Reflective Writing

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Understanding the purpose of reflective writing

Learn about the purpose of reflective writing for university and beyond.

Analysing the question (video, 2:35) from Western Sydney University Library.

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	Analysing the assignment question (full guide)	Tips and information about understanding your assignment question.
	Analysing the assignment question (3-min guide)	Quick tips and information about understanding your assignment question.
	Analysing the assignment question checklist	Use this checklist to make sure you've done everything you need to understand your assignment question.
	Common task words	Learn what common assignment task words mean.
	Understanding what the marker is looking for	Learn how to interpret the marking criteria (or rubric) for your assignment.

Researching

For most of your assignments, you will need to do some research. This means searching for scholarly information related to the topic in order to find out what researchers have said about the topic and to develop your own ideas.

Ask a Library staff member for help in finding scholarly sources for your assignments.

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	Successful Searching tutorials	These Library online tutorials will take you through five skills that are important for finding and using information effectively.
	Types of sources	Understand the different kinds of sources that you can use for your assignment.
	Critical thinking	Practical resources to develop your skills in critical thinking.
	APPEAL source evaluation worksheet	Learn how to evaluate each source you find, to ensure that the sources you use are scholarly sources.

Reading

Many students struggle with reading for university, but it doesn't have to be an uphill battle. You just need to figure out what you need to read and why you need to read it, then use the strategies in the resources below to help you become a more effective reader.

Interactive tutorials

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Use pre-reading techniques to decide whether to spend time reading a source.

Use selective reading techniques to quickly find the information you need.

Use active reading techniques to understand and engage with what you read.

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	The why, when, and what of reading	Learn why reading at university is important, when you should read, and what you should read.
	How to read effectively	Here you will find practical strategies and tips for effective and efficient reading.
	Organising your reading	Learn how to keep on top of your reading workload.
	Note-making for critical thinking	Examples of note-taking systems to help you read and think critically. Find more resources on note-taking in Attending lectures and tutorials.
	Reading worksheet	Keep a copy of this resource to guide your note-taking whenever you read for university.
	Reading graphic organiser	Use this interactive tool to take notes on the main points as you read.

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	Reflective Writing Structure	Learn how to structure your reflective writing.
	Reflective Writing Tone	A helpful guide to getting the tone of your reflective writing right.
	Essay drafting tool	This handy interactive resource will guide you through the stages of drafting your paper in an essay format, section by section.

A lot of what we do with language every day is spoken. While speaking is important at university, most of your assignments will require writing, so developing your writing skills for the academic setting is essential. If you can get good at writing at university, you'll also be more attractive to future employers.

The University also offers free workshops on academic writing, referencing, and grammar. These are open to all students enrolled at Western Sydney University. You can find out more information on the Academic literacy and grammar workshops page (opens in a new window).

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	Paragraph structure	Learn how to structure paragraphs in academic writing.
	Sentence structure	Learn how to structure sentences in academic writing.
	Sentences 3-min guide	Learn how to find and fix common sentence structure problems in your writing.
	Punctuation 3-min guide	Learn how to properly use the most common forms of punctuation.
	Grammar - Tense and subject-verb agreement	Learn how to appropriately apply grammar in academic writing (including tense and subject-verb agreement).
	Grammar - Articles and determiners	Learn how to appropriately use articles and determiners in academic writing.
	Purpose and language choice 3-min guide	Learn how to choose the right kind of language for your purpose.
	Vocabulary	Tips for using appropriate vocabulary in academic writing.

Once you've done all the research and written enough words, you'll probably feel like you've finished. But don't submit it yet! It's still a draft and probably won't be your best work until you've read through it a couple of times and made corrections.

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	Word processing	Tips on using a word processor to write and format your assessments.
	Editing	Learn a 5-step approach to editing your work.
	Editing Checklist	Keep this interactive resource handy to guide you through the editing process.
	Academic Integrity Checklist	Use this checklist to see if your work meets academic integrity expectations.

Make sure you don't sell yourself short by handing in an inferior version of your assignment. Check out these tips for improving your final draft and handing in the best version of your assignment that you can.

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	Proofreading	Learn the importance of proofreading and how to do it successfully.
	Proofreading checklist	Keep this interactive resource handy to guide you through the proofreading process
	Using Turnitin	Learn how to use Turnitin to submit your assignnment.

When your assignment has been marked, don't just look at the mark you got, but read through all the feedback and reflect on what you could do to improve next time.

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