This course provides a forum for students to reflect on and critique their writing and arguments as they work towards the completion of their research thesis. Coursework will be framed around the enrolled students' individual honours projects, and course meetings will be focussed on developing effective strategies for communicating thesis results, including through intensive workshopping of thesis chapters in progress.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. present logical, structured and supported arguments both orally and in writing;
2. understand how to present data effectively in text, tables and figures;
3. communicate effectively with peers and colleagues about sophisticated concepts in seminar and presentation contexts; and
4. provide and respond to peer-reviews of draft texts.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Thesis roundtable: progress, timelines and writing goals ? As a group we will discuss your progress to date and any particular challenges or road blocks to your ongoing research and writing. We will discuss strategies for effective time management and realistic writing timelines. Assignments for peer-review and seminar organisation will also be made at this session. Preparation Prepare to discuss your progress, goals and time lines with your classmates and to discuss any particular problems you have encountered. Bring an outline of your thesis with notes on what is complete and what you have yet to write. Develop a preliminary timeline for completion.
3	Data visualisation: maps, drawings, tables and photographs A picture is worth a thousand words! In this session we will discuss the most and least effective ways to illustrate your results. You will have a chance to discuss illustrations used in published material and to discuss your own illustrations or planned illustrations with your classmates. We will discuss copyright, illustration software and how not to lie with charts. Preparation Dig through the articles and books you have been reading for research and bring 5 examples of good illustrations and 5 of poor illustrations. Be prepared to defend your opinions. Prepare to discuss your own research and places where illustrations or tables might improve the presentation of your ideas and results. Reading Connah, G. 2010. Writing about archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 6
5	Oral presentation week 30 minute presentation outlining your methodology and initial results This presentation will focus on one section of the preliminary results in order to discuss a specific question(s) with a defined methodology that produced a specific set of results and their interpretation. It should be 30 minutes long and 10 minutes of questions will follow. It will include the following: • The research question • What specific tasks (methods and methodology) • The relevance of this method(s) • The data evaluated • The outcome or results of initial data analysis • The significance of these results to the thesis aims This assessment addresses learning outcomes 1-3.
7	Student writing workshop This session will be organised by one of the students and will focus on a group discussion and peer-review of a draft chapter or chapters by a fellow student. The peer-review is not intended to be an attack on your classmates’ work, but an academic critique whose purpose is to develop useful, critical feedback on drafts of ongoing work. Preparation All students are expected to read the circulated chapter or chapters and prepare clear and structured feedback The student organising the seminar must plan out discussion questions, topics in need of clarification from the author and must prepare a written summary of her or his initial comments.
8	Thesis roundtable: presentation, structure, sign-posting As a group we will discuss your progress to date and any particular challenges or road blocks to the completion of your thesis. We will discuss strategies for effective time management and focus on the final structure of your theses and how you tie all your ideas together as you come into the last month of your honours year.
10	Thesis roundtable: preparing and finalising the text ?As a group we will discuss your progress to date and any particular challenges or road blocks to the completion of your thesis. We will discuss strategies for effective time management and focus on the final structure of your theses and how you tie all your ideas together as you come into the last month of your honours year.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Presentation	30 %	1,2,3
Book review	20 %	1,2
Seminar Organisation	20 %	1,3,4
Chapter Peer-review	20 %	1,4
Participation	10 %	3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Presentation

This presentation will focus on one section of the preliminary results in order to discuss a specific question(s) with a defined methodology that produced a specific set of results and their interpretation. It should be 30 minutes long and 10 minutes of questions will follow.

It will include the following:

• The research question
• What specific tasks (methods and methodology)
• The relevance of this method(s)?
• The data evaluated
• The outcome or results of initial data analysis
• The significance of these results to the thesis aims

Assessment Task 2

Book review

Students will prepare a 1500 word critical review of a scholarly text relevant to their area of research focussing on the presentation of data. The structure of the text, the use of figures and the compilation of data into figures and tables will all be discussed. Full academic references and a bibliography are required.

Your review should follow the standard book review format common to international archaeological journals. It should include

• An overview of the book and its context
• A summary of key chapters or arguments
• Critiques of content or presentation as appropriate
• A summary of the results and its significance to the wider archaeological dialogue
• A final statement on its value and contribution to that debate

Your review should be written to the highest academic standards and include full referencing and bibliographies where appropriate. Appropriate referencing formats are included in this course handbook.

Referencing in book reviews is somewhat variable so the following guidelines should be followed:

• You do not need to include the book being reviewed in a bibliography. Instead, you should use a full bibliographic reference as the title of your review.
• When paraphrasing ideas in the book you are reviewing a simple note does not need a page reference: ‘In chapter 4, Smith attempts to prove XYZ’.
• When quoting text from the book your are reviewing include the page number but not author and year: ‘Smith goes on to state her goal of “XYZ” (4)’
• When citing other materials relevant to the book you are reviewing you should reference it fully with author and year. These materials should be listed in a bibliography at the end of your review. Bibliographies do not count towards the word count: ‘and yet, while Smith makes a valid point, her work neglects to address the wider research into identity and ethnicity (e.g. Insoll 2006; Jones 2002).’

Assessment Task 3

Seminar Organisation

All students will prepare a chapter to be workshopped by their peers. Each student will be responsible for organising one of these workshop seminars. They will be required to introduce the chapter, discuss it within the context of the thesis and outline a series of questions to guide the class discussion and the formulation of constructive criticism. The student will prepare a one page summary of the discussion and constructive criticism to be presented to the chapter author and the course instructor within 24 hours.

Assessment Task 4

Chapter Peer-review

Students will prepare a detailed two-page critical review of the chapter for which they organised a seminar. Notes on the text of the chapter (e.g. proofreading) will accompany this review. The goal is the production of a short piece of writing that will help their peer improve their work and also encourage the reviewer to think more reflexively about their own writing and research. Remember to keep your criticisms constructive, the aim here is to help them as they will help you to achieve a better result and motivate each other to produce the best work possible. One copy of your two-page report will go to the student whose work you critiqued and one to the course convener.

Assessment Task 5

Participation

Students are expected to contribute in a material fashion to discussions, to raise questions and to support their peers during presentations and in discussing their developing research.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students