understanding assignment briefs

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How to Analyse an Assignment Brief

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To do well in your assignments, you will need to analyse your assignment briefs carefully.

The purpose of this handout is to:

• Provide you with an effective strategy for analysing assignment briefs
• Demonstrate the strategy on an example assignment brief
• Give you the opportunity to practice the strategy on further examples

The example briefs may not be from your subject area. However, as you will see, the strategy we demonstrate will be useful for almost all assignment briefs.

Using a strategy

When your markers write an assignment brief, they choose their words carefully in order to communicate their expectations. Therefore, a structured analysis of your assignment brief gives you the best chance of writing a successful assignment.

In almost every brief, there will be words and phrases that:

• Direct you towards the kinds of thinking and writing you need to demonstrate;
• Advise on what the content should be.

There may also be words and phrases that:

• Inform your approach ;
• Give you clues about how your writing should be organised and presented .

Therefore, an effective strategy is to highlight words and phrases in these categories so that you are able to take note of them. This handout uses an example assignment brief to walk you through this process.

Step 1. Highlight directive words

Directive words prompt you to engage in the kinds of thinking and writing you need to demonstrate in the assignment.

Directive words may include:

Verbs like evaluate , analyse , explain , recommend and illustrate .

Sometimes these words may be in the present tense:

e.g. “… illustrating your points with examples”

• The result of actions:

Words like evaluation , analysis , explanation , and illustration tell you the output of the kind of thinking your markers are looking for. These are called nominalised verbs.

These kinds of words are paired with others like write , conduct , include or produce :

For example:

• ‘write an explanation’
• ‘conduct an analysis’
• ‘include an illustration’
• ‘produce an evaluation’

There is no need to highlight words like write and include .

• A special case:

You may also see words and phrases like use, utilise, draw on and apply. These words usually precede words and phrases that will inform your approach. Highlight these in a different colour.

In the example brief, there are several directive words:

Using the IKEA case study provided and at least one theory from the module, produce a critical analysis and evaluation of IKEA’s recruitment policies.

Discuss potential approaches that IKEA could implement to improve its recruitment practices.

Step 2. Highlight content words

After highlighting the directive verbs, use a different colour highlighter to identify the content words—i.e. the content you are expected to write about.

In the example, the content words are highlighted in green:

Using the IKEA case study provided and at least one theory from the module, produce a critical analysis and evaluation of IKEA’s recruitment policies .

Discuss potential approaches that IKEA could implement to improve its recruitment practices .

If you are analysing a complex assignment brief, it can often be useful to identify the pairings of directive words and content words.

In the example brief, there are three pairs of directive and content words:

Directive word(s):    critical analysis

Content words:        IKEA’s recruitment policies

Directive word(s):    evaluation

Directive word(s):    discuss

Content words:        potential approaches that IKEA could implement to improve its recruitment practices

Once you have identified the content words/phrases , these should be the focus of your reading and research. The directive words allow you to identify the kinds of questions you will need to be thinking about as you read.

For instance, in the example brief, the markers have asked you to discuss potential approaches . Therefore, as you read about a potential approach, you will need to be asking questions like:

• What are the different points of view about this approach?
• What evidence is there for these points of view?
• What are the approach’s strengths and weaknesses?
• What are the implications of this approach?
• What is my point of view?

Step 3. Highlight words that inform your approach

Some briefs may include words and phrases that are designed to inform your strategy or approach towards the assignment. These tend to be in two categories:

• Tools and resources you should use.

These may include:

• Types of evidence/data
• Case studies
• Specific personal experiences (e.g. for a reflective assignment)
• Limits or boundaries you must stay within
• The number of theories, models, etc. to include
• The types/categories of examples, models, theories, etc. to consider

Not all briefs are prescriptive in this way. However, you will still need to consider whether and how you should use these kinds of tools in order to write an effective answer.

In the example below, the words/phrases designed to inform your approach are all highlighted in blue:

Using the IKEA case study provided and at least one theory from the module , produce a critical analysis and evaluation of IKEA’s recruitment policies.

Even though sources are not mentioned in this example brief, all assignments at university will need to make use of high-quality, relevant sources, such as journal articles and academic books.

However, remember that different disciplines (and also assignments) may require you to make use of different types of sources. If in doubt, discuss your choice of sources with your lecturer or your academic liaison librarian.  You can find who this is for your discipline at this link: https://libguides.coventry.ac.uk/all .

If your brief asks you to choose a theory, model, case study, etc., you will first need to identify your options. Start by reviewing the material from your lectures and the reading list to identify appropriate options. It can also often be a good idea to discuss your options with your tutor.

Once you have identified your options, you will need to identify the best one(s) for your assignment. You will want to consider their relevance, usefulness, and whether they are accepted within your field. Depending on the assignment, you may need to justify your choice in your writing.

Step 4. Highlight words related to organisation and presentation

You will already be aware that your assignment will have a word count. However, you may also be given further direction about how to organise and present your assignment.

For example, the brief may be explicit about the genre you are expected to produce. You may be asked to write any of the following genres:

• Research proposal
• Project proposal
• Reflective log
• Annotated bibliography
• Literature review
• Dissertation
• Presentation
• Academic poster

This is not an exhaustive list. There is a wide range of academic genres you may be asked to write at university. Each genre is organised and presented in conventional ways, which may vary from discipline to discipline. You will find useful information about genres in many of the books about academic writing in the Study Skills Section of the library.

Your markers may also have provided a structure (i.e. a set of sections) for your assignment. When analysing the brief, remember to highlight whether this structure is mandatory or simply a suggestion:

• If the structure is mandatory, you must use the structure in the brief. If you fail to do so, you will lose marks.  
• If the structure is a suggestion, try generating your own ideas first. Develop a structure that makes sense to you, then compare your structure with theirs. You can use your structure, theirs or a hybrid. Just make sure your choice is appropriate for the genre, logical, coherent, and allows you to fully answer the brief.

Exercises on Analysing an Assignment Brief

The best way to learn any new skill is to put it into practice.  The pdf document contains A ppendix One for two example briefs and Appendix Two for the answers.

Cottrell, S. (2019). Macmillan study skills: The study skills handbook (5th ed.). Red Globe Press.

Greetham, B. (2018). How to write better essays (4 th ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.

The University of Adelaide. (2014). Writing essays: Writing centre Learning Guide. Writing Centre. https://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/sites/default/files/docs/learningguide-writingessays.pdf

University of Birmingham. (2017). A short guide to understanding your assignments. Library Services. https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/asc/documents/public/Short-Guide-Understanding-assignment.pdf

To cite this resource:

Coventry University. (2022). Analysing an Assignment Brief. Centre for Academic Writing. https://libguides.coventry.ac.uk/CAWhomepage/analysinganassignmentbrief

The Meaning of Directive Words

A ‘ Definitions of Directive Words ’ document can be found downloaded as a pdf document at the bottom of this page.  The document lists directive verbs and their typical meanings. However, be aware that the meanings of these words can vary between disciplines. Additional definitions can be found in Cottrell (2019, p. 285) and Greetham (2018, pp. 48-50).

Further Support

CAW offers writing development workshops across all genres of academic writing in order to build on your learning.  To view available workshops and book online, please visit:  https://libcal.coventry.ac.uk/calendar/caw

• How to Analyse an Assignment Brief Download pdf of 'How to Analyse an Assignment Brief' containing exercises.
• Definitions of Directive Words Download pdf of 'Definitions of Directive Words'
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8 Understanding the assignment brief

When faced with an assignment, ask yourself the following: Do you know what the assignment is asking you to do? Are you certain that you know how to interpret the question that has been set (i.e. what approach you are expected to take)? Understanding the assignment brief and interpreting the question correctly are essential requirements.

Assignment keywords can inform you about topics, resources or a particular area that you should focus on. These ‘content’ words tend to be nouns. Other keywords and phrases instruct you on the approach that you should take in answering the assignment, often expressed as imperatives such as ‘Assess the impact of…’ or ‘Explain the importance of …’. These are ‘process words’ or ‘command verbs’.

Table 1 Keywords (‘process words’) and phrases frequently used in assignment questions [ Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. ( Hide tip ) ]   highlights some important process words and phrases that are frequently used in assignment questions. The table also indicates the style or approach expected for the piece of writing. While the explanations provided here are generally accepted, you should consider process words in the context of the question as a whole. If you are in doubt about the wording of a question, you should consult your tutor. Box 2 in the previous section has further useful tips on writing assignments.

Activity 3 An effective assignment

In your view, and based on what has been discussed so far in this session, what do you think an effective assignment (piece of academic writing such as an essay or dissertation) should demonstrate at postgraduate level?

Write down your thoughts. You may wish to use a mind map for this activity.

We don’t expect you to have noted everything down! You may have picked up on a few of these points however, and we will be exploring these further a little later on, but do take the time to reflect on the following at this point.

An effective assignment (piece of academic writing at postgraduate level) would:

• show that you understand the subject and have addressed the learning outcomes
• show you have answered the question being asked and interpreted this correctly
• meet the requirements of the assignment (the assignment brief) fully
• be focused and well-structured and written in a coherent manner, with sentences and paragraphs that link logically
• use different theories, examples, arguments and perspectives to create a discussion of the topic
• show that you have read more widely and engaged with the subject at a deeper level
• be referenced correctly in the style of your discipline
• use formal language with correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling
• express your arguments clearly and concisely
• adopt a style and ‘academic voice’ (tone) that is suited to the task and target audience.

NCI LIBRARY

Academic writing skills guide: understanding assignments.

• Key Features of Academic Writing
• The Writing Process
• Understanding Assignments
• Brainstorming Techniques
• Planning Your Assignments
• Thesis Statements
• Writing Drafts
• Structuring Your Assignment
• How to Deal With Writer's Block
• Using Paragraphs
• Conclusions
• Introductions
• Revising & Editing
• Proofreading
• Grammar & Punctuation
• Reporting Verbs
• Signposting, Transitions & Linking Words/Phrases
• Using Lecturers' Feedback

Below is a list of interpretations for some of the more common directive/instructional words. These interpretations are intended as a guide only but should help you gain a better understanding of what is required when they are used. 

Communications from the Library:  Please note all communications from the library, concerning renewal of books, overdue books and reservations will be sent to your NCI student email account.

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Preparing for Academic Writing

• Understanding the Question
• Planning Your Assignment Timeline
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What is meant by understanding the question? 

Understanding the question is the first and most important step when starting your assignments, as it means you can start your research and writing focused and on the right track. 

It is vital that you answer the question and fulfil the learning outcomes to pass your assessments and gain good marks. You could write an excellent essay, but if it does not answer the question asked or satisfy the learning outcomes it will not get the grade it deserves. 

Information for an assignment can be found in the assignment brief and the learning outcomes/objectives. The assignment brief will tell you what you need to produce e.g., an essay about the First World War; and learning outcomes describe what you need to demonstrate to achieve different marks e.g., critical analysis. You will find your assignment brief and learning outcomes in the handbook for each of your modules. 

How can I understand the question? 

The first step in understanding the question is to find and analyse the information given to you in your assignment brief and learning outcomes. If anything is unclear in these, you can ask your lecturer for clarification.  

When analysing the assignment question there are two things to look out for: ‘Instruction Words’ and ‘Subject Words’.  

Instruction Words are words that tell you what you need to do within your essay. Here are some examples:  

Compare 

Critically analyse 

Assess 

Instruction Words have specific meanings and affect what you are expected to write on a given topic. An assignment evaluating the causes of World War 1 would be very different to one describing the causes of World War 1. Evaluation requires analysis of the facts, where description requires the facts to be set out. As Instruction Words having distinct meanings, it is crucial that you define any instruction words in the question, assignment brief or learning outcomes to ensure you understand what is expected of your essay.  

Subject Words are words that inform you of the topics and specific areas that you should cover within your answer. These are often subject specific. Subject Words set the scope of the question and inform your research questions.   

For example: 

Analyse the impact of the Tea Act (1773) on UK Public Health, with a focus on middle and lower classes. Justify your findings with evidence and identify any limitations in your argument. 

The Instruction Words are ‘analyse’, ‘justify’, ‘evidence’ and ‘identify’.  

The Subject Words are ‘impact’, 'Tea Act (1773)’, ‘UK Public Health’ ‘focus on middle and lower classes’. 

As well as looking at the question, look at the assignment brief and any outcomes or objectives that you are asked to achieve. These will include factors such as more detailed key words, word limits and time scales. This information should inform your assignment timeline and planning.  

Throughout the process of researching and writing the assignment your knowledge and understanding of the question will grow and develop. To avoid going outside the scope of the assignment during your research, it is advised that you reflect and re-examine your assignment information before you write your assignment.  

For more information about how you can understand your question, check out ' The Assignment Journey Podcast' episode 'The First Steps', located in the resources section of this page.  

Furthermore, 'Understanding the Question' is covered in our Academic Writing Workshop: 'Preparing for Academic Writing'. You can find it on the Develop@Derby workshops calendar  here .

In this episode of the Assignment Journey Podcast Alex and Naomi (Senior Skills Officer), go through what the first steps are that you could take when you are given an assignment. They discuss using the assignment brief and what questions you can ask to understand the question. Their advice is backed up by voices of current University of Derby Students.

Understanding the question

In this video recorded live during the Introduction to the Key Skills Workshop on the 22nd September 2020, Alex from the Skills team outlines tips and advice for ensuring that you understand the assignment question so that you can ensure that your answer in relevant and hits the marking criteria.

How can I check I am answering the question

In this 8 minute video from the Understanding the Question livestream, Naomi and Alex from the Skills Team discuss ways that you can check that you are answering the question throughout your assignment.

The First Steps: Understanding the Question

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10 stages to writing an effective assignment brief

Posted by Matt Lingard | May 21, 2015 | Ideas | 0 |

What is of particular value to the individual academic practitioner is the 10 stage step-by-step process offered by the authors. It suggests a very structured approach to designing assignment briefs that clearly communicate purpose and expectations.

While the resource may not bring anything new to the table it is very useful in that it provides details of every stage of the development of an assignment brief (see, in particular, the underlying principles of the guidelines for a break down). Colleagues who are considering reviewing their assessment strategy on a module or a course would benefit tremendously from looking at this resource and checking the ways in which assignments are communicated against these guidelines. In particular, I would suggest that all academic practitioners look at the section “Assignment Brief Enhancement F: Delivery”. This section deals with the importance of how assessment briefs are communicated to students. It emphasises how students need time to both process and engage with the brief: something we may not always pay enough attention to as practitioners.

Find the guidelines  here.

About The Author

Matt Lingard

Head of Learning Technology

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Assignments usually ask you to demonstrate that you have immersed yourself in the course material and that you've done some thinking on your own; questions not treated at length in class often serve as assignments. Fortunately, if you've put the time into getting to know the material, then you've almost certainly begun thinking independently. In responding to assignments, keep in mind the following advice.

• Beware of straying.  Especially in the draft stage, "discussion" and "analysis" can lead you from one intrinsically interesting problem to another, then another, and then ... You may wind up following a garden of forking paths and lose your way. To prevent this, stop periodically while drafting your essay and reread the assignment. Its purposes are likely to become clearer.
• Consider the assignment in relation to previous and upcoming assignments.  Ask yourself what is new about the task you're setting out to do. Instructors often design assignments to build in complexity. Knowing where an assignment falls in this progression can help you concentrate on the specific, fresh challenges at hand.

Understanding some key words commonly used in assignments also may simplify your task. Toward this end, let's take a look at two seemingly impenetrable instructions: "discuss" and "analyze."

1. Discuss the role of gender in bringing about the French Revolution.

• "Discuss" is easy to misunderstand because the word calls to mind the oral/spoken dimension of communication. "Discuss" suggests conversation, which often is casual and undirected. In the context of an assignment, however, discussion entails fulfilling a defined and organized task: to construct an argument that considers and responds to an ample range of materials. To "discuss," in assignment language, means to make a broad argument about a set of arguments you have studied. In the case above, you can do this by
• pointing to consistencies and inconsistencies in the evidence of gendered causes of the Revolution;
• raising the implications of these consistencies and/or inconsistencies (perhaps they suggest a limited role for gender as catalyst);
• evaluating different claims about the role of gender; and
• asking what is gained and what is lost by focusing on gendered symbols, icons and events.

A weak discussion essay in response to the question above might simply list a few aspects of the Revolution—the image of Liberty, the executions of the King and Marie Antoinette, the cry "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite!" —and make separate comments about how each, being "gendered," is therefore a powerful political force. Such an essay would offer no original thesis, but instead restate the question asked in the assignment (i.e., "The role of gender was very important in the French Revolution" or "Gender did not play a large role in the French Revolution").

In a strong discussion essay, the thesis would go beyond a basic restatement of the assignment question. You might test the similarities and differences of the revolutionary aspects being discussed. You might draw on fresh or unexpected evidence, perhaps using as a source an intriguing reading that was only briefly touched upon in lecture.

2. Analyze two of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, including one not discussed in class, as literary works and in terms of sources/analogues.

The words "analyze" and "analysis" may seem to denote highly advanced, even arcane skills, possessed in virtual monopoly by mathematicians and scientists. Happily, the terms refer to mental activity we all perform regularly; the terms just need decoding. "Analyze" means two things in this specific assignment prompt.

• First, you need to divide the two tales into parts, elements, or features. You might start with a basic approach: looking at the beginning, middle, and end. These structural features of literary works—and of historical events and many other subjects of academic study—may seem simple or even simplistic, but they can yield surprising insights when examined closely.
• Alternatively, you might begin at a more complex level of analysis. For example, you might search for and distinguish between kinds of humor in the two tales and their sources in Boccaccio or the Roman de la Rose: banter, wordplay, bawdy jokes, pranks, burlesque, satire, etc.

Second, you need to consider the two tales critically to arrive at some reward for having observed how the tales are made and where they came from (their sources/analogues). In the course of your essay, you might work your way to investigating Chaucer's broader attitude toward his sources, which alternates between playful variation and strict adherence. Your complex analysis of kinds of humor might reveal differing conceptions of masculine and feminine between Chaucer and his literary sources, or some other important cultural distinction.

Analysis involves both a set of observations about the composition or workings of your subject and a critical approach that keeps you from noticing just anything—from excessive listing or summarizing—and instead leads you to construct an interpretation, using textual evidence to support your ideas.

Some Final Advice

If, having read the assignment carefully, you're still confused by it, don't hesitate to ask for clarification from your instructor. He or she may be able to elucidate the question or to furnish some sample responses to the assignment. Knowing the expectations of an assignment can help when you're feeling puzzled. Conversely, knowing the boundaries can head off trouble if you're contemplating an unorthodox approach. In either case, before you go to your instructor, it's a good idea to list, underline or circle the specific places in the assignment where the language makes you feel uncertain.

William C. Rice, for the Writing Center at Harvard University

Understanding the Assignment

There are four kinds of analysis you need to do in order to fully understand an assignment: determining the purpose of the assignment , understanding how to answer an assignment’s questions , recognizing implied questions in the assignment , and recognizing the disciplinary expectations of the assignment .

Always make sure you fully understand an assignment before you start writing!

Determining the Purpose

The wording of an assignment should suggest its purpose. Any of the following might be expected of you in a college writing assignment:

• Summarizing information
• Analyzing ideas and concepts
• Taking a position and defending it
• Combining ideas from several sources and creating your own original argument.

Understanding How to Answer the Assignment

College writing assignments will ask you to answer a how or why question – questions that can’t be answered with just facts. For example, the question “ What are the names of the presidents of the US in the last twenty years?” needs only a list of facts to be answered. The question “ Who was the best president of the last twenty years and why?”  requires you to take a position and support that position with evidence.

Sometimes, a list of prompts may appear with an assignment. Remember, your instructor will not expect you to answer all of the questions listed. They are simply offering you some ideas so that you can think of your own questions to ask.

Recognizing Implied Questions

A prompt may not include a clear ‘how’ or ‘why’ question, though one is always implied by the language of the prompt. For example:

“Discuss the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on special education programs” is asking you to write how the act has affected special education programs. “Consider the recent rise of autism diagnoses” is asking you to write why the diagnoses of autism are on the rise.

Recognizing Disciplinary Expectations

Depending on the discipline in which you are writing, different features and formats of your writing may be expected. Always look closely at key terms and vocabulary in the writing assignment, and be sure to note what type of evidence and citations style your instructor expects.

About Writing: A Guide Copyright © 2015 by Robin Jeffrey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Academic Skills Workshops: Understanding your Assignment Brief

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Understanding your assignment brief

[9 minutes 4 seconds]

For more on this topic, visit  Interpreting assignment briefs .

You can find a copy of the PowerPoint for this workshop below.

You will also find a list of process words and their meaning, along with an activity to test your knowledge. 

The content in our  Assignment planning  workshop is a useful follow-up to this one.

• Process words and their meanings
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Understanding your assignment questions: A short guide

• Introduction

Breaking down an assignment question

Ways to get started, how do you narrow down a broad or general essay question, parts of a question, specific vs general essay questions.

• Further reading and references

Before you attempt to answer an assignment question, you need to make sure you understand what it is asking.

This includes the subject matter, but also the way in which you are required to write.

Different questions may ask you to discuss, outline, evaluate...and many more. The task words are a key part of the question.

Once you have broken down and understood your assignment question, you can start to jot down your ideas, organise your research, and figure out exactly what point you want to argue in your essay.

Here is something to try if you are struggling to get going with responding to the assignment question:

• Try to come up with a one word answer to the question ('yes,' 'no',' maybe'- or perhaps two words: 'not quite'; ''only sometimes');
• Then expand the one-word answer into a sentence summarising your reason for saying that;
• Then expand that sentence into three sentences. This could be the beginning of your essay plan.
• Choose one or two key aspects of the topic to focus your argument around.
• Focus on a few examples rather than trying to cover everything that falls under that topic.
• Decide on a standpoint you want to argue (this applies to specific essay questions too).
• Make sure your introduction explains your chosen focus aim and argument. 

Directive or task words : Tell you exactly what to do e.g., discuss, argue etc.

Subject matter : Specifically what you should be writing about. 

Limiting words : Parts of the question that may narrow or alter the focus of your answer. 

Example : To what extent can the novel White Teeth by Zadie Smith be read differently in the light of the 9/11 Terrorist Attack?

• To what extent: This indicates you will need to explore both sides of the topic in a critical way and reach a decision
• Be read differently: This limiting phrase indicates that you will not be writing everything you know about White Teeth and 9/11. You will be focussing on whether or not the terrorist attack alters our reading of the novel. Every point you make should contribute to this.
• White Teeth: You will need to focus on this novel
• 9/11 Terrorist Attack: You will also need to write about this event in relation to the novel

Some essay questions may have a narrow focus e.g., 'To what extent can it be argued that Byron and Keats are second generation Romantic poets?'. 

While other may be quite broad e.g., ' Evaluate the effect of landscape on the expansion of the town'.

The first example indicates exactly which poets to focus on, and which aspect of their work to explore. The second example is much broader: it doesn't specify which features of landscape, or which towns should be analysed. 

Even if the essay question is broad, your answer should have a clear and specific focus. Therefore, you need to choose an area of the topic to concentrate on. If answering the second of the two questions above, you would not need to write about the impact if every type of landscape on every town in the world. It is normally better to write a lot about a little, rather than a little about a lot. 

It is also important to note that, although the specific essay question tells you which poets to focus on and which aspect of their work to discuss, it does not dictate which way you have to argue. You are still free to choose your own standpoint (based on evidence) as to whether or not Byron and Keats can be seen as second generation Romantic poets. 

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Understanding the Assignment: Writing

• The Tension
• The Question

Overview of understanding the assignment

So you have been given an essay title: now what? Many writers move straight from reading the assignment prompt to paddling around in a swimming pool of bewildered dread. If that's you, please hop out of the dread-pool and inhale. It's going to be okay!

Getting to grips with the expectations for an assignment can take a lot of back-and-forth: read the prompt or title; jot down some ideas; take a walk; revisit the prompt to highlight key phrases; read a couple journal articles; and so on. Please don't expect to read the essay title and immediately sit down to write a focused rough draft. That's not how writing works.

That said, there  are  organised approaches you can deploy when you don't get what you're supposed to do. Stick with this guide to discover quick activities that will help you lay a productive foundation.

Guide contents

The tabs of this guide will support you in unpicking assignment prompts and learning what to do with them. The sections are organised as follows:

• The Verb  - Begin breaking down the essay title, and get to grips with what you are actually meant to do .
• The Tension - Identify the zone of uncertainty where ideas start to take shape.
• The Question   - Use question-based tactics to begin moving from essay title to essay plan.
• The Scope - Learn why instructors love to assign essay titles that feel totally mismatched to the word count limits, and how to navigate this.

What's the verb?

Highlighting key words in the essay title or assignment brief is a great first step in understanding the assignment. Among those words, make sure you pay close attention to the verb – that is, the action word that indicates what you are expected to do . Consider this example:

" Critically evaluate whether the Magna Carta is still relevant today."

To evaluate , you reach a conclusion about a topic by considering evidence that supports different positions on, or perspectives about, that topic. The adverb critically emphasizes the need not only to explore a range of evidence, but to assess it in an argumentative (rather than simply descriptive) manner.

What if we slightly amend the verb? Consider this change:

" Critically discuss whether the Magna Carta is still relevant today."

Does changing the verb from evaluate to discuss meaningfully change your goal? To be honest, most instructors use these verbs interchangeably in essay briefs. For some, though, discuss would suggest greater emphasis on forging a dialogue between sources, demonstrating where perspectives align and where they diverge.

Importantly, the expectation to be critical exists with essay verbs like discuss, evaluate, analyse, examine , etc. even if the adverb critically isn’t used. Unless you are specifically asked to summarise or describe something in an objective way, criticality is key.

The likely suspects

Instructors describe assignment aims in any number of ways, but there tends to be shared language when it comes to the key verbs. Below, you will find a sampling of the most common "actions" to conduct as a writer, with explanations and tips to help you out.

Advise, suggest, recommend, propose

• With verbs like these, you need to use informed logic and relevant supporting evidence  to put forward an approach, idea, solution, or similar. For example, you might  propose  a specific treatment protocol based on critically synthesizing   a patient's case history, NHS guidelines, and evidence from medical journals. You might  recommend   a specific advertising approach based on a company's financial goals, their target consumers, and marketing research.
• When asked to suggest a path forward, don't sit on the fence : it would be unwise to list a variety of options without critically and clearly "backing" one of them. However, it does demonstrate good critical thought to address any shortcomings or risks in your proposal, and how these might be mitigated.

Analyse, examine

• Here, you are being asked to break something down and consider its parts . This requires close critical attention.
• Imagine your topic as a cube. Instead of standing back and saying, "That's a cube," you will take the cube into your hands and rotate it again and again, carefully investigating each of its facets.
• For example, to analyse a business model, you would break the model down into its parts (e.g. management, target clients, production, distribution, etc.) and "dig into" those. Depending on the scope of the assignment, you might need to further break down the parts you identify.

Assess, appraise, evaluate

• Here, you are being asked to reach conclusions about the validity, efficacy, reliability, impacts, etc. of something. That "something" could be a piece of academic literature (e.g. critical appraisals of medical studies). It might be a policy, law, or similar (e.g. assessment of a judicial change intended to reduce crime). Maybe it's a business campaign or financial restructure – many options exist!
• In any case, ensure you understand not only  what  you are meant to assess (the object), but  how  that object is best evaluated in your field (the approach/method). Are there industry standards that govern "success"? Do you need to use a particular appraisal tool that features set steps?

Compare, contrast

• C ompare  suggests the need to find the similarities and differences between two things;  contrast  calls for you to compare two things with more attention paid to differences.
• Instructors will almost never ask you to compare/contrast in a merely descriptive way, so look for the next step: what are you expected to do with , or make of , the comparison(s)? For example, you might contrast two interpretations of a cultural artefact in order to analyse  how and why the differences exist.

Defend, argue, make an argument

• These verbs call for you to back a  stance or perspective . You should focus on making clear claims and offering solid academic evidence to support them.
• When you have to argue a point, don't forget to engage with counterarguments.  Think of it this way: your instructor KNOWS that multiple perspectives exist, or they wouldn't have assigned the essay! Actively grappling with any counterarguments (and conceding minor points as needed) boosts the sense that a) you are trustworthy, and b) you conducted balanced research.

Discuss, explore

• These verbs are worryingly vague, but don't fret. Discuss  and  explore  imply that you should consider the topic from more than one angle, using academic literature to capture multiple perspectives.
• Hint: if you pretend the assignment says  analyse , instead, this tends to produce what the instructor was hoping for.

Outline, delineate

• The goal with these verbs is to identify the main beats  of something. For example, if you are asked to "outline the political strategy used by Politician ABC in Election XYZ," make sure you communicate the primary components or elements of the overall strategy. Imagine boiling the whole strategy down into a TL;DR version .
• As with compare/contrast, you should look out for an additional step or expectation that takes the assignment from descriptive to critical . For example, you might have to delineate a diagnostic procedure in order to critically reflect on its relevance to your nursing practice.

Reflect, write a critical reflection/account

• The assignment verbs can get redundant, but  reflect is its own beast. Unlike most essays, reflective assignments prioritise  your own relevant experience . Project work, for example, may culminate in a reflective component (i.e., reflecting on how a business presentation went; reflecting on the process of creating a video game).
• Although reflection centres something you completed or did, avoid relying on biased feelings and personal opinion: this is still academic writing!
• Think of it as a reflective analysis . Break the subject down into parts: namely, decisions you made along the way, why you made them, their effects (good, bad, or neutral), and what you learned . Justify the "why" with  evidence relevant to your field. In nursing, tying your actions to best practices from NHS guidelines would make sense. In a creative writing module, you might cite craft manuals when discussing your approach to backstory and dialogue.

Synthesize, "use a range of literature to..."

• To synthesize means to create a new thing by combining parts of other things. For example, you are synthesizing if you write a paragraph that defines "influencer" by weaving together how the concept has been defined in two academic articles, in a digital newspaper, and on social media platforms. Synthesis demonstrates your ability to draw relevant connections between multiple sources of information.
• Synthesis is the heart of academic writing . Odds are that you ought to be synthesizing ideas, facts, and data from different sources even if the assignment prompt doesn't use this term.
• As with compare/contrast and outline/delineate, look for additional cues on how to use your synthesis . Are you meant to synthesize in order to defend an argument, support a reflective account, etc.?

What's the tension?

With any essay title you receive, you'll notice that some tension or uncertainty exists at the heart of it. It would be rare (and pointless!) for an instructor to assign an essay title that has one clear answer. Consider this invented essay question:

"How many people own houseplants in the UK now compared to pre-COVID?"

This is a terrible essay title because it is flat. There is nothing to explore or think through critically: just the expectation to provide the pre-pandemic number, find the post-pandemic number, and...then what? There is no tension.

Now, consider this essay question:

“Analyse the rising popularity of houseplants that began in the UK during the pandemic.”

This is a better essay prompt because it leaves room for the writer to discover and develop an angle. The question itself begets more questions. For example, what factors (social, personal, economic, etc.) influenced this change? Did popularity shift across all demographics or just some (and which, and why)? In other words, this question reveals layers of uncertainty that you can dig into as a writer.

Let’s return to examine the tension in an earlier essay prompt:

“Critically evaluate whether the Magna Carta is still relevant today .”

The word still suggests potential change over time, and there we discover a tension between the past and present. The writer will need to closely consider if/how the Magna Carta (i.e., a legal document of the past ) translates or applies to contemporary society (i.e., the present ).

If you are still struggling to identify the tension in an essay title, turning it into a question can help. We'll explore that trick in the next tab of this guide.

Can you turn the statement into a question?

Instructors often use statements as essay titles. Keep the required title when you submit, of course, but as you plan your approach to the essay, it often helps to reformat the statement as a question for yourself. Returning to our now familiar example…

“Critically evaluate whether the Magna Carta is still relevant today.”

This could be posed in question form as the following:

“ Is the Magna Carta still relevant today?”

This slight change gives you something more tangible to focus on since, by nature, questions spark the mind to begin contemplating answers . You can also play with more specific variations of the questions you form to get your ideas flowing:

“Is the Magna Carta still relevant today, and if so, how ?”

" Which tenets of the Magna Carta are still relevant today? How can the relevance of those tenets be proven ?”

" What factors or qualities make the Magna Carta less relevant today?”

As you can see, framing and reframing such questions in new ways lays the groundwork for you to truly dig in and analyse the situation as a writer.

What if it's already a question?

If the assignment prompt is already in question form, you can still  build it out  with relevant questions to help you think through your writing strategy and potential content. For example, let's say this is the essay question:

"How do a nurse's communication practices influence trust when treating gender-diverse patients?"

Try putting this central question at the centre of a mind map, then adding branches for questions that help you dig in. You can also use a bulleted list to try this out, as so:

• "What kinds of literature could I use to unpack and define this?"
• "And why is 'trust' imperative? What risks exist when trust is absent?"
• "And how might negative/damaging 'influence' arise?"
• "Do LGBTQ+ groups and medical literature define this differently?"
• "What could make 'communication practices' more inclusive of gender-diverse patients?"

Note that each grouping of questions expands on keywords from the original question. By interrogating the question itself with further questions, you can really get the ball rolling! This will help you develop an initial sense of the research you need to conduct and points that might be relevant to make.

Can you narrow the scope?

By design, most assignment titles give you a great deal of breadth or scope . The seeming bigness of an assignment can be daunting: you might panic and ask yourself, “How in the world am I supposed to discuss ALL OF THIS in just 2,000 words?!”

The short answer? You likely aren’t supposed to discuss all of it, so take a deep breath! When the essay title is broad, instructors generally expect you to narrow the scope of your response. This means you limit your evaluation in some manner, finding one “angle” of exploration amongst the many options that exist. Let's return to our old title friend:

Okay, the Magna Carta is a very long, significant document. So if you're responding to this title, your essay will lack depth and feel rushed if you try to evaluate whether EVERY aspect of the Magna Carta is relevant in EVERY way in EVERY place, today. Instead, you can narrow the scope by doing things like…

• Focusing on a specific clause or a couple related clauses of the Magna Carta (i.e., not the whole document);
• Limiting the evaluation of relevance to a specific legal area, such as criminal court or land rights (i.e., not the entirety of LAW).

The way you choose to narrow the scope will vary according to the essay and field. Analysing a situation through one theoretical lens might sufficiently limit the scope: for example, analysing a poem using ecocritical theory rather than analysing the poem "in general." In other cases, the narrowing might relate to the evidence bank you choose to use, the demographic/population discussed, a tool or model used, etc.

Once you have found your angle, remember to use your introduction to clearly communicate your focus and argument (see our Crafting the Introduction guide for tips on thesis statements, aim statements, and essay maps).

• Last Updated: Jan 8, 2024 10:09 AM
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• Academic writing

The Assignment Brief

• Punctuation
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• Study skills
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It is important to understand what an essay question or assignment brief is asking of you. Before you start to research or write, it is worth spending time considering the wording of the question and any learning outcomes that may accompany it. Each assignment will generally have at least three learning outcomes which you must cover if you are to achieve a pass.

Breaking down an assignment question

Before you attempt to answer an assignment question, you need to make sure you understand what it is asking. This includes not only the subject matter, but also the way in which you are required to write. Different questions may ask you to discuss, outline, evaluate… and many more. The task words are a key part of the question.

• Key Words in Assignment Briefs
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Assignment Writing: Following the Brief

• Following the Brief
• Researching
• Reading Tips
• Writing Tips
• Writing a First Draft
• Proofreading and Editing
• Formatting Assignments
• Assignment Submission
• Using Feedback

Completing assignments involves learning and showing what you have learnt . A great thing about doing assignments is that it is  one of the ways you can show your new knowledge and/or skills . It will take time so spend the first part planning and organising. This will make it easier to complete later on. This guide will help you think about the tasks you have been asked to do.

Assignment Brief

The first thing you want to do is read and understand the assignment brief .

The Assignment brief tells you:

• What the purpose is
• What you need to do
• What the word count is
• When the assignment is due

When you receive an assignment brief, it will look something like this.

Written Assignment (Summative) -  Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Aotearoa New Zealand

The student will be required to locate information from a variety of sources and critically assess this information to demonstrate an understanding of the relevance of te Tiriti o Waitangi in modern day Aotearoa New Zealand. This assessment allows the student to demonstrate that they can write a formal academic essay and communicate clearly in written, oral and visual forms.

Assessment Task

Write a formal essay addressing the following tasks:

• Briefly describe te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Explain the relevance that te Tiriti o Waitangi has in Aotearoa New Zealand today
• Give an example of how you might demonstrate applying te Tiriti o Waitangi in your professional or study life

Structuring your assignment

• Follow standard essay structure and use formal language.
• Use in-text citations and have a reference list using APA format.

Word Count:         1,200 (+/- 10%)

  Due:       12 October                

Take a moment

• What is purpose of your assignment?
• What have you been asked to do?
• When is assignment your due?
• What is the word count?

Some people find it useful to highlight the key information. This can help you find it quickly, and make sure you do everything that is required.

Marking Rubric

There is another useful document that will give you information about your assignment. It is a Marking Rubric. Sometimes this will be attached to your assignment brief, but other times you may need to search for it on Moodle.

How will my assignment be marked?

The marking rubric tells you:

• What the marker is looking for
• What you're being marked on
• What is needed to achieve a certain grade

Aim to meet the level for the top grade

When you receive a marking rubric, it will look something like this.

Grading Rubric for Te Tiriti Assignment

Your marking rubric will typically include requirements for your ideas, research and evidence, and the organisation of your ideas.

Take another moment

• What is the marker looking for?
• What are you being marked on?
• What is needed to achieve the grade you are aiming for?

The assignment brief and the marking rubric are connected. They both hold important information so make sure you understand them both. If you need help with this, ask a classmate, your tutor, or a learning advisor. 

How to write an Assignment in Seven easy steps! by Groobles Media

Don't know what you're being asked to do?

When you are given an assignment, it can sometimes be difficult to work out exactly what you need to do. This is often because assignment briefs are written using academic words. These words, or verbs, below will give you an idea of what you are being asked to do. 

If your assignment includes words that are not on this list, type them into a dictionary to find out their meaning. 

• What do the words mean? What am I being asked to do?

What's this all about?

It might all feel a bit overwhelming to begin with. Start by reading and understanding the task. Use the activities on this page to guide you. 

Image: Creative Commons

What do I already know?

Before you go any further, it can be useful to write down what you already know about the topic. 

Ask yourself,

• What do I already know about this topic?
• What do I want to know?

Answering questions like these can help prepare your mind to explore the topic further. 

Image citation: Possessed Photography. (2019, September 8).  Rerouting  [Photograph]. Unsplash.  https://unsplash.com/photos/0La7MwJhSyo

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Study skills (Learning Development)

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• Study skills checklist Use this study skills checklist to assess how confident you are when it comes to key academic and self-management skills.

Use this toolkit to help you complete the different stages of the assignment process. It provides information on which study skills to develop, academic offences to avoid, links to resources, and the support available in the library.

Individual assessments should be entirely your own work. You are not permitted to work with other students on the same assignment.

Understanding the assignment brief

You need to understand what you are being asked to do before you can research or write an assignment.

• Is there an assignment brief, learning outcomes or additional guidance?
• What type of assignment is it? Is it an essay, report, problem question?
• Highlight key words, terms, and concepts.  This will help you identify the topic and area you need to focus on.

As you pull the assignment question apart, write down the different strands to explore, along with any keywords and areas that you are not familiar with. Think about what your initial response to the question would be.

Skills to develop:

• critical thinking
• time management
• organisation
• Approach or instruction words
• Critical thinking
• Skills for study: Critical thinking
• Skills for study: Time management
• Writing Development guides and webinars

Preliminary reading

You will need to do some preliminary reading around the topic. Look at your online reading list and the notes you have taken as you will have covered the main theme in your lectures and seminars.

• Do an initial search on the library website for books and articles that will help you gain a deeper understanding of the topic.
• Make notes on the key elements and identify keywords and phrases to help you research.
• Continue to think about how you are going to answer the question.
• Start to make a basic plan consisting of the main points.
• note-making
• Reading at university
• Note-taking
• Skills for study: Reading and note-making

The first two steps will give you a deeper understanding of the topic, and ideas on what to focus on to answer the different strands to the question. Using the list of keywords and phrases collated when breaking down your assignment question and during your preliminary reading, you can begin to find evidence to support your ideas and themes.

The best place to start your research is the advanced search on the library website . The library website provides access to a large collection of books, ebooks and journal articles that are not freely available on the internet, and you can be confident when searching that all literature found is a good academic source. To get the best from your search:

• Develop a search strategy by writing down a list of keywords and phrases you can use in your research.
• Expand your list by considering alternatives.
• Start your research by typing one or two keywords into either the main search box or the Advanced Search on the library website.
• Add additional keywords to reduce the number of documents retrieved.
• note-taking
• Developing a search strategy
• Finding information: an introduction to the advanced search of the library website
• Webinar: Finding information
• Skills for study: Research principles
• Find your Subject

Planning and writing

When you have found and read a variety of literature you can begin to think about what themes you are going to discuss. Create your assignment structure (introduction, main body and conclusion) and plan what you are going to discuss in the main body, which ideas/themes you are going to include and what order they should appear in. Try to ensure that the main body flows by introducing themes in a logical order. The text in the body of the essay should be broken down into paragraphs, with each paragraph covering one main point. Consider the evidence you are going to use to support your main points. A detailed plan will make it easier to start the actual writing. You don’t always have to start with the introduction. You may find it easier to focus on the ideas/themes in the main body before writing the introduction and conclusion.

• academic writing
• Skills for study: Writing skills
• Introductions and conclusions
• Apostrophes

Referencing

Referencing is important in academic writing and an essential part of any of your assessments. It:

• allows you to acknowledge your sources
• gives academic credibility to your work
• demonstrates your knowledge of a subject area
• prevents accusations of plagiarism.

You should always reference a source when:

• direct quoting
• summarising a theory
• discussing someone else's opinion
• using case studies
• using statistics or visual data
• but not when stating your own opinion, observation or experience.

Don’t underestimate how long referencing takes. Ensure you have all the information and a basic understanding of the required format. Provide a reference every time you include information that is not your own. Failure to do this is plagiarism, an academic offence. Check your references against the examples given in the relevant referencing handbook. Click here for more information on referencing.

• referencing
• proof-reading
• Our referencing guides and help with referencing
• Quoting and paraphrasing
• Time management

Editing and proof-reading

It is important to edit and proof-read both the main part of your assignment and your references. The university does not provide a proof-reading service, but you can get support with how to edit and proof-read your work. As you are proof-reading, ask yourself:

• Have I met the assignment brief and learning outcomes?
• Is my writing clear and in a logical order?
• How to edit and proof-read
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Architecture Assignment Brief Guide

Introduction.

Throughout your architecture studies, you will carry out countless architecture assignments. These assignments will take many different forms. You certainly won’t just be asked to write essays. Whether it is model making, dissertations, designing spaces or carrying out research, it is really important to understand how to get the best out of yourself for these assignments. 

Much of this comes from understanding how to break down an assignment brief to establish what is being asked of you. Secondly, it is being productive with your time and carrying out the work efficiently.

S tudy is more about efficiency than time. Some people boast about the hours they have spent researching, reading or studying, but if they have not been productive with their time it doesn’t really count for anything. However, if you maintain an effective process in carrying out your research, study, reading, note taking and so on, you will find you get better results in half the time.

Scroll to the end to download this article as a handy PDF guide!

Understanding your assignment brief.

Generally speaking, when you are provided with an architecture assignment brief, the brief will establish the main criteria for the assignment. You will usually be given details of the assignment, the learning objectives, intended learning outcomes, assessment requirements, deadline, presentation, and so on.

With student projects that are developed without a client focus, it is possible to consider the site or place as the client, and consider the needs of the site itself, and how the project design is going to meet those needs.

Since the brief will contain a lot of information, make sure you read it a couple of times to fully understand it. As you do this, you can even highlight key words that stand out to you or make a note of things that you don’t really get. Feel free to write down some initial ideas that may pop up as well. 

Once you have done all of this, put the brief to one side and come back to read it at a later point. Doing this will help some of those initial ideas breathe a little and at the same time ensure that you do not miss anything.

It is really important to extract from the assignment brief as much information as possible, and be aware not only of what is being asked of you, but also what is the expected outcome. Understanding this, will help you structure your assignment and time more efficiently.

Let’s look at each part in a bit more detail.

The main assignment information

The main assignment – what is being asked of you? What are you looking for? What information will you need to gather? What problem do you need to solve?

Pick out the keywords associated with the question or brief. Then make a list of alternative keywords that will help you in your search to find relevant information.

We found this really useful guide to process words. This was courtesy of the University of Westminster (https://www.westminster.ac.uk/library-and-it/support-and-study-skills/guides-and-tutorials/researching-your-assignments/understanding-essay-questions/understanding-process-words) and originally from the Student Study Support Unit at Canterbury Christchurch College.

Account for

Explain, clarify, give the reasons for. This is quite different from “give an account of…” which is more like “describe in detail”.

Break an issue down into its component parts, discuss them and show how they interrelate.

Make a case, based on appropriate evidence and logically structured for and/or against some point of view.

Consider the value or importance of something, paying attention to positive, negative and disputable aspects, and citing the judgements of any known authorities as well as your own.

This term asks for a combination of the criteria found in “analyse” and “assess”. Although it sounds as if it would be similar to “describe “or “summarise” it is asking you to be critical and evaluative in your approach.

Identify and discuss the characteristics or qualities two or more things have in common you will probably need to point out their differences as well. Quite often an essay will ask you to “compare” and “contrast”.

Point out and discuss the differences between two things. You will probably need to identify their similarities as well. Quite often an essay will ask you to “compare” and “contrast”.

Spell out your judgement as to the value or truth of something, indicating the criteria on which you base your judgement and citing specific instances and arguments as to how the criteria apply in this case.

Make a statement as to the meaning or interpretation of something, giving sufficient detail as to allow it to be distinguished from other similar things.

Spell out the default aspects of an idea or topic, or the sequence in which a series of things happened.

Probably the most common word to appear in essay titles and usually requiring analysis and evaluation of evidence as well as weighing up arguments and drawing conclusions.

Similar to “assess” in that you need to consider the value and importance of something and weigh up its different aspects, citing evidence and argument in support of your case.

Tell how things work or how they came to be the way they are, including perhaps some need to “describe” and to “analyse”.

To what extent

Explore the case for a stated proposition or explanation, much in the manner of “assess” and “criticise”, probably arguing for a less than total acceptance of the proposition.

Pick out what you regard as the key features of something, perhaps making clear the criteria you use in doing so.

Similar to “explain” but probably requesting you give specific examples or statistics to support your case.

Clarify something or explain it, perhaps indicating how the thing relates to something else, or explaining a particular way of looking at it.

Express valid reasons for accepting a particular interpretation or conclusion, probably including the need to argue a case.

Indicate the main features of a topic or sequence of events, possibly setting them within a clear structure or framework to show how they interrelate.

Survey a topic with the emphasis on “assess” rather than “describe”.

Give the main points briefly, omitting details and illustrations.

Describe in narrative form the progress, development or sequence of events from some particular point.

Learning objectives and outcomes

Why are these important? The learning objectives and outcomes usually list what the student will have learnt or achieved by the end of the module or assignment. Being aware of these outcomes and objectives might inform the direction you take with your assignment.

Let’s say for example, one of the objectives is for the student to understand how a building fits into a local context. This is suggesting that during the assignment it will likely be important that you consider the local context when carrying out your research or design. How will you demonstrate that you have considered this? How will you present this information?

You get the idea….

Assessment requirements / presentation / deadline

Of course, this is the really important stuff. What do you have to produce, and by when?

Some assignment briefs will show how many credits each part of the assignment is worth. This is really useful as it can help you to understand which parts of the assignment carry more weight, and therefore focus more time on those areas.

If your assignment is asking for submissions in multiple media formats, for example, plans, an isometric, photographs, a model, design journal etc, I find it useful to sketch out a storyboard of how that might look. To make bullet points into a more visual storyboard can help you start to envisage what your final output might look like.

As your assignment develops and you get closer to the end of the project you can start to make a more detailed storyboard of the expected output. This type of thing is particularly useful for design projects when you need to produce multiple sets of drawings, visuals and so on.

If it is a large assignment, with a deadline in the distant future, consider breaking it down into chunks, making milestones that you have to achieve by certain dates. This will help spread the work out, give you plenty of time to complete the assignment and not leave everything till the last minute.

So now you understand your project brief, you know what is required of you and what the output must be.

Marking Criteria / Grading Matrix

Sometimes, your university may even provide a matrix that will be used by your tutors to grade your assignments. Access to this can be beneficial as you will be able to identify the key criteria needed to get the best marks. 

If you are working on an assignment with a later deadline, you can set a milestone wherein you use the provided marking matrix and grade yourself. You can even get your friends or studio mates to grade your work. Doing this will help you see where your work stands and how you can improve it.

Thinking outside the box

As you start forming ideas and reflecting on your assignment brief, do not be afraid to push some boundaries and test your ideas. Student project briefs are meant to give you a starting point. Some university briefs may give you some flexibility as to what direction you take the project. But definitely consult your tutors for advice in this regard. 

Carry out your research

Depending on the type of assignment you are working on, it is easy to skip the research and start sketching out ideas and getting carried away with the fun stuff before really understanding the task in hand.

Check the assignment brief for any suggested or compulsory reference material that you should check out.

Next, start collecting information.

If you are a student, the chances are you will have access to a library with some sort of electronic database. This is a good place to start finding the resources you need. Every system is different, so if you aren’t sure how to access the information you are looking for, speak with your librarian, I’m sure they will be very happy to help.

Don’t forget there is more to life than just the internet! Yes, google comes up with some good results, but you need to expand your research beyond the comfort and ease of google. Make sure you consider books, journals, articles, audio, video as part of your research wherever possible. This will give you a much wider and valuable set of information to start your work from.

If the course you are enrolled in has been running for a few years, chances are the university will provide you with some previous year examples. These can act as guides and really help you visualise what is expected of you. Do be careful not to blindly follow these examples though, as the assignment brief for your year may have been altered.

Try to find case studies and precedents relevant to your assignment requirements. This will help you dive deep into real world responses that your assignment may be asking you to investigate.

Check out our helpful post on Precedent studies:

https://www.firstinarchitecture.co.uk/architecture-precedent-study-and-analysis/

• Film and television programmes
• Market research
• Official publications (government etc)
• British Standards Institution
• Manufacturer information
• Previous year student work

Be careful not to spend too much time researching and not enough time actually doing. Limit your research to a certain amount of time, then get started. If you find you still need more information later, you can circle back and do a bit more research.

Make an outline

Call it what you will, a journey, road map, plan. Start looking at the bigger picture of the assignment, what topics are you tackling? Of course, the requirements of a plan or outline will vary wildly according to the type of assignment you are doing. A great start to an essay is usually a simple outline that helps you get from A to B. A studio design project might be a bit different.

Either way, make a bit of a plan, however loose it may be. Having a list of topics or titles can really help to get started when you are stuck on writing. Rather look at the broader picture first and then start fleshing out the details, instead of trying to get into the details straight away which can be daunting.

Be productive with your time

This is pretty obvious, but in a way it’s not. Sometimes you can get caught up on a tiny detail without realising you have lost hours to something that has a small part to play in the assignment as a whole.

Use your time wisely. You can read more about my productivity tips here.

https://www.firstinarchitecture.co.uk/work-smart-productivity-tips/

Give yourself the best working environment

You’ve read the brief, you know what is required of you. You’ve carried out your research, collected your data. Now you need to get started…

Distractions can be the perfect productivity blocker. So make sure you give yourself the working environment that you need. For some, this might be working in the busy studio, with your colleagues around you to bounce ideas. Others might need a quiet space to work alone, without distractions of social media, friends etc.

Do what works for you. Maybe you work better by minimising distractions. Switching off your email, putting your phone on silent, and playing some background music (that has no words!), can prove to be really helpful. Try to figure out your working style and identify your distractions so you can best combat them!

Remember – quality, not hours spent…

Make sure you are making good quality work, not just spending hours on something for the sake of it. Architects can be perfectionists, and it is easy to tweak, adjust, tweak for hours on end. Be aware, there comes a point where the tweaks you make won’t be having a positive affect on your overall mark, just a sap on your time. Stay focussed.

Keep checking the assignment brief to be sure you are covering all of the tasks that are being asked of you, and you have a plan to produce each of the items that form part of the assignment, whether it be drawings, models etc.

Review – later

If you are writing an essay, take time away from the assignment before coming back to make edits. You need to give yourself a break from writing before returning to read it through with fresh eyes.

If it is a big design project, then you will no doubt continue to review and edit as you work through your design solutions.

Our Architecture Assignment Planner

To help you carry out the points mentioned in our post, we have produced an Architecture Assignment Planner. This planner follows a Gantt chart layout with broken down assignments on the left and a time scale that runs across the top.

Now, a Gantt chart is mostly used in project management, and is one of the most popular and useful ways of showing tasks or events displayed against time. Wish to learn more? Check this out:

What is a Gantt Chart? Gantt Chart Software, Information, and History

We created this planner so that as a student you will be familiar with using this type of format, if you come across it at a professional level. 

After you dissect your brief and identify your key deliverables, simply slot them into this planner and curate it to your own liking. It will help you have an overview of the tasks you need to have completed and the time you have until your big deadline.

You could even incorporate little milestones in your planner to help you evaluate your work. Simply schedule days to refer back to the assignment brief and see what you have yet to cover and what areas you could improve further.

We have included a hypothetical project to give you an idea on how to use it.

Start using our Architecture Assignment Planner and get organised!

You might also be interested in:

We have lots of helpful architecture student content. Be sure to check it out:

Architecture assignments are often huge bodies of work that can feel insurmountable at times. Breaking it down into manageable chunks, and drawing out what the deliverables will be can really help.

Give yourself the right environment to work in, be structured in your approach to the project, and take note of the weight of each part of the assignment.

Best of luck!

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