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Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that they will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply —use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove their point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, they still have to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and they already know everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality they expect.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Synonyms of assignment

• as in lesson
• as in appointment
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Thesaurus Definition of assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• responsibility
• undertaking
• requirement
• designation
• appointment
• authorization
• installment
• installation
• destination
• emplacement
• investiture
• singling (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dethronement

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun assignment contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of assignment are chore , duty , job , stint , and task . While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

When is it sensible to use chore instead of assignment ?

While the synonyms chore and assignment are close in meaning, chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

When is duty a more appropriate choice than assignment ?

Although the words duty and assignment have much in common, duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

When might job be a better fit than assignment ?

The synonyms job and assignment are sometimes interchangeable, but job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

When could stint be used to replace assignment ?

In some situations, the words stint and assignment are roughly equivalent. However, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

When can task be used instead of assignment ?

The meanings of task and assignment largely overlap; however, task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

Examples of assignment in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assignment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near assignment

assignments

Cite this Entry

“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assignment. Accessed 10 Sep. 2024.

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Assignment: Definition in Finance, How It Works, and Examples

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Yarilet Perez is an experienced multimedia journalist and fact-checker with a Master of Science in Journalism. She has worked in multiple cities covering breaking news, politics, education, and more. Her expertise is in personal finance and investing, and real estate.

What Is an Assignment?

Assignment most often refers to one of two definitions in the financial world:

• The transfer of an individual's rights or property to another person or business. This concept exists in a variety of business transactions and is often spelled out contractually.
• In trading, assignment occurs when an option contract is exercised. The owner of the contract exercises the contract and assigns the option writer to an obligation to complete the requirements of the contract.

Key Takeaways

• Assignment is a transfer of rights or property from one party to another.
• Options assignments occur when option buyers exercise their rights to a position in a security.
• Other examples of assignments can be found in wages, mortgages, and leases.

Uses For Assignments

Assignment refers to the transfer of some or all property rights and obligations associated with an asset, property, contract, or other asset of value. to another entity through a written agreement.

Assignment rights happen every day in many different situations. A payee, like a utility or a merchant, assigns the right to collect payment from a written check to a bank. A merchant can assign the funds from a line of credit to a manufacturing third party that makes a product that the merchant will eventually sell. A trademark owner can transfer, sell, or give another person interest in the trademark or logo. A homeowner who sells their house assigns the deed to the new buyer.

To be effective, an assignment must involve parties with legal capacity, consideration, consent, and legality of the object.

A wage assignment is a forced payment of an obligation by automatic withholding from an employee’s pay. Courts issue wage assignments for people late with child or spousal support, taxes, loans, or other obligations. Money is automatically subtracted from a worker's paycheck without consent if they have a history of nonpayment. For example, a person delinquent on $100 monthly loan payments has a wage assignment deducting the money from their paycheck and sent to the lender. Wage assignments are helpful in paying back long-term debts.

Another instance can be found in a mortgage assignment. This is where a mortgage deed gives a lender interest in a mortgaged property in return for payments received. Lenders often sell mortgages to third parties, such as other lenders. A mortgage assignment document clarifies the assignment of contract and instructs the borrower in making future mortgage payments, and potentially modifies the mortgage terms.

A final example involves a lease assignment. This benefits a relocating tenant wanting to end a lease early or a landlord looking for rent payments to pay creditors. Once the new tenant signs the lease, taking over responsibility for rent payments and other obligations, the previous tenant is released from those responsibilities. In a separate lease assignment, a landlord agrees to pay a creditor through an assignment of rent due under rental property leases. The agreement is used to pay a mortgage lender if the landlord defaults on the loan or files for bankruptcy . Any rental income would then be paid directly to the lender.

Options Assignment

Options can be assigned when a buyer decides to exercise their right to buy (or sell) stock at a particular strike price . The corresponding seller of the option is not determined when a buyer opens an option trade, but only at the time that an option holder decides to exercise their right to buy stock. So an option seller with open positions is matched with the exercising buyer via automated lottery. The randomly selected seller is then assigned to fulfill the buyer's rights. This is known as an option assignment.

Once assigned, the writer (seller) of the option will have the obligation to sell (if a call option ) or buy (if a put option ) the designated number of shares of stock at the agreed-upon price (the strike price). For instance, if the writer sold calls they would be obligated to sell the stock, and the process is often referred to as having the stock called away . For puts, the buyer of the option sells stock (puts stock shares) to the writer in the form of a short-sold position.

Suppose a trader owns 100 call options on company ABC's stock with a strike price of $10 per share. The stock is now trading at $30 and ABC is due to pay a dividend shortly. As a result, the trader exercises the options early and receives 10,000 shares of ABC paid at $10. At the same time, the other side of the long call (the short call) is assigned the contract and must deliver the shares to the long.

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Meaning of assign in English

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assign verb [T] ( CHOOSE )

• Every available officer will be assigned to the investigation .
• The textbooks were assigned by the course director .
• Part of the group were assigned to clear land mines .
• Each trainee is assigned a mentor who will help them learn more about the job .
• We were assigned an interpreter for the duration of our stay .
• accommodate
• accommodate someone with something
• administration
• arm someone with something
• hand something around
• hand something back
• hand something down
• hand something in
• re-equipment
• reassignment

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

assign verb [T] ( SEND )

• She was assigned to the Paris office .
• All the team were assigned to Poland.
• advertisement
• employment agency
• recruitment drive
• reinstatement
• relocation expenses

assign verb [T] ( COMPUTING )

• 3-D printing
• adaptive learning
• additive manufacturing
• hexadecimal
• hill climbing
• techno-solutionism
• word processing

assign verb [T] ( GIVE LEGALLY )

Phrasal verb, assign | american dictionary, assign | business english, examples of assign, translations of assign.

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a toy made from cloth and filled with a soft material so that it is pleasant to hold, often in the form of an animal

Like a bull in a china shop: talking about people who are clumsy

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Red Sox designate Bobby Dalbec for assignment

• Updated: Sep. 08, 2024, 12:14 p.m.
• | Published: Sep. 08, 2024, 10:10 a.m.

The Red Sox designated Bobby Dalbec for assignment Sunday. (Katie Morrison-O'Day / MassLive) Katie Morrison-O'Day

• Christopher Smith | [email protected]

BOSTON — The Red Sox designated Bobby Dalbec for assignment Sunday.

Once Boston’s starting first baseman, Dalbec struggled to make contact and spent most of the past two seasons at Triple-A Worcester .

“If you look at the swing and miss percentages, he’s up there,” manager Alex Cora said. “He’s still a good player. Good defender. Has some pop. He’s a good athlete. So we’ll what happens in the upcoming days and then we’ll know more.”

If Dalbec clears waivers (meaning no other team claims him), the Red Sox would be able to outright him to Worcester where he would not be on the 40-man roster. He is eligible for minor league free agency this offseason if he still remains off the 40-man roster once free agency begins.

He crushed 25 homers as a rookie in 2021. Since then, he has batted just .198 with a .269 on-base percentage, .330 slugging percentage, .599 OPS, 14 homers, 13 doubles, two triples, 48 RBIs, 41 walks and 198 strikeouts in 175 games (499 plate appearances) games for Boston. The 29-year-old right-handed hitter has a 36.8% strikeout percentage in the majors, punching out 384 times in 1,044 plate appearances.

Dalbec, a 2016 fourth round pick out of Arizona, batted .255 with a .341 on-base percentage, .492 slugging percentage, .833 OPS, 19 homers, 17 doubles, one triple, 64 runs, 59 RBIs, 41 walks and 132 strikeouts in 85 games (364 plate appearances) for the WooSox this year. He appeared in 37 games for Boston this year, slashing .133/.217/.193/.410 (93 plate appearances).

Cora was asked if Dalbec could benefit from a change of scenery.

“I hate to say that, right, but it’s happened before,” Cora said. “Like I said, let’s see what happens in the upcoming days and we’ll know more.”

Boston designated Dalbec to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for right-handed starter Richard Fitts who will make his major league debut Sunday . Boston cleared a spot on the active roster for Fitts by optioning righty reliever Chase Shugart to Worcester.

The Red Sox acquired Fitts from the Yankees in the Alex Verdugo trade last offseason . The 24-year-old has a 2.38 ERA (34 innings, nine runs) over his past six starts for Worcester.

Overall, the 6-foot-3, 230-pounder is 9-5 with a 4.17 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 24 outings (23 starts) for the WooSox. He has 111 strikeouts and 37 walks in 116 ⅔ innings. Baseball America ranks him Boston’s No. 15 prospect.

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What is the CIIA agreement? The ultimate guide to CIIAAs every business needs to read

Jenny Pak Director of Program Management at PandaDoc

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When you’re running a business or large organization, there will often be times when you feel the need to safeguard your confidential information and intellectual property.

While standard contracts such as NDAs can be useful, they often aren’t watertight enough for many businesses.

That’s where a CIIA agreement comes in.

If you’re wondering what a CIIA agreement is, you wouldn’t be alone — many businesses are looking into CIIA agreements as they grow in popularity.

So, let’s learn everything you need to know about them.

Key takeaways

• CIIA agreements protect your company’s confidential information.
• They’re also a great way to ensure you maintain control over your intellectual property.
• CIIA agreements can also strengthen your non-compete terms.
• PandaDoc’s templates can be used to seamlessly adopt CIIA agreements in your organization.

What is a CIIA agreement?

A Confidential Information and Invention Assignment agreement (CIIA agreement) is simply a contract that works to protect your company’s information from leaks or intellectual property theft.

CIIA agreements achieve this by legally stating that every piece of work produced by an employee is the property of the organization rather than the employee.

This makes sure that you can stay in control of the confidential information and inventions in your company.

The two main parts of a CIIA agreement can be seen when we break down the name. First of all, there’s the part relating to confidential information.

This part of the agreement ensures that all employees clearly understand their legal obligations to protect your company’s confidential or sensitive information.

The second part of a CIIA agreement is the inventions assignment agreement.

This focuses on the intellectual property — such as productions or databases — in your organization.

Employees signing the CIIA agreement agree that any intellectual property will remain under your control.

What is the purpose of the CIIAA?

These two main functions of a CIIA agreement come back to its primary purposes.

Many businesses need to protect confidential information for competitive and compliance reasons.

CIIAAs are a great way to keep this sensitive information secure within the organization through a confidentiality agreement .

In addition to this, the purpose of a CIIA agreement is to protect your company’s intellectual property.

This will reassure your senior leaders and investors that their employees are working to benefit the organization rather than just themselves.

What are the requirements of a CIIA agreement?

When you’re putting together a CIIA agreement, here are the key requirements to keep in mind:

• Specific language: As is the case with any legal documents for business , you should use as much specific language as possible to make sure that the CIIA agreement is practicable.
• Time restrictions: A common requirement of a CIIA agreement is that it’s restricted somehow. This is often related to time, so intellectual property can leave the organization’s ownership if it isn’t used after a set period of time.
• Policy alignment: You’ll need to ensure that your CIIA agreement is aligned with legislation and statutory guidance, so consult your local rules and laws before signing any CIIA agreement.

What are the benefits of CIIA agreements?

If you’re an organization with many employees, the benefits of CIIA agreements are clear. Here are some of the most significant CIIA benefits:

Improve your confidential information protection

As we’ve already highlighted, a CIIA is primarily used to protect your confidential or sensitive information.

By signing a CIIA, your employees accept that they have a legal duty to keep your information confidential.

This will be in place even after they’ve left your company, meaning it’s a great way to protect your data.

Strengthen your non-compete terms

As well as focusing on confidential information protection, CIIAs are also used to protect your company from competitors.

This is because a CIIA sets up clear expectations around intellectual property theft.

On top of this, many CIIAs include non-compete clauses .

This can stop your employees from leaving the organization to work for your competitors.

All of this helps you to strengthen your non-compete protection.

Protect company property in case of termination

A CIIA agreement is also a great way to protect company property.

On top of intellectual property, this also relates to data or any legal documents your employees may have come into contact with during their employment.

In the case of contract termination, this part of a CIIAA is beneficial.

This is because it guarantees that you’ll receive these items of company property, allowing you to have confidence that your information and ideas will remain within the organization.

What does a CIIA agreement include?

Now that you know the main benefits of using a CIIA agreement, you probably want to start implementing CIIAAs in your organization. Here are the main things to include in your CIIA agreements:

• Company details: It’s crucial that you include as much detail about your company as is necessary on the CIIA agreement, so include things such as contact details and names.
• Employee details: As well as this, you’ll have to include key employee details. This will include the employee’s name and contact information, as well as roles and responsibilities within the company.
• Confidentiality obligations : The main thing to include in your CIIA agreement is a clear explanation of the employee’s confidentiality obligations . This must be specific to your company and the employee’s role.
• Consideration: As with most legal contracts, you’ll have to include some form of consideration—this is just what the employee receives in exchange for their signature. This will be something about continued employment, but you can make it specific to your context.

Key terms for CIIA agreements

When you’re writing a CIIA agreement, you’ll have to use these key terms:

Definition of confidential information

Confidential information can mean something very different in one organization compared to another. That’s why it’s essential to write a specific definition related to your business context.

For most companies, this definition will incorporate research, customer data, employee lists, and partnership details.

Use of confidential information

You’ll also want to define a legitimate use of confidential information. Many limitations of using confidential information ensure that it is only used for the employee’s specified contract role.

Definition of inventions

Just as is the case with confidential information, you should define inventions clearly. You’ll need to create a definition that protects your specific business, but make sure to consider any trade secrets or research that your organization is working on.

Assignment of inventions

This is a key clause in any CIIA agreement. You’ll need to ensure that the assignment of inventions is given to the business rather than the employee to protect your intellectual property rights.

Return of company property

This term relates to the end of an employee’s contract. It will ensure that employees return any company data or ideas at the end of their employment.

This is especially important if you’re creating a CIIA agreement for a freelance worker or short-term employee.

Ownership rights for inventions created during work hours versus outside of work hours

As well as these key CIIA terms, you might have to determine who owns the rights for inventions created during work hours against those created outside of work hours.

It’s crucial to ensure any inventions made using company property or company data are owned by the organization, even if they were designed outside of work hours. CIIA agreements are a great tool to achieve this.

What to consider when drafting, creating and managing a CIIA agreement

When creating any employee confidentiality agreement , you should start by considering what you need to achieve.

Are your aims primarily to protect confidential information, or do you also need to assert ownership over intellectual property?

This consideration will lead to a CIIA agreement that works for you.

When writing a CIIA agreement, it’s good to start with a section explaining your rationale for the agreement. Consider why it’s so essential to protect confidential information and inventions and make this very clear in the contract.

Although disputes should be avoided when possible, you must protect yourself against them. When drafting a CIIA agreement, consider how you would resolve a dispute.

Once you’ve drafted your CIIA agreement, you’ll need to keep your aims in mind when creating the final document.

Although you might need to make small tweaks from your first draft, these aims should continue to be evident throughout the creation process.

The rationale should also be included when creating the final document.

To help keep this in place throughout the drafting process, consider using dedicated software to create a template with this rationale.

The resolution might change in the creation section as you respond to feedback from others. However, it’s an integral part of the contract, so include some resolution.

Managing a contract throughout its lifecycle can be a complex task, but you should ensure that your aims remain consistent.

You might want to use specialist software to track changes to stay on top of any changes.

Similarly, you might need to change the rationale when managing a CIIA agreement—a short edit will allow the agreement to be adapted to a different context.

Finally, remember that the CIIA agreement should include a resolution when you manage it throughout its lifecycle.

Tips for hiring a lawyer for your CIIA agreement

When you’re drafting a CIIA agreement, it can be helpful to get legal counsel. Here are the top tips for hiring a lawyer:

• Trust: You’ll want to find a lawyer you can trust implicitly. It might be useful to work with lawyers whom you’ve worked with before. Alternatively, ask friends or other professionals for recommendations.
• Specialism: It’s also crucial that your lawyer has a specialism in contract law— ideally, this would be in employee or business contract law.
• Experience and expertise: Finally, you’ll want to find a lawyer with experience and expertise. This might be a more expensive option, but it can never hurt to invest more in expertise.

Free legal document templates can help you craft the perfect agreement

CIIA agreements are a great way to ensure that your organization’s intellectual property rights are protected and that you’re successfully protecting your organization’s confidential information.

However, producing and managing legal documents such as CIIA agreements can be a daunting task.

If you want to speed up the process, look no further than PandaDoc’s free legal document templates .

These templates will allow you to use contracts such as CIIAs in your organization seamlessly.

Start optimizing your contract management with PandaDoc today!

PandaDoc is not a law firm, or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. This page is not intended to and does not provide legal advice. Should you have legal questions on the validity of e-signatures or digital signatures and the enforceability thereof, please consult with an attorney or law firm. Use of PandaDoc services are governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

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