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Assignment word count and marking

  • 07-01-2013 5:07pm
    #1
    Eod100
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,004 ✭✭✭✭


    Anyone know if you're marked down if you fail to make the word count? I know there's that 10% + or - rule but doubt that's official.. The essay's 5000 words and I think I'll struggle to even get 4000 words..

    Should I just submit it with as much as I can write and hope for the best?


Comments

  • #2
    ReacherCreature
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,500 ✭✭✭ReacherCreature


    Eod100 wrote: »
    Anyone know if you're marked down if you fail to make the word count?

    I think it will: in your case you're missing out on 1k of words, that will be obviously detrimental to the depth of the work unless your current word total is utterly fantastic work.
    I know there's that 10% + or - rule but doubt that's official..

    It was taken fairly seriously by students. I often went 10%+ and nothing was said. I haven't had much under 10 though so it's hard to say what lecturers think.
    The essay's 5000 words and I think I'll struggle to even get 4000 words..

    Work harder. Simple as. There's an eye-watering level of information out there. Books, articles, journals, websites, primary sources. If you're all out of sources, go look again and keep digging.
    Should I just submit it with as much as I can write and hope for the best?

    Definitely submit something, short word count or not.

    What's your field?


  • #3
    LilMrsDahamsta
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 451 ✭✭LilMrsDahamsta


    Eod100 wrote: »
    I know there's that 10% + or - rule but doubt that's official.

    It might be! The dept. I was working with recently had that rule within the marking scheme for student assignments. 15% of total marks were for style and the word count was considered a central part of that, along with the essay's structure.

    You could lose a big chunk of marks just for a short essay before you ever get into the ensuing lack of content, but better to submit a short essay than none at all.


  • #4
    Manach
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,768 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manach


    Are references and citations part of the word count - sometimes these might be, depending on the lecturer's guidelines.


  • #5
    ReacherCreature
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,500 ✭✭✭ReacherCreature


    Manach wrote: »
    Are references and citations part of the word count - sometimes these might be, depending on the lecturer's guidelines.

    From what I've experienced, universally, no.


  • #6
    Coffeeteasugar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 75 ✭✭Coffeeteasugar


    Hi, I usually stuck with the 10% rule. Could you could bulk it up with more research?


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