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Check your assignment task sheet to see the writing format required. View the various formats typically required at university.

Essays are an assessment item that can indicate your understanding of a topic. They can demonstrate how well you search for information, put ideas together in a logical sequence and write academically.

An essay can be analytical, argumentative or persuasive. You may be asked to discuss, analyse, explain, investigate, explore or review a topic. Your essay must show evidence of research, using a wide range of quality, peer reviewed academic sources.

Steps for writing an essay

Essays require a specific structure . The introduction, body and conclusion have a specific function within the writing. Check with your lecturer or tutor if you are unsure how to approach your essay.

Use the assessment task question to work out what you are required to do, and guide you with the essay format.

Do you have to compare and contrast, evaluate or discuss? These directive verbs indicate the type of essay you need to write and how to structure it.

Identify the keywords and phrases to use when searching for information around your topic.

Use the marking criteria sheet to help you decide the most important elements of the essay.

A thesis is the central argument or position around which your essay flows.

The thesis statement is placed in your essay's introduction. Each paragraph is used as evidence to support or refute the claim, and it is reiterated in the conclusion.

Edit your essay, ask yourself:

• Have I clearly introduced my thesis in the introduction?
• Have I used the body of the essay to support my thesis statement?
• Does the conclusion show how I have proven my thesis?

Use the essay paragraphs to develop your argument.

The paragraphs should:

• have a logical flow of ideas to sequentially build on the points you are making
• use evidence and examples to support your argument.

Academic arguments require balance and counterarguments. The relationships between your reasons are important to consider. A good essay should be easy to follow as it presents your thoughts in a logical manner.

Make sure that the essay answers the question, and your writing supports your thesis. Demonstrate how each piece of information included in the paragraphs is relevant. This should be easy for the reader to figure out.

Keep the question and marking criteria open while writing your essay so that you remain focused on the task. The conclusion should include a summarised answer to the question, reiterating your thesis.

Report writing is an essential skill in many disciplines. You should develop effective report writing skills because it’s highly likely you’ll be writing reports in the workplace.

A report is a formal written document used to provide concise information on a specific subject. It can be used to communicate the results of an experiment, inform on the progress of a project or to make recommendations.

An effective report is an accurate presentation of information. It should be objective, concise and structured to guide the reader through the main points.

The task instructions usually specify what sections need to be included in your report. However, a report often has the following sections:

• Title page and acknowledgements—include the title of the report, who commissioned it (or for assessment include your lecturer, course code, and student number) and the date.
• Executive summary or abstract—provide a summary of the report's main points. It briefly covers the aims, objectives, research methods and the findings. It identifies what action is required. Although the abstract is located at the beginning of the report, it is usually written last as it is a summary of the whole report.
• Table of contents—outline the structure of the report.
• Introduction—state the aims and objectives of the report, the problem or situation that prompted the report and identify what the report intends to achieve. Include definitions, research methods and background history (if relevant).
• Methodology—explain what you did and how you did it. For instance, the materials used in an experiment, the subjects involved in a survey or the steps you took in a project.
• Results or findings—detail the findings from the experiment, survey or research project.
• Discussion—present and discuss the facts or evidence.
• Conclusions—provide implications from the content of the report.
• Recommendations—describe a clear course of action. Demonstrate your professional competence in a specific situation that clearly aligns with the conclusions.
• References—acknowledge all the sources used in the report. Learn more about referencing .
• Appendices—contains additional graphical, statistical or other supplementary material. Each item should be clearly labelled (for example, Appendix 1) and referred to in the report.

A case study gives you the opportunity to apply what you are learning to a real life or fictitious case. It requires you to do further research to show how the theory applies to the practical situation.

Steps for responding to a case study

• Get a clear understanding of the case study by reading it several times.
• Make notes and consider how it relates to what you have learnt.
• Reflect on how to show your learning through your understanding of the case study.
• Identify the questions that need to be answered to address the case.
• Determine if the answers will come from the case, the literature or a combination of both.
• Research to find the answers to the questions.
• Take notes to show evidence (such as theory) to support your thinking.
• Compare your notes—from the research and case—against the marking criteria, have you addressed the required content?
• Use evidence and examples from the literature and case to support your argument in the body of the assignment.
• Avoid summarising the whole case as you will use too much of the word count.
• See how to structure your assignment to help guide you in organising your work.

Reflective writing

You may be asked to think about, or reflect upon, a situation or event that has occurred and document your feelings and reactions. For example, you may be asked to write a reflective essay on a work placement experience.

Reflective writing requires you to make a link between your experience and the course content. It’s a way of clarifying the relationship between theory and practice.

Taking time to reflect allows you to become more aware of your own values and belief system and any assumptions you may hold to support those.

Steps for reflective writing

Document the facts, what happened, when did it happen and how did it happen?

For example if writing a reflective essay on a work placement experience, include:

• tasks you completed and when
• processes or steps involved to complete the task
• why the task needed to be done
• how long it took to complete
• the challenges involved.

Record all the relevant details.

Describe what you think about the event or experience, dig deep and get in touch with your feelings.

• What emotions did you experience?
• Do you have any new insights?
• Can you make a connection with other things you know or concepts in the course?
• What were the strengths and weaknesses of the concept, process, event or procedure?

Identify what you have learnt from the experience.

• Did it change your thinking or shift your values, assumptions or opinions about the event?
• What else could you have done in the situation or event?
• Are there any actions that could have helped
• What hindered the situation?
• How will you use this information in the future?

Literature review

You may be required to write a literature review as part of your university studies.

Literature reviews can be used alone or in research projects, reports, articles and theses.

They are a way of bringing together, analysing and evaluating a range of sources in relation to a particular topic or research question.

Steps for writing a literature review

If you have a research topic, problem or question to analyse, it is important to take time to clarify what is expected before you start researching and writing.

When developing your own research topic and question, try to:

• define the general topic area
• identify the particular problem or issue you are interested in investigating
• turn the problem into questions. For example, why does this happen? How can we solve this problem? What are the main features of this issue?
• brainstorm ideas and key points.

As you get started, it is important to formulate key questions to focus your research.

To find relevant research you will need a search strategy. A search strategy is a structured organisation of terms used to search an online research tool, such as the library catalogue or databases. The search strategy shows how these terms combine in order to retrieve the best results.

Online research tools work in different ways so you need to adapt your search strategy for each one.

To develop a search strategy:

• Identify the keywords in your assessment topic.
• Identify any related words (use a dictionary, encyclopaedia or provided readings).
• Combine your keywords and related words into a search strategy using the terms AND, OR and NOT.

Enter your search strategy in the Library catalogue to find relevant literature. Identify other research tools such as library databases to find highly specialised information.

In a literature review, you are not simply recounting what each author says about a topic. You need to critically evaluate and discuss the literature to convince the reader of its relevance to your work.

Critically evaluate by questioning each item you read to assess its:

• reliability—are the facts accurate?
• credibility—is the author an authority?
• perspective—is there bias or opinion?
• purpose—does the information inform, explain or persuade?
• evidence—does the author use facts, examples, statistics, expert testimony?

There are many ways to sort and classify the literature that you are reading, including:

• thesis chapters (if applicable)
• your own categories
• theoretical perspective (for example, ‘Marxist’, ‘behaviourist’ or ‘post-modernist’)
• discipline categories
• whether it supports, or conflicts with, your thesis or central argument
• reliability.

How your review is organised depends on what information is gathered and how your discipline structures them. This is one way to organise it:

• Introduction—include your topic, aim, main ideas, overall plan, limits and scope.
• Body—include your research (where applicable), discussion of evidence, theories, concepts and relationships between different literature.
• Conclusion—bring together the key issues, trends, common threads, major gaps and agreements/disagreements in the literature.

Annotated bibliography

Writing an annotated bibliography is the first step in collecting information about a topic of interest, or to find the scope of an issue. It helps establish what current research exists, and the value or quality of that research. It allows you to gain a clearer perspective and develop critical appraisal skills.

Structure your annotated bibliography

An annotated bibliography looks like an extended reference list, it has three parts—a reference, main summary and critique.

Provide the full bibliographic details of the text—including, title, author and year—in the required referencing style.

Learn more about referencing

Each annotation is one paragraph. It retells the main points, identifying the theoretical perspectives, research findings, methods and conclusions.

Critique the text by considering the research's findings, relevancy and limitations. Give an evaluative comment about the usefulness of the research for your own work. For example:

• Is there any bias?
• Are the findings relevant to certain populations or groups?
• Does it look at an issue from a broad or narrow perspective?
• What ideas does it support or oppose?
• Is it useful in practical situations?
• How does it inform your understanding of the topic?

It is important to be concise. Limit to about 100-300 words per annotation—consult your task sheet for guidance on word length.

Eakin, E., Reeves M., Winkler E., Lawler S., & Owen, N. (2010). Maintenance of physical activity and dietary change following a telephone-delivered intervention.  Health Psychology , 29 , 566-573. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0021359

A randomised controlled trial was conducted and 434 patients with Type 2 diabetes or hypertension were recruited from ten primary care practices in a disadvantaged community. Five practices were randomised to a telephone-counselling intervention (n = 228) and five practices to usual care (n= 206). The aim was to examine the maintenance of behavioural changes six months after a telephone-delivered physical activity and diet intervention. Participants received 18 phone calls, a workbook with information on physical activity and healthy eating that followed the 5 A’s approach, and a pedometer. The usual care group received brief feedback on their assessment and health related brochures. The main outcome measures included the use of validated, self-report measures of physical activity and diet. Data was collected at baseline, twelve months, and 18 months (months post intervention). The findings showed both interventions were found to show significantly improved behaviour changes particularly in those who adhered to the study. The research is relevant for managing people with type 2 diabetes and hypertension living in disadvantaged communities. The researchers concluded that telephone-delivered interventions promoted maintenance of health behaviour change but studies with longer term follow-up are needed to determine how intervention duration and intensity might enhance maintenance .

Presentations—video, in-person, online

You may be asked to deliver a presentation individually, in partnership or as part of a group.

Consider the following to help inform your style, language and delivery.

• Who is the presentation targeted at or intended for?
• What do they already know on the subject?
• Why are they there?
• What would they like to know?

For example, a Business course presentation may be targeted at stakeholders, or be a pitch for potential investors.

The intention of the presentation influences the type of language, rhetorical features and tone used.

Are you pitching:

• a new service
• an idea or product
• to enlighten and inform your audience?

For example, a persuasive presentation may use more emotive language, rhetorical questions and repetition. Whereas, this approach may not be suitable for a formal report.

When, where and how will your presentation be delivered? Will it be delivered live, online or pre-recorded?

This will influence your preparations for organising the visual, environmental and technical elements, to ensure a successful presentation.

Do you need to record and edit video for your presentation?

Create an effective and engaging presentation

Regardless of the type of presentation and how it is delivered a successful presentation should take into account the following:

• Matter—does the subject and content address the task and marking criteria?
• Manner—practise the verbal (volume, pace, pause) and non-verbal (eye contact, gestures) delivery elements.
• Method—have it structured in a logical way (introduction, body, conclusion) with support of visual aids.

Visual elements

You may be asked to support your presentation with visual aids, such as PowerPoint or an infographic. Visual aids, used appropriately, can enhance your presentation and engage your audience.

Ensure your visual aids support your presentation in purpose and style and reinforce your message.

Communicate your message effectively using a simple and strategic design.

• Limit the text quantity, use three to five bullet points per slide.
• Use high resolution images and pictures.
• Limit animation and flashy transitions.
• Use contrasting colours for readability.
• Maintain continuity in text font, images and colour.

Finally, your choices should reflect the audience, purpose and context.

Practice makes perfect

Practise frequently to ensure a smooth, successful and confident presentation delivery.

• aloud—consider recording yourself to identify areas for improvement
• in front of peers and/or family
• with the technology and visuals that will be used on the day
• with your partner or group members, if relevant, to ensure smooth transition between presenters.

Academic integrity

Understand your academic integrity obligations and responsibilities to act in an honest and ethical manner.

Check out our resources

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Writing, Researching and Referencing

Assignment presentation formatting guidelines

To remain consistent with APA 7 th Edition conventions, ALL undergraduate written essay/report style assignments (for courses in Griffith Health programs) should be formatted using the following rules. To download a copy of these formatting guidelines and/or access an exemplar which demonstrates how your manuscript should look when following these guidelines, click on the buttons below.

Margins : 2.54 left, right, top and bottom (this is the pre-set default margin setting).

Font Type: ‘Times New Roman’.

Font Size: 12 point font only with no larger fonts used for headings (if used).

Line Spacing : Double line spacing should be used throughout the assignment and on the reference list with no additional spaces between paragraphs, assignment ‘sections’ or listed references. New paragraphs or sections are indicated by indenting of the first line of each new paragraph (see presentation formatting exemplar ).

Indenting: Each new paragraph should be indented 5-7 spaces (or one Tab space).

Justification: No justification of text on the right hand margin. Justify the left side of text in the body of essay/report against the left hand margin except for indents required for the first lines of each new paragraph (see presentation formatting exemplar ).

Page Numbers: Page numbers should be inserted in the upper right-hand side of the page header flush against the margin. Page numbers should start on the Title Page (starting at 1) and should be formatted with just the page number (see presentation formatting exemplar ).

Assignment Title: Devise a suitably descriptive assignment title to include on the title page. 

Footer: Your student number is to be inserted into the footer of the document (to assist with identification of lost pages if submission errors occur).

Title Page: Include a title page with the following information only (also see presentation formatting exemplar ).

  Student Name:

  Essay/Report title:

Word count: (excluding title page, reference list/bibliography and appendices).

Note : Your title page will also have a page number in the header (starting at ‘1’) and your student number in the footer (see presentation formatting exemplar ).

Word Count: Word counts will comprise all text material contained within the body of the written assignment. This will include in-text citations, quotations, and any headings (if used). This will also include any information presented in tables or figures which are included within the body of the assignment in addition to your Abstract or Executive Summary (if you are required to include one).  Information included outside of the main body of the assignment (e.g. university cover page, title page, reference list/bibliography, appendices) will NOT contribute to the word count.

You must adhere to the stipulated word count for your assignment. Assignments which go over this stated limit will be penalised, with the marker ceasing to read your paper once the word count has been reached.

Headings: Headings are generally used more in research reports than in essays. The following rules should be followed to format headings if used (see table below).

The above table has been adapted from the APA Style Guide to Electronic References (2012).

Note : In general, if you are using headings in an essay , you will format them using Level 2 heading guidelines. Headings in a research report will be mainly formatted as Level 1, 2, and 3 headings, however all five levels of headings can be used in research reports (depending on the size of your report and the nature of information you need to discuss in particular sections). 

When using Level 1 and  2 headings, your paragraph text will commence on the next line, indented by one tab space. When using Levels 3, 4 and 5, your paragraph text will commence two spaces after the full stop at the end of the heading (i.e. continuing on the same line as the heading). See the APA Annotated Exemplars (Essay and Research Report versions) in the APA Referencing Guidelines section for examples of how to format different levels of headings and associated paragraph text.

Important Tip: When writing research reports, do not include the heading 'Introduction' at the start of your report. The heading at the start of your Introduction should be the title of the report that you have included on your title page. It should be formatted as a Level 1 heading ( see table above).

Serial Comma : APA conventions require the use of a comma between elements in a series of three or more items. This is known as a ‘serial comma’. For example:

 Examining height, width, and depth indicated that ....

Use of numbers in assignment text:

·         Numbers between zero and nine should be represented in words. For example:

o   There were five experimental groups in the trial.

·         Numbers ten and above should be represented in numerical format. For example:

o   A total of 47 participants took part in the pilot test.

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Library Connect

Format your thesis

• by The Library
• posted August 10, 2021
• Academics Researchers

Are you starting to write your thesis, confirmation paper or some other publication? Are you having formatting issues or don’t know where to start?

Formatting your thesis or long documents can sometimes become very frustrating, time consuming and cumbersome.

The Formatting Your Thesis workshop can help you with all this and more. This workshop will teach you how to use Microsoft Word efficiently by providing you with resources and tips on how to use Word’s automated settings and features to apply consistent formatting throughout a document.

The workshop will cover how to:

• create and apply styles
• create different sections
• insert a table of contents
• create lists of figures and tables
• set the automatic numbering throughout your document
• change the format of page numbers between sections.

You may have wondered ‘How can I indent the first line of each paragraph?’ or ‘How do I change the orientation of one page to landscape without changing the other pages?’ We can answer those questions!

This workshop is for anyone working on long documents—no matter what stage of the process you’re currently in.

You can register for the Formatting Your Thesis workshop now.

You can also build your skills by working through the Formatting Your Thesis resources before attending the session.

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Home > Research > Griffith Graduate Research School > Preparing your thesis > Inclusion of papers within the thesis

• Inclusion of papers within the thesis
• Candidature changes
• Milestones and requirements
• HDR Careers Week
• HDR-Skills-Week
• HDR Internships
• Thesis preparation overview
• PhD by prior publication
• Theses with creative components
• Steps to submit a thesis
• Examination overview
• Nominating and Appointing HDR Examiners and Chairperson of Examiners
• Conclusion of examination
• Conducting research
• Candidate support

Please note: Candidates enrolled in the PhD by Prior Publication should refer to the degree finder for program-specific thesis formatting information.

HDR candidates may include one or more papers within the body of their thesis if the papers have been produced under supervision and during the period of candidature; and where the quality is appropriate to Doctoral or Masters (Research) level research. A thesis prepared in this way is a different thesis format, it is not a different degree. There are several advantages to organising a thesis in this way:

• Preparing papers for publication saves time when preparing the thesis for examination as papers may make up one or several chapters within the thesis
• It is to your advantage to publish work from your thesis as a means of disseminating your research and developing your writing skills
• It may improve the quality of your thesis as part of your thesis has already been subjected to peer review
• Examiners may have more confidence in your thesis if they can see that you have already published your research and you will have already met one of the criteria of examination, with the thesis suitable for publication.

As a candidature requirement, all doctoral candidates are expected to have at least one peer reviewed output accepted for publication during candidature . Candidates are encouraged to include this publication in the body of the thesis.

Requirement for inclusion of papers within the thesis

Inclusion of papers within a thesis is not a suitable thesis format for all research projects (e.g. collaborative projects where there may be several co-authors for each paper which may make it difficult for the examiner to establish the independence of the candidates work; where primary data is not collected or results obtained until late in the candidature; or where the research will not produce a logical sequence of papers that are able to be presented as an integrated whole).

Candidates should also consider whether this thesis format is an accepted practice within their discipline and likely to be received well by the thesis examiners (refer also to the examination requirements below). Candidates are required to consult with their supervisor(s) early in their candidature to determine if this thesis format is appropriate. It is expected that candidates will identify as part of the confirmation of candidature milestone if their thesis is to be prepared in this format. Candidates should consult their Group specific guidelines in addition to the requirements detailed below. Candidates are also encouraged to attend the workshop : ‘Inclusion of papers within a thesis’ offered by the Griffith Graduate Research School.

Refer also to the Griffith University code for the Responsible Conduct of Research ( PDF , 202k) , specifically the sections pertaining to publication ethics and the dissemination of research findings, and authorship.

Status of papers

A thesis may include papers that have been submitted, accepted for publication, or published. Some disciplines may specify a variation to the status of papers requirement, refer to your Group specific guidelines.

Type of papers

For the purpose of this requirement, papers are defined as a journal article, conference publication, book or book chapter. Papers which have been rejected by a publisher must not be included unless they have been substantially rewritten to address the reviewers’ comments or have since been accepted for publication. Some disciplines may specify a variation to the type of papers requirement, refer to your Group specific guidelines.

Number of papers

A thesis may be entirely or partly comprised of papers. A paper maybe included as a single chapter if the paper contributes to the argument of the thesis, or several papers may form the core chapters of the theses where they present a cohesive argument. Where a thesis is entirely comprised of papers, there is no minimum requirement for the number of papers that must be included (except as noted below) and is a matter of professional judgment for the supervisor and the candidate. Overall, the material presented for examination needs to reflect the research thesis standard required for the award of the degree.

Where a thesis is entirely comprised of papers, some disciplines may specify a minimum number of papers to be included, refer to your Group specific guidelines.

The candidate should normally be principal author (that is, responsible for the intellectual content and the majority of writing) of any work included in the body of the thesis. Where a paper has been co-authored, the candidate is required to have made a substantial contribution to the intellectual content and writing. Co-authored work in which the candidate was a minor author can only be used and referenced in the way common to any other research publication cited in the thesis. A signature from the corresponding author is required in order to include co- authored material in the body of the thesis, refer to the declarations section below.

For co-authored papers, the attribution of authorship must be in accordance with the Griffith University code for the Responsible Conduct of Research ( PDF , 202k) , which specifies that authorship must be based on substantial contributions in one or more of:

• Conception and design of the research project
• Analysis and interpretation of research data
• Drafting or making significant parts of the creative or scholarly work or critically revising it so as to contribute significantly to the final output.

Some disciplines may specify a variation to the authorship requirement, refer to your Group specific guidelines.

Quality of papers

Candidates should endeavour to publish their research in high-quality, peer-reviewed publications. Papers to be included in the body of the thesis should be published (or submitted for publication) in reputable outlets that are held in high regard in the relevant field of research. Candidates can consult their supervisor(s) for advice on suitable publications specific to their research discipline. Some disciplines may specify quality standards that must be met for papers to be included, please see below for Group-specific guidelines.

The library provides detailed support and advice to candidates on choosing journals in which to publish. Candidates should take care to avoid ‘predatory’ journals and publishers.

• Scholarly publishing strategies
• Open research: Make your research visible

As copyright in an article is normally assigned to a publisher, the publisher must give permission to reproduce the work in the thesis and put a digital copy on the institutional repository. Information on how to seek permission is available at: Copyright and Articles in thesis . If permission cannot be obtained, students may still include the publication in the body of the thesis, however following examination the relevant chapter(s) will be redacted from the digital copy to be held by the Griffith University Library so that the copyright material is not made publicly available in the institutional repository. Students are required to advise the copyright status of each publication included in the thesis via a declaration to be inserted in the thesis, as detailed below.

Students requiring further advice regarding copyright issues can contact the Information Policy Officer on (07) 3735 5695 or [email protected] .

Group and discipline requirements

Some groups or elements may specify additional requirements for including papers within a thesis, refer below:

• Arts, Education and Law
• Griffith Business School ( PDF , 214k)
• Griffith Health
• Griffith Sciences ( PDF , 271k)

Presentation of theses when including papers

Consult the thesis preparation and formatting guidelines for general information about the requirements for formatting the thesis. Some disciplines may specify a variation to the thesis format requirements below, refer to your Group specific guidelines.

Structure of thesis and linking chapters

The structure of the thesis will vary depending on whether the thesis is partly or entirely comprised of papers. Whatever the format, the thesis must present as a coherent and integrated body of work in which the research objectives, relationship to other scholarly work, methodology and strategies employed, and the results obtained are identified, analysed and evaluated.

A thesis should include a general introduction and general discussion to frame the internal chapters. The introduction should outline the scope of the research covered by the thesis and include an explanation of the organisation and structure of the thesis. The general discussion should draw together the main findings of the thesis and establish the significance of the work as a whole and should not just restate the discussion points of each paper.

It is important that candidates explicitly argue the coherence of the work and establish links between the various papers/chapters throughout the thesis. Linking text should be added to introduce each new paper or chapter, with a foreword which introduces the research and establishes its links to previous papers/chapters.

Depending on the content of the paper(s) and nature of research, a research methods chapter may also be necessary to ensure that any work that is not included in the paper(s), but is integral to the research, is appropriately covered. Any data omitted from a paper may also be included as an addendum to the thesis.

For further information on the thesis structure, refer to the following examples of acceptable ways to format the thesis when including papers.

• See Examples of Table of Contents ( PDF , 39k)

Format of papers

The papers may be rewritten for the thesis according to the general formatting guidelines; or they can be inserted in their published format, subject to copyright approval as detailed above.

Candidates may repaginate the papers to be consistent with the thesis. However, this is at the discretion of the candidate.

Declarations

All theses that include papers must include declarations which specify the publication status of the paper(s), your contribution to the paper(s), and the copyright status of the paper(s). The declarations must be signed by the corresponding author (where applicable). If you are the sole author, this still needs to be specified. The declaration will need to be inserted at the beginning of the thesis, and for any co-authored papers, additional declarations will need to be inserted at the beginning of each relevant chapter. You may wish to consult the  declaration requirements for inclusion of papers under Thesis Structure to ensure that you insert the correct declaration(s) within the thesis. Please note that completion of the declaration(s) does not negate the need to comply with any other University requirement relating to co-authored works as outlined in the Griffith University code for the Responsible Conduct of Research ( PDF , 202k) .

Examination requirements

Assessment by examiners.

Candidates who wish to include papers within their thesis, and who have determined that this thesis format is appropriate to the research project, should also consider whether this thesis format will be well received by the thesis examiners. The inclusion of papers may negatively impact on the thesis upon assessment by the examiners where: the thesis format is not a common or accepted practice within the candidates discipline area; where the inclusion of co-authored papers makes it difficult for the examiner to establish the independence and originality of the candidates work; where the thesis does not present to the examiner as an integrated whole; or where there is too much repetition in the thesis which an examiner may view as a weakness.

Theses that include papers are subject to the same examination criteria as theses submitted in the traditional format. It should also be noted that the inclusion of published papers within the thesis does not prevent an examiner from requesting amendments to that material.

Candidates should discuss the suitability of this thesis format for examination with their supervisor(s).

Nomination of examiners

It is the responsibility of the principal supervisor to nominate thesis examiners , and the process dictates that the principal supervisor must approach all nominees to determine their willingness to examine. Where a candidate’s thesis is formatted to include papers, the principal supervisor must also ensure that the examiners are familiar with and/or accepting of, this thesis format.

Upon dispatch of a candidate’s thesis to an examiner, the examiner will be reminded that the thesis has been formatted to include papers. The examiner will also be provided with the relevant information and regulations regarding this thesis format.

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Submission and examination

Griffith Graduate Research School

Contact GGRS for enquiries relating to HDR admission, candidature , scholarships, orientation or workshops.

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• Email: [email protected]
• Telephone : +61 7 3735 3817

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• Make an appointment for a phone, video (Microsoft Teams) or in-person meeting with an HDR Officer.

• Writing Rules
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• Citing Sources
• Reference List
• General Reference List Principles
• Structure of the Report
• Introduction
• References & Appendices
• Unpacking the Assignment Topic
• Planning and Structuring the Assignment
• Writing the Assignment
• Writing Concisely
• Developing Arguments
• Critically Evaluating Research
• Editing the Assignment
• Writing in the Third Person
• Directive Words
• Before You Submit
• Cover Sheet & Title Page
• Academic Integrity
• Marking Criteria
• Word Limit Rules
• Submitting Your Work
• Writing Effective E-mails
• Writing Concisely Exercise
• About Redbook

The Griffith University Cover Sheet

It is a requirement that all assignments are submitted with the official Griffith University cover sheet attached.

Click HERE for to download an 'assignment template' document FOR GROUP ASSIGNMENTS which has the 'group assignment' university cover page already attached.

Please note that templates that can be downloaded only have the assignment cover sheet merged. You still need to format your title page and the remainder of your assignment manuscript according to the APA 7th Edition specifications outlined here on REDBOOK.

The Title Page

Research reports, essays, and other forms of written assessment should have a title page on the first page. Please make sure that your assignment includes a title page and that you include all the necessary information on it.

The title page provides important information about you, the course, and information about the assignment itself. The title page consists of:

• The full title of the report
• Affiliation (i.e. Griffith University)
• Your student number
• The course code
• Your tutor’s name
• Your tutorial time
• The date the report is due
• The date the report is submitted
• The actual word count

The title of the assessment can be the most challenging component to write. For more information about how to write a clear and relevant title see our tips on writing a title. Another important element of the title page is the word count. You calculate the word count by following the rules set out by the school. The word count must be accurate. Deliberately falsifying the word count will be taken as grounds for academic misconduct. If you are having difficulty in writing the assignment within the word limit, see our tips on how to write concisely.

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Writers’ guidelines

Griffith Review is published with curious, well-informed readers in mind. It aims to enrich public discussion, to provide a platform for both established and emerging writers and thinkers to publish well-written, informed and insightful writing.

Each edition is topical, so we do not accept general, unsolicited submissions that do not fit with an upcoming theme. You can find information about our upcoming editions at griffithreview.com/submit-to-griffith-review , along with the link to our submissions management software, Submittable. Have a read of some previous editions to get a general feel for what we like to publish – our entire back catalogue is accessible at griffithreview.com/editions .

We like new and creative ideas, and we like you , the writer. Don’t be afraid to let yourself shine through in your writing. Griffith Review is not an academic journal (although academics may be able to obtain research credits for their writing), and while we often tackle complex ideas, we are committed to giving our writers space for their own voice. Give us your provocations and opinions, so long as they are considered and backed up. Pieces generally range from 2,000 to up to 5,000 words, unless previously negotiated with the editors.

For all genres except poetry, we ask that you submit no more than one piece per edition; for poetry, you can submit up to four individual poems (each no more than two pages long), so long as they are all (at least loosely) on theme.

Essays are the staple of each Griffith Review edition. Lyrical essays, researched essays, creative non-fiction, analytical pieces – we publish them all.

Personal essays and ‘a letter to’ will be published under memoir. We love the genre for the more personal element it lends to our themes – keep in mind that we do want the reader to take something from your piece in relation to the theme. Let’s say the aim is ‘subjective universality’.

This can be the most incisive way to address a topic, and we certainly encourage it. If your investigating turns up any information that might have even the most remote legal implications, we ask that you have permissions sorted before coming to us.

The beating heart of creative literature, though as a culture and ideas quarterly we tend to only publish at most three pieces of fiction per edition, with the exception of novella or fiction editions (separate guidelines are generally published for these). Good fiction writing stands out immediately – polish, proofread and repeat.

We don’t publish a lot of poetry, though we do like to publish it where possible. Consider how necessary it is for you to submit an entire suite of poems, unless they are remarkably short (though haiku aren’t high on our to-print list).

Indigenous issues

Writing about the lives and affairs of Australia’s Indigenous peoples is important for fostering conversation and understanding, but it is something that needs to be done with awareness and sensitivity. We encourage writers pursuing this area to read the ‘Guidelines for the ethical publishing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors and research from those communities’ from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, which suggest ways for ‘writers and publishers [to] create new works in ways that are culturally respectful and appreciative of the diversity and richness of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and their histories and cultures’.

We only accept online submissions as editable word documents (preferably Microsoft Word). Use 12-point Times New Roman type (we don’t score on personal font preference) with 1.5 lines spacing. The piece needs to begin with your full name, a title (and for essay, memoir and reportage, a subtitle) and a word count. We do not accept hard-copy submission – it’s fine if you still prefer to write by hand or typewriter, but typesetting has long since moved into the digital realm and someone needs to transcribe your piece. Include a short bio (50–100 words) at the end.

If you use references, incorporate them into the body of the text where possible – we do not publish references or footnotes in the print edition, only online. Not in-text referencing or footnotes, but written out – that is, not (Macfarlane, 12) or 1 Robert Macfarlane, Mountains of the Mind , p. 43, but, ‘In Mountains of the Mind (Granta, 2003), Robert Macfarlane says…’. If this becomes too awkward (you have too many long references to incorporate), make your references endnotes in the Harvard style.

For spellings and grammar, Griffith Review follows the Macquarie Dictionary and our own in-house style guide (available on request). With very few exceptions, we adhere to strict Australian-English usage.

If your work is accepted for print and/or digital publication, we will acquire the rights to it for three months from the date of publication of the edition, and it will be archived on our website. The copyright is then yours, but any subsequent publication must acknowledge the work’s initial appearance in our pages. Fees are negotiated by word length, except for contributors employed by universities who, are paid a flat fee. Once we’ve agreed to publish and negotiated any editing changes, you will be sent a contract and payment will be made within twenty-one days of returning a completed version along with an invoice.

For any enquiries, please email [email protected].

Home — Essay Samples — Education — University — Must-Try Activities Around Griffith University

Must-try Activities Around Griffith University

• Categories: University

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Published: May 7, 2019

Words: 602 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

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