The following guidelines are designed to support you with presenting assessment items in the School of Information and Communication Studies.

Good presentation assists your work and helps you to clearly communicate your responses to assessment tasks. In every assessment task in your subject outline you will find specific presentation requirement  details. Always abide by these in the first instance and if in doubt, contact your subject coordinator.

Always provide a title page
All of your assessments should include a separate title page at the start of your work. This should include:

• • your name and student number
  • the subject code and name
  • the assessment item number
  • a title
  • a word count
    

Do not add framed borders, excessive graphics and other unnecessary details to your assessment, including the title page, as doing so can interfere with us easily marking your work online.

Referencing
The School of Information and Communication Studies uses CSU APA 7 referencing. We refer to in–text citations as being the references within the body of an assessment. The full list of items used which goes at the end of your work is the reference list, referred to as References in the heading. Always begin a fresh page for a reference list. Comply with CSU APA rules and put your work in alphabetical order.

The most up–to–date guide produced by the University and a link to a CSU APA referencing tool can be found through the link below. You are advised to bookmark this link for regular reference:

https://www.csu.edu.au/current-students/learning-resources/build-your-skills/academic-skills-help/referencing 

It is recommended you use the Australian Guide to Legal Citation for legal materials.

If you have used a reference manager (e.g. Endnote, Zotero or the citation function in Word), please ensure that you have unlinked your references prior to submission so that markers can comment on individual reference list items.

Formatting the document

• • Use double line spacing in your work
    
  • Use 2.5 cm margins
    
  • Use a standard font in 12p size (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri)
    
  • Use a footer to add page numbers (excluding the title page)
    

All formatting should follow APA presentation guidelines. For further information please visit https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/. If in doubt please ask your subject coordinator.

Word count
Always work to the word limit specified in your assessment task as they have been determined by your teaching staff for a reason. Keep in mind that the following also applies:

• • Being within a 10% over or under word count range is acceptable
  • The word count does include in–text citations
  • Check your assessment task description carefully to see if tables, figures, appendices or other items are included in the word count
  • The word count does not include Reference lists
    

If in doubt, check with your subject coordinator

Appendices
Appendices are not required for all assessment tasks and should only be included when specified in the assessment item description in your subject outline. They are often allowed, in a report, for example to include additional material that is of relevance and value to the task. Keep in mind:

• • Appendices can include various types of items – such as a questionnaire; charts or tables;
    policy documents; images; and many others as appropriate to the task
  • Appendices must go after the Reference list and should always begin on a new page
  • Each appendix should begin on a separate page and be clearly labelled (e.g. Appendix A)
  • In the main text you should refer to appendices by their labels

Proofing your work before submission
Make sure that you always proofread your work before submission. Work submitted with errors can reduce its quality and distracts the reader, making it more difficult for them to follow and assess your work. Consider the following when you are proofing:

• • Avoid the use of contractions (i.e. don’t) in academic writing
  • Ensure you have explained abbreviations or acronyms clearly
  • Check your punctuation and avoid the use of overly long sentences and paragraphs
  • Do not rely solely on the use of Microsoft Word’s inbuilt Spell and Grammar check
  • Make sure you have acknowledged all of your sources correctly throughout
    

For help with preparing and submitting your assessments please visit this CSU page. https://www.csu.edu.au/current–students/learning–resources/information–planning/assignments

Always ensure you have backed up your file before submission just in case it is needed.