The expectations for scholarly work are different at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral level. There is, for example, more emphasis on content in undergraduate papers, and more emphasis on developing and defending ideas in graduate work. The transition to higher standards of writing can be frustrating for some students. Writing is an iterative process, taking multiple drafts to work through ideas and write a paper that is really good, not just acceptable.
Even the best of writers do not produce a final document in one draft.
The School of Nursing Graduate Studies Committee recognizes that although a number on MN students write will, others need to develop their writing skills to bring them to the level expected in a graduate program. We have developed this information sheet to provide students with tips and resources that they may use to improve their writing. Students who have used these suggestions have improved their writing skills. Students who improve their writing skills also improve their grades, because generally graduate papers that are not well written do not receive the grade of A.
Improving writing in general:
Purchase writing resources prior to beginning course work, and review them throughout course work and writing papers and practicum/thesis proposals and reports. A reference list is included at the end of this document. You should, for example, own the latest edition of APA Publication Manual.
Prior to submitting work, ask a colleague to review it and provide you with feedback.
When you are asked to write another draft of a proposal or paper, consider that this is part of the process of developing scholarly work. Even when someone who writes well submits an article to a journal for publication, he or she is usually asked to revise an argument or change the way something is worded. Good writing is a process.
Always use the spelling and grammar check options of your word processing program prior to submitting a paper. Proofread your work! You may proof read your work by printing a paper or on your computer. Use whatever means works best for you.
Identifying and addressing concerns:
In many cases, course professors will return poorly written papers to students without a grade. If this happens to you, talk to the professor to identify the problem, then consult Memorial University’s writing center, or read a text (e.g., Zilm & Entwistle, 2002), and /or consider hiring a writing tutor.
Review feedback on specific drafts or papers and identify how you can improve your
grammar or logic or understanding content?). Then consult appropriate resources and address the issue for the next draft or paper.
If a faculty member indicates that you have not used APA format correctly and you disagree, contact the faculty member and indicate the relevant section of the APA manual to support your point. Remember APA also has comments and suggestions for improvement in writing style (e.g., Chapter 2).
Common problems:
Punctuation, especially the use, misuse, or neglect of commas, is a frequent problem.
Consult a good grammar text as you write your papers.
All sentences require a subject, verb and object. “Hence, the need for the study,” is not a sentence to be used in a scholarly paper.
Long sentences are a common problem. If you find yourself using a semi-colon to separate clauses, consider redeveloping the clauses into two separate sentences. Similar cautions apply to paragraph length – no longer than one double spaced page (see APA, p.36).
It’s and its, and possessives and plurals, are problematic. Learn the difference and when to use each! It’s is not appropriate in scholarly writing.
Avoid anthropomorphism – do not attribute human characteristics to inanimate objects (APA, p.38). Inappropriately or illogically attributing action in an effort to be objective can be misleading. APA encourages authors to write using the first person (See APA, 5ht ed., P. 37-38) EXCEPTION: when writing an abstract, write in third person (See p.14).
Passive tense can be problematic. Grammar-checking software will highlight passive sentences. Correct these by making the verb tense more active. For example, “In a study by Smith it was found that” reads better as “Smith found that.”
For some students, a serious writing difficulty is developing a logical flow of ideas.
Many students put one idea or theme in different paragraphs with the paragraphs in-between containing different ideas. You can correct this by re-ordering sentences so that discussion of a given idea or theme stays together, or by adding bridging sentences to link together several paragraphs. Multiple thoughts in the same paragraph, without building to a conclusion, are another logic problem. For assistance, review Chapter 3 of the APA Publication Manual, or review a text such as the one by Zilm and Entwistle (2002). You should also consider learning to write and use detailed outlines of key points to help you identify and develop logical flow of ideas in a paper.
Use direct quotations rarely. Use of quotes (i.e., someone else’s words to state your point) suggest you do not understand the material. State your point in your own words;
you can use a quote to reinforce or illustrate the point if necessary. When direct quotations are used, be sure to put these in quotation marks and include the page number in your reference. Within the text avoid the use of standalone quotes. Remember a quote is used to illustrate or clarify some point.
Give yourself adequate time to develop and write your paper. A good paper cannot be written in a couple of days and is the main reason we give you the assigned paper at the beginning of the semester. Many papers require a synthesis or review of the literature and you need to take the time to locate and read that literature before you begin to write.
Do not begin each paragraph or sentence with an author’s name (e.g., Smith (2004) states) or the phrase “According to…” We are looking for your critical reading or understanding of what these authors say rather than a simple citation.
Academic Integrity:
We expect honesty and integrity at all times in your written work. Honesty implies that the work you submit is your own work, any source of information is appropriately cited, and you do not resubmit papers that were written for another purpose without prior agreement with your professor. One of the most serious breaches of academic integrity is plagiarism and could jeopardize your MN program. Cheating is also a serious breach and includes but is not limited to copying, or allowing a colleague to copy your work, or writing an assignment for another student or submitting something written by someone else as your own paper. It also usually includes resubmitting a paper written for another course. For more information on ethics and publication consult “Guidelines on Good Publication Practice” by the Committee on Publication Ethics at http://publicationethics.org/
Plagiarism:
Direct quotations need to be placed within quotation marks, and the page number provided. The failure to place direct quotation within quotation marks is plagiarism, a serious academic offence. For a definition of plagiarism, and for the School of Graduate Studies’ regulations for academic dishonesty, see:
http://www.mun.ca/regoff/calendar/sectionNo=GRAD-0015 Section 2.4.12 Academic Behaviour
Example: Phase 1 of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model “seeks to define the quality of life of the target population….” (McKenzie & Smelter, 2001, p.17).
Incorrect examples: Phase 1 of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model seeks to define the quality of life of the target population (McKenzie & Smelter, 2001). This example is incorrect because the writer has not indicated that the authors’ exact words are used. Thus, while the authors are referenced, this example demonstrates plagiarism.
When paraphrasing another person’s writing, your text needs to be substantially different from the original material. It is not sufficient to simply change a few words.
Example:
Original test: “PRECEDE-PROCEED has been the basis for many professional projects at the national level. This model is well received professionally because it is theoretically grounded and comprehensive in nature: It combines a series of phases in the planning, implementation,
Incorrect example of paraphrasing: PRECEDE-PROCEED has been used in many professional projects. This model is viewed positively for the following reasons: 1) it is theoretically grounded, 2) it is comprehensive in nature. This model includes a series of phases in the planning, implementation, and evaluation activities.
Note that in the above example, there are significant portions of the text that use the exact words as the original text (these are shown underlined). The above attempt to paraphrase is an example of plagiarism.
Correct example of paraphrasing: The PROCEDE-PROCEED model has guided the
development of numerous health education and health promotion programs, including national programs (Mckenzie, Neiger & Smeltzer, 2005). The model is valued because it is based in theory and its nine phases thoroughly guide the program developer through needs assessment, program development, program implementation, and program evaluation activities (Mckenzie et al.).
Note in the above example the ideas of the original text are provided, but these have been paraphrased. References have been provided to indicate the source of the ideas discussed in this paragraph.
Suggested Resources
Cuddy, C. (2002). Demystifying APA style. Orthopaedic Nursing, 21(5), 35-42.
Dexter, P. (2001). Tips for Scholarly Writing in Nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 16(1), 6-12.
Mailey, S. (2001). Avoiding pitfalls in APA style…American Psychological Association. SCI-Nursing, 18(3), 154-5.
Perrin, R. (2004). Pocket Guide to APA Style. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) (2010). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. http://www.apastyle.org/index.aspx
Shrunk, W. (1995). The Elements of Style. New York, NY: Trustees of Columbia University.
(Note: available at: http://www.bartleby.com/141)
Zilm, G., & Entwistle, C. (2002). The SMART way. An introduction to writing for nurses.
Toronto: Saunders
Developed and Approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, School of Nursing, Memorial University of Newfoundland – February 2004
Revised and Approved – December 2004