Word Limit and Penalty
Where specified in the assessment task description in the class summary as applying to that assignment, CAP operates a single approach to word limits and the application of penalties for exceeding that penalty. It is the student’s responsibility to, where indicated, acquaint themselves with this approach. This approach is detailed below, and identical information is available in the assessment guidelines that are available on every wattle page. Any questions should be directed in first order to your course convenor through the contact details provided to you.
Where a limit on the word or character length of your assessment has been prescribed, penalties apply to any assignment that is returned with a count greater than 110% of the limit specified for that assignment.
The penalty is 2% for every 5% (or part thereof) by which the assignment exceeds 110% of the specified limit. For example: if the word limit is 3,000 words, then 110% = 3,300 words (x 5% = 165 words), so a 3,400-word essay — which exceeds this number by 100 words — will incur a penalty of 2%, while a 3,500-word essay — which exceeds this number by 200 words — will incur a penalty of 4%, etcetera.
The limit includes all main text, headings, tables, text boxes and footnotes with substantive text. It does not include the cover sheet, bibliography, and bibliographic content in footnotes.
Honours Word Limits
Word limits: a maximum of 20,000 words in length, including footnotes, tables, and maps, but excluding appendices and bibliography.
For the avoidance of doubt, for students working with primary sources in another language if the quote exceeds 50 words in the English translation it is recommended the original source language extract is included in the appendices and not the main body of the thesis.
Word limit associated penalties: The word limit is a hard limit for Honours thesis word counts. The penalty is 2% for each 1000 word or part thereof over the limit. This mean, the penalty will be applied as follows:
- 1 – 1,000 words over the limit - 2%
- 1,001 – 2,000 words over the limit - 4%
Where a student has been approved for an extended thesis word length, a minimum word limit will also apply. When special arrangements for extended word limits are approved, students must be notified of the new thesis word length which will become their hard limit for their word count with excess word limits penalties applying in line with the above.
The ADSE on the recommendation of the relevant Honours Convenor has the delegation to approve a variation to the word limit.
Where a student has been approved for an extended thesis limit, a minimum word limit will also be set which is generally 250 words below the approved length. Penalties will also apply for going under the approved minimum length in line with the penalties outlined above.
For example:
- 251 – 1,000 words under the extended thesis word limit - 2%
- 1001 – 2,000 words under the limit - 4%