Writing Skills

Assessment and Planning for Nursing ScholarshipMary Ann Kelly, RN, MSN, PNP

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Resources Used for Presentation

Keys to Nursing Success Chapter 9, pp. 286-298: Researching and Writing

Writing Papers in PsychologyChapter 1: Getting StartedChapter 5: Outlining the Review Paper

What are the four stages of the writing process?

The Four Stages of the Writing Process

1. Planning

2. Drafting

3. Revising

4. Editing

Planning• Brainstorming for topic ideas• Pre-writing strategies

Define and narrow topicFollow paper guidelines from instructor/syllabus

(When is it due? How long should it be? What is the purpose of the paper?)

More brainstorming (organize thoughts into categories or logical sequence)

Free writingAsk questions like a journalist (Who? What? When?

Where? Why?)

Planning (Con’t.)

• Conduct Research and Make NotesFirst stage: basic overview that can lead to a thesis

statementSecond stage: go into more depth with

informationSource notes: preliminary notes (info about

publication, page number, short evaluation of source, Fig. 9.4, pg. 289)

Content notes: in-depth information from sources

Planning (Con’t.)

• Write a Thesis StatementNarrows your topic to a single, central idea that

you want readers to gain from your essay/paperIt asserts something specific and significant about

the topic, often conveying your opinionIt may help determine how you arrange your ideas

in the paper

Ask these questions...

• Does the sentence make an assertion about your topic?

• Is the assertion limited to only one idea?• Is the assertion specific and significant?• Does the sentence convey your purpose and

your opinion?

Examples of thesis statements….

• Years as a nurse has taught me that my profession has many roles that deserve respect.

• Professional nursing is a combination of art and science.

• My philosophy of nursing encompasses an importance in both a strong education and in experience to gain skills.

Planning (Con’t.)

Write a working outline or “think link”Loose guide to final paperCreate changesCheck flow, consistency,

and adherence to guidelines

Outlining

• An outline lays out main ideas and their support

• Shows the relative importance of all of the paper’s elements

Principles of Outlining

• Divide material into several groups• Topics of equal generality appear in parallel

headings (at the same level of the outline)• All subdivided headings break into at least two

parts because a topic cannot logically be divided into only one part

Example Outline (1)

I. Importance of Education (Main Idea)

A. Theoretical foundation (Main division within the idea)

1. Theories of nursing (Supporting Details and Examples)

2. Research basedB. Practice

1. Nursing process 2. Role development

II. Importance of ExperienceA. Skill development

1. Basic skills 2. Specialty skills

B. Competencies 1. Job related

a) age specific b) cultural diversity

2. Area of interest

Example Outline (2)

Drafting

• Rough draft: focus on getting ideas on paper (free writing)

• Then develop form: IntroductionCentral ideas and

supporting evidenceConclusion

Drafting (Con’t.)

• IntroductionTells reader what the paper containsContains a thesis statement Contains a purpose statement (Fig. 9.6, pg. 290)

Main Body Central Ideas Evidence (facts, stats, examples, expert opinions) Organize/Structure (Fig. 9.7, pg. 291)

Drafting (Con’t.)

• ConclusionSummarize main pointsRelate a story, quote, or question (impact)Call reader to actionLook to the future

Additional points:

• Avoid plagiarismCredit authors and sourcesDifference between a

quotation and paraphraseUse a citation for paraphraseCopying material off Internet

is plagiarismConsequences of plagiarism

Resources• Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL): http

://owl.english.purdue.edu/• American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of

the American Psychological Association. (6th ed). Washington, DC. http://www.apastyle.org/

• Rosnow, R. L., & Rosnow, M. (2011). Writing papers in psychology. (9th ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. (Recommended Text)

• Pollak Library Writing Center: http://english.fullerton.edu/writing_center/index.asp

• CSUF University Learning Center (ULC): http://www.fullerton.edu/ulc/

• SON Writing Center: http://nursing.fullerton.edu/son_resources/writingcenter/index.asp

Revising

• Critically evaluate word choice, paragraph structure, style of first draft

• Add, delete, replace, reorganize words, sentences, paragraphs

• Peer/tutor review• Let it sit for a while and then revisit it• Revising checklist Fig. 9.9, pg. 293

Revising (Con’t.)

• Analytical thinkingDoes the paper fulfill the

requirements of the assignment?

Will the reader understand my thesis and how I have supported it?

Does the intro prepare the reader and capture attention?

Is the body of the paper organized?

Revising (Con’t.)

• Analytical thinking Is each idea fully developed,

explained, and supported by examples?

Are my ideas connected to one another through logical transitions?

Do I have a clear, concise writing style?

Does the conclusion provide a natural ending to the paper?

Editing

• Last step in processCorrect technical mistakes in spelling, grammar,

and punctuationCheck for consistency in formatUse “spell check” and “grammar check” but be

aware you still need to check your work.Peer editingRevising and editing checklist- Fig. 9.11, pg. 296

Editing (Con’t,)

Subject-Verb Agreement Pronoun Agreement Misplaced and Dangling

Modifiers Parallelism Using Comma’s Correctly

Fragments and Run-ons Commonly Confused

Words Punctuation Guide 100 Commonly

Misspelled Words

■ Grammar Tips from Rosnow’s Text

Please refer to PDF document in TITANium

Writing is Hard:Don’t Let that Stop You!

Tips from Ioakim Boutakidis, Ph.D.Child and Adolescent Studies

HHD Writing Tutor

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• The first obstacle to becoming a better writer: Is accepting the fact that few, if any, undergrads are ready for college-level writing

• Good writing is as hard a skill to master as anything you will encounter in your collegiate education

• NOTHING to do with your intelligence.

• Good writing is a SKILL that must be learned through practice, practice, practice

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Why is it So Difficulty?

• Why is writing so difficult? Infinitely complex in that there are many, many ways to

say the same thingNeed to understand rules of English Grammar. Difficult

because the rules are inconsistent (English is a new language and therefore a mix of Greek, Latin, Old

English)

Requires experience and exposure (often only way to learn good writing is to read a lot of good writing)

Requires patience and hard work

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Why is it So Important?

• Effective Writing = Effective Communication• Effective Communication = Effective Actions• Writing is the most formal and widely accepted

method of showing your understanding of a topic

• Research in Cognitive Psychology has demonstrated that those who can effectively explain what they know via writing actually know it better than those who cannot

Famous Quote About Writing

How do I know what I think, until I see what I say.    --W. H. Auden

Auden was an Anglo-American poet and one of the leading literary figures of the 20th century. Died September 29, 1973.

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What this means for you. . .

• Do not be discouraged or surprised by early negative feedback. Everyone will get it.

• You MUST stay on top of assignments and readings

• Review assignment requirements before, during, and prior to submission

• Do not miss classes. You will fall behind, you will miss in-class assignments, you will lose points.