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(Strategic Analysis) STRATEGIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Each student will write a strategic analysis report of NOT more than 2500 words. The reportshould demonstrate that the student has thoroughly researched their topic. Students should use examples of business practice from the scholarly journals papers, conferences, books
and professional magazines to support their arguments. The strategic analysis will be on a local company. The report consists of two parts and should cover the following requirements:

PART 1
(External analysis)
1. Business background
2. What industry is it?
3. General environment analysis (economic, physical, sociocultural, global,
technological, political/legal and demographic – and work out what the important
facts are).
4. The industry environment ((i.e., supplier power, buyer power, potential entrants,
substitute products and rivalry among competitors) and explain briefly what is
significant for each).
5. Competitive environment (Is there a strategic group that you need to take account
of? What is the rivalry like in this group? What capabilities do the relevant firms
have? What strategies do they follow? What threats do they represent?)
6. Opportunities and threats

PART 2
(Internal analysis and proposal)
1. The firm’s resources, tangible and intangible
2. Capabilities identification (explain the capabilities carefully to indicate what the firm
really does.)
3. Core competency analysis (For each capability, indicate which of the four tests for a
core competency it meets).
4. Propose a suitable information system solution that meets the chosen company
needs.
5. Evaluate the proposed system and provide your recommendations

Interna!onal Rela!ons and Security Studies

Assignment 3: Major essay 20/09/2018 5:23 pm
https://swinburneonline.instructure.com/courses/552/assignments/5117 Page 1 of 5
Teaching period 2, 2018
POL20010: Interna!onal Rela!ons and Security Studies
Assignment 3: Major essay
Word limit: 3000 (+/- 10%)
Weighting: 60%
Due date: 5pm AEDT Monday 8 October 2018 (Exam Week)
After you have read this information, head over to the Assignment 3 Q&A discussion board to ask any
questions and see what your peers are saying about this assignment.
Assignment overview
The purpose of this assignment is for you to demonstrate your knowledge of both methodological
approaches to security studies and current security problems.
Related learning outcomes
This assignment assesses the following unit learning outcomes:
1. Comprehend and classify the various conceptual and theoretical perspectives in international
relations and security studies.
2. Contrast traditional concepts of security with non-traditional security problems.
3. Assess and critically apply those concepts and theories to case studies.
4. Evaluate the implications of considering global security problems from a range of differing
perspectives.
Assignment details
Choose a post-positivist approach (covered in Weeks 2–6) to analyse a security problem (covered
in Weeks 7–11). Your essay needs to:
Outline the theory or approach, identifying key assumptions and relevant literature.
Provide a clear explanation of your chosen security issue, including background context.
Analyse the security issue through the approach, including appropriate supporting evidence.
Suppor!ng resources
Assignment 3: Major essay 20/09/2018 5:23 pm

Submission details overview
This assignment will be submitted via Turnitin. You will find the relevant submission point below.
Please allow a 24-hour turnaround for an originality report to be generated. See the Turnitin
originality report (https://portal.swinburneonline.edu.au/study-resources/turnitin-originality-report0)
area of Study Resources for several guides to assist with the submission process.
Assignment support
Don’t forget that in addition to your eLAs who provide discipline-specific content advice, you can
access the 24/7 draft writing service from Studiosity.
If you need assistance with academic feedback on a draft of your assignment task see
Assignment support: Studiosity.
Assignment criteria
1. Analysis of security problem.
2. Demonstration of methodological approach.
3. Supporting evidence.
4. Referencing.
5. Clarity of expression (including accuracy, spelling, grammar, punctuation).
Your work will be assessed using the following marking guide:
Criteria No Pass Pass
50-59%
Credit
60-69%
Distinction
70-79%
High
Distinction
80-100%
Outline of
the theory or
approach,
Did not meet
criterion.
Evidence of
limited
knowledge of
theory and
Evidence of
good
knowledge
of theory
Evidence of
very good
knowledge
of theory
Comprehensive
/ detailed
knowledge of
theory and
Assignment 3: Major essay 20/09/2018 5:23 pm
Page 3 of 5
ability to
identify key
assumptions
and relevant
literature
(25%)
some use of
appropriate
terminology.
and good
use of
appropriate
terminology.
and very
good use of
appropriate
terminology.
excellent use of
appropriate
terminology.
Clear
explanation
of chosen
security
issue,
including
background
context
(25%)
Did not meet
criterion.
Limited
explanation,
with some
background
context.
Good
explanation,
with good
background
context.
Very good
explanation,
with very
good
background
context.
Excellent
explanation,
with excellent
background
context.
Analysis of
security
issue
through
approach,
including
supporting
evidence
(30%)
Did not meet
criterion.
Some
analysis and
evaluation
attempted
with limited
analysis.
Literature is
presented
uncritically, in
a purely
descriptive
way and
indicates
limitations of
understanding
Good
evaluation,
and
analysis.
Clear
evidence
and
application
of readings
relevant to
the subject;
uses
indicative
texts
identified.
Very good
evaluation,
and
analysis,
and some
good
insights
present,
Able to
critically
appraise
the
literature
and theory
gained from
a variety of
sources,
developing
own ideas
in the
process.
Excellent
evaluation, and
analysis, with
very good
insights
present. Has
developed and
justified using
own ideas
based on a
wide range of
sources which
have been
thoroughly
analysed,
applied and
discussed.
Referencing
(10%)
Did not meet
criterion.
A satisfactory
attempt at
referencing.
Referencing
is mostly
accurate,
with some
errors.
Referencing
is
consistently
accurate
with limited
errors.
Referencing is
highly accurate,
with almost no
errors.

Assessment declara!on
All students must agree to the following declaration when submitting assignment items.
Declaration and Statement of Authorship
1. I have not impersonated, or allowed myself to be impersonated by any person for the purposes of
this assignment.
2. This assignment is my/our original work and no part of it has been copied from any other source
except where due acknowledgement is made.
3. No part of this assignment has been written for me by any other person except where such
collaboration has been authorised by the lecturer/teacher concerned.
4. I have not previously submitted this work for this or any other course/unit.
5. I give permission for my assignment response to be reproduced, communicated, compared and
archived for plagiarism detection, benchmarking or educational purposes.
I understand that:
Plagiarism is the presentation of another person’s work as though it is your own. It is a form of
cheating and is a very serious academic offence that may lead to exclusion from the university.
Plagiarised material may be drawn from published and unpublished written documents,
interpretations, computer software, designs, music, sounds, images, photographs, and ideas or
ideological frameworks gained through working with another person or in a group.
Plagiarised material can be drawn from, and presented in, written, graphic and visual form,
including electronic data and oral presentations. Plagiarism occurs when the origin of the material
used is not appropriately cited.
I agree and acknowledge that:
Clarity of
expression
(including
accuracy,
spelling,
grammar,
punctuation)
(10%)
Did not
meet criterion.
Meaning
apparent but
language not
always fluent.
Grammar and
spelling
mostly
accurate.
Language
mainly
fluent.
Grammar
and spelling
mostly
accurate.
Language
very fluent.
Grammar
and spelling
accurate.
Fluent writing
style
appropriate to
document.
Grammar and
spelling highly
accurate.
Assignment 3: Major essay 20/09/2018 5:23 pm
Page 5 of 5
1. I have read and understood the Declaration and Statement of Authorship above.
2. I accept that use of my Swinburne account to electronically submit this assignment constitutes my
agreement to the Declaration and Statement of Authorship.
3. If I do not agree to the Declaration and Statement of Authorship in this context, the assessment
outcome may not be valid for assessment purposes and may not be included in my aggregate
score for this unit.
4. I am aware that it is not acceptable to resubmit the same piece of work (in part or as whole) for
multiple assignments without permission from the Unit Coordinator.
Penalties for plagiarism

range from a formal caution to
expulsion from the university, and are detailed in the Student Academic Misconduct Regulations
2012. (

During the next few decades of the 21st century, information organizations will face enormous challenges including the rapid rate of change, continuous digital transformation, financial constraints and shifts in the nature and needs of users.

Assessment item 3

Developing a project plan

Value: 50% Due Date: 02-Oct-2018 Return Date: 22-Oct-2018 Length: 2000 words

Task

During the next few decades of the 21st century, information organizations will face enormous challenges including the rapid rate of change, continuous digital transformation, financial constraints and shifts in the nature and needs of users. You are required to think about a project for a library, archive, records office, knowledge management centre or other information-related workplace that you are familiar with to meet one of these challenges.

Develop a project plan in Microsoft Project or any other project management software for the project sponsor that shows how you propose to implement this project.

Your project plan should include the following typical plan elements:

Goals and objectives, scope and assumptions
2. The perceived benefits of your project
3. A minimum of 15 structured tasks not including major deliverables or milestones
4. A start date, finish date and duration for each task
5. Precedence of tasks
6. Communications plan
7. Resources with costs – people, places, facilities
8. Risk management

For this assignment, you should also include the supporting management material – evidence of project management tools used and other evidence that ties your project together and makes it workable. Your project, a “baseline” ready project, is due to begin on 1 October 2018.

Rationale

This assessment task will assess the following learning outcome/s:

demonstrate an understanding of the issues of working in a collaborative environment.
be able to apply appropriate methods of solving problems.
demonstrate an understanding of factors influencing project design and implementation.
be able to effectively prioritise tasks within preset timelines.

This assessment item requires the use of a project tool as a part of presenting a project plan to the sponsor. The plan needs to be clear, concise, yet detailed for the sponsor to understand your approach clearly and accurately.

Marking criteria and standards

Criteria	High Distinction	Distinction	Credit	Pass	Fail
Demonstration of quality of overall project plan elements and software output (as appropriate) in support of the plan (60%)	The project plan is very well organised, easy to follow. Each section of the project plan includes detailed content that is very well thought out, demonstrating exceptional work with an excellent understanding of the concepts, goals, objectives and principles required for the task. All the elements are included and work together very well.	Well organised project plan with clear headings most of time. Most sections of the project plan include detailed content that is well thought out, demonstrating work of a very high standard with a clear understanding of the main concepts, objectives and principles required for the task. Most of the elements are included and work together well.	The organisation of the project plan is good. It presents most key elements; however, some aspects could be improved. Most sections of the project plan are applied well and include detailed content. Most of the elements are included correctly, but there may be some contradictions in activities, strategies, assumptions etc.	The project plan is adequate, but some elements are disorganised. Many sections of the project plan are lacking in detailed content. Some key elements of the project plan are missing and many areas of the project plan feel disconnected from each other.	Fails to meet the criteria for a pass.
Evidence of creative thinking of the issues to be faced, broad range of reading, and provision of definitions and explanations of assumptions and major terms (30%)	Your project plan shows comprehensive evidence of a broad range of reading and thinking on the issues, assumptions and concepts required. Your ability to identify, analyse, define and explain core concepts by synthesising them into a number of key points is excellent.	Your project plan shows clear evidence of a broad range of reading and thinking on the issues, assumptions and concepts required. Your ability to identify, define and explain concepts by synthesising them into a number of key points is apparent but your analysis could improve. Overall expression is good.	Your project plan shows a satisfactory level of evidence of a range of reading and thinking on the issues, assumptions and concepts required. Your ability to identify, define and explain most key concepts is apparent, however, some important assumptions and terms may have been overlooked or under-emphasised. Overall expression is clear.	Your project plan shows evidence of a limited range of reading and thinking on the issues, assumptions and concepts required. Your ability to define or explain them is limited mainly to the simple description of terms and concepts and there are important terms and assumptions that have been overlooked or under-emphasised. Expression of concepts can be improved.	Fails to meet the criteria for a pass.
Language, use of appropriate format and referencing (10%)	Language features and structures are used to convey meaning effectively, clearly, concisely, unambiguously, and in a tone appropriate to the audience and purpose with no spelling, grammatical, or punctuation errors. Follow assessment format and presentation standards perfectly. Referencing is comprehensive, demonstrates academic integrity, and conforms exactly to APA style conventions.	Language features and structures are used to convey meaning effectively, clearly, unambiguously, and in a tone appropriate to the audience and purpose with few spelling, grammatical, or punctuation errors. Follow format and presentation standards closely. Referencing is comprehensive, demonstrates academic integrity, and conforms to APA style conventions with hardly any errors or omissions. Minor errors have no impact on the transparency and traceability of the source, or the demonstration of academic integrity.	The text contains no errors in spelling, grammar, word choice, and structure, is clearly written with the meaning apparent to the reader without any effort. Apply assessment format and presentation standards adequately Referencing is comprehensive and mostly accurate according to APA style conventions. Up to three minor errors or omissions in style and formatting choices (e.g. italics, punctuation, underlining) are present, which don’t impact the transparency and traceability of the source, or the demonstration of academic integrity.	The text contains minor errors in spelling, grammar, word choice, and structure, sometimes lacks clarity and conciseness, but the meaning is apparent to the reader with a little effort. Apply assessment format and presentation standards partially. Referencing is comprehensive and mostly accurate according to APA style conventions. Some minor errors or omissions in style and formatting choices (e.g. italics, punctuation, underlining) don’t impact on the transparency and traceability of the source, or the demonstration of academic integrity.	Fails to meet the criteria for a pass.

Presentation

A clear project plan needs to be compiled in a single Word document. Use of Microsoft Project (or any other project management software) is required and software data outputs should be included as attachments/appendices, or as screen captures inside the main body. Remember, the basis of your presentation is to convince the sponsor that you are the right person to manage the project.

Your project plan in Word document should have a proper structure (i.e., include cover page, table of contents, executive summary, introduction, body, conclusion, recommendations, appendices (if any), and references).

Cover page, table of contents, appendices and references are not included in the word count but every other word will be counted (including in-text citations).

• Critically relate your knowledge of the pathophysiology of dementia and BPSD to the service model/s you discuss.

Assessment Task 3: Service Design

This task is broken into two components, Part A and B.

Both Part A and B need to be written up separately which basically mean I need two separate paper for PART A and B with separate reference list.

Part A (worth 30% of the available marks) (960 words excluding in text reference in the content)

The first task requires you to critically appraise the extent to which existing services support the older person with BPSD (Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia).

This section requires you to compare and contrast two services, from different countries, or cultural groups within Australia, which support the person with BPSD. Refer to the PART A marking criteria for further instructions of what needs to be attended while writing this section.

Part B (30% of the available marks) (960 words excluding in text reference in the content)

For this task you will have the opportunity to test your ideas for designing a service that enhances the lives of older people living with BPSD. Innovation must be evidence-based, that is, supported by scholarly literature. Again refer to the PART B marking criteria for further details.

Assessment Criteria

Part A

Critically relate your knowledge of the pathophysiology of dementia and BPSD to the service model/s you discuss.
Demonstrate the qualities of a reflective practitioner by critically reflecting on your own, and observed practice in the care of an older adult living with BPSD and the extent to which you, and your colleagues, or the service being analysed, have supported that person’s well-being.
Critically analyse the extent to which existing services support the older person with BPSD. In your analysis you will identify two different services, the philosophies and practice used to support the older person with BPSD.
Demonstrate your understanding of service-design models by critiquing these services. Your critical evaluation will clearly identify the extent to which these existing designs meet the identified need/s from your analysis.

Part B

Critically relate your knowledge of the pathophysiology of dementia and BPSD to the justification for the service model you design.
Identifies the philosophy and practice concept/s you have adopted in your service-design. Presenting compelling evidence for adopting this philosophy and practice in your design with particular regard as to how it will support the older person with BPSD.
Presents an argument supporting the merits of your ideas in designing a service that enhances the lives of older people living with BPSD. Innovation must be evidence-based, that is, supported by scholarly literature.
Writes clearly in an appropriate academic style and structure.

MPC Gibraltar Strait Bridge Case Study_Project_Initiation

1. Read the MPC_Gibraltar_Strait_Bridge_Case_Study_Project_Initiation.pdf file.
2. Comment on the completeness and the maturity of this document.
3. Propose adjustments to this document, with control in mind.
4. Prepare a high-level WBS for work that will be the subject of CAPEX in the form of a hardware/function matrix using the provided template (other formats are not acceptable).
5. Explain why certain activities or processes are within your control while others are outside your control.
6. Are you prepared to be the project leader of this project? Justify your response.
Please make sure that you use simple language and you should go through the files that I have attached. The first file you should go through is the instruction file then task requirement then general information then the case study. you can use the project

Case Study Team Assignment Lone Star Lodging

ACCT3104 Management Accounting

Semester 2, 2018

Case Study Team Assignment

Lone Star Lodging
(Weight: 20% of Final Grade)

This document has the following parts:

Administration;
Lone Star Lodging (i.e., the Case Study);
Submission Requirements and Guidance;
Marking Rubric; and
Assessment Policy.

ADMINISTRATION

Overview:

The purpose of this case is to illustrate variance analysis in a service industry setting. You should aim to integrate learnings in ACCT3104 up to and including Topic 8. For example, teams’ ability to add insight and depth to their variance analyses requires application of knowledge beyond mere calculations, as reflected in the marking rubric.

You are given marketing data, a budgeted income statement, actual income statement, employee data and the underlying monthly budget prepared by the general manager. You use a monthly budget to assess the cost behaviour of each of the 50-plus line items, creating a series of variance analyses that enable you to assess the performance of the hotel. Data on employee wages and hours worked enable you to “drill down” to compute variances for hotel labour. Another unique aspect of the case is the availability of market data from a third-party, industry benchmarking firm that allows you to compute and further explore sales volume variances (i.e., sales variance analysis and market variance analyses).

It is envisaged that teams will undertake their own independent research of the hotel industry. For example, by consulting various sources such as journal articles and industry related publications etc. to develop their understanding of the contextual environment (i.e., hotels). This should further assist teams to provide depth and meaningful interpretation of results obtained from their analyses.

Working in your Team:

A key Learning Objective of the case study is for you to develop your ability to work as part of a team to recognise, analyse and propose solutions to organisational problems that relate to management accounting issues. It is expected that you work as a cohesive team, meaning that you are to discuss questions and work on tasks within your team.

According to UQ policy, students must not be able to gain an unfair advantage in assessment. This means that course staff will not provide any specific guidance to teams beyond what is written in this document and the course teachings. For example, we will not comment on questions such as whether a team’s case calculations or solutions are correct or give advice on the best approach to achieving the correct solution. Finding answers to such questions is, indeed, the very essence of your team’s task in this assessment. Please refer to the accompanying ‘Use of case studies to learn in ACCT3104’ document posted to Blackboard for additional guidance in completing your case study.

The Case Study appears on the following page.

LONE STAR LODGING

Sitting at his desk reviewing the results of the last year (i.e., the year 2017), Jack Smith reflected back on his second year as General Manager of the Lone Star Hotel. Next week is the Regional Operations Review in nearby Lubbock, where managers from surrounding areas will gather with Victoria Jennings, Regional VP of Operations. Jack will need to summarize the hotel’s performance and, recalling variance analysis, thought this tool would be a rigorous way to conduct his analysis.

Company Background

The Lone Star Hotel is a 126-room economy-lodging hotel in Amarillo, Texas. Built in 1980, it is part of Lone Star Lodging, a privately-owned hotel chain headquartered in suburban Houston, Texas. Lone Star operates a network of 207 hotels in four states: Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas. About half of the hotels are owned and operated by the company.

Present Situation

Renovated two years ago, the hotel competes with sixteen other economy-lodging hotels in a market that is more competitive than most. However, when thinking about its market share, company management actually considers three nearby hotels to be its direct competitors. Sales data on regional and local competitors for the past five years are regularly obtained from an industry benchmarking firm. See Exhibit 1. In the hospitality industry, average sales price is average daily rate (ADR), defined as the total room revenue divided by the number of rooms rented. Another industry-standard metric, occupancy, represents capacity utilization. Occupancy is defined as the total number of rooms rented (i.e., output) divided by the number of rooms available during the period (i.e., capacity). In preparing his budget, Jack expected the 2017 market size to be 10% higher than the 2016 market size. For 2017, the benchmarking firm reported that local competitors rented 77,291 rooms at an ADR of $59.80.

Smith turned to the report detailing budgeted and actual revenue and expense data (Exhibit 2). The HR Department provided Jack with the hours worked by hotel staff. The maintenance worker and general manager are normally full-time workers (i.e., 40 hours per week, 50 weeks a year). All other workers are considered full-time, although many of them work less than 40 hours per week. See Exhibit 3. In preparing the budget, Jack planned on housekeeping staff using a standard time of 30 minutes/room with a wage rate of $7.00/hour. The head housekeeper’s wage was budgeted at $9.50/hour and usually works 40 hours; during slow periods, the head housekeeper may work fewer hours. Jack anticipated having one person staffing the front desk at all hours (i.e., 24/7). With the exception of the general manager, employees do not get paid vacation time. Further, with high turnover, most employees do not receive benefits (health care, retirement contributions, etc.)

Exhibit 4 shows the monthly budget Jack had developed to submit the required annual budget. A description of accounts is shown in Exhibit 5.

Exhibit 1 Local and Regional Competitor Sales Data

Local Competitors Metropolitan Area

Rooms ADR Occupancy Rooms ADR Occupancy

Year Rented ($) (%) Rentals ($) (%)

2012 96,099 60.77 58.72 181,361 47.53 56.11

2013 104,013 64.70 58.16 196,033 54.78 59.15

2014 100,651 65.86 55.86 215,797 59.04 62.80

2015 94,268 67.67 51.55 218,162 62.73 59.35

2016 79,391 62.40 43.41 192,519 55.73 51.81

Note. ADR is Average Daily Rate and is measured as total revenue divided by the number of rooms rented (i.e., sales price). Occupancy is measured as rooms rented divided by the total number of rooms available × 100 (i.e., capacity utilization).

Exhibit 2 2017 Profit-and-Loss Summary for the Amarillo Property

Panel A: Summary Statistics and Revenues

Budget Actual

Rooms Available 45,990 45,990

Rooms Rented 27,376 25,435

Occupancy 59.5% 55.3%

Average Daily Rate (ADR) $ 43.79 $ 44.65

Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) $ 26.07 $ 24.69

REVENUES

Room Rentals $ 1,200,138 $ 1,136,619

Revenue Allowance (1,280) (1,060)

Total Room Revenue $ 1,198,858 $ 1,135,559

Internet Access $ 4,900 $ 5,534

Vouchers 5,000 1,262

Laundry 1,310 1,240

Vending 3,900 3,708

Total Other $ 15,110 $ 11,744

TOTAL REVENUE $ 1,213,968 $ 1,147,303

Exhibit 2 2017 Profit-and-Loss Summary for the Amarillo Property (continued)

Panel B: Expenses

Budget Actual

EXPENSES

General Manager $ 28,800 $ 27,434

Front Desk Staff 72,000 82,089

Total Front Office $ 100,800 $ 109,523

Head Housekeeper $ 19,000 $ 15,094

Housekeepers 81,816 89,688

Total Housekeeping $ 100,816 $ 104,782

Maintenance Wages $ 20,700 $ 23,577

Regional Maintenance Support 3,180 6,452

Incentive Pay (staff) 0 0

Bonus Expense, General Manager 2,520 1,346

Payroll Tax Expense 18,956 21,339

Total Other-Personnel Payroll $ 45,356 $ 52,714

Gross Payroll $ 246,972 $ 267,019

Vacation Expense $ 5,700 $ 3,494

Holiday Expense 1,620 1,690

Staff Incentives 640 639

Employee Relocation Expense 0 1,506

Employee Training 2,260 576

Workers Compensation 18,000 17,588

Health Insurance 28,800 20,005

Retirement Plan Contribution Expense 720 841

Group Life Insurance 672 613

Total Benefits Expense $ 58,412 $ 46,952

Total Personnel Costs $ 305,384 $ 313,971

Supplies, Cleaning Chemicals $ 6,083

Supplies, Linens 13,916

Supplies, Other 18,064

Total Supplies $ 26,007 $ 38,063

Memberships and Subscriptions $ 300 $ 0

Travel 3,360 4,141

Meals 840 921

Total Travel and Meals $ 4,500 $ 5,062

Exhibit 2 Profit-and-Loss Summary for the Amarillo Property (continued)

Panel B: Expenses (continued)

Budget Actual

Bad Debt Expense $ 0 $ 350

Cash Shortage and Excess 0 113

Bank Deposit Shortage and Excess 0 27

Credit Card Chargeback 0 619

Credit Card Fees 14,568 14,376

Guest Vouchers 1,200 540

Refunded Rentals 1,000 1,887

Total Guest Finance $ 16,768 $ 17,912

Other External Services $ 600 $ 722

Total Miscellaneous Operating Expenses $ 21,868 $ 23,696

Property Marketing $ 6,000 $ 4,807

Building $ 1,800 $ 1,913

Landscaping 9,900 10,524

Contracts 8,100 8,460

Laundry 6,000 2,713

Rooms (floors, doors, windows, etc.) 2,400 5,610

HVAC 4,800 3,219

Pool 1,600 2,447

Electrical and Fire 4,320 5,852

Plumbing 3,300 5,243

Supplies 3,600 4,160

Unclassified (including petty cash) 900 2,411

Total R&M $ 46,720 $ 52,552

Electricity $ 42,000 $ 36,144

Natural Gas 16,800 13,428

Water 33,000 21,919

Total Energy $ 91,800 $ 71,491

Garbage Collection $ 3,720 $ 3,494

Sewer 18,900 16,160

Salt (water softener) 2,100 1,740

Telephone 12,000 10,524

Satellite Television Subscription Fees 15,000 13,413

Utility Fees 900 802

Total Other Utilities $ 52,620 $ 46,133

TOTAL EXPENSES $ 550,399 $ 550,713

PROFIT $ 663,569 $ 596,590

Exhibit 3 Employee Information, by Job Type

Hours Hourly

Employee ID Worked Wage Rate

General Manager

44215 2,040.0 $13.45

Front Desk Employees

251256 2,077.1 $8.98

488442 (front desk supervisor) 2,087.5 $9.72

743796 1,610.1 $8.45

766468 1,520.0 $8.55

871219 1,425.1 $8.60

980511 517.1 $8.30

Head Housekeeper

134076 2,291.3 $9.70

Housekeepers

172931 1,462.2 $8.15

215403 1,627.8 $8.10

219100 1,249.2 $8.10

264365 1,117.2 $7.60

306002 1,188.0 $7.65

322777 1,151.5 $7.55

352605 423.6 $7.40

586120 43.7 $7.30

693453 245.7 $7.35

696487 155.5 $7.25

724731 73.4 $7.25

729577 511.1 $7.60

748933 111.6 $7.25

772040 121.4 $7.30

805364 282.4 $7.30

828589 125.4 $7.25

863038 63.6 $7.25

882112 21.9 $7.25

885651 235.4 $7.30

901105 124.2 $7.25

911934 320.0 $7.35

Maintenance Staff

288133 1,966.3 $11.99

166365 (regional support) 367.4 $17.56

Note. Due to rounding errors in the figures, the total cost is slightly different from the amounts shown on the 2017 income statement.

Exhibit 4 Jack’s Monthly Budget Worksheet

Item Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total

Rooms Available 3,906 3,528 3,906 3,780 3,906 3,780 3,906 3,906 3,780 3,906 3,780 3,906 45,990

Rooms Rented 2,247 2,100 2,210 2,484 2,195 2,390 2,297 2,730 2,303 1,890 2,239 2,291 27,376

Occupancy 57.5% 59.5% 56.6% 65.7% 56.2% 63.2% 58.8% 69.9% 60.9% 48.4% 59.2% 58.7% 59.5%

ADR $42.00 $40.00 $40.00 $44.00 $42.00 $48.00 $48.00 $50.00 $46.00 $44.00 $38.00 $42.00 $43.79

RevPAR $24.14 $23.79 $22.61 $28.89 $23.58 $30.31 $28.19 $34.91 $27.99 $21.26 $22.49 $24.62 $26.07

Revenues

Room Rentals $94,374 $84,000 $88,400 $109,296 $92,190 $114,720 $110,256 $136,500 $105,938 $83,160 $85,082 $96,222 $1,200,138

Revenue Allowance 80 80 80 100 100 140 160 160 130 100 80 70 1,280

Total Room Revenue $94,294 $83,920 $88,320 $109,196 $92,090 $114,580 $110,096 $136,340 $105,808 $83,060 $85,002 $96,152 $1,198,858

Internet Access $402 $376 $396 $445 $393 $428 $411 $489 $412 $338 $401 $410 $4,900

Vouchers 410 384 404 454 401 437 420 499 421 345 409 418 5,000

Laundry 50 50 50 80 80 200 200 200 200 100 50 50 1,310

Vending 150 150 150 240 300 600 600 600 500 300 160 150 3,900

Total Other 1,013 959 999 1,218 1,174 1,664 1,631 1,787 1,533 1,083 1,020 1,028 15,110

Total Revenue $95,307 $84,879 $89,319 $110,414 $93,264 $116,244 $111,727 $138,127 $107,341 $84,143 $86,022 $97,180 $1,213,968

Exhibit 4 Jack’s Monthly Budget Worksheet (continued)

Item Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total

Expenses

General Manager $2,400 $2,400 $2,400 $2,400 $2,400 $2,400 $2,400 $2,400 $2,400 $2,400 $2,400 $2,400 $28,800

Front Desk Staff 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 72,000

Total Front Office $8,400 $8,400 $8,400 $8,400 $8,400 $8,400 $8,400 $8,400 $8,400 $8,400 $8,400 $8,400 $100,800

Head Housekeeper $1,583 $1,583 $1,584 $1,583 $1,583 $1,584 $1,583 $1,583 $1,584 $1,583 $1,583 $1,584 $19,000

Housekeepers 6,698 6,183 6,568 7,527 6,516 7,198 6,873 8,388 6,894 5,448 6,670 6,853 81,816

Total Housekeeping $7,865 $7,350 $7,735 $8,694 $7,683 $8,365 $8,040 $9,555 $8,061 $6,615 $7,837 $8,019 $95,816

Maintenance Wages $1,725 $1,725 $1,725 $1,725 $1,725 $1,725 $1,725 $1,725 $1,725 $1,725 $1,725 $1,725 $20,700

Regional Maintenance 265 265 265 265 265 265 265 265 265 265 265 265 3,180

Incentive Pay (staff) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Bonus Expense, GM 210 210 210 210 210 210 210 210 210 210 210 210 2,520

Payroll Taxes 1,569 1,526 1,558 1,640 1,554 1,612 1,584 1,713 1,586 1,463 1,567 1,583 18,956

Total Other Personnel $3,769 $3,726 $3,758 $3,840 $3,754 $3,812 $3,784 $3,913 $3,786 $3,663 $3,767 $3,783 $45,356

Gross Payroll $20,034 $19,476 $19,893 $20,934 $19,837 $20,577 $20,224 $21,868 $20,247 $18,678 $20,004 $20,201 $241,972

Vacation Expense $475 $475 $475 $475 $475 $475 $475 $475 $475 $475 $475 $475 $5,700

Holiday Expense 135 135 135 135 135 135 135 135 135 135 135 135 1,620

Staff Incentives 35 35 35 35 90 90 90 90 35 35 35 35 640

Employee Relocation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Employee Training 720 140 140 140 140 140 140 140 140 140 140 140 2,260

Workers Compensation 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 18,000

Health Insurance 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 2,400 28,800

Retirement Plan Contr. 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 720

Group Life Insurance 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 672

Total Benefits Expense $5,381 $4,801 $4,801 $4,801 $4,856 $4,856 $4,856 $4,856 $4,801 $4,801 $4,801 $4,801 $58,412

Total Personnel Costs $25,415 $24,277 $24,694 $25,735 $24,693 $25,433 $25,080 $26,724 $25,048 $23,479 $24,805 $25,002 $300,384

Total Supplies $2,135 $1,995 $2,100 $2,360 $2,085 $2,271 $2,182 $2,594 $2,188 $1,796 $2,127 $2,176 $26,007

Membership & Subs. $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $300 $300

Travel 280 280 280 280 280 280 280 280 280 280 280 280 3,360

Meals 70 70 70 70 70 70 70 70 70 70 70 70 840

Total Travel & Meals $350 $350 $350 $350 $350 $350 $350 $350 $350 $350 $350 $650 $4,500

Exhibit 4 Jack’s Monthly Budget Worksheet (continued)

Item Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total

Expenses (continued)

Bad Debt Expense $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

Cash Shortage/Excess 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Bank Deposit Short/Exc. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Credit Card Chargeback 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Credit Cards (40% cc) 1,144 1,019 1,072 1,325 1,119 1,395 1,341 1,658 1,288 1,010 1,032 1,166 14,568

Guest Vouchers 98 92 97 109 96 105 101 120 101 83 98 100 1,200

Refunded Rentals 82 77 81 91 80 87 84 100 84 69 82 84 1,000

Total Guest Finance $1,324 $1,187 $1,249 $1,525 $1,296 $1,587 $1,525 $1,877 $1,473 $1,162 $1,212 $1,350 $16,768

Other External Services 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 600

Total Misc. Operating $1,724 $1,587 $1,649 $1,925 $1,696 $1,987 $1,925 $2,277 $1,873 $1,562 $1,612 $2,050 $21,868

Property Marketing $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $500 $6,000

Building $150 $150 $150 $150 $150 $150 $150 $150 $150 $150 $150 $150 $1,800

Landscaping 825 825 825 825 825 825 825 825 825 825 825 825 9,900

Contracts 675 675 675 675 675 675 675 675 675 675 675 675 8,100

Laundry 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 6,000

Rooms 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 2,400

HVAC 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 4,800

Pool 0 0 0 0 300 0 600 600 100 0 0 0 1,600

Electrical & Fire 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 4,320

Plumbing 275 275 275 275 275 275 275 275 275 275 275 275 3,300

Supplies 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 3,600

Unclassified (petty cash) 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 900

Total R&M $3,760 $3,760 $3,760 $3,760 $4,060 $3,760 $4,360 $4,360 $3,860 $3,760 $3,760 $3,760 $46,720

Electricity $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 $42,000

Natural Gas 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 1,400 16,800

Water 2,750 2,750 2,750 2,750 2,750 2,750 2,750 2,750 2,750 2,750 2,750 2,750 33,000

Total Energy $7,650 $7,650 $7,650 $7,650 $7,650 $7,650 $7,650 $7,650 $7,650 $7,650 $7,650 $7,650 $91,800

Exhibit 4 Jack’s Monthly Budget Worksheet (continued)

Item Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total

Expenses (continued)

Garbage Collection $310 $310 $310 $310 $310 $310 $310 $310 $310 $310 $310 $310 $3,720

Sewer 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 1,575 18,900

Salt (water softener) 0 350 0 350 0 350 0 350 0 350 0 350 2,100

Telephone 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 12,000

Satellite TV Subscr. 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 15,000

Utility Fees 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 900

Total Other Utilities $4,210 $4,560 $4,210 $4,560 $4,210 $4,560 $4,210 $4,560 $4,210 $4,560 $4,210 $4,560 $52,620

TOTAL EXPENSES $45,394 $44,329 $44,563 $46,489 $44,893 $46,161 $45,907 $48,665 $45,329 $43,306 $44,664 $45,699 $545,399

PROFIT $49,913 $40,550 $44,756 $63,925 $48,370 $70,084 $65,819 $89,463 $62,012 $40,837 $41,358 $51,482 $668,569

Exhibit 5 Account Descriptions

Revenue Accounts

Room Rentals. Revenue derived from room rentals. It is the average daily rate times rentals.

Revenue Allowance. Revenue allowances are refunds offered at the property at time of departure.

Internet Access. Revenue derived from the sale of daily guest Wi-Fi/Internet access.

Vouchers. Revenue from guests paying for their stay with guest vouchers.

Laundry. Revenue from customer use of coin-operated laundry equipment (washer and dryer).

Vending. Revenue received from customer purchases at on-site vending machines.

Expense Accounts

General Manager. Wages paid to the general manager. Managers receive free, on-site housing and utilities (electric, telephone, cable TV, etc.)

Front Desk Staff. Wages paid to employees working the front desk for customer check-in.

Total Housekeeping. Wages paid to employees that clean the room and clean laundry.

Maintenance Wages. Wages paid to an on-site maintenance worker.

Regional Maintenance Support. Wages for the regional maintenance person when on-site.

Incentive Pay (staff). Amounts paid to motivate employees. This is usually zero.

Bonus Expense, General Manager. Bonus expense paid to the general manager when specific performance targets are met. Bonus amounts are fixed for each goal and 90% of GMs receive their full bonus (i.e., bonuses are highly achievable).

Payroll Tax Expense. Amounts paid for payroll taxes. It is 8.5% of amounts paid to employees.

Vacation Expense. Amounts accrued to pay for the general manager’s vacation.

Holiday Expense. Amounts accrued to pay for the general manager’s paid holidays.

Staff Incentives. Amounts paid for anything that incentives hotel staff. For example, many general managers provide “pizza parties” on employee birthdays, or lunch on busy days.

Employee Relocation Expense. Amounts paid to reimburse employees who relocate to a new property. This amount is normally zero and the company normally only pays to relocate a general manager (a rare event).

Employee Training. Amounts paid for employee training. Training is provided for general managers and managers-in-training.

Workers Compensation. The amounts charged to workers’ compensation are based on expected insurance claim plus any expenses that develop over time. Amounts are actuarial estimates and, while budgeted by the general manager, the manager does not determine the amounts.

Health Insurance. Amounts paid for employee group health insurance. Since benefits are provided after 6 months of service, most staff do not participate in the insurance plan. (This is because employee turnover in low-skill, hospitality jobs is about very high; at the Amarillo property, turnover for housekeeping staff was 211% in the prior year.)

Retirement Plan Contribution Expense. Amounts paid by the company for employee retirement contributions. As with health insurance, few employees are with the firm long enough to participate in the plan and contributions are often solely for the general manager (where job tenure averages about 2.8 years).

Group Life Insurance. Expenses related to the provision of group life insurance. As with the prior two benefits plans, group life insurance is typically only being provided to the general manager.

Supplies. Expenses for all supplies. In prior years, supplies were listed in one category but, after the 2017 budget was prepared, the company developed several sub-accounts for supplies. Supplies at most hotels include guest amenities (e.g., soap, shampoo and hand cream), cleaning chemicals (e.g., carpet and floor cleaners and surface cleaners), postage, uniforms, freight, coffee and linens.

Memberships and Subscriptions. Amounts paid for memberships (e.g., the local chamber of commerce)

Travel. Amounts paid to reimburse employees who travel for company business. Most of the time the only reimbursement is for personal use of the car to make the daily cash deposit at the bank (i.e., mileage times the IRS-approved mileage reimbursement rate). Off-site travel is rare as regional managers visit properties for performance reviews and support.

Meals. Reimbursement for meal expenses. Expenses are typically incurred when a general manager is out of town for a meeting (e.g., the national or a regional meeting) or doing part-time duty as a relief general manager (from time to time a manager may be terminated and it may take some weeks or months to find a replacement). Meal expenses are relatively rare.

Bad Debt Expense. Amounts recorded to this account reflect credit transactions that have been “written off.” Since most transactions are handled in cash or with a credit card, bad debt expense is uncommon.

Cash Shortage and Excess. These amounts arise when the actual cash on hand differs from the amount that should be on hand, according to the property’s financial records. Since there are multiple employees handling cash, the amounts are not easily traced to a specific person. Discrepancies can occur from providing the incorrect change for a cash transaction, receiving an an amount less than billed, etc.

Bank Deposit Shortage and Excess. These amounts arise when the bank deposit does not match the amount that was supposed to have been deposited. When a discrepancy occurs, the bank’s amount is taken as the correct amount because of counting machines and good video surveillance at banks. If the general manager makes random, counting mistakes, these discrepancies should be small and should average out to zero. A persistent shortage is a strong signal that cash is being misappropriated. The general manager is the only person to make the daily bank deposit, so any shortage or excess is the responsibility of one person.

Credit Card Chargeback. Amounts refunded to credit card companies. These occur because of fraudulent credit card use and customer complaints (i.e., the firm granting a refund several days after the visit).

Credit Card Fees. Amounts paid to credit card companies for processing credit cards. Typically, this averages about 3% of the transaction cost. At most properties, more than 70% of transactions are settled in cash.

Guest Vouchers. Guests who received a voucher for compensation are able to use that voucher for a free night’s stay at any branded hotel in the network. The hotel who hosts a guest with a voucher records the revenue and the property that issued the guest voucher is charged for the guest visit and its expense is recorded to this account.

Refunded Rentals. These amounts are for customer refunds that occur off-property, often weeks after a guest visit. Almost always, these refunds are handled by the customer service staff at the corporate headquarters. Functionally, it is no different in financial impact than a revenue allowance.

Other External Services. Amounts paid to any third-party providers that are not related to maintenance. Security services is the most common expense related to this account.

Property Marketing. Amounts spent by the general manager for local advertising and marketing. Marketing activities include newspaper advertising, coupon booklets, billboards, direct mail, sponsoring a community athletic club, etc.

Building. Repairs and maintenance expenses related to the building.

Landscaping. Amounts paid for lawn care, new shrubbery, tree trimming, etc.

Contracts. Amounts paid to third parties that provide services to the hotel. This would include, for example, service contracts for the laundry equipment and pest control (termites, bed bugs, rodents, cockroaches, ants, etc.).

Laundry. Repairs and maintenance expenses related to the laundry equipment (washer, dryer, folder, etc.).

Rooms (floors, doors, windows, etc.). All expenses related to the repair and maintenance of the guest rooms (carpets, walls, windows, light fixtures, etc., except those items accounted for elsewhere (e.g., plumbing and climate control equipment).

HVAC. Repair and maintenance expenses related to heating, ventilation and air conditioning units. In most properties, including the case property, HVAC is handled by in-wall, all-in-one units.

Pool. All amounts paid for maintaining the swimming pool. This would include paint, chemicals, pump repairs, diving board repairs, upkeep of the surface and fences surrounding the pool, etc.

Electrical and Fire. All costs related to the repair and maintenance of electrical and fire safety equipment.

Plumbing. All expenses related to repairs and maintenance of plumbing and related fixtures (e.g., showers, bathtubs, sinks, toilets and the hot water heater).

Supplies. Amounts paid for supplies related to repairs and maintenance (e.g., duct tape, silicone, nuts, bolts and small tools).

Unclassified (including petty cash). This category is for all expenses related to repairs and maintenance that are not classified in any of the other accounts for repairs and maintenance.

Electricity. Amounts paid for electricity. Electricity is used in guest rooms (outlets, lighting, heating and air condition, etc.), in the lobby, for exterior lighting (parking lot, corridors), and in the laundry room.

Natural Gas. Amounts paid for natural gas. Natural gas is used for the boiler (water) and dryer (laundry). Rooms are heated using electricity.

Water. Amounts paid for water. Water is used in guest rooms, for the washing machine, to fill the pool and water the lawn.

Garbage Collection. Garbage is picked up twice a week by a licensed waste hauler using their waste containers located at a corner of the property. Garbage is usually limited to a handful of providers, some of which are national firms.

Sewer. Amounts paid to the city for hook-up to the city sewer system.

Salt (water softener). Amounts paid for salt used in a water softener.

Telephone. All costs related to telephone equipment (e.g., depreciation, repairs) and monthly telecommunications fees.

Satellite Television Subscription Fees. Expenses for subscription of television programming delivered by a satellite provider (e.g., DishTV or DirecTV).

Utility Fees. Amounts paid to utilities firms for connection and service fees.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDANCE

Each student needs to complete in their team the Lone Star Lodging case study and submit by the due date and time following the submission requirements outlined below.

The structure and contents of your report must follow the Marking Rubric Criteria. That is, use the section headings: 1. Analyses and Discussion; 1.1. Quantitative analyses and discussion; 1.2. Qualitative analyses and discussion; 1.3. Conclusions; and 2. Recommendations.

An Excel file has been included in the case materials (on Blackboard), which contains data of Exhibits 1 to 4 of the case. It is anticipated that this will be helpful for your calculations.

Ensure that you read guidance about completing case study assessment in the accompanying (on Blackboard) ‘Use of case studies to learn in ACCT3104.pdf’.

You are required to submit a REPORT limited to five (5) typed pages (12pt Times New Roman font with 1.5 line spacing, normal MSWord margins). No footnotes/endnotes allowed in the report. Reference list is NOT included in the report page limit (APA 6^th Referencing to be used). Any answers beyond the page limit will NOT be marked.

You are permitted to attach additional page(s) you deem necessary as appendices to provide tables and/or calculations, graphs or other diagrams as appropriate to the case. These additional pages do NOT count toward the five page limit and they do NOT need to follow the font, line-spacing or margin requirements of your report (i.e. they are at your discretion but presentation is paramount). Of primary importance; these additional pages and ARE NOT for continuing your discussion of the case and ARE NOT marked as stand-alone. This means that you must explicitly discuss any relevant information pertaining to appendices in your report.

Your assignment must reflect your own understanding of the case. Copied or plagiarised work will not be tolerated (students should refer to the University policy on plagiarism).

The Case Study Assignment is to be submitted through Blackboard following the ‘Assessment’ link.

Only one member of each group must submit the case selecting his/her name from the list of “authors” by 23:59 Sunday 7^th of October 2018. Your “submission title” and your file name must be “ACCT3104 Team (number)” (e.g. ACCT3104 Team 14). Each team member’s name and student number MUST appear on the top right corner of the first page header. You should submit a pdf of your case study. (You should use size 8pt Times New Roman font for this header).

No hard copy submission is required.

Where a submission has not adhered to the page limits, font size, spacing, and/or margin guidelines or any other stipulations, there will be an adjustment to the team’s mark at the course coordinator’s discretion.

Marking Rubric: Lone Star Lodging (Sem 2, 2018 Case Study for ACCT3104)

Case Study – Lone Star Lodging *	Not Attempted (0%)	Below Expectation (1-49%)	Satisfactory (50-69%)	Very Good (70-84%)	Outstanding (85%-100%)
1. Analyses and Discussion; and Conclusions
1.1. Quantitative analyses and discussion: (5 Marks) *At a* *minimum, the following are required:* Level 1 – Static Budget Variance Analysis; Level 2 – Flexible Budget Variance Analysis and Sales Volume Variance Analysis; Level 3 – Sales Variance Analysis; and Level 4 – Market Variance Analyses. Calculations are required to reveal problems and issues and to enable comparisons to be made and fuel discussion.	No relevant calculations, tables, diagrams etc that relate to the quantitative analyses of this business have been provided.	Few relevant/correct calculations, tables, diagrams etc that relate to the quantitative analyses of this business have been made, and little if any discussion is provided.	Some relevant/correct calculations, tables, diagrams etc that relate to the quantitative analyses of this business have been provided and are discussed with some relevant comparisons/linkages made (if appropriate).	Most of the relevant/correct calculations, tables, diagrams etc that relate to the quantitative analyses of this business have been provided and are reasonably well discussed with relevant comparisons/linkages made (if appropriate).	Comprehensive calculations, tables, diagrams etc that relate to the quantitative analyses of this business have been provided and are clearly discussed with relevant comparisons/linkages made (if appropriate), and all quantitative analyses are correct.
1.2. Qualitative analyses and discussion: (5 Marks) Cohesive and well-developed theoretical (Qualitative) analysis and discussion that builds upon and adds depth/additional insights/linkages to/between any problems/issues identified in the ‘Quantitative analyses and discussion’. The team must explain ‘why’ rather than make statements that lack support/explanation. This Qualitative Analyses and Discussion should be supported by theory/concepts covered in ACCT3104.	The team has made no attempt to provide qualitative analyses and discussion of the problems and issues.	The team has prepared inadequate qualitative analyses and discussion of the problems and issues. No relevant ACCT3104 concepts and theory have been discussed.	The team has prepared sound qualitative analyses and discussion of the problems and issues. Some of the relevant ACCT3104 concepts and theory have been discussed.	The team has prepared good and reasonably well developed qualitative analyses and discussion of the problems and issues. Most of the relevant ACCT3104 concepts and theory have been discussed.	The team has prepared comprehensive and well developed qualitative analyses and discussion of the problems and issues. All relevant ACCT3104 concepts and theory have been discussed.
1.3. Conclusions (2.5 Marks) Taken together what do your quantitative and qualitative analyses reveal? Note: do not repeat the case facts, and do not repeat parts that you have already discussed in the quantitative and qualitative analyses and discussion sections etc. We want new insights (i.e., conclusions) based on the joint analyses (i.e. both quantitative and qualitative together).	No conclusions have been provided.	The team has only drawn a few conclusions from the analyses and these are not well supported.	The team has only drawn some conclusions from the analyses and these are reasonably supported.	The team has drawn reasonable conclusions from the analyses and these are reasonably supported.	The team has drawn comprehensive conclusions from the analyses and these are well supported.
2. Recommendations (2.5 Marks) These need to be actions that management can take and that follow from the analyses. Ensure this has not been presented as a conclusion. The recommendations must reflect the discussion and analyses of the case (i.e., they are supported throughout your case study and are not just ‘new’ ideas).	The team has not developed any practical recommendations.	The team has developed few practical recommendations to address the problems and issues of the business.	The team has developed some practical recommendations to address the problems and issues of the business but these are not complete.	The team has developed most of the practical recommendations to address the problems and issues of the business.	The team has developed clear, practical and comprehensive recommendations to address the problems and issues of the business.
3. Research (2.5 Marks) Reference to a minimum of two sources (e.g., journal articles) relating to the topic have been provided in the analyses and/or the conclusions/recommendations sections of your case.	No relevant additional research has been provided	Additional research evidence has been provided but it is not relevant (significant) to the case.	Relevant additional research evidence has been provided but it is not well integrated into the report.	Relevant additional research evidence has been provided and has been adequately integrated into the report.	Relevant additional research evidence has been provided and has been well integrated into the report.
4. Presentation, readability and referencing (2.5 Marks) The team has proof-read their submission, presented it as a well-structured and cohesive report, and it is appropriately referenced using the APA 6^th formatting.	Your report presentation, readability and referencing is extremely poor.	Your report presentation, readability and referencing is below average.	Your report presentation, readability and referencing is satisfactory.	Your report presentation, readability and referencing is above average.	Your report presentation, readability and referencing is well above average.

*Where a submission has not adhered to the page limits, font size, spacing, and/or margin guidelines or any other stipulations, there will be an adjustment to the team’s mark at the course coordinator’s discretion.

ASSESSMENT POLICY

Grading:

Students are provided with a grading rubric.

Academic Integrity
It is the University’s task to encourage ethical scholarship and to inform students and staff about the institutional standards of academic behaviour expected of them in learning, teaching and research. Students have a responsibility to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity in their work. Students must not cheat in examinations or other forms of assessment and must ensure they do not plagiarise.

Plagiarism
The University has adopted the following definition of plagiarism:
Plagiarism is the act of misrepresenting as one’s own original work the ideas, interpretations, words or creative works of another. These include published and unpublished documents, designs, music, sounds, images, photographs, computer codes and ideas gained through working in a group. These ideas, interpretations, words or works may be found in print and/or electronic media.

Students are encouraged to read the UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism policy (http://www.uq.edu.au/hupp/index.html?page=25128) which makes a comprehensive statement about the University’s approach to plagiarism, including the approved use of plagiarism detection software, the consequences of plagiarism and the principles associated with preventing plagiarism.

– If students cannot meet the due date for the case study submission, the following university policies and guidelines apply:

Applications for Extensions

Medical grounds: Applications for extension on medical grounds shall be made by lodging the Application for Extension of Progressive Assessment form and supporting documentation at the location outlined in Section 5.3 of the Electronic Course Profile for the course concerned.
Exceptional circumstances: Applications for extension on the grounds of exceptional circumstances shall be made to the relevant Course Coordinator/Program Director by lodging the Application for Extension of Progressive Assessment form and a personal statement outlining the grounds for the application at the location and by the due date outlined in Section 5.3 of the Electronic Course Profile for the course in which this application is made. If the exceptional circumstances are such that the student cannot reasonably be expected to have complied with these conditions, a case should be made as to why these conditions could not be met.
Outcome of application: Students will be advised of the outcome of their application via their student email.

Note: A Case Study submitted after the due date and time (for which no extension has been granted prior to the due date), will incur a late submission penalty. The penalty is at the rate of 5% of the total available marks for the assessment item, for each calendar day or part thereof that it remains overdue. Once a case has been marked and discussed, there can be no late submissions. Assessment submitted more than 10 days after the due date will receive zero marks.

— END OF CASE STUDY DOCUMENT —

Source types worksheet materials

1. You should print off a copy of the historical source worksheet and read the categories you will need to complete.

2. You should first read all of the materials linked below before beginning to complete your worksheet.

3. Once you have read all of the materials below, you can complete your worksheet.

4. You will need to scan or photograph your worksheet and upload this to Moodle using the link before 11 p.m. on Friday 14 September (week 4). If taking a photograph, ensure that it is of good enough quality that it can be easily read on a computer screen. Worksheets that cannot be read will not be graded.

Please complete your worksheets by hand unless you have special accommodations. I do not care about handwriting. The worksheet is laid out to be completed by hand, so you know how much to include in each box.

Top tip! don’t overthink the categorisation e.g. while there might be some direct quotes from documents written at the time in a book that was recently written and looks like a textbook, the item when considered as a whole is a….? While there might be contemporary images included within a book that otherwise looks like a recent publication, the item when considered as a whole is a …?

Remember that translations of primary sources are OK and that the background info at the top of some of the following is just some background I have given you to help you identify the source and can be excluded.

Write a strategy paper to address Simon and Erin’s situation

The strategy paper should describe generic product strategies and provide recommendations to meet Simon and Erin’s objectives.
The scope of your advice is limited to the area of life insurance (Module 5).
Provide your needs analysis and any materials or links to materials to support your advice as an appendix to the strategy paper.
Appropriate style and tone should be used as well as writing a clear, concise, and easy to understand customised recommendation to the clients.
Your strategy paper will be typed into the template provided. Do not alter the font style (Arial) or margins. You may add headings, tables, colour and adjust font sizes where appropriate (minimum 10 point font). The length of your strategy paper should not exceed 10 pages single spaced (excluding appendices).
Please delete all the red instructions in brackets in the template before you submit your work through the submission link on the course website.
Your strategy paper will be typed into this template. Do not alter the font style (Arial) or margins. You may add headings, tables, colour and adjust font sizes where appropriate (minimum 10 point font).

Module 5: Managing Personal Risks covers ten key topics:

Introduction to Life Insurance
Insurance Company Operations
Regulation of Life Risk Policies and Advice
Traditional Life Policies
Term Life Policies
Total and Permanent Disability Insurance
Trauma Insurance
Income Protection Insurance
Life Risk Products Used for Business Purposes
Developing a Life Risk Strategy

Research Proposal Assignment

Introduction to Research

Goal: To produce a professional research proposal that would warrant funding through a government or private agency.

Note: This assignment is unique in the CLS program. You have come up with a research question. Now, you need to communicate that idea and convince a committee that the question is so important that they should give you money to supply the answer.

The tone of this paper is very formal, no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors are allowed in the final paper. Read the entire assignment carefully.

Structure:

The student will write a proposal (12 -15 pages) that contains the skeletal structure outlined below. The page margins will be approximately 1 in. X 1 in. and the proposal will be double spaced using the Arial size 12 font. APA format will be used for citing references.
Use APA style citations in the text and for the reference page. Don’t quote extended portions of other papers, paraphrase.
Only the literature review section of your paper is past tense. The rest is future tense.
Your proposal must be saved in .doc format with the title:

YourLastname_ResearchProposal

For example: My proposal would be titled: Tiefenback_Research Proposal

All writing in the report should be IN YOUR OWN WORDS. You will submit your final paper to Turn-It-In plagiarism software for evaluation of the originality of the work. Any paper with a similarity index of greater than 25% will not be accepted for grading
References must be primary sources (at least 10 references less than 5 years old) must be synthesized to describe the current state of knowledge regarding the topic. Your sources should be from peer reviewed journals. Do not use secondary sources like textbooks, encyclopedias, sites like WebMD.

Outline of proposal:

The skeleton of your proposal is in the syllabus and below:

Clearly label each part.

Research proposal grading:

Content Points

Title Page _25_

Acknowledgements _25_

Abstract _100_
1. Summarizing your topic of research
2. Data collection (what and how)
3. Data analysis (how)
4. Expected outcome

Introduction –Statement of the problem _100_
Statement of the Problem and Rationale for Study
Objectives
Definition of Terms (if necessary)

Literature Review—Background to the problem _200_
Focused on area of stated problem (no BS)
Refers to reasonable number of previous studies
Analysis of results and conclusions of previous studies.

Method—Research design _250_
Subjects (Samples analyzed)
Procedures
Instruments
Presentation and Analysis of Data

Conclusion—Expected results _100_
Interpretation of possible findings
Implication
Application
Re-iterate (without directly repeating) the major take-home messages of the paper

References _50_
required number of sources
in APA format

850 total for paper

Your overall grade will also include 50 points/paper reviewed __100__

25 points each for posting your drafts on time ___50__

Description of sections

Title page: should be 25 easy points. Title of paper, your name, course, and date are the essentials.

Acknowledgements: another easy 25 points. Thank the folks who helped you out.

The above pages do not count for the page length of the paper. From here to the end of the conclusion are the pages to count for the 12 – 15 pages the paper is supposed to be. Don’t include figures in the page count either.

Abstract: Now we are getting harder. You should write this last. When you were looking up papers to use as references you probably scanned a lot of abstracts and then didn’t bother to open up the paper to read more. The abstract is all most people will read of your work. Sell your idea here. Your study is important. This is where you convince others to read on. The trick is you have to be brief. Strip your proposal to the bare essentials.

BTW: My husband sat on a national committee selecting papers for a Physics conference recently. The committee only read the abstracts of the submitted papers while making their selection of which papers would be presented. Abstracts make or break careers, they are that important.

Introduction: This is where you tell your audience what you are going to tell them and why it is important. See the list above for content, basically you state your question and tell why the study is important to do.

Literature Review: You read at least one of these, you can think of that as an example. I’m expecting this section to run 5 to 7 pages. Primary literature must be synthesized to describe the current state of knowledge regarding the topic. Data from cited sources should be included and clearly explained. You should use the cited information to develop central themes, and show how the information is interrelated with the proposal. You want to tell your audience what they need to know to understand the state of the art in your topic. They also need to know who the people are who are working in this area. When you have a proposal evaluated it often happens that one of the evaluators knows someone who works in your area of interest. They want to see that you did a thorough enough search to include their friend’s work if it is pertinent. You will need to look up many papers to find information and techniques you will need. Do not pad this by including information that isn’t directly pertinent to your investigation. Do not use old or secondary sources. Use lots of in-text citations, every fact you state needs to be cited in the text. Do not use long quotations, paraphrase appropriately.

Methods: aka materials and methods. This is really important, take your time and do a good job. Tell in detail about the experimental design that will answer your question. Use your textbook for information on design; also use the papers you read as examples. This is to be a proposal to do something that you haven’t done yet. The literature review will be in past tense but most of the rest of the paper will be in future tense.

When you discuss methods of doing the study and analyzing the data you will get in the future, convince me you know exactly what to do. You have read methods sections in the paper’s you have analyzed, copy their style and level of detail. (That means yes, you should tell me what pH the experiment runs at or what frequency you will use if they are important. (When I was in graduate school, my professor showed me a paper he was reviewing for publication. The guy did his experiment at the wrong pH and my professor rejected it from publication. Lab folk really do need to be accurate and

specific.)) You can refer to one of your papers, as in “Using the method of Author et. al……” and then include what Mr. Author did in his method.

Do not skip over how you will analyze your data. Think about what numbers you will get and what statistical tests you will use to see if differences are significant. Convince me you know what to do with the raw data. I think this is really important.

Conclusions: What results might you get and what would that mean? You are expecting to answer your research question. If, say, you are comparing two methods and the results are close to the same what will that mean? What will make one method “better” than the other? What statistical tests do you do to know for sure? Re-iterate (without directly repeating) the major take-home messages of the proposal.

Stop counting pages here. You must have 12 to 15.

References: Use at least 10 sources. They should be review or primary research articles. All should be from peer-reviewed journals. Most should be no more than 5 years old. You might need to cite one article that is in the 6 to 8 year range. Make sure you use APA format correctly.

Rubric: The sections of the research paper will be graded according to these criteria.

Grade	Focus 20%	Support 20%	Use of Language 20%	Thoughtfulness Contents and Relevance 40 %
100% of possible points	All statements are vividly clear and relate to specific topic	Perfect use of APA standards. References meet guidelines.	Writing is well-organized, unified and error free.	Presents more than one well-defined idea about topic. Has developed a hypothesis or identified a problem and outlined an approach to test the hypothesis or resolve the problem.

90 – 99% of possible points	Almost all statements are clear and relevant	A few text notes missing but references meet guidelines.	Writing is organized, unified with a spelling or grammatical error.	Presents one well-defined idea or more than one vaguely defined idea about topic. Has an incomplete hypothesis/problem and only has a vague concept of how to test the hypothesis/solve the problem

80 – 89% of possible points	Some statements are off topic or unclear. Discussion wanders.	Lack of text notes or some references do not meet guidelines	Writing is lacking in organization or contains a few spelling or grammatical errors.	Presents more than one vaguely-defined idea about topic. Has developed an incomplete hypothesis or problem statement but has not outlined an approach to test the hypothesis or resolve the problem.

65 – 79% of possible points	It is difficult to tell what the point of the section is.	Incorrect use or significant lack of text notes or most references do not meet guidelines.	Writing is disorganized. Spelling or grammatical errors impair communication.	Presents one vaguely-defined idea about a potential research topic. Does not present a useful hypothesis/solution to an identified problem.

0% of possible points	Section is missing

DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY

1
SCH3244 DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
Lecturer: Andrew Woo

ASSIGNMENT[35%]:
1. Literature Review (25%)
2. Oral Presentation (10%)
Students Learn by Involvement in Unit Content
A literature review exercise forms part of this unit to develop students’ written and oral
communication and research skills. There are TWO PARTS to this assignment:
1. PART 1 Written literature review 25%
2. PART 2 Brief oral presentation 10%
PART 1: WRITTEN LITERATURE REVIEW
Students will be allocated a topic for review, and are required to research the topic, and
present an appropriately formatted review summarizing the current information available
regarding this topic. The review should be prepared in a format suitable for publication in
a scientific journal. This review is due for submission during your allocated laboratory
session in week 8 as a hard copy, and via Turnitin.
PART 2: ORAL PRESENTATION
Students are also required to prepare a brief presentation (5-7 minutes) summarizing the key
information presented in their literature review. The idea is to enable all students to have an
understanding of all the different genes/gene families that have been investigated by the
different students in their lab class. These presentations are worth 10% of your final mark,
and will be held during the laboratory sessions in weeks 11 and 12.
2
THE ASSIGNMENTS ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE UNIT AND ARE
DESIGNED TO PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR FUTURE AND FOR EXAMS.
Why do we need to do this and what will you get out of it?
Student learning is greatly enhanced by research. When applying for a job in the near future,
you will be able to provide a summary of your research and laboratory and research skills.
You can give a copy of your paper to future employees. By doing your own research and
presentations you will develop your information sourcing and research skills, and enhance
your knowledge of genetics and developmental biology.
HOW TO DO IT:
 Week 2: Students are allocated genes to research
 Week 4: During your allocated laboratory session, you will be provided with a lesson on
scientific writing, and specific instruction as to how to prepare and present the literature
review article. Questions to consider to direct the planning of your review are presented
below in Table 1. Details regarding oral presentations will also be discussed during this
session.
 Weeks 2-8: Students perform a literature review of their gene of interest and hand in
the Literature review in week 8.
 Weeks 11 and 12: Students present a brief synopsis of their literature reviews to their
peers and lecturer/s.
TABLE 1:
Guidelines For Literature Review (max 1750 words – +/- 10%)
1. Describe the gene, discuss its position in the chromosome, detail any
special sequences or other features of the gene, describe gene homology
throughout phylogeny.
2. Describe the protein it encodes, any features of interest, conserved
domains, functional domains.
3. Describe the biochemical mechanism of action of the protein in relation
to development.
4. Describe the major sites of expression and action of the gene during
development.
5. Describe the effects of mutations of the gene or any diseases that arise as
a result of a gain or loss of the gene/protein.
6. Any further evidence that allows the audience to gain an understanding
of the vital importance of this gene in development and disease.
PRESENTATIONFORMAT:
 Electronic – eg. power point presentations.
 5-7 min presentation per student
 Plus a few minutes for questions if needed.
3
STUDENTS WHO SUBMIT THEIR ESSAYS LATE WILL
BE PENALISED AND MARKS WILL BE DEDUCTED AT A
RATE OF 5% PER DAY.
Full written research paper will be assessed as follows:
TABLE 2:
Criteria for Assessing Literature Review Assignments
Criteria % Mark allocation
Evidence of Research
– use of texts, appropriate examples, own words
20%
Clear definition of topic
A clear understanding of concepts
20%
Logical development of argument based on what is in the
literature
20%
Written expression and ease of read
– spelling, vocabulary, grammar, paragraph structure
10%
Relevance to topic – (stick to topic) and brevity – (be brief) 10%
References
– appropriate in-text and end-of-text referencing using
endnote
10%
Presentation, figures, layout of text
A good presentation of graphs and figures
10%
4
REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY:
• First it is necessary to ensure that you have sufficient research and critical appraisal
skills to pursue the research project.
• Students should research their chosen topic utilising quality, peer-reviewed journal
articles, and textbooks. Reference to internet sites is strongly discouraged. When using
internet sites (Wikipedia etc.) as a source of information, always refer/cite the original
author/publication as detailed on the web page. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT
REFERENCES ARE CORRECT.
• USE ENDNOTE TO INSERT YOUR REFERENCES.
• Your in-text references should be name and year (eg Thompson et al., 2007) and end
of text references should be the full reference (eg: M. Thompson, F. Lovicu and M.
Ziman (2004) Neuroscience, 28: 243- 345).
• You should NOT include the information about when and where you downloaded
the paper! This information is not generally included in genetic journals!
• If internet sites were acceptable in other classes they are NOT acceptable as the
source of original references for this assignment.
• Should students require assistance with this part of the project, the choice of suitable
research material can be discussed with the lecturer so that students become proficient
at critical analysis of relevant, quality, published information.
• References are to be included in the oral and written presentations.
• Students are strongly encouraged to use EndNote program for referencing.
SUMMARY OF REFERENCES:
Text books, Journal articles. See Lists of books and journals on Blackboard, in your unit
outlines.
**** Suitable in-text and end-of-text referencing of literature material is
expected of students in the Literature Review. You must use original
references and formatting as found in scientific journals. ****
5
WRITING A SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ARTICLE
FORMAT FOR THE PAPER
Scientific research articles provide a method for scientists to communicate with other scientists about the
results of their research. A standard format is used for these articles, in which the author presents the research
in an orderly, logical manner. This doesn’t necessarily reflect the order in which you did or thought about the
work. This format is:
TITLE
1. Make your title specific enough to describe the contents of the paper, but not so technical that only
specialists will understand. The title should be appropriate for the intended audience.
2. The title usually describes the subject matter of the article: Effect of Smoking on Academic
Performance”
3. Sometimes a title that summarizes the results is more effective: Students Who Smoke Get Lower
Grades”
AUTHORS
1. The person who did the work and wrote the paper is generally listed as the first author of a research paper.
2. For published articles, other people who made substantial contributions to the work are also listed as
authors. Ask your mentor’s permission before including his/her name as co-author.
ABSTRACT
1. An abstract, or summary, is published together with a research article, giving the reader a “preview” of
what’s to come. Such abstracts may also be published separately in bibliographical sources, such as Biological
Abstracts. They allow other scientists to quickly scan the large scientific literature, and decide which articles
they want to read in depth. The abstract should be a little less technical than the article itself; you don’t want to
dissuade your potential audience from reading your paper.
2. Your abstract should be one paragraph, of 100-250 words, which summarizes the purpose, methods, results
and conclusions of the paper.
3. It is not easy to include all this information in just a few words. Start by writing a summary that includes
whatever you think is important, and then gradually prune it down to size by removing unnecessary words,
while still retaining the necessary concepts.
3. Don’t use abbreviations or citations in the abstract. It should be able to stand alone without any footnotes.
INTRODUCTION
What question did you ask in your experiment? Why is it interesting? The introduction summarizes the
relevant literature so that the reader will understand why you were interested in the question you asked. One to
four paragraphs should be enough. End with a sentence explaining the specific question you asked in this
experiment.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
1. How did you answer this question? There should be enough information here to allow another scientist to
repeat your experiment. Look at other papers that have been published in your field to get some idea of what is
included in this section.
2. If you had a complicated protocol, it may helpful to include a diagram, table or flowchart to explain the
methods you used.
6
3. Do not put results in this section. You may, however, include preliminary results that were used to design
the main experiment that you are reporting on. (“In a preliminary study, I observed the owls for one week, and
found that 73 % of their locomotor activity occurred during the night, and so I conducted all subsequent
experiments between 11 pm and 6 am.”)
4. Mention relevant ethical considerations. If you used human subjects, did they consent to participate? If you
used animals, what measures did you take to minimize pain?
RESULTS
1. This is where you present the results you’ve gotten. Use graphs and tables if appropriate, but also summarize
your main findings in the text. Do NOT discuss the results or speculate as to why something happened; that
goes in the Discussion.
2. You don’t necessarily have to include all the data you’ve gotten during the semester. This isn’t a diary.
3. Use appropriate methods of showing data. Don’t try to manipulate the data to make it look like you did more
than you actually did.
“The drug cured 1/3 of the infected mice, another 1/3 were not affected, and the third mouse got away.”
TABLES AND GRAPHS
1. If you present your data in a table or graph, include a title describing what’s in the table (“Enzyme activity at
various temperatures”, not “My results”.) For graphs, you should also label the x and y axes.
2. Don’t use a table or graph just to be “fancy”. If you can summarize the information in one sentence, then a
table or graph is not necessary.
DISCUSSION
1. Highlight the most significant results, but don’t just repeat what you’ve written in the Results section. How
do these results relate to the original question? Do the data support your hypothesis? Are your results
consistent with what other investigators have reported? If your results were unexpected, try to explain why. Is
there another way to interpret your results? What further research would be necessary to answer the questions
raised by your results? How do y our results fit into the big picture?
2. End with a one-sentence summary of your conclusion, emphasizing why it is relevant.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This section is optional. You can thank those who either helped with the experiments, or made other important
contributions, such as discussing the protocol, commenting on the manuscript, or buying you pizza.
REFERENCES (LITERATURE CITED)
There are several possible ways to organize this section. Here is one commonly used way:
1. In the text, cite the literature in the appropriate places:
Scarlet (1990) thought that the gene was present only in yeast, but it has since been identified in the platypus
(Indigo and Mauve, 1994) and wombat (Magenta, et al., 1995).
2. In the References section list citations in alphabetical order.
Indigo, A. C., and Mauve, B. E. 1994. Queer place for qwerty: gene isolation from the platypus. Science 275,
1213-1214.
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Magenta, S. T., Sepia, X., and Turquoise, U. 1995. Wombat genetics. In: Widiculous Wombats, Violet, Q., ed.
New York: Columbia University Press. p 123-145.
Scarlet, S.L. 1990. Isolation of qwerty gene from S. cerevisae. Journal of Unusual Results 36, 26-31.
EDIT YOUR PAPER!!!
“In my writing, I average about ten pages a day. Unfortunately, they’re all the same page.”
Michael Alley, The Craft of Scientific Writing
A major part of any writing assignment consists of re-writing.
Write accurately
1. Scientific writing must be accurate. Although writing instructors may tell you not to use the same
word twice in a sentence, it’s okay for scientific writing, which must be accurate. (A student who tried
not to repeat the word “hamster” produced this confusing sentence: “When I put the hamster in a cage
with the other animals, the little mammals began to play.”)
2. Make sure you say what you mean.
Instead of: The rats were injected with the drug. (sounds like a syringe was filled with drug
and ground-up rats and both were injected together)
Write: I injected the drug into the rat.
3. Be careful with commonly confused words:
Temperature has an effect on the reaction.
Temperature affects the reaction.
I used solutions in various concentrations. (The solutions were 5 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml, and 15 mg/ml)
I used solutions in varying concentrations. (The concentrations I used changed; sometimes they were 5 mg/ml,
other times they were 15 mg/ml.)
Less food (can’t count numbers of food)
Fewer animals (can count numbers of animals)
A large amount of food (can’t count them)
A large number of animals (can count them)
The erythrocytes, which are in the blood, contain hemoglobin.
The erythrocytes that are in the blood contain hemoglobin. (Wrong. This sentence implies that there are
erythrocytes elsewhere that don’t contain hemoglobin.)
Write clearly
1. Write at a level that’s appropriate for your audience.
“Like a pigeon, something to admire as long as it isn’t over your head.” Anonymous
2. Use the active voice. It’s clearer and more concise than the passive voice.
Instead of: An increased appetite was manifested by the rats and an increase in body weight was measured.
Write: The rats ate more and gained weight.
3. Remain objective.
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There are instances when it is appropriate to refer to yourself in the first person (We completed a series of
experiments….. ), but a literature review is not likely to be one of them. You did not do experiments to study
your gene of interest, you are reporting the work of others. Your job is to summarise the current knowledge on
your topic (you are not required to have an opinion or make critical comments).
SO, avoid first person references (I noticed, I analysed, etc. etc.).
Write: Following observations of …..
The results of the analyses indicated….
4. Avoid dangling participles.
“After incubating at 30 degrees C, we examined the petri plates.” (You must’ve been pretty warm in there.)
Write succinctly
1. Use verbs instead of abstract nouns
Instead of: take into consideration
Write: consider
2. Use strong verbs instead of “to be”
Instead of: The enzyme was found to be the active agent in catalyzing…
Write: The enzyme catalyzed…
3. Use concise terms.
Instead of: Write:
prior to before
due to the fact that because
in a considerable number of cases often
the vast majority of most
during the time that when
in close proximity to near
it has long been known that I’m too lazy to look up the
reference
4. Use short sentences. A sentence made of more than 40 words should probably be rewritten as two sentences.
“The conjunction ‘and’ commonly serves to indicate that the writer’s mind still functions even when no signs of
the phenomenon are noticeable.” Rudolf Virchow, 1928
Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation
1. Use a spellchecker, but be aware that they don’t catch all mistakes.
“When we consider the animal as a hole,…” Student’s paper
2. Your spellchecker may not recognize scientific terms. For the correct spelling, refer to an appropriate
dictionary.
3. Don’t, use, unnecessary, commas.
4. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

Experience Quality Writing.

Category: Uncategorized

(Strategic Analysis) STRATEGIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Interna!onal Rela!ons and Security Studies

During the next few decades of the 21st century, information organizations will face enormous challenges including the rapid rate of change, continuous digital transformation, financial constraints and shifts in the nature and needs of users.

• Critically relate your knowledge of the pathophysiology of dementia and BPSD to the service model/s you discuss.

Part B (30% of the available marks) (960 words excluding in text reference in the content)

Assessment Criteria

MPC Gibraltar Strait Bridge Case Study_Project_Initiation

Case Study Team Assignment Lone Star Lodging

Source types worksheet materials

Write a strategy paper to address Simon and Erin’s situation

Research Proposal Assignment

Grade

Focus

Support

Use of Language

Thoughtfulness

DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY