GHPU Assessment Criteria and Guidance

GHPU Assessment Criteria and Guidance
Commentaries (Level 11)

All postgraduate assessment in SSPS uses a common marking scheme, which you should consult
closely. In addition to this, we use specific assessment criteria to illustrate exactly what we are looking
for in your work. This can vary between different forms of assessment (essays, blogs etc.). Below are
the assessment criteria for all commentary assessments in GHPU.
Marking criterion Grade

Effective Communication & Presentation A1 A2 A3 B C D E F G H
 Clear language, appropriate for chosen target audience
 Writing easy to follow and concepts clearly expressed
 Appropriate contextualisation of key argument (e.g. Making reference to relevant
events/debates)
 Key sources referenced as footnotes/endnotes
 Professional, audience-appropriate format and presentation.
Engagement with course content A1 A2 A3 B C D E F G H
 Choice of commentary topic has clear relevance to global health politics / governance
 The format of the commentary reflects an awareness of key concepts covered in the course
 The commentary refers to appropriate sources and examples
 There is evidence of reading beyond the core course material
Critical analysis A1 A2 A3 B C D E F G H
 Any arguments/claims in the commentary are clearly stated and appropriately supported
 The commentary shows awareness of different perspectives, including their strengths and
limitations
 Evidence of reflection and independent thought (e.g. By addressing contentions within the
debate and / or interaction with other contexts).
GUIDANCE FOR PREPARING YOUR COMMENTARY
The Commentary assignment is designed to correspond with submission requirements compiled

from those of leading global health journals:
 Word length: maximum 1,000 words (note that this excludes the title and ‘what this paper
argues’ box)
 References: maximum of 12 and using Vancouver referencing. This is to reflect practice in
leading journals – see Imperial College link for simple guidance:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/admin-services/library/learning-support/reference-
management/vancouver-style/
The commentary must also include:
 Title: This may include a sub-title but cannot exceed 25 words in total
 ‘What this paper argues’ box: This should containing a maximum of two bullet points
outlining the key messages of the article
Writing A Commentary: Guidance from Instructions or authors BMJ Global Health
http://gh.bmj.com/content/instructions-authors#editorials
Commentaries are highly readable and compelling opinion based essays addressing issues of broad
concern in global health, particularly issues related to policy decisions globally or in specific countries.
The best commentary pieces make a single, strong, novel, and well-argued point. They are also often
topical, insightful, and attention grabbing. Commentaries may also be written in response to articles
previously published in BMJ Global Health. Commentaries may be peer reviewed.
Authors are advised to keep a broad readership in mind and to write their article for the non-expert.
It is important to avoid jargon. Specialised terminology and references to organisations or practices
that are specific to one country need to be explained. Clear writing and an attractive presentation are
essential.
Authors may choose to use headings in the article, and when they do, the commentary should have
an introduction and a conclusion segment, with the main body of the article divided into thematic
headings. Authors should not use abbreviations in the headings.
Broader Guidance on Writing Style (adapted from Nick Bibby)
In addition to these, here are a few pointers that are worth bearing in mind when writing in this
particular format.
1. Position your argument in relation to something happening in the world. Context is king here
and the reader (and the editor) will want to know why they should consider this issue
important. The easiest way to achieve this is to show the relevancy of your argument to
something which is already of concern to your reader.
2. Get straight into the action. Academic writing can often be quite defensive, demonstrating
methodological rigour or otherwise caveating the writer’s claim before getting into the meat
of the argument. When writing for a more general audience, it is useful to get straight into
your main point.
3. Limit yourself to one (or, at most, two) main points. As well as helping the reader to
understand the point you are making, this will also help with sticking to word limits, and avoid
the piece becoming too complex or confusing.
4. Read before you write. Before you write your Commentary, it is worth reading several
examples of similar pieces to get an idea of writing style and expectations. A number of
example are available via Learn but it is worth reading more widely and considering how
commentaries and editorials have been constructed
5. Have a beginning, a middle and an end. In the words of the old advertising saying, ‘Tell them
what you’re going to tell them; tell them; tell them what you told them’. Particularly when
being introduced to new or unfamiliar ideas and perspectives, the reader is hugely assisted by
knowing what is coming next.
6. Brevity really is the soul of wit. Keep sentences short. Clauses too. Avoid the passive voice,
semi-colons and sub-clauses.

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Commentaries (Level 11)

Marking criterion Grade

GUIDANCE FOR PREPARING YOUR COMMENTARY

The Commentary assignment is designed to correspond with submission requirements compiled

The commentary must also include:

Broader Guidance on Writing Style (adapted from Nick Bibby)

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