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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Write an academic report a on a given subject 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
116023  Write an academic report a on a given subject 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Christian Theology and Ministry 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 07 - Human and Social Studies Religious and Ethical Foundations of Society 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 6  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6  12 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 2018-07-01  2023-06-30  SAQA 06120/18 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30   2027-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard does not replace any other unit standard and is not replaced by any other unit standard. 

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
This unit standard will be useful to people who wish to gain a deeper understanding by writing reports in an academic environment to research a given subject and to make this information available in a prescribed structured way used for higher education purposes.

People credited with this unit standard are able to
  • Show competence to research relevant material using a variety of resources.
  • Understand the historical and contemporary issues and trends surrounding the theme.
  • Formulate a title reflecting the question or thesis of the subject material.
  • Use suitable report writing elements to establish the desired report structure.
  • Display mastery of a suitable academic writing style and format. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    The credit calculation is based on the assumption that learners are already competent in terms of the following outcomes or areas of learning when starting to learn towards this unit standard:
  • All core Unit Standards and appropriate elective Unit Standards to provide adequate foundation for the subject. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    The following scope and context applies to the whole unit standard:
  • The term Academic Report applies to any of the forms: Paper, Essay, Writing Assignment and Research Paper.

    Specific range statements are provided in the body of the unit standard where they apply to particular specific outcomes or assessment criteria. 
    		•

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Show competence to research relevant material using a variety of resources. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    A variety of resource material is included in the research. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    This may include but not be limited to published books, Internet articles, interviews, surveys, academic journals and CD-ROM based resources.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Resources containing relevant material are selected and integrated in the writing. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Material of a suitably high academic level is selected. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Understand issues and trends surrounding the theme. 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    This may include but not be limited to: Historical, contemporary, cultural, etc. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Where relevant, a historical background of the topic is included and examined 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Contemporary issues are listed, defined and described. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The trends of academic thought, views or practical implications are indicated. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Formulate a title reflecting the question or thesis of the subject material. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    There is evidence of a clear understanding of the intention of the question and the close relationship of the title to the contents of the report. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The title reflects the main ideas of the Academic report 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4 
    Use suitable report writing elements to establish the desired report structure. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Various report writing elements are utilised. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    These may include but not be limited to: introduction, abstract, key terms, definitions, quotations, conclusion, summary and bibliography.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The elements used are suitable for the type and length of the report. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The elements contribute to the readability and logical flow of the report. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 5 
    Display mastery of a suitable academic writing style and format. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The writing style of sentences and paragraphs is characterised by clarity, brevity and accuracy. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    An accepted format for referencing in text, footnotes or a reference list is used. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Examples: Harvard, APA, footnote or Vancouver methods may be used
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The material is divided in sections, sub-sections and bulleted lists are applicable with suitable headings to enhance the logical flow of the report 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The report as a whole displays logical coherence and conveys the main idea clearly and accurately 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
    Providers of learning towards this unit standard will need to meet the accreditation requirements of the relevant ETQA.

    Moderation Option:

    The moderation requirements of the relevant ETQA must be met in order to award credit to learners for this unit standard 

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
    The following essential embedded knowledge will be assessed through assessment of the specific outcomes in terms of the stipulated assessment criteria. Candidates are unlikely to achieve all the specific outcomes, to the standards described in the assessment criteria, without knowledge of the listed embedded knowledge. This means that for the most part, the possession or lack of the knowledge can be directly inferred from the quality of the candidate's performance. Where direct assessment of knowledge is required, assessment criteria have been included in the body of the unit standard.
  • Library usage.
  • Internet usage.
  • Research methodology.
  • Grammar and spelling rules 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Identify and solve problems through addressing a theological thesis and attempting a solution through different sources 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Organise and manage oneself and one's activities responsibly and effectively. This US demands a high level of individual management of sources and data. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information. This is at the core of this US 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively using, language skills. This US demands a sophisticated level of communication in writing 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE 
    Use science and technology effectively and critically. Internet and library research , as well as organising the information demand this outcome. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Understand the world as a set of inter-related parts of a system. The US demands this outcome in defining relationships between concepts and ideas 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO CONTRIBUTING 
    Contribute to the full development of oneself. 

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    Assessors should keep the following general principles in mind when designing and conducting assessments against this unit standard:
  • Focus the assessment activities on gathering evidence in terms of the main outcome expressed in the title to ensure assessment is integrated rather than fragmented. Remember we want to declare the person competent in terms of the title. Where assessment at title level is unmanageable, then focus assessment around each specific outcome, or groups of specific outcomes.
  • Make sure evidence is gathered across the entire range, wherever it applies. Assessment activities should be as close to the real performance as possible, and where simulations or role-plays are used, there should be supporting evidence to show the candidate is able to perform in the real situation.
  • Do not focus the assessment activities on each assessment criterion. Rather make sure the assessment activities focus on outcomes and are sufficient to enable evidence to be gathered around all the assessment criteria.
  • The assessment criteria provide the specifications against which assessment judgements should be made. In most cases, knowledge can be inferred from the quality of the performances, but in other cases, knowledge and understanding will have to be tested through questioning techniques. Where this is required, there will be assessment criteria to specify the standard required.
  • The task of the assessor is to gather sufficient evidence, of the prescribed type and quality, as specified in this unit standard, that the candidate can achieve the outcomes again and again and again. This means assessors will have to judge how many repeat performances are required before they believe the performance is reproducible.
  • All assessments should be conducted in line with the following well documented principles of assessment: appropriateness, fairness, manageability, integration into work or learning, validity, direct, authentic, sufficient, systematic, open and consistent

    The following particular issues should be taken into consideration when assessing against this unit standard:
  • A specific question or brief may or may not have been provided to the learner with the description of this assignment.
  • A very wide variety of output may be received since the learner may have the option to select the topic according to own choice. Subject material may determine variant modes of executions of the report 
    		•

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this unit standard was Reregistered in 2012; 2015. 

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    Definition of Terms:

    Terms have been clarified as far as possible through the use of range statements 

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Elective  62609   National Diploma: Theology and Ministry  Level 6  NQF Level 06  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  As per Learning Programmes recorded against this Qual 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    NONE 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.