Tips and guidance on effective study - simply choose the links that interest you!
The Skills Check is a short survey which should take you no more than 3 minutes to complete. Once you have completed the Skills Check we provide you with a personal learning plan targeted to your personal study needs and goals.
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- Writing in your own words
Writing in your own words
Writing good assignments involves building a well structured argument with logical progression, using supporting evidence. Supporting evidence includes quotations taken directly from other sources, paraphrasing someone else’s writing, or referring to other published work.
Covered in this section
- Quotes
- Paraphrasing
- Referencing
- 20 mins to complete this section
- Video (1)
- Activities (1)
Including supporting evidence demonstrates that your work is rigorous – you show that you have read the relevant books and articles and that you can back up the assertions made in your argument. You do this by
- directly quoting what another academic has said in a book or article (quoting)
- describing that academic’s work but putting it in your own words (paraphrasing)
- stating a fact or research finding and acknowledging where you found it (referencing).
Make it balanced and logical
If you are asked to make an argument for a particular theory or approach, make sure that you make a balanced use of evidence to support your argument. Don't select only those facts or pieces of evidence that support your argument and ignore competing material.
Understand the difference between fact and conjecture. If what you are discussing is only possibly true, not definitely true, you should make that clear with phrases such as: 'this suggests that ...', or 'it is possible that ...'. This is a requirement in all academic disciplines, but is particularly important in science and technology subjects.
In this brief video, OU tutor, Eulina, speaks about the importance of showing your understanding in assignments.
Sign in to view this videoOU websites
- Referencing and plagiarism - the OU Library's page on how to cite the original material you refer to in your assignments
- Developing Good Academic Practices - gives invaluable advice on writing in your own words
- Dictionaries & thesauri - OU Library webpage leading to useful online dictionaries and thesauri, some of which are subject-specific.
Other websites
- Dictionary Link - brings together many dictionaries and thesauri.