Developing your academic writing and skills is an integral part of third-level education. The Library provides resources and services to help support your development of core academic skills and upholding your academic integrity.
The Library provides a professional, friendly and free service for all students at Shannon College of Hotel Management. We offer confidential one-to-one support to address any aspect of your academic writing and research. The service aims to help you to become a confident and effective writer and researcher and to help you improve your academic skills so you may be equipped to achieve your full academic potential.
We can guide you on:
Support Service
Note that this is a service to support and guide you with approaching your academic writing and research skills rather than the knowledge content you are demonstrating in your assignments. Thus, availing of the service will not ensure a higher grade on your assignments if you are struggling with the content of the assignment or module. If you are struggling with this, we recommend that you reach out to your lecturer.
Before your appointment, there are a few things you can do to prepare:
Note: This service is not a proofreading or editing service; rather, we will teach you how to proofread and will work collaboratively with you to discuss any concerns you have about your writing and research. If your assignment is due the day of your appointment, the service may not suitable as you may need more time to review your assignment before submitting.
To book an appointment, select the Book an Appointment button, choose an in-person or online appointment, select a date and time that is available and fill out the booking form. A member of the Library Staff will then be in touch to confirm your appointment and may ask for further details regarding what you're looking for assistance with.
Alternatively, the Academic Writing Centre on the University of Galway campus also offers online and in-person appointments to students. You can request an online appointment with a tutor through the Academic Writing Centre webpage.
SAGE Research Methods provides material and useful tools to support users with their research through each step of the process including access to books, journal articles, videos and more. Try out some of the useful tools below.
Methods Map - Explore different aspects of research methods, find definitions for key terminology, and discover content relevant to your research methods.
Reading Lists - Find lists of key reading materials on research methods and statistics resources.
Project Planner - The Project Planner tool guides you through your research project by going through each stage. If you have already started your research, you can select the current stage you're at to find information on that stage. Check out the following sections:
Which Stats Test - It can be difficult to determine which statistical test to use to answer your research question. Use this tool to help you narrow down your options.
See the SAGE Research Methods User Guide for further information on how to use the platform.
These are some key areas where your lecturer may comment on when giving you feedback on a piece of your academic writing. Each section includes more examples of phrases, you may have received variations of these phrases; however, they likely relate to what is explained in the sections below:
Avoid being too descriptive and go beyond just describing or summarising what other sources say. Be more critical by analysing and evaluating your sources in order to develop your own opinions and conclusions. This means evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of what others are saying, compare one piece of information against another, and identifying the significance of the information. Ask yourself why the information is significant in the context of your topic and make sure to tell the reader why. For more information, see this Table comparing functions of descriptive and critical writing or see pages 268-269 in The Study Skills Handbook by S. Cottrell (2019, 5th edn.).
Make sure to present evidence for both sides of the argument so that it is clear you have considered opposing views while presenting your own argument to be more persuasive.
Make sure that your writing does not present like just a list of the other sources. Bring what the different authors are saying together to provide a synthesis of the key points of the argument. To help with this, see the Writing Your Assignment – Planning Template
See work on critical analysis above
Try to paraphrase the information you are incorporating into your discussion. Using too many quotations can take up a large amount of your wordcount while also leaving little room for you to include your own understanding of the topic and your analyses/evaluation of the information. By paraphrasing, you are demonstrating your understanding of the information by not relying on the exact wording of your sources and it can help you leave room for your critical analysis.
This may mean that you need to look at your writing style, it may be too informal. It could also mean that you did not use enough good quality evidence to back up your writing or that there was insufficient analysis and evaluation of the information in your discussion.
Use fewer words, avoid unnecessary wordiness and vague wording. Try to use more plain language and keep to one main idea in a sentence. Make the most of your word limit by clearly and concisely stating your points and ideas. Spend more time revising and editing your writing to make it more concise.
Consider your word choice in your writing. Avoid using everyday language such as informal and colloquial expressions as well as contractions (i.e. use ‘does not’ instead of ‘doesn’t’). Make sure to use an objective/impersonal tone by avoiding the use of personal pronouns like ‘I’, ‘you’ or ‘we’.
You can improve the development of a point you are trying to make by including further sources to back it up or you may need to further develop your analysis of the sources.
Using information from sources is one of the key features of academic writing. Ideally you should try to include at least two sources in each paragraph to back up a point, but to also use more than a couple sources throughout your discussion to show off the breadth and depth of your research. It is also important to properly reference any information you use from other sources in your writing.
Avoid relying on random sources you have found on the internet. It is important to pay attention to the quality of the sources you use. Try to use more academic sources such as journal articles, academic books/ebooks, reputable websites, and sources highlighted by your lecturers. By using a wide variety good-quality sources in your writing, it will be clear the amount of reading and research you conducted alongside supporting your points throughout your writing.
Make sure to use more up to date sources. Generally, you will likely be asked to discuss the current issues or trends of a topic, so it is important to pay attention to when the sources you choose are published.
Make sure you clearly reference every source you either paraphrase or quote in your writing. Also make sure you have followed the Harvard referencing style as outlined on the Shannon Library Referencing Guide. It is a good idea to do your referencing as you make your notes when you are researching for your assignment, that way you know exactly which source you got the information from, and you have the references ready to go into your draft. By making sure to include your in-text citations and references, your lecturer can take a quick glance over your paper to see how many and what types of sources you have used. Referencing properly can show off all the hard work you have done!
Do not copy and paste anything directly into your writing. Avoid accidentally including plagiarised information in your work by keeping good, organised notes when doing your research by paraphrasing the information and including the correct reference. To help with this, see the Writing Your Assignment – Planning Template
Before you start writing your assignment, spend time planning your work and this will help to improve your structure. By putting in time to plan your assignment, it will help you to make sure you address the question(s) or task(s) outlined on the assignment brief.
Make sure to clearly state your argument in the introduction and conclusion as well as in each paragraph. Each point you make throughout your discussion should support or link to your overall argument and link to the question you are being asked. Spend more time planning for your assignment by carefully reading through the assignment brief to fully understand what you are being asked to do and spend time structuring your argument and main points. To help with this, see the Writing Your Assignment – Planning Template
Check to see if your ideas are presented in a logical order. Also make sure that your points are clear, that they connect and relate to each other and that they link to your overall discussion. Check to see if each of your paragraphs stick to one point, if your sentences are too long and look over your grammar and punctuation.
Don’t underestimate the importance of proofreading. Always leave a day or two before your work is due to have a final check of the structure of your paragraphs and sentences and to proofread your grammar, punctuation and spelling. Try not to hide your hard work behind basic errors. Put in the time to polish of your final draft.
The Library proactively supports and enhances the learning, teaching, and research activities of the University. The Library acts as a catalyst for your success as University of Galway’s hub for scholarly information discovery, sharing, and publication.
Library
University of Galway
University Road,
Galway, Ireland
T. +353 91 493399
