Discuss how the implementation of a sugar tax may improve the health of the Australian population.

Length: 1,000 words (+/- 10%) academic essay

References: You are required to use a minimum of five (5) credible references to support your writing. These MUST be selected from the references provided for this task. No other references should be used in this essay. Information sourced from the provided references needs to be integrated to support the ideas presented in your essay. APA style is required for in-text citations and the reference list.

Task: Drawing upon the literature and class discussions your essay should explore the following themes:

• outcomes in other countries that have successfully implemented a sugar tax
• how a sugar tax may improve individual health
• how a sugar tax may benefit the Australian Healthcare System (AHCS)
• barriers to the introduction of a sugar tax

What resources do I need to complete this assessment task?

• Journal Articles: available on the LHS Moodle in Assessment > Research Essay > Research Essay Resources
• APA Style Essay Template: Available on the LHS Moodle in Assessment > Research Essay > Essay Planning, Preparation and Submission Worksheets

Submission of assessment: Via a Turnitin link located in the LHS Moodle in Assessment > Research Essay > Submit: Research Essay. Your final submission must be made before the due date - End of Week 7, Sunday at 11:59pm (Australian Eastern Time). Remember to check time differences if you are studying offshore.

• You can submit your essay through Turnitin prior to the due date and will receive, (within 24 hours), a Similarity Index, which will demonstrate where you may have copied material without due referencing, or where your paraphrasing was not sufficient to demonstrate original content.
• Each time you submit you work prior to the due date your essay on file will be replaced (there will not be multiple copies of your submission kept on the system). Subsequent submissions to Turnitin usually result in delayed receipt of the Similarity Index (it may take longer than 24 hours to receive a report).

Please note that .pages documents are not acceptable as they cannot be read through Turnitin. If you are using ths software, make sure you convert your document to a MSWord document. Additionally, pdf formats are NOT acceptable. If you submit a pdf you will be required to resubmit it in a MSWord document in order to receive your mark.

Originality: It is expected that the essay you submit is entirely your own work. You may discuss the essay with other students and your teacher while you are developing your understanding of the task. However, the essay you submit must be an individual and original piece of your own work. ChatGPT or other generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used for study purposes and to learn about your topic, but you may NOT include any AI-generated materials in the final submission. This includes copying and pasting text and then editing. Please review the LTCA Academic Integrity Module for further details and guidance on these matters. Please note, significant penalties apply for breaches of Academic Integrity.

Marking: Grades will be released 3 weeks from the due date of submission. This timeframe allows for moderation of marks on a random selection of assignments, marking of all assignments, and re-marking of any assignment that receives a score of less than 50%. If your assignment has been moderated or re-marked this will be indicated on the paper.

Penalties: Late submissions will be penalised 5% of the total marks available for every day after the due date and time. After five (5) working days a submission will not be accepted. A score of ‘0’ will be recorded. The assignment will not be marked. Assignments submitted within five (5) days of the due date and time will have penalties applied after the assignment has been marked.

Penalties for work that has had no prior approved extension will be calculated as follows:

• Within 24 hours after the due date and time: subtract 5%
• Within 48 hours after the due date and time: subtract 10%
• Within 72 hours after the due date and time: subtract 15%
• Within 96 hours after the due date and time: subtract 20%
• Within 120 hours after the due date and time: subtract 25%

Penalties do not apply to approved extensions. If you believe you will need an extension of the due date you must:

• Apply in writing (via email) at least 48 hours prior to the due date. Your teacher will notify you (via email) if an extension has been granted. Please note, data loss is NOT considered grounds to approve an extension. It is expected that you will use your LTCA Google account to back-up your work to a cloud storage facility to prevent this issue arising.
• Provide a medical certificate to your teacher, with your application, if it is based on medical grounds.
• Refer to the Subject Outline for further details.

Please refer to the Subject Outline for details of Special Consideration applications.

Guidelines for writing your essay: Essay format:

• APA style is required: use the provided template which includes the features below
  • Cover page
  • Double line spacing
  • Indented first line of each paragraph, no extra lines between paragraphs.
  • Left justified, ragged right
  • No subheadings (except for essay title and references)
  • References on a new page with a centred heading – References In-text citations and references:
• APA style required, please make use of the library referencing tool
• Ensure that all in-text citations are noted in your reference list and vice versa
• A minimum of five (5) credible references is required; these must be selected from the provided references.

Essay structure: (6 paragraphs)

• Introduction
  • Approximately 10% of the word count
  • Written in the present tense.
  • What is the topic and why is it important? Provide context i.e., background, statistics, definitions.
  • Provide a road map i.e., an overview of what the reader should expect to read within the essay

• Body paragraph 1

  • Use the TEEL acronym to discuss outcomes in other countries that have successfully implemented a sugar tax
  • Topic sentence
  • Explanation / explain
  • Evidence / example
  • Link back to assignment question

• Body paragraph 2

  • Use the TEEL acronym to discuss how a sugar tax may improve individual health
  • Topic sentence
  • Explanation / explain
  • Evidence / example
  • Link back to assignment question

• Body paragraph 3

  • Use the TEEL acronym to discuss how a sugar tax may benefit the Australian Healthcare System (AHCS)
  • Topic sentence
  • Explanation / explain
  • Evidence / example
  • Link back to assignment question

• Body paragraph 4

  • Use the TEEL acronym to discuss barriers to the introduction of a sugar tax
  • Topic sentence
  • Explanation / explain
  • Evidence / example
  • Link back to assignment question

• Conclusion

  • Usually, 10% of the word count
  • Written in the past tense, summarise what has been presented / discussed the assignment (preceding paragraphs).
  • Do not introduce new ideas / concepts in the conclusion; it is for summing-up only.
  • No in-text reference/s in the conclusion.

Academic writing:

• Formal language is required, avoid colloquial or emotive language
• Do not use contractions
• Paraphrase in your own words except when using the language of the discipline (e.g. exclusion criteria, internal validity, sample bias etc)
• Be very careful when choosing synonyms
• Clear, concise writing is required

Academic Integrity:

• The essay you submit must be your own work
• An Academic Integrity referral may result from irregularities in writing style and/or content; or a very high or very low similarity index (as identified by Turnitin)