Integrated Word and Excel Assignment 2023/24
ECON10151: Computing for Social Scientists
Judith Guo & Zaheen Umar
November 27, 2023
This information sheet is released on Monday, November 27, and the report submission deadline is
5pm on Friday, December 8.
You will explore, analyse, and report on a dataset from Office for National Statistics, ONS (https://www.ons.gov.uk),
focusing on an aspect of UK society that interests you. This assignment tests your proficiency in Microsoft
Word and Excel, and your ability to integrate data and text into a cohesive report.
1 Choosing Your Topic
1. Areas of Interest:
Start by reflecting on what aspects of UK society intrigue you. Consider areas such as economics,
health, education, technology, environmental issues, or social trends. What questions have you always
wanted to answer about these topics?
2. Relevance to Studies:
Ensure the topic aligns with your course of study. How does this topic relate to what you’ve learned so
far? Can you apply theories or concepts from your coursework to your analysis?
3. Data Availability:
Before finalising your topic, visit ONS to ensure there is sufficient data available on your chosen
subject. The data should be rich enough to analyse and draw meaningful conclusions.
4. Feasibility:
Consider the scope of your topic. Is it manageable within the page limit (specified below)? Avoid
overly broad topics that cannot be adequately covered within the constraints of this assignment.
2 Report Requirements [Total 100 marks]
This assignment assesses your ability to integrate data analysis in Excel with report writing in Microsoft
Word. Focus on clarity, accuracy, and how effectively you convey your findings.
1. Length and General format: [10 marks]
• Submit as a single ‘.docx’ file.
• Minimum three pages and maximum five pages (excluding title page and references).
1
2 REPORT REQUIREMENTS [TOTAL 100 MARKS]
• Margins: Set all margins to 1 inch (2.54 cm) with page numbers at least 3/4 inch from the edge
of the page.
• Page Size: Page size must be 8.5 x 11 inches (or 216 x 279 mm), also known as ‘letter’ size in
U.S. standards. (ISO standard paper sizes, such as A4, are not allowed.)
2. Structure: [20 marks]
• Title Page: Include the title of the report, your name and student number, your affiliation (i.e.,
programme), the name of the course and the course code, and due date.
• Main Body:
– Introduction: Discuss the importance or significance of the chosen topic and briefly intro-
duce your chosen data set with a justification of its relevance and interest.
– Data Analysis: Describe the data and how you have analysed/manipulated it in Excel, men-
tioning specific functions used.
– Conclusion: Summarise and discuss the key findings from the data analysis.
• Citations and References:
– Incorporate at least two citations.
– Use Harvard referencing style for in-text citations and the reference list.
3. Content and Formatting:
• Font and Paragraph Settings: [15 marks]
– Title Page:
Title should be bolded, centred, and begin 3-4 lines down from the top margin of the paper.
Put a blank line between the title and the byline.
For an example, please see ‘Student title page’ section in https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-
guidelines/paper-format/title-page.
– Main Body Text: Times New Roman, 12-point font size.
– Headings and Sections:
Arial, 14-point for main headings, bold.
Ensure section headings are numbered (e.g., 1. Introduction, 2. Data Analysis).
Use Arial, 12-point for subheadings, italicised.
– Line Spacing: 1.5 lines throughout the document.
– Paragraph Alignment: Justify all paragraphs in the main body.
– Special Text: Use a different font (e.g., Calibri, 11-point) for captions and any highlighted
information.
• Graph and Table Presentation: [25 marks]
– Embed (at least) one Excel graph in the report ensuring it fits within the page margins.
Label the graph clearly with a title, axis labels, and a brief caption.
2
3 SUBMITTING YOUR WORK
– Present summary statistics in a table, generated in Excel and displayed in Word.
Tables should have borders, be clearly labeled, and fit within the page margins.
Use Arial, 10-point for text within tables.
– Tables and figures should be consecutively numbered.
• Equations: [5 marks]
– Use Microsoft Word’s equation editor to include at least one relevant equation.
– Equations should be centred on the page and numbered if more than one is used.
4. Academic Writing and Presentation: [25 marks]
• Language: Use formal academic language, free from colloquialisms and jargon.
• Proofreading: Utilise Word’s spellchecker. Reports should be free from typographical errors.
• Consistency: Maintain consistency in formatting, citation style, and tone throughout the report.
3 Submitting Your Work
You will need to save your report as ‘[StudentIDnumber]report.docx’, so if your student number is 123456
you should save your Word document as ‘123456report.docx’. Your submission of this assessment will NOT
be accepted if you submit a pdf. file. A Turnitin submission page will be available inside the Assessment
folder on Blackboard where you should submit your report. The submission window is from 10am Monday,
December 4 till 5pm Friday, December 8.
Failure to comply with the above may cause issues when your work is marked. If you have any questions,
please make use of Piazza and the office hours.