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Writing for research users: briefing papers as coursework

Contact details

Dr. John H. McKendrick
Centre for Research on Families and Relationships
23 Buccleuch Place
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH8 9LN
Tel: 0775-998-5508 / 0131-651-1940
Fax: 0131-651-1833 / 01292-220045
Email: : jmckndrk@aol.com / j.mckendrick@ed.ac.uk

Also involved are:
Dr. Elizabeth Mooney
Dr. Chris McWilliams
School of Law and Social Sciences
Glasgow Caledonian University

Classification Category

• Developing student appreciation of research in the discipline.
• Development of student research skills (explicitly, in addition to other disciplinary and generic skills).
• Using teaching and learning processes which simulate research processes (e.g. project-based modules, dissertation modules, problem based learning etc).
• Using assignments which involve elements of research processes (e.g. literature reviews, bidding for grants, drafting bids or project outlines, analysing existing project data, presenting at a 'conference').
  
  
  

Context

• Course/unit/module title: Practising Geography: The Isle of Bute Module
• Course title: Geography subject pathway within the BA Social Sciences degree
• Level 2 in Scotland (4 years Honours Degree)

What does the teacher do?

A 'Research Briefing Paper' (also known as a Research Briefing or Briefing Paper) is a concise summary of research findings that is written for an informed, although not necessarily an expert, audience. Typically, research briefing papers are presented as a four-page A4-sized pamphlet, printed on A3-sized paper which is folded at its mid-point to form a stapleless seam. Each paper reaches a clear conclusion based on evidence and concise argument. This tends to result in a pace of writing that could best be described as 'swift'. Yet, coherency and substance are the hallmarks of a good research briefing paper: this is no insignificant undertaking for a paper that is less than 2500 words in length!

Practising Geography, the second year undergraduate Human Geography module at Glasgow Caledonian University, offers individual students the option of submitting coursework in the form of a briefing paper based on a small-scale, fieldwork-based research project that they themselves have designed and executed. On completion of the module, students can then elect to have their paper refereed by an independent expert (generally a local resident from the field locality or a member of one of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society's Regional Centres) as part of the StuP project (STUdent Publishing of fieldwork geography). The StuP project is based on the module. Publication on the StuP project website is conditional on an acceptable referee's report.

The lecturer performs either 11 tasks (if the case study is used as part of the student publishing project) or 6 tasks (if the briefing paper is only used as a form of coursework). Resources may be downloaded from the StuP website for starred items:

• Publishing Project and Coursework
• Supports the student to design a small scale research project, the fieldwork for which can be executed within one day
• Provides advice on 'locality' and 'geography' background reading/resources upon which the student could draw to execute the research
• * Provides a sample briefing paper
• * Provides written guidance on how to write a briefing paper
• * Provides a briefing paper template
• * Assesses the briefing paper as a form of coursework

Publishing Project only

• Ascertains which students wish their coursework to be considered for publication
• Classifies coursework into papers that are 'publishable' and those which require further revision prior to being submitted to referees
• * Establishes a network of referees who will referee the briefing papers for publication
• * Administers the referee review process
• Arranges for the publication of papers for which referees have recommended publication

This case study was developed as a part of the StuP project. StuP is a self-contained project that supports undergraduate geography students to publish briefing papers and teachers' resource packs on the environment/geography of the Isle of Bute. It is funded by the LTSN-GEES.

Hot tips and things to look out for

• Use the StuP resources! The production of these resources has been time-consuming and, under the terms of the GEES project grant, they are being now being made available for adaption/adoption in other institutions.
• Common pitfalls in student production of briefing papers have been identified. These are detailed on the 'Guidance Notes for Referees'.
• Develop contacts with key informants from the fieldwork locality. This has proven invaluable for access to local knowledge and people. Arguably this is more important when students are undertaking project work than it is when fieldwork is lecturer-led (as the range of subjects being studied is broader).
  

Does it work?

Three evidence streams lead to the conclusion that the case study works.

First, student performance is highly satisfactory, despite:

1. Students completing briefing papers for the first time coursework
2. being completed by students for whom geography is a 'minority' subject - human geography is a subsidiary part of a BA Social Sciences degree, and
3. Glasgow Caledonian University being typical of 'new' universities in that student performance is generally lower than that from the 'older' universities (particularly in the early years of their degree),

The mean mark for briefing papers is 62, with 19% attaining a 1st class grade and 38% achieving a 2nd class (upper) grade.

Second, results from a post-module student survey (40 students, a 71% response rate) suggest that the production of briefing papers for coursework assessment/publication is successful. The resources to support the students' writing were considered to be effective; 76% judged the guidance notes to be 'very useful' or 'useful' (19% considering them to be useful in parts). Students find the production of briefing papers to be a rewarding challenge. Almost half (46%) found it 'difficult' or 'very difficult' to write their briefing paper (38% perceived it neither difficult nor easy). Yet, this was a challenge worth pursuing: 78% considered briefing papers to be either 'much more' or 'more' rewarding to complete than other forms of coursework and 67% reported that they now felt 'much more' or 'more' confident about undertaking an Honours Level dissertation having successfully completed research for their briefing paper. Finally, the prospect of publication is welcomed. Some students reported that they were motivated to produce 'better coursework' given the possibility of publication (30%), and 76% expressed a desire to revise their briefing paper -in their own time - for publication. 57% reported that they 'welcomed' the prospect of an independent referee reviewing their paper, 35% were 'not bothered' and only 5% were 'worried' by this prospect.

Third, of the coursework which students wished to be considered for publication, 18 papers (41%) were considered ready to be reviewed by referees. A further 26 papers (59%) required some revisions prior to being sent to referees for review. 76% of students surveyed wanted their briefing paper to be considered for publication; a further 11% were unsure.

What problems/issues have arisen?

An on-going process of implementation, reflection and revision has addressed early problems with the resources which have been made available to support student learning.

The intensive pre-fieldwork preparation, extensive module resource base and the scale of the field locality (a small island with a population of ca. 8,000) each contribute to the success of the exercise: without any one of these key components, there may be the need to develop supplementary support for students.

Some students - the minority - find it difficult to work with Microsoft Word templates.

Details of support material/course work/assessment methods

StuP has been conceived as a demonstration project for LTSN-GEES in the UK. A key objective of this project was to make the project resources available for lecturers to adopt/adapt in other departments of geography, earth and environmental sciences.

The following briefing papers resources can be downloaded as Microsoft Word files from the 'Resources to Download' sub-section of the StuP section of the module website

• Guidance Notes for Student Authors. An abbreviated version of this paper has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Geography in Higher Education (Directions section).
• Briefing Paper Template (Mail Merge Master and Data File) and User Notes. These files can be used by students for manual (cut and paste) or automatic (mail merge function) formatting of text into briefing paper style.
• Guidance Notes for Academic Assessment of Briefing Paper Coursework. A criterion referenced system for assessing coursework is presented, which takes cognisance of both the overall product and the extent to which specific component parts have been correctly employed.
• Academic Assessment Marking Proforma. This marking cover sheet is for academic staff.
• Exemplar. An example of a briefing paper. Authored by Dr. John McKendrick and utilising data from a questionnaire survey of students' perceptions of the Isle of Bute and island/rural living, which was undertaken in advance of a field visit to the island. This is Briefing Paper 1, which can be accessed from 'Resources on the geography and environment of the Isle of Bute / Briefing Papers'.
  

Relevant references

Student-published briefing papers can be found within the 'Briefing Paper' sub-section of the 'Electronic Resources' section of the module website at Glasgow Caledonian University. At the time of writing (March 2003), over twenty briefing papers were being refereed.

More information on the StuP project can be found within the StuP pages of the module website at Glasgow Caledonian University.

A paper on 'Writing Briefing Papers' has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Geography in Higher Education.