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REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES FOR WRITTEN
ASSIGNMENTS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC,
2010
PART A: REGULATIONS
The regulations must be followed exactly or assignments will lose marks. If the regulations are
disregarded or largely incorrect, the maximum grade awarded for assignments is C- (5054%).
LAYOUT
 Include your name, ID number and name of the paper and name of the lecturer.
 Write out the title of the essay in full, worded exactly as it is given to you.
 Write or type on one side of the paper only.
 Number each page and staple them all together. Do not use pins or paper clips.
 Leave a margin of at least 3 cm at the left side of each page for markers’ comments.
 Set your document to double spacing (not single-spacing).
 Use 12 point Times or Times New Roman font, or similar.
 Do not use underlining, bold, capitals or italics for emphasis in your writing.
LENGTH
 The total number of words required is specified for each assignment.
 Your work will be penalized if it is either too short or too long.
STYLE
 Titles of operas and other large works should be given in italics (or, if handwritten, underlined),
e.g., The Magic Flute, Dichterliebe, The Creation. A specific song, such as ‘Dido’s Lament’
should be in single quotation marks.
 Be careful with titles in French or Italian, where not every word in the title necessarily begins with
a capital letter, e.g., Le nozze di Figaro, Cosi fan tutte, La traviata, but note La Bohème.
• When writing numbers in the text the general rule should be to write the word for any number up
to twenty (four violins, three characters, twelve oboes) and to write the number for higher
numbers (22 violins – though Louis XIV’s orchestra would be called, because it is an official
name, The Twenty-Four Violins of the King). When referring to centuries please write
‘nineteenth’ not ‘19th’: similarly, write Beethoven’s Third Symphony not Beethoven’s 3rd
Symphony. Referring to bars use the number – bar 4, bar 8, bar 126. When identifying a piece by
its number, please take care: write Symphony No. 3 not Symphony no 3, and when using opus
numbers use this model: Op. 34.
REFERENCING SOURCES: FOOTNOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
The sources used in your writing must be acknowledged in the following ways:
1. References in the text of the assignment:
1.1 For paraphrased ideas;
1.2 For quoted material;
1.3 For music examples cited; and
2. Bibliography for a full list of all works/sources cited.
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Text references for paraphrased ideas
Many of your paragraphs will be summaries (paraphrases) from a book or an article that you have read.
For these you do not use quotation marks unless you are using the author’s wording, but you need to
indicate where the ideas came from by use of a reference at the end of the paragraph. As a general rule,
give a reference for every paragraph unless you are certain the ideas are your own.
Text references for quoted material
A direct quotation is a word-for-word extract from another source. The text is placed within quotation
marks and is given a reference by a footnote (or endnote). For direct quotations use either single or double
quotes: “ ” or ‘ ’ . If the quotation you are using includes a quotation of its own, use the other marking
for the inner quotation, eg, “ ‘ ’ ” OR ‘ “ ” ’ .
It is important that you quote exactly, using the same words and the same spelling.
If the quotation is too long or contains something not relevant to your argument, you may delete a
word or words, inserting three dots with spaces fore and aft ( ... ) to indicate that you have done so. Use
four dots if the deletion includes a full stop.
Sometimes it is necessary to add your own word or words within a quotation so that it makes sense
out of context. Put your words within square brackets [ ].
A quotation, if it is short, can be inserted in the text inside quotation marks with a footnote number
at the end. If it is a longer quotation (four lines or more) you may separate it from your text by indenting it
from the left-hand side. In this case do not use quotation marks and do not put it in italics. Use a smaller
font size if you like.
NB: Do not use material from lectures (or blackboard notes) as references. Information from lectures
should be backed up by other sources from your reading.
References for music examples
It is just as important to give precise information about the source of a musical example as it is for
quoting text. Include ALL of the following information:
1. The name of composer;
2. The full name of piece;
3. What instrument/s or voice/s the extract is for;
4. Which movement it is;
5. The bar numbers of the extract;
6. The source, i.e., publishing details from the score;
7. Clefs and key signatures (copy accurately).
CITATION METHODS
See paper profile of each paper you are taking if a particular citation method is required.
See http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/subjectguides/musi.php for further referencing information.
PART B: HANDING IN AND RECEIVING ASSIGNMENTS
Late assignments without extensions will lose 10 marks (out of 100) for each working day (or
part of day) it is overdue.
Assignments must be handed in on the date specified for each assignment. They must be posted in the
assignment box in Sale/Black House by 12 noon (or before) on the date specified. When the assignments
have been marked, you will be notified to pick them up from the office.
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DECLARATION
Every assessment submitted must have a signed declaration form stapled to the front cover. Refer also to
Part C below.
For group work, each student must sign the declaration.
ELECTRONIC DELIVERY
For some assignments it might be necessary for you to deliver them electronically. A situation where this
might be needed for instance would be if you are out of town during a due date. You need to request
permission from your lecturer to submit work electronically. Do not send your assignment directly to the
lecturer of your paper, but send it to [email protected] . If you make an
electronic submission we strongly advise you to keep a copy of your work in case it does not arrive. The
same rules of handing in of assignments apply with electronic delivery, that is, you must have it in by 12
noon on the due date, and it must be accompanied by a signed cover sheet declaring that it is your own
work. The cover sheet can be downloaded from the Music website, but given that it needs to be signed,
you must either sign, scan and sent as a PDF file, or print, sign and put in the (snail) mail to the Music
office.
APPLYING FOR EXTENSIONS
All extension requests must be made in writing by filling in a special form available from the office.
Extensions for the handing in of assignments will normally be granted only on one of three conditions:
1. Family reasons, such as a bereavement or birth;
2. Medical grounds, usually with a medical certificate;
3. Major outside musical commitments (such as Youth Choir tour). Note that the third reason can
be anticipated and must be applied for before the event.
NB: Pressure of work is not a valid reason for an extension, neither are holiday bookings.
MISSED TESTS
The same criteria apply for the missing of tests, as for the handing in of assignments. If you have missed a
test for any of the above reasons, contact your lecturer immediately.
PART C: PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is the presentation of others’ ideas as if they are your own. It is not plagiarism to use other
authors’ ideas to build your own argument; indeed, this is the basis of creative essay-writing. To
distinguish between the two, in honest work you use references to indicate your source. These serve the
purpose of giving source information to your readers so that they can explore the subject further. They
also give weight to your argument by indicating how trustworthy your information is.
Plagiarism takes two main forms: (1) copying text (or music) from a printed source and failing to
acknowledge its origins through citation, and (2) attempting to disguise the origin of ideas (or music) by
altering the wording (or notation) and pretending they are your own.
This does not mean that you should never use the ideas of other writers/composers. On the contrary,
you need to use the ideas of others by evaluating their relevance to your own argument, but the source of
ideas should always be evident.
Level One – Head of Department Level
Inexperience of and disregard of the need for
referencing
Inadequate detail in referencing
Quoting directly or paraphrasing to a moderate
Level Two – Pro-Vice-Chancellor Level
Submitting the same work or major portions
thereof to satisfy the requirements of more than
one course without the permission from the
instructor/s
Using data or interpretative material for a
report without acknowledging the sources or
the collaborators
Major or essential portions of work are
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extent without acknowledging the source
plagiarized
Repeat offences (at either level)
Presenting work of another as one’s own
NB: A student suspected of plagiarizing will be referred to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Humanities, and
appropriate action will be taken. See http://www.otago.ac.nz/administration/policies/otago003145.html.
PART D: STYLE AND MARKING
The Student Learning Centre specializes in helping students prepare for study and assessment. They
are located in the ISB building (Central Library). See their website at:
http://hedc.otago.ac.nz/hedc/sld.html.
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Use simple, short sentences to get the message across effectively.
Construct sentences in the active voice rather than the passive voice. E.g., ‘Schubert wrote the
Unfinished Symphony’ (rather than) ‘The Unfinished Symphony was written by Schubert.’
Take special care with grammar and spelling, especially the spelling of composers’ names and the
names of works.
Make sure sentences are grammatical and that they all contain a verb, an object and a subject.
Use English spelling rather than American spelling. Unless you are quoting from an American
source: bar not measure, note not tone (so twelve-note music, not twelve-tone music), programme
not program (except in reference to a computer program), metre not meter.
Be careful with correct transcription of foreign words and names, including diacritical accents
(graves, acutes, umlauts etc.) and microns.
Do not use capital letters for emphasis or because you think they are important words. Use
capitals for music of the Classical Period (that is, music composed between about 1750
and about 1805), but not for classical music in the generic sense (that is, art-music in
Western culture). Similarly, Romantic music was composed in the nineteenth century,
whereas romantic music is music for lovers.
Be careful when describing genres of music. ‘The symphony’ describes the genre; ‘the
Symphony’ describes one particular work.
What does the word ‘contemporary’ mean? It can mean ‘of nowadays’ (a contemporary design,
for instance). But it can also mean ‘of its time’ (Handel was a contemporary of Bach.)
Be careful of technical terms in music with more general meanings: the words ‘key’, ‘dominant’,
major’, ‘minor’ and others should be avoided. Do not say, for instance, ‘this is a minor part of this
symphony’ unless you mean a section in the minor key. Do not say ‘the dominant musical idea
here is . . .’ unless you mean the idea is in the dominant key. Do not say ‘the key to this music is .
. .’ unless you are referring to tonality.
Most orchestral instruments should be referred to by their English names. But some are
traditionally referred to by their French or German names: use cor anglais rather than English
horn, for instance. When you use these foreign terms, and others such as Singspiel, opèra
comique, Lied, leitmotiv and so on, do not put them in italics.
Observe that in continental Europe notes are given slightly different names: what they call the
note b is what we call b flat; they give the name h to the note we call b. (Thus Bach’s name turns
into the notes we call b flat, a, c, b.)
The tone of writing
Pieces of writing differ in ‘tone’ depending on the audience for which they are written. Academic writing
is not directed towards general readership (unless you are specifically asked to do so, such as writing CD
liner notes). The tone should be formal but not stuffy. Avoid trying to impress with long words and
complicated sentences; at the same time avoid street language such as ‘this number is really cool’.
Take note of feedback
When you get an assignment back, read the feedback, notice what you did incorrectly, and make sure you
do not make the same mistakes next time!
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Internet
Take care with using information from the internet. Not everything posted on a web site is well researched
and factual. Assess its worth and make sure you can identify an author. If no author’s name is given the
chances are it is not a reputable source. If you do use internet material you must give the author’s name
and the web site address in your referencing. Downloading text from the internet (unless fully
acknowledged) is a form of plagiarism.
NB: Lecturers regularly check essays against the web for unacknowledged quotation from the internet.
Such plagiarism is easy to detect and will result in punitive measures (see earlier in this document).
Quotation
Use direct quotation sparingly. Quotations are used to acknowledge the research or thinking of another
author. Do not use them simply because a paragraph or sentence reads particularly well to you. Be sure
that the quotation is actually relevant to your argument and that you understand what it means.
Your introductory paragraph and conclusion should be your own ideas rather than quotation or
paraphrase.
MARKING RANGE
The following descriptions for each grade are intended as a guide for students.
A+ (90-100%)
Excellent work showing sophisticated and independent thought. The student has shown superior
analysis, comprehensive research, good theoretical or methodological understanding and
impeccable presentation.
A (85-89%)
Work is distinguished by its clarity of thought and argument. Question is answered skilfully, is
meticulously structured and the argument is convincing. Demonstrates sophisticated
comprehension of the topic, a familiarity with scholarship and research in the area, and a clear
understanding of related theoretical issues. A high standard of critical analysis. Presentation and
organization are excellent with correct use of citation conventions when required.
A- (80-84%)
Work of a high standard: ideas could be of ‘A’ quality material but the overall effect was
undermined by limitation or inconsistency in one area. It could also be ‘A’ material but was
flawed by the quality or consistency of its technical presentation, research support, or theoretical
understandings. Demonstrates independent thought, good writing skills, effective
selection/structuring of material, and a general clarity and sense of purpose.
B+ (75-79%)
Work which exhibits a good standard of research and of writing. Contains some perceptive
analysis, and effective research, preparation and planning. This work may demonstrate insight and
perception but this standard is not maintained through the whole work. The argument, technical
quality, and other elements may be inconsistent in quality. May require greater integration of
theoretical or empirical analysis. Demonstrates some independent thought.
B (70-74%)
Consistently good work and still above average. May demonstrate strong analysis, theoretical
reading or contextual knowledge, but without integrating these elements into a balanced
argument. May be well researched and documented but in the ‘B’ range there could well be a
deficiency in some aspect of research or understanding. May have problems with technical
presentation, structure, argument and/or research.
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B- (65- 69%)
Good work but may not be consistent and thus falls short of ‘B’ quality in one or more respects.
In this grade area the work will have exceeded the standard expected for passes at this level.
Question is satisfactorily answered and has been appropriately informed by research, but there is
less attention to the detail and complexity of issues. There may be problems with the structure, the
writing style, the selection of material or the argument. There may also be problems with
presentation, expression, and grammar.
C+ (60-64%)
The response is limited in achievement due to an overall incapacity for independent research or
thought—hence it will tend to demonstrate a reliance on lecture material. Work in the C range
will have paid insufficient attention to critical sources and not be widely researched. Work in this
category may have deficiencies in structure and organization, the quality of argument, and/or the
writing style.
C (55-59%)
Satisfactory completion of set tasks and a basic engagement with the subject matter. The
submitted work is lacking in critical analysis or a considered conceptual approach. May be poorly
planned and constructed, with serious problems of clarity and expression. May not have used or
have acknowledged an appropriate range of sources. May be purely descriptive. There may be
some significant problems with writing, research or organization.
C- (50-54%)
Satisfactory completion of set tasks only such that it only warrants a passing grade. The student
may have failed to adequately respond to all aspects of the assignment, which has reduced the
grade. The submitted work may demonstrate serious problems regarding analysis, argument,
clarity and expression. May not have used or have acknowledged an appropriate range of sources
or any sources at all. May be purely descriptive.
D (40-49%)
Misses the point of the exercise or has failed to respond adequately to it. The work is deficient in
important respects to the extent that it cannot be regarded satisfactory at this level. A ‘D’ grade
response may contain some elements of attaining a pass grade.
E (0-39%)
This category implies that the submitted material is well below the achievement minimum (in a
range of respects) for work at this level. An ‘E’ response will demonstrate not one, but several of
the deficiencies outlined for a ‘D’ submission—it may be well short of the prescribed length,
badly written, poorly conceived, ill structured, hastily prepared, full of technical or other
inaccuracies, and/or lacking in even a basic understanding of the concepts.
Understanding the Question
Many poor essays are a result of not thinking careful of the meaning of the question, or even of
misunderstanding it. Take care to write out the question in full and give time and thought to the
interpretation of the question.
Researching
Lecture notes are a useful starting point for preparing for an essay but they are definitely not adequate on
their own. Use the reading lists provided and consult books and articles. When you take notes from
reading, record the bibliographical details as you go.
Drafts
Having written the essay once, it is necessary to revise it thoroughly. Leave this until a few days after the
first draft is completed when you can read it objectively, imagining a reader who has not had the benefit of
your background reading. Give it to someone else to read for comment and proof-reading. Never be
satisfied with your first draft!
Department of Music, University of Otago, July 2010