NORTH KARELIA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
International Business
Adam Lerch, Kirsi-Marja Toivanen-Sevrjukova and
Kaija Tuomainen
CHECKLIST FOR ASSESSING ACADEMIC PAPERS AND REPORTS
The following highlights some essential criteria for academic papers produced by IB students after their first introductory course “Written English” at the end of the first semester. If any paper does not comply with any of the criteria below, it can be returned back to the student for revision. The following checklist is made on the basis of IB reporting instruction available at http://www.ncp.fi/ib/Writing%20a%20Report%20September%202007.rtf
1 LAYOUT
q The paper is typed, stapled together and handed in on time as a neat printout, if not otherwise instructed.
q The paper has a cover page clearly stating the name of the institution and programme, the author/ student with his/her student code and email address, title of the paper, course code and title, submission date and the name of the instructor.
q The font used is either Arial or Times New Roman. In the main body of text the font size is 12. Line spacing is single.
q There is a content page.
q Pages are numbered, except the cover and contents pages.
q All chapters are numbered and have a descriptive heading.
q The figures and tables are numbered and titled.
q The document is spell-checked.
2 STRUCTURE AND ACADEMIC CONVENTIONS
q The paper is divided into logical parts (chapters, subdivisions and paragraphs).
q The paper has a clear introduction and conclusion.
q Chapters and paragraphs are long enough and form logical thought units, i.e. there is one leading idea or topic in each passage of text.
q Lists are avoided. If they appear, bullets are used systematically.
q At least two-three different sources are used.
q The references are marked in the text and in the list of references.
3 ACCURATE LANGUAGE AND PROPER STYLE
q The text uses complete and complex sentences structures.
q There might be some redundancy, but no unnecessary tautology.
q The text is coherent and some linkers and connectors are used to improve readability (e.g. first, then, finally, additionally, furthermore, however).
q The author uses exact terms and concepts typical of the business field.
q There is no grandiloquence and the author has a clear understanding of the meanings of all the words s/he has used.
q There are no colloquial words or expressions (e.g. thing, boss, kind of, stuff, like).
q Punctuation is correct (e.g. no comma before that).
q Subject and verb agreement is followed (e.g. companies have, not companies has)
q Active verbs are used instead of complicated noun phrases.
q The author knows the difference between countable and uncountable nouns (e.g. in the use of plurals, such as people, equipment; amount of money, a few cases, etc.)