The Assignments Now Blog

Academic Writing,
Explained Simply.

Practical guides and tips to help UK students write better essays, dissertations, and research papers.

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Dissertation

March 18, 2026

6 min read

Dr. Emily Carter

How to Write a Dissertation Introduction That Actually Works

Your introduction sets the tone for your entire dissertation. Learn the five elements every strong introduction must cover and the common mistakes that cost students marks.

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Referencing

March 10, 2026

8 min read

Prof. James Holloway

The Complete Harvard Referencing Guide for UK Students (2026)

A clear, no-nonsense guide to citing books, journals, websites, and grey literature using Harvard style. Includes worked examples for every source type.

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Essay Writing

January 5, 2026

6 min read

Dr. Emily Carter

How to Structure a First-Class Essay

From crafting a compelling argument to formatting your bibliography correctly, this guide walks you through every section of a top-scoring essay.

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Academic Integrity

January 30, 2026

7 min read

Dr. Emily Carter

How to Avoid Plagiarism: A Practical Guide for Students

Understanding what counts as plagiarism, how Turnitin works, and the right way to paraphrase, quote, and reference sources in your own work.

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Research

January 15, 2026

9 min read

Prof. James Holloway

Writing a Literature Review Step by Step

A structured approach to finding sources, organising themes, critically evaluating studies, and synthesising the literature into a coherent chapter.

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Research

February 28, 2026

5 min read

Dr. Emily Carter

7 Mistakes That Are Silently Killing Your Research Paper Grade

From a weak thesis statement to improper citations, these are the errors markers see most — and how to fix every one before you submit.

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Data Analysis

February 14, 2026

10 min read

Prof. James Holloway

SPSS for Beginners: Running Your First Analysis Without Panic

A practical walkthrough of the most common SPSS tests — descriptive statistics, t-tests, and regression — with screenshots and interpretation tips.

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Referencing

December 20, 2025

5 min read

Prof. James Holloway

APA vs Harvard: Which Referencing Style Should You Use?

A side-by-side comparison of APA and Harvard citation styles with examples so you can switch between them confidently for any assignment.

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