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I couldn’t find the paraphrasing point in the info pack so I referenced the source at the end of the paragraph once. I just did that because it looked nice and saved my words LOL however I was confused about it is correctness.
So now I am glad to know that it is an acceptable style! 😀
You don’t have to download anything………………………….. read this post it will help you a lot https://opentuition.com/topic/harvard-referencing/
Can anybody write how can I cite the reference from Google of website in text of RAP?
@yogesh12 Assuming you are referring to how to do an online citation – as an example you should put:
(opentuition.com, n.d.) in the text and in the Reference List: opentuition.com (n.d.) – Open Tuition followed by the full website address https://opentuition.com/topic/tip-for-today-24th-april-2014/page/3/ and then put the last date that you accessed that web address
Amazingly very informative about the RAP, many of new things I came to know through this forum. I would like to appreciate the hard effort everyone put in providing the information and knowledge too. Thanks,
hello
for topic 8 how many ratios should be calculated for financial analysis ???@zee90 – It is quality not quantity and how relevant they are that matters. You need to do a good section on gross and net profit explaining the changes in the trends well (not just making statements of the obvious and citing copious numbers). You should do some on liquidity (but the quick ratio is pointless for a service industry), gearing and debt ratios are important and investor ratios are vital. Again it is the explanations for these linked to the SWOT and PEST that are more relevant than the actual total number of ratios in your RAP. The explanations should also extend to some extent to the comparator. Ratios alone will not meet the assessment criteria as they show no critical thought (see the Assessment criteria) but good explanations show that you are introducing thought to the process and are important to pass.
Some basic tech hacks
Phew now that I have passed I guess I can suggest some simple and tried-tested ways to help you do your project work more efficiently.
– Some of your source documents will be pdf files like the annual report for example. You can use a professional software for pdf like Nitro to easily mark, add notes, highlight, extract pages, navigate through these
– Definitely use reference generators. MS office has add-ons. There are other ones online too.
– Use the app Evernote for adding and making notes about your project, to brainstorm, for scheduling and creating to-do lists. Its available for your phone, tab or pc so is convenient
– If you found important articles online for your project work… & you are using your phone or tab, umm take a screenshot of the titles or main para. Lol statement of the obvious but doing so helps you pin-point the para or article and keep track of where you read it
– Alternatively use bookmarks on your browser
– MS Visio is lovely if you want to create flow charts or diagrams
– Those of you wanting a statistical software for perhaps data analysis Minitab is great! I don’t suppose you need this for the popular topic 8. And I don’t know if anyone needs to go at such lengths for other project topics. But its a good one if you are looking for something like it
– Use Storify to collect relevant posts from social media that will help you with the project. Quite an impressive app!
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@trephena….I have started my RAP project under topic 8 but I am abit confused and stuck.
I have started part one after I went through a couple of projects but I seem not to progress.
Kindly help.Hey,
I failed my RAP and SLS for May 2014 submission since my referencing was not adequate.My presentation was long and so the comments from the examiner was its hould be resricted o 15 minutes but i have mentioned that i obtained permission from the mentor with his guidance. i am really demotivated this time…i chose topic 8 last time i chose topic 16.
I want someone to guide my rightly and review my projcet for me..still havent chosen one..im from srilanka. Iam afraid that i would fail thsi time.Hello,
How many factors would you say are ideal for the SWOT and PESTLE analysis? Also is reasoning for the change in each ratio year on year good enough for analysis? Or do we have to decide whether the performance was good or bad? Also what would you suggest as ideal for the referencing (any sites, or help with the correct format), as many of my seniors have failed before due to incorrect referencing, I would not like to repeat their mistakes.
Thanks a lot!
Hello.
I have a query regarding the Part 3 analysis and evaluation. Is it necessary to explain all the ratios calculated and which are shown in excel? Because, I have calculated about 3 ratios under each component of CAMEL. I think explaining 2 ratios pretty much tells the performance of that particular component.
@fathima and everyone else who has posted above after avian will. PLEASE NOTE this particular forum topic is for Tips NOT Queries!!!!
Please post under Queries for Topic 8 OR the relevant topic forum. We have specific ones for T17, T20, T18, T16, T13 etc so please look for the correct one for your topic. If your query relates to something more general to all topics e.g. Harvard Referencing or the Presentation then use that one.
The rules for the Presentation are set by OBU and it should last 15 mins – mentors and students CANNOT change the rules to suit themselves!!! So either get yourself a more clued-up mentor or read the OBU Information Pack
You do not copy and paste articles and change a few words for if you do, you are likely to be failed on Understanding AND Referencing. Again this tends to imply the need for a good mentor to advise you.
@onchabaderrik – you need to be more specific in your question as it is not clear what exactly the problem is so I cannot be specific in my answer except say that you too sound as if you need to thoroughly read the Information Pack and get yourself a reputable mentor
@adeydee – Do not worry about the date not coming up in brackets – OBU recommend but do NOT prescribe Harvard for the RAP. Referencing has to be clear, accurate, complete and systematic and the example you have given as an entry in the list fulfils this requirement.
In your reference list you will normally only have one entry per year per company e.g. XYZ plc (2012) – Annual Report to Shareholders XYZ and similarly an entry for 2013 and 2014 etc. However in the text where you are citing a comment from the annual report (as opposed to actual figures) you should write something like (XYZ plc, 2013 p.27). This would then take the reader to the appropriate page in the annual report. With the figures themselves it is not normally necessary to cite the page if they are taken from the Financial statements themselves as you can assume that when mentioning revenue etc. the marker knows this must have come from the financial statements (and you must include extracts of these) so just (XYZpl, 2013) woud be fine. Alternatively figures can be referenced to these extracts in the appendices e.g. (Appendix 2) and the appendices themselves show the overall source of the financial statements – the name of the company and date).
There is a lot of information of the Harvard Referencing forum so please go through that and also read my article on Referencing on our homepage http://www.opentuition.com/obu
PLEASE may I remind everyone that the title of the Forum Topic is TOP TIPS FOR THE RAP ? It is NOT a forum where you should be posting queries so please choose the appropriate forum topic if you have questions and ONLY post TIPS here!!!
(If you do not know where to post your query then please post it under:
PLEASE HELP KEEP OUR FORUMS TIDY!!!!!
and I will move it to the appropriate place and send you an email where you should look for it and your reply)
Trephena OT OBU Forum Moderator
Dear Bassaniobroke and Trephena,
Thank you very much for your advice. I have 2 answers, could you please answer them?
1. If I have information originated from annual report and an analyst of a bank securities, should I cite both or only one?
2. I do research from 2012-2014. For charts and graphs, I would like to insert 2011 figures to evaluate changes in 2012. Is it OK? (This question was asked in topic: https://opentuition.com/topic/three-years/. However, I wish to have a confirm or an answer from you)Thank you so much
@NTD As indicated several times above you have not used the correct place to post your queries. Please post questions in the appropriate place and and I shall be happy to answer them there.
STUDENTS ARE ONCE AGAIN REMINDED that this particular topic is called TOP TIPS FOR THE RAP and is for sharing specific tips and NOT a platform for asking questions. So PLEASE DO NOT post questions here
Trephena, thank you for the useful reply. Any advise on which graphs and charts should be used? Many students just can not decide sometimes…
@M.Iqbal – It rather depends on the topic but if you mean T8 then graphs/charts for all the major ratios are normally appropriate with the comparator figures on the same graph so that the differences in performance are readily apparent. Certainly as I mention many times in my posts: graphs are a far better way of conveying information than words and lots of text and they also mean that students then only have to have a few of the most significant figures in their commentary. This makes the report far more readable.
It is however particularly important that students do not over-do the graphs in their Presentation. Doing a graph or chart for every ratio is not feasible for a 15 minute presentation so revenue, gross profit, net profit, liquidity, gearing and one or two for investor ratios will normally suffice. (The same graphs/charts from the report can be utilised there is no need to re-do them)
Hi Trephena,
I appreciate your help for students.Please I’m desperate to score at least grade “B” in my Project; never for C.
Can you give me some helpful tips on topic 8 which can help me achieve “B” grade.
Again, can I use only a parent company Financial Statements in a group setup rather than the group accounts?
Thank you for your time.
@favour – no big ask here then?!! 🙂
Read the assessment criteria – it is clear that your grade will mainly be influenced by the quality of your Evaluation & Analysis – so that is what you focus on.
I would read and re-read every single CEO and Directors’ Report for the last 4 years. Why 4 years? Because the first year you look at for your 3 years will probably have been influenced by the previous year’s factors. Make detailed notes from these reports as they are big clues to the strategies, decisions and policies the company will have pursued.
Start the E&A with the SWOT and PESTLE and spend time on researching the key factors that have impacted on the company. Try to trace these via the strategies through the trends for three years and really show the linkages. DON’T put too many figures and percentages in the text – your graphs should do most of the ‘talking’ in this respect -so only mention key figures for impact otherwise the whole lot becomes a monotonous repetition of numbers and loses all effect.
A text-book approach, statements of the obvious and comments that read like the notes to the account (e.g. net profit decreased because administration costs and depreciation charges increased) are likely to result in a fail.
With ratios explain profit ratios, gearing and investor ratios in detail. Also remember the relationship between ratios and strategies – if shares have been issued then look for possible changes in gearing – not so much the change in proportion of debt to equity but whether the capital from the shares was used to repay long-term loans or used instead for heavy subsequent investment either in capital equipment or acquisition of a subsidiary. It is showing awareness of how everthing fits into the big picture that will impress the reader/marker whereas just churning out routine comments and formulaic work will bore them to tears. C grade for T8 often means it wasn’t particularly informative but met the assessment criteria.
A B or above normally indicates a more structured approach and evidence that the student really understood what they were writing about, provided good examples as appropriate and their commentary was based on sound research and sensible reasoning.
As apparently marking and moderation is mostly now done and dusted for P30 I asked one of the moderators if there was anything they could add to my comments above to help students get at least a B grade.
Here were some of their main comments:
“Somehow it never occurs to students that by the end of the session a marker may have had to read in excess of 80 RAPS on T8 by which time they will be fed up of reading the same-old, same-old comments. What you want as a marker is something that is written clearly and shows depth of understanding. So something that IS fresh really stands out. Sometimes this is when the student has gone ‘the extra mile’ – everything is well explained, it flows well and makes sense and they surprise you with the depth of their research. If it is a joy for the marker to read then you are going to reward the student by awarding a higher grade than a C.
By contrast sometimes I wonder if a student has tried reading through their whole work in one go – like the marker has to do. I am convinced most haven’t otherwise they would realise how heavy going some of their work is – far too many generalisations, figures everywhere and so dreadfully repetitious that the marker actually despairs….”
Other points they mentioned:
– keep your work clear and crisp -nicely laid out with appropriate headings/ sub-headings, adequate line spacing, good graphs – cramped work is harder to read and unappealing
– Don’t waffle, explain to the marker what they can’t see for themselves from the graphs and from the financial statements and show off your Research – aim to impress with your knowledge
-use your words well -no one needs primary data usually for T8 so why bother droning on about what primary data is in Part 2? Stick to the point and finally don’t forget that a good Conclusion is required so learn how do an effective one.
So everyone I hope that helps! – Trephena
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