Essay Forensic Accounting
Introduction
In this document it is explained what is required of you for the assessment of the essay of Forensic Accounting. Read the instruction of this assignment carefully as it contains do’s, don’ts, deliverables and deadlines!
- The submission deadline for your Individual Essay is Friday, November 19 2021, 13.15 hrs..
- You have to submit your Individual Essay via Gradework.
- If your submission e-mail has a time/date stamp that is later than the indicated deadline, you automatically will receive a ‘1’ and need to retake this assignment at the next opportunity.
- The word count of your Individual Essay is 1,800 – 2,000 words, bibliography and appendices NOT included. Failure to write the minimum number of 1,800 words will result in a 1-mark penalty. Writing more than 2,000 words, will result into a penalty of 1 point per 300 words.
- Your Individual Essay must be your own work. You will use external sources (book, possibly articles) for it. However the use of such material by literally copying the text without mentioning the source (with no reference in the text and in the bibliography) is strictly forbidden and is considered as plagiarism. The detection of plagiarism in an Individual Essay may lead to invalidation of it, following the Fontys rules. Faulty use of APA rules will lead to a deduction of 1.0 of your grade.
- Your Individual Essay must address the assessment criteria explained in this document effectively.
- You have to use at least 4 academic sources (articles/books).
Type of Essay
There are different types of essays. You are required to write an argumentative essay. You can follow the following link to find out more information: http://access-socialstudies.cappelendamm.no/c319365/artikkel/vis.html?tid=382115
Learning objectives
Following the learning objectives of the course, you should find a topic you are interested in to further pursue in your individual essay. The learning objectives of the course are as follows:
• The ability to explain and use basic forensic accounting
• The ability to read, explain and analyze financial statements
• The ability to defend a well-supported opinion about ethical behavior in Finance & Accounting
• The ability to explain financial fraud and the consequences of it.
Examples of essay topics
You are free to choose your own topic for the individual essay, as long as it is related to the course and at least one of the learning objectives. If you do not pick one of the topics below, you have to ask for permission to pursue your topic from the assessor before September 30.
- Ethical behaviour in Finance & Accounting
- The prevention of fraud in Finance & Accounting
- Famous fraud cases and its consequences on society/ how it could have been prevented..
- The fraudulent persona
Structure of the essay
The structure of your essay should be as follows:
- Title Page (name, student number, date, title)
- Introduction
- Main text and analysis
- Conclusions
- Bibliography
Assessment criteria
Name:
| Key points | 1- 2 | 3 – 5 | 6 – 8 | 9 – 10 | Total/10 |
| Sentence Structure, Grammar, Mechanics, & Spelling | Sentences sound awkward, are distractingly repetitive, or are difficult to understand. The author makes numerous errors in grammar, mechanics, and/or spelling that interfere with understanding. | Most sentences are well constructed, but they have a similar structure and/or length. The author makes several errors in grammar, mechanics, and/or spelling that interfere with understanding. | Most sentences are well-constructed and have varied structure and length. The author makes a few errors in grammar, mechanics, and/or spelling, but they do not interfere with understanding. | All sentences are well constructed and have varied structure and length. The author makes no errors in grammar, mechanics, and/or spelling. | |
| 1 – 4 | 5 -10 | 11 – 16 | 17- 20 | ||
| Introduction | There is no evident thesis. | Thesis is unclear, and it takes work for the reader to fish it out of the text. Or, thesis is self-evident and not debatable. The link with the subject is hard to find. | Gives a clear beginning of the story. Thesis is debatable and is evident in the argument, but is not clearly stated. There is a link with the subject. | Began with an attention catcher. Thesis is debatable and clearly presented in the opening and concluding sections of the paper. There is a clear link with the subject. | |
| 1 – 6 | 7 – 15 | 16 – 24 | 25 – 30 | ||
| Body argumentative essay | There is no discernible argument, or no alternative interpretation is presented. | Argument is rambling, and there are contradictions left unaddressed. Counter arguments may be presented, but are left unaddressed. | Argument is presented clearly and logically, but points do not necessarily build on each other. Counter arguments are addressed, but many are left hanging or are dealt with inadequately. | Argument is presented clearly and logically. Logical points build directly upon the thesis and prior points. Counter-arguments are addressed, dismantled, and folded into the main argument of the paper. | |
| 1 – 6 | 7 – 15 | 16 – 24 | 25 – 30 | ||
| Conclusion | Is not really present | Conclusion is not clear and/or not supported | Conclusion is presented clearly but the story is not really convincing | Conclusion is presented clearly and logically and sharp. | |
| 1- 2 | 3 – 5 | 6 – 8 | 9 – 10 | ||
| Use of Evidence & application of readings | A few pieces of evidence are thrown in here or there, but not used to defend the main argument. Paper mentions course readings, but there is little demonstration of how the paper relates to the course. | Several points of the argument are left without evidence. Evidence is insufficient. Course readings are used. Concepts are left undefined, or poorly defined. Little broader framework is used. | Each logical point is backed up by one or more examples. Evidence advances the argument, but it may not be sufficient. Potential counter-arguments are accounted for, but may not be sufficiently addressed with evidence. Concepts are defined, but the author does not demonstrate a solid understanding of the major themes of the course relevant to the argument. | Each logical point is backed up by one or more examples. Evidence is strong and sufficient to advance the argument. Potential counter-arguments are accounted for and addressed with evidence. Demonstrates solid understanding of the major themes of the course, using readings and lectures to define concepts. Argument is placed within the broad discussions outlined in the course. | |
| – 1.0 for faulty APA? |
