Written reports and essays

50

i

Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Business)

College of Business:

Guidelines for referencing and presentation

in written reports and essays

Version: 4

Approved: April 2010

Review date: Not later than December 2011

Contents

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645597" 1.Introduction2

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645598" 2. Referencing4

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645599" 2.2.1 Paraphrasing4

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645600" 2.2.2 Direct quotes4

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645601" 2.3.1 Referencing internet sources5

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645602" 2.4.1 Printed material and multimedia10

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645603" 2.4.2 Electronic journal articles20

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645604" 2.4.5 Order of entries in a reference list22

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645605" 3. Plagiarism25

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645606" 3.1.1 What constitutes plagiarism?25

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645607" 3.1.2 What is the penalty for plagiarism?25

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645608" 4.Essay writing28

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645609" A Step By Step Guide to Essay Writing28

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645610" Step 1 Choose your topic28

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645611" Step 2 Read the instructions, relating to your assessments as set down in your Course Guide28

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645612" Step 3 Analyse the topic28

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645613" Step 5 Starting your research30

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645614" Step 6 Mind mapping30

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645615" Step 7 Focus your research30

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645616" Step 8 Draw up a detailed plan32

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645617" Step 9 Writing the Essay32

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645618" Step 10 Writing the first draft34

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645619" Step 11 Editing your final draft35

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645620" 5. Report Writing36

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645621" A step by step guide to report writing37

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645622" Step 1 Choose your topic37

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645623" Step 2 Read the instructions relating to your assessments as set down in your Course Guide37

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645624" Step 3 Analyse the topic37

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645625" Step 4 Brain storm what do you already know about the issue?37

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645626" Step 5 Starting your research37

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645627" Step 6 Mind mapping37

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645628" Step 7 Focus your research38

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645629" Step 8 Draw up a detailed plan39

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645630" Step 9 Writing the report40

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645631" Step 10 Using your plan to start writing43

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645632" Step 11 Writing the first draft43

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645633" Step 12 Formatting your report44

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645634" Reference list48

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645635" Bibliography48

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645636" Glossary49

HYPERLINK \l "_Toc260645637" Acknowledgements50

Tables

Table TitlePage

Table 1Referencing styles type of author6

Table 2 Referencing styles no author6

Table 3 Referencing styles books 7

Tables 4a-dReferencing styles10

Table 5 Order of entries in a reference list22

Table 6Other referencing systems23

Table 7Commonly used abbreviations in referencing24

Table 8Direct use of another person's work without citation 26

Table 9 Paraphrasing without citation26

Table 10 Piecing together texts and linking them26

Table 11Integrating ideas from multiple sources27

Table 12 How to avoid accusations of plagiarism27

Table 13Action/instruction words used in assessment tasks29

Table 14Mind mapping for essays30

Table 15Checklist for essays34

Table 16Mind mapping for reports38

Table 17Sections of a report40

Table 18Examples of the language used in the different sections of a report45

Table 19Formal versus informal language45

Table 20Report writing checklist 47

Table 21Glossary 49

1.Introduction

The written word is the basis of business communication today, whether in a formal business report, a letter, informal memo or email. As a business professional, you will be judged by how well and how clearly you use words to communicate.

As well as teaching technical business skills in a broad range of disciplines, RMIT Business is also committed to help you develop appropriate business writing skills for the University assessments you will be required to submit.

This document is intended for RMIT Business TAFE and undergraduate students, although postgraduate students are encouraged to use it as a starting point. It details how to format your written work and demonstrates:

the differences between academic essays and business reports;guidelines for their preparation;how to ensure you meet the technical requirements;how to cite references;how to avoid plagiarism.

You will find a set of broad guidelines to help overcome common problems with grammar, formatting, and use of abbreviations. This document is intended as an integral reference on matters of style and method. It will also help you further develop your written communication skills.

The RMIT Business Guidelines are based on the Style manual for authors, editors and printers (2002), referred to here as Style manual (2002) which is published on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia, and is the Commonwealth Governments preferred style. The Style manual (2002) can be used to provide guidance on areas which are not covered in the RMIT Business document, but if there is any inconsistency you should follow the RMIT Business document.

There may be certain other style requirements published in a course guide or indicated by the lecturer in charge.

Examples used in this guide are presented in text boxes to make them easy to follow.

Example of correct in-text reference using quotes

Whilst this work has been developing in the USA it had very different beginnings in Britain (Wright 1982, p. 51).

Additional support and assistance with essay writing, writing style, and referencing can be found by viewing the Learning Lab .

1.1 Getting started

Do not leave the task until the last minute. You are urged to consider the following advice in relation to written assessments:

Start thinking about the topic as soon as it has been selected and list the questions you believe you should try to answer. Do background reading, but keep checking the set topic to ensure that you stay focused.Place the topic of your answer within the appropriate context. For example, an essay question on the macroeconomic policies of a particular country will require you to define macroeconomic before you can write about policies in different countries. So you may need to complete background reading before commencing the specific reading related to your written task.What do you need to fully answer the question? Do you need to collect data, source more reading materials, analyse new or existing data? Where will you source this information?Allow time to secure essential references, remembering most libraries often do not have sufficient multiple copies of references. Learn quickly to get the relevant information for your assignment, using the table of contents, chapter summaries, indexes and reviews. Always record the details of the publications in full for inclusion in your notes or plan in case you decide to refer to a source in your essay.You should use all available research resources including the Internet and other electronic sources, to both save time and allow you to conduct international research and data gathering from home or work. However, in using these new technologies you must ensure that database resources, web pages, email, electronic discussion lists, etc. are properly acknowledged (see chapter 3 for electronic document referencing).

1.2 Editing

Do not leave editing until the last minute, but leave sufficient time to rewrite work to improve your expression. Remove irrelevant or redundant material. Refine arguments to be more concise and forceful, and to remedy any other deficiencies.

Hint:

Often, the best way to ensure your writing flows systematically is to read your work aloud. Your natural pauses become your punctuation and paragraph breaks, and sometimes, while reading aloud, it becomes obvious what needs to be deleted and what is missing from your analysis.

1.3 Confidentiality

If you include confidential and/or controversial material and do not wish your essay or report to be viewed by people other than RMIT staff, you should discuss this with your lecturer or course coordinator.

1.4Referencing

What is referencing?

Referencing means acknowledging someone elses work or ideas. It is sometimes called citing or documenting another persons work.Referencing is a basic University requirement.

As an RMIT Business student, you are required to use the Harvard referencing system as outlined in the following pages. This author date system is based on the Australian Government 2000, Style manual for authors, editors and printers, 6th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Australia.

Note: The Harvard system has many variations. You must use this version known as the AGPS style.

We have created an interactive website to assist you in the pursuit of referencing to the required standard. The site contains examples you can read as well as self help exercise with the information presented in a just in time format. It would be beneficial fore you to bookmark the RMIT Business online referencing resource.

Why reference?

To draw on the ideas, language, data, and/or facts of others. (You are expected to read and research widely.) To provide depth and support to academic work through citation of theories or key writers whose work supports your answer, argument, or contention.To demonstrate knowledge of current thinking in the field.To support academic writing, essays, business reports, and oral presentations.To demonstrate your ability to synthesis and analyse ideas sourced through your research.To acknowledge work from others that you have quoted, summarised, paraphrased, synthesised, discussed or mentioned in your assignments.To provide a list of the publication details so that your readers can locate the source if necessary. To demonstrate the level and breadth of research undertaken by a student. References used correctly will benefit your work and may add to your final grade.

Note:

Without appropriate referencing students are in effect stealing the work of others- this is tantamount to academic fraud and is called plagiarism.Failure to reference your work means that you may be found guilty of plagiarism which incurs academic penalties. Further information can be found at RMIT Regulations 6.1.1 Student Discipline. Failure to use the correct referencing format may affect the grading of your academic work.

2. Referencing

2. 1 Introduction

Whenever you rely on someone elses work you must acknowledge that by providing details of the source. Harvard Referencing has been developed to provide standard, compact ways of conveying this necessary information.

In this system, each reference is indicated in two areas of your work:

in the text (in-text citation) by using the name of the author(s) and the date of publication of the work.In the reference list, where the full details of each reference, including the title and publishing details are given

2.2 In-text citations

There are two ways of referencing in-text:

ParaphrasingDirect quotes

2.2.1 Paraphrasing

When paraphrasing, the ideas of the author(s) are expressed in your own words.

Paraphrasing is used to indicate to the reader:

your understanding of the content in the reference you are using.

your ability to relevantly and appropriately use ideas and information to support an argument or an opinion.

2.2.1.1 How to reference in-text

There are two options for in-text referencing

Adding the citation at the end of the sentence.

Using the authors name as part of your sentence.

When paraphrasing include the authors name and date of publication.

e.g.

Lack of variability in a product is an important measure of its quality (Shannon 2003).

OR

Shannon (2003) describes the role of statistics in minimising product variability.

2.2.2 Direct quotes

When quoting, the exact words of the author(s) are used. Direct quotes should be kept to a minimum.

2.2.2.1 How to reference in-text

There are two options for in-text referencing

Adding the citation at the end of the sentence

Using the authors name as part of your sentence

When using direct quotes include the authors name, date of publication and page number

e.g.

Statistical thinking can be defined as a set of thought processes and value systems that focus on understanding, managing and reducing variation in the output of the firm (Shannon 2003, p. 5).

OR

Shannon defines statistical thinking as a set of thought processes and value systems that focus on understanding, managing and reducing variation in the output of the firm (2003, p. 5).

2.3 A reference list

The publication details of every item cited / used in your writing need to be included in the reference list at the end of your paper. Any websites used must also be documented in full. This enables the reader to locate the source if they wish. Each reference list entry requires a specific format depending on the reference type i.e. whether it is a book, book chapter, journal article, website, etc. This is indicated in the following tables (page 6 onwards).You must use a variety of sources in your written work e.g. books, journals and websites etc. This indicates that you have researched widely.

What is the difference between a reference list and a bibliography?

A reference list details in alphabetical order by author family name, all the works/articles/journals/ monographs/web pages and data sources you have cited in your written work. A bibliography lists, in alphabetical order by author family name, all the works/articles/journals/ monographs/web pages and data sources you have used or accessed to create your written work.

Note: RMIT Business requires all students to use a reference list in assessment tasks unless otherwise instructed by your lecturers.

2.3.1 Referencing internet sources

Referencing of web resources follows the same principles as for printed material. Often it is difficult to decide how to reference a web site, especially when it originates from a corporate or government body.

It may not be clear:

who or which part of an organisation is responsible for the content. (Check the header, footer or About section of the site).when it was created or last updated. (Many sites are continuously updated check for clues such as references to events which happened in a particular year or look for a copyright date. If it is clear that a site is continuously updated use the current year.) which part to take as the title. (Home pages do not always require a title. For subordinate pages, choose the most obvious heading on the page).who is responsible for publishing it.

The important thing is to make it clear exactly which part of the site you are referring to and provide details of the bodies responsible.

Viewed date

As documents on the web are subject to sudden change, it is essential to include the date on which you accessed the document, especially if no date can be found on the document itself.

Web addresses (URL - Uniform Resource Locator)

Provide the full URL for the site.

If you are accessing information via a Library database, give the name of the database not the URL.

As URLs often change, e.g. when a site is restructured, you need to provide sufficient information such as title and author for the reader to locate the document on the site.

Enclose the URL in angle brackets

e.g. . followed by a full stop.

It is important to use the URL prefix to identify type of access involved e.g. http:// ftp:// gopher://

General rules for in-text referencing where the name(s) of the authors are given

For books, journals, websites, conference papers and newspapers, the general rule is to use the family name and the date.

Table 1

Referencing style types of author

In-text reference

One author

Family name

Year of publication

Kumar (2007) argued that

...(Kumar 2007).

Two or three authors

Family name

Year of publication

Brown and Lee (2008) offer the opinion that

....(Brown & Lee 2008).

Four or more authors

The name of the first author followed by et al.

Year of publication

Note: Family names of all authors, and initials, to be used in the reference list

Ng et al. (2004) stated that

(Ng et al. 2004).

For specific information regarding referencing, refer to pages 8-22 of this Guide or use the online referencing resource .

2.4 Books

The following table demonstrates how to correctly reference your work both in-text and in the reference list using books.

Table 3

Reference type

Reference list

In-text citation

Book one author

Family name and initial(s)

Year of publication

Title of book - italicised

Publisher

Place of publication

Shannon, J 2003, A companion to business statistics, Pearson, Frenchs Forest, NSW.

Note the use of upper and lower case in the titles of all books

(Shannon 2003).

OR

Shannon (2003) argues

Note:

for direct quotes enclose the exact words of the writer in

single inverted commas

Include the page number(s)

Shannon (2003, p. 45) defines

...(Shannon 2003, p. 45).

Book four or more authors

The name of the first author followed by et al. is used for the in-text reference.

In the reference list write the names of all the authors.

Kotler, P, Brown, L, Adam, S & Armstrong, G 2004, Marketing, 6th edn, Prentice Hall, Frenchs Forest, NSW.

(Kotler et al. 2004).

OR

Kotler et al. (2004) state ...

No clear author

Where there is no clear author, enter under the title of the book.

Style manual for authors, editors and printers 2002, 6th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Australia.

The Style manual for authors, editors and printers (2002) describes

Edited book

Single editor

Multiple editors

Note:

ed. - editor

eds - editors

Cortada, J (ed.) 1998, Rise of the knowledge worker, Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston.

Cope, B & Mason, D (eds) 2001, C-2-C: creator to consumer in a digital age, Common Ground Publishing, Altona, Vic.

(ed. Cortada 1998).

(eds Cope & Mason 2001).

Book chapter / article

Author(s) of chapter - family name(s) and initial(s)Year of publicationTitle of chapter - in singleinverted commas[in] Editor of book (if different)Title of book italicisedEditionPublisherPlace of publicationPage number(s)

Ahmadjiian, CL 2006, Japanese business groups: continuity in the face of change, in S Chang (ed.) Business groups in East Asia, Oxford university Press, UK, pp.29-52.

Note:

The Initial(s) of editor(s) comes before their family name(s).

Include the page numbers for the whole chapter.

Ahmadjiian (2006) observes that...

...(Ahmadjiian 2006).

E-book Author(s) family name(s), Initial(s)

Year of publication

Title of book,

Edition

Publisher


viewed day month year

database name

When the e-book is in a library database as a page image (pdf), cite it as if it were a hard copy book.

To show where the e-book was located online, add the date of viewing and either database name or URL.

If the book is only available on a Library database as HTML or plain text, then you must cite the date of viewing and either the database name or URL.

Zietlow, J, Hankin, JA & Seidner, AG 2007, Financial management for nonprofit organizations : policies and practices, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

or

Zietlow, J, Hankin, JA & Seidner, AG 2007, Financial management for nonprofit organizations : policies and practices, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, N.J., viewed 7 November 2007, Ebook Library database.

Liu, C & Albitz, P 2006, DNS and BIND, 5th edn, OReilly, Sebastopol, CA, viewed 7 November 2007, .

Zietlow, Hankin and Seidner (2007) state...

.Zietlow, Hankin & Seidner 2007).

Alternatively an anonymous article e.g. from an encyclopedia or dictionary can be cited in the text with no entry in the reference list.

No reference needed.

The new Palgrave dictionary of money & finance (1992) defines hedging as

Several items with same author and year

If you are referring to more than one work written by the same author in the same year, the letters a,b,c etc are added to the date to indicate which one you mean.

In the reference list the works are listed alphabetically according to the title. If the title starts with A, An, or The, the alphabetical order is determined by the second word in the title

Hill, CWL 2004a, Global business today, 3rd edn, McGraw Hill / Irwin, Boston.

Hill, CWL 2004b, Strategic management theory: an integrated approach, 6th edn, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Hill (2004a) suggests that...

Hill (2004b) suggests that...

...(Hill 2004b).

...(Hill 2004a).

Several items with same first author and year

When an author publishes more than one work in the same year, but with different co-authors, the name of the second author determines the order in which the works appear in the reference list.

Kotler, P, Brown, L, Adam, S & Armstrong, G 2004, Marketing, 6th edn, Prentice Hall, Frenchs Forest, NSW.

Kotler, P & Lee, N 2004, Best of breed, Stanford Social Innovation Review , vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 14-23.

Kotler et al. (2004) suggested that...

Kotler and Lee (2004) offer the opinion that...

(Kotler et al. 2004).

(Kotler & Lee 2004).

Secondary citation (citation within a citation)

A secondary citation is when you refer to the work of one author cited by another author.

Primary sources are preferred.

If the original source is not available you must include the name of both writers for in-text references.

Only the source you have read appears in the reference list.

Horton, S 2006, Access by design: a guide to universal usability for web designers, New Riders, Berkeley, California.

Form ever follows function (Sullivan, cited in Horton 2006, p. 1).

In 1896 Louis H. Sullivan observed that form ever follows function (cited in Horton 2006, p. 1).

2.4.1 Printed material and multimedia

Table 4a

Reference type

Reference list

In-text citation

Journal articles

Author(s) family name(s), initial(s)

Year of publication,

Title of article, in single inverted commas

Journal name in italics,

month

volume: vol.

number: no.

issue,

page number(s): p. or pp. for the whole article

Note:

Some journals or magazines are designated by month and year, rather than by volume and issue.

Note:

For journal and newspaper names only, all major words are in upper case

Lencioni, PM 2002, Make your values mean something, Harvard Business Review, July, p. 113.

Sloman, SA, Over, D, Slovak, L & Stibel, JM 2003, Frequency illusions and other fallacies, Organizational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes, vol. 91, no. 2, pp. 296-309.

Weber, T 1999, Gandhi, deep ecology, peace research and Buddhist economics, Journal of Peace Research, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 349-61.

Lencioni (2002) reported that...

...(Lencioni 2002).

Table 4a

Reference type

Reference list

In-text citation

Journal articles online

Author(s) of article - family name(s) and initial(s)


Title of article, in single inverted commas

Journal name, in italics volume: vol.

number: no. .

issue ,

page number(s): p. or pp. viewed day month year, database name or URL.

Note:

Often journal articles come from a variety of different sources. They are cited differently, depending on their format.

If a journal article appears in a library database as a page image (pdf), cite it the same way as the original hard copy format.

If the article was located online, you must add date viewed and either database name or URL.

If the article is only available on a Library database as HTML or plain text, then you must cite the date viewed and either the database name or URL.

If the article has been located on the internet and not on a database, you must cite the date viewed and URL.

Brewer, P & Sherriff, G 2007, Is there a cultural divide in Australian international trade?, Australian Journal of Management, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 113-134.

or

Brewer, P & Sherriff, G 2007, Is there a cultural divide in Australian international trade?, Australian Journal of Management, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 113-134, viewed 11 November 2007, Ebsco database.

Brewer, P & Sherriff, G 2007, Is there a cultural divide in Australian international trade?, Australian Journal of Management, vol. 32, no.1, p 113, viewed 11 November 2007, Factiva database.

Brewer, P & Sherriff, G 2007, Is there a cultural divide in Australian international trade?, Australian Journal of Management, vol 32, no. 1, viewed 11 November 2007, .

Brewer and Sherriff (2007) suggest

...(Brewer & Sherriff 2007).

Table 4a

Reference type

Reference list

In-text citation

Newspaper articles

Author(s) family name(s) and initial(s),


'Title of article - in single inverted commas

Newspaper name in italics,

day month,

page number(s): p. or pp.

Kemp, S 2003 Leak pushes AMP to record low, The Age, 7 August, p. 1 (Business section).

Kemp (2003) reported that ...

...(Kemp 2003).

Note: if the newspaper article does NOT have an author then provide details in in-text citation only, NOT in the reference list or bibliography

Not required.

As stated in The Age (17 August 2007, p. 12)

...(The Age 17 August 2007, p. 12).

Newspaper articles online

Author(s) family name(s) and initial(s)

Year of publication

Title of article - in single inverted commas

Newspaper name in italics

day month

page number(s) p. or pp.


or .

See instructions as for journal articles where citing PDF or HTML formats of newspaper articles

Khadem, N 2007, Lid stays on wages growth, The Age, 15 November, p. 1 (Business section), viewed 16 November 2007, .

Khadem (2007) reported that...

...(Khadem 2007).

Published conference papers

Author(s) family name(s) and initial(s),


'Title of paper - in single inverted commas'

in Editor (if applicable), Title of published conference proceedings, including place held and date(s) in italics, Publisher,

place of publication,

page number(s).

Note: The initials of the editors go in front of the family name(s)

Dong, Y 2001, The Chinese experience, in P Drysdale, (ed.), The new economy in East Asia and the Pacific: Proceedings of the 27th Pacific Trade and Development Conference, Australian National University, Canberra, 20- 22 August, 2001, Routledge Curzon, London and New York. pp. 130-139.

Dong (2001) analysed ...

...(Dong 2001).

Table 4a

Reference type

Reference list

In-text citation

Online conference papers

Author(s) family/surname(s) and initial(s)

Year of publication

'Title of paper - in single inverted commas

Editor (if applicable)

Title of published conference proceedings, including place held and date(s) in italics

Publisher



database name or .

Note:

The initials of the editors go in front of the family name(s)

Jakubowicz, A. 2002, 'Race vilification and communal leadership', in W. Jonas (ed.), Beyond Tolerance: National Conference on Racism, Sydney, 12-13 March 2002, Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, Sydney, viewed 17 June 2002, .

Jakubowicz (2002) argued that

(Jakubowicz 2002).

Unpublished conference papers or presentations

Author(s) Family name(s), Initial(s)

Year of publication

Title of paper use single inverted commas

Paper presented to

Title of conference/forum

Location of conference/forum

Date of conference/forum

Page(s)

Pannan, L, van der Craats, C & McGovern, J 2002, 'Multi-level stepwise approach to engaging all academic staff in on-line delivery', paper presented to 2nd RMIT Teaching and Learning Forum, Melbourne, 24 October 2002.

Pannam, van der Craats and McGovern (2002) described ...

... (Pannam, van der Craats & McGovern 2002).

Theses

Author family/surname and initials Year of preparation of thesis

Title of thesis in single inverted commas

Award,

Institution

Baxter, JS 2001, 'Rural land use and value in Northern Victoria 1880-1960', PhD thesis, RMIT University.

Baxter (2001) investigated..

(Baxter 2001).

Table 4a

Reference type

Reference list

In-text citation

Theses online

Author family/surname and initials

Year of preparation of thesis,

Title of thesis,

Award, Institution,

viewed day month year,

or .

Khanh, VL 2006. Customer Loyalty in Web-based Retailing, PhD thesis, RMIT University, 14 November 2007, .

Khanh (2006) explored...

...(Khanh 2006).

Government publications

These include departmental reports, reports of commissions of inquiry, committees of review and committees of parliament.

Author or organisation name


Title of report,

catalogue. no.,

Publisher,

Place of publication,


Government publications can be reported in a variety of ways. See the Style manual for authors, editors and printers 2002, pp. 220 223 for further examples.

Australia, Parliament 2003, Fraud control arrangements in the Australian Customs Service, Parliamentary Paper 32, Canberra.

(Australia, Parliament 2003).

Government publications online

Author or organisation name Year of publication,Title of report,cat. no.,

Publisher,Place of publication, viewed day month year,.

Many government publications are available on the Internet. The way you access a document affects your citation.

Australian National Audit Office 2003, Fraud control arrangements in the Australian Customs Service, viewed 4 August 2003, .

Note: Enclose the URL address with < >.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004, Mental Health in Australia: A Snapshot, cat. no. 4824.0.55.001. ABS, Canberra, viewed 18 August 2005, .

(Australian National Audit Office 2003).

...(Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004).

Table 4a

Reference type

Reference list

In-text citation

Company or Industry Information

Company name

Year of publication

Title of report in italics

Publisher,Place of publication

Coles Myer Ltd 2005, Corporate social responsibility report 2005, Coles Myer, Tooronga, Vic.

...(Coles Myer Ltd 2005).

Company or industry information online

Company name

Year of publication

Title of report in italics

Publisher,

Place of publication,


.

IBISWorld 2005, Wine Manufacturing in Australia (C2183), IBISWorld Pty Ltd, viewed 28 November 2005, .

Datamonitor 2005, Westfield Group (Australia): company profile, Datamonitor, viewed 23 January 2006, Business Searching Interface (EBSCO) database.

Although the domestic wine market is expected to be stagnant from 2006-2010, wine exports will continue to grow, although at a lower rate than previously (IBISWorld 2005).

The Westfield Group has interests in 129 shopping centres in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and USA (Datamonitor 2005).

CD-ROM

Author(s)/editor(s) name(s), Initial(s)

Year

Title (in italics)

Edition

CD-ROM

Publisher


No author or editor

Note: the in-text reference would be to the title of the CD in italics.

DeBolt, V. 2007, Mastering integrated HTML and CSS, CD-ROM, Wiley Publishing, Indianapolis, USA.

Best practice in sport and recreation for tourism development within APEC economies 2001, CD-ROM, APEC Secretariat, Singapore.

Debolt (2007) suggested that.

(Debolt 2007).

APEC has provided guidelines for developing sports facilities in the region (Best practice in sport and recreation for tourism development within APEC economies 2001).

Table 4a

Reference type

Reference list

In-text citation

Videorecordings and television programs

Title of program italicised (if part of an ongoing series, list the episode title first, then the series name)

year of recording

format

publisher/distributor

place of recording

date of recording (if applicable)

viewed day month year (if applicable)

database name or (if applicable)

Note: the in-text reference would be to the title of the program, also in italics.

Accounting for the environment 1994, videorecording, Educational Media Australia, South Melbourne.

Economy records strongest growth and shows no sign of slowing, another rate rise predicted: Lateline Business 2007, television program, ABC Television, Melbourne, 4 September, viewed 11 January 2008, TVNews Database.

7.30 Report 2005, television program, ABC, 20 November.

Business Sunday 2005, television program, Nine Network, 20 November, viewed 2 December 2005, .

Accounting techniques are increasingly being applied to problems of pollution and land use (Accounting for the environment 1994).

Lateline Business (2007)

On Lateline Business (2007) it was stated that Australian economic growth.

When interviewed on 7.30 Report (2005) the Treasurer said

Several businesses are sponsoring environmental research on Heron Island (Business Sunday 2005)

Personal communications including email, SMS, conversations, interviews

Personal communications should be cited in the text, but do not need to appear in the list of references

Not required.

This was confirmed in an email from C. Costa on 5 November 2007.

Further details of this may be given in the list of references if you wish the reader to be able to follow up the reference. To avoid breaching privacy you should obtain permission of the person before doing this.

Senders name, year, email, date month, .

Hints and Tips on Efficient Reading Strategies

Once you have identified the key words and concepts relating to the topic, use these reading strategies to make your research more efficient and to maximise the use of your time.Skim and scan. Use key words and concepts to quickly locate informationUse chapter headings, abstracts, introductions, conclusions to find the main ideas the writer is exploring if they are relevant continueMake notes when key information has been identified

Contact the Library Liaison Officer for your course if you need assistance. For additional help with reading more efficiently visit the Learning Lab .

Hints and Tips on Critical Reading

One of your tasks when researching is to determine the validity, accuracy and credibility of your sources. This requires you to consider carefully what you are reading. It is always important to critically examine the statements being made and the evidence being used.

For your assessment tasks you will often be using the websites of companies and organisations. The information they provide will be positive and promotional so it is important to question the objectivity and reliability of the data.

Do this by considering the following questions:-

Who is the writer?When was the article written? What evidence has the writer provided to support their argument?How convincing is it? Why? - What are the grounds for saying so?How logical is it? - Again, what are the grounds for saying so?What assumptions / overgeneralizations does the writer make?What are the implications of this work?What has the writer failed to consider? Where are the gaps?Is there evidence of bias?Do you agree or disagree with this writers standpoint?With which parts of the argument do you agree/disagree, and for what reasons?Is the methodology / the analysis appropriate?Are there any weaknesses or errors in the writing or calculations?

What are primary information sources?

Students are required to use primary sources whenever possible. This means that you read and reference the original works of the authors. Information you have gathered from first hand experience eg. an interview or survey is also a primary source.

What are secondary information sources?

When you use the ideas /words of one author that have appeared in another writers text you are using a secondary source.

Below are two examples of how to use a secondary source in a sentence:

Bartlett and Ghoshal (cited in Daft 2004) suggest that companies expanding into global markets are forced to do so because of economic, technological and competitive factors, which relate to economies of scale, economies of scope and cheaper production factors.Companies expanding into global markets are forced to do so because of economic, technological and competitive factors, which relate to economies of scale, economies of scope and cheaper production factors (Bartlett & Ghoshal, cited in Daft 2004).

Step 8 Draw up a detailed plan

Collecting the data for a report takes place over an extended period of time. Before you start writing, you need to use your mind map, your notes from various sources, texts, websites, surveys, interviews and more to draw up a report plan identifying the main ideas and the evidence that supports those ideas.

A plan is like a road map which allows you to have a clear understanding of the direction your report is going to take. A detailed plan can help you to have confidence when you start to write. You know what you want to write, why you are including it and the logical order in which to present it.

Step 9 Writing the report

Report Structure

It is important to follow your course guidelines or company /organisation instructions for your industry projects as guidelines for how to present your report are generally given to you. However, if you have not been given instructions about the format of your report, below is listed the structure of a business report.

Reports are generally divided into the following sections:-

Cover sheet (use the RMIT cover sheet as per your course guide)Title pageAcknowledgements (if necessary)Table of contentsExecutive SummaryIntroductionMain section(s) of the reportConclusionRecommendationsAppendicesGlossaryReference List

Table 17 covers each part in detail.

Table 17

Sections of a report

Explanation

Cover sheet

Download from the Course Guide

Every assignment must have the cover sheet stapled to the front of your assignment.

See .

If you have not used Harvard referencing before, the online tutorial on . will help you.

Step 10 Using your plan to start writing

In Step 8 you wrote a detailed plan which included the various sources, texts, websites, surveys, interviews that you researched for your report. Your plan has identified the main ideas and the evidence that supports those ideas.

Sort your plan into sections so that you know what you want to include in the introduction, the various paragraphs in the main part of your report, the conclusion and recommendations. The more organised this plan is, the easier it will be to write the report.

Step 11 Writing the first draft

Using the detailed plan you have now developed, set aside a block of time to write the first draft of your report. Aim to write the whole report in the time you have set aside as this will give your work a clear flow. Do not be concerned at this stage with headings, numbering systems, correct grammar, spelling, or referencing as this will be done at the editing stage.

Once you have written this first draft it will be much easier to see where evidence is lacking, and where information could be more logically re-organised. Then you can start to create headings and subheadings related to each section of information.

Leave the numbering of each section until you have a final draft.

As you will probably need to write several drafts before the report is ready for submission, make sure you have allowed sufficient time to do this.

When you write your essay, you will need to use techniques such as paraphrasing and synthesising.

Paraphrasing is expressing in your own words the ideas of another writer.

Synthesising is the ability to express in your own words the similarities or differences in the ideas of a number of authors.

You must always acknowledge the sources for your ideas even when you use your own words. For more information on how to paraphrase and synthesise go to .

For more information on how to reference when paraphrasing go to .

Direct quotations are when you use the exact words of the author/source.

You may use direct quotation in your assessment tasks, but these should be kept to a minimum.

Whenever quoting from any source you must correctly reference the work. For further information on how to reference direct quotes, go to .

For more information on direct quotes, go to .

Step 12 Formatting your report

Headings

A report is divided into numbered sections using headings and subheadings which highlight the main parts and ideas within the report. Headings need to be brief and informative.

Headings are used to:

separate the text into smaller, more manageable units that summarise the content of each headed section. assist the reader to find information quickly and easily. present a new idea / aspect of the content.

A sub-heading is used when this idea is extended and further explored.

Numbering system

You need to use a consistent numbering system to identify the different sections of a report. It is recommended that you use the decimal system as shown in the example below.

MANUFACTURING

1.1Staff

1.1.1Recruitment

1.1.2Training

1.1.3Salary

1.1.4Promotion

1.2Equipment

1.2.1Costing and budgeting

1.2.2Ordering

1.2.3Repair and maintenance

1.3Inventory

1.3.1 Raw materials

1.3.2 Component parts

1.3.3 Inventory management

1.4Output

1.4.1Work in progress

1.4.2Finished goods

2 SALES

2.1Staff

2.1.1Recruitment

All numbered sections and headings must all be included in the Table of Contents and must match with the respective page numbers. This ensures that the reader can access information easily.

Remember each page of your report must also be numbered.

Style of language

Reports are intended to be read easily and to provide quick access to information. You are writing about facts or relevant pieces of information. Therefore the style of language is simple and direct.

Sentences should not be complicated - state the point you are making clearly and directly.

A report is written in an objective and impersonal manner as it is presenting facts. Unless you have been asked for your personal opinion you should not be using personal pronouns such as you, we and I. Do not offer your own personal point of view.

Language needs to be formal. Do not use abbreviations or slang or SMS.

Table 18

Examples of the language used in the different sections of a report

Reasons for the report

This report was commissioned as a result of ongoing concerns about..

The report sets out to examine the reasons for

This report investigated..

Objectives

This report aims to explore the options available...

The main objectives of the report are to examine the reasons

This report examines the relationship between

Methodology

In order to review current procedures

Staff members were asked to complete an on-line questionnaire

Findings

The investigation clearly showed that

Initial findings suggest that .

Conclusions

Analysis of the data showed that

The following conclusion can be drawn from the investigation

Recommendations

It is recommended that

Because of the , it is suggested that the following actions be considered.

Do NOT use informal language. Note the way impersonal and passive language has been used in Table 19.

Table 19

Informal versus formal language

Informal

Formal

I think that this sort of thing should never happen again.

Correct procedures, as set out in the Staff Manual, must be followed so that such incidents do not occur again.

I reckon if customers are unhappy about the service or our product, the boss needs to know.

When complaints are made, the problem needs to be reported and the situation monitored.

You should have got the minutes by now.

The minutes for the AGM has been circulated to all participants.

Cul8r

The committee will meet tomorrow.

Bullet points

In some reports, bullet points are acceptable. Check that they are allowed in your report.

When you use bullet points as part of the sentence, each bullet point is in lower case and should be grammatically correct, e.g.

The success of a report depends on:-

the objectivity of the presentation

the value of the research

the analysis of relevant information

the ease with which information can be accessed

Use of visual material

Graphic materials, e.g. figures, tables, illustrations and charts are a very useful way of presenting information.

If used in the text, visual material should be positioned as close as possible to the discussion and cited appropriately, both in the text and the reference list.

If used in the Appendices, they should be clearly labelled and referred to in the discussion within the report. They must also be cited appropriately and listed in the Table of Contents.

In your discussion, you will need to inform the reader what the graphic material represents, e.g. point out any important trends or generalisations and highlight the significant point(s) you are making.

Different types of figures and tables fulfill different functions. You should always choose the most appropriate type of illustration for your purpose. For example:-

line graphs are useful for showing trends, bar graphs clearly show comparisons pie charts can be used to show sub-categories in relation to the whole e.g. the percentage of students attending RMIT University classified by nationality.

If you are giving the report orally, pie charts and graphs are easier to read and understand than tables.

Refer to.

Editing your final draft

You need to edit your draft before submitting the final version.

Read your Course Guide carefully to ensure that you have met the requirements of the assignment.

Observe the word limit or you may be penalised. Word limits, as the words imply, set the limit on the number of words that can be used. The topic has been designed so that the issues and complexities can be explored within this word limit.

Using Tools on the menu bar in Microsoft Word, check your spelling and grammar and make the necessary changes.

Report writing checklist

Have you followed the instructions on report formatting set out in your course guide?

Table 20

Report Writing Checklist

Feature

Details

Title page

Title of the assignmentAuthors nameReceivers nameName of course Date of submission

Table of Contents

Accurate reflection of structureList of tables/figuresHeadings that match page numbers

Executive Summary

A separate pageHeadingSummary of the main points in whole assignmentNumbering

Introduction

Definition of the topic and key termsDelineate the scope and focus of the topicIndicate the writing taskPresent a plan of the argumentShow the writers theoretical approach

Main section of the report

An introductory sectionLogical developments of problem and researchUse quotations as evidenceUse secondary and primary researchConclusionsRecommendation

Conclusion

Restate the main ideasGive the writers personal opinion on the matterState implications

Recommendations

Relate to the conclusionsAre they specificAre they action orientated

Layout of the report

HeadedNumberedSpaced as instructed (+ margins)

Final edit

Spell checkedGrammar checked electronically and personally

For more information on report writing, go to the learning lab .

Referencing

All reports must be referenced according to the guidelines set out at

Documents

Written reports and essays