Analyse - Analyse the brief - UniSkills - Curtin Library Search UniSkills Search all of Curtin UniSkills home Assignment Explore Assignment skills Analysing Unpack and understand your assignment question Finding Learn how to search effectively Reading Explore reading and note taking techniques Citing Master paraphrasing, summarising and quoting Writing Find out how to write with confidence and clarity Referencing Discover the details of referencing Study Explore Study skills Critical thinking Refine your critical thinking skills Study habits Explore effective ways to study and learn Group work Learn about group work and working in teams Oral presentations Polish and perfect your presentation Tests and exams Ace your assessments and written exams LANTITE Prepare for sitting LANTITE Digital Explore Digital skills 23 Things Enhance your digital skills and knowledge EndNote essentials Get started with EndNote EndNote extras Discover advanced functionality for researchers EndNote online Collaborate with EndNote Online Qualtrics Learn how to create a web-based survey NVivo Discover qualitative analysis software NVivo SPSS Learn how to use SPSS for statistical analysis Microsoft Word Explore the key features of Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Discover the fundamentals of Microsoft Excel Numeracy Explore Numeracy skills Fundamentals Learn or refresh key numerical concepts Algebra Discover the fundamentals of algebra Statistics Learn how to calculate and interpret statistics Referencing Explore Referencing skills APA 7th Learn to cite in the APA 7th style Chicago 17th B Learn to cite in the Chicago 17th B style AGLC Learn to cite in the AGLC style Vancouver Learn to cite in the Vancouver style Writing with integrity Integrate referencing into your writing Help Analyse the brief Assignment Analyse the brief Analyse Analyse Toggle Dropdown The assignment journey The assignment question (aka ‘the brief’) Directive verbs Academic writing Brainstorming Thesis statement Toggle Dropdown Draft thesis statement examples Find the thesis statement What you will learn Lecturers and tutors will tell you that the single biggest mistake students make with their early assignments is to misinterpret what the assignment is asking them to do. The first step in successful assignments is to analyse and understand the assignment brief. After completing this module, you should feel confident to: Understand the assignment journey Recognise the components included in your assignment question Organise your thoughts on a topic through brainstorming Write an initial thesis statement, which is a one sentence draft overview of the main idea of the assignment. The assignment journey Completing assignments at university is a lot like undertaking a road trip. There’s a few destinations you will have to pass through: researching, reading, writing and referencing, but at times you might find yourself doubling back and revisiting some of the same tasks. It’s not necessarily going to be a linear progression. The map below gives you a sense of what this journey might look like and also gives you some ideas of what you will discover in future modules. The assignment question (aka ‘the brief’) Read the assignment brief out loud It makes you more aware of the words and the brief in its entirety. Identify and define keywords Keywords are the main concepts, subjects, or topics in your assignment. They will form the basis of your research and are discussed further in the moduleFinding Information. Identify the directive verb Directive verbs give us instructions about what we are required to do. Look for clues Re-read the unit outline. What are the unit’s stated learning outcomes? What have you heard in lectures or been told to read that indicates the main aspects of the unit? The marking guide (often called a marking rubric) is what the marker will use to assess your work. The rubric will tell you what the marker is looking to find in your assignment and the relative value of the different elements in terms of marks. Follow instructions You will likely be provided instructions that outline the type of academic writing you should do, the types and number of sources you can use, the word limit, the referencing style, even the font size and spacing. If you want to maximise your assignment marks, follow these instructions closely! The assignment question will include: Keywords - the concepts which form the basis for your research Directive verb(s) - providing direction for what you need to demonstrate in your assignment Additional information - from the type of assignment, word limit, number and type of sources and more Analyse the following assignment brief and work through the three activities to identify the keywords, directive verbs, and additional information that you will need to consider. Directive verbs Directive verbs are those that give instructions about what you are required to do in an assignment. Below are five commonly used directive verbs. Analyse Compare Contrast Discuss Illustrate Summarise The five directive verbs presented above are only some of those that may appear in your assignment question. Attached is a list of common directive verbs. If the verb used in your question is not listed and you’re not sure of its meaning, look it up in a dictionary. Commonly used directive verbs [PDF, 460kB] Academic writing Academic writing can take many forms, each presented in its own way. Navigate through the activity below to find out more about essays, reports, reflective journals, and literature reviews. Fast forward You’ll learn more about the different forms of academic writing including essays, reports, reflective writing, case studies and literature reviews in our Writing module. 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