Guide To The Writing Of The PIP (1 Viewer)

Kulazzi

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Guide To The Writing Of The PIP

Kevin Steed
Head Teacher Commercial Studies
St Marys Senior High School


Introduction

First Paragraph

• What is your PIP about and why did you choose the area of enquiry?​

Second Paragraph

• What is your central hypothesis? ie what are you setting out to prove via this research?​

Third Paragraph

• What methodologies have you employed in this research and why?

• Justify your selection of research tools - what are their advantages and why are they best suited to your research topic?​

Fourth Paragraph

• Explain how your PIP ivestigation will address the cross cultural component

• Remember to explain how this cross-cultural perspective will allow you (the reasearcher), to empathise (identify) with the "other"

• Also remember to explain how this cross cultural study presents you with a view that is beyond your normal realm of experience​

Fifth Paragraph

• This paragraph should allow you to round off the introduction.

• It should also explain how this PIP "journey" will enhance both your investigative skills and your socio-cultural literacy​

Central Material (CM)

1. Create around 6 (more if that is appropriate to your topic) focus questions that you would like your hypothesis/research to answer. Use these as major headings or chapter titles throughout your CM.
2. Go through the syllabus systematically and select all of the relevant course themes that relate to your PIP. Ensure that you ”weave” these into sentences and paragraphs that eventually make up your CM – remember that your PIP should read like ”read” like Society and Culture!
3. Always try to blend (synthesise) both primary and secondary data throughout each section of your CM. Where possible, try to support your primary findings with the work of other researchers (secondary resources). Synthesis is the hallmark of a band 5/6 student!
4. Ensure that you source all information via footnote (even if it is from your primary research). Source all of your primary research to your appendix items (include the exact appendix page number via your footnote).
5. Place all quotes from questionnaires/focus groups/interviews etc. in italics and source them.
6. Do not insert photos, graphs or diagrams unless you intend explaining and analysing them (otherwise place these into the appendix and simply refer to them via the footnote).
7. When you quote your statistical findings in the CM, always try to explain what social and cultural forces were at work to produce that data. Remember, the examiner is looking to see if you are attempting to analyse (make a judgment) this data.
8. If you attempt to analyse your findings throughout the PIP, your marks starts to trend upwards into the Band 5 range (ie 19-24 marks). If you simply describe your findings, your mark will never move out of the Band 3 mark range (ie 13-18 marks) because of its descriptive nature.
9. Always have a copy of the HSC PIP marking guidelines beside you as you write the CM (you can find it here). Focus specifically on the 25-30 (Band 6) mark range. There are not secrets to the marking process. If you adhere to these guidelines, you should score in that mark range (assuming of course, that you express yourself clearly, concisely and utilise the relevant course themes and concepts).
10. Always show your work to your teacher to obtain constructive feedback. It’s also a good idea to get others to read your work (Mum, Dad and friends). They will pick up spelling errors, poor grammar etc. and will also provide a litmus test for how clearly you have expressed your ideas.
11. Be prepared to rework your CM many times. Every sentence and paragraph should be crafted to ensure that it delivers a powerful socio-cultural message.
12. As you write, constantly ask yourself, Is this section I’m writing helping me to prove my hypothesis? If the answer is no, then what you are writing is just meaningless padding. It helps you to meet the word limit, but does nothing for your research.
13. Also try to ensure that you carefully craft the concluding sentences of each sub-heading so that it ”leads” into the next section of your PIP. By doing this, you create a smooth flow of thoughts and ideas throughout the entire PIP response. Remember, it’s all about continuity and integration!
14. Always be on the look out for information pertaining to your PIP topic. Read the newspaper every day. Place them on your favourites file re your home computer; visit the school library; browse quality bookshops; check out www.amazon.com for book titles; read the weekly TV guides; watch and listen to the ABC; regularly check the ABC website (especially ABC On-line). In short, become even more socially literate!
15. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to plagiarise information. Various internet searches are undertaken as a matter of course at the Marking Centre. This is especially true of work that reads/sounds as though it were produced from an academic source.
16. Finally, immense yourself in your research. Enjoy the process, become expert, and grow as a person!​

Writing a PIP Conclusion

First Paragraph

• What did you learn as a consequences of your chosen social investigation?​

Second Paragraph

• Did your research prove the hypothesis that you established for your enquiry? If not, why not?​

Third Paragraph

• How effective were your research tools?

• How appropriate were they with the advantage of hindsight?

• Did they work? Why?​

Fourth Paragraph

• If you were to undertake this research again, what changes would you make to both your research methodology and process? Why?​

Fifth Paragraph

• How has this research enhanced your social literacy?

• How have you grown as an individual and researcher because of the PIP experience?​

That’s all everyone, hope you make the most out of these guidelines. :)
 

Kulazzi

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Sweets said:
That's my teacher :uhhuh:
Serious? Well he's a very good teacher devoting his time telling us how to write the PIP, bit by bit! :uhhuh:
 
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kimi

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Kulazzi said:
Guide To The Writing Of The PIP

[8. If you attempt to analyse your findings throughout the PIP, your marks starts to trend upwards into the Band 5 range (ie 19-24 marks). If you simply describe your findings, your mark will never move out of the Band 3 mark range (ie 13-18 marks) because of its descriptive nature.

Im sorry, i know this sounds preety stupid, and the fact that i do ext eng will make it sound even more stupid..but:
what does it mean by 'analyse', like, i cant imagine what it would look like in the context of the pip. I know wat describe is, but i dnt know what you mean by analyse. :mad: Im stupid :(

does it mean, like, we assess each finding by applying a society&culture understanding to it, ?
 

Kulazzi

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This is how dictionary.com defines it:

To examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelations
Yes, I guess you could say applying a society&culture understanding to it, but also trying to understand what social/cultural influence came in, eg. an interviewee of mine converted to Buddhism from Christianity. She said it was because she didn't understand the moral values that God sent down (eg. no homosexuality) but I wrote it may be because of the modernising and westernised influence on the Australian society today with the acceptance of social values such as homosexuality and the use of advanced technology (eg IVF for havin babies) instead conceiving naturally. It was assumed that if you couldn’t conceive babies naturally, it was God’s will however secularisation is increasing in today’s society….

Just try and use the concepts above, eg. I used modernised/westernised, technology, social values, secularisation. Blend these in with your PIP. Try and make an assumption as I did above, don’t just rely on the respondent’s answers. Dig deeper to find the answers by using the concepts.

That was just a (late night) ramble. I hope it helps! :)
 

larza_2004

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thnx 4 this. helped alot!! hav bein tring to find an outline like ths one 4 ages!! hav done 2 drafts of my intro so far.. hoping to get more done 2nite. thnx again
 

Kulazzi

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no worries, but if I met the man himself, I'd thank him personally :)

edit: This was from a society and culture magazine - culturescope - can't remember what date though but my teacher gave it to us
 

simone13

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Thank you so much. My society and culture teacher is a bit of a dud, all we do is watch movies, I'm going to have to teach myself from the text book, so I don't know how I'll go in the exam, which is why I want my PIP to be excellent (I've been getting a lot of outside guidance from people other than my teacher). This outline is fantastic, it definitely clears a lot up.

The only question I have is what are the word limits for each section?
 
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Kulazzi

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in reply to simone's post, your word limit should be listed in the syllabus. I think, from memory, it's 500 words for Intro and Conclusion but I'm not to sure about the CM
 

xxlambchopxx

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my teacher gave this to us a while back...
i've been using it the whole time
 

sunshinechick88

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thanks for the thingy... it saved our whole SAC class... our teacher doesnt teach us anything :|
 

beckywecky

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It must be a common thing across Society and Culture classes in NSW - our teachers are crap and we have to teach ourselves from the textbook.

Woo for independant learning!
 

joeyann

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ummm, just for the record, my SOC teacher is fantastic and has really motivated me to stay in SOC and do my best. We do heaps of hands on work and little writing which suits me very well! (we still learn and do well in exams, so thats definitely a good sign) ....

anyways, i was just wondering, is there an outline for the log and bibliography? I already have some suggested outlines our teacher gave us, but i like to see a range of them first and see which one suits me...
 

Survivor39

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joeyann said:
anyways, i was just wondering, is there an outline for the log and bibliography? I already have some suggested outlines our teacher gave us, but i like to see a range of them first and see which one suits me...

Have you had a look at the threads on "Examples of PIP" and "Referencing your PIP"? The "Examples of PIP" contain a number of High Distinction PIPs so you can have a look at what they have included in their Logs.

The "Referencing your PIP" section also tells you how you can cite your secondary research.
 

cmckie

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I am abit concerned at the moment at the state of my PIP. Whilst writing my intro and chapter one, I have used the structure given in this thread as a scaffold for my piece. I also had a look at some of the past PIPS posted in the BOS website, to get some further structural ideas.
After lots of hard work producing work that I was really happy with, it was not approved by my SAC teacher and has told me to structure my pip completely differently, and in less detail.
I guess he is internally marking my work and progress throughout the year, and I wont get the marks I would like if I havent written it the way that he wants, however, I also dont think that the external markers wouldn't be as approving of this simplified structure as they would of the one posted here.
Any ideas on what to do?
thanks!
 

Survivor39

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cmckie said:
I am abit concerned at the moment at the state of my PIP. Whilst writing my intro and chapter one, I have used the structure given in this thread as a scaffold for my piece. I also had a look at some of the past PIPS posted in the BOS website, to get some further structural ideas.
After lots of hard work producing work that I was really happy with, it was not approved by my SAC teacher and has told me to structure my pip completely differently, and in less detail.
I guess he is internally marking my work and progress throughout the year, and I wont get the marks I would like if I havent written it the way that he wants, however, I also dont think that the external markers wouldn't be as approving of this simplified structure as they would of the one posted here.
Any ideas on what to do?
thanks!
The structure of the PIP suggested by Kulazzi in this thread is meant to be a guide only. It is not meant to be a definitive. The past PIPs posted on this forum have all achieved High Distinction standards, but this does not mean it is the only way to write your PIP to get a good mark.
 

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