Respiratory Care for Isolation Paper
WRITING GUIDELINES FOR COURSE PAPERS
Before you begin
A paper that is important enough to write deserves thoughtful preparation. You should evaluate the content and Organization of your paper carefully. The following guidelines should help you assess the quality of your presentation.
Before beginning to write, you should consider the following three major characteristics of your paper: the length, the headings, and the tone.
Length
The length may be determined directly from the assignment or you may have to determine the typical length of a paper which is addressing a similar assignment. (Less than four pages is not enough)
Headings
It is important to carefully consider your material and the sequence and levels of importance of the ideas you wish to present. Headings help the reader grasp the paper’s outline and the relative importance of the parts of the paper.
Tone
It is important to present your ideas and findings directly and to aim for an interesting and compelling tone that reflects your involvement with the problem.
It is asked that you speak in the third person tense (for example. use he, she, they, or it, instead of I, you, or we).
Substance
Papers should demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge from other courses, analyze the research studied, and draw conclusions based on the learning experience. The demonstration of critical thinking skills (comparing, contrasting, integrating, evaluating, discriminating, analyzing etc.) is essential.
Quantity does not equal quality. Strive for clear, articulate, meaningful communication in the paper. Say only what needs to be said. Short words and short sentences are easier to comprehend than long ones — Jargon (the continuous use of technical vocabulary) should be avoided. Acronyms (such as “CPR) should be completely spelled out when they are used for the first time. For example, “…… cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is ……” Thereafter, you may just use “CPR” in your paper.
ORGANIZATION
A table of contents should be included with your paper.
Though – whether single words, a sentence or paragraph or long sequences – must be orderly. So that the reader will understand what you are presenting, you must aim for continuity, in its words, concepts and thematic development from your opening statement to the conclusion of your paper. Readers will be confused if you misspell words or phrases in sentences or suddenly shift the topic, tense, or person.
Because you have spent so much time working with your material, you may lose some objectivity, and may not immediately see certain problems. A reading by a colleague can uncover these problems. If you also read the paper aloud, you have an even better chance of finding and correcting errors.
It might be very helpful to understand that very few papers are perfect on the first (or even the third!) draft. Editing is an important part of a quality finished product.
CONTENT
Your paper should consist of the following major components:
I. Table of Contents
This should include a listing of the major sections of your paper as well as the table of contents and the references
II. Introduction
The body of a paper should open with an introduction that presents the specific problem under study and describes the writer’s strategy. A good introduction answers the questions: What is the point of the paper? It usually can be written in a paragraph or two and summarizes the relevant arguments and data pertaining to the subject being discussed. This gives the reader a firm sense, of what will be discussed and why.
III. The Body
The body of the paper should discuss those subjects present in the introduction, in the order in which they were presented. The conceptualization, rationale, and descriptions should be perfectly clear, logical and coherent.
IV Discussion
After presenting your material, you should evaluate. You may choose to identify the practical and theoretical implications of your work, suggest improvements on your research, or propose new research. The discussion should be thorough. It should stick to the point and confine itself to what has been discussed.
V. Summary/Conclusion
A summary/conclusion should reiterate what has been stated in the body of the paper. It should be unambiguous, valid, and meaningful. This is the “So what?” part of your paper. Ask yourself, “SO, what have I learned?” “Why did I choose to examine this topic?” “What is the relevance of this information for others?” “What do I want the reader to know?”
VI. References:
References used (must be 3) At least 2 Text books, 1 periodical. I Will not accept webmd or Wikipedia
(NOTE: use ONLY documentary references with Authors, NOT friends/professional personnel) All references must be cited
Cite references using a standard format, such as the APA format. The following style is recommended:
Books
Campbell et al., (1990). Form and Style: Thesis. Reports, Term Papers. 8 th edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, (PAGE #’s used)
Journal
Gordon, S. N. (1994). Hispanic Cultural Health Beliefs and Folk Remedies. Journal of Holistic Nursing. 12 (3), 307 – 322.
Use at least 3 references. Books and periodicals should be no older than 5 years, unless they are considered “classics” in the field of study. This keeps your information current and accurate. Footnotes are not recommended.
If your resources are listed in the reference section, they must be cited in the text Similarly, if they are cited in the body of the paper, they must be listed in the reference section.
Citations in the body of the paper should be according to APA format. For example, (Jones, 1996) or (Jones, 1996; white, 1995).
Sources for all appendices (charts, handouts, forms, etc.) must be cited at the bottom of the page and must be listed in the reference section.