Planning and

Researching
for your assignment

Charmaine Botha
Learning Skills Advisor
Monash South Africa
 CONTACT DETAILS
Learning Skills Advisors Librarians
Charmaine Botha Sibusisiwe Mgquba
Focus: Focus
Health Sciences, Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Social Sciences,
ADP & HDR ADP & HDR
Tel: 011 950 4455 Tel. 011 950 4150
charmaine.botha@monash.edu Sibusisiwe.mgquba@monash.edu

Karen Pentreko Linda Mbonambi

Focus Focus
Bus Eco, IT, HDR & ADP Bus Eco, IT, HDR & ADP
Tel: 011 950 4248 Tel: 011 950 4032
Karen.pentreko@monash.edu Linda.mbonambi@monash.edu

Date
What do we want to achieve with an
academic essay?
Demonstrate
to your lecturer that you are able to:
Embark on an inquiry analyse question
Find Information / research
Evaluate and Analyse the information
Organize the information
Apply the information to answer the question
Communicate your knowledge (written/oral)

(Based on the Research Skill Development Framework)

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Its like being a lawyer presenting
a case in court:

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 Assessment Task 4: ESSAY (Unit Guide)
Due date period: 3 November 2014
Length: 2500 words (Note the Table of Contents and the Reference list do not count
toward your total word count.)
Value: 40%
Details of task:
Assessment Task 4: Essay on health systems

Details of task: This task involves a series of steps:

a. Interview an older person about their experience of the health system

b. Reflect on what the persons experience tells you about the Australian/South
African health system
c. Identify one or two key principles/goals of health systems highlighted by
your interview
d. Compare the health system in Australia (Caulfield students) or South Africa
(MSA students) with the health system in one or more other countries in
relation to your selected principles/goals.

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 Detailed Analysis of the task:
Your final written essay for Assessment Task 4 is to include 2 parts:

Part A. Interview description and analysis: (750 words)

This should include:

a brief description of the most relevant aspects of your interviewees experiences
your reflections on what your interviewees experiences tell you about the Australian or South African health
system
a description of which principle/s or goal/s you have selected to be the focus of your comparison of health
systems, and why you selected them. How do they relate to your interviewees experiences?

Part B: Comparison of health systems (1,750 words)

A description of the mechanisms, structures, policies or strategies used in each system to achieve the goals or
principles
An analysis of the reasons why the systems have these mechanisms, structures, policies or strategies what
are the key influences on the policy process that have contributed (political factors, stakeholders, ideologies,
cultural or social values,
economic conditions)?
A description of available data on the performance of the health systems in relation to the goals or principles
what indicators are available to demonstrate how the health systems are performing?
An analysis of these data on performance. What do they suggest? What are their limitations?
A conclusion: On the basis of your analysis, what are your conclusions about the key successes or strengths
and the relative weaknesses of the health systems you are comparing

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 Where to START
Begin by identifying the key concepts
e.g. the topic / sub-topic / content areas
Identify the directive words e.g.
analyse, discuss, list, explain etc.
Note any limitations e.g. scope, time
period, field of study, area

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 Analysis of brief :
Directive Limitations Key Concepts
Part A. Interview description and analysis: (750 words)

This should include:

a brief description of the most relevant aspects of your interviewees experiences
your reflections on what your interviewees experiences tell you about the Australian or South
African health system
a description of which principle/s or goal/s you have selected to be the focus of your comparison
of health systems, and why you selected them. How do they relate to your interviewees
experiences?

Part B: Comparison of health systems (1,750 words) (compare: look at similarities AND differences)

A description of the mechanisms, structures, policies or strategies used in each system to

achieve the goals or principles
An analysis of the reasons why the systems have these mechanisms, structures, policies or
strategies what are the key influences on the policy process that have contributed (political
factors, stakeholders, ideologies, cultural or social values, economic conditions)?
A description of available data on the performance of the health systems in relation to the goals
or principles what indicators are available to demonstrate how the health systems are performing?
An analysis of these data on performance. What do they suggest? What are their limitations?
A conclusion: On the basis of your analysis, what are your conclusions about the key
successes or strengths and the relative weaknesses of the health systems you are comparing
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 Principle/s or goal/s
Break down
you have selected PART 1 (750)
(from Interview) Interview

What:description of the most relevant aspects

PART 2 (1750)
Comparison of health systems
FOR EACH SYSTEM reflections on what your interviewees experienced

WHAT : the mechanisms, structures, policies or strategies

description of which principle/s or goal/s you have selected,
to achieve the goals or principles why you chose
Describe Analyse reasons

How they relate to your interviewees experiences?

HOW: available data on the performance of the health
systems
Describe Analyse data
What do they suggest?
What are their limitations

what are your conclusions about the key successes or Communicate:

strengths and the relative weaknesses of the health systems
you are comparing ESSAY

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 Find Witnesses
WHAT types of resources are required (books, journals,
websites, statistics, etc.) and set about acquiring them.
Often books are good for big picture information,
while journals are often good for supporting details.
Look at your reading list, use the reference lists of these
books and journals, to identify what will be required.
Remember you will need to evaluate the worth of these
resources, so read critically.
WHERE will you FIND the resources?

The physical LIBRARY (real books/journals)

DATABASES (electronic resources via Monash SA Library
website) Online resources Databases

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 What is a Database?"
A database is
simply an
organized
structure of
data stored in a
computer
system and
typically
enabled for
easy retrieval
of that data.

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 Library resources
Resource Name Keywords Results Comments
SEARCH
SA Library Main key concept Physical Book(s) in SA libarary SA has limited books in
Health System South Africa
Physical Books Health System Other country
this area at least one or
Sub key concept(s) two versus large number
Goal/principal (according to your interview) of students (lecturer
e.g. Accessibility
needs to reserve)
DATA BASES Keywords Results Comments
(S) > Main key concept Journal articles / Books/ Articles relevant to SA
Health System South Africa
SA e Publications Health System Other country
Theses/ Web pages and Africa available
Sub key concept(s)
Goal/principal (according to your interview)
e.g. Accessibility

(S) > Main key concept Examples of relevant articles in Large number of articles
Health System South Africa
Science Direct Health System Other country
journals and other resources as available international
(G) > Sub key concept(s) well (these are interdisciplinary
Google Scholar Goal/principal (according to your interview) databases)
e.g. Accessibility

(E) > Main key concept Electronic Book Everyone can access at
Health System South Africa
E-Book Library Health System Other country
Do a secondary search within same time
Sub key concept(s) the book of your sub-key
Goal/principal (according to your interview) concept (Goal/principal of your
e.g. Accessibility
choice)

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 Acknowledging your resources:
Citing and referencing)
NB NB NB : if you cite and reference correctly, you will not plagiarize
Ways to cite and reference:
1. MANUALLY (DO the library on-line tutorial 15minutes):
http://resources.lib.monash.edu.au/learning-objects/test/apa-quick-guide/
http://monash.edu/library/skills/resources/tutorials/citing/

2. Using MICRO-SOFT WORD REFERENCING (but you still need to have

the manual referencing background knowledge)

3. Using ENDNOTE (but you still need to have the manual referencing
background knowledge)

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 Plan your argument
Once you have analysed the topic and gathered
references, you will need to construct a rough plan.
Some students prefer to make a plan before reading,
some after. However, it is important to remain flexible,
as your knowledge of the topic and opinion on it may
change as you read more.
You might find that your witnesses are vague or
unreliable and you may need to find others

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 The essay/report structure
Can be seen as a diamond with the introduction and conclusion at the top and bottom and the
body paragraphs fitting into the middle of the diamond in a series of smaller diamond shapes.

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 Plan and write (draft)
Introduction what I set out
to do
Body - what I have found
Communicate: 1
ESSAY 2
3
Conclusion what I have
realized/ concluded

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 Prepare to communicate your argument
After having completed some reading and/or
writing, set about constructing your response or
thesis statement to the question. Again, however,
remain flexible. There is no such thing as perfect
knowledge of a topic!
Often it is best to start writing on a body section,
as the introduction and conclusion may change as
your work progresses.

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 Body paragraphs
Paragraph element Purpose

1. Topic This sentence starts by referring to the thesis/your

Sentence argument. It continues to include the main point of this
paragraph (your voice)
2. Additional This explains further the point made in the topic sentence.
Information (your voice)

3. Evidence These are essential to justify your point. Your evidence

sentences comes from your research and may include examples,
data, quotes, statistics, graphics and illustrations. All
supporting evidence must be from authoritative sources and
cited in your essay. (quote or paraphrase reference voice)
4. Concluding Again, this sentence links the main thesis of the essay with
sentence the main point of the paragraph. (your voice)

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 Review / edit (final)
Read for content
Read for grammar
Communicate:
ESSAY Read for spelling
Get someone else to read
and comment

Check your unit guide for rubric or guidelines

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 Writing your essay
For more assistance on writing or communicating
your findings, contact a learning skills advisor
in the library
charmaine.botha@monash.edu (011 950 4455)

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