Typeface and Question

Word Count: 1500 words (+ / - 10%). References are not included in the calculation of the total.

Referencing Style: Sydney Business School (Harvard)

Format: A simple font (eg. Times New Roman 12, Arial 11). At least 1.5 spacing. Numbered pages.

I am worried that my answer might be wrong. Or, similar: I am worried that my answer will reveal that I am unitarist / radical / pluralist: We are not here to judge your work in terms of whether or not we agree with your point of view. Our job is to assess the strength of your argument in terms of whether it provides a response to the question, the logical consistency of that response, the way evidence that is incorporated into the argument and so on. Different points of view provide different answers to the question, it would be a bit much if we invited you to see different points of view and then rejected the validity of all but one. This links very closely to the theory question: it is vitally important that you yourself recognise your own position and argue from that. Your essay runs the danger of being incoherent if you mix and blend different theoretical perspectives. Identifying your own views and assumptions is a good way to start answering the question.

Does ‘answer the question’ mean I just need to give my personal opinion? This depends on what you mean by personal opinion. Opinions can be informed or uninformed. We are looking for your answer to the question and assessing answer in terms of the logical consistency in the argument, the evidence used to support the argument, the link between the evidence and the argument.

I was taught to structure my essays in the format ‘argument, counter-argument, rebuttal’: The important thing is that you know what your answer is. How you get to that answer is up to you. We look for logical consistency. There is a danger here with the argument, counter-argument, rebuttal script, which is that you say one thing, then the opposite. It is not a good idea to present

References: are not included in the calculation of the total. Referencing Style: Sydney Business School (Harvard) Format: A simple font (eg. Times New Roman 12, Arial 11). At least 1.5 spacing. Numbered pages. I am worried that my answer might be wrong. Or, similar: I am worried that my answer will reveal that I am unitarist / radical / pluralist: We are not here to judge your work in terms of whether or not we agree with your point of view. Our job is to assess the strength of your argument in terms of whether it provides a response to the question, the logical consistency of that response, the way evidence that is incorporated into the argument and so on. Different points of view provide different answers to the question, it would be a bit much if we invited you to see different points of view and then rejected the validity of all but one. This links very closely to the theory question: it is vitally important that you yourself recognise your own position and argue from that. Your essay runs the danger of being incoherent if you mix and blend different theoretical perspectives. Identifying your own views and assumptions is a good way to start answering the question. Does ‘answer the question’ mean I just need to give my personal opinion? This depends on what you mean by personal opinion. Opinions can be informed or uninformed. We are looking for your answer to the question and assessing answer in terms of the logical consistency in the argument, the evidence used to support the argument, the link between the evidence and the argument. I was taught to structure my essays in the format ‘argument, counter-argument, rebuttal’: The important thing is that you know what your answer is. How you get to that answer is up to you. We look for logical consistency. There is a danger here with the argument, counter-argument, rebuttal script, which is that you say one thing, then the opposite. It is not a good idea to present consecutive arguments that cancel each other out (X is right, Y is wrong, followed by Y is right, X is wrong). Of course you can address the counter-argument and it is often a good idea to show that you are aware of alternative positions. This is fine but should be addressed in terms of the limitations of the counter-argument, showing how your position on the question is comprehensive. Remember you are trying to answer the question. How many sources do I need? There is no good answer to this type of question. You need as many sources as is necessary to sustain your argument. If you have not read at least 6 academic papers the danger is that your answer will certainly be under-informed. This does not mean that you just need to read 6 and stop. How do I know when to stop reading? This should be guided by your writing. Write a draft of your essay. Sleep on it. Read it through again the next day. Each point you have written, what is it trying to say in terms of the question? Challenge your work: does it actually make that point? Is it convincing? You are trying to reduce the size of the gap and the strength of the link - between point and argument, and between evidence and point. This should guide you towards the further evidence you need to find through reading. What kind of sources to I need? You need academic sources. Do I need to focus on Australia only? It is strongly recommended that you do. There are a number of aspects to the question that your essay should address in sufficient depth in order for these points to contribute to your answer to the question. It would be extremely difficult, virtually impossible, to write in enough depth, succinctly, if you were to attempt a two country comparison.