This page contains general advice on how to approach the open assessments that are set for Modular MSc and related courses. The advice here should be followed for all open assessments.

The advice is presented as a set of frequently asked questions with appropriate responses, and is organised into the following sections:

• General Approach
• Vocabulary
• Incomplete Data
• Citations and References
• Format and Presentation
• Submission

Q1: I am having great difficulty with the assignment, mainly in interpreting what is required, as this is the first time I have attempted an assignment of this nature.

A1: The best advice we can give is to follow these "golden rules":

1. We want to see evidence of your thoughts and your understanding. Remember, an assessment is quite different to the sort of reports you may be used to writing for work. It's not something that gets drafted, commented on, updated, reviewed, revised... except by yourself, of course... and what you hand in should reflect your knowledge and understanding as best you can manage.
2. Ideas, and the expression of those ideas, are far more important than perfect presentation... so spend time on the substance, not the appearance. So long as it's neat and legible, that's sufficient.
3. A good answer to the paper may require reading beyond what was covered in the course material. You need to get organised to achieve this.
4. READ the question, THINK about what it's asking, and ANSWER THE QUESTION. No matter how interesting something is, if it doesn't answer the question, there will be no marks for it in the mark scheme. Short but relevant answers will attract more marks than a long, irrelevant essay.
5. Use the marks for each part of the question as a guide to how much time to spend / space to use writing up your answer. We try very hard to allocate marks according to how much work we think each question entails, so that gives you some clues to our expectations.
6. If you generate a lot of material, and you think it's all relevant, force yourself to be selective. Which are the key ideas? What are the very best examples? This is particularly important for later assessments, where you may generate a lot of analysis output, for example. In these cases, you may need to include just sufficient of the original material to show your approach, then summarise the key conculsions from the rest of the work.
7. Leave your answer a couple of days, then re-read it. Is it in good English? Have you managed to express your thoughts coherently? Do you still think it answers the question?

You should also study the marking criteria, which give further details of what the markers are looking for.

Q2: I am aware that certain words and phrases have specific meanings when they appear in an assessment question. Can you help me identify these words and understand what they are asking for?

A2: The table below identifies several common "question prompts" and words with special meanings in questions, and explains what they mean.

It is important to note that this table is provided for guidance only. You should always take care to read the assessment paper carefully, and consider how to interpret words in the context in which they appear in the question.

Q3: I don't think the question contains all the data I need for a complete answer. Is it best to make something up?

A3: If you find that a question which provides a concrete information (e.g. a description of a system as the basis for a set of tasks) does not include all the information you think you need to complete those tasks, you should state this clearly in your answer.

If data is missing, state what is missing, or use a "place-holder"; do not "invent" data.

For example, in a question which asks you to derive safety requirements for a control system , it may be clear that the control system has to react quickly to shut the system down if there is a problem. If the system description doesn't contain the information you need to calculate the actual reaction speed, it is perfectly acceptable to state "In case of error the control system must shut the system down quickly (time limit TBD)", or "... within X ms (TBD)". Putting in an "invented" figure ("... within 25ms") without justification is not good practice. You would not (or certainly should not) do this for a real system, so don't do it with an assessment example either.

Q4: What format should I use for references?

A4: The Department's required style for projects is the IEEE style; there is an online guide to using this referencing style, and it is a good idea to use it for open assessments so that you become familiar with it. Note that the cover of the guide says "as used in Electronics"; it is the required format in Computer Science as well, but the decision to adopt it in this Department was made after the guide went to press.

For the 2011/12 academic year, although the IEEE style is preferred, we will not be mandating it for open assessments, and any sensible citation style is acceptable. The "classic" formats are "Numbered" (as per the IEEE) and "Author/Date". In the "Numbered" format, references in the text appear as [12]. In the bibliography, papers are listed numerically in order of appearance in the body of the answer. In the "Author/Date" format, references in the text appear as [Lowson 2001]. If you cite more than one paper publised by the same author in a single year, you use [Lowson 2001a], [Lowson 2001b] etc. If you adopt this style, when you cite a reference, you need not repeat the author's name or authors' names ("Lowson [Lowson 2001] has shown ..."). Write instead: "Lowson [2001] has shown ...". In the bibliography, papers are listed alphabetically by first author.

Q5: Do you prefer a single set of references for the whole assessment, or one set for each question?

A5: A separate set for each question is preferable, as there may be different first and second markers for each question.

Q6: A lot of the material I have put together reflects what already exists on the net in several places. Is this a common problem and how does one avoid being accused of nicking it?

A6: Things that are "common knowledge" are not a problem. It's passing off others' work as your own that is unacceptable. Therefore, if your answer merely reflects views that are widely expressed (in papers, on the net, or wherever) that's OK (so long as you acknowledge explicit quotations).

Q7: I obtained some information I needed for my answer by telephoning John Smith, who works for Widgets Ltd. How do I credit the source of this conversation in my paper?

A7: The conversation should be cited in your answer and included in the references as "John Smith (Widgets Ltd), Personal communication, 23 October 2011".

Q8: Does the page limit include our bibliographies, or do we get extra space for that?

A8: You must include any bibliographies / reference lists within the page limit.

Q9: What are the regulations for formatting of submissions (i.e. font size, spacing, page margins etc.)?

A9: There are no specific regulations governing the format of assessment sumbissions, other than the page limit stated in the question paper, and the requirement to put your student number (and no other form of identification) on each page.

However, you should try to adhere to the following rules:

• Stick to a straightforward style (i.e. use a standard font such as Times Roman), with reasonable margins. If you're using Microsoft Word, the default document style is fine, though it has rather wide margins - you might want to reduce these to get a bit more on each page.
• Keep the font size reasonable - 11 point is easy to read; anything smaller than that is difficult.
• Make sure you clearly identify which question (including sub-question) you are answering. You should use the same numbering scheme for your answer as in the question paper (i.e. if the question paper has Question 2 parts i) to iv), so should your answer - don't use 2 a) to d) or whatever). Also, if you are using auto-numbering in Word, it is worth a final check to ensure that the print-out has the numbering you intended - it is very easy to get unexpected effects if you change the definition of a numbered or bulleted paragraph style.
• Make sure tables and diagrams are titled.
• There is no need to use a drawing tool to produce diagrams; neat hand-drawn diagrams are perfectly acceptable. If you have access to a scanner, it might be preferable to scan in hand-drawn diagrams, so that you can print the whole document.

Q10: Should I include a copy of the original question with each answer?

A10: There is no requirement to include a copy of (any part of) the question paper with your submission. However, quoting a small amount of the text of the sub-questions can be a good idea, as it can help to make it clearer to the marker which part of the question you are answering, and can also make it easier for you to do a final read-through to check that your answer properly addresses the question. If you choose to do this, don't waste space quoting too much.

Q11: Some of my diagrams and tables are very big, and I can't fit them onto A4 paper. Can I use A3?

A11: You can use A3 sized paper - indeed, it is preferable to do so rather than reduce diagrams and tables to a size where text becomes unreadably small - but each A3 sheet will be counted as two A4 sheets.

Q12: I've found a fantastic diagram on the web. Can I include it in my answer?

A12: Provided that material is correcty attributed, this is acceptable. However, unless you directly reference it in your answer, a large picture or diagram that someone else has drawn - no matter how attractive - does not add to your answer. Beware of wasting space that could be used more profitably.

Q13: I am going to be in York for another module on the submission date. Can I just hand my paper in to the office, or is it mandatory to post it?

A13: You can hand in the assessment personally to the Departmental Office. The office staff will issue you with a receipt, which you should keep safe. Make sure you hand your paper in on time (i.e. before NOON on the due date).

For non-registered students only, you may submit a soft copy of your assessment in person by burning a CD containing your submission as a single pdf file. The office staff will check that they can read the file, then issue a receipt as for a paper submission.

Registered students who wish to submit electronically must use the online system, even if you are in York on the hand-in date.

Q14: What sort of binder should I put my paper in?

A14: There is no need to submit your assessment in a cover or binder; just make sure all the pages are firmly fixed together (a staple is fine).