VMIHM Business Communication Module Outline 9 Jan 2012

8/3/2019 VMIHM Business Communication Module Outline 9 Jan 2012

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VATEL MASTER IN INTERNATIONAL HOTEL MANAGEMENT

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

MODULE OUTLINE

A. INTRODUCTION

Vatel International Business School (Hotel & Tourism Management) and School D’Hospitality

(SDH) welcome you to this module. We, at Vatel and SDH, strive to provide you with an excellentlearning environment and are committed to developing your potential to its fullest.

We seek your cooperation and commitment to participate actively in this module. We sincerelyhope that you will have a fruitful and enjoyable time learning with us!

B. PROFILE OF LECTURER

Mr. Fred Utanes is currently the Head of Academics of School D’Hospitality. He is aneducationist and a management practitioner. His 30-year career spans the diverse areas of business, non-profit organisations, and defence.

Fred’s first taste of service delivery in Tourism and Hospitality was when he served as the Head

of Stewards on-board a naval vessel. He was in-charge of the purchasing, preparation anddelivery of food and sustenance to the officers and personnel. Later, he managed his own 10-room apartment in the late ‘80’s and then became overseer of a lodging facility in the ‘90’s.Afterwards, Fred worked in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions)industry as an executive exhibitions and also sold advertising spaces and exhibition booths for Seatrade-UK, a shipping and cruise company that time operating in Singapore. Fred is a frequenttraveler, having been to over 20 countries in 4 continents.

As a Director and Senior Vice President of a franchise organisation headquartered in Singapore,Fred had an illustrious career with many country operations under his jurisdiction. He started inthis company with a humble beginning, helping grow an 8-man business into a 40-branchenterprise responsible for more than 500 personnel that served hundreds of thousands of clientele.

Fred possesses two masters degrees in business. He received one of these, his Masters inBusiness Management (MBM) degree, on scholarship from the Asian Institute of Management(AIM), an AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International)accredited business school.

In this course, Fred strongly advocates learning with the active class participation from all hisstudents. You, as students, are therefore highly encouraged to express yourselves in class andshare your own professional and practical experiences.

C. LECTURER CONTACT

Mr. Fred Utanes

Email : [email protected] : 6506 1282, 9am to 6pmRemarks : Email is the preferred means of contact.



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D. MODULE SPECIFICATIONS

1. NAME OF MODULEBusiness Communication

2. MODULE CODE

ENG401

3. STATUSCore

4. CREDIT HOURS40.5 credit hoursLecture (3 theory hours x 10 days) + Tutorials and Revisions (1.5 hours x 5 days) + FinalAssessment (3 hours)

5. UNITS OF CREDIT1 credit unit

6. MONTHS AND YEAR OF DELIVERY January-February 2012

7. PREREQUISITE NA

8. MODULE SYNOPSIS

Managers process problems and make important decisions through the effective use of human communication. The facility of business communication, therefore, is one if notthe most important tool in management.

Hospitality professionals as they get in contact with customers and other stakeholders in

order to provide service satisfaction ought to hone their skills in business communication.The dynamics of human communication especially at a strategic level is complex anddemanding. As such, masters students need to be exposed to scenarios that provideopportunities to reveal conflicts that could be addressed by the skillful use of humaninteraction and communication.

9. MODULE OBJECTIVES

In this module, students are given situations to be exposed to interpersonalcommunication simulating workplace conflicts and opportunities to analyse such andsolve them. Students should feel at ease with English communication in order to performwell in the hospitality business. It is therefore the aim of this module to highlight theunderpinning knowledge of communication in business.

It is also hoped that personal and professional development principles, crisismanagement and corporate image are interspersed with verbal and non-verbalcommunication studies in this course.

10. LEARNING OUTCOMES

On completion of this module, students should be able to:

a. Recognise and create outstanding resumes and cover letters.b. Understand one’s personal and professional value in groups and organisations.c. Develop a plan for career development.d. Learn and apply the fundamentals of corporate image.

e. Discern the benefits and disadvantages of outsourcing certain services.f. Understand customer complaints and be able to resolve them.g. Understand the benefits of ideal working conditions and apply them in the workplace.



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h. Develop certain management styles to induce productivity and manpower effectiveness.

i. Develop the right mindset and attitude needed in crisis management. j. Engage in argumentations and energised debates.k. Learn ways to effectively address general human resource requirements in

organisations.l. Identify issues in strategic management development and training.m. Develop future objectives in the light of facing managing the challenges particularly in

the hospitality industry.

11. MODULE ORIENTATION

The course will consist of a mixture of lectures, case studies, class practices, referenceslike journals and periodicals to introduce service quality concepts to explore itsapplications in the real world - using extensive classroom discussions. Studentpreparation for each class session is essential for efficient discussion and analyses of thematerial covered.

12. ORGANISATION OF MODULE

This module consists of the following:

• 10 three-hour lectures, class drills, exercises and case study analysis• 5 one-and-a-half-hour tutorial and revision sessions• 3-hour final written examination

Classroom:• Raffles

Timetable:• Monday and Wednesday – Regular Classes

(9:00am – 12:00nn)

• Friday – Tutorial and Revision (inclusive of other module tutorials and revisions)(9:00am – 4:00pm)

Commencement date:• Monday, 9

thJanuary 2012

(9:00am – 12:00nn)

Examination date:• Monday, 27

thFebruary 2012

Date and Time: Check notice board for announcement of possible change.

13. MODULE TIMETABLE

Date Day Topic / Class Activity Chapter Assignment

9 Jan 12 Mon Course Overview /

Importance of Business Communication

1AssignmentDiscussion

11 Jan 12 Wed Resumes and Cover Letters 2 --

13 Jan 12 Fri Tutorials 1 – 2 --

16 Jan 12 Mon Understanding Your Value 3 --

18 Jan 12 Wed Career Development and Management 4 --

20 Jan 12 Fri Tutorials 3 – 4 Check-Up

30 Jan 12 Mon Outsourcing 5 --

1 Feb 12

Wed Complaints and Working Conditions 6 --

3 Feb 12 Fri Tutorials / Revision 5 – 6 --

6 Feb 12 Mon Management Styles 7 --



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14. REFERENCES

Effective Business Communications by Herta A. Murphy, Herbert W Hildebrandt andJane P. Thomas (Paperback - Jan 1, 1997)

Effective Business Communication by MTD Training (Kindle Edition - Mar 24, 2011) -Kindle eBook

Harvard Business Review on Effective Communication (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series) by Chris Argyris (Paperback - Aug 25, 1999)

Words That Work In Business: A Practical Guide to Effective Communication in theWorkplace (Nonviolent Communication Guides) by Ike Lasater and Julie Stiles MA

15. ASSESSMENT METHODS

Assessment Typea. Class Participationb. Module Assignmentc. Presentationd. Final ExaminationNote: Please refer to the later section for detailed information on assessment method.

E. ATTENDANCE

Attendance is compulsory at this module – no less than 90% for student pass holders and 75%for non-student pass holders. Optimal students learning can only be achieved with consistentattendance and participation so SD’H, our partner education institutions and governmentauthorities consider high rate of attendance essential for all students.

Students who are absent from class must produce valid reasons (e.g. medical certificate). Verbalexplanations will not be accepted by the school.

Attendance will impact on your participation score which is counted towards your final score. If

you hold a student pass, your attendance is mandatory by law.

Students who are absent from class must inform their lecturers and Programme Manager inadvance, if possible.

F. ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES (if applicable)

IMPORTANT NOTE:Students are to complete, hand-in and present their assignment by the deadline mentioned in theschedule to receive an assessment grade for such assignment. Five percent (5%) of the totalmark for the assignment will be deducted for late submission. No assignment will be acceptedafter the examination. If as a result, students fail the module, they will be expected to pay $200

for re-assessment / re-exam. Only a grade of “P”, indicating pass in the re-examination, will beawarded if students successfully pass the re-examination. Students will be charged $800.00 if they fail the module and are required to re-module.

8 Feb 12 Wed Crisis Management 8 --

10 Feb 12 Fri Tutorials / Revision 7 – 8 Check-Up

13 Feb 12 Mon Argumentation and Debate 9 --

15 Feb 12 Wed Management of Human Resources 10 --

17 Feb 12 Fri Tutorials / Revision 1 – 10 Submission

27 Feb 12 Mon Final Examination



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The assignment should be in a typed format in ‘Times New Roman’ font, size 12 with 1.5 linespacing and page numbers.

Students are required to demonstrate their ability by producing in their own words. When usingreferences and quotations to support your assignment, students must reference any ideas or datathat are not their own (refer to Guide to referencing using the Harvard System). Anyplagiarism from any books will be subject to a deduction of marks.

The cover page must contain the following:

1. Module title2. Assignment topic3. Group member names with student numbers in brackets4. Word Count

The assignment should consist of the following sections, in order of appearance:

1. Assignment cover page2. Table of contents3. Introduction

4. The body5. Conclusions6. Recommendations (if necessary)7. List of references and appendices (if any)

G. GUIDELINES FOR DETERMINING GRADES FOR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS/PROJECTS

1. Introduction

a. The objective of assignments is that students should apply what they have learnedfrom their workshops, reading and discussions to important problem situations intheir own organization or another organization, with a view to being able toimplement appropriate action. It follows from this that the student must investigatethe organizational situation and makes a real contribution by adding value in someway. An assignment is not intended to be merely a description of organizationalprocedures and practices, nor just an exposition of theory, but rather a combinationof the two. The theory aspect should go beyond a summary or description andprovide some critique or line of argument.

b. The contribution of the student should be enhanced by sharing, comparing andtesting of ideas in the learning group and with the facilitator. In each instance theassignment will be based on a real life situation. Thus "supporting data" as acriterion relates not only to primary data collected by the student as part of their research into the problem, but also contextual information that is provided toexplain the situation and support the approach or project being proposed.

c. A balance must be achieved between theory and practice. In the pursuit of effective action, students must not overlook the conceptual and theoreticalbackground. A pass mark will not be attained where there is no discussion of appropriate models, theories or concepts, nor will a student pass if their workshows plagiarism.

d. Assessors will mark to the whole range of marks available for a grade. Thus, whenusing a credit grade, they would be using the whole range of marks within thatgrade and not just the midpoint or bottom level of this grade. The same applies toawarding a High Distinction, where an excellent (not necessarily ‘perfect’)assignment could receive a mark of 100.



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2. Guide for Awarding Grades

a. Weightings:Content : 30%Application : 30%Supporting Data : 20%Structure and Presentation : 10%Style and Language : 10%

Total : 100%

b. Characteristics of a High Distinction

1) content is more critical/reflective than descriptive2) creative and/or original in approach to assignment3) sustained line of argument4) coherent and very well integrated5) shows unusual/very high level of understanding or insight6) very well written – clear, concise and easy to read7) very well structured and presented: structure and presentation contribute to

the overall clarity of the assignment8) internally consistent : conclusions/project plan flows from the

discussion/critique9) maintains high quality throughout10) application is a significant issue/project and is clearly explained and justified11) very well researched: demonstrates wide reading or reading in depth of 12) particular texts or articles13) supporting data/contextual information is comprehensive and relevant

The defining characteristics of a HD are consistency, creativity andoriginality. The very high quality of the assignment must be maintainedthroughout. These characteristics separate a HD from a Distinction.

c. Characteristics of a Distinction

1) demonstrates very sound understanding of concepts/processes2) lacks originality/creativity of a HD but sustains a line of argument3) very well integrated but may have a section that is unevenly developed (in

comparison to the rest of the assignment)4) well researched: goes beyond the set text and articles and/or shows in-

depth understanding of set text/articles5) clear and concise in writing style6) strong supporting data to justify approach/ explain context7) critical and evaluative: goes beyond summary or description of

ideas/concepts and organisational processes8) application is significant, justified and clearly explained9) no significant errors or omissions

The defining characteristics of a Distinction assignment are depth of understanding/insight, clarity of writing and coherence. A Distinctionassignment lacks the originality or level of integration of a High Distinctionbut in comparison to a Credit assignment takes a more critical perspectiveand has a greater level of coherence (in their line of argument/approach).

d. Characteristics of a Credit

1) fulfils all the requirements of the assignment though not to a consistent levelof quality

2) has some critique/evaluation of concepts/processes but this is not sustained3) parts are generally well integrated but one or two sections are not clearly

linked to the whole

4) supporting data/contextual information is provided but this is notcomprehensive in scope or clearly related to the discussion



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5) assignment is generally clear but may have some sections that areambiguous or overly complex (lack clarity)

6) shows sound understanding of concepts/processes with an occasionalmisunderstanding in one or more aspects

7) draws on texts and articles: is not reliant on a single source of the literature8) there is some linkage between conclusion/planned action and body of the

paper but this is not well- developed9) makes an occasional insightful comment or observation

A CREDIT assignment is characterized by a sound understanding but lacksthe coherence, insight and clarity of a DISTINCTION assignment. A CREDITassignment usually differs from a PASS level assignment in areas such aslevel of understanding, quality of writing/presentation, breadth/depth of research and level of critique/evaluation.

e. Characteristics of a Pass / Marginally satisfactory work

1) tends to be descriptive rather than evaluative or critical2) summarizes literature without a line of argument or comment: concepts/idea

are presented in a disjointed way3) reliance on a single text or article

4) not well integrated – linkage between parts breaks down5) uneven quality throughout the assignment6) has misunderstandings and occasional errors7) writing style is unclear/confusing in parts8) shows evidence of a lack of understanding in parts9) presentation may be uneven in quality10) covers the requirements of the assignment but some parts are poorly done11) has obviously made some effort to understand the assignment and

communicate that understanding12) supporting data/contextual information lacks relevance and/or

comprehensiveness13) conclusion/planned action does not flow from the discussion in the body of

the assignment (there is a lack of linkage)

The defining characteristic of a PASS could be described as “confusedunderstanding” and “patchy presentation” with evidence of someunderstanding and effort. It is clear that the writer has not fully understoodthe material, is unable to present their ideas with clarity and has not beenable to integrate their approach.

f. Characteristics of a "Fail" grading

1) evidence of plagiarism2) evidence of minimal effort or personal application3) very poor grammar, structure or presentation4) reliance on a single text with little or no understanding

5) incomplete assignment: does not cover a significant part of the requirements6) major errors or misunderstanding7) consistently unclear or ambiguous language8) lack of supporting data/ contextual information to underpin the assignment9) no critique or evaluation of concepts/processes

H. PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

1. Use audio-visual aids (or any other technology) to make your message the strongest(PowerPoint, hand-outs, overheads, slides, maps, etc.).

2. Presentation

a. Introduce yourself, your group & your topic title.b. Introduce your topic (put it in context so the audience understands why you are doing

the presentation).



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c. Explain what has been done by you to investigate the topic.d. Present the topic/issue itself and your findings.e. Conclude - what you covered today and have a Q&A to clarify any doubts among the

audience.

3. Professional Expectations

a. Know your material. You must know what you are talking about. (Include all (e.g.

management and economic) aspects of your issue where necessary). b. Present you material in an organized manner - using the best technology available.Remember, you want to make your message as powerful as possible. That isaccomplished by the organization and presentation of your material. You should: 1) Present yourself professionally. 2) Speak clearly and articulately. 3) Dress professionally.

c. Identify your sources/references where possible in your reference section of your report and final power-point slide.

d. All group members must participate in the Presentation.e. Maximum time allowed is 30 minutes and minimum time is 20 minutes. Marks will

be deducted for exceeding time limit.f. All presentation write-ups and slides must be submitted neatly to the lecturer

before the start of your presentation.



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4. Presentation Evaluation Criteria Organization (20%)

20% 15% 10% 5%

Consistently clear, concise, well organized.Points were easy to

follow because of theorganization.Transitions betweensections smooth andcoordinated.

Usually clear, concise, wellorganized. Most of the

presentation was easy tofollow. Transitions betweensections usuallycoordinated.

Not always clear or concise. Organization wasadequate, but weak.

Occasionally wanderedand was sometimesdifficult to follow.Transitions betweensections weak.

Often unclear anddisorganized, rambled toomuch. The presentation

wasconfusing and difficultto follow. Transitionsbetween sectionsawkward.

Topic Knowledge (20%)

20% 15% 10% 5%

Displayed an excellentgrasp of the material.Demonstrated excellentma s te ry o f co n te n t ,application andimplications.Excellent research depth.

Displayed a generalgrasp of the material.Demonstrated goodmastery of content,application andimplications. Goodresearch depth.

Displayed some grasp of the material.Demonstrated adequatema s te ry o f co n te n t ,application andimplications.Research not very deep.

Displayed a poor graspof the material.Demonstrated a superficialhand l ing o f con ten t ,application andimplications.Little depth of research.

Creativity (10%)

10% 7% 5% 3%

Very creative and original.Imaginative design anduse of materials. Novelhandouts, visual aids, or methods.

Exhibited some originalityand creativity.

Routine treatment, minimalthought given to originalityor creativity.

Lacked creativity. Veryordinary and mundane.

Visual Aids (15%)

15% 11% 8% 4%

Simple, clear, easy to

interpret, easy to read.Well coordinated withcontent, well designed,used very effectively.Excellentexample of how toprepare and use goodvisual aids.

Usually clear, easy tointerpret, easy to read.Generally well coordinatedwith content, design wasokay, generally usedeffectively. Demonstratedsome understanding of how to use visual aids.

Marginally acceptable, too

complex, crowded, difficultto read or interpret.Adequate coordinationwith content. Used onlyadequately. Showed littleunderstanding of how toprepare and use visualaids.

Poor quality visual aids

(or none), hard to read,technically inaccurate,poorly constructed. Poor coordination with content.Used poorly. Thepresenter did not seem toknow how to prepare or use visual aids effectively.

Summary (15%)

15% 11% 8% 4%

Clear, concise, major point’s emphasized, clear

recommendations, strongconclusion or call for action.

Referred to main points,recommendations weak or

missing, weak conclusionor call for action.

Vague mention of major points, norecommendations, weak

conclusion, weak or no callfor action.

No summary, norecommendations, no

conclusions, no call for action.

Stage Presence (20%)

20% 15% 10% 5%

Excellent stage presence.Confident, used noteswell, at ease, excellentgestures, good audienceattention, good eyecontact.

Good stage presence.Fairly confident, usednotes fairly well, goodgestures, acceptableaudience attention and eyecontact.

Adequate stage presence.Read parts,fumbled with notes,several distractingmannerisms, minima lgestures, minimal eyecontact, too many um’s.

Poor stage presence.Unprepared, awkward,shuffled papers, poor eyecontact, lots of um=s,turned from audience toread overheads, shuffledfeet, fidgeted. Poor gestures.



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I. ASSESSMENTS

IMPORTANT NOTE:YOUR FINAL GRADE WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF ALLTHE LEARNING REQUIREMENTS AND THE SUBMISSION OF REQUISITE ASSIGNMENTS,IF ANY, AND OF SITTING OF EXAMINATIONS. FAILURE TO MEET THESE ASSESSMENTCRITERIONS MAY RESULT IN A FAILING GRADE BEING AWARDED.

1. Assessment Guidelines

The purpose of the assessment is to evaluate the student’s understanding of the module

material and his/her ability to apply the acquired knowledge to the type of problems thatmay be encountered in the working environment.

2. Examination

The final examination will be assessed accordingly, dependent on the methodappropriate in relation to the module. A pass must be achieved in the examination.

All assignments and examinations are compulsory. For students to pass the module, thetotal of your results for all the assessment components must show a satisfactory level of achievement.

Final mark allocation will be approved and confirmed by the Examination Board. (Refer totable and descriptions below.)

Grading System

Each Vatel school in the world uses its country's own grading system that corresponds tothe chart below:

Letter GradingSystem

(a)

Percentage %

Grade PointAverage

(GPA or CGPA)

French GradingSystem Out of

20 Points(b)

A 100.0 4.0 18 to 20/20A - 95.5 3.7 15 to 17/20B + 91.5 3.3 12 to 14/20B 87.5 3.0 10 to 11/20

B - 83.5 2.7 8 to 9/20C + 79.5 2.3 6 to 7/20C 75.5 2.0 4 to 5/20

C - 71.5 1.7 1 to 3/20F 69.5 1.3 0/20

a. Letter Grading (American System)

School D’Hospitality, also known as Vatel Singapore, uses the Letter Grading whichis composed of a grill of letters from A to D with pluses and minuses. An F meansfailure.

No. Assessment Type Length Due Date Mark Allocation1. Class Participation 10 days 9

tJan – 15 Feb 2012 20%

2. Module Assignment 3 days 9t

Jan – 15 Feb 2012 20%3. Presentation 1 day 15

tFeb 2012 20%

4. Final Examination 3 hours 27t

Feb 2012 40%Total marks - - 100%



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Students receive grades as a percentage (0 to 100) for each subject. Thepercentage corresponds to a GPA.

Student academic performance is measured at the end of each semester or termand school year by the grade average calculated in the following way:

1) Number of Points or Result: equals the GPA multiplied by the Number of

Credits per subject;

2) The Cumulative Grade Point Average, CGPA, is obtained by adding up allgrades during the semester or term and dividing the sum by the total number of Credits.

Students must have a CGPA equal to or above 2.0 to pass into the next year's classor to obtain their diploma.

b. Grades Out of 20 (French System)

Other Vatel schools use the French System. Here, the school year is divided into twosemesters. Each semester has two mid-terms and one test. Subjects are grouped

into modules. Students are expected to do all courses on the curriculum and to passall mid-terms and finals. There will be no exceptions to this rule.

Courses will be graded on a 20 point scale. Each subject has a 1 to 5 coefficient,making some subjects more heavily weighted than others. Tests always have acoefficient of 1.

At the end of each semester, there will be two grades: an average of mid-termexams and an average of tests. Averages are calculated in the following way:

1) Each subject has a grade out of 20 points.2) This grade is then multiplied by its coefficient to give a certain number of points.3) For each class, the average grade is obtained by dividing the number of points

obtained in the class by the total of coefficients;4) For the semester, the mid-term average grade is obtained by dividing the total

number of points obtained in all subjects by the total of coefficients;5) For tests, the average grade is obtained by the total number of points divided by

the number of tests.

Students, in order to pass, must have obtained a grade of at least 10/20 in eachsubject (mid-terms + tests).

Honors can be awarded according to the total grade average obtained by thestudent in the school year:

- Average between 12/20 and 14/20 "Cum laude;"

- Average between 15/20 and 17//20 "Magna cum laude;"- Average between 18/20 and above "Summa cum laude."

The same honors system is used at final exam level when degrees are awarded.

The French System is explained here for purposes of indicating the equivalentgrades of students and graduates in different Vatel schools around the world.

3. Results

The examination results for this module will be released to the students by theProgramme Manager after the Examination Board has approved them. The results will

normally be released within 4 weeks after the examination. To ensure confidentiality,results will not given by telephone. Students must fulfil all obligations to pay the current



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course fee in order for the results to be released (please refer to student’s handbook for further details). A student’s result will be withheld if he / she fails to fulfil this obligation.

4. Examination Result Appeal

Students who wish to appeal against their examination results should write to the Head(Academic) within 3 days the final results are released. The letter of appeal must state

detailed reasons for the appeal. Student will not be allowed to view his/her examinationscripts. Students who decided to have the paper remarked or reviewed will have to payan appeal fee of S$50. Upon payment, the paper will be reviewed and subjected toapproval by the Examination Board. The appeal results will be released within 1 month.The student will have to accept the result as final even if it is lower than the initial result.

5. Supplementary Examination

A student who is unable to be present for a main examination must obtain prior writtenapproval from the school for the intended absence. The student concerned must submit aletter with supporting documentary evidence to the Programme Manager at least 7calendar days (depending on reasons for absence) before the examination when seeking

such approval. A special re-examination is applicable to students that are unable toattend examination due to valid reasons like:

• Reservist training for male Singapore Citizens/PR;• Acceptable medical conditions;• Bereavement of parents, spouse or children;• Official overseas assignment

The decision on whether the student's reason for absence is acceptable is at the solediscretion of the school, whose decision is final. The student who fails to turn up for anexamination without prior approval shall be deemed to have sat for and failed the mainexamination. Students who have failed the final exam are required to sit for asupplementary examination which would be scheduled one week after the release of the

results. An administrative fee of S$200.00 would be imposed for any student taking thesupplementary exam.

J. ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT: PLAGIARISM WARNING

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE SCHOOL TAKES A SERIOUS VIEW ON ACADEMICMISCONDUCT AND PLAGIARISM IN ANY FORM IS NOT ACCEPTABLE

You are to conduct full and proper research and express the findings or results of your academicresearch in the essay or report in your own words. Plagiary includes passing the work of othersas your own. Do not simply copy from books, the internet or other sources, without full

acknowledgement of the authors and source(s), and the appropriate use of quotation marks.

Further, students are not to make their own work available to other students to copy, or for reference purposes. Similarly, students should not solicit or copy the work of other students. Verysevere penalties are imposed for acts of plagiary, including immediate expulsion from theModule, nullifying all grades received and permanent prohibition from enrolling into futuremodules. Students may be expelled immediately and even for the first such offence.

Students can discuss problems and share ideas. Students should credit and give reference toauthors (or originators) of original ideas and concepts. Students can then apply the same in their assignments and solutions.

Ask your lecturer to explain plagiarism to you should you have any doubts as to its meaning.

Any student submitting assignments shall be deemed to have read this warning.



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Guide to Referencing

Using the Harvard System



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CONTENTS

• Referencing using the Harvard System

• Why do you have to reference?

• How to reference using the Harvard System

• Part 1: Citing in the text of your work

Practical points

•

Part 2. The Reference List

1. In General2. Books and other Printed works3. Journal Articles4. Chapters in books5. Official publications6. Non-parliamentary publications7. Parliamentary Publications: Acts of Parliament8. Parliamentary Publications: Command Papers9. Open Learning Materials

10. Secondary references11. Electronic sources12. Citing from an email13. WWW documents14. Citing from Electronic journals15. CD-ROM and Disks16. References and Bibliographies17. Sample Reference List



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Referencing Using the Harvard System

Why do you have to reference?

When you refer to another piece of work you must always acknowledge the source of that information. This is• to demonstrate the evidence supporting your arguments.

• to avoid accusations of plagiarism.

• to enable staff or researchers to identify your sources and follow up your work.

How to reference using the Harvard System

There are two parts to referencing using the Harvard System:1. Citing in the text of your work- this means acknowledging, within your text, the sources that you have

used.2. The Reference List - this is the list of sources you have used. You will write it at the end of your work. (It is

not counted in the word count) References are detailed descriptions of the sources from which you acquiredyour information.

PART 1: CITING IN THE TEXT OF YOUR WORK

When you refer to another document you must acknowledge this within the text of your work, by citing the author’ssurname and the date of publication.

For example:

The declining number of health professionals in training has lead to a reduced output of qualified staff (Morton-Cooper, 1989).

Bond (1994, p.113) stated that “child health is in part determined by the behaviour of parents”.

Although experiments should have a formal theory (Boud, 1993), you will find that

This allows whoever is reading your work to identify the source of your information by referring to your reference list.

Practical points

If the author's name appears naturally in the text, the year follows in brackets.

For example:

Draper (1997) suggests that among the risk factors .....

As long as the author's name is acknowledged in the text you do not have to cite it again within the brackets.

Multiple authors. If there are two or fewer authors all of their names must be cited in the text.

For example:

Kaufmann and Foxman (1991) agree that .....

If there are three or more authors then only the first author (the author who appears first on the title page of the book or is listed first at the beginning of a journal article) is cited, followed by et al. You will need to listALL the authors when you compile the reference list.

For example:

The degree of carotid artery stenosis increases (Mallik et al., 1997)

If you are using a direct quotation you should cite the page number as well as the author(s) and the date:

For example:



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“Hermeneutics is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of understanding.” (Draper, 1997,p.65)

You should use the abbreviation p. if referring to a single page (e.g. p.67) and pp. if referring to multiplepages (e.g. pp.67-68).

If you cannot identify an author for the source you want to cite, you should cite the title.

For example:

In Medical nutrition: a community perspective it says “malnutrition associated with disease is common ingeneral practice.” (Medical, 1996, p.8)

The names of organizations, institutions, government departments etc. may also be cited in the text asauthors. These are known as Corporate Authors.

For example:

Tuition fee contributions will be paid (NHS Executive, 1998).

If referring to more than one source published in the same year by the same author, use lower case lettersafter the date.

For example:The current selection and recruitment procedures for nurses are inadequate (Bowles, 1995a) .............Bowles (1995b) questions the assumptions…

Where you cite more than one reference at the same point in the text, cite them in chronological order.

For example:

Dahlen (1993), Bowles (1995) and Post (1997) claim ....

Secondary references should be cited in the text in the following way:

For example:

Kelly (1994) cited in Royston and Dick (1998) argues that ecologies…

World Wide Web documents and Electronic Journal articles should be cited in the text in the same way asbooks and journal articles.

PART 2. THE REFERENCE LIST

The reference list consists of full references to the sources you have used to produce your work. The first two parts of

the reference, (the authors surname and the date), provide the link to the citation you made in the text. The referencelist appears at the end of your work and the references should be listed in one sequence in alphabetical order of theauthor’s surname.

In General

The following instructions apply to all kinds of material that you might reference.

1. You must list ALL of the authors of a piece of work in the reference list.2. If you cannot find an author, editor or corporate author, cite the title of the work.3. If you cannot find a date put [no date].4. If you cannot find a publisher put s.n.5. Editor(s): Editor(s) are distinguished from authors by adding ed. as an abbreviation for a single editor

and eds. for multiple editors.

6. Pages: Use either p. if referring to a quote/secondary reference/article on a single page or pp. for aquote/secondary reference/article which covers a range of pages.



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a. Books and other Printed works

A reference to a book or another printed work, such as a report, should include the following information, in this order:

1. Author(s), editor(s) or corporate author. Use author’s initial not full first name2. The date of publication (in brackets)3. The title and any subtitle, which should be underlined.4. Series title and number if they appear.5. The edition if it is not the first.

6. City or town of publication followed by colon:7. Publisher.

This information should be taken from the front or back of the title page, not the book cover.

For example:

Bond, J. & Bond, S. (1994) Sociology and health care: an introduction for nurses and other health careprofessionals. 2

nded. London: Churchill Livingstone.

Mallik, M., Hall, C., Howard, D. & Pearson, P. eds (1997) Nursing knowledge and practice: a decision makingapproach. London: Bailliere Tindall.

b. Journal Articles

A reference to a journal article should include the following information, in this order:

1. The author(s) of the article2. The year of publication (in brackets)3. The title of the article4. If you are referencing an editorial put [editorial]5. The title of the journal which must be underlined,6. The volume and issue number (issue number in brackets)7. The first and last page numbers of the article

For example:

Paying for family planning. (1998) [editorial] The Lancet, 352 (9131), p.831.

Stern, J.M. & Simes, R.J. (1997) Publication bias: evidence of delayed publication in a cohort of clinical researchprojects. British Medical Journal, 315 (7109), pp.640-645.

c. Chapters in Books

When citing a contribution to a book or a paper given at a conference, you must reference the surname of the author who made that contribution and the title of that contribution.

A reference to a contribution to a book should include the following information, in this order:

1. The author(s) of the chapter/section2. The date of publication (in brackets)3. The title of the chapter/section.4. In:5. Author(s), editor(s) or corporate author(s) of the book.6. The title of the book, which must be underlined.7. Town or city of publication followed by colon:8. Publisher,9. The first and last page numbers of the chapter/section.

For example:

Wall, A. (1998) The ethics of getting on with others. In: Scriven, A. ed. Alliances in health promotion: theory andpractice. London: Macmillan, pp.53-59.

McBean, S. (1991) Health and health promotion - consensus and conflict. In: Perry, A. & Jolley, M. eds. Nursing:a knowledge base for practice. London: Edward Arnold, pp.52-92.



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d. Official Publications

i. Non-parliamentary publications

When referencing non-parliamentary official publications follow the instructions for referencingbooks:

For example:

NHS Centre for Reviews & Dissemination (1996) Undertaking systematic reviews of effectiveness: CRDguidelines for those carrying out or commissioning reviews. CRD Report 4. York: NHS Centre for Reviews &Dissemination.

ii. Parliamentary Publications: Acts of Parliament

A reference to an Act of Parliament should include the following, in this order.

1. The title of the Act including the date, which should be underlined

2. The chapter number of the act (in brackets)3. Place of publication followed by colon:4. Publisher.

For example:

Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1997 (c. 24) London: The Stationery Office.

iii. Parliamentary Publications: Command Papers

Command papers include statements of government policy, also known as White Papers;consultation documents, also known as Green Papers; and the reports of Royal and Departmental

Commissions; annual accounts; the reports of Commissions of Enquiry and international treaties. Areference to a Command Paper should include the following information, in this order.

1. The title of the command paper which should be underlined2. The command paper number and the date of publication (in brackets)3. The place of publication followed by colon:4. The publisher.

For example:

Our Healthier Nation: a contract for health (Cm 3852, 1998) London: The Stationery Office.

e. Open Learning Materials

A reference to open learning materials should include the following information, in this order:

1. Author(s), editor(s) or corporate author 2. The date of publication (in brackets)3. The title of the workbook, which should be underlined.4. The name of the pack the workbook is contained in.5. Place of publication followed by colon:6. Publisher.

For example:

Martin, V. ed. (2000) The Manager, Work Book 1. Managing Health and Social Care. Milton Keynes: The Open

University.



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f. Secondary References

Secondary referencing involves referring to a document, which you have not seen but which has been usedand cited by someone else. For example, you may want to refer to the work of Freud as described in a bookor article on psychology. This should only be done where it is not possible to consult the earlier work.

A secondary reference should include the following information, in this order:

1. The full reference to the earlier work. (Follow the instructions for referencing a book/journal article etc.

Do not underline the title/journal title).2. Cited in:3. The reference to the source you have used (Follow the instructions for referencing a book/journal article

etc. Underline the title/journal title).4. The page number in the source you have used where the reference to the earlier source appears.

For example

Dales, L.A. (1986) Effective teaching and mentoring. London: Jossey-Bass. Cited in: Reid, B. (1994) Thementor’s experience: a personal perspective. In: Palmer, A.M. ed. Reflective practice in nursing: the growth of the professional practitioner. Oxford: Blackwell Science, p.47.

g. Electronic Sources

There are some general points to consider when citing electronic documents:

1. You must cite enough information for your source to be traced in the future.2. You should cite the date the document was last updated if this is clear, or the date you accessed the

document if this is not.3. If you cannot find a publisher put s.n.4. If you are using the Internet or CD-ROM databases to search for journal references you should cite the

journal as your source of information.

h. Citing from Email

A reference to an e-mail should include the following information, in this order:

1. The author’s name2. Date of publication (date the message was sent, in brackets)3. Medium i.e. email4. Recipient.5. The title of the message, taken from the subject line, underlined.6. [online].7. Accessed, followed by the date the message was accessed [in square brackets].

For example

Wibberley, J.M. (1998) Email to J.Parker. British Journal of Radiology. [online]. [accessed 20th October 1998].

i. WWW Documents

A reference to a World Wide Web document should include the following information, in this order:

1. The Author(s), editor(s) or corporate author(s) of the document (if they can be identified)2. Date of publication (in brackets)3. The title of the document, which must be underlined (or the first few words of the document if the title is

not clear).

4. [online].5. Place of publication followed by colon:6. Publisher.



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7. Available from: followed by the URL (this replaces the ‘In’)8. Accessed then the date the document was accessed [in square brackets].

For example

Cross, P. and Towle, K. (1996) A guide to citing internet sources [online]. Poole: Bournemouth University.Available from: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/service-depts/lis/LIS_Pub/harvardsystint.html [accessed 15September 1998].

Engineering Librarians (2006) Citing and referencing with the Harvard System [online]. Bradford: University of Bradford. Available from: http://www.brad.ac.uk/library/documents/refeng.pdf [accessed 20 May 2007].

j. Citing from Electronic Journals

1. A reference to a Electronic journal article should include the following information, in this order:2. The author(s) name.3. Date of publication (in brackets)4. The title of the article.

5. The title of the journal, which must be underlined6. [online],7. Volume number and issue number (issue number in brackets),8. Page numbers.9. Available from: followed by the URL10. Accessed, followed by the date accessed in [square brackets].

For example:

Shelley, E.D. (1998) chronic staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome. British Journal of Dermatology [online], 139,pp.319-324. Available from:-http://pluto.bids.ac.uk/JournalsOnline/ [accessed 15 September 1998].

k. CD-ROM and Disks

A reference to a CD-ROM or a Disk should include the following information, in this order:

1. The Author(s), editor(s) or corporate author(s) of the document (if they can be identified)2. Date of publication (in brackets)3. The title of the CD-ROM or disk, which must be underlined.4. [CD-ROM] or [disk]5. Edition (e.g. update 2 or version 4.1).6. Place of publication (if this can be identified) followed by colon:7. Publisher (if this can be identified).8. Date updated or revised (if applicable).

For example

Peitgen, H.O. (1998) The complete visible human: the complete high resolution male and female datasets fromthe Visible Human Project. [CD-ROM] London: Springer-Verlag

l. References and Bibliographies

A reference list contains the details of the material referred to in your assignment. It is required.

A bibliography is a list of material used to gather ideas and which has informed your work. It is notgenerally required.



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Sample Reference List

1. Bond, J. & Bond, S. (1994) Sociology and health care: an introduction for nurses and other health careprofessionals. 2

nded. London: Churchill Livingstone.

2. Bowles, N. (1995a) Methods of nurse selection: a review. Nursing Standard, 9 (15), pp. 25-29.

3. Bowles, N. (1995b) A critical appraisal of preceptorship. Nursing Standard, 9 (45), pp. 25-28.4. Daloz, L.A. (1986) Effective teaching and mentoring. London: Jossey-Bass. Cited in: Reid, B. (1994)

The mentor’s experience: a personal perspective. In: Palmer, A.M. ed. Reflective practice in nursing:the growth of the professional practitioner. Oxford: Blackwell Science, p.47.

5. Engineering Librarians (2006) Citing and referencing with the Harvard System. [online] Bradford:University of Bradford. Available from: http://www.brad.ac.uk/library/documents/refeng.pdf [accessed 20May 2007].

6. Kaufmann, R. & Foxman, B. (1991) Mastitis among lactating women: occurrence and risk factors.Social Science and Medicine, 33 (6), pp. 701-705.

7. Kelly, K. (1994) Out of Control. Fourth Estate. Cited in: Royston, G. & Dick, P. (1998) Healthcareecology. British Journal of Healthcare Management, 4 (5), pp.238-241. p.241.

8. Mallik, M., Hall, C., Howard, D. & Pearson, P. eds (1997) Nursing knowledge and practice: a decisionmaking approach. London: Bailliere Tindall.

9. Martin, V. ed. (2000 ) The Manager, Work Book 1. Managing Health and Social Care. Milton Keynes:The Open University.

10. McBean, S. (1991) Health and health promotion - consensus and conflict. In: Perry, A. & Jolley, M.eds.Nursing: a knowledge base for practice. London: Edward Arnold, pp.5-22.

11. NHS Executive Northern and Yorkshire [no date] Making it better: clinical audit in Northern & Yorkshire.Newcastle upon Tyne: Northern and Yorkshire Regional Health Authority.

12. Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1997 (c. 24) London: The Stationery Office13. Our Healthier Nation: a contract for health (Cm 3852, 1998) London: Stationery Office.14. Paying for family planning. (1998) [editorial] The Lancet, 352 (9131), p.831.15. Peitgen, H.O. (1998) The complete visible human: the complete high resolution male and female

datasets from the Visible Human Project. [CD-ROM] London: Springer-Verlag.16. Shelley, E.D. (1998) chronic staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome. British Journal of Dermatology

[online], 139, pp.319-324. Available from: http://pluto.bids.ac.uk/JournalsOnline/ [accessed 15September 1998].

17. Wibberley, J.M. (1998) Email to J.Parker. British Journal of Radiology. [online]. [accessed 20 October 1998].