CAW LibGuides: How to Analyse an Assignment Brief

Directive words prompt you to engage in the kinds of thinking and writing you need to demonstrate in the assignment.

Directive words may include:

• Actions:

Verbs like evaluate, analyse, explain, recommend and illustrate.

Sometimes these words may be in the present tense:

e.g. “… illustrating your points with examples”

• The result of actions:

Words like evaluation, analysis, explanation, and illustration tell you the output of the kind of thinking your markers are looking for. These are called nominalised verbs.

These kinds of words are paired with others like write, conduct, include or produce:

For example:

• ‘write an explanation’
• ‘conduct an analysis’
• ‘include an illustration’
• ‘produce an evaluation’

There is no need to highlight words like write and include.

• A special case:

You may also see words and phrases like use, utilise, draw on and apply. These words usually precede words and phrases that will inform your approach. Highlight these in a different colour.

Example

In the example brief, there are several directive words:

Using the IKEA case study provided and at least one theory from the module, produce a critical analysis and evaluation of IKEA’s recruitment policies.

Discuss potential approaches that IKEA could implement to improve its recruitment practices.

After highlighting the directive verbs, use a different colour highlighter to identify the content words—i.e. the content you are expected to write about.

In the example, the content words are highlighted in green:

Using the IKEA case study provided and at least one theory from the module, produce a critical analysis and evaluation of IKEA’s recruitment policies.

Discuss potential approaches that IKEA could implement to improve its recruitment practices.

If you are analysing a complex assignment brief, it can often be useful to identify the pairings of directive words and content words.

In the example brief, there are three pairs of directive and content words:

Directive word(s):    critical analysis

Content words:        IKEA’s recruitment policies

Directive word(s):    evaluation

Content words:        IKEA’s recruitment policies

Directive word(s):    discuss

Content words:        potential approaches that IKEA could implement to improve its recruitment practices

Once you have identified the content words/phrases, these should be the focus of your reading and research. The directive words allow you to identify the kinds of questions you will need to be thinking about as you read.

For instance, in the example brief, the markers have asked you to discuss potential approaches. Therefore, as you read about a potential approach, you will need to be asking questions like:

• What are the different points of view about this approach?
• What evidence is there for these points of view?
• What are the approach’s strengths and weaknesses?
• What are the implications of this approach?
• What is my point of view?

Some briefs may include words and phrases that are designed to inform your strategy or approach towards the assignment. These tend to be in two categories:

• Tools and resources you should use.

These may include:

• • Sources
  • Types of evidence/data
  • Case studies
  • Theories
  • Models
  • Frameworks
  • Specific personal experiences (e.g. for a reflective assignment)

• Limits or boundaries you must stay within

These may include:

• The number of theories, models, etc. to include
• The types/categories of examples, models, theories, etc. to consider

Not all briefs are prescriptive in this way. However, you will still need to consider whether and how you should use these kinds of tools in order to write an effective answer.

In the example below, the words/phrases designed to inform your approach are all highlighted in blue:

Using the IKEA case study provided and at least one theory from the module, produce a critical analysis and evaluation of IKEA’s recruitment policies.

Discuss potential approaches that IKEA could implement to improve its recruitment practices.

Even though sources are not mentioned in this example brief, all assignments at university will need to make use of high-quality, relevant sources, such as journal articles and academic books.

However, remember that different disciplines (and also assignments) may require you to make use of different types of sources. If in doubt, discuss your choice of sources with your lecturer or your academic liaison librarian.  You can find who this is for your discipline at this link: https://libguides.coventry.ac.uk/all.

Remember:

If your brief asks you to choose a theory, model, case study, etc., you will first need to identify your options. Start by reviewing the material from your lectures and the reading list to identify appropriate options. It can also often be a good idea to discuss your options with your tutor.

Once you have identified your options, you will need to identify the best one(s) for your assignment. You will want to consider their relevance, usefulness, and whether they are accepted within your field. Depending on the assignment, you may need to justify your choice in your writing.

This is not an exhaustive list. There is a wide range of academic genres you may be asked to write at university. Each genre is organised and presented in conventional ways, which may vary from discipline to discipline. You will find useful information about genres in many of the books about academic writing in the Study Skills Section of the library.

Your markers may also have provided a structure (i.e. a set of sections) for your assignment. When analysing the brief, remember to highlight whether this structure is mandatory or simply a suggestion:

• If the structure is mandatory, you must use the structure in the brief. If you fail to do so, you will lose marks.  
• If the structure is a suggestion, try generating your own ideas first. Develop a structure that makes sense to you, then compare your structure with theirs. You can use your structure, theirs or a hybrid. Just make sure your choice is appropriate for the genre, logical, coherent, and allows you to fully answer the brief.

The best way to learn any new skill is to put it into practice.  The pdf document also contains two example briefs with the answers available in Appendix One at the end of the document.

Cottrell, S. (2019). Macmillan study skills: The study skills handbook (5th ed.). Red Globe Press.

Greetham, B. (2018). How to write better essays (4^th ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.

The University of Adelaide. (2014). Writing essays: Writing centre Learning Guide. Writing Centre. https://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/sites/default/files/docs/learningguide-writingessays.pdf

University of Birmingham. (2017). A short guide to understanding your assignments. Library Services. https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/asc/documents/public/Short-Guide-Understanding-assignment.pdf

To cite this resource:

Coventry University. (2022). Analysing an Assignment Brief. Centre for Academic Writing. https://libguides.coventry.ac.uk/CAWhomepage/analysinganassignmentbrief

A ‘Definitions of Directive Words’ document can be found downloaded as a pdf document at the bottom of this page.  The document lists directive verbs and their typical meanings. However, be aware that the meanings of these words can vary between disciplines. Additional definitions can be found in Cottrell (2019, p. 285) and Greetham (2018, pp. 48-50).