964 The Government
Response, in Contemporary British History,
London Frank Cass, vol. 12, no. 1, 1998, p. 33.

• Second subsequent references to the same
  article in the same source (short version)
• author surname, short version of title (in
  quote-marks), page refs.

17 Grayson, Mods, Rockers and Juvenile
Delinquency, p. 33.
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Referencing BibliographiesCambridge
Referencing EDITED (ANTHOLOGY) TITLES

• First reference to edited collections include
• full article author name(s), full title of
  article (in quote-marks), in full editor name(s)
  (ed.(s)), full title of publication (italics or
  underline), place of publication, publisher, date
  of publication, page reference(s)

15 Gordon A. Craig, Churchill and Germany, in
Robert Blake and Wm. Roger Lewis (eds.),
Churchill, Oxford Oxford University Press,
1993, p. 25.

• Second subsequent references to the same
  article in the same source (short version)
• surname article author(s), short version of
  title (in quote-marks), page reference(s).

18 Craig, Churchill and Germany, p. 25.
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Referencing BibliographiesIf these same
references were in Harvard

• theyd look like this (bracketed within the
  main text)!
• Books
• Journals
• Articles in Edited titles
• (NB, with Harvard, the reader has to
  cross-reference with the Bibliography to find out
  the nature of the source, i.e., whether it is
  book, journal, other).

(Cohen, 1972, p. 137)
(Grayson, 1998, p. 33)
(Craig, 1993, p. 25)
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Referencing Bibliographiesreferencing e-based
sources

• This example is for web-site referencing
  (Cambridge)

Richard Davis, New Zealand Labour
Government and the ALP, 1939-40, The Electronic
Journal of Australian and New Zealand History,
1996. lthttp//www.jcu.edu.au/aff/history/
articles/davis.htmgt (5 Feb 2007).
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Referencing Bibliographiesreferencing e-based
sources

• and if it was Harvard

In your references (Davis, 1996) In your
bibliography Davis, Richard (1996), New Zealand
Labour Government and the ALP, 1939-40, The
Electronic Journal of Australian and New Zealand
History. lthttp//www.jcu.edu.au/aff/history/artic
les/davis.htmgt (5 Feb. 2007).
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Referencing BibliographiesOther sources

• Apply the logic of conventional referencing
  to other sources. For example, referencing a TV
  documentary might follow this format

7 Taking On The Taliban the Soldiers
Story, Panorama, BBC documentary, first
broadcast 5 Nov. 2007.

• Newspapers

8 James Bloom, Power from the final
frontier, Guardian Technology section, 1
Nov. 2007, p.1.

• Surveys, polls, etc.

9 Gallup poll on British Attitudes to Race
Relations (following the publication of the
MacPherson Report), Apr. 1999.
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Referencing BibliographiesReferencing primary
sources

• Interviews
• Referencing (Cambridge)

13 Interview with Gordon Brown, MP (5 Nov.
2007). 17 Interview with Matt Phillips,
Communications Manager, British Phonographic
Industry (16 Apr. 2006).

• Referencing (Harvard) use footnotes as above, or
  in main text

(Interview with Gordon Brown, MP, 5 Nov.
2007) (Interview with Matt Phillips, 16 Apr.
2006).

• In the bibliography

Interview with Gordon Brown, MP (5 Nov.
2007). Interview with Matt Phillips,
Communications Manager, British Phonographic
Industry (16 Apr. 2006).
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Referencing BibliographiesReferencing primary
sources

• Private papers
• Referencing (Cambridge)

13 L.S. Amery, 14 Jul. 1918, in Barnes, John
Nicolson, David (eds.), T he Leo Amery Diaries
vol.1, London Hutchinson, 1980, p.226. 17
Austen Chamberlain to Ida Chamberlain, 20 Jan.
1924, AC5/1/303, Birmingham University Library.

• Referencing (Harvard ) use footnotes as above,
  or in main text

(Amery diary, 14 Jul. 1918, 226) (A. Chamberlain
to Ida Chamberlain, 20 Jan. 1924, AC5/1/303)

• In the bibliography

name of collection location of source L.S.
Amery Barnes, John Nicolson, David (eds.),
The Leo Amery Diaries vol.1, London
Hutchinson, 1980. Austen Chamberlain
MSS Birmingham University Library.
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Referencing BibliographiesReferencing primary
sources

• Public papers (government, business, etc.)
• Referencing (Cambridge)

13 Cabinet decision to go to war, CAB 23/100
folders 474-83 see also FO 800/317 folder
84. 17 ATOC minutes of Extraordinary General
Meeting, 2 Mar. 2005.

• Referencing (Harvard ) use footnotes as above,
  or in main text

(CAB 23/100 folders 474-83) FO 800/317 folder
84) (ATOC EGM minutes, 2 Mar. 2005)

• In the bibliography

name of collection location of
source Cabinet Papers (CAB) (23 series) Public
Record Office, Kew Foreign Office (FO) (800
series) Public Record Office, Kew Papers of the
Association of Train ATOC Headquarters, London
Operating Companies (ATOC)
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Referencing BibliographiesReferencing primary
sources

• Other
• Referencing (Cambridge)

13 Observations of staff interaction by author
during work experience in Waitrose Product
Buying department, London, 27 Jul.-17 Aug. 2007.

• Referencing (Harvard ) use footnotes as above,
  or write in main text

certainly no evidence of outward intimidation
or bullying, during the period in which the
current author was undertaking her work
experience (27 Jul.-17 Aug. 2007).

• In the bibliography

Observational studies The present authors work
experience at Waitrose Product Buying Department,
London (where it was agreed with line managers
that log records could be taken examining the
interaction of the Asia buying team).
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Plagiarism and how to avoid it

• Plagiarism is the passing off of others ideas or
  writing as if they were your own.
• It is a serious offence to Plagiarise. There are
  serious penalties if you are found to have taken
  material from other sources and failed to credit
  them.
• It is easy to accidentally commit plagiarism
  through error or slackness, yet the penalties for
  being found to have committed plagiarism are no
  less forgiving.
• Because of the length of time involved in
  producing larger projects and dissertations, it
  is easier to accidentally commit plagiarism in
  these than it is with most other assignments.
• This is because, if your note-taking is less than
  thorough, when writing up weeks or months later,
  you can easily forget whether ideas or words are
  your own or someone elses.
• So how can you guard against committing
  plagiarism accidentally?

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Plagiarism and how to avoid it

• At note-taking / research stages
• Be thorough focused with your research
  note-taking
• always record the source details at the top of
  the page
• Always record page number information by the side
  of every piece of information you record
  whether you are quoting or summarising in your
  own words
• For any paragraphs, sentences or even phrases
  that you take word-for-word (for possible
  quotation in your work), remember to place the
  word-for-word information in your notes in
  quotation marks
• Always record where the idea originates and where
  your thoughts are your own.

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Plagiarism and how to avoid it

• At the writing-up stages referencing
• Remember, referencing is all about being
  transparent with where you are obtaining source
  information
• Solid, thorough, honest referencing constitutes
  your primary means of conveying where you are
  obtaining material to build your argument and
  therefore avoiding accidental plagiarism.
• Get in the habit of inserting references early
• i.e., from your first-draft onwards, or
• if this disrupts your written flow, then insert
  references immediately after writing your first
  draft
• Update your references in a similar way with each
  subsequent redraft

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Plagiarism and how to avoid it

• At the writing-up stages referencing (cont.)
• Be thorough, methodical consistent with your
  referencing
• Many students under-use referencing. Theres
  nothing wrong with multiple references on a
  single page
• By contrast, there may be something suspicious if
  there are only ever 1 or 2 references per page
  (sections commenting purely on your own research
  are an exception).
• Remember, you must not only reference direct
  quotes (where you are using the words of others)
  
• but also reference where you summarise the
  ideas of others in your own words.
• Consistency of referencing style is important and
  will also help you to be sure all the required
  information is present.

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Plagiarism and how to avoid it

• At the writing-up stage in-text signposting
• Referencing is not the only means by which you
  can attribute your use of evidence from other
  sources and thus avoid charge of plagiarism.
• You can also augment this with selected in-text
  attributions, where helpful for the readability
  of the work to do so. See signposting the
  ideas of others in week 4 (Academic Writing).
• Here is an example from Psychology, using Harvard

As Liverant (1960) has pointed out, we may indeed
inherit an intellectual potential, but that
potential will vary depending upon the
environment we encounter during development.
E.Jerry Phares, Introduction to Personality, (3rd
edn.), 1991, p.429
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Plagiarism and how to avoid it

• At the writing-up stage in-text signposting
• Here is another example

It is open to question whether any real
understanding had ever existed between the two
parties. Stephen Brooke raises this doubt in his
account of the Labour Party during wartime,
claiming that debates about reconstruction within
the Coalition invariably fell along party lines
and that in terms of policy and ideology Labour
retained a distinctive programme.16
_________ 16 Brooke, 1992, pp.9-10.
Nick Ellison, Consensus Here, Consensus there
, in Jones Kandiah (eds.), The Myth Of
Consensus, 1996, p.19-20
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Plagiarism and how to avoid it

• At the writing-up stage (cont.)
• If you are thorough with both referencing and
  in-text signposting, then any information left
  non-attributed in your work will rightly be
  recognised as your own contribution to the debate
  and therefore not require referencing! Top
  stuff!

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Plagiarism and how to avoid it

• Legitimised Plagiarism a grey area of
  virtual plagiarism that can still land people
  in trouble avoid!
• Quotations of others work should not be an
  excuse to do no thinking or writing of your own.
• Therefore, avoid overuse of over-large
  quotations. Large quotes should be an exception
  rather than the rule, reserved for especially
  important or particularly quotable information.
• A bad assignment, with large chunks of quoted
  material properly referenced but with minimal
  linking sentences of the students own may not
  technically constitute full-blown plagiarism, but
  can still land students in trouble. This kind of
  legitimised plagiarism should be avoided you
  will not get good grades for uncritically lifting
  others views, no matter how well referenced that
  material is.

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Plagiarism and how to avoid it

• Legitimised Plagiarism (cont)
• Most of your presentation of others ideas should
  involve summarise the point in your words,
  flitting in and out of quotation as necessary.
  Lets look again at the example above, with the
  relevant section now highlighted. See how this
  academic maintains effective written flow by
  using only selected key passages from the
  argument of Brooke that he is presenting in order
  to build his own argument.

Stephen Brooke raises this doubt in his account
of the Labour Party during wartime, claiming that
debates about reconstruction within the Coalition
invariably fell along party lines and that in
terms of policy and ideology Labour retained a
distinctive programme.16
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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion

• Your introduction
• When should I start writing my introduction?
• Your Introduction should be set up to be a
  powerful signposting tool, that eases the
  reader into your topic explains exactly what
  will be looked at.
• Dont forget, an Introduction should properly
  introduce the topic
• This may sound obvious, but bear in mind
• Depending on the nature of your project, there
  will be a range of things your Introduction
  should be addressing in order to be properly
  fulfilling in Intro function.
• A checklist of things your Introduction could or
  should do ????????????????

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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion
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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion
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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion
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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion
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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion
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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion
For example Chapter one will analyse the
extent to which and the relationship between
and . It will explore how and
ascertain whether this was a product of or
other forces. The nature of is explored in
chapter two. Whether can be seen to have
influenced will be addressed, along with .
The question of whether was a factor will be
investigated, as well as the extent to which
. Chapter three will examine It will
be concluded that
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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion
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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion

• Your introduction
• Remember, consideration of what to include in an
  introduction should always be measured by whether
  it is helpful to include that information
• If you wish, you can use an introduction to make
  a bold assertion provided you later explore and
  justify this in your main body.
• That stated, dont be sensationalist for the sake
  of it but try to make your writing engaging to
  the reader.
• You could open your Introduction (and, indeed,
  other sections) with a well-chosen quote.
  Stylistically this may be desirable, but only do
  so if you have a quote perfectly suited to the
  purpose.

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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion

• Your introduction
• Keep your introduction to a reasonable size
• It depends greatly on what needs to be stated,
  but as a general rule, think between 1/7th and
  1/10th of your overall written sections (e.g.,
  excluding appendices and bibliography).
• Maybe a little bigger still if your Intro
  contains a necessarily sizeable literature
  review and/or research methods aspects (i.e.,
  not in separate sections)
• What should I call my Introduction?
• Introduction is fine,
• though you might wish to title it more
  specifically, i.e. An introduction to , might
  do, or any other variations.

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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion

• Your conclusion
• You should have a final concluding (usually
  fairly short) chapter in which you wrap up your
  project in its entirety. This should
• Summarise / bring together all the main points
  you have dealt with
• stress key findings and
• if appropriate, make recommendations (if not in
  its own section following Recommendations
  sections being more of a characteristic of cat. B
  projects)

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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion

• Your conclusion
• Should I use the conclusion to introduce any new
  points?
• No, except perhaps if you need to briefly
  contextualise what you have discussed as part of
  a wider or related issue.
• A checklist of things your Conclusion could or
  should do ????????????????

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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion
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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion
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Focusing writing your introduction conclusion

• Your conclusion
• Should I present my own opinions in the
  Conclusion?
• Yes, of course, provided
• you write these academically
• the points you are making are to wrap up
  discussion of your topic(s), reminding the reader
  of your findings or bringing together points
  previously addressed individually
• that it is not opinion better placed in your
  main sections, as part of your main body
  discussion remember the Conclusion is not the
  only place for original thinking it is primarily
  for summarising key themes findings established
  in the main body.

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Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• Weeks 1 2 concentrated on the critical
  analytical questioning that is essential to
  obtaining the best evidence to build an effective
  dissertation / project how to get the best
  material from the work of others.
• Critical analysis questioning must also be
  applied to your own work, which is as vital as
  critically analysing the assertions of others.

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Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• Use the following slides to routinely
  self-diagnose the standard of your work from your
  first draft onwards.
• In the final stages of writing, careful critical
  analysis of your work is a powerful
  troubleshooting tool for gauging the
  effectiveness of your work on multiple fronts
• Use the checkboxes to tick off ? all the
  categories only when you feel you have reached
  sufficiently high standards.

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Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• Critical analysis is all about YOU being YOUR
  severest critic!! (you will get constructive
  feedback from your supervisor, but only you can
  be your best critic ).

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Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• 1. Structural / focus / coverage
  considerations
• 2. The academic nature of my work
• 3. Bibliography and referencing technical
• 4. Constructive use of sources to build an
  argument
• 5. Readability effective written
  communication
• 6. Stats and figures
• 7. The importance of consistency.

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Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• 1. Structural / focus / coverage
  considerations
• Is the structure sensible overall?
• Is the structure sensible within each
  individual chapter / section?
• Is everything covered relevant and in the
  right place?
• Is there appropriate fullness of coverage?
• Is there a sensible, logical progression
  through each component theme?

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Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• 2. The academic nature of my work
• Have I written in the third person
  consistently throughout?
• To the best of my ability, does my work aspire
  to sound academic writing practices i.e.,
  attempt to be balanced, unbiased, impartial in
  observation accurate in reflecting the
  research / views of others?

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Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• 2. academic nature (cont)
• Have opportunities to introduce original
  thinking have been seized upon, with arguments
  based on prior discussion (i.e., the literature)
  and defended well?
• Is there sufficient analytical depth to my
  investigation?

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Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• 3. Bibliography and referencing technical
• Is my referencing OK
• Accurate?
• Thorough?
• Consistent in style throughout?
• including page number or full web pathway
  information?
• Is my bibliography accurate, thorough,
  consistent, complete, etc..

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Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• 4. Constructive use of sources to build an
  argument
• Am I using others material (in my words or
  theirs) effectively, i.e., in order
• to build / progress my arguments?, or
• to compare contrast with information/views
  from elsewhere?, or
• to let me convey information useful to get me to
  a point where I can satisfy 1. or 2. or
• help me wrap up move to the next point?
• all fully credited by accurate, honest
  referencing?

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Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• 4. Constructive use of sources (cont)
• Have I presented all the information arguments
  correctly, fairly accurately with no
  misrepresenting of others ideas?
• Have I analysed evaluated the source evidence
  fairly with sufficient depth? Is there
  anything more I need to say? Have I said too
  much?
• Have I identified strengths? weaknesses?
  flaws in thinking?
• (If required) is my primary research well
  interpreted effectively presented?

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Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• 5. Readability effective written
  communication
• Have all necessary technical terms been
  explained (and checked for accuracy)?
• Have all unnecessary technical terms jargon
  been replaced?
• Does my Introduction properly introduce?
• Do my main sections deliver on promises
  signposted in my Introduction?

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Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• 5. Readability ... communication (cont)
• Is my signposting - linking - use of
  connectives present and effective within and
  across chapters?
• Does my Conclusion emphasise and draw together
  all my key findings from my main sections?
• Is there sufficient clarity throughout in terms
  of remembering periodically to refer the reader
  back to the question / title)?

67
Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• 5. Readability communication (cont)
• Is there sufficient descriptive material to
  ensure good linking and flow between all the
  points I raise?
• Is my paragraphing sensible (1 topic sentence
  thereafter only support sentences, per
  single paragraph)?
• Have I achieved effective clarity of written
  expression proper identification tackling of
  difficult points, sentences worked reworked to
  ensure any possible ambiguities or potential
  misunderstandings have been removed?

68
Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• 6. Presenting stats and figures
• Is the chosen data always relevant?
• Is my diagram-based information clearly
  presented?
• Have I sufficiently commented upon (in writing)
  my findings, is my analysis of the data solid/
  interpretation correct?
• Have I presented my findings well, with no hint
  of ambiguity?
• Have I introduced appropriate cautionary /
  qualifying remarks?

69
Critical analysis of your own work editing,
proofreading, troubleshooting

• 7. The importance of Consistency
• Consistency of referencing bibliography has
  been emphasised. What about
• consistency of written expression /
  communication (throughout and within individual
  sections)?
• consistency of argument (throughout and within
  individual sections)?
• consistency of presentational style (throughout
  and within individual sections)?